Based on the good reviews -- and the high prices -- my spouse and I expected a great meal. We were so disappointed. I chose the "Pumpkin Gnocchi Pasta with Merguez Lamb Sausage, Mushrooms, English Peas and a Sage Cream Sauce" and asked for grilled chicken on top instead of the lamb sausage. I was told that the gnocchi would be made with spinach instead of pumpkin. What I got was a plate of mushy creamed spinach along with mushy lumps of spinach/potato that were sort of fried/browned/blackend. It was barely edible. No discernible spices or herbs. Maybe it would have more flavor if I'd kept the lamb sausage instead of swapping for grilled chicken breast, but it doesn't change the fact that for $21, this was a badly prepared and presented dish, and nothing like the actual menu item I ordered! My husband chose the special: Scallops over risotto with vegetables at $35. Again, barely edible, uninspired and boring. Four Scallops over very plain risotto, a few spears of steamed broccoli on the side. The overwhelming good reviews make me wonder (a little) if we should give it a second chance. The atmosphere is pleasant, and the service was fine. When we visit Matthews again, maybe we'll try Sante again for lunch when we wouldn't have to spend as much. Blah food plus high prices, and the fact that their website is awful and partly broken, make it only 1 star for me. read more

Came for a business dinner with a top client. Ordered the filet mignon because I was in the mood for a steak. Typically not a filet fan, as they have little to no flavor. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE HERE! The flavor was extraordinary, very tender but bursting with what I would expect from a strip. The fingerling potatoes and onion straws were a perfect complement. What set the meal into the stratosphere were the roasted beets. Fresh from a farmer's market, roasted to bring their sweetness out. Literally like eating candy they were so good. Will be back again, that's for sure. read more

My favorite special occasion restaurant for many reasons...downtown Matthews, quaint building, chef visits with diners, quiet, lets you take your time, uses local farmers market produce... Did I mention delicious food!!?? read more

My fiance and I headed here for restaurant week excited to try a new place in the area that looked to have a unique menu. However, I was even hesitant to make a reservation as the man on the phone was not very welcoming and acted as if I should be lucky to get a spot during restaurant week. All that aside, we made a Friday evening reservation. Downtown Matthews is a cute, quaint area and the restaurant fits right in...from the outside. Walking in you feel like you're walking into someone's dining room unexpectedly. We honestly thought we came in a side door. The reservation I made was apparently put under my last name, which they could not find. I understand my last name isn't easy, however if that is what you are to note it under then ask me to spell it or clarify. Atmosphere: The waitress was extremely nice and welcoming. However, the table we were sat at was right next to the "bar". The bar consisted of one of the owners sitting and yelling orders, moving stuff around in an already loud and dark setting. Food: The menu set much higher expectations than what came out on the plate. The presentation was great. I ordered the steak, medium, but got rare. The flavor was good so I was hoping to eat more but couldn't get past the mid section that was dripping inside but burnt outside. My fiance got the mushroom parmesan crusted chicken which also had good flavor, but a soggy skin ruined the texture and removed most of the flavor once you got to the meat. Dessert was supposed to be a flour less chocolate cake that appeared to be quite fluffy and moist. If you are looking for quality and a nice relaxing meal I could not recommend Sante. Gordon Ramsey would certainly have a lot to yell about here as well. read more

We love Charlotte's Restaurant Week and, without exception, use the bi-annual event to try new restaurants. This month we ventured out a bit and went to Sante in Matthews, NC. It was a great experience. Well, it was until the very end, but more on that later. If you live in the Charlotte area and have never checked out Matthews - you should. The small downtown area is a throwback to simpler times and although a busy place, is fairly easy to navigate and find parking. At the center of it all is Sante which is located in an older "shotgun" style building; very long, but not at all wide. Inside, the wares of local artists cover the walls, the tables are covered with white linen, and the servers are clad in black. Sound like a lot of other restaurants? Yep. It was okay, but fairly standard. Instead of a cocktail, we ordered a bottle of wine. I couldn't decide on a Pinot Noir and asked the server for her preference. She answered quickly and proceeded to explain that she based her wine decisions on the alcohol content percentage; the higher the content, the better the wine. I truly thought she was joking. She wasn't. Otherwise the service was fine. The food was exceptional. This is where the restaurant shines. I started with the Duck Confit Quesadillas and my wife had the Roasted Onion Tart. Both were excellent. We both had the trout and it was amazing. (Restaurants that participate in the Restaurant Week event are required to offer an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $30.00. One of my pet peeves is when a restaurant alters the menu or portion sizes to ensure a profit. Well, Sante DID NOT do that and it was clear that we received an accurate representation of the Sante experience. Unfortunately we may have also received an accurate representation of management toward the end of our meal. With dessert, we were offered coffee (appropriately at an additional cost). Soon thereafter our checks were presented and paid. Before we were able to decide whether a second cup was in order, the manager stopped at our table, picked up the checks and - noting they were paid - said, "I'm not trying to rush you, but we have another reservation for this table. What a stupid thing to say. Of course she was trying to rush us; that was PRECISELY what she was doing. And it's not like we were lingering for hours on end. Bottom line - if you need the table, you're only shooting yourself in the foot by offering coffee. It was a great way to ensure that we should think twice about returning. If you want my business again, don't inform me that the next customer is more important. This restaurant is highly rated. I can't be so generous. Seems like some fine tuning outside of the kitchen is in order for Sante. read more

Delicious foods. Wonderful service. Was there to celebrate my 50th and will be returning for valentines. You won't be disappointed and you can bring your own bottle of wine and pay small corkage fee.. an experience... read more

Amazing scallops in an intimate setting. Worth every penny, but I disagree with the "$$" rating, it should likely be $$$-$$$$.

We had a small event here and the food was OUTSTANDING! A bit pricey but wow. Great stuff and quite a variety of it was enjoyed.

I dined at Sante for the first time on Saturday, November 9, 2013. It was fabulous. Really fabulous. My dining partner and I began with the she-crab soup. The portions were generous so we both tried not to eat all of it, trying to save room for the entrees. But that was impossible. It was the best crab bisque I have ever had. We nearly licked our bowls. I followed with the pan-seared sea scallops with black sticky rice and a lovely sauce. I'm not sure if it was the roasted carrot sauce that they show on their website menu, but it was delish. The sea scallops were perfectly cooked and **surprise** the food and plate were just the right temperature when they arrived. This is one of my pet peeves--too many restaurants don't account for the time between kitchen and table, serving food that is nearly cold when it is supposed to be warm/hot. My dining pal ordered the lamb special. You know how it is when the food is soooo good that you forget to speak with each other? That was how it went at Sante. The service was perfection and I love that the space is not noisy, even though it has many hard surfaces. We decided the ceiling tiles must be acoustic and that is why it stays so quiet, even when the dining room is full like it was on that night. I'm not sure when I will be back in the Charlotte area again, but when I am I will make a bee-line for Sante. You should, too! read more

We ate there in December and attended their holiday Dinner Theater. It was delightful and the food fantastic! It is a great place!

We dined here this evening with a reservation. It was our anniversary and our first time there. We arrived on time and were immediately seated next to a table of four. I asked if there was another option and were told no they were full. There were 4 more empty tables for two seated 15-30 minutes after we were seated. I don't understand why they wouldn't have given us one of those tables. The table of four next to us was so close and uncomfortable that we may as well have been part of their conversation. It looked like maybe the owner/ manager was there ( not sure). She never once came around to see if the patrons were happy. The food was fine and our server was good but we didn't order wine and didn't have dessert because we were so uncomfortable. Looking back now we should have just told them that we would come back when they could do a better job with the seating. The menu sounded so good and we were looking forward to having a new special restaurant. We haven't been in NC very long and really wanted to like this restaurant. We go out of our way to eat "local" as often as possible. read more

This place is fantastic! Everything on the menu is great, the dining room is quiet, relaxing, and unpretentious, and the service is outstanding. The outside dining area is also a nice option. It's wonderful to have Sante's fine dining right in downtown Matthews. read more

SO GOOD. I went with my family to this restaurant and we had no idea what to expect. This is quite a romantic place but would still be nice to go with family and friends. The atmosphere of the restaurant was beautiful and very well done. I had chicken (i forgot the name) and my entire family agreed that it was some of the best they've ever had. I also got crembrûlée (spelling??) for desert, it was AMAZING. Everything looked and tasted amazing. I can't believe I've lived in matthews my entire life and I had never been here. The service was excellent also. 10/10 recommend this restaurant. read more

This restaurant is fantastic. All of the food is fresh and perfectly prepared. The staff is wonderfully attentive without being overbearing. I don't know how to explain the atmosphere other than to say it is a small restaurant that can be romantic for a couple but they can also handle a large table of diners. We have done both and enjoyed both types of visits. We do reserve this for special dates. Let's all support locally owned restaurants! read more

Came here for Queens Feast. VERY good. Honey mustard glazed salmon, duck, scallops all outstanding. Small hidden gem!!

Sante' is one of my wife's and my favorite places. Chef Adam is a Master Chef. The service is always great and the ambiance is always relaxing. read more

I really want to love this place but I've been seriously disappointed twice. The latest go around was for the NYE meal. The fixed priced meal was extremely lacking. I was beyond disappointed in the salad as well as the filet. It was charred to a point of overpowering the flavor. The salad lacked anything impressive. The dessert also had a strange "charred" flair. I want to love this place but have been disappointed not once but twice now. The service was fantastic as was the wine, aside from that I am so upset to have wasted 200$ plus my time here for New Years Eve. read more

The atmosphere was fantastic and the food was good, but the service and overall experience left something to be desired. We did a double-date here for restaurant week. When we arrived, our drink menu in the center of the table had a note about the reservation following ours hanging over the top presumably to "remind" us that they were very busy and the table would be needed again that night...we also received a call confirming our reservation stating the same earlier in the day. Our waitress, Brenda, claimed she couldn't work an iPhone to take a photo but would send the "bus boy" to take one of our group. The most insulting portion of the evening was when Brenda chased us down Trade St. yelling that we hadn't left copies of our receipts. We absolutely left signed copies and explained that; however, she insisted we come back to the restaurant and sign a new copy with the tip added. During that (embarrassing for us) walk, she proceeded to inform us how embarrassing it was for her to have to run down the sidewalk yelling after us. Overall, I was not impressed and will not be going back anytime soon. read more

Buyer Beware!!! Look out for the discount coupon book and avoid it like the plague. Although this restaurant has decent grub, they rip you off when they try and sell you a discount coupon book. Here's the scam: they sell you "coupon book" which by the way you never see as they"retain it" for you and you get a 20% discount on several visits to the restaurant Sounds like a deal doesn't it? But in the fine print they stick you with a 24% mandatory tip....even on the TAX! So you think you are getting a bargain and instead you get surly service and a huge bill! Stay clear of this ripoff establishment if you value your cash. The manager will not talk to you or look you in the eye. read more

I'm a Matthews resident and have been going to this restaurant for the past 11 years. I wouldn't call myself a regular, but probably go there six times in a year--for lunch and supper. My husband and I have never been disappointed by a meal there. I'm a somewhat picky eater and approach the menu from the vegetable (always fresh from a local farmer's market) end of the spectrum, while he is fonder of the meats on the menu. We're both always satisfied with what we get. The restaurant is in a historic building in downtown Matthews--a beautiful old place and nice setting for a meal. I would call the atmosphere 'intimate.' The tables are covered in white-tablecloths, but there is a variety of dress there....you'll see people in everything from dressy to very casual attire. Meals are usually in the $15--$20 range and have artful presentation. Parking is on the street or in a small lot behind the restaurant (you'd have to go around the block to reach it.) We've never had a problem with the service, although it's a small staff. You get more of a family feel with their interactions between each other and the diners. Highly recommended. read more

A fabulous meal, exquisitely prepared, and served by courteous and attentive wait staff is what you can look forward to at Santé. Owners Veronica and Chef Adam Reed are welcoming and wonderful hosts. Chef Reed's mastery of French style cuisine is evident in each carefully constructed and well balanced dish that comes out of his kitchen. This experience is not to be missed and is a true local gem in the heart of downtown Matthews. read more

First let me say I have history with Santi going back 15 years. And, I love the place for its food and ambiance. This latest experience was marred by a sense being rushed out. In spite of spending over $200 for two, we felt rushed out the door by our waiter. Up to that point our service was very good, and our food was excellent. Too bad we felt we we where being ushered out the door. read more

My wife and I frequent Sante' often and every time we dine here we are more and more impressed. GREAT food, great service and a great dining experience. read more

Sante is a gem and has been on our regular rotation now for years. The food is incredibly fresh, consistently delicious and mostly locally sourced. I love seeing the chef at the Matthews farmers market every Saturday morning, then seeing the seasonal fare he chose on the plate that evening. Just as wonderful as the food are the people who take care of us. From the attentive servers, to the owners, to those who prepare our food, fill our water and clear our plates - the service is warm, friendly and caring. The atmosphere in Sante's historic downtown Matthews is quaint, cozy and romantic. Walking in basically feels like a great big hug and a respite from the hectic workweek. We had dinner on Saturday, July 22 during Restaurant Week. As usual the food and service was stellar! The produce in our starter salad and gazpacho was fresh and delicious, and I particularly loved the peach sauce with my pork tenderloin dish. And the creme brulee was creamy, crunchy perfection. Our server, Noelle, was impeccable. She was always close by to fill our wine glasses with a perfect pour (I hate when servers overfill wine glasses - completely shuts down the nose!) And somehow - despite it being nearly 100 degrees outside, despite being in a nearly 100-year-old building, and despite being packed with diners - the temperature inside was quite comfortable. My only complaint - which is certainly not the restaurant's fault and I commend the staff for their handling of the situation - is of a boorish diner. He insisted that he had requested the table where we were sitting. When we learned this we graciously offered to switch tables with him but he refused (and at no point thanked us for offering to disrupt our meal by moving). On his way out he made a point to slam the front door as hard as he could, startling the other diners. He's quite lucky he didn't break anything. The staff handled the situation with their usual grace and hospitality. We left some extra cash for that server (even though she wasn't ours) because, unsurprisingly, she got stiffed on the tip. Since this is akin to stealing and since we know servers rely on tips, we were glad to subsidize this guy's dining experience to ensure she got SOMETHING for dealing with his negativity. Restaurant Week seems to bring out the worst in some people, and I am so grateful for the restaurant professionals who work hard to bring us a beautiful meal! read more

Phenomenal meal - everything tasted wonderful- I had the filet - cooked to perfection and all 4 of us loved our meals . The calamari was delicious and the desserts were very yummy! Service was also great. Our waiters was attentive but gave us plenty of space. Will definite return read more

This is probably one of my top three favorite places in Charlotte/Matthews. It's a true staple to the community and the food/service is superb. This is one of those restaurants where you can try something new every time and fall in love each time. Love Sante!!! read more

Went with friends from Florida on a rainy Tuesday night. It was packed. Excellent meal all around. Tried squash blossoms for the 1st time. They were amazing. The entree was a bit long getting to the table, but she apologized and gave us free desserts. I think it's my favorite in Matthews for sure. read more

This place is Matthews best secret - but it's awards are making it more known everyday! The menu is always driven by fresh & local produce, and the creativity of a great chef. We've dined there 4 times in the last year, and have always had a wonderful meal. During Queen's week (January), the place was full, and we were relegated to the back enclosed patio. But it was no problem....heat lamps kept us toasty, and the service (logistically challenging at times) and food were spot on. I love the intimate atmosphere ~ it's unlike any other restaurant I know of. Absolutely my favorite place for special occasions. The Mullins (In reference to the review by "Mister T" ~ Matthews is no way a "podunk" town. If you feel that way, you don't know us at all. Go home). read more

First visit and the scallops were fantastic. Agree that $$ should be $$$-$$$$. Special occasion dining, not weekly or monthly. Staff was very hospitable and the setting is intimate. read more

I really wanted to love this place but the management was very haughty. The food was ok at best. Worst part was the pricing for food I could have made myself. It was also pretty dirty. Saw lots of food particles of my silverware (and when I grabbed silverware from next table, the waiter gave me a horrible stare and then told the people by the bar!) read more

I usually don't write reviews but this place deserves to become more popular and have a higher rating. Everything we had was delicious, onion and summer soup, lamb special and grilled snapper with vegetables. read more

I really do have to knock this place down a couple notches - I think they're getting higher marks than they deserve owing to location. We moved here from NYC and have dined in many major cities at very fine restaurants for the past couple decades (in addition to Manhattan). That being said, Sante is offering up NYC prices and NYC rudeness right here in Matthews of all places. The Queen City is known for it's friendliness so we were actually quite taken aback when we received a call a couple hours prior to our reservation time asking us if we wanted to "come in earlier". The caller actually offered that up as if it was some sort of prize we'd won - "hey...guess what, you can actually come in earlier than the 530PM res. that you made...you win!". She must have mistaken me for the 80 and over set, because honestly 530p is really as early I'll go for dinner, I'm good with that thank you. On a Saturday "night" no less. When I informed her that I would be keeping my 530P res. and that yes, that's the time I wanted given that that's the time I actually requested, she offered up what seemed to be a soft threat in response..."okay well, just so you know we have a 7PM reservation set for your table, so, I hope you'll have enough time". Seriously? They were lucky we didn't draw out our meal to 730P just to be passive aggressive since we were pissed. In all of my years of overpaying at restaurants who mistakenly assume that they are special I have never been treated like that...if you don't eat your meal fast enough we'll boot you out and let the next guys in before you're finished! Really, will the next diners get to eat our dessert as an extra added penalty on us too? Maybe just don't make reservations so tight if you're worried about it Sante. The fact is that we made that 530p res. before the guy called asking for a 7p res., so, how about telling him that the 7p is not an avail. time and offering him a 715p or a 730p? Diners who are already spending close to $100 on a meal for two should not also be expected to pay for acts of poor judgement on the part of the staff. The staff should be the only ones stressing to sort that stuff out. The only reason I'm giving two stars instead of one is because the food was deserving of more credit than just one star. While the food is good, it was nothing I haven't seen before. In fact, it was actually quite typical for this particular genre of restaurant. The most noteworthy thing was the bacon wrapped trout, done to perfection. Also, of note, Sante does not know what foie gras is, which is bad, given the genre of the restaurant. They served up liver pate (and not even close to what I look for in a good liver pate) and called it foie gras!! Big disappointment there. Additionally, our waitress was aloof at best until the very end when she became frankly rude. She openly disapproved of my request to take home our leftover liver pate. Waiting Tables 101: we do not wish to know your opinion unless we ask for it, particularly on what we choose to bring home in a doggy bag. It was leftover appetizer we asked to bring home, but her response was what one would expect if one had asked to have a neighboring table's soiled napkins packaged up, to-go. Sante, we had high hopes for you...definitely a bummer, all around. read more

I created a yelp account solely to write a review for this restaurant. Let me first explain that my husband and I were very excited to finally have a date night to celebrate our anniversary since our child was born. *Married couples with children know how we feel already* The restaurant was beautiful and the atmosphere was semi great, minus our wobbly table. After we sat, that is where it went downhill here from there. My husband's lamb bone was cold... The bone should never be cold! Okay sure, things happen and we understand. However, I began to notice that all other tables were receiving different and better treatment. I thought "Well, maybe I am just being silly and seeing things". I was not seeing things because when my husband found a hair in his desert, it appeared the kitchen supervisor was brushing it off and not taking ownership. The way the staff handled our experience was piss poor. I am usually very easy going and would have been fine if management handled it well. Note to the owners: Please learn how to treat your customers with respect and EQUAL treatment regardless of their background. Oh, and when someone finds a HAIR in their food, don't put the blame back on us when we CLEARLY don't have that hair color, nor length. We will never return and hope you either 1) get better or 2) close. read more

As part of Queen's Feast I had dinner there last night. The cream of mushroom soup, lamb shank and chocolate flourless cake I had was delicious!! Of course it was very crowded (all table were full) so it was quite noisy but has a quant and French feel atmosphere. My criticism is that we arrived 25 min. earlier than our reservation and anticipated just sitting at the bar for a "pre-dinner" drink.....Well we were greeted immediately and told they have no bar and they have no standing/waiting space and told we could go to the restaurant just down from them, have a drink and come back when it was our reservation time. So make sure you don't plan on sitting and having a drink if your table is not ready and know that you will need to plan on going somewhere else until your table is ready. Otherwise their food is yummy and I will go back again probably. read more

Food and service were what should be expected by a restaurant of this caliber - HOWEVER - the attitude of an much older woman with a British accent could be changed and hopefully the owners will have a word with her!! Very rude and the main reason for the one star. I would consider returning BUT only - after I run a spy pattern to insure this Downton Abbey understudy isn't in the wings. read more

Excellent, chef quality food, wonderfully served in a friendly, gracious manner, all in a charming room.

Great food, great atmosphere. This is what a restaurant should be. This place embodies everything that is good about high end European restaurants, but right here in Matthews. read more

Totally overrated and overpriced...food was okay but not great! Waitress and water boy wore us out...the best part of dinner was the enjoyment we got at counting how many times the waitress said thank you! read more

Consistently great food and good service. We try to visit a couple times a year and it is one of my favorite places. The red braised cabbage is a must! read more

Great place for a date night with the wife. Good ambiance with a patio and inside dining. Went during Queens feast and enjoyed every course. A must for all. read more