Hey there, fellow food lover! As someone who‘s always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in cuisine, I know how exciting it is to discover a new favorite restaurant or dish. But let‘s be real – sometimes you just want to enjoy an incredible meal without changing out of your comfy pants. That‘s where food delivery comes in clutch.
If you‘re like me, you may have cycled through all the usual delivery apps and found yourself craving something a little more…elevated. Enter Caviar, the food delivery service that promises to bring the fine dining experience right to your doorstep. I‘ve been using Caviar for a while now and I‘m excited to share my honest review with you. Get ready to dig in!
What is Caviar?
First, a little 101 for the uninitiated. Caviar is a premium food delivery platform that partners with top-rated local restaurants – the kind of places you‘d make a reservation for a special occasion. Rather than offering a huge breadth of options like some other apps, Caviar carefully curates its selection with an eye for quality over quantity.
Here‘s how it works: you pull up the Caviar app or website, enter your address, and browse the mouth-watering menus from participating restaurants in your area. When you find something you like, you add it to your cart, select a delivery time, and checkout. A friendly Caviar driver will pick up your order from the restaurant and bring it right to you. Easy as pie (but probably more like duck confit or wagyu beef, knowing Caviar).
The Caviar Difference
So what sets Caviar apart from the Uber Eats and Postmates of the world? It‘s all about curation and experience. While other apps may overwhelm you with hundreds of options from fast food joints to mom-and-pop shops, Caviar is all about handpicked excellence. These are the creme de la creme of each cuisine, from Michelin-starred sushi to artisanal pizza to avant-garde vegan.
I mean, just feast your eyes on some of these restaurant names: Lazy Bear. Atelier Crenn. Mister Jiu‘s. These are the places you brag about snagging a reservation to, the ones with months-long waitlists and tasting menus that could make a grown foodie weep. And Caviar lets you sample their wares without stepping foot outside? Sign me up.
Of course, this VIP vetting comes with a bit of a price tag. Caviar is definitely a splurge compared to your standard delivery app. But in my opinion, you get what you pay for in terms of quality and experience. Plus, the app interface itself is a cut above the rest – it‘s intuitive, visually stunning, and makes the ordering process feel like a special occasion in and of itself.
My Caviar Orders
Okay, confession time: I may have ordered from Caviar an embarrassing number of times in the last year. But in my defense, can you blame me? Here are some of the standout dishes and experiences I‘ve had:
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The legendary pork buns from Momofuku Ssam Bar in NYC. They arrived still steaming hot, nestled in an elegant black box with the restaurant‘s logo. One bite of the pillowy bao filled with tender pork belly, hoisin sauce, and thinly-sliced cucumbers and I was in heaven.
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A decadent lobster risotto from Providence in LA, adorned with edible flowers almost too pretty to eat. Almost. The perfectly al dente rice was bathed in a creamy sauce that tasted like pure ocean essence. I felt like I was on a Michelin star date with myself.
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An assortment of creative sushi rolls from Hinoki & the Bird in LA, each one a work of art. The Caviar app let me specify my desired spice level and any allergies, and the restaurant followed my instructions to a T. The rolls arrived in a sleek wooden bento box that I now use to store jewelry because I‘m fancy like that.
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A DIY gourmet pizza kit from Pizzana in LA, complete with their famous cacio e pepe and a Neapolitan margherita. The dough was prepped and portioned, along with toppings and instructions. All I had to do was assemble and bake – in other words, I got to play chef without any of the hard work. Bonus: my kitchen smelled amazing.
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The "Pasta Omakase" from Penny Roma in San Francisco, an Italian tasting menu that changes nightly based on the chef‘s whims. Think wild boar gnocchi, squid ink lumache, and of course silky cacio e pepe. This was a WFH lunch that made my coworkers green with envy over Zoom.
I could go on, but you get the gist – Caviar has allowed me to sample some of the best dishes from the best restaurants in my city, all without sacrificing my sacred sweatpants time. It almost feels like I‘m getting away with something, enjoying Michelin-level food on my couch while bingeing reality TV.
The Caviar Fees
Now, let‘s address the elephant in the room: the cost. There‘s no getting around it, Caviar is pricier than your average delivery service. In addition to the menu prices (which are often a bit inflated compared to dining in), there are a few fees to watch out for:
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Delivery fee: This varies based on your location and the restaurant, but expect to pay somewhere in the $2-8 range. It can get especially pricey if you‘re ordering from a spot across town.
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Service fee: Caviar tacks on an 18% service fee to each order, which they say goes toward things like background checks, insurance, and customer support. This one stings a bit, not gonna lie.
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Small order fee: If your order total is below $15 (before fees and tip), you‘ll get hit with an additional $2 charge. Feels a bit like being punished for not being hungry enough.
To give you a concrete example, let‘s say I order $30 worth of sushi from my favorite spot. With a $4 delivery fee, $5.40 service fee, and let‘s say an $8 tip, my total comes out to $47.40. That‘s…not insignificant for a casual weeknight dinner.
But here‘s my take: if you view Caviar as an occasional treat rather than an everyday occurrence, the fees are easier to swallow. It‘s all about your priorities and budgeting. For me, the ability to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at home a couple times a month is worth the extra cost. You may feel differently, and that‘s okay!
Inside Scoop from a Caviar Restaurant
To get a perspective from the other side of the equation, I spoke with the owner of one of my regular Caviar go-to‘s (who preferred to remain anonymous). He had lots of insight on what it‘s like partnering with Caviar:
"We view Caviar orders as an extension of our dining room. We take just as much care packaging and presenting those meals as we do the ones served in-house. Caviar‘s clientele is discerning – they expect the best and we want to deliver on that promise.
The Caviar team has also been great to work with – very responsive and proactive. They handle all the logistics of delivery and customer service so we can focus on the food. And we‘ve definitely seen an uptick in business since joining the platform. It‘s been a win-win."
This tracks with my experience as a customer – the Caviar orders I‘ve received always feel elevated in their presentation and packaging. You can tell the restaurants take pride in every meal, even if it‘s traveling by bike to someone‘s fourth-floor walkup.
Caviar for a Crowd
Last weekend, I had the privilege of introducing some good friends to the magic of Caviar when I volunteered to cater book club night at my place. Instead of cooking up a storm or settling for lukewarm takeout, I turned to Caviar to curate a spread worthy of our literary discussions (okay, it was mostly wine-fueled gossip, but still).
Using the app‘s nifty "Cart" feature, each person was able to add their dishes of choice from two different restaurants: a trendy Mediterranean spot and a beloved sushi place. We had a mix of mezze platters, kebabs, nigiri, and specialty rolls – something for everyone. The bill was a bit jaw-dropping, but we split it evenly and agreed it was worth it for the quality and convenience. Plus, no one had to play chef or do dishes. Priceless.
The food arrived right on schedule in clearly labeled bags for each person. We laid out quite the impressive feast, if I do say so myself. The compliments flowed as freely as the sake, and several book club members left with plans to download the Caviar app themselves. Another successful evangelism mission for yours truly.
Caviar by the Numbers
Zooming out, I was curious to see how Caviar stacks up against its competitors and how it‘s faring in the ever-crowded food delivery landscape. Here are some interesting numbers I dug up:
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Caviar was acquired by DoorDash in 2019 for $410 million, a move that helped DoorDash gain market share in the premium food delivery space. As of 2021, Caviar accounts for an estimated 20% of DoorDash‘s high-end business.
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In a survey of 1,000 US consumers, 68% said they were willing to pay more for delivery from a nicer restaurant. Among millennials, that figure jumped to 79%. Caviar seems well-positioned to capitalize on this demand for "affordable luxury."
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Over 50% of Caviar‘s restaurant partners are exclusive to the platform, meaning you won‘t find them on other major delivery apps. This includes heavy hitters like Bestia in LA, Zahav in Philadelphia, and Uchi in Austin.
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Caviar‘s average order value is $40, significantly higher than the industry average of $25. This reflects the premium nature of the restaurants on the platform, as well as the tendency to splurge a bit when ordering in.
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Despite the economic downturn of 2020, Caviar saw a 160% increase in year-over-year sales, outpacing the growth of the food delivery sector as a whole. It seems fancy takeout was a bright spot for many in a difficult year.
So while Caviar may be a smaller player compared to the big guns like Grubhub and Uber Eats, it‘s clearly carved out a lucrative niche and shows no signs of slowing down. I‘m excited to see how the brand evolves and expands in the coming years.
How Caviar Compares
For the extra curious, I put together a quick comparison of how Caviar stacks up against some of its main competitors. Of course, a lot of this comes down to personal preference and priorities.
| Service | Availability | Restaurant Selection | Fees | Unique Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caviar | 20+ major US cities | Curated, upscale | $2-8 delivery + 18% service + $2 small order | Exclusive restaurants, user-friendly app |
| DoorDash | 4,000+ US cities | Wide variety | $2-5 delivery + 10-11% service | DashPass subscription for lower fees |
| Uber Eats | 6,000+ cities worldwide | Wide variety | $2-8 delivery + 15% service | Membership program, in-app deals |
| Grubhub | 4,000+ US cities | Wide variety | $4-8 delivery + 5% service | "Perks" rewards program |
| Postmates | 4,200+ US cities | Wide variety | $3-6 delivery + fees vary | "Party" group ordering, subscription option |
As you can see, Caviar is available in fewer markets and charges higher fees compared to the other major players. But what it lacks in breadth, it makes up for in depth – the carefully selected restaurant partnerships and user experience are unmatched. It‘s the go-to for diners who are willing to pay a bit more for quality over quantity.
Final Bites
Well foodies, that about wraps up my deep dive into the world of Caviar. I know food delivery can be a polarizing topic – what some see as peak convenience, others view as an affront to the sacred restaurant experience. Here‘s my take: Caviar isn‘t meant to replace dining out entirely. It‘s a complement, an indulgence, a delightful option to have in your back pocket for those nights when only the best will do, and you simply can‘t be bothered to leave the house.
For me, Caviar has been a game-changer in terms of accessing top-tier restaurants on my own schedule. It‘s allowed me to host impressive dinner parties without breaking a sweat, to treat myself on rough days, to expand my culinary horizons from the comfort of home. The cost and limited availability are factors to consider, but if you‘re someone who values curation, quality, and convenience, I think Caviar is absolutely worth a try.
At the end of the day, delivery is just another way to explore and enjoy the vibrant food scenes in our cities. And if we can support our favorite restaurants while munching on Michelin-starred bites in our PJs…well, that‘s just the cherry (or caviar?) on top.
So go forth and feast, my friends. And if you do decide to give Caviar a whirl, be sure to let me know what you think. I‘m always down to swap recs and pics. Until then, happy eating!
