Saturday 2nd of April 2011 02:03:49 PM

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have been here several times as it is the favorite on one of my customers. It is located an area of Boise where there are a lot of Basque influence (bars, restaurants, grocery store, cultural institutions, etc.)

I have been told that this place was on old stable and/or blacksmith shop, their website says warehouse. Either way, it is a pretty cool space with a long bar along one end, lots of tables, exposed old ceiling beams, bricks, etc. Behind glass you can see some of their distilling equipment.

They have a pretty decent beer selection, with 10 drafts and 24 or so bottles. About ½ are decent. Note they sometimes offer cask, but it is hit or miss. Be sure and try some of their house distilled spirits. I really liked the rye. They also have a solid wine list.

The food is good with some varied options. I have had decent salads, soups, sandwiches and some really good trout. You shouldn't go away hungry!

Note that due to the architecture and hard surfaces, this place can get very loud when crowded. There are a good amount of TVs, so not a bad spot to catch a game.

While not my favorite place in Boise, it is pretty solid and well worth a stop.

Sunday 31st of May 2009 01:57:24 PM

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Bardenay was the first distillery-restaurant in the US. So it's surprising how much of a focus they placed their on beer selection.

Originally born out of a division in the ownership of Bitter Creek Alehouse, the two businesses are like estranged siblings; very similar in many ways, but you wonder if they even acknowledge each others' existance. If you've been to one, you have a good impression of what the other is like.

The beer selection is always good with 15 or so beers on tap and at least as many additional choices in bottles. The selection tends to be more main-line regional microbrews, though they often have local brews and a selection of Belgian ales.

The food is always good, with more exotic offerings (e.g. Seared-Ahi Salad) than you would usually find in a beer-bar type of restaurant. But the standard pub fair, like burgers, are very, very good. So Bardenay makes a great hang-out for beer enthusiasts and those who are not beer fans at all. If you have a party with a mixture of the two, Baredenay is near the top of a short list of restaurants. This has happened to me many times and is the main reason I wind up there so much. This is a rare talent to find in a restaurant and is Bardenay's biggest strength.

The service is always professional. Since it is a distillery your potential server may be well versed in every beer they have - or he/she might be a fan of spirits and not that knowledgeable about the beer. But someone working there will be able to answer any beer questions you have.

Very nice atmosphere, but the location is one large room. So it can get a little noisy during the busy times.

The lack of happy hour prices can make the evening's beer bill a little on the high side. But Bardenay is definitely worth a visit at least once. Maybe you'll find the right combination and get hooked!