Absolutely the best foodie destination in all of CNY. It's very clear this is a passion project by two very skilled chefs and their staff. Cutting edge food without being obnoxious or pretentious (though it could appear to be if you've not been exposed to this kind of dining).
The menu looks great but we went with the tasting course. They take a lot of time to chat with you about your interests, dislikes, and general adventurousness and then craft a very throughtful experience.
Super friendly staff without lingering over you while you eat. Happy to talk to us about the retro buffalo chopper that caught our eye and even chat a bit about their calendar and other ventures.
You've got to go and see for yourself.
High-quality food that is local, made with hours of care and attention, and served to you with just the right amount fun conversation. Considering all that, the chef's tasting menu was a great deal (6 courses for $60) for all that we got. They even cleverly worked around dietary restrictions (pescatarian, vegetarian). For fellow vegetarians, Chef makes a meat substitute corndog thing that is really the tops. It's always nice to see people doing what they love and it showing in their work, and that was certainly the case here. One of the best meals I've ever had.
Not for the weak minded or boring! If you succumb to Jedi Mind tricks or decide to spend your valuable Saturday evening at Golden Corral or the Olive Garden, you may not like Défi. The menu we choose was the four course chefs choice with wine and cocktail pairings. The chef does a consultation to make sure how best to cater your preferences. How refreshing to be surprised with every course! The cuisine was absolutely delicious, and the open kitchen sang a song of devotion to the art. The cocktail and wine pairings were a perfect lead-in to each course. My only regret is that after the dinner was over, I had to watch a patron's pasta dish being plated. I will definitely be returning to sample more off the menu.
Oh my! What a find!!
We had a evening meeting downtown and were looking for a place to grab a bite. I remembered driving by this place awhile back and thought it looked interesting with glass walls bookending it and the kitchen out in the open, so why not check it out.
Everything was off the charts. Food, patrons, staff all fun and fantastic.
We started with cocktails hand crafted by a good soul called Gus and we loved them.
We tried salad made of various greens drizzled with some soft cheese mixed with greens puree was intriguingly delish and it even got better from there.
That porcelet app is a gift from the gods.. The duck and scallops were perfect and surrounded with flavors that multiplied the entree's superb taste.
It was a great meal and night. The staff was so relaxed, fun and helpful we were simple blown away with everything. See you again soon, Defi.
We enjoyed the Defi experience where they choose a menu for you based on how adventurous an eater you are. We chose the four course option with wine pairing (one of the chefs is also a sommelier). Each of the four courses was unusual, interesting and delicious, and included ingredients such as truffle, dehydrated vegetables, sun choke and trumpet mushrooms. The main course was a delicious fish with micro-greens, mushrooms, arancini and dehydrated sweet potato. The service was fantastic and the ambience is great.
I would absolutely recommend Defi whether you order off of the menu or try the Defi experience.
This was the single greatest restaurant experience of my life. Went here for a birthday celebration, the Defi cocktail,are after a quick interview was fantastic. The chef's menu was just asking and the stories behind the courses made them even better.
We've been twice...delicious, fresh, beautiful food and impeccable service both times. If you want to experience the culinary arts in Syracuse, without the stuffiness of fine dining, this is the place! The atmosphere is simple and fresh with sight lines into the kitchen. The chefs will explain your meal and their choices in as little or as much detail as you want. If you experience what we experienced, each plate will be a work of art and the food on it will taste as good as it looks. We eagerly await visit number 3!
Kristen Mucitelli-Heath
+5
We had been customers prior to COVID and previous to the current format of a chefs tasting menu with limited restaurant capacity and seating - I have to say while the a la carte menu experiences we had were wonderful, the chefs tasting menu experience (conducted as a restaurant as a whole) was just incredible. The narratives and related sustainability of the food, the care to source locally and create an experience as well as give back to the earth and support local farming was impressive and frankly, just so DELICIOUS. It’s dining we are lucky to have here in Syracuse. Highly recommend.
Don’t let the cost keep you away because the cost reflects the quality quite accurately. Each dish was outstanding and creative well beyond a gourmet’s imagination. Overall I thought the charcuterie was excellent with outstanding meats and cheeses. One of the subtleties I noticed was the chefs attention to temperature. Each dish was constructed and each ingredient almost, had it’s own temperature. The green bean dish had the green beans chilled but the rest of the dish was in a warmer temperature. Each forkful was a delight and chimeric thermal taste experience.
This was hands down, the best meal I believe I’ve ever had. My fiancé and I came during the Syracuse Downtown Dining Week, and I came assure you we will be coming back. The food was unbelievable and the service was perfect. The staff are super friendly and know how to take care of their patrons. Also, the cocktails are AMAZING. If I could give it 6 stars, I would.
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