
Downtown Memphis’ finest dining experience, invites you to a contemporary, globally inspired palate artfully designed to impress. Fine wines, classic cocktails, proper bites, and a can’t-miss cheese cart will transport you through a culinary journey with distinct hospitality that can only be found at Amelia Gene’s.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 255 S Front St, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 730-7650
Website: http://ameliagenes.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
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Dinner Menu – Amelia Gene’s
Amelia Gene’s
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Reviews
My server Miso was kind, attentive, and honest in his recommendation of dishes. When I asked him for the least sweet dessert option among all available desserts, he was truthful in letting me know that most of them would be on the sweeter side. I appreciated this very much! I was also pleased to receive a good table despite going there just by myself, which to me indicated them wanting to provide a good experience for anyone who visits.
I also liked the ambience of the place. They have retained elements from the factory that they built this place out of, and to me that was quite a nice touch.
Next, I was glad to see several vegetarian options on the menu that were not the usual vegetarian fare that you see at most American restaurants. Their complementary amuse bouche, a caramelized onion soup of sorts, was pleasant to taste.
Now coming to the thing that needs serious work; I tried four dishes on the menu and while they weren’t outright bad, they never amazed me, which is something you would expect at an upscale restaurant like this one. The arancinis for instance were okay but the portion size was concerningly small (literally only 2 bites) for a dish with an underwhelming flavor profile, and I could barely taste the basil. The mushroom risotto was overpowered by the flavor of the sherry vinegar. This was especially disappointing after being told about the addition of hazelnut oil to the dish and not being able to taste it at all. The beets dish tasted alright, but again, there was nothing about it that wowed me. In fact, the sliced beets were bitter to the point of unpleasantness. My favorite dish of the night was their potato fondue. I thoroughly enjoyed how decadent it was, and the quality of the cheese used (tête de moine in this case) was clearly top notch because it melted as soon as my tongue hit it. However, the fondue was fancy creamy mashed potatoes with cheese and truffles. It had to taste good!
It may seem unfair to assign these dishes a below average score, especially since they were never entirely inedible. But I am of the belief that if you are charging that much for a dish, you raise expectations and need to justify that with the flavors, the creativity, the presentation, or the portion size. Unfortunately, none of the dishes stood out in any of these parameters. As someone with an extensive interest in cooking, anytime I visit a fine dine restaurant, I discover at least one new element, ingredient, or flavor combination, I add to my arsenal for when cooking, but I could not find anything I wanted to take away with me from here.
In conclusion, this place wasn’t for me but I could see people who aren’t as serious about these things enjoying the food devoid of the kind of judgment I put each dish through. The people working at the restaurant seemed really nice so I do wish them the best.
Kelsey made our evening so delightful and refreshing, answering any questions and even helping with suggestions. The foods is absolutely delicious and chef Nate pays attention to detail of each plate along with everything going on his the restaurant.
Starting off with the amazing biscuits is a must! Then there was the tempura squash blossoms, outstanding dish and one of my favorites of the evening. Final favorite was the carrot cake. Words alone cannot begin to describe the next level they have taken this cake to.
Be aware that some the tastings are very small and just that, a taste.
The wines are fantastic but a little on the pricey side.. but not a deal breaker.
1. We arrived right at our reservation time, yet we were told to stand in the lobby and wait to be seated for 12min. (Not how I expect a fine dining experience to be, and our table appeared to be ready this entire time).
2. Server was generally very good and professional. That being said, it was often 10+ minutes between check-ins and we were left waiting to order desert for way too long.
3. We ordered the 10oz filet because we were told the duck would take 45min+ to cook (I get it). We ordered the steak cooked medium and it came extremely chared and blackened. I am generally okay with this, but my wife did not enjoy the bitter burnt exterior. In addition, the steak was actually pretty dry (despite being red/pink in the center). Not sure if this is due to the cooking method/heat, but certainly was not the quality of steak I expected from a 5 star restaurant. In addition, I found the potatoes to be very plain and boring.
Overall, just not the top-teir fine dining experience I was looking for.