Strega Restaurant and Bar

October 2, 2008. We just had a fantastic dining experience at Strega. My wife, her sister and I enjoyed the excellent cuisine and atmosphere. From tapas to dessert - easily the best fine dining experience in Corvallis. Service was excellent, the food was delicious; and the atmosphere was sophisticated. We will be sure to visit again with friends, family and clients.

A Corvallis restaurant and bar with a VIEW! We were seated on the 6th floor and enjoyed an amazing sunset. My wife’s birthday was the occasion and both she and her sister were very pleased to see their favorite champagne on the extensive wine list. Our server was excellent and very friendly; she mentioned that the wine bar is located on the floor below, so our champagne may take a few minutes to arrive, but came up very quickly. Ordered five different ‘plates’ for dinner and were all deemed delicious. Portion sizes were smaller than one would expect, but this is a ‘tapas’ style menu – (Entree focused, minimal side dishes). Knowing this and ordering a combination of plates is the key method here.

After dinner we moved over near the bar where a smart lounge area awaited with a comfy fireplace. The ladies just loved this feature!! I however was enthralled with the two flat screen TV’s that folded down out of the ceiling after the dinner hours had passed – a nice touch. The bartender became our server once we moved to the lounge. The ladies ordered Cosmopolitans and I opted for a pint of Guinness. He was very professional and politely asked the ladies for their vodka preference before returning to mix their drinks. As our drinks were being delivered my sister-in-law was in the middle of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ for my wife. The bartender very politely waited for her to finish, then placed our drinks and joined us in wishing my wife a Happy Birthday. Delicious food, great service throughout and a surprisingly inexpensive check at the end were the highlights of this evening’s experience. No flaws… impressive!

I made a reservation on a tuesday for a long awaited "date night" with my wife. We were very much looking forward to this newly opened restaurant as we had heard a lot of encouraging things about it's food and ambiance. It is situated in a new condo tower on the 5th and 6th floors and offers both indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting). The view looks out over the small city of Corvallis and along the lovely Williamette River.
We arrived into a modern lobby and took the elevator to the top floor. We were greated by a well trained staff and shown to our table... in the bar area. This was not expected and so I asked if we were simply waiting for our table to which they responded that this was our table. I inquired whether there might be another table available and I was told no. Sitting on a low stool with no back support is not what I had in mind so we gatiously made our exit unable to try out the cuisine.
The moral here may be to be sure and request a table downstairs or next to a window away from the bar.

Tapas means small portions at fairly reasonable prices, but to get filled up expect a large bill at the end of your meal. The view is stunning, as are the new digs. Kudos!