John M.

We celebrated my birthday at this James Beard awardee during a week-long stay in Marfa. We'd intended to sit inside but given the serenity of the courtyard--in contrast to the thumping music in the dining room--we elected to dine al fresco. Based on reviews, we kicked things off with cocktails and a quarter-loaf of Cochineal's highly-regarded bread. Our mains were delicious--the trout for my wife, the locally-raised beef for me. Without a doubt, one of the highlights was the gracious service by Dallas. She coached me through selecting a terrific sotol, guided us through the entrees and checked back in appropriately. All in all, a very pleasant evening.

Susan K.

A hidden gem. Yes! There is a great restaurant hidden beside some houses. What a great time. Sat at the bar and Benjamin was our main server/bartender but really everyone chipped in with a smile. We just ate appetizers...and desert. Had their house red which wasn't expensive yet the best red I've had on my trip so far. And from a winery in Lubbock no less. The bread is to die for! And we had the salad, escargot and the most amazing mushroom croquettes. Plan your visit around their hours. As they are closed Sunday to Wednesday.

Sophie G.

A must visit for a dinner in Marfa. Quality food and great service. If you're not down for the chef tasting menu you can make a reservation for their a la carte menu which I highly recommend! Parking - it's Marfa, was able to find street parking very close no problem. Service - I made a 5pm reservation for the bar / a la carte menu and was the first/only one in for a while. Bartender and staff were all friendly. Ambiance - I sat inside at the bar and the overall interior had a charming feel. They also have a large outdoor patio. Food - I'm glad I read the reviews and got the bread to start. The bread was incredible but the star of the show was the whipped herb butter / garlic olive oil - SO good. I got the mushroom risotto for my main and it was delicious. I unfortunately did not save room for dessert but all options looked amazing. Would recommend to anyone stopping through town for a quality meal.

Royce S.

Went here for our anniversary dinner. Wow, our server was fantastic, her service was wonderful as right off the bathroom she brought 2 glasses of wine on the house and said Happy Anniversary. I started, after the wine, with a Texas Buck. A different drink but refreshing and delicious. I then started with the half/small Salade Vinaigrette, light and I enjoyed the dressing. My main course was the Mesquite Grilled Steak Grilled medium rare which was perfect and left enough room for dessert which was the Raspberry Torte, light and delicious. Yes there is upscale dining in Marfa and it was on par with anany big city upscale restaurant. I will return

Sandy R.

From a segment in a break from my Substack memoir: I started back on San Antonio toward the Paisano. About a block-and-a-half down the street I found Cochineal, a nearly hidden restaurant with an enticing courtyard. I decided to check it out. The maître-d' seated me at the bar. The bartender--was it Jeff?*--was busy but willing to converse a bit. I looked at the dessert menu and was immediately hooked by the "Toshi's Date Pudding with Rum Caramel and Fresh Cream" entry--a $16 offering. I bit. I texted ML to meet me there and within a few minutes he was sitting next to me at the bar. I offered to treat him to a "Toshi's" and he happily accepted. We sat there scooping tiny spoonsful of this decadent confection, trying hard not to let it disappear too rapidly. Soon we were swiping the dishes with our fingers; it was that good. Blood sugars skyrocketing, we made for the Paisano. *Recent communication with Cochineal manager(?): it was "Bill." And...further info on the origin of the name of restaurant (but not why) : The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North America, this insect lives on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. https://lbsandyrock.substack.com/p/texas-trek-part-2

Pavel T.

After visiting a big band national Park, I decide pay a visit to Marfaand I find this fine dining restaurant. Since I didn't have a reservation, I took a seat on a bar. The bartender wasn't really talkative. It was the last day of the Japanese cuisine to pay respect the previous Japanese owner. The current owner Andy was out of the restaurant. I don't know if the quality of the food or the service have something to do with it, but that's how it was. I order a charcuterie board with bread, butter, and some dipping sauce. The sauce was excellent. One of the bread was old and hard.Another item that I had was pork cutlet with some cabbage then some chicken bites. My main course was a Ramen and then I have some chocolate mousse dessert. The service took long in between the plates and honestly the food was not what I expected specially for the prices. I'm a foodie. I've been around the world, and I was very disappointed with this place when I asked the bartender to give me a check, he just told me the amount I gave him a credit card and I add 15% to my bill since I was not happy. Than I find out that 20% was already included on my bill which I was not informed ( Automatically adding 20% for service for party of one sitting on bar ??? , Who the F... you think you are ? Soo rude. I end up paying 35 % off of my bill for disappointing service and disappointing food. I should've choose the Marfa burrito instead of this place , I'm never coming back. You guys should be ashamed of yourself. I also tried to call the establishment after I find out what happened I left them a message. Nobody ever get back to me. You don't really care about your reputation you . What a shame, I've been in Japan and what you serving there have nothing to do with it maybe the Ramen was close to it but not for $50.Stay away from this greedy people.

Paul L.

I've been here before so my expectations were very high. Again, Cochineal met the challenge. This is my favorite restaurant in Marfa. I could have eaten the bread all night long; the butter and oil accompaniments were very flavorful. The vegetable fritters balanced well with the aoli mustard sauce. The trout was the over-the-top surprise: truly memorable. The apple panna cotta was a fun finish to a perfect dining experience. I love this restaurant and I look forward to a visit again soon.

Jeff B.

What a fantastic experience! Wifey n' I in town for a quick anniversary getaway, and with just arrivin' from the long drive (our messy timetable) we stumbled in without a reservation and hoped for the best. Granted, it was an oddball "not peak" time, so the crowd was thankfully thin and they got us in. I'm not really up on the fancy restaurant guidelines and terms etc., but we put ourselves in the server's hands for suggestions, etc., and it was fun, delicious and so unique. It was my first time trying some foods that were familar as food terms, but we've just never put ourselves in a spot to try them, such as caviar, boar, and gazpachio soup, and some others. We LOVED it all! We got a "Prix Fixe", which was a number of courses (check out the pic I took of that part of the menu). Not sure how relevant it will be to people reading this review in the sense it surely rotates greatly depending on what they have going on day-by-day. It's all very "chef-ie", and fluctuates depending, I think. And our server (I think her name's Melissa) was so sweet, attentive, and humored our green-ness, she's great. I got a few pics, I wish I got some of everything and did the items justice, but I hope they communicate well. As for how much it sets you back $$$, I would describe this as not inexpensive, but considering "where" this restaurant is set geographically, the unbelievable artistry, expertise, assortment, flavors, freshness, presentation, atmosphere, finishing touches, staff, comfort,... it was VERY worth it. Not someplace we could come regularly, but wow, one of the best places we've ever eaten and experienced ever. If you have the opportunity to ever visit here, wow, WOW, go for it! (just do bettet than us and make those reservations if you can).

Kristine F.

What a cozy little restaurant, at first I wasn't a big fan that the tables were so close together but after we were settled in, and the Prix Fixe Dinner Series started to be immediately placed in front of us... we found ourselves talking with the people around us! Travelers just like us! I'm a firm believer good food brings in good company. Wow did we have an amazing experience here. We paired the cocktail and wine with the dinner series and there was never a dull moment with your tastebuds!! This is a true farm to table establishment, they grow their own vegetables and everything are from local markets and farms...which I love that they support each other here. Plus everything was fresh, in season and phenomenal. The food was plated beautifully and although it looked so simple there was a lot of complex flavors going on and damn!! Was it was sex in your mouth oh so good!!! Especially with the thoughtful beverage pairing!! Magnifique!! Our server, Miguel was fantastic and descriptive on the food, the restaurant itself and even offered us to go in the back to thank the chef and the staff in the back! That's like super star status!!! Although we are just traveling through, he come to Marfa about once a year, it was just amazing and I look forward to returning to see what's next on the menu!!