I don't get it. I read many of the reviews before going to Sel and did I eat at a different place? The drinks were good. The wait staff were pleasant. The food was very average. We had the New York steak that had very little taste and loaded with fat. Couldn't even cut the steak with a steak knife. The heirloom tomato and beet salad had very little taste and the tomatoes were over ripe. Paying these prices for a meal you would expect mouth watering food. Didn't happen. Everything is a la cart. The bread before dinner had an extra charge. If this is where upscale dining is going many will be disappointed. We are foodies and experience many restaurants in Scottsdale and Phoenix. There are many more restaurants that are far superior to Sel. read more

I had the Sel burger, medium rare. It was wonderful. Messy on the hands, but one of the best burgers I've eaten. Looking forward to an elegant dinner again with Sel. read more

This place was good. Had nye dinner. A bit pricey for what it was. At $135 a person they could have had slightly larger portions particular for the first course and dessert. Had to ask for bread. Champagne toast was barely half a glass. Also I ordered a glass of red wine and they served me wine that had been opened over 24 hours ago and oxidized. They replaced it when I asked. However food was tasty. read more

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This place is amazing from start to finish!!! The service was great the food was was phenomenal and drinks were great! Second time here and will for sure come back read more

I love this place. Sel is super cute and quaint, extremely well put together and thought out, and the owners are absolutely lovely people. The food leaves nothing lacking - it is a true culinary experience. If you're looking for a romantic evening in, or just want to experience an explosion of flavors, do yourself a favor and visit Sel. You won't be disappointed! read more

Incredible service. Excellent food. Loved every minute of dinner here. The prefix menu is fantastic. Pick your cocktail order your four courses sit back, relax and enjoy every minute of this beautiful dining experience. read more

We came to Sel for our anniversary dinner. I was extremely excited due to the good reviews. It was a let down unfortunately. The food was pretty good, definitely not up to the rave reviews I saw, but nothing to complain about. I liked the ceviche a lot. Our server was very personable and knowledgeable. However there was some odd behavior from the hostess. I did not get the impression it was her personally but overall policy. When we arrived we asked it we could sit outside and were told no, due to all tables being pre-assigned. Ok fine, whatever. I could get past that, as when we reserved we did ask for inside. But then we were told that we had a 2 hour time limit because they booked another reservation after us. I was extremely taken aback by this. We planned on doing the tasting menu, and everytime I've done a tasting the dinner has taken at least 3 hours. Also I don't feel it's your patrons responsibility to free up seats, but rather the establishments responsibility to book accordingly. We were assured though, that we could still do the tasting menu, and all courses would come out very quickly. This turned out to not be true. We waited for about 40 mins for the main course and over 15 for the dessert course. This put us over our two hour time limit. Which was anxiety inducing due to our warning. Though truly we ate as quickly as we could and would have been done in time if the courses had come out back to back. Sucks to be rushed when you are dropping that kind of money, or be worried about the restaurants booking. I also usually like to enjoy coffee after a meal but didn't feel that was an option in this case. I personally will never be back to the restaurant, especially for a special occasion, and would not recommend it unless you are there for a quick in and out meal. read more

Love this place for the creative food and the service. It is very expensive but they pay attention to detail. We will be back again for another celebration. LOVED THE FOIS Grais read more

AMAZING!!! If you like an intimate place with amazing cuisine , Sel is the place! My husband and I have decided to come here for a date night once a month. The food s absolutely the best !! read more

Sel - Excellent!! - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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I was really looking forward to going to Sel because it's listed as one of Scottsdale's best and highest rated restaurants. I'll start by saying the food was good. The $90 fixed menu is very fun and you still get a lot of options. I was expecting it to be packed, considering all of the reviews say to make a reservation and it was a Friday night, but we were one of three tables in the whole place. The service was amazing, our waitress was very knowledgable about the menu and very friendly. The atmosphere made me give this place 3 stars. Despite the food being good, the inside of the restaurant was small and didn't seem like anyone cared about the interior decorating. For such a great location in Old Town, and the amount that you're spending, it's not worth it. read more

Sel - Tiramisu and strawberry shortcake - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

After spending literally hours researching the perfect spot for our 9th wedding anniversary dinner (it's the Type A in me - sorry not sorry), I landed on Sel. It checked all the boxes - romantic ambience, fine dining experience, more experimental menu. We were not disappointed! Service was outstanding; we were greeted by our server with two celebratory glasses of champagne. The server also made sure we weren't rushed with our courses but checked in on us often just to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was amazing. We had the lamb dumplings to start, followed by the scallops and halibut as entrees. Everything was incredibly flavorful and prepared beautifully. For dessert we had the shortcake which was also delicious and decorated with a little heart for our anniversary. We were very impressed with this place and would 10/10 recommend for an anniversary, date night, or birthday. read more

Sel - anniversary dessert - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

My boyfriend took me to dinner here last night for my birthday. This was by far the best food in town. Branden the owner/chef is exquisite in the kitchen. The food here has such a unique taste, very well thought out and presented beautifully. Will definitely be raving about this place to everyone. read more

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Absolutely outstanding. Wonderful flavor combinations. We had the tasting menu and it was plenty of food. Things we were not fond of eating (oysters for me, beets for hubby, marzipan in desert) were fantastic. One of the best upscale restaurants we experienced in the Phoenix area and we have been to Binkley's and Posh (when they were around) - both several times. Derrick was our server, we chatted on several topics and he asked about timing (we spent 2 hours there) and he made sure the dishes were cleared quickly and new plates came out in a very timely manner. He also gave good information on the wine choices and optional choices. read more

Sel offers the holy grail trifecta: incredibly delicious, elevated cuisine and truly exceptional service in a gorgeous setting. We even had the privilege of meeting the chef/owners- lovely people! read more

I think 4.5. The tasting menu is good value. Although there are no substitutions.....they did allow me to sub a new york for the filet ($25 supplement). Great steak. Incredibly rich. Came out medium vs medium rare but not a big deal. Service is very attentive. Meal was spaced out nicely except there seemed to be a lag for our entrees.....but quite possibly because I was annoying and upgraded the steak. The octopus dish was really great. Lamb vindaloo and especially the salmon were too salty but thats probably the only real complaint. I was expecting this to be a type of token fancy restaurant for Scottsdale, but I was pleasantly surprised. read more

It was our first time in Scottsdale and we had recommendations from our hotel (Phoenician) and family for restaurants. While having a cocktail in Old Town we befriended a local who recommended Sel. We had an 8 o'clock seating but arrived early and decided to sit at the bar. Our hostess (who we ended up finding out later was an owner) made sure we were comfortable. The wine selection was good, and the wife and I had no problems finding something we enjoyed. The bartender was very friendly and knew a lot of random drinks I mentioned as we chatted. We were seated shortly after and taken care of immediately. Our waitress was very friendly. We had the foie gras which was served with an apple cobbler, a Korean braised short rib, octopus and scallops. Everything was EXCELLENT. The owner came by to make sure everything was good. Afterwards we had a great tiramisu with hazzlenut. The owner brought a second on the house for us which was a strawberry shortcake type. Amazing. The service at this restaurant is what service should be at every establishment and the quality of food was next to none. Wish we knew about this earlier because we'd come back again, maybe trying one of the tastings (they had two, one was vegetarian). Will be back soon. read more

Teresa the server was very good at what she does. It's my sisters birthday celebration dinner. We ordered the fixed $90 menu and it's fabulous! Make sure to try the fixed menu! read more

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Amazing food experience. Chef Brandon never fails. If you are looking for a romantic dinner this is the place to go you wil not be disappointed. read more

Best meal I've had in Arizona since Binkleys 15 years ago in his old location. Change their menu every six weeks so that means I'm coming here 9 or 10 times a year. Ridiculously good. If you have to pick one restaurant to go to in Arizona right now this would be it !!! WOW read more

Better than cafe monarch? This is authentic. whole lobe foie gras? check! Armagnac on wine list? check! This place is a treasure we need to keep in business, which is a challenge based on the number of empty seats. The chef does take his time in the kitchen, but the result is worth it. read more

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This was an epic dining experience. The wine pairing blew my mind. The staff was so knowledge from the waitress to the food runner to the busser, everyone was passionate about about the wow food and wine. The chef came out at the end and the wine expert shared his love of local wine. Please come here, you won't regret it. read more

Sel - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

The octopus squid ink pasta was exceptional and the ambiance was perfect for the perfect date night

Had dinner with my aunt tonight and it was amazing. Waitress was attentive and super friendly. Food will NEVER disappoint. Will definitely be back again! read more

I'm not sure how to feel about this place? We came with a large group for dinner. Our server was prompt and very nice. The ambiance outside would've been great - had it not been for the uncomfortable plastic lawn chairs they provide. Everyone had to keep getting up because of how uncomfortable the chairs were. Food wise, the shrimp ceviche & tartare was great, the pork shoulder was AWESOME (I don't even like pork), but my entree fell short. The duck breast was served with some weird pudding-esque sauce that no one in my party enjoyed. I feel like they really fell short on the duck and ambiance. read more

I don't do reviews very often but when our visit was based on Yelp reviews and it was not as described, I have to give my honest take on it. I took my husband here for his birthday. We had the 4 course dinner. Menu - Very little options. Taste - We liked the cocktails, shortcake dessert and that was it. From the appetizer to the entree it was all below average. Each dish was a mash up of flavors that did not work well together. Service - Our server was knowledgeable and said he's worked at all the fine dining restaurants and this chef was the best. We had high expectations from there but dish after dish was a let down. Cocktails - We both had a dirty vodka martini. It was good. Atmosphere - Our reservation was at 6:30pm on a Saturday. The restaurant was empty. We sat at a table next to a window that was cracked all the way across. That was concerning that the restaurant can tolerate a broken glass window and still seat people next to it. Cost - As expected for fine dining our bill was about $240 with tip. Overall - We won't be going back. If you're looking for spectacular fine dining go to Binkley's or Kai. If you're in Vegas try e' inside the Cosmopolitan. read more

Wow. Where should I start!!! This is a true foodie experience and I am glad that my hubby has followed Chef Brendan since he first saw him in a few Food Network shows. There where so many great dishes throughout the course and none of them fell fat. My favorites: Foie Gras, Rabbit Confit, and Scallops with Squid Ink Gnocchi. WOW WOW WOW. Everything that came out was so full of flavor and had the freshest ingredients. WE will be coming back to try different dishes. We understand that the 4 course meals can be very pricey, but with the menu changing a few times a month, it is definitely worth it. read more

Great fine dining. I always have a problem taking my friend out to dinner because she's a pescatarian (vegetarian, but eats seafood). I see her only once a year, so I try to find a really nice place. This place is it. I recommend the prix fixe menu. It consist of 4 courses. The first 3 courses are small, but the main course is a nice portion. Dessert is not part of the prix fixe menu. The menu changes as the seasons change. This time I had the Stuffed Squash Blossom. The flavor just erupted in my mouth wishing I had more to eat. The Cantaloupe soup was okay, but it didn't make me lust for every drop. The Pork Secreto was making my taste buds wish for more. The man course was the Seared Scallops which were perfectly cooked. They were moist and tender and the highlight of the meal. My friend had almost the same dishes except for the Port Secreto where she substituted a vegetarian dish. Her comments were similar to my comments, but she really loved the wine selection. They had a small, but wide variety of wines. They ranged from inexpensive to pricey. We ordered 2 bottles of wine. One bottle was from well know French winery, but the other bottle was a Malbec from Argentina which was affordable and very good. We normally go to different restaurants every year, but I wouldn't mind going back to this place again. read more

Wow! Wow! Wow! Best meal I've had in AZ in a very long time! The chefs tasting menu was FABULOUS! There was not a single course that was not to die for! Great food, great service, great ambiance! A must try! read more

The food was good but the experience was terrible. They told us we could not sit outside because it was "fully booked" and in fact it remained half empty all evening. They ignored us so long i had to walk up to the Bar for a drink. The waiter pushed the tasting menu, declining to even give us the a la carte menu until we kept pushing back. And finally you do not see this on the menu but the martinis are $24! Hell, you only pay $20 at Smith & Wollensky in Manhattan. Way over-priced; better to spend your money at Lon's or Elements or Fat Ox or Cafe Monarch or etc, etc. read more

Where to begin... Sel was absolutely fabulous! We did the Chef's tasting menu with a few additions including the caviar and foie gras. Each course was stunning and memorable. The details to flavor were astonishing. I must say, I didn't know what to expect from the food. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea it was going to be a flavor explosion in my mouth. Service was wonderful too. I appreciated the introduction to each course. I found this meal to be more memorable than Gary Danko, Cafe Monarch, and possibly French Laundry. I adore each of those restaurants, but Sel is something special. If you have the opportunity to go, please do. My compliments to the Chef! We will absolutely be back. read more

This was our second time here, first time for our friends. We came in for drinks, sitting at the bar, and ended up staying for dinner. The burger is really good (except I don't like spicy ketchup). We tried several different drinks, that were all really good. The interaction with the bartender was great. She was attentive, informative and fun. The reason for 4 stars is that it seemed to take a little while to get our food. They were busy. read more

Absolutely amazing experience. A hidden gem in Old Town! Chef is talented and creative. Service is outstanding. A great place for special occasions -staff really goes out of their way to celebrate with you and make the night memorable. read more

Sel - Foie Gras - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Sel is a hidden GEM. Wonderful food. Excellent service and the interior design of the restaurant could not be any cuter. There was SEVERAL things on the menu that looked great. I chose the eggs Benedict and substituted the Brussels sprouts instead of potatoes as a side. Sel is beautiful, charming, delightful to the eye. Sel is relaxing, it has a great vibe. Every visual detail is gorgeous. The chandeliers, old door, mirrors, tables, chairs, the way the floors are finished, the bar stools, pillars, outdoor furniture, wood vine feature hanging above the table outside, the water is served in a beautiful vessel, the cream and sugar cane in a beautiful set, everything is beautiful. Sel also has a quality wine list. I took my mom here for Mother's Day brunch after a friend told me about Sel. I drove from Issaquah to enjoy this restaurant and it was worth the drive! read more

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Very average food that is severely overpriced. Probably one of the worst fine dining restaurants I've been to in Scottsdale. All the food was very bland and service was subpar. Would not recommend. read more

Beat of the best !!!! Best Duck I ever had and amazing service. The chef is so talented. Puts Scottsdale on the map for great culinary start ups ! read more

Sel - Yes - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's dinner. Had a very sexy, chic atmosphere. Service was awesome. The waiter accompanied our 4 course meal with wine pairing. I told him I don't prefer rose and he was able to offer something else. Definitely recommend for a special occasion. read more

This place always pops up on yelp so figured it was time to give it a shot. You can do the four course prefix menu or order a la carte and we decided prefix for $80/person plus the wine pairing which was $70/person and well worth it - makes it so much more fun! Their menu changes weekly but if you have a chance to try the octopus or snake river farms ribeye cap for an entree or the quail appetizer I'd highly recommend them! read more

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To start out I was very excited to try this place out ! I sadly picked this over Binkley's and boy was that a mistake . I can't even say I would try to go back here .... The only reason this has two stars is because the steak tartare was great ...but the rest of our meal .... Extremely dissatisfied. We did the tasting menu and the not so unique cold carrot ginger soup was the best thing we had compared to the rest of the night . Most of our meals came out pretty much at room temp.The pork belly was vile it tasted like it was doused in liquid smoke and lacked any other flavor. My main entree was the fish, when it came out it smelled extremely fishy ( Halibut is supposed to be mild) But the worst part of the night was the fact that my room temp, over cooked, dry, smelly fish came out with a hair on it . After addressing it to the waiter he put his thumb on it left and didn't seem to care .... Nothing else was said. Then a bomb hit my stomach ( I knew something was bad by the smell of the fish) I only took three bites thank god cause I was sent straight to the bathroom !To top of this disaster what was suppose to be 1.5 hours turned into over 3 hours and we were one of two tables...All in all we left spending over $400 and I can't even say it was worth $100.... There are wayyyy better places in AZ to eat at , more flavor , and a much better experience. Do not waste your time here . I wish I could have been warned . I am unsure how this place has good reviews.. maybe we had a bad chef, or maybe it was a bad night either way . I will not be returning. I didn't say anything more as I was there celebrating a birthday , but I at least thought someone would try to apologize. Poor quality, poor service , poor flavors. read more

Each dish was presented beautifully but missed the mark on every level. Very underwhelmed. Every dish that should have been warm was cold when it was brought out and our waiter was doing something weird with his hands while stumbled through the explanation of what we were being served. I can't believe this place gets high reviews! Two stars for presentation and a pretty good Ceasar but the majority of the food was blah. Sad we wasted a night here. read more

My boyfriend and I went for NYE dinner. Here's our experience in a nutshell: 15 min for someone to approach our table and take our drink order. Another 10 min for someone to bring the water. We waited for 20 minutes for our cocktails to arrive. Then, the real waiting started. It took them TWO HOURS to serve our main course. My boyfriend enjoyed the filet mignon, but the duck was loaded with salt. I can't imagine how long I would have waited for another entree if I had sent it back. Three times during the four course meal, the next course arrived while there were dirty dishes on the table from the previous course. No one could be bothered with bussing our table? They clearly had more than ample time. Empty cocktail glasses sat for an hour on our table. No one asked until the third course was served if we wanted another round. After almost three hours, we got dessert, but only after the incorrect dessert was brought to the table two times. Adam finished the meal by dropping off the check and saying, "I apologize for the timing". Really? This place is a farce, an overpriced restaurant in a lovely section of Scottsdale, masquerading as a fine dining establishment. The food was average, and the service was the worst I've experienced at a restaurant of this alleged caliber. We were actually laughing at the end. read more