Finally a place in Andover that stays open later, reminds us a little bit of a NYC lounge, and was…read morea perfect date night away from the kids (also no kids were in the lounge). Only missing the impromptu dance floor up front as the DJ came on. The service was amazing, and maybe it also made a difference that it's hard to find good service anywhere around here. Decent cocktails and food too...I highly recommend the smokehouse if you like bourbon!

What a delight! Intimate feel, interesting decor, wonderful service. Background music was present…read morebut did not insert itself as competitor to conversation. And we interacted with neighboring tables on both sides to recommend (when asked) the oysters, and when one received a drink with a big smoke bubble that created a magical flow of smoke when it burst. French inspired drinks and food were fantastic and interesting. The French 75 menu was so interesting-- choose your flavor and your bubbles. I tried two, the classic with rosé was so pretty, and the honey lavender with base level champagne was delicious. The raw oysters were to die for! Perfect little pop of acidity with other flavors delicately added and perfectly balanced. The oysters Rockefeller were also perfectly delicious. The foie gras is not something I would normally eat, but my boyfriend loves that stuff so we went with it. I enjoyed it more than he did. It was not a classic foie gras, it was smoother with a creamier texture and more buttery flavor. Eating it with the fig jam and "light as clouds" toast made it absolutely delicious! I enjoyed every minute and mouthful--would definitely seek this place out again even though I live an hour away! We enjoyed ourselves too much to take pictures!

Went to Capone's for dinner. It's a good-sized place that had a stage for live music as well as…read moreloads of tables and booths for dining. Got a cozy booth and got a drink while we looked over the menu. We got soup to start and they also brought some seeded Italian bread. I opted for the Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti and my husband got Chicken Parmesan. Both were very good.

Lauren was our server tonight and she was Fantastic! We started with cosmos, fried calamari & salad…read morewhich was excellent. Then we had their Chicken parmesan which was plentiful & delicious and then we ended it with their lemon Mascarpone cake which was out of this world. The drinks and food are reasonable priced and the service is friendly & efficient.

Landmark School had their annual fundraiser at Olio this past Friday evening and it was awesome! I…read morelove the spacial layout, lighting and floor.

Where do I even begin to describe what an amazing venue Olio is? We had toured and booked Olio in…read moreJanuary 2024 (the only venue we toured) and just had our beautiful wedding on October 4th. Sarah was there for us quite literally every step of the way. We had also used Sarah's coordinating business Without A Hitch and worked with Allison who is now a part of the team at Olio. Their professionalism and kindness went above & beyond. We are so thankful to have found this amazing venue and to have celebrated our wedding there! I cannot recommend Olio enough.

Quick dinner at the bar. The winter salad was very good. I added salmon which was a bit over done…read more I was not asked for a level on the cook. The menu is limited, but it is a bar. The bartender was working her butt off, she could use some help. The martini was very good as was the Negroni. They have a nice half price happy hour menu on selected starters from 5-7. All in all not bad.

Absolute horrific experience dining here this past weekend. We waited over an hour and a half due…read moreto the manager Tiara telling us we had to wait for a specific table although the table was still enjoying after dinner drinks and not moving any time soon. There were lots of people staying at the hotel for a dance competition, so there were lots of children and lots of families. After asking nicely to sit in a different table in the back (that were all open) she huffed and puffed and not so nicely sat us. We ordered our food and drink quickly, the children behaved like any children behave in a restaurant. They sat in their seats, spoke at appropriate levels and overall did nothing out of the ordinary. We were paying our bill and the manager, Tiara shouted from the computer about 10 feet away "ARE THOSE YOUR CHILDREN!?" , which she knew they were because she sat us. When we responded yes, she rudely continued to yell "you need to teach them to be respectful of others around, there is a family with sensory sensitive near us that we were "upsetting". We then asked the waitress, Laura what had happened and she played dumb and said she did not think the kids did anything wrong while ensuring we tipped her and did not take the managers appalling behavior out on her. After we tipped her, she then offered unwanted, rude parenting advice just so I am sure her manager did not get upset with her. We left the restaurant and went to hotel lobby to discuss it with the staff there and they ensured us a manager would be in contact with us. We were there all weekend and never heard from anyone. Sunday night at 10:00pm I received a rude, unprofessional email from the manager of the restaurant & water park, Naser. His email stated that the stories did not align, we were in the wrong and the staff handled the evening professionally. When I responded back asking to speak further he told me he could not speak to me because he was "too busy" and to reach out after 3:00pm. I then received an email around 2:30 that "there was nothing to talk about" As a manager, it is indeed his job to rectify the situation of an unhappy customer instead of unprofessionally saying there is nothing to talk about. If I could rate this restaurant zero I would. The staff is rude & unprofessional. Stay clear of the manager Naser, and staff Tiara & Laura. If youre going out to eat you are there for a meal, not parenting advice.

This place is a dreamy, cozy, hidden gem. The menu has all tradition cocktails, gourmet hot dogs,…read moreand more. They have board games and cards available for customers' entertainment. The staff is extremely attentive, friendly, and skilled at their craft. You can easily stay hours in here because of the inviting ambiance and fun. Highly, highly recommend.

Recommended to us by some locals as a great place for "tourists" to go. I can't agree, since the…read moretwo bartenders on duty were slinging drinks to their buddies while ignoring us. (They clearly saw me there; we made eye contact and the one guy wasn't even doing anything.) After about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting with no service, we were about to leave when a server finally came to our table. Since they were obviously busy and weren't keeping up with the crowd that night, we tried to order two drinks each so they could save a little of their time and we could relax without worrying about if a server was going to take our order again before the end of the week. The server very sharply said that he was NOT going to give us two drinks at a time, CERTAINLY not with drinks of this high alcohol content. We ordered one drink each, cashed out and bounced. The cocktail I got was fine; I could make a slightly worse version at home at a fraction of the price (or even two at once!). We we were told later by a friendlier Salemite at a bar with a better vibe that there is a Massachusetts state law that prohibits having two drinks at once at a bar. Fair enough. Had our server told us that, unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to give us two drinks at once -- instead of making us feel like idiots/degenerates for daring to ask -- we probably would have dropped a lot of vacation money there that night. Oh well; we had a great time at the other places we went.

Really liked the ambiance of this place. It's a fun rooftop overlooking Salem. Prices are expensive…read morebut you're in the middle of everything in town. Drinks and food were nothing spectacular but not bad either. I would still recommend if you're looking to hang out with friends on a nice day/evening.

My husband and I are guests at the hotel and were feeling lazy. I'm not sure if the restaurant is…read morestill The Roof if you're eating inside during the winter? Regardless, I was very pleased with the service tonight. My husband has an allium allergy and the team were helpful in finding something he could enjoy after learning there was garlic powder in the original dish he wanted. The kitchen even sent out homemade chips when his dish took a bit longer than mine. My burger was delicious and I always appreciate a hand cut french fry. Nothing fancy, but very well done with thoughtful service.

We had our wedding there five days ago. I have nothing bad to say! It's a gorgeous venue and the…read morestaff is so easy to work with. We got the place all day, which was so relaxing!

Taken aback by the rustic charm of the open space, exposed wood support beams, and large windows…read morepooring forth natural light, I was impressed with the venue. Attending as a guest to a wedding, I cannot speak to the cost of the venue or dealing with venue staff. There were outside vendors, so I am not aware of who was affiliated with the venue versus the bar, food service, DJ, etc. Every one was polite and accommodating otherwise. Being a beautiful rustic barn, it was a great wedding. My wife and I had a grand time here. The only downside is the lack of parking. There were outside accomodations with Best Western of Danvers for transport to the venue, which worked out well. It is a factor to consider. The house on the property was delightful as well, a Victorian home with a water fountain and finely manicured landscape around the home. The bridal party, to my knowledge, prepared for the wedding here.

I had my wedding here in May, so this will be a long but all encompassing review of all different…read moreaspects of the Hawthorne. When I was looking for venues, I wanted all inclusive and one location. I spoke with Christine Madigan via email and then over the phone. She assured me that the Hawthorne did weddings well. We booked, signed contracts, set up a room block and everything. The room block: 3/5 stars I originally worked with Beth who set everything up for me and then was transferred to Rob as positions changed. I initially had 15 rooms in my block which we filled pretty quickly, but I saved one for my husbands grandmother so she could stay onsite. She called to book a room and was told there were no rooms. There were rooms so I called and spoke with Rob because she was pretty upset. He assured me we had rooms and for grandma to call him directly. Evidently the folks at the front desk didn't understand how the room block was intended to work. This happened over and over and over again. I really wish they would have set it up so my guests could book online because I heard from nearly half of my guests that either they couldn't get the days we were promised or the room type they wanted. I even had 3 couples stay at another hotel because of this so Hawthorne lost out on money because they couldn't get their booking system organized. One of my couples ended up in a room with a TWIN BED for 2 people. How is that even possible? Meanwhile I had a single person in a room with 2 queen beds and 2 bathrooms? Like I get accommodating people's requests, but a little critical thinking and communication would have gone a long way for comfort here. I doubt those people will come back to this hotel for this reason, which is sad because its such a lovely place. The menu tasting: 5/5 stars We were invited to a tasting of hors d'oeuvres, dinner selections, wine, cocktails and wedding cake. It was amazing to be able to sample items we wanted to serve without doing so blindly. Their food is phenomenal so we were excited to be able to share this with our guests. Wedding planning: 5/5 stars I received packets of information before booking Hawthorne as my venue, so I was aware of the pricing up front. I was even able to create a quote using their pricing sheet so nothing was a surprise. Christine was available to answer all of my questions throughout the process. As we got closer, she gave us homework to complete so we were ready for our big day. We created a signature mocktail, filled out place cards, went over our timeline, dropped off welcome bags, etc. Everything leading up to our wedding day (outside of booking guest rooms) was super smooth and easy. Pretty much everything was provided by the venue. I only had to book a photographer, content creator, photo booth, DJ and HMU on my own. The rest was handled for me which really made things so much smoother. We ended up well under budget, too! Wedding day: 3.5/5 stars If I could go back, I would hire a dedicated day of coordinator who worked specifically for me and not the venue. Christine was great, and did her job well, but she wasn't dedicated to me the entirety of the evening. And she and my mom were butting heads over things we were promised and not delivered. My mom did my wedding florals. We asked in advance if we could have refrigerator space and a private room to set up in. We were told we could have both, and on the day of, there was magically no fridge space, access to water, or a secure room to work in. It was extremely frustrating to be promised things and then not have those promises fulfilled. We were able to pivot and adapt, but that added so much stress to me on a day where I should not have added stress. The room she was working in was also being used as storage for a wedding the following weekend. The hotel has tons of space so I'm not sure why it had to be there but it seemed at that point it was a battle of wills more than anything. My photo booth company arrived right at the time we were about to start our ceremony, which was planned in advance, but the way the rooms were set up he ended up being in the lobby. This turned out to be really fun for wedding guests and random hotel guests to watch, but it was a bit awkward at first. Some of the items we brought for our reception were not brought down and we had to track people down to retrieve those. There was a room upstairs that was dedicated for us to hide away in and eat our appetizers, but I wanted to be with my guests and the appetizers never made it to me and my husband so I was told they were good but I didn't get to try them all. Dinner was absolutely amazing. However, I heard SO MANY complaints afterward about our bartender. I guess he was rude, and terrible at making drinks and when people tried to go to the other bar they got turned away. Overall I had the best day ever and would do it over again with a few tweaks :)

My boyfriend and I recently stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel for a short staycation. We live nearby…read moreand chose the hotel specifically for its history, haunted reputation, and because the price point included what we were told would be complimentary breakfast. The room itself was nice and comfortable, and we were surprised (in a good way) to find that it was a double room. In terms of the "haunted" experience, we did hear some tapping noises coming from the closet shortly after settling in. It was definitely spooky, and my boyfriend barely slept, hoping it would happen again--but it didn't. Still, it added to the atmosphere we were looking for. Unfortunately, the experience took a turn the next morning. When we went down for breakfast, we were informed that we needed a voucher or token that we were never given. I went back to the room to call the front desk for clarification and was told that breakfast was only included if you were given a "certificate," which was never explained at booking. My boyfriend then went to speak to the front desk himself, since he made the reservation (even though I was present when it was booked). He was told that no one ever told him breakfast was included, and the interaction felt accusatory--as though he was being accused of lying. This was uncomfortable and disappointing, especially since we booked the stay based on that information. Adding to that discomfort, as we exited the elevator to head to breakfast, we could hear two front desk staff members chatting enthusiastically. When they noticed us, the conversation abruptly stopped, and they stared as we walked by. It created an awkward and unwelcoming feeling. One was a gentleman with longer hair, and the other was a woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The manager was also involved in the conversation with my boyfriend. I do want to highlight the positives: The server at Nathaniel's was extremely kind and pleasant, and another woman working in the restaurant was also warm and helpful. The room itself was nice, and the restaurant service was genuinely the best part of our stay. That said, due to the front desk and management experience, this is not a hotel we would choose to stay at again--neither for the haunted experience nor for the treatment we received. Salem has many hotel options, and while we wanted this stay to be something special, it fell short. We were hoping to leave a glowing review, but aside from the room and restaurant staff, the overall experience left us disappointed.

1. Great cocktails. 2. Great appetizers…read more 3. Inside atmosphere was super. 4. Probably the best menu selection for my taste.

Have visited several times over the past 4 years when coming back to visit family in the area. A…read morenumber of other reviewers have commented that "things have changed", and I, unfortunately, agree. Visited on a Saturday evening - the place should be packed, but it wasn't. I easily secured a same day bar seat reservation for 8PM. After checking in, was seated at a half empty downstairs bar. No physical menus, everything was done via a QR which is fine I guess, but for a spot that positions itself as a premiere bar a bit tacky. The online menu on the public website is the only menu and where the QR takes you. I asked for a spirits list (logical for a cocktail forward bar), I got a quizzical look and a shrug of the shoulders in return. Given the menu was only 8 cocktails, picking from those I started with the Beachcomber Mai Tai for a whopping $18. This, if it's the true spec, should be a rum forward cocktail with 2 1/2 oz of rum. They batch their cocktails (not a problem) so I couldn't see their build, but there is absolutely no way this drink is made to specification - my guess is they are skimping on rum as a cost play, batching lets them get away with it. Drink was, frankly, pretty forgettable - not bad, just unremarkable. Wanting to see how they could do off-menu, I asked the bartender to make me a Hemingway Daiquiri. Now, for a cocktail bar that has a long history of rum centric and tiki leaning cocktails, this should be an off the top of their head cocktail. It's simple - white rum, lime and grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur. Bartender had never heard of it before, and then spent a few minutes staring in to his phone presumably looking up the recipe. He built it using Rhum JM white rum which is absolutely the wrong rum for this drink - it needs a white Cuban rum (which we know we can't get in the U.S.), so the usual sub would be Bacardi, Planteray 3 stars, Probitas, or others. Definitely not a Martinique agricole. This may be a too detailed nit for some, but with the framing that this is supposed to be a premium cocktail bar, this is an error that should not happen, and not for $18. Figuring the third time might be a charm, ordered the Trader Vic 1944 Mai Tai. This is the classic, the standard against which all others are measured. It's a distinct recipe, especially if you call yours the 1944 Mai Tai. This was not that. It was again light on rum with probably the wrong rums used in their blend. It was also substantially over dosed with orgeat making the almond sweetness an almost overpowering flavor versus playing a subtle supporting actor role. Again, swing and a miss. Drinkable if you like sweet, and don't mind hefty almond. But if you want to try the real Mai Tai - this is not it. Overall, for the price, fairly indifferent bar service, lack of information available to the customer (e.g., spirits list, etc.), and fairly off the mark cocktails I think you can find far better spots right now for that same money. If you definitely want that tiki inspired cocktail vibe - your better bet will be places like Wusong Road in Cambridge or Shore Leave in Boston, and I'm sure there are others. Sorry Baldwin Bar, you've lost your edge and it shows.

When Covid first started, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to get Tony's special brew he liked…read moreto whip up on Tuesday. A real hoppy treat. Luckily Richie and I are still able to get slurpy every now and then as they have created a safe seating area. Every table is wrapped in 3 layers of saran wrap and separated by those Japanese rice paper walls. Those Japs sure are classy. Even better than that, the Red Men started a new event every month!!! They give me a free bag of Lays potato chips with every 9th beer. Quite the salty snack when I am feeling it, though my cow of an ex-wife would tell me it goes straight to my hips. I hate her so much... Tell Tony that the Tunnel Bug sent ya and he'll hook it UP

Truly amazing ambience in this opulent members-only club. The Corinthian leather couch in the…read morelounge felt like sitting in a pillow made of exotic cured hides. I opted for a single malt Highland Scotch to pair with my Opus X (yes cigars are allowed!). Truly superb. The cuisine is also spectacular, featuring crisp potato thins coated with various imported spices as well as numerous home-made pastries brought in as a rotating special. While the wine list is on the meager side, our sommelier was kind enough to recommend a domestic red that was both fruity and precocious. I was invited for a one-time visit to see if I would be considered for membership. I sadly declined the offer at the moment as my giving to non-profits has been quite high this quarter; however, I will certainly apply in the near future! Tremendous.