Wonderul dining experience, food and service! Located in the Downtown area of Marblehead. Upscale…read morerestaurant with linens, etc. We chose to dress up based on reviews but seriously most patrons were not even casually dressed as some wore sweatpants and/or sweatshirts, and this was Saturday for dinner! I think anything goes but would suggest at least nicer jeans. Since this was our travel day; I wanted a nicer place that we could eat light or heavy. 5 Corners Kitchen jumped out as it has inhouse made pastas (and usually several pasta dishes to choose from). Inhouse made pasta is more common on the East Coast (scarse where we live on the West Coast). I made a reservation in advance (week before) and glad I did. Guessing reservations required! We arrived for our 5pm reservation right when they opened. There was a line outside but when they unlocked the doors (reminded me of a scene from The Bear) most immediately went to the bar to eat and drink. Most tables are set for two people with a few for larger parties (6-8 people). Date night type place with more table turns. At 5pm, there were very few diners but by 515pm the place was packed and remained that way with other parties coming in (the pictures show before others arrived). Interior is very modern yet cozy. Great vibes. Lots of fun lights and accents all around. Tables for two are small but our food arrival and eating was just the right pace. I noticed the table next to us was having difficulty with space (but not other tables). They ordered several appetizers (vs entrees) and wanted them at once. The server was great in asking when we wanted our courses as the order goes in all at once, the kitchen just needs to know when. The food was outstanding! We are Foodies so we know and seek out grrat food! Because we traveled all night and day, we weren't too hungry, so we skipped on an appetizer. They have great options and we wished we had more space but decided we were going to have dessert instead! Very nice selection of wines by the glass and/or bottle along with many beers including a few BA beers, and.a full bar for what looks like very creative cocktails! My husband ordered an NA Ale and pleased with his selection. I ordered Camille tea! The food! We started with slitting a wedge salad and sure glad we split it! Just one-half was plenty big! The heirloom cherry tomatoes were excellent, the dressing great, and the inhouse bacon pieces were OMG so good! A meal in itself! For entrees, I ordered the Mushroom Rigitoncini. Lots of different types of mushrooms along with Black Truffle. The sauce was absolutely amazing! The homemade pasta, excellent and done just right! It had Arugula for the herb (vs Basil) that gave it a nice accent flavor. Excellent choice! My husband ordered the Salmon dish, served over a warm salad with a nice light vinaigrette! Fresh fish and excellent dish. Small menu with ten entrees plus a special.to select from, but honestly hard to choose and they all are so tempting. Hoping to be able to return while we are still.here this week! For desert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Again,.so hard to choose but their Gelato is inhouse made and this one came with a scoop of Vanilla Gelato, like ordering two desserts! We barely had room but enjoyed every bite! Excellent restaurant! Service was wonderful and our Server, Declan, was exceptional. Very attentive. Other staff helped to clear plates (necessary with small tables), bring dishes, refill water glasses, etc. All were very friendly and helpful.

Perhaps the best meal I have had since moving to the United States. Not photographed was a whiskey…read moresour with egg white that was perfectly balanced and mixed. My meal with homemade pasta and slightly spice fennel sausage was bang on, it was. The Pommes frites reminded me of time eating at some of the best frites joints in Amsterdam. With such a great meal, the dessert, crème brûlée, came as a distant second to the meal. Service was fine; the waitress put up with the table well. Ambiance was fine. One of the bigger spaces in Marblehead to eat.

My two favorite foods sound boring to some, but I can't help it -- I'm a savory food kind of…read moreperson. I love nachos and I love BLTs, and it's amazing how many places have managed to not do these two things well. I have never been able to find a place that can make a good BLT, until now! I needed a quick lunch today and went here on a whim because it was close by. I saw they were closing soon, but there were people inside so I headed in. Sometimes small, local coffee shops can feel drafty or unkempt or just lifeless. As soon as I walked in, I felt like I'd want to sit there for hours. The temperature was just right, and the ambiance felt friendly and warm. I acknowledged that they were closing soon and asked if I could still order a sandwich. They replied in a way that felt welcoming, and not like I was imposing on them (which some places, 15 minutes prior to closing, would have). I ordered the BLT and used the restroom while I waited. Even the restroom was pleasant! I sat in one of the two window bays on a comfortable stool (again, perfect! sometimes they're way too high for a 4'10" to get up on, or off), with a complimentary cup of water (I love when cafes have serve yourself water). One of the servers brought my sandwich over and even on first glance I could tell it was going to be good. No wilted lettuce, no weird bread, perfect amount of mayo and bacon. It was the best BLT I've had at a restaurant, even better than I make at home. So, 5 stars for great ambiance, friendly, unrushed service, and a great BLT! I have no doubt that their other food is just as good.

This is a very nice local café. I've been there twice. First time I had a lemon, poppy muffin and…read morecoffee. It was fabulous and the other day I had a bacon egg and cheese on a well done English muffin. It was also very very good. The coffee was excellent. The gal behind the counter was super friendly and they let me bring my ESA dog in. Of course I did show her identification to ensure they were OK with it. I hope to go back soon soon and have lunch. Well done Blue Canoe.

Had a girls trip to salem and had a bnb here in Marblehead and needed a Sunday breakfast spot…read morebefore the days activities. I love to support local spots and i want places to feel like my neighborhood spots. This place hit all the points for me. Local CozyDelicious i had the traditional corned beef and eggs and my friends had the good ole breakfast with the best pumpkin pancakes i ever tasted! We also had their fried dough my grandmother used to make it the same way and did not disappoint. If you are in the area don't sleep on this place! Also have cash on hand you'll need it they don't take cards Our server held it down and was amazing. Thank you for the best time!

Driftwood is the kind of spot you just have to check out when you see how much the locals love it…read moreand how long it's been around. It's a no-frills diner that focuses on serving up a fantastic and affordable breakfast. The space is small but charming, with a classic setup of a counter and a few tables that adds to its classic Americana luncheonette vibe. Our server was really nice and attentive, and it seemed like she knew every single customer in the place. Including us! It was such a warm and friendly welcome. I ordered the corned beef hash with over-easy eggs and marble rye toast ($10) and everything was spot on and the eggs were cooked perfectly. My partner got an omelet that was on special and loved it. It's the kind of nostalgic joint that feels like home, and we'd definitely go back next time we're in town.

My bf and I stayed here in March. I found the website online and was convinced it would be…read morewonderful because of the gorgeous pictures of the place and the stellar reviews I found all over the internet. When we got there, we found the owner and his girlfriend cooking dinner. They were very nice and welcoming. I knew to expect the owners living quarters to be really close to the guest rooms because of some of the reviews I read but since the room we were in had a private entrance we weren't worried, we figured we could come and go and have the privacy we were looking for with no problem. We told Ted that we were late sleepers and not to worry about providing breakfast for us (the website says breakfast is served between 8:30-9:30). We would much rather sleep in and then grab brunch somewhere and we didn't want to hold him up from whatever he may have had planned for the day. He seemed somewhat resistant to the idea of not providing sustenance for us so after a little discussion, J and I told him "okay, how about 10:30?" He said he would leave certain items out for us. The house and our room really were gorgeous! Ted is an architect and he has done a really great job on the house and grounds. We stayed in the pond room which had cathedral ceilings, a two person jacuzzi, a gas fireplace, double glass doors, lighted double sinks that automatically turned on when you walked into the room, a whole wall of windows, decks, and heated floors. We were really happy with the room. It was very clean and decorated with a subtle nautical theme. From the moment we got there, we kind of felt like we had to whisper in our room. Probably because there wasn't any other guests there that weekend and the owner was having dinner 20 ft from our door. I know they probably couldn't have heard us but it did make me feel more uncomfortable than I thought it would. In the morning, we were woken up bright and early by the sun coming through the large, high windows in our room. No wonder breakfast is so early, how can anyone sleep through that? However, I do have to say that if I wasn't a cranky morning person, this would be a really enjoyable way to wake up, sun and beautiful blue sky and trees to look at while lying in bed. We pulled ourselves together and quietly went to the kitchen for breakfast. Ted said he would leave things out for us so we assumed we'd be alone. He immediately came around the corner when we got to the kitchen so it felt like he may have been waiting for us. He served us cantaloupe slices with yogurt, granola and berries and a tomato and basil quiche, which was all very good. What wasn't good was that he talked to us from the kitchen the whole time we were eating, so we had to keep turning around in our chairs to respond to him. It was uncomfortable and awkward (if he had sat down with us, it wouldn't have been as bad). During our weird breakfast conversation, it comes up that J is a software engineer and next thing you know, Ted is asking for help with a website he is working on. I have no problem with J helping someone out, but DUDE we're on vacation and we are paying you good money, don't ask for business help while we are trying to relax. It just wasn't appropriate. I said "Maybe when we are on our way out on Sunday he can help you for a bit". After that, we pretty much chose to use our private entrance to the room when we came and went from the house. We didn't feel like discussing in great detail every time we came back from somewhere, what we had done and where we had gone. I think Ted meant well, he had a lot of advice and suggestions for things to do and he was a really nice guy but it just didn't mesh with our style. For the most part, we like to be left alone when we go away and Ted didn't seem to pick up on the signals we gave him. I think this B&B would be really great for an older couple, for some reason I feel like older people are more open to this type of attention. On Sunday when we packed up, J was heading out to take some things to the car and Ted followed him outside for help on his website. He spent more than an hour working on something with him, while I sat in our room waiting. We probably won't go back. Gorgeous place, beautiful backyard and pond, and nice trails that lead to a running path and the harbor. I really liked the physical surroundings but didn't really feel relaxed because Ted was overly available and obviously in closer earshot than we would have liked. A week later, Ted called and asked BF to go on trip advisor and write a positive review of our stay!! No wonder I found so many good reviews online. 5 stars for aesthetics and 1 star for invasiveness! It wasn't horrible but it was not our style. **Updating this review in March '09: Ted called J a month or so ago and said he found this review and apologized and offered us a free night at the B&B. Not sure if we'll take him up on it but nice that he tried to make amends.**

Two weekends ago my friend and I spent a lovely weekend in Marblehead at the Fox Pond Bed and…read moreBreakfast. This gem is nestled in a quiet neighborhood bordering a 37 acre sanctuary with trails that lead down to Salem Harbor. I looked at a number of B & Bs before finding this obvious and rare jewel of a home. Ted and Sophie, our hosts, were flexible as we arrived early and left a bit late since the off season is easier on everyone. This home has been meticulously redone, as have the beautiful grounds. Indeed, this property is featured in a number of architectural, gardening, and home magazines. The obvious care and attention to detail is very very unique. Our host, Ted, and his lovely dog, Sophie, made us feel right at home. Ted has an easy way about him that makes one feel like family the second you walk through the door. As is common with Bed and Breakfasts, you are a part of the family while in residence - that's the charm. The breakfasts were lovely and we invited Ted to join us as we learned about the house, its history, and received numerous tips about local attractions, restaurants, shops, and some of the local North Shore news. All in all our stay was wonderful. Ted opened his home to us and helped make our stay a memorable and relaxing time. I most enthusiastically recommend the Fox Pond B&B; we'll be back!

I'm not sure you would find this without knowing where to look. It's a favorite among locals for…read moregood reason. Downstairs is a "lively" bar, upstairs is the restaurant portion. Use the outside stairs to joueny up stairs. They don't take reservations and on a Thursday night it was full so plan accordingly. They have a full offering of drinks and I went draft beer, Alagash, a wheat beer from Maine. A good choice to go with a heavy meal. At the recommendation of our local host, I went for the Pan Seared Haddock. This comes with lobster meat in a white sauce served over potatoes and cooked spinach. So tasty, the seafood was tender and delicious, the sauce not overwhelming the flavors. Our server, Casey, was top notch and gave the right amount of earnest attention. When he wished us a good evening, I think he truly meant it. Husband had the seafood platter mixed and I tried one of the shrimp which was excellent. Great spot, though it is dimly lit and noisy(just know before you go type thing). Didn't hamper our enjoyment of a fun evening at all!

I was a Thursday night regular back in '69 and '70. Baked stuffed lobster. Street level walk-in. No…read moremusic or entertainment, just belly up to the bar.

Our server was good. They were out of four entrees. Avoid the desserts. The live band was fun.read more

Yesterday my partner and I sat at the bar as the restaurant was opening. We were served the menu…read moreand water. Multiple other parties came in to the bar and all received drink orders ahead of us. I tried to wave the bartender down as we had been the first to get there but never was able to order something of value. After 30 minutes sitting at the bar with no service we walked out and went to the restaurant up the street.

I had a great experience here. The service was fast, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. The food…read morecame out quickly and tasted fantastic -- fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. I'll definitely be coming back.

Food: Everything was delicious. Coffee was really good. Quick and hot…read more Service: Very nice and attentive despite it being super busy. Ambiance: Cute decor. Love the mugs. Inclusive diner. Will definitely be returning. Just keep in mind we arrived 30-40 mins before opening and waited outside. It does get busy and there's a long line but we went in October so it might be different during another time that isn't peak for Salem.

The food was good. However, I had the best bus boy the other night that helped my wife outside. She…read moreneeded a little bit of help without asking. He picked up her bag as she dropped it outside in the ice and asked if she was OK additionally while we were eating, he paid close attention to our table to make sure we had what we needed. He looked like he was a teenager not sure his name, but I thanked him.

Not off to a great start. Came in the afternoon to grab a bite at the bar and was promptly ignored…read morefor the phone and chatting at the other end of the bar. I suppose if you're not a local in a tourist town, you shouldn't expect customer service, at least here anyway. After a not-quite-awkward amount of silent time watching the bartenders back, we were addressed. Look the long and short was the service struck me wrong from moment one and I no longer felt welcome when sitting down to eat. Beer selection was decent. Sip o sunshine makes for an excellent sauce. The food was excellent. Salty, delicious roast beef on a perfectly toasted roll, Rueben set up perfect with melting cheese catching the light from the high placed windows. Decor is was cool. Old world nautical theme throughout with rich dark wood tables and chairs. Maybe she had a bad day, maybe I did, and this was what was perceived. Wanted a welcoming lunch place to pop in when I'm in the next town and didn't find it today. The sad part is though the food was good, I don't think the wife and I will give it another go. Shame.

New England, end of summer, and you're out and about on the rocky beaches of "noat shoa" (north…read moreshore)? Then youve got to lunch at the Landing. First, the view: you eat with your eyes they say, but you see the bay with your nose. That salty sea air makes you hungry for some chowder, or mussels, or just fish and chips. Or crab cakes. And a beer. All on the menu. All good. Sit on the deck and watch the lobster come in. Small white buckets filled by fishermen with accents. Hemingway ate here and it totally changed his style, as if. Sometimes the ambiance adds to the food and no better example than here: fish and chips, but under the sea gulls on the deck by the boats? That's a memory. Come early and/or make a reservation. Eat fast because there's a line waiting for your spot.

Great lunch with a view! We all ordered the Fish & Chips. Very fresh Haddock lightly battered and…read morenot too greasy. Paired with a tasty tartar sauce. Nice selection tion of beers and cocktails. There is a parking lot and it fills up quickly. We found a spot amd when we left, a waiting line for parking! Service was excellent. Jason was our server and he checked on us often for drink refills. Definitely a great brunch, lunch, ot dinner spot with a view! We sat out on the patio on a colder day; enclosed witg heaters running. Very comfortable.

Just had an amazing lunch at the Babe! Literally everything we ate was amazing. Starting with the…read moresteak and cheese that included fried mozzarella in the sandwich. The fries and side salad were excellent, and all of the veggies were crispy and fresh. The atmosphere and service were exceptional and the price was right! I highly recommend

It's always a good time here. Fabulous weird wallpaper/exposed brick situation paired with great…read moresandwiches and drinks. What's not to like?