So glad to be home for All Hallows Eve and breakfast here is still the best for me!!

We make a pilgrimage to Nathaniel's twice a year to enjoy Mr. Steve's piano, and we take a list of requests from which he selects. How fortunate the locals are! The food and service (thanks, Judi!) are excellent. read more

My husband and i booked our room at Hawthorne Hotel and took advantage of the Exploring Salem deal which included vouchers to local museums and breakfast and dinner discounts. Nat's was a pleasant surprise. The dinner deal was buy one entree and get one free. I choose fried haddock which was great. Very fresh and perfectly cooked. The meal included coleslaw and french fries which both were tasty. The coleslaw is clearly fresh and homemade. My husband played it safe with a cheddar burger on a brioche roll and was accompanied with seasoned frites and a pickle. Our server helped with recommending a local craft beer which was very good. The next morning we had breakfast at Nat's which gave us the choice of a 2 egg breakfast, pancakes or continental. If we wanted something else from the menu that was not a problem. We would get $10 credit each for our voucher. I ended up getting 2 eggs overeasy with cornbeef hash, potatoes, toast, coffee and juice. Can i tell you the amount of food was huge and i did not clean my plate. Also the cornbeef hash was homemade and very good. Service was great each meal and Cody and Wesley were great and informative with both food, beer and local things in Salem to not miss. This was a great restaurant and very nice and quiet. We plan to visit in the future. read more

I Try to visit Nathaniel's every few weeks to get some of that old time dining atmosphere on Saturday night for fine dining with a great piano player who helps set a mellow mood. The menu is somewhat limited, but the food is excellent George R read more

We had a wonderful experience at Nathaniel's. We love the atmosphere and the piano was an added touch. The menu is incredible I am gluten intolerant and they have a wide choice of delicious meals that are gluten free. I even had warm gluten free rolls. The whole meal from appetizer to desert was gluten free. The meals were presented in a beautiful way which I rarely find in a gluten free menu. My husband is not gluten intolerant and his meal was fabulous also. The wait staff was knowledgeable and pleasant. Our waitress was very helpful and patient with me. We loved everything about the night! We will return as often as possible. Maureen G read more

Nathaniel's lived up to all the great reviews. Our brunch was delightful starting off with warm coffee cake then a fruit plate with yogurt that was fresh & flavorful. Everyone raved about the eggs; although it was an unusually long wait before they arrived. It was agreed the live jazz was not only good but was not disruptive to our conversation. Friendly staff - we'd definitely return! read more

The food was exceptionally delicious. We started with a fig and lavender pastry type thing that the chef sent over which was a sweet, flaky treat. Then we had the watermelon sundae which was probably both my boyfriend and mine own favorite part of the meal. It was fresh watermelon with feta, mint and balsamic. Very unique, very tasty. Then I had the stuffed pepper and my boyfriend had the swordfish. Both meals were outstanding. All of the veggies accompanying our entrees were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of butter. Then we had the pumpkin cheesecake and the gingerbread ice cream sandwich. We finished both desserts in mere minutes. The pumpkin cheesecake was probably the best cheesecake I've ever had and the local honey on the gingerbread dessert was perfect. Overall, it was a very nice experience. A little awkward since we were there on a Sunday night at 8pm. There was only one other couple in the dining room, very quiet. But I'm sure during its busier hours the atmosphere of Nathaniel's is quite nice. Our server was friendly and attentive. read more

Went for Jazz Brunch, here are the thoughts The good: Coffee was delicious. As were the smoked salmon salad and bloody mary. Jazz band was also really good and gave the room a great ambiance. The OK: Meal was tasty, but there was more space on my plate for the roasted potatoes than the corned beef hash, which I found odd since the hash also has potatoes in them. Service was friendly but overworked. They did do the right thing and give us a discount for our wait. The Bad: Reservation was for 1PM but we didn't get seated until 1:15, even when we arrived a little early. The check came out before my dessert, which would have been fine if we asked for it. But we didn't. Also, the dessert was terrible. I love Churros. They are really hard to screw up. Yet they did. The churros were cold and hard, which is the opposite of how they should be. The Weird: There was an old man in jorts who would randomly wander into the dining room. He had a goofy look on his face like he was already drunk. Didn't seem to bother anyone but he was a little out of place. He really seemed to like the band. read more

Excellent food and reasonably priced wine menu. The dishes were conventional but with just the right amount of creativity and tasty. With good portions, did not have room to eat desert. We live in Salem and go to the Tavern all the time, but had a friend's birthday party and wanted fine dining for dinner. All three of us had excellent appetizers and main courses. Our waitress, Judy, did an excellent job. We will definitely return. read more

We went on a Sunday morning. The blueberry pancakes with orange-honey butter called our name, so we split the pancakes. My husband decided there was no need to add the real maple syrup, but I did on a few bites. They were so good either way! For my real order, I got the Eggs Benedict. They were great, with REAL Hollandaise sauce! It shouldn't be noteworthy that they made a real Hollandaise sauce, but it is, and it was very good. With the eggs, I got the homefries. Best homefries I ever had, well-cooked, with peppers and scallions, for an interesting flavor. My husband got a salmon omelet, which he was happy with. He showed me that there was actually a large piece of a salmon filet inside the omelet. He said he'd definitely order it again. He was happy with his decaf coffee, and the servers were really good about refilling it, never forgetting that it was decaf. I got a tea, thrilled to see that it was Harney and Son's. The only problem was that the water wasn't hot enough to get a good steep out of it. The only thing keeping this from a five-star review is that we didn't get water right away, and were never offered refills. I'm still thinking about those pancakes; we will definitely be back. read more

I recently had to plan a family celebration for party of 12 so we selected Nat's for their Sunday Jazz brunch. It was awesome. The environment was clean and bright and the tables were nicely spaced so you can enjoy the company you're with and not everyone else in the room and the Jazz band was such a bonus highlight. Food and service were also very good. It was just a really nice, enjoyable meal and at no point did we ever get the feeling that we had to rush through our meal. It turned out to be a really relaxing event that seemed very elegant with three courses served but yet a price that didn't make you choke when you got the bill for that party of 12! Thank you to Nat's for a very memorable event. And kudos to me for making a great choice! read more

This past February my fiancé proposed to me here. After the proposal I found out the careful coordination between him and the wonderful staff at Nat's restaurant. We loved our waiter Cody. He chatted up my fiancé to calm his nerves while I was away from the table (I had no idea!) then Cody filmed the proposal so we could have a video -a cherished and priceless part of our experience. The owner introduced us to our now Favorite champagne -the champagne that we hope to have at our wedding! I can't thank you all enough. We will definitely need to come back here on our anniversary to savor the food. The truffle-salted fries were out of this world! Thank you again so much! read more

Wife and I stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel for a couple of days and decided to try the breakfast at Nathaniel's restaurant. Had the eggs Florentine & wife had scrambled eggs. Everything was cooked to perfection. If you go there, ask for Cathy the waitress, she's an absolute delight. Loved it so much, went back the next day. If you are in town, worth try. Ate at 9:30, no wait, no rush, food came quick. read more

This was my second year attending the Hawthorne Hotel's "Teddy Bear Tea" with my daughter! It was great. This year they had a drummer that was pretty entertaining and very interactive with the children. my daughter and her friend spent several minutes dancing to his cool contemperary versions of Christmas classics leaving my friends and our mother's time to catch up and talk. The "ambience" of the Hotel is classic New England and the waitstaff and management was more than accomodating. We will definately be back again next year to donate a toy and enjoy some decent food and catch up with with friends. read more

Excellent Food and Service at my Birthday What a great experience my Mother and I had on Oct. 2, 2012. It was my Birthday dinner. The Haddock was done perfectly and a fresh as can be. Cheryl did a great job and made the Birthday a great memory. The dining is place of charm a rest in a rushed world. Thank you, Peter and Jane read more

I literally cannot say enough good things about Nathaniel's. My girlfriend and I went here for dinner on a Saturday night last month and everything was as good as it possibly could have been. The waitress was excellent and very friendly, the food was delicious and fairly priced. There was a great pianist playing and taking requests. He was not only talented but very friendly and funny. The bill came to just under $90 for two entrees, including a steak, side salads, four glasses of wine and dessert. Can't beat that! The only, minor, gripe I have with Nathaniel's is the decor is outdated. It looks like a hotel lounge from 1977. But that certainly doesn't take away from the quality of the restaurant, plus the Hawthorne is an old hotel that could use a facelift throughout so you can't really blame the restaurant staff/ownership. I would highly recommend Nathaniel's! read more

I love to visit Nathaniel's Restaurant in the heart of Salem. I think it to be exquisite. The food is great and the waitstaff very friendly; in fact the waitress I had just recently was new to the restaurant and was very cordial. I always get a different meal because all the meals are very tasty and cooked to perfection. Hats off to the cooks !!! Great Job. There are also "demi" meals for those who are light eaters. And if you go on the weekend, the piano music adds to the atmosphere. Go and enjoy!!! read more

Nathaniel's Restaurant, inside the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Ma., is a lovely restaurant that might be overlooked if one wasn't possibly lodging at the hotel. It is a great place that my husband and I have gone to when in Salem for a special evening. The menu has something for everyone-seafood, beef, lamb, as well as vegetarian entrees. The chef sent a complimentary tidbit from the kitchen to start us off while we had our wine. My husband's roasted beet and goat cheese salad was big on presentation and flavor. Our entrees were both great-mine a scallop and shrimp dish, my husband's the lamb chops. Dessert was equally delicious-gingerbread ice cream sandwich-Wow-what a finish. Our server was great as well We would eat there more often if we didn't live on the South Shore.] read more

Great place had an amazing night out with my girlfriend and would definitely recommend it to anyone else. Great restaurant, great staff and an even better atmosphere! read more

WIll not be going here ever again. Went out with friends for dinner here and were super excited to try it out. We put our names in and were told it would be about 20 minutes. After waiting for about 40 minutes we asked the host what was going on? He explained to us people were not leaving etc.....he finally got us a couch to sit at while we proceeded to wait another 30 minutes for a table of 4. The service was so so poor. Finally the host told us how sorry he was and he would give us complimentary dessert. We felt better that as least they understood we had waited forever. We sat and our server again apologized to us about how long we had to wait and reminded us about our free dessert more than once. The food was sub-par to say the least. The restaurant was SUPER loud because of the wedding going on next door and the bridal party kept running in and out of the restaurant getting drinks at the bar. After we finished dinner we decided we would just order 2 desserts to spit between both couples. When we ordered the two $6.00 desserts the waitress proceeded to tell us that we would only be getting one dessert free! Needless to say, horrible customer service and not very bright wait staff, the least she could have done was go ask if they could comp our $12.00 worth of dessert that they had reminded is 4 time that we would be getting. Very upsetting and disappointing night. read more

The Legendary Nathaniel's Sunday Jazz Brunch does not disappoint. Ever. I moved to Salem 14 years ago, and this was one of my first fabulous dining experiences. Nothing has changed; it's still a brunch by which all others can be measured. The dining scene in Salem has evolved quite a bit in 14 years, but some things can and should be left alone. The dining room is elegant and I've always loved browsing the memorabilia on the walls that tells some of the delightful history of the Hawthorne Hotel. Today we had the Caesar salad, the seafood Benedict, and a couple of different desserts. The seafood Benedict especially was to die for. The coffee cake starter was very nice, just the right thing when you're sitting down to peruse the menu. The staff was very attentive and also very young. There were a couple of very minor glitches that only two old farts like my husband and me would have even noticed. Ah, the young! Otherwise they were very sweet, friendly and prompt. Quick to refill the coffee, I might say. The jazz was lovely and unobtrusive; the volume was quite perfect. They had a piano player and a bass player and I was having a true Broadway Geek moment. They were playing selections from My Fair Lady--heavenly! A good crowd surrounded us on a cold winter morning, and we could also see the parade of party-goers as they proceeded to set up some kind of amusing affair in the private room. Make a reservation for Sunday brunch; you will probably need one. All in all, a brunch experience. read more

i've been burned before by the hawthorne... but y'all know, coulda been an accident. for this reason, on a snowy new england morning, i dragged my bigger half out of bed for a flurry-adorned morning walk, and breakfast at nathaniel's. i have to admit that the setting is nothing short of classic new england. it is a warm room, complete with piano, and wreathes on each window. you could lose yourself as you stare out the window at a cold salem winter amidst the warmth of a luxurious, historic hotel restaurant. so they get a couple stars for the atmosphere, which hopefully will stay steadfast for years to come. HOWEVER (you knew it was coming), my lobster and asparagus omelet left something to be desired... now i expect that any lobster omelet at any hotel is made from leftover lobster from the previous evening's dinner. but if a lobster is left over, is the diced lobster supposed to be burned to a crisp the next day? the tid bits in the omelet, as well as the asparagus was severely overcooked. even the eggs tasted overcooked. (who overcooks an egg?) count to sixty and it's done, ready to be flipped over onto the appropriate filling for an omelet. give me an exercise in mediocre and i'll give you the saturday morning breakfast at the hawthorne. pffft. so for better breakfasts in salem (though in some cases limited to sunday): the old spot (though i haven't been there for a while, still my favorite), taste of thyme cafe, the salem diner. even if you're staying at the hotel, i recommend taking a walk in the morning for a better breakfast. if you're just interested in atmosphere, however, feel free to stay at the hawthorne, and, you know, overpay. by the by, service was very good. read more

We had a restaurant.com coupon and it was our anniversary, so I thought it'd be nice to go someplace fancy. Since I don't eat meat, I checked out the menu ahead of time and they did have one vegetarian entrée. It was a Wednesday night, there were only two other tables there, but the service was slow. The waitress was nice and there was another guy helping out but we spent more time waiting then with any food. We were given a complimentary spring roll which was okay, but the mango salsa it was served with was good. The rolls were served with a red pepper flake and parmesan cheese infused EVOO. That was really good. I was not impressed with my heirloom tomato, mushroom, and goat cheese tower. The goat cheese and beans were good, but sparse. The majority of it was wilted arugula which didn't taste good. I was excited to eat my SO's garlic mashed potatoes, until I tried them. I cannot believe that the chef tried them before he served them. They had a glue like consistency and no garlic flavor. The SO said the scallops were good, but you only get 2 or 3. The steak was okay, but again you only get 2 or three small strips. Definitely not worth $30. Overall we were very disappointed. read more

A great way to begin our day in Salem was having brunch at Nathaniel's Restaurant at the Hawthorne Hotel. I enjoyed the menu and the helpings were generous. The veggies in my omelette were fresh and tasty. Wonderful tea and the service was attentive. We had a beautiful window seat where we watched the beautiful colored falling leaves. read more

We had a very nice dinner last night. Caesar salad was delicious, seafood Sophia was so good. The banana chocolate bread pudding,added ice cream, yum! Service was excellent. read more

Stayed two nights at hotel in June 2013. Dinner at Nathaniel's was very good and nice atmosphere. Staff was very good. Would stay at hotel and have dinner and breakfast at restaurant again. Good sized portions. We also had drinks in the Hotel's Tavern. The food that was streaming out look great and other patrons seemed to enjoy since emply plates were going back. Nice selection of beer, wine and cocktails. We saw both a mix of regulars and out of towners like us. that says a lot for a Hotel restaurant.and bar. read more

Salem MA has dozens of good restaurants but Nathaniel's is an elegant oasis because it captures a nearly forgotten or ignored gracious past. The menu is excellent and features large and small portions served beautifully. If you're looking for a loud bar scene with blasting TVs, this isn't it. If you are looking for elegance and quiet this is it. The house wines are very good and served in the appropriate glasses, not flutes. A piano player performs Thursday to Sunday evenings and plays any request. My wife and I recommend it highly. read more

I live just a few blocks from here and had never tried it. Finally decided to and I'm so glad I did. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. The chowder was delicious. Our entrees were perfect, and dessert amazing. I will definitely go back. Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice night out in a beautiful atmosphere. read more

Divine!!!! Came for restaurant week last week and the food was to die for ! Had the signature shrimp and scallop dish and it was delicious ! Mocha brûlée for dessert! Nice wine selection and very attentive service even though they were quite busy on a week night! Can't wait to go back ! read more

We dinner on an evening when the piano bar player was there, and it was a terrific experience altogether. The player was marvelous, playing show tunes and old favorites with a graceful, smooth style. The food was excellent, although a tiny bit too salty, and the waitresses are warm and welcoming without engaging in any of the false enthusiasm you often see these days. A classic kind of place. read more

I went here for brunch with my boyfriend for an 11:45 am reservation and we had a pretty bad experience from the start. When we arrived, no one was hosting and we ended up waiting 10 or so minutes with two other parties for someone to even acknowledge that we were there, even though we had all made reservations in advance. For about a half hour, we didn't even have a waitress, no one came over and we didn't receive water or anything until the host/ manager (I'm assuming that was her position) of Nat's came over to take our order, but she obviously wasn't prepared to take orders and almost left without finding out the specifics of our meal, including basics like what kind of eggs we wanted. The food took a long time, and by the time we were ready to pay, the woman who had taken our order was nowhere to be found (and actually, we never saw her again after she took the original order). We waited over 45 minutes to even find someone that we could ask for the bill, and even after we did, no one came to give us the bill, we even had our credit cards on the end of the table but no one ever came. After a while, a different woman appeared and told us that they had put the order under her name but that she had had no idea that they had done that which is why it took so long. However, by this point, parties of 5 and 6 people had already finished, paid, and left, and we were one of only two tables still there, because no one was paying attention to us. We ended up sitting at brunch for over 2 hours when we had intended a quicker eat. The food was okay, but DEFINITELY not worth the experience of having staff that didn't even check to see if you had water. I was not impressed at all and this experience has made me never want to come back, which is unfortunate because the location and atmosphere made me believe that it could be a really nice dining spot. Definitely don't go there if you have anywhere to be afterward! read more

My wife and I have enjoyed the Sunday Jazz Brunch at The Hawthorne Hotel in Salem a number of times. It is a well-developed three course menu with delicious and different choices. The food has always been very good, the atmosphere is warm, intimate, and inviting, and the service has always been terrific. The music is always terrific and sets a wonderful tone for the brunch. Adam was our server this particular week and he was so professional and friendly. He paced the courses so well and was very attentive. We look forward to visiting this brunch again! Terry C. read more

My wife and I were on our way home from the airport- we decided to avoid the rt1 and 128 Christmas shopping and rush hour traffic -so we took 1A back to Gloucester - I hadn't seen her for 2 wks. And she wanted to go somewhere 'quiet and cozy'.... Nathaniel's more than met her expectations- she went as far to say "this made my Christmas" - the place -lobby and restaurant - are so nicely decorated - one family was even taking pictures of their children in the lobby for their Christmas cards - her chicken entre - she absolutely raved about (I would never order chicken out - but after tasting hers I will reconsider - moist and delicious!) - my steak was good - I would like to see a steak 'au poivre' option -or even a mushroom sauce option.... for some reason I am not as big a fan of just steak 'alone' As a huge added treat - my wife is gluten-free and they have a well marked menu for this and many selections- As another extra treat - before 5:30 -early bird - nice free salad and pumpkin cheesecake -(they made my wife an ice-cream and fresh fruit selection - gluten-free) To top it off - the piano player came on as we were finishing and was gently playing some beauutiful Christmas tunes - the whole staff -from the man and woman roaming both restaurants - to the general manager -who we were able to meet - and even the friendly smile at the check-in desk who we returned a survey to - everyone seemed like family -very warm and friendly - special thanks to our waiter and busboy -2 young men who were very attentive and kind - it was so enjoyable - we decided we are coming to stay at the hotel to take it all in even more- we didn't have time to enjoy a drink by the fireplace in the adjoining 'Tavern on the Green' - but this way we can do it all - Thanks Nathaniel's for the memories! (I also wanted to read the MuniBonds book on the complimentary library shelf in one of the several cozy reading nooks in the lobby - maybe on our stay....) read more

My husband and I recently had dinner at Nathaniel's. Even though we live in Salem, it was only our second time eating there. We were very happy with our experience. The food was delicious, the service attentive and helpful and the atmosphere was elegant. We will definitely be visiting again. read more

Four of us had brunch recently. The food took quite a while to arrive. Two of us ordered eggs benedict, and that was lukewarm (also the side dish of hashbrown potatoes). Service seemed inattentive, perhaps because they don't have enough serving staff. The "Rasberry Tart" dessert was actually not a tart but a torte (a layer cake). All in all, we don't plan to return. read more

My wife and I find Nathaniel's to our favorite restaurant , we usually dine on Friday evening , the piano playing gives a great atmosphere as well the great food. You do not have to go to Boston to dine well. Keep up the good work. We live in Winchester and the drive is well worth it . thanks read more

Had breakfast at Nathaniel's because we were staying at the Hawthorne Hotel. The food was delicious- really, really, really good bacon, and a lot of it. I had a made-to-order omelette, and my partner had blueberry pancakes - he hardly ever finishes a full-size portion meal, but ate every last drop of them, and said they should be listed on google as "the best blueberry pancakes in the world". The prices are more than a diner, but reasonable for a hotel. The quality is much better than most hotels in my experience, and I travel quite a bit. But most outstanding was the service. Our waitress, Isabel, was really fast, friendly and efficient. She made the experience feel like we were old friends, and we laughed a lot with her. Nathaniel's should make sure she's happy so they can keep her, because she'd be a treasure at any place she worked. We were also pleasantly surprised when the general manager stopped by to ask how things were and to say hello. All in all, a really nice experience. read more

We had brunch: Seafood Eggs Benedict (great!) and Harvest Frittata (good). The free coffee-cake is very good!

Excellent Meal and fantastic Service! We enjoyed everything we ordered, and left feeling stuffed! Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a classy, quiet evening, in a historical area! read more

Used to love this place but I was so disappointed on our last visit. Wonderful quiet atmosphere now replaced by noisy piano background music that they did not make softer even when explicitly asked. Food used to be excellent but that was also a disappointment -- much too bland this time. Doubt if I'll be back unless they advertise a makeover on the 'new' approach. read more