I came here for a birthday brunch and the restaurant is just as beautiful in person as in the pictures. We were seated at the covered porch area, which I highly recommend, because they have huge ceiling to floor window and is wonderful for brunch. The waitress is the best I've met yet this year and very persuasive. We had a pitcher of mimosa ($3 per glass/ $15 a pitcher)and french toast as an appetizer for 4 people to share. We then got the PORCHETTA HASH x2, FINE HERB OMELET, WILD MUSHROOM BLACK RICE. The portion are all very large and the flavor is delicious in all of them. However, the rice dish is filled with 90% rice and could use a little more mushroom. You can park in the Harris Teeter parking lot. They take reservations. read more

Rosewater - hash, omlette and mushroom black rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Made a reservation 1 week in advance for Sunday brunch at 10 AM. Only option for seating was "Standard" I didn't think anything of it because it's my first time here. I get there a few minutes early and walk in, host tells me to go outside because they're not open yet. My mistake, I should've checked the time first. No more than 60 seconds later, host comes outside and asks for whoever arrived first to please come in, and for everyone else to wait. This caused confusion, because the majority of folks waiting outside were reservations. He then changed his mind and said reservations first. I hear folks in front of me chatting about where they'd like to sit. When my time comes around, host doesn't ask, but tells us we are sitting outside. I am puzzled because I don't routinely make outdoor reservations (I feel service is generally slower). He tells me there's no room for my party inside. I say okay and am seated, and this is when I check opentable to confirm outdoor vs indoor reservations, and confirm option was only standard. If you can't select an indoor reservation, how was there no room for my party? We were the third party seated, but there was no room for us inside. The host seemed like he hated his job. Waitress was nice but we waited a while for everything. I ordered a Tajin Sunrise, which the menu states comes with a Tajin rim, though there was no Tajin rim. Biscuits came and were delicious, but we were given no small plates. Needed to request from different waitress. We got the crab cake eggs Benedict and I got the shakshuka. Eggs Benedict was good, shakshuka had great flavor. We saw another couple outside leave after being seated for a while with no greeting. read more

We chose this place as somewhere new to try on date night. My girlfriend is a bit of a foodie and I myself would say im a fairly practiced chef. We were both incredibly happy with the service and the wait staff at Rosewater. The ambiance was fantastic and cute, and we sat outside on the lit terrace during a nice cool evening. We both ordered for cocktails: - Thyme after thyme: a gin and st germain cocktail that was 10/10 full satisfied and would recommend. Not too sweeet. Very herbaceous. We ordered the following appetizers: - Pipe rigate (mac and cheese): 10/10 very solid Mac and cheese - Fresh made bread: quite bland. Good texture but missing herbs and SALT. We asked for extra balsamic but ultimately probably wouldn't recommend. We had seen other reviews warning about the lack of flavor but we wanted to try for ourselves. We agreed. - Tuna poke: very good, would recommend as well. For main entrees we got: - Short rib: the short rib dish was served over a black earthy textured rice that was seasoned with almost honey and some spices that was absolutely phenomenal. Great attention to additional mix ins like pickled carrots and we both loved it. The short rib itself was seasoned well, but for a meat that's slow cooked at low temperature, it was one of the driest short ribs I've ever had. Not sure what happened there. - Teres major: again had a base of Orzo pasta with shaved garlic and other assorted additives that was the highlight of the dish. Similar to the short rib dish we felt the meat aspect fell short of expectations. The meat in this dish is a beef tenderloin which we ordered medium rare and it was cooked perfect. However, it was lacking flavor and seasoning. With a tenderloins (lean beef) it needed more seasoning and an aggressive crust / sear. But it was kind of bland and again, needed SALT. (To be clear were not big salt people but some salt is necessary lol). But this dish was very good but we'd probably order something else next time. Overall: we were glad that we gave it a shot, the place looked amazing and service was great but there are a lot of other competitive Mediterranean options in the area. read more

Rosewater - Tuna Poke - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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My wife and I happened to pass by Rosewater Kitchen on a Saturday night. The place was hoping and popping with attractive socialites but we were able to be seated within minutes. Our waitress was very pleasant to talk to as she explained the restaurant's claim to fame, their rotisserer. Based on her recommendation, we ordered the Lamb (top) and sirloin (bottom). We opted for the house recommendation on cook type which is medium rare. We chose to pair the meats with a hibiscus martini and sweet water beer. The meals were served within 10 minutes of ordering. The meats were more red than pink so if you're a timid meat eater, I recommend starting at medium. Both meats had a slightly charred and salty crusty which blended well with the meat. They also have a thick layer of fat which looks like too much to handle but my wife and I took them down like champs. The portion was very generous and we both felt like we just finished eating at a Brazilian churrascaria. Overall, the meal and experience was very enjoyable. Bottom line : Value 5/5 Taste 4/5 Service 4/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Bill total : $100 (two best dishes, two drinks, one side, tip) Pro tip : the meats only come with potatoes. Vegetables are extra and cost between $12-16. We ordered bread instead. read more

Rosewater - Lamb (top), sirloin (bottom), hibiscus martini and beer. - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The food is overpriced and not that great. Everything is à la carte. Service was good. Ambiance was fine. read more

Food was blah. The service was good. The staff was extremely kind. The macaroni was worth a return, but not much else.

As you walk into the Rosewater Cafe, you are greeted by a small glass plaque on the end table that reads "Voted Best Restaurant 2002". Well folks, it's 2023 and things have changed. One could have successfully waited in line and rode Space Mountain on a Disney annual pass blackout date before we got our food. The food was over cooked and afraid of flavor in the same way the groundhog fears his shadow. The bathrooms had no toilet paper. Despite these shortages, they were able to staff two maitre d's whose only responsibility seemed to be wandering the restaurant and asking how things were tasting. I had neither the heart nor the confidence of their ability to give them an honest answer. Our waitress was nice, though. 2.5/5 stars read more

From the minute I we walked in the door until we walked out the door, and his restaurant showed what 5stars are all about. When seated the host took our coats. The server instantly took our beverage order and knew everything about the menu. Although there were little vegan menu options I was pleased to see an effort from the server. The beet salad was wonderful. I will most certainly order it again. read more

Rosewater - Cozy seating - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I can't say enough about Rosewater, especially their brunch. My friend and I dined on the patio during COVID-19 and we were beyond impressed with how they were taking the pandemic seriously. We had incredible service and the food was out of this world. I have food dreams about the amazing Wild Mushroom Black Rice - that chimichurri sauce and the sautéed mushrooms are some of the best I've ever had. The Lump Crab Eggs Benedict were also one-of-a-kind. I promise you won't be disappointed if you choose Rosewater for brunch. read more

Rosewater - Lump CRAB Eggs Benedict - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Came here for a Sunday brunch and got lucky to get seated very quickly especially for a party of 5 and no reservations. The atmosphere was super quaint and rustic. Would be a very cute date spot not to mention their cocktails seemed really good although we stuck with the mimosa bottles :) would recommend that if you have a party more than 4 to try to make a reservation as the hostess was telling me they've been booked out with large parties a month in advance. Or you can be like me and shoot your shot to try to see if they have an open table. Granted, have a plan b option if you go this route. The food however was pretty good but not really mind blowing. Still a pretty good brunch spot. We had the burrata as an appetizer. Pretty simple but was executed nicely. I loved the dressing that they put on the salads like a lemon vinaigrette?? I had the croque madame. The caramelized onions was such a great touch! Really elevated the dish. Didn't get to try the wild mushroom black rice dish as my friend ordered that but it did seem really tasty. She ate every bit of it so will probably say that it was good if you like mushrooms. The French toast seemed a bit watery but this dish is pretty large. And lastly the eggs Benedict. You can't really go wrong with smoked salmon eggs Benedict (unless you don't like smoked salmon) but wasn't too much hollandaise sauce. All these are normal single serving sizes. Not your traditional large plate breakfast platter so if you are absolutely starving, you will probably want to order an app and a main dish for yourself. This was definitely a different Sunday brunch menu then some of the other photos I saw as I was kind of hoping to try the brazino so will definitely come back for the dinner menu. read more

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Staff was excellent, food was excellent, overall experience was excellent. I will be back. Ps- best mimosas I've ever had!! read more

Rosewater - Wild Mushroom Black Rice... incredible! #BrunchGoals - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

A group of 7 of us went for brunch on a Sunday. Waitstaff was friendly and attentive, although a bit slow. Half of the group enjoyed their food, the other half not as much. The busicuits were huge and had great flavor. The French toast mentions whip cream, but not the fact that it was blueberry. The crab cakes were overly lemon flavored. Overall would go back, but ask lots of questions about what you potentially will order. read more

This place is so adorable! The ambience created by the decor and the live music is fantastic! It was a very intimate setting for a bridesmaid brunch and all of us enjoyed our food and drinks! Highly recommend! *I would encourage you to get reservations though!* read more

Rosewater - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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It was pretty good. I like the restaurant group and the owners. Kind of a loud atmosphere. Excellent waitress we had. The food is really consistent and reliable read more

Amazing vibe and best martinis ever! For the price, the portions are SOOO small. So do not come here starving. Also the sides are $17 & entrees are alacarte like what? The food is definitely unique so if you are picky then probably don't come here. read more

I'm only giving this restaurant three stars because of the atmosphere and ambiance. The restaurant opened at 2:00 so our plans for brunch was cancelled. The menu was limited and three of the plate entrees weren't available. I ordered the secret garden salad with a side of shrimp and the Rosewater martini. The shrimp had no flavor or seasoning. The salad was ... well, actually what it was described, nothing special. My sis in law ordered the other salad available with chicken and the same drink ( the drinks were good we had two each). Our bill was $107.00 for two salads, olive appetizers and four drink, so it's definitely over priced. The portion size was good, just too much of a not so good thing. read more

Rosewater - Secret Garden salad with shrimp - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Love the food and cocktails here! The staff is amazing and all the food was fresh with unique delicious flavors. Highly recommend the cauliflower, octopus and salmon carpaccio. read more

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Went to Rosewater last Sunday for brunch with a friend and it was lovely. We had a reservation for 11.30 and got seated right away. Waiter came to take our drink orders, which were brought to the table almost right away. We ordered FrenchToast & Egg Benedict. French Toast is a almost custardy pie which was a new but oh so tasty experience and EB was just right, Béchamel with a touch of lemon, perfect egg and lax, fresh and in my opinion cut just perfectly thin and also not piled on. Waiter attentive but not overbearing. Go see them ! read more

1st time eating here. Some elements of the menu were very good such as salads and brussel sprouts. Shrimp was way overcooked...like rubber. Wished the menu would go more Mediterranean. The biggest challenge was the flooring used in bar and bathroom area was very slippery. Manager was saying that it was due to humidity but I'm not convinced of that. It seemed to have a glaze, more like a wall tile. My husband attempted to get out of the way of a server exiting the kitchen with a tray of food and slid down the walk in front of the bathrooms and finally caught hold of a door handle. Luckily he didn't get hurt and an accident was avoid but something should be done about that flooring before someone does. read more

I wanted so much more from my most recent visit to Rosewater because I've usually had such great experiences. I made reservations (highly recommended, versus walking in) and brought an out of town guest for brunch. We got seated immediately and ordered mimosas, coffee, and the handmade biscuits which were DIVINE! Definitely hand made, decadent and massive. 10/10 should try. The brunch menu was pretty limiting so we ordered the crab cakes and my guest did the Your Style option. When we got our food, it was all a little less than lukewarm and the portion sizes were really disappointing. Service was a bit tough--had to ask for several things and replacements (had to remind about my coffee twice which was served with no spoon, my entree order was wrong, had to wait for our sangria, etc.) which made the experience a bit harder. Temp of food aside, it wasn't what I would've expected from Rosewater and it was disappointing that there weren't some good basics available since the menu is so small. For example, we were told there was no fruit that could be offered as a side substitute. Hoping it was just a really off day and that I can try it again for a better experience in the future. read more

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Amazing. Had the branzino and the pulpo both perfectly seasoned. Left very happy and can't wait to return. Great price, awesome portion, great atmosphere read more

Best vibe in Raleigh. Absolutely loved how adorable this place was and the drinks were delicious. If you want a cute brunch or dinner, this is your spot. Michael was our waiter and I'll ask for him every time - sweetest guy! Will be going back every chance I get!!! read more

A llittle underwhelmed second time grabbing dinner with some friends at Rosewater. We had the house made pasta, the half chicken, and the salmon. Chicken was a little over cooked, the pasta was fine, but the salmon was easily the worst of the three! It was literally just a piece of salmon, with 3 tomatoes in a miso sauce- the most unsubstantial and lacking meals I've had in a long time- yet, the most expensive of the three? I commented to the server that it was disappointing- she said the salmon used to come with cauliflower rice but they had switched to a miso "sauce" instead. For the love of god- bring back the rice. Otherwise you're literally serving a very boring piece of salmon, folks. I used to like the spot for after work cocktails and apps- but will likely find a new spot. Such a bummer. read more

When we arrived for brunch, we asked to be put on the waitlist for an outside seat and were told it would be an hour. So, we grabbed a couple seats at the bar and ordered a couple cocktails. They weren't seating anyone at the inside tables and they were empty the entire time we were there. After 45 minutes, the hostess said we could follow her. She took us to one of the inside tables that was empty since we got there. Of course, I'm wondering why they would make us wait 45 minutes just to seat us at a table that was empty for the entire 45 minutes. We told her we wanted an outside seat. Finally, we were seated and ordered. I got the eggs Benedict. The eggs were so undercooked, some of the white was still translucent. It was disgusting. I won't be back. read more

Rosewater - Undercooked eggs - GROSS! - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Came here twice! Once with friends and another time with bf. This place is great for a date! Nice environment and romantic atmosphere! Ask to be seated outside if you want a romantic date. The food was pretty good! I really liked the pork! Their menu changes seasonally apparently! Also, when they ask you what water you want, say Tap water! They charge you $8 for this fancy Italian imported distilled water! Unless you want to taste what Italian water tastes like read more

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Delicious food, beautiful ambience, and amazing service! Started off with the best bread + oil I've ever had. Cocktails were beautiful and tasty, up to par with the food. I wish the menu was a only a bit more extensive but other than that, it's perfect. This was my first visit and I can't wait to go back! read more

Rosewater - Artisan Bread + Oil, Rosewater Martini, Espresso Martini - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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They had a nice outdoor seating. We enjoyed our dinner on a beautiful Thursday. Our server was friendly. I enjoyed my wine. We ordered tuna tartar, mushrooms, and pork chop. I enjoyed tuna tartar. It came with crunchy rice cracker, gave it a nice texture. Mushrooms was yummy. Pork rib was highly recommended by our server, but we thought it was just okay. All in all, we enjoyed our meal and service. read more

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We shared the Tuna Tartare and Pipe Rigate, which is just an amazing skillet of cheeses, pasta and panchetta! Yummy! We had some of the signature drinks as well. Very well crafted. Just an issue with the online reservations, showing only 5pm available, I did specify it was a special occasion, our 30th, nothing and no one acknowledged this, ok fine moving on, we get there and only 1 table seated in the entire place, it did get a bit more crowded but definitely should have shown availability there later. Our server was ok, drinks, shouldn't ever be empty and have to flag someone down to order another...We decided to leave and have our dinner across the street. read more

Rosewater - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I remember eating here the first week it opened. Great atmosphere great food and service for dinner. Have done the weekend brunch a few times always great choices. April 28, 2024 everything fell downhill. service was great no complaints this goes directly at management and kitchen. My husband was served an omelette in a small bowl. Of course it didn't fit it should have been plate. Who serves an omelette in a small bowl? it had no garnish I really did not recognize it was an omelette. My daughter chicken was so over fried it was dark and crumbly. Did the kitchen clean the grease lately or was it left in the fryer too long? My son was served 2 filet medallions that were thrown on top of each other. They looked liked they were coated in red ketchup with 2 sunny side eggs and frozen French fries thrown on top of everything...no garnish!! I ordered crabs cakes which were burnt around all the edges topped with hollandaise that was all cracked bc it got hard sitting in the window. Also was served a salad that they prepared with dressing at 10am bc when I took a bite at 2pm it was so soggy . Wow!! Manager helped deliver are food bc it took almost an hour for the kitchen to make it. the restaurant remained less than half full the whole time we were there. So presentation was not existent and a manager served us those embarrassing plates. Of course he offered to redo the meals, but he also served us those plates we waited almost an hour for....did you really think now I am verbally expressing my disapproval you want to make things right? so many brunches in Raleigh will not ever eat there again they lost their flare what a shame. Kitchen Management if you lost your passion walk away!! read more

I just can't say enough about this place. It is easily my favorite restaurant in Raleigh for multiple reasons: the food, the ambiance, and the service! I could rave on and on but I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. read more

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It was a busy spot on a Sunday afternoon. Took waitress 20 min to bring milk and sugar for coffee and 40 for food to be served. I ordered secret garden salad with salmon. Not sure what happened but when they brought in my salad there was no salmon. Then when the salmon finally came, it was raw in side. I just realized that they may have served the wrong salad also.. my secret garden didn't come with nuts or zucchini. Not returning. read more

Octopus is amazing. Great service as well. Try their bone marrow if you have a chance.

Rosewater is centrally located in the North Hills area of Raleigh. They offer valet parking for Lexus vehicles and for all others there is free parking in the Bank of America building next door. Love what a beautiful space they've created. The host is so welcoming! He makes their clients feel appreciated and takes great care of every detail. The waiter that usually takes care of us is so nice and has come to recognie us and greet us as soon as she sees us. Their food is very good and I prefer their seafood. Cocktails are great, as well. Their signature Rose Martini and Rose Old Fashioned are delicious. Only issue I see is that their desserts are average at best. Other than that, this is a restaurant worth your visit. read more

Really enjoyed the ambience at this place, we didn't get to experience the patio but hope to do so in the future. Also appreciate the staff being so welcoming and accommodating - it was clearly a really busy night and everyone was very organized getting stuff done while still interacting with guests. I love that! Food was great, especially the chicken with the black rice. The steak was a little salty but, overall, really enjoyed the visit and plan to come back again soon. read more

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Not impressed! Beside the fact that it's overpriced, couldn't believe that I had to ask for a free glass of water ( rather then pay for their "charged" bottle of water) or that it was such a big deal to get 1 more slice of bread for the $16 Brie appetizer. Ordered the basic salad ... honestly it tasted like I was eating grass. Atmosphere was great but won't be returning. read more

I was visiting the area on my own and decided to go to Rosewater for dinner. I am so glad I did. The Rosewater martini was fantastic, as was the trout and the gelato I had for dessert. While the food was absolutely fantastic, the service was even better. Meagan was genuinely one of the best servers I've ever had. She gave me great recommendations, answered all of my questions, and gave me the right amount of attention and space to enjoy my meal. She could have easily ignored me as a single diner because my bill would be lower than the other tables. But she didn't. If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely be coming back. If I had one critique, it's parking. It is so tough to find a space. It really is a "Thunderdome" as the host described it. I know that is not at all the restaurants fault, just something to keep in mind when planning a visit! read more

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I'm giving 3 stars for now but I intend to come back. Here's why: I came in around 7pm on a Friday night, so of course the place was packed. The wait was over an hour, so I put my name down, gave my number so they can text me once the table is ready, and went across the street to sit and wait (there was no where to sit inside Rosewater). After about 40ish minutes i went back in to RW to confirm they had my number -- just to make sure. Turns out they didn't save my #. So, I would have been waiting outside for who knows how long. This could have been a one off mistake, but there was no attempt to apologize or acknowledge the error. I was fortunate I went back to confirm, because there was magically an open table right as I arrived. It took a very long time to get our orders. Like, we arrived at 7:15. Sat at 8pm. Ordered at 8:15. Got our food at 9:15. It is only day 4 for Rosewater so I'm hopeful this won't be an issue down the line -- and that next time, the kitchen won't be as overburdened. The owner (I think it was the owner?) was really nice, but interrupted our meal about 8 times. I think he may have had a crush on one of our friends...but his persistent return to our table was annoying. That said: I ordered the curried cauliflower and it was great. My friends meals all looked wonderful too. The owner sent over some free beet hummus and, while I didn't eat it, my friends did and raved about it. All in all...I will be back, but probably later down the road when the hype has died down a bit. read more

I highly recommend this place if you are in the area. The Rosewater martini and charted Caesar was great. Lots of gluten free options and Tori, my server was on it and amazing. I had the half chicken with the forbidden rice and a side of mushrooms. The sides are big enough to split between a group of 4. Not a lot of gluten free options for dessert but Tori rounded up some chocolate for me which was great with the tawny port. Good people watching. read more

Rosewater - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This was such a Bummer!! I work next to this place it looked really n cute from outside and always wanted to try out. So finally we came here for Sunday brunch which everyone mentioned would be great. Though the ambiance of the place was good the food was below average. I ordered mushroom rice which was bland and no much flavor and my husband ordered herb omelet which was disaster zero presentation . Home made omelet would look much better. Total disappointment for the price. read more

Rosewater - 15 bucks for Herb omelet.. which was baddddd - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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North Hills keeps getting better and better restaurants! Rosewater doesn't disappoint! Their food is so fresh, and so healthy! Their outdoor seating is probably the best that North Hills has to offer. The building itself is deceptive, it looks really small from the outside (likely due to it being surrounded by high rises) but inside it's got a lot of space. I really can't wait to return! read more