Relaxed View And Comfort Eats
Vero Beach, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Seafood, American
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in: December 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Daniel Traimas
Cobalt Restaurant and Lounge is advertised as a vacation on a plate. My wife and I were on our honeymoon, and we can attest to that fact. Beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean and Heaton’s Reef. A wonderful patio with fire pits keeping you warm as the night breeze and tides roll in. Upscale seafood and American fair make Cobalt the perfect eatery and bar to enjoy the nature around you, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the city behind you. This is one thing that the Kimpton Hotel brand excels at every time.
Menu:
- Raw + Garden
- Cooked
- Sea
- Land
- Sides
- Desserts
A diverse seafood menu greets you as you arrive at the Kimpton Vero Beach, while also catering to the meat eaters of the world as well. The menu reflects the fresh, local ingredients of the Treasure Coast. The Cobalt Lounge features the fire pits, live music and a nice happy hour. OpenTable has them rated on the list of the best outdoor dining restaurants in America for 2015.
We stopped for the night in Vero Beach as we traveled down the East coast of Florida from St. Augustine to West Palm. This was the first of two stops at the Kimpton brand of hotels and back in St. Petersburg, one of our wedding events was at the Kimpton Hotel Zamora restaurant Castile and 360 rooftops. My wife and I enjoyed a few items from the lunch menu starting with a semi-spicy ahi tuna tartare with avocado, soy reduction top, and crispy flatbreads. The spicy came from the wasabi crème, but it was tempered slightly due to the soy. I can understand why the two were put together on the same dish, to cater to those that don’t like the strong wasabi flavor and spice, but this classic Japanese dish should be severed the way it was intended. Overall, the dish had a nice flavor, and no Fukushima Daiichi nuclear radiation reactions…yet!!
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| Tuna Tartar |
The remaining starter selections from the menu were typical of most American or seafood style restaurants that you see around Florida or the East coast, from crab cakes to calamari. The main lunch menu was made up of eleven sandwiches, wraps, and a few hot dishes like shrimp and grits and seafood tacos. The dinner menu expands more to include selections from the land and sea, but again entrees that are more or less the same that you can get in any number of seafood restaurants, only here your at the Kimpton, and being boutique, you pay more for it. Grouper and Mahi at nearly $30 and a filet at $46 hurt the wallet. We shared the all-natural burger which in the end was okay, but not really worth the $12 price tag. Thank god for the tartare starter. Though we did not taste much, what we did have was very good, and enjoyed the atmosphere, presentation, and service above all other things.
Dessert:
From a Bavarian key lime pie to homemade cookies, there were some appetizing selections for dessert, but my wife and I decided to drink our dessert instead.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Seafood Articles & Restaurants:
400 Beach Seafood and Taphouse Relaxed coastal cuisine in St. Petersburg, Florida
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
Bonefish Grill Contemporary 200+ chain with a seafood-centric menu; reviewed in St. Petersburg, Florida
Hank’s Seafood A classy southern seafood eatery house in Charleston, South Carolina
Jack Dusty’s Nautical themed eatery with crafted cocktails and raw bar at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota Florida
Moshulu New American dining on a restored ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar Laid-back Cape Cod-style seafood restaurant in Austin, Texas
Red Snapper Kiwi “fush n’ Chups” takeaway restaurant in Sumner, New Zealand
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
A Few Florida Favorites:
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Rustic New American Fare
St. Petersburg
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
Old-world classic Italian & Mediterranean
New Smyrna Beach
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Locally Sourced Café for Southern Grub
St. Augustine
|
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Native American Cuisine w/Barbacoa Grilling
Tampa
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Upscale Pan Asian Fare w/sushi
Orlando
|
Waterfront upscale new American cuisine
Sanibel Island
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Cobalt a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9
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7.5
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1.5
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Food quality
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8.5
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6
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2.5
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Plate presentation
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9
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7
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2
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Customer service
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9.5
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8.5
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1
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Alcohol and other beverages
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8
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6
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2
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Total regular points awarded
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44
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35
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9
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.795454545454545
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0454545454545455
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.840909090909091
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
84% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded my Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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5 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Italy
New World selections:
Australia, New Zealand, California, Oregon, Washington State
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Seafood
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Local, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Contemporary, Modern, Lounge, Romantic, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Classy, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet, Private Lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low to Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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Cobalt Restaurant and Lounge:
3500 Ocean Drive
Vero Beach, Florida
32963
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 772-469-1060
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Sat-Sun
8:00 am - 12:00 am
Mon-Fri
7:00 am - 11:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Quintessential Modern Australian Cuisine
Sydney, Australia
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Old School Rustic Tuscan
Gulfport, Florida, USA
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Eclectic global plates and sushi
Austin, Texas, USA
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Other Pictures:
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| The burger |
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| Kimpton Logo |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
