Candle in the Woods

Name: Candle in the Woods
Address: 5751 East Highway 54, Athol, ID, United States, 83801
Telephone: (208) 661-8085
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (378)

$50 and over

Contemporary French / American

5751 East Highway 54, Athol, ID 83801

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 30, 2025

8:30 PM

About this restaurant

Good for special occasions
Charming
Innovative

Gournet wine and dinner experiences for discerning clientele.
12-14 course prix fixe dining experience, each course paired with wine from our award wining cellar.
Recipient of the prestigious North Idaho Life 5 Star Dining experience award (only 2nd ever presented)
Recipient of Spokane Culinary Guild "Best Private Dining" award
Winner People's Choice Chef's Battle Northwest
Winner Judge's Choice and People's Choice award - North Idaho Culinary Competition
Enjoy time in our Game room or near the fire pits in our outside patio in between courses - we welcome you to what has been described as one of the best dining experiences in the world.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary French / American, Italian, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Dinner Thu–Sun 6:00 pm–6:15 pm
Phone number
(208) 661-8085
Website
http://thecandleinthewoods.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Connor Adlard
Catering
We do catering for groups from 8 - 200, based around your needs and budget!
Private party facilities
We do private parties for groups up to 22 for dinner.

Location
5751 East Highway 54, Athol, ID 83801
Neighborhood
Coeur d'Alene
Cross street
5751E. Highway 54
Parking details
We have onsite parking as well as an available limo service.
Entertainment
We have entertainment for select events! Please contact us for details.
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine

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Steak Smores
Yes, you read it right... Medium rare locally harvested venison (or tenderloin) steak with chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers! Everyone is pleasantly surprised when they try this for the first time
Blue Fun Tuna Tartare
served with a Rulo Chardonnay from Walla Walla
Lobster Ravioli in Sambuca Cream Sauce
One of our all time fan favorites – lobster (or butternut!) ravioli in a mouthwatering Sambuca cream sauce! Amazing …Accompanied by Dr. Loosen Riesling
Bourbon Glazed Salmon
with Mango Salsa ...served with a crisp, Kuppelweiser Pinot Grigio
Ice Cream and Habanéro Macaron

Intermezzo

Intermezzo
Our guests retire to the Game Room with a glass of Isenhower Cellars "River Beauty" Cabernet

Sweet Surrenders

Pumkin Spice Cake with White Chocolate Mousse
Crème Brulee-Stuffed Poached Pear
Port, Chocolate, and Cheese

The Main Event

Steak and Red Wine Sauce with Brocolini

Seconds

Ravioli in Sambuca and Lemon Cream, Chipotle Bacon, Giant Prawn, and House -made Bread
Savory Beignets with French Onion Cream and Mushroom Collection
Cajun Salmon Croquettes with Remoulade
Sorbet with Sparkling Sugar

What 378 people are saying

Candle in the Woods reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Candle in the Woods offers a "unique and delicious" dining experience with well-executed tasting menus and "perfect wine pairings." The "interactive" atmosphere, led by owner/chef Connor, is celebrated for fostering guest interaction and "memorable experiences." While some reviewers noted decor and service concerns, many praised the "amazing" food and "excellent service."

378 Reviews

D
Denise
Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review
3.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
It is an interactive dinner arrangement. One of our guests requested no beef or pork and ended up with the same vegetarian sausage in 3 of the courses.
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A
Alana VIP
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We took my brother there for his 60th birthday and we had the most amazing time. The food was incredible!!!! Every single dish was made with such creativity and excellence!!! don’t hesitate if you are not a drinker because the alcohol free mocktails were delicious!!!! The experience was indescribable. This is a must for everyone who loves good food, fun, laughter, and great people We will definitely be back time and time again
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C
Cristine VIP
Seattle / Eastern Washington17 reviews
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Second time dining here; once with the original owner and now with his son, the new owner. It is definitely a unique experience for a prix fix expensive dinner. It vacillates between classy and casual throughout the night, which makes it unusual. All of the “courses” we had were excellent, and we happened to have a wine distributor walking us through the wines that night and it added to the experience for sure. There was an air of arrogance at times from the owner and staff but nothing that would keep us from going again. I think it’s worth the money for the food and experience for sure, as well as appreciating the whole story of how it got started. We are happy to be “Candle cousins”.
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S
Scott
Idaho1 review
3.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Dirty wine glasses at table setting/no hand soap in upstairs restroom/watered-down hand soap in downstairs restroom/sticky substance on bottom of chair/dead plant in dining room/cheesy outside lounge. Ambiance can ruin your dining experience and it did for me and others in our party. So not worth the price and I cannot recommend this establishment to others.
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D
Danielle
Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review
2.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
From the reviews, we thought this was going to be a sophisticated, classy, high dining experience, but the location which was a former steak restaurant in a former house smelled of a combination of must and a fragrance to cover up the must. The decor was tacky, confused, and looked like an old lady and frat boy had teamed up and thrown it together last minute. Upon entry, we were served something that was supposed to be sangria, but tasted like watered down fruit punch (assuming it was pre-bottled and not freshly made) and sent upstairs to play pub games. Worst of all, the host/ chef used the dinner service time as his own personal stand up comedy show with us as his captive audience for 4 hours. Some of the jokes even seemed to be rehearsed with the other staff setting him up. On top of all this, when they pushed our chairs in at the table, we were told to put our hands up and say, “Weeeee!!!” as they slid us in…. like children. For the price we were paying, there should have been a trained Sommelier on the premises making wine selections. The food and wine pairings were average at best and not worth the awkward encounter. Food was presented cold and the dessert was melted. And if you are going to serve us sangria and Bellinis, they had better not be from pre-mixed bottles. They were nice people, but altogether one of the strangest evenings I have yet to experience.
1 person found this helpful
R
Richard
San Francisco Bay Area3 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent service, food and wine pairings. It was a treat!
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A
Annette
Seattle / Eastern Washington2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing one-of-a-kind dining experience! Do yourself a favor and book your reservation. It is worth it!
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E
Eric
Denver / Colorado1 review
5.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We're returning guests, having previously visited when Candle in the Woods was owned by the current owner's father. We were not disappointed! A lovely course of meals, good company, in an intimate and welcoming setting.
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M
Michele
Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review
5.0
Dined on May 26, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This was the third time my husband and I dined at Candle in the Woods. I was a little nervous about what it would be like since Connor has now taken over the restaurant from his father. I can enthusiastically state that the experience was at least as good as our first two times, if not better. Connor kept us entertained the whole evening. His introductions to each of the 13 courses was helpful and interesting. Each and every course was amazing. The steak was awesome and the Ahi Tuna Tartar was sooo delicious! And the wines paired perfectly. (My favorite wine was the NV Blanc Pescador White). We truly enjoyed sitting at the big table with 8 other diners who were all friendly and interesting as well. We will certainly be back again!!
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J
Jill
Seattle / Eastern Washington12 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 11, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
Food was just ok. A few good and few not so good dishes. Room temp white wines and mostly cheap wine as well. The owner talks waaay too much and makes really inappropriate jokes. You are barely even allowed to chat with whom you came. I didn't finish a bite and was shamed about it. He put his hand out and told me to give it too him, so I handed him my plate and he took the bite with his hand and pocketed it! The decor inside was all old, very dated, circa 2003. Our table and chairs were wobbly and then when something fell off of it we were made fun of like we were the issue. For over $200 per person this was very much an underwhelming experience! Not sure why the hype still. Must have been much different when the dad was still running it.
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FAQs

Candle in the Woods is rated 4.5 stars by 378 OpenTable diners.

Candle in the Woods does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 30, 2025

8:30 PM

5751 East Highway 54, Athol, ID 83801

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
5751E. Highway 54
Neighborhood
Coeur d'Alene
Hours of operation
Dinner Thu–Sun 6:00 pm–6:15 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary French / American, Italian, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
We have onsite parking as well as an available limo service.
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Connor Adlard
Entertainment
We have entertainment for select events! Please contact us for details.
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine

Website
http://thecandleinthewoods.com/
Phone number
(208) 661-8085
Catering
We do catering for groups from 8 - 200, based around your needs and budget!
Private party facilities
We do private parties for groups up to 22 for dinner.

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Candle in the Woods

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

Amuse Bouche

Steak Smores

Blue Fun Tuna Tartare

Lobster Ravioli in Sambuca Cream Sauce

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Ice Cream and Habanéro Macaron

Intermezzo

Intermezzo

Sweet Surrenders

Pumkin Spice Cake with White Chocolate Mousse

Crème Brulee-Stuffed Poached Pear

Port, Chocolate, and Cheese

The Main Event

Steak and Red Wine Sauce with Brocolini

Seconds

Ravioli in Sambuca and Lemon Cream, Chipotle Bacon, Giant Prawn, and House -made Bread

Savory Beignets with French Onion Cream and Mushroom Collection

Cajun Salmon Croquettes with Remoulade

Sorbet with Sparkling Sugar

What 378 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Candle in the Woods restaurant rated?

Does Candle in the Woods offer gift cards?

Is Candle in the Woods currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card