A great little place in the heart of Matthews. Love the atmosphere and the changing menu. One of our first places we ate at whwn we moved to Charlotte 6 years ago! read more

Attended their annual Christmas dinner and a show for the first time and it was an amazing experience! The food was delicious, the service was great and the show was spectacular! Carolina Voices acapella group sang all the great Christmas songs. They really put us in the Christmas spirit. Will definitely return. My butternut squash soup was soothing and refined. My salmon was perfectly seasoned and rested on a bed of to-die-for creamy mashed potatoes and the dessert was a perfect ending. read more

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The food was delicious. They took us without reservations awesome. Thank you to the wonderful lady who allow for this to happen. Great customer service read more

During the shutdown, pandemic, & height of these crises..? Santé' literally delivered. Super dinner, quality beverage. Sadly was my own maitre d' Their community involvement & volunteering at MCFM & elsewhere speaks volumes of Chef, Adam, & all of the staff. Thankful to be a customer of theirs read more

Great food. Whole menu was good. Had 3 different entres on the menu as we as apps and all were great. Doesn't sacrifice quality and variety of food for food costs like so many of these corporate places here. read more

Sante is one of our go-to restaurants for a nicer/celebratory meal. It's a small and intimate setting and absolutely excellent food. We go a number of times a year for special occasions. Sit in the main dining room. The back porch is ok, and I'd sit there if the main dining room was full, but prefer the main. read more

Went here for Food Week and loved it. The food on a normal day is a bit pricey for pur liking, but the Food Week menu was incredible. I got the Lamb Shank with Duck Quesadilla appetizer and a Pear Crumb cake. It was all delicious!! I might even consider dishing out the extra money to check put their regular menu sometime. read more

Ok let's get right to it!!!! My all girl crew went for a Girls Night and it was Restaurant Week on a Thursday. The place is really quaint...really. It was 6 of us and our table was smack dab in the middle of the floor by the door getting all of the breeze. The ambiance is really nice, it's decorated with different handmade paintings on the walls. For it being restaurant week, the menu has a really good assortment of entrees to choose from. Two things that I didn't particularly care for was my drink(Lovers)...it reminded me of medicine from my youth. Did I finish it?? Of course‍, also my entree...I ordered the Scallops with Risotto and it was very bland. My app was so good, which was the Brussel Sprouts,( they had pomegranate in them!!!! YUUUUMMM) and is now placed in my top 5 of restaurants that serve them. For dessert I had the apple crumb and that was good. I also sampled some of my girlfriends entrees and they were pretty good. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. I know I love alcohol!!!! But that damn water they were serving was AMAZING. WHEW I needed a refill quickly. Our server was really cool and helpful, and patient with us which is always good when you have a semi-large table of very opinionated, sometimes indecisive women. Would I return to Sante'?...maybe, but only for the Sprouts and Water! read more

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Structurally, the restaurant is quite charming - in a row of buildings on the national register of historic places, lots of exposed brick and tin ceilings. Lunch service is "leisurely" - not quite slow, but certainly not at a pace that will get you back to the office in an hour. The menu always underwhelms me though. Not sure if it wants to be french (see the cheese plate appetizer which is large enough to be an entree), southwestern (several items are infused with chiles, corn, avocado or black beans) or something else. This is a place we go once or twice a year as a change of pace. But I can't seem to find anything compelling to bring me here more often - although I'd like to find one! Note to either server or kitchen - if the soup of the day is a Shellfish Gumbo, why put calamari in it? Or has calamari become a shellfish? read more

Went here for my fiancee's birthday dinner recently! I was so excited to give this place a try. Locally owned, right down the street and somewhere we had never been before! When we got there, the waitress seated us at a table near a window. There were only about 10-12 tables in the whole restaurant and I was actually surprised at how many people there were. It happened to be 1/2 off bottles of wine night so we ordered one of those. There were two servers both of whom were very sweet and accommodating. We started with a featured watermelon and arugula salad, which was really good. For dinner, I had the steak and my fiancee had the featured dish (a grouper with a saffron couscous i believe). The first time my steak was over cooked, but they fixed it and sent back out a better medium rare. Everything had a good flavor, but what was the most disappointing was the prices for this type of food. We spent 100 dollars on a bottle of wine, a featured fish dish, one salad, and a steak. If it had been a filet or some other cut of beef, it would have been a little more reasonable to ask people to pay 24 dollars, but this was an 8 ounce skirt steak. I just don't see the value in that. If this were a little more reasonably priced, this would be somewhere we would frequent a lot. I think they also get most of their vegetables from the farmers market across the street, which is nice. It was just a bit disappointing. For the price, there are plenty more locally owned places with the similar feel to them. read more

This place is the full package - they have excellent food, great service, and a nice wine list. I love the quaint atmosphere of the historic location and the paintings by local artists as decoration. I also love the fact that they are big proponents of using locally grown meats and produce whenever possible. I highly recommend the local vine ripe tomato salad. On one visit I had the honey mustard glazed salmon with coconut basmati rice & asian mango salsa - delish! The desserts are fabulous as well. We have only eaten here during the week and the place is rather small, so if you are planning on going over the weekend, I would definitely call ahead for reservations read more

Real nice local place in Matthews. The outdoor seating is really nice for people watching and the food was above average. The menu was somewhat normal for I did not see much that really jumped out at me but the service was good and the quality of the food was above average. We will be back for lunch or maybe dinner. read more

An amazing evening at Sante'! Just moved back to Matthews and had our anniversary dinner here. The food, service and ambience were all perfect. The onion tart, farmhouse salad, and pork chop were all delicious, but the chicken was just incredible. Solid wine list, and the service was spot on. This is an absolute gem in Matthews! read more

I love this restaurant. Very small, quaint and the food is always exceptional. We came for New Year's eve dinner which had a special menu. Four courses and there were four or five options for each course. I selected the champagne broiled lobster, my daughter had the broiled grouper and my husband had the fllet mignon. We all agreed our meals were spectacular. read more

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The atmosphere isn't super fun, but that's more on the clientele eating here. People watching ends pretty quickly when your subjects are married couples who eat in silence. Sad. We got the center table, which made me us feel like the life of the party! Their wine list was pretty extensive (we settled on Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling). The dishes here are as humble as the charming cafe-inspired décor. Great veggie toasts, fish entrees, though the vegetables on the side aren't very inspired. The attitude was welcoming and service was gregarious. Solid choice for Restaurant Week, but not a knockout. read more

This place is nothing short of heart warming. The host greeted us with a huge smile like he had known us for years. The waitress was kind and knowledgeable. Any questions we had that she didn't know she went and asked. The food was all fresh and beautifully cooked and presented. We didn't leave a plate with anything on it the entire night; from the garlic dipping oil to the dessert. An absolute must try. read more

Santé - Enjoying this great restaurant! - New American Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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First of all, the atmosphere and the ambience were very nice! They have a great selection of specially drinks (martinis). Their food was alright. We had the duck and filet. The duck was too rare and the portion was very small. The taste was not what we expected as we eat duck quite often. The filet was overcooked but it was a tender piece of meat...adequate flavor. Both meals were lack luster. We had heard very positive things about the owners and the chef. Meh..... The evening began at 7:25pm and ended at 9:40pm. This was unacceptable for an upscale, very tiny small restaurant. Our server was a big let down. She waited on three tables of two. We found her to be a pleasant mature woman. She was always over at the bar cleaning glasses, stacking glasses, moving glasses (how many glasses can you have?), looking through papers, talking to other waitstaff, and not paying attention to our needs. We had to get her attention for refills on our beverages several times. Alcoholic beverages add up.....bigger bill, bigger tip! At times, she couldn't be found and we had to ask someone to get her. We wanted coffee and desert, again the bigger bigger still applies. She was nowhere in sight. Eventually we made it through to the end and there were only two other people there eating. When we got there it was full. People who had gotten there after us had long gone. Unfortunately we will not be back. Service is very important to us and we feel that this was way beyond our patience. It was a painful experience. read more

Great little spot. Intimate and the ambience lends itself to celebrating a special occasion.

Let me begin by saying I am definitely a service snob and being married to a chef turned culinary professor at JWU, I consider myself somewhat of a foodie as well. I say this because had the service matched the exquisite food, I would have given 5 stars. Honestly, the service almost made this a 3 star for me but the food definitely shined. The farmers market salad was fresh and flavorful. The salmon with the coconut rice was by far the best I have ever had - perfectly cooked and beautifully plated. The pot de Creme was rich, creamy and melted in my mouth. It was most unfortunate that the waitress lacked the polish and refinement that this food deserves. read more

Had a date night here a few weeks back. Really enjoyed the atmosphere, and the charcuterie plate was amazing. The waitress was great and very helpful in the selection of cheeses and wine. We will definitely be back and try the amazing specials they had. I think this place is a gem in matthews! read more

Decent atmosphere and service Stingy wine pour- maybe 4 oz? The server kept asking if I wanted another glass and all I could think was "I'd really like the rest of my first glass" Small portions for pricey food Not much of a deal to get the Queen's Feast during restaurant week, unless you choose only the priciest menu items Food taste lacking in creativity and flavor- my scallops were tasty and cooked well, but over a nondescript bed of couscous? (I forget already) and veggies that were over cooked Air conditioning was barely on when its 95 degrees outside, making the whole experience a bit unpleasant I agree with the other low ratings posters here- why all the 4 and 5 star reviews? I've been to many restaurants at this price point and this place isn't anything special. read more

The food gets more flavorful with every visit! Adam truly creates masterpiece dishes. A real gem in Matthews. A family favorite for decades! read more

Santé - New American Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

The food was amazing, a very delightful staff, and wonderful experience. Would highly recommend Santé to anyone!

Last night my wife and I, with our best friends, celebrated our 60th Anniversary at Sante. The lamb with resoto was outstanding after enjoying an appeitiser. Since we are light eaters, our dinners were split in the kitchen and presented beautifully. We look forward to our next visit in the near future! read more

This place is more like four dollar signs than two! The charcuterie was amazing as were the scallops. The only negative I have is that my veggies were undercooked. It was a great place, we were just kind of caught off guard in terms of price due to the previous reviews. read more

Have been here several times and have never been disappointed. Food is always amazing and when I think I go in knowing exactly what I want, they let me know the specials and I have to change my mind. Drinks are amazing and have both great alcohol content and taste. Service is always impeccable and I hope this place is around for a long time! A staple here in Matthews and I would even say the some of the best dining in the Charlotte area. read more

Terrible. They are clueless about food and wine and service is a disaster. Go somewhere else - thumbs down

We came here for our anniversary. We were looking for something close to home and romantic ... well found it! Plus or server made our night. Thanks Noelle!!! read more

Fine dining in historic Matthews. We enjoyed a wonderful meal tonight. The service was perfect as always, and every bite was delicious. The chef sources ingredients from local farms, and you can taste the fresh quality. read more

One of my most favorite places to dine. Went with a friend during the Queen's Feast, 2017 and my plate almost looked like I had licked it clean. I had been one time before and the same thing happened. LOL We had our favorite server, Brenda, and she was as charming as ever. I had the scallops over rissotto and they were excellent. The roasted beet salad was also delicious. My birthday is coming up in a few months, so hoping someone wants to take me to dinner here. I highly recommend this little French restaurant. I love it. read more

Recently went back to Sante during this Jan 2017's Queen Feast and was wowed again. Felt compelled to write another review and increase my rating. This place seems to be under the radar but always amazes me and anyone else who goes there. The ambiance is very intimate and makes it hard to believe you are in the suburbs of Charlotte - it feels like you are in another country or a "big city." My husband and I took another couple who had never been and they are particular about their dining experiences. We all had an amazing experience. The service was great and even though they were very busy our server, Hope, was very attentive and helped us with our various menu questions. I can't stop raving about the Cabbage Salad with Pears and Goat Cheese. Doesn't sound great on paper but it was delicious. (Side note: after my experience I have been searching Pinterest to find a recipe like it so I can recreate it). I ordered the special of Amber Jack fish with Polenta and finished off with the flourless chocolate cake dessert. It was the perfect meal. Everyone else had ordered other items and all were loved. Will definitely be going back! read more

My husband and myself had not been in over 10 years and had a very disappointing anniversary meal! Our waitress was an older woman who though nice and was trying was obviously not a trained server especially what you would expect at a higher end restaurant. The martini was poor & the salad was pretty average....my husband had a veal chop which the piece of meat used was excellent but he said tasted as if cooked in a dirty pan... I had the scallops which had a very good potential but were way over salted and I couldn't finish based on that. We didn't want to waste more money on dessert so left and walked downtown Matthews to try & salvage our anniversary night...sorry won't be back....:( read more

Sante is located in downtown Matthews, North Carolina in one of Matthews historic buildings. The decor inside still shows some of the trademark architectural features from the original construction, such as the tin plate ceiling. The restaurant itself is incredibly charming. The walls, done in a distressed Venetian plaster with exposed brick, are covered with artwork from the local painter Sharon Schwenk. The lighting is dim and the seating comfortable. Additionally there is a beautiful veranda in the back that is very romantic. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a romantic setting. Sante is the DRIVEBYCRITIC.COM award winner for Most Romantic Restaurant for 2007 and again in 2008. The food is divine, the setting is very enjoyable and the staff very attentive. I selected this restaurant as Most Romantic, not just for the overall feel and decor but also because it is very apparent that the owners and staff put their love of fine dining into their efforts to please their clientele. For more Food or Wine reviews please visit www.drivebycritic.com read more

Sante has great food, a seasonal menu, a short by very good wine list. My current favorite red is the Ken Wright Pinot. If you spend considerable time in the Charlotte area, and you need a breath of fresh culinary air, you should drive out to Matthews. read more

Well, let's just say this was a little disappointing. Service was good but when ordered filet mignon, they brought me a tail piece ridded with fat. Most definitely the worst filet I have ever had in my life and I have had many. I even heard the chef saying to the manager that it was the tail piece and she was ok with it. Who serves a tail piece and pawns it off as a filet, I can tell you who, someone who is trying to get rid of product. Never go here again. If you want a great filet, go to 131 Main. read more

I was in the matthews area and decided to checkout downtown Matthews. I spotted Sante and we decided to check it out, glad that we did. This is a very charming little restaurant, nicely decorated with art from local artists and a great ambiance. Definetly a great spot for a romantic dinner. We started with cocktails, I had the "Lovers" martini and my wife had the "Strawberry" martini, both were excellent, although the first round took quite a long time to receive. We decided on the avacado egg rolls and gazpacho soup as appetizers, both appetizers were excellent and very flavorful. we wanted to try the crab and avacado towere, but they were out of this dish for the evening, maybe next time. We moved on to the beet salad and aragula salad, again both were very good. For dinner I chose the Mustard crusted salmon, it was simply amazing and cooked perfectly. My wife went with the scallops and they too were PERFECT, The service is very friendly and not overbearing. Most of the service staff appear to be very young, but they have definetly been trained well. This restaurant is worth the drive from uptown and downtown Matthews has a great small town feel and there are enough other bars and restaurants in walking distance for a nice night out. WELL DONE SANTE, KEEP IT UP!!!! read more

Went for restaurant week, and while our table seemed to be on the slower side of delivery, the service and the food was fantastic! When we arrived they had confetti and "Happy Anniversary" written on our table! Since we were celebrating we brought a nice bottle of wine from Napa with us and the corking fee was only $15! Between my husband and I we had the zucchini cakes, mussels, pork tenderloins, scallops, peach & blackberry crumble, and the Panna cota. There was nothing we didn't enjoy. We loved it so much we got a gift card for our parents. We look forward to going back! read more

Love this little romantic restaurant. Great food and atmosphere. Check out the covered patio! Also a wonderful place to meet your girlfriends for lunch. Every time I eat here the service is good and all my friends love the food. The chef is also very handsome and attentive! 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

They had $7 martini specials and the lemon drop was wonderful. I had their osso bucco which was so tender you literally broke it apart with a fork. The spaetzle was light and a nice complement to the meat. I am not sure what I expected from chestnut spaetzle, maybe more flavor? However, it's not a criticism as it was very good. I loved the ciabatta bread with garlic oil, and two tender pieces of garlic that I realized was soft enough to spread on the bread. After I ate it lol! I would say it's intimate as well, I ate on the back patio which was nice. I want to try their appetizer plate next time and I think they'd do an amazing job with fish. I went alone with a Kindle book which is why I chose the patio but they had it setup inside for a big group i.e. a party. It's a DATE place as well :) I went in work clothes but noticed that people wore casual clothing as well. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and will be going back, want to try a dessert too! read more

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