Alchemy Restaurant & Bar

Very impressed. The setting is classical, the menu is interesting, and the cocktails are inspired. Traveling through Ashland with three young kids, I was a little apprehensive about putting plates of steak tartare in front of them. I asked the waiter if he could accommodate the children’s less-​than-​sophisticated palates, and he told me they could have whatever they wanted. While my date and I enjoyed three or four appetizers (do NOT miss the crab cakes), the kids got cooked-​to-​order cheeseburgers and plates of fresh macaroni and cheese. Dinner was very satisfying for everyone.
I would be remiss if I did not spend a little time on the cocktails. We sampled as many as we could off the house list, but my favorite by far was the William S. Burroughs. It is the closest thing to a perfectly constructed cocktail as you can get, and so very original. The house G&T with cardamom was amazing as well. If I lived in Ashland, I would live at this bar at least a couple nights out of the week. Truly not to be missed.

Amazing restaurant!
We had such a terrific meal. Everything was exquisitely prepared and the presentation was beautiful. our waiter was fabulous friendly and knowledgable .
we learned later he was the general manager. highly recommended.

Service was great presentation was great. Loved how attentive our waitress was. She worked on a Wednesday night and has blonde hair probably short hair that was up, was a vest. She was bubbly and knew her stuff. Food was on point with presentation and cooked perfect.

Enjoy a fantastic meal and drinks here. The Best in Ashland. Killer food and service.
Everyone there was outstanding. Treat yourself.

After several subsequent visits to the cozy bar and excellent restaurant, I’m bumping Alchemy up to five stars as a favorite spot in Ashland.
My first visit set the bar very high since we had the place practically to ourselves and were seated at a fabulous table overlooking the garden. My most recent visit was on a very busy Saturday night during the Ashland Film Festival and OSF season, so it was packed. We were seated at the back of the restaurant in probably the worst table in the house. And you know what, the meal was still excellent.
Reservations are made through OpenTable and we were seated immediately at the appointed time. Our server had complete command of the menu (not just the items, but the components, which is crucial when you are dining with someone with food allergies) and didn’t let us see him sweat even though he was hustling all evening. This is a stark contrast to some other subpar service experiences in town this weekend, so bravo to our server.
This is my favorite classic fine dining option in Ashland compared to contemporary fine dining places like Coquine and Amuse. When they turn a table here, they bring out fresh linens and a ruler for the place setting. Carson at Downton Abbey would wholly approve.
The food is divine. A very small menu (four entrees and a daily special) follow a small selection of starters and a soup or salad course. So this place isn’t for everyone. More than almost any other place in town, I would check the menu in advance to make sure something you love will be on the menu. Several items contain fois gras (which is a non-​starter for some diners), so it is an elegant and expensive meal that won’t please everyone. In all honesty, I begrudging ordered the ravioli (since I was hoping for a different entrée no longer on the menu), but it was probably the best ravioli I’ve had in recent memory.
One of the other reasons for the bump, is that I love the bar here. Located in the hotel and separate from the restaurant, this cocktail menu is superb and so are the bartenders in my experience. A great way to spend an hour and sip a classic/​vintage cocktail.

Had a really congenial evening in Jen’s bar, after a play. She’s an award winning bartender from Seattle, a wizard with cocktails with a passionate collection of rums. Had a free starter courtesy of Unilocal (tasty Jerusalem artichokes) followed by a rich perfectly cooked lobster tail and prawn with chorizo, with more Jerusalem artichokes in a choron sauce. Ordered the cheapest white on the list (a Spanish Rioja) at Jen’s recommendation — delish.

Amazing cocktails! Their bar manager, Jen, will craft you some of the most beautiful and delicious cocktails over at Alchemy!
From their impressive wine list to their own invented cocktails, Alchemy is the perfect chic bar in Ashland.

I’m remiss that I haven’t been frequenting this amazing bar and restaurant. We were warmly welcomed upon entering and we were about 20 minutes early but there was no issue. We sat at the beautiful well stocked bar and we were greeted by the cocktail master herself, Jen! We had the Play it, Sam and the Miss Jessup’s Upright Liniment. Don’t be in a hurry, greatness takes time. Relax, chat and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and watch Jen make some magic. She doesn’t disappoint. The cocktails were delicious with bright flavors of the season. We savored our drinks, but were kept up to date on our seating situation. A two seater at the window came up and they held it for us. There’s never a hurry at Alchemy.
We gathered ourselves and sauntered to the restaurant portion and were promptly seated. Our server, Drew, was so happy and polite. After eavesdropping on another table, we learned that he’s actually one of the owners. He was a delight!
We started with the butter lettuce salad and the chef’s soup (pasillo peppers and celery root), both were delicious. Second course was sous vide filet mignon and semolina ravioli. Both made me want to slap someone because they were so good. From presentation to last bite, absolutely fantastic. But why stop there? Might as well have a little dessert. I neglected to say we treated ourselves to another cocktail, The Honey Thief and the house Gin & Tonic. I can’t get enough of those craft cocktails! Delish!
Dessert you say? Yes, please! There was a nice variety, but we agreed upon the brown butter tart with seasonal fruit. Tonight it was raspberry and came with a little dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. I think the walls of heaven may be made with these tarts! Scrumptious!
We did ask Drew about his affiliation to the restaurant and he was happy to share. Just note they are currently expanding and are under construction, but it didn’t bother the quality of the food or the service. They are expecting renovations to be completed in April/​May. We will be back to stay at the inn and enjoy more of this fabulous fare!

Amazing! Such a special place to go for a date night or to bring guests to. Everything was absolutely incredible! The gin and tonics are so delicious! The bar tender house makes the tonic. I had the lobster tail and my boyfriend had the filet mignon. We also tried a few of the appetizers and wow were they great! I cannot wait to go back here!

The beef Wellington appetizer was wonderful. The homemade house made spinach ravioli was just weird. thick slabs of pasta topped with a watery sauce. I ate several bites and then had to stop because the texture was off. I should have complained but I just wanted to leave. Mom got the duck, she said the meat was ok but the sides weren’t to her liking. Then she also had a $ 16 glass of wine ($ 16!!!) and the salad appetizer. I should have just gotten the two appetizers (salad+beef Wellington), that would have been reasonable. When I got the bill for $ 93 I was just disgusted, honestly. The waiter was really nice, there were two that helped us, both were actually great. But the food just wasn’t up to par with what we paid for. Everything on the menu should have been great.

Brought my husband to Alchemy for his birthday and all I have to say is WOW! The food and drinks are amazing. One of the best restaurants in Ashland! The foie gras was tasty. The grommet onion soup made me want more and the lobster and the duck main courses blew my socks off! We’ll be back here for sure.

My husband and I had a wonderful experience here. The food and drinks were wonderful, atmosphere and servers were the best. We will definitely be back.

We went there on New Year’s Eve which can be risky, but Alchemy did not disappoint. Our waiter, who is a co-​owner and son of the original owners was knowledgable on food and wine — he pointed us to an amazing Pinot. The food was wonderful and even though we split our main course (a sublime filet mignon) there was more than enough. Charming décor — A must see for couples especially.

Jen, the bartender, is spectacular. All the signature cocktails are her own creations and are nothing less than inspired. She’s won several awards for her drinks and they are all well-​deserved. The environment is fun and friendly and has the cool, antique, hip feel of a 1920’s speak-​easy.
This is a phenomenal bar AND restaurant.
We ordered the stuffed endives, mini wellingtons, and lobster bisque.
Easily the BEST bar in Oregon, and beats any place once been to in New York or Boston, my stomping grounds for the last 6 years. What a gem.

What a super cute spot! In a house converted to an inn, with a lot of charm. We sat by a window in the bar area and had happy hour items.
It took quite a bit of effort to get the attention of the bartender
We loved our glass of wine, the burger (which came with amazing fries), and endive lettuce leaf filled with beets, and a beef Wellington (which was a huge disappointment, it was not filet mignon it was some cheap piece of beef about one inch by one inch over cooked, everything else was tasty, the pastry, the filling, but I guess you get what you pay for and the beef portion was terrible)
We’d come back but never order the beef Wellington, and the bartender needs to work on looking at her patrons and seeing their wine glass has been empty for 30 minutes.

Only had drinks in Alchemy, and two stars for the room décor only. Bartender spent most of her time talking to the waiters coming in for drinks, and she laughed at how she accidentally put cinnamon into a drink that didn’t call for it. She thought it was funny, tasted the drink with a straw she dipped in it, and said, «They’ll never know the difference.»
Having worked as a bartender, I know this stuff goes on, but you don’t broadcast it to the whole room. Service was poor, felt like the bartender didn’t really give a sh_​t. Too bad the young man who was there before is gone. He took his title ‘mixologist’ very seriously and would suggest new combos and artfully construct the cocktails. Alchemy has lost its class, I’m afraid, and me.

We had a great meal at Alchemy on 10÷15÷15 — early dinner before seeing Much Ado About Nothing. We started with the gorgonzola endive appetizer and the mini beef wellingtons! So good!
I had the spinach ravioli, it was light but filled with so much flavor and my sisters shared the flank steak with parmesan risotto. I would highly recommend Alchemy, our server was wonderful and funny.

Stopped for a glass of wine before dinner at Smithfield’s across the street. We will definitely book our stay next year at this inn (Winchester) and enjoy the restaurant more then. Beautiful building and setting with gardens and gorgeous trees.

Bright star in a dim sky.
For my wife’s birthday we spend the weekend in Ashland and took in a lot of the nicer restaurants that they had to offer. We had two misses in the row and I was worried that Alchemy would be a third. It did not disappoint.
Great list of drinks and the one we got was very good. Nice creativity.
We started with the crab salad. Lots of tasty crab and fresh greens with some bright flavors. I realize that crab is not cheap, but I’m willing to pay a price for it, and when I do, don’t remind me I’m being ripped off. I was very pleased with the large portion of crab. Yum.
I got the duck. Probably the most flavorful and well prepared duck I’ve had in a non-​asian country. This is some high quality stuff. I didn’t really care for the crêpe with the confit and bacon, but I get that it added a creative fresh element to the dish.
My wife got the halibut special. I love how big of a spectrum it hit, all the way from the oxtail to the picked turnip (?). What a perfect dish. The mushrooms added a great flavor and texture too. I highly recommend. She wishes it had a fresher element, but I think hitting the richer end of the spectrum made it absolutely divine.
Our server was very professional and friendly. Even the other staff were very warm. My wife mentioned that she had a nut allergy and they really took it seriously.
By far the best restaurant I’ve been to in Ashland. We’ll definitely be back.

This review is for the restaurant alone — not the inn (see my separate 2 star review of the accommodations).
We had nice dinner with everything cooked to order — including my rack of lamb which I ordered between rare and medium rare. The Dungeness crab cake was quite good — a little dry but not too much filler. My husband’s beef wellingtons were a bit soggy and bland; his ricotta spinach ravioli was much better.
The next morning’s breakfast was very nice — however, the brown butter hollandaise was a little too rich (I prefer my hollandaise sauce to have a bit more acid).
We would stop here again for a meal.