I've been here twice and the waitress already remembers me, the drinks are so fun and tasty. But…read morereally I come for the bone marrow. I love bone marrow and this one of the few places in CLT that does it right! A hole in the wall with limited seating but definitely worth it. I'd make a reservation for sure, but definitely a hidden gem.

The best hospitality, great food, drinks on point, lovely ambiance..... I'll DEFINITELY recommend…read morefor a business meeting, to shoot the shit with a friend, date, or just for time alone

Paloma is a beautiful location, and we really wanted to love our dinner here, but unfortunately,…read morethe food didn't quite live up to expectations. I ordered the pork belly bao buns, but they missed the mark for me. Coming from NY, I'm used to bao buns being marshmallow-soft and pillowy, but these were a hard, and the pork belly itself was quite tough. Our wonderful waitress noticed I only took one bite and brought the manager over. He explained that the cut is naturally mostly fat, which I understand, but the texture just wasn't quite right because it should be tender not tough. I declined a replacement dish, and he kindly credited it on our bill, though the interaction felt a little awkward. My husband's salmon unfortunately had a very heavy mustard flavor. The spinach farrotto underneath was quite salty. Since there isn't a kids menu which is fine, my daughter ordered the burger plain, but it wasn't really a hit for her. My coconut guava Paloma was okay definitely the best part of my meal though it tasted a little artificial. The ambiance has a lot of potential, and they had live music playing. However, it was a bit too loud for the space, forcing guests to raise their voices just to speak to each other. We also noticed our table hadn't been wiped down thoroughly before we sat down. The absolute silver lining of our evening was our waitress. She was incredibly sweet, highly attentive, and took great care of us. She is truly the reason I am giving 3 stars.She mentioned that they offer a completely different menu for brunch. Because the setting is so pretty and the service was so good, we might give them another chance for brunch down the road, but we likely wouldn't return for dinner. Proof that lighting and plating can hide a lot! Captured these beautiful views last night, even though the dinner itself was a bit of a letdown.

The ambiance was very nice, and the staff was pleasant and welcoming. The salmon was…read moreexcellent--cooked perfectly, moist, and flavorful--and was easily the best dish we had. The shrimp wrap, however, was disappointing. It had very little shrimp and seemed to rely heavily on overcooked bacon and an abundance of lettuce, which made it tough to chew and left it lacking balance. The menu offers unique flavors and creative combinations, but in this dish, there seemed to be more emphasis on presentation and concept than substance.

This was our first dinner at Speckled Pear and - wow! The phrase "gourmet dining" gets misused so…read moremuch it's become meaningless. So how about, "epicurean"?, "gastronomic"? OK, I'll just say we had "da** fine" meals. Fresh, seasonal ingredients combined in some unique and surprising ways, beautifully prepared and so, so delicious. Just look at the photos of a selection of our dishes. This was well worth an update of my earlier review. First, Speckled Pear has removed the community seating and the prepared food, bakery and produce counters from my earlier visits and replaced them with true "restaurant" tables. The focus is now squarely on dining, with lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch service. And oh, there's still a wine bar and bottles are still available for purchase. In my humble view a significant positive step. Our servers were excellent, including helpfully explaining some of the wine options (my wife and sister-in-law ordered a flight). Still a fairly casual environment. Great acoustics- I hate echo chambers. We sat close to other guests but were able to easily talk among ourselves without hearing any extraneous neighbor conversations. Dare I say, Speckled Pear is now a {insert tire company name} star-quality dining experience. In Fort Mill! PS - It's a small restaurant which filled quickly and early on the weekday we visited. Reservations are recommended.

If you're a foodie, I'd highly recommend! They're a small business, and update their menu regularly…read morebased off what's in season which I love. Really unique bites to eat, with a thoughtful combination of flavors and ingredients. It's a small spot with intentional design choices and a communal table. Outside of the incredible food, the service really stood out! They have a really kind, and knowledgeable team. We were also lucky enough to meet the chef who with his wife started the restaurant just about a year ago. They're just as warm as the rest of their team! Really looking forward to going back next time we're in Charlotte.

Last night my wife and I went to Seaboy for a 2nd time. Our 1st time was 2 months ago and the food…read moreand service was amazing. This visit was just as impressive. We had mussels, heirloom tomato toast and the 2 off-menu fish items (wahoo collars and seared amberjack). All dishes were excellent. I highly recommend trying the tomato toast appetizer, best version of a bruschetta I have ever had. The service and staff are exceptional. Kent, Joe, Winter and John add an element of fun and local family feel to the experience that is unmatched. We will be back again to enjoy more of this amazing place.

Last night, my wife and I decided to try Seaboy for the first time. To set expectations, this is a…read morepremium restaurant with prices to match, so I naturally judge the food, service, and overall experience by a different standard than I would a quick burger or wing spot. Seaboy absolutely delivered. From the outside, the building is understated and looks more like it belongs near the beach at Oak Island. Once you step inside, however, it is clean, classy, well-appointed, and charmingly coastal without being overly themed or tacky. It feels like the premium restaurant it is. We didn't make reservations because we arrived at 4:30 on a Friday and never expected the place to be completely slammed that early. Jackie, the hostess, took our name and phone number and promised to call as soon as something opened at the bar. Since there wasn't much room to wait inside, she encouraged us to relax in our car. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, she called and made sure we got the first two available seats. Samantha, the bartender, was both an excellent server and a talented mixologist. She was friendly, welcoming, and attentive, somehow keeping up with all the drinks for the dining room without allowing anyone at the bar to feel ignored. I told her I wasn't much of a drinker but gave her the name of a liquor I enjoy. She created her own cocktail for me, and it was a solid 10 out of 10. Could I walk in and order that exact drink again? Probably not. Would I trust her to surprise me again in a heartbeat? Absolutely. My wife started with a shrimp appetizer that she said may have been the best shrimp she has ever eaten. I had the Caesar salad, which was the only part of the meal that was merely okay. It was beautifully presented, generously portioned, properly dressed, and topped with excellent cheese. Unfortunately, the dressing lacked the bold, savory punch I expect from a great Caesar. Our entrées, however, were phenomenal. I ordered the swordfish, and it was so good that my wife essentially took it over because she liked it even more than the seafood pasta special she had ordered. Fortunately, her rich, cheesy seafood creation was outstanding, so I was perfectly happy with the trade. I polished off her meal, then finished whatever swordfish she left behind! We ended with the deconstructed Key lime pie. It was flavorful and enjoyable, although, like the Caesar, I felt it could have used just a little more refinement. At one point, the chef and owner came out to the bar, shook our hands, introduced himself, and thanked us for coming. He stayed for a little friendly conversation, which was a genuinely nice and personal touch. Those minor critiques aside, the service, food quality, atmosphere, and hospitality were all excellent. Seaboy has immediately become one of our favorite choices for a premium meal, and the overall experience was absolutely five out of five. We will definitely be back soon. To those about to nosh, we salute you!

Ian was our server. He was lovely. We sat by the window so that was fun for people watching. They…read moreplay fun music here, 80-90's I think. Our dinner was SO GOOD. We both got salmon and the Whipped ricotta appetizer. The ricotta was delicious and I loved that it came with mint leaves. It was delicious and we scarfed that down with our beers. I had Marigold Hefe isen, which was DELICIOUS. So I had 2. They had a fantastic wine list and I was going to get a white wine from Chile but at $14, I didn't want to blow my dates wallet out. So instead I had the 2 beers. Let's talk about our delicious salmon. It was cooked perfect and served w cut asparagus on a bed of buttery orzo. I ate every little asparagus piece, it was so good and lemon butter flavored. The salmon was a lightly grilled piece of heaven. A big piece. I was a little miffed it had no lemon slice but the entire salmon was basted or braised with a lemon sauce. Every bite was divinely lemon. It was probably the best salmon I've ever had. Such a lovely visit. Nice interior and spacious and people seemed to be having fun at the bar. This location is a very lovely place!

This DTR location is an attractive spot, especially the garden/fountain area outside. It is a great…read moredate night or friends night out spot for sure. The wine selection is impressive and they have great cocktails, typically seasonal rotating options as well. I enjoyed the caviar and chips option, flatbread pizza, and brussels. It was martini night which was a great deal on traditional martinis and the cosmo was delicious. The drawback to this location is parking can be difficult, so plan accordingly for your arrival time in case you have to search for street parking.

A true Charlotte staple and one that has been around for 18+ years for good reason! This little gem…read moreis quaint, cozy, dimly lit, and perfect for a date night, which is exactly how we spent our anniversary. We started with cocktails, which were delicious, followed by the pork belly bao buns. These disappeared so quickly I'm honestly impressed I managed to get a picture. The homemade focaccia was a little underwhelming on its own and could've used more flavor, but the onion jam served with it was fantastic and definitely helped bring it to life. The shrimp & grits were everything you'd expect from a Southern-inspired dish, with barbecue sauce and homemade pickled red onions adding a great twist. Then came the spätzle, and as a German girlie, I take my spätzle seriously. This one absolutely delivered! The chicken was incredibly tender, and the cilantro, scallions, chili crisp, and other spices gave it such a fun, unexpected spin. We also tried the cacio e pepe, which was simple, delicious, and clearly done right. It's one of those dishes with so few ingredients that you know immediately when someone nails it. Our only real miss was the chef's counter. I expected more of an actual chef-counter experience (you know, like interaction with the chef and a peek at the action), but the main chef seemed to be off to the side and never really interacted with us. There was someone doing some prep work in front of us, but it didn't feel like the experience I had envisioned. Honestly, I'd rather have sat within the main dining room. Still, that's a small blip in an otherwise fantastic anniversary dinner. We were too full for dessert (a tragedy), left with leftovers, and most importantly, left with a great memory as they are closing their doors soon so the owner can open a new style restaurant. Reservations are definitely recommended since it's small and fills up quickly. If you haven't been, add this Charlotte staple to your list before it's gone... you won't regret it!

This restaurant is beautifully appointed. It's intimate and small but not too loud…read more Our server was fantastic. He was there when we needed him and not when we didn't. Great recommendations! The drinks were great- we enjoyed the Smoke 'Em While You Got Em, cucumber kiss, and espresso martini. They were so yummy! Not too strong. Food was awesome- we loved the bread, catch of the day, Korean beef, Spätzle, cacio de Pepe. For dessert- pot de creme and Affrogato. Can't wait to come back!

I highly recommend!!!…read more I love Spice recently I returned and everything was phenomenal! The hosts are so kind and beautiful when walking in, I had a few bar bites and cocktails. Then when my friend arrived, we went to our table which we had a reservation for and ordered food I enjoyed the Sushi and fire shots to celebrate her birthday! They definitely made this special for her. I cannot wait to return! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

First time visiting this Spice location for a friends birthday. The staff was very nice and overall…read moregood service. For larger groups (we had about 10-12 people) they would only allow 3 bills which I always find to be weird & the place was empty but hey house rules I guess lol. The group had pretty good reviews on food but I would recommend not getting the lamb sliders for brunch. For the price and size it should be listed as an appetizer. It was over cooked and literally an oversized bun on a small quarter sized lamb slider. Also for the champagne brand (I believe "André" or "Clarke"), very overpriced. I'll definitely come back to check out the dinner since I've heard good things.

Hidden away with a view of the lake is a cozy locale to enjoy wine or beer. With so many different…read morerooms your party will feel like they have their own section of the cottage to themselves. Lisa was very welcoming and happy to chat and connect. Whether you're seeking an intimate spot for date night or seating for a few couples to share a bottle, stop by the Cottage and relax.

Cutest lil place ever! Truly has that cottage feel! I found the staff super friendly- very…read moreknowledgeable about wineand the prices are pretty good as well! It's an eclectic maize of rooms or what seems parlor like in addition to outside seating! The customers were just as friendly. The store description says arrive as strangers but leave as friends and I'd say that true! We tried a crisp white wine, sat outside and enjoyed the view and endless people watching. They offer charcuterie boards as well to compliment your wine selection. It's on the south side of the lake! We will definitely return for sure!

everything was absolutely delicious. 10/10 recommend. easy parking across the street as well.read more

A little taste of Barcelona. Staff are super knowledgeable, food is OUTSTANDING, and you leave…read morefeeling great. I don't think you can go wrong on what you order. Manchego was lovely (aged), Jamon had some wonderful nut tones, but what stood out was the croquetas and patatas bravas

After a day of visiting breweries, we were hungry but not starving and I thought tapas would be a…read moreperfect solution. Quickly Yelping "tapas", Marina's stood out with good reviews and a fairly convenient location. We took the Blue Line to Parkwood, a short walk from Optimist Hall, the food hall where Marina's can be found. We were able to score seats at the counter and immediately began ordering. The tomato bread was great and I also loved the patatas bravas. Croquettes and garlic shrimp were also easy on the palette. The food was tasty, filling and hit the spot. Service was quick and friendly. I love tapas because I don't leave feeling overly stuffed and there's the opportunity to taste a variety of items so if you want well prepared tapas in a fun environment, Marina's is a place to go!

If you put a Spanish tapas spot in Optimist Hall, know that we be there on opening day. This place…read morewas so good we went back to order a second round before we finished the first!!! Ordered: croquetas, pan con tomate +manchego, gamba al ajillo, patatas bravas, pimientos del piquillo rellenos, and the calamares fritos. Everything was absolutely incredible. In no order: -sourdough on the shrimp and pan con tomato was a delight. -everything was super fresh. -calamari was a delightful balance of light golden fried -croquetas were so good we needed two orders -shrimp and the sauce was fireeeeeeeeee Service was quick and super friendly!!! He told me I'd be back for more . We sadly missed the meatballs, but will return to enjoy each other's presence at a later time.