Marie S.
Yelp
Went for the first time last night (a Thursday), for a relative's birthday, and could not have been happier with it. First, the ambiance is unique. I saw that it was a restored historic bank, and that it had some of the original architecture, and I was hoping to be able to enjoy the view as much as the food. I was not disappointed. The original architecture has been preserved and restored and is really gorgeous, from the grand staircase and ceiling to the teller windows and all the ornate wooden carvings, plus the original vault in the middle of the room. It was really just fun to be in there and look around.
Second, the food was really great. Every single appetizer and entree we ordered was great. I had an apple goat cheese salad and rigatoni with tomato cream sauce, and I ate way too much because it just tasted so good. Everyone was thrilled with their meal. I would say the food quality is better than Tuscarora, and in many ways as good as the Conche.
However, the ambiance and the location are better than both of those. Being in downtown Leesburg is also nice, and afterward you can walk along King street and find some ice cream.
Service was also excellent. They definitely didn't rush us through the meal - I appreciated having time to digest my salad before the entrees came out (kind of a pet peeve when we're still eating appetizers and the entrees arrive). We ended up spending much more time there than we normally spend in a restaurant, which is nice for a special occasion.
As for the dress code, we were not dressed up, and I notice that some patrons were very dressed, and others were not, so we felt fine being casual, but you could definitely dress up if you wanted to. Great date restaurant - the seating is very private and the lighting is romantic.
The only tiny criticism I have is that the desserts were a let-down. Just not very good at all, and that's tough to do with just ice cream and cake. I'd say for sure skip dessert here and go down the block to the ice cream place instead. It's open late and had a good crowd. Not a good enough reason to take a star away, though.