Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Ocala

Good experience overall, but not amazing unfortunately. Slightly disappointing that many items listed online when I booked were not available for our visit. Both the salmon and the diver scallops we ordered were pretty good but extremely salty. We also didn’t receive small plates for our appetizer, which is relatively not a huge deal but still rightly expected from an establishment charging fine dining prices. A very expensive dinner for a very average experience.

This was our third visit to Katya Vineyards, the first in their new location. (I think it used to be a bar and the general vibe was an upscale bar with a restaurant attached.) From the first the service was excellent. It was Valentine's Day, so the staff was overworked and stressed, but their greeting was positive and genuine. The young man and young lady at the desk were cheerful and friendly. The food was really quite excellent. The chef (who made a point of greeting us after the meal asking for how we liked the meal) was skilled and innovative. I had the risotto with bacon, pistachios, truffles and beef tips (couldn't really taste the pistachios, but they were a subtle undercurrent) My wife had the seafood ravioli. Both were superb. The appetizer, grilled octopus, was very good, but would have benefited from additional char grilling. Personal opinion. The risotto could have used a little less salt. I think the bacon and pistachios added some additional salt and the dish would have benefited from less added in as a result. But still, it was excellent. The wine steward helped us out with excellent choices of wine after one of the bottles I selected was no longer available. All in all, a friendly and helpful staff, excellent chef, and nice setting, if a bit "energetic (hey, it was Valentines Day and all those sweet nothings being whispered added up!). Not inexpensive, for sure. But worth a visit when you want to experiment with innovative cooking. Will return.

Beautiful and creative desert options for a celiac patient. Chef accommodated my gluten free needs. Sara was outstanding as our server.