TLDR- true disaster. Let me just start by saying this is my first time ever writing a bad reviews for anything. I'm not a Karen type who gets off on writing bad reviews. My gf and I went here for the New Years Eve Prix Fixe and had hands down the worst restaurant experience of our lives. Like we got straight up bamboozled. We made the grave mistake of showing up to this restaurant hungry. We had a 9:30 seating. For which we'd paid a hefty deposit. We arrived at 930 and were told it would be a 15 minute wait. Then we were told 15 more minutes for the next two hours. By the time we got seated a little after 11PM, we were famished and ready to be served. But oh no. The real wait had just begun. We were hoping that once the first course came, the rest would come out with some regularity. 45 minutes later, we had not received our first course or our drinks. We were thirsty. I went to the bathroom to fill up my water glass. At 1AM, we'd been served three of seven courses. We did the math and realized that finishing the meal would require staying until 3AM. I'm the kind of person who would love to stay up until 3AM for an amazing meal and ambience. But this... was like being asked to stay up to watch a horrible avant-garde play intended give its audience a panic attack. Other tables were getting up and leaving mid-meal without paying their bills. The second hand embarrassment for the staff was palpable. A waiter had tears in her eyes. Almost forgot to mention the food. Each dish was teeny tiny. Which of course is the standard for a prix fixe at a fancy restaurant. But if literally every other professional standard is going to go out the window, you hate to see this one be the one standard that gets followed. Almost every dish was an exotic meat dish, like raw antelope tartare, a wild boar chop or scrape the bone marrow out of the bone yourself kind of thing. Everything we ate was pungent and animal-y. I'm an adventurous eater but I was a little freaked out. We cut our losses and ran. When we walked out around 1:30, we felt like we'd just stepped off a red eye where a baby had been crying the whole time. The relief of escaping this situation was quickly replaced by massive regret. We'd paid $800 for a five hour wait and a few bites of strange food. And walking out the place, all we wanted was a $2 roadside taco to satiate our hunger. read more

Cute, super cool friendly staff especially the bartender! foods great, but damn $15 no refill is a bit outrageous

A hidden gem in west Texas. The only thing that topped the service was the amazing dinner. This was truly a dining experience. Tuck in, relax abs enjoy all of the amazing courses. read more

The restaurant was super cute, loved the vibe. All of our food was tasty and fresh. Wish there was a little more variety to choose from but I think they switch their menu out w different plates for the season. The signature cocktails are good, a little pricey. But overall, a nice spot to have a relaxing dinner w friends. read more

See all

I Cochineal and I'll visit every time I'm in Marfa. The food was excellent as always. I only knocked it down a star because my shroom risotto had very few shrooms and because they aren't serving brunch right now which is usually magnifique! I guess my first experiences were so great I have a high bar for them. If I could, I'd do 4.5 stars. read more

Amazing meal! I had the mushroom risotto and my husband had fish on polenta. We also had a delicious app. Sad we couldn't eat every meal here in Marfa. Fabulous host, okay server. read more

Exceeded expectations. Every dish in the prix fixe menu was well executed and extremely flavorful. Really good value for this level of cooking. Make a reservation. Saw several people turned away who didn't have one. read more

This place looked really interesting online but unfortunately the evening we went the food was not interesting or good. We ordered from their Japanese January menu: Veggie Ramen and Chicken Kara-gee. We actually did not even finish either dish we had. The Ramen tasted ok but was underwhelming the Chicken was downright bad. It was poorly cooked and tasted unpleasant. We both felt ill that evening and the next day. Hopefully the regular menu is better usually. read more

Excellent food, the ambience was great, service was exceptional. Enjoyed their six course meal, the price is a bit much but well worth it

Our evening at Cochineal went thusly: We had a 9:00 reservation and arrived about ten minutes early, and then proceeded to stand at the front door with a group of other diners for the better part of 15 minutes. Someone finally said "We'll be right with you!" But then we just stood near the front door for another ten minutes or so. We waited. We were finally asked again if we had been helped, we said no, and that person left. We waited. Another person asked us again if we had been helped, actually listened to us say the name our reservation was under, looked it up, then sat us. Our server came by and said she'd be right with us. We waited. We were eventually brought water glasses. Then later water. We waited. Our server came back and immediately warned us that they were "Really out of a lot of stuff." "Chicken?" Out of it. "Shrimp?" Out of it. Out of it. Out of it. Finally: "What about the braised short ribs?" "Um...they've been braising them but they're not really ready- it's gonna be a while until those are cooked." (please remember it is now after 9:45 pm). We order drinks. My other half orders a glass of wine, I order a gin and tonic. We order a beet salad because it's one of the few things left in the kitchen that they are still able to serve to us. They bring the salad. Blah. Absolutely nothing special there. Meanwhile we are still waiting for our drinks. My husband finally gets his glass of wine, but my gin and tonic is still MIA. AND THIS is when the food server started making excuses: "Oh we just weren't expecting such a big crowd for spring break and we have some big parties and there's only one bartender (who appeared only able to carefully put seasoned salt rings on the glasses). I ask about my drink. The server makes an excuse again and leaves. We wait. The server returns saying the bar is just so busy, so, no gin and tonic. Still. We place our food orders. We wait. We wait. We wait. FINALLY my gin and tonic arrives. Then, we wait. Later my order is brought to the table. The server says my husband's order should be arriving soon. It doesn't. (His food didn't arrive until I had finished eating) And the final insult? The food had no flavor whatsoever. I asked my husband to taste it and he completely agreed: ZERO taste or flavor. The blandest of the bland. (Not to mention the rosti had a very unpleasant texture.) Hubby was so over it he told them to take his quail back when it finally arrived. They did, then they brought it back to the table again packaged to go. They apologized about our bad experience and comped the meal, which was appropriate, but was too little too late for us. The worst of all of this? How terribly disappointing the food turned out to be. Sorry, Cochineal, but better service won't add more any flavor to that lame Spätzle you served me. Grade: F read more

Cochineal does not disappoint. I have been a few times over the years and have always been delighted by the staff, ambience, and fare. Most recently I went for a pre-fixe dinner during Chinati weekend. Each course was more beautiful and flavorful than the last. The polenta was especially exquisite. The cocktails were also outstanding, especially a floral sotol concoction. read more

Absolutely by far the BEST steak we have ever eaten. Paired with a delicious red wine, it was dining nirvana. Worth every penny for a lovely date night. read more

Loved the quaint modest setting, tho the tables were a little too close for intimate conversation. The sashimi plate was ha de down the favorite, with the kingfish taking the crown. The sprouts were great although very sweet, but the scallops were oversalted. Would go back for sure. read more

Excellent. Visited twice and the food always holds up. On my latest visit the bartender Nick was kind enough to make me a fresh lemonade. I had their Italian take on gazpacho with an incredible crema sauce and grilled bread and it was perfect. I also ordered their fried shrimp, which was served with a nice chili sauce. Though totally satisfied, I couldn't pass up those blackberry pie which was excellent - not too sweet with a perfect, buttery crust with just the right amount of crispness. A must for your Marfa visit. read more

On our trip to Marfa, my girlfriend and I made reservations for Cochineal after reading about it in every travel article about Marfa. I'm definitely glad we made reservations (as recommended) because it was a rainy night and the outdoor seating wasn't guaranteed. We actually started out our evening at an outdoor table since the temperature felt amazing. About halfway through our first round of tapas, lightning started and rain wasn't too far behind. Fortunately the staff had already planned and had a table ready for us inside. So with a tapas plate in one hand and a drink in the other, we headed inside to round out a great experience. We decided to go with a selection of tapas and were definitely not disappointed. We ended up with 6 which was a perfect number. We started with the house baked bread with salted butter and roasted garlic; one of the best salted butters I've had in a long time. Up next was the raclette; the cheese had an amazing texture and the cornichons added the perfect counterpoint to its rich creaminess. A special for the agave festival was the wild hunted boar albondigas; by far my favorite dish we had - the boar was incredibly flavorful without being overly gamey and fry bread is one of my favorite things that seems to never be used in southwestern cuisine. The poached steelhead trout was a nice balance as a light, chilled dish after the much heavier boar and cheese. The quail medallions were perfectly served with a berry sauce that gave them just the slightest hint of sweetness to balance out their amazing flavor. We rounded out our tapas selections with the chili shrimp that was perhaps our second favorite dish with a perfect seasoning and lightly crunchy bread. By far one of the best values I've ever had in a meal. read more

I don't agree at all with the 5 stars comments. The place is nice, service cheerful. Limitated menu, which is not per se a problem, decent food but not outstanding (I ordered a steak - price by weight - which finally costed 45$ : good but served warm and you would be surprized by the tiny size of the meat and the banality of the sides. We pay 5 $ for an half side bread bun. This place is completely overestimated, the prices are that of a two-star Michelin, but quality doesn't deserve any special reward. read more

Best brunch ever!! We visited during Christmas and they had a $30 buffet brunch that was amazing and included a beverage

You would never think you were in small town Marfa when you step into this restaurant. I felt as though I was in the city and enjoyed that the staff was knowledgeable in their menu and full of suggestions. The menu at the time of our visit was Japanese and was very good! The staff is "hip" and the food is good. This is a must. read more

Poor experience. Slow service. We didn't get our main corse until 2 hours into our visit. I am all for a slow enjoyable dinner, but the food was just ok and the waitress wasn't friendly. read more

Best food I've had in ages. Pricey, but you get what you pay for. We shared a good number of tapas-sized dishes and were not disappointed with any. Great food, friendly waitstaff. We will return every time we're in Marfa. read more

Can't tell you what the food is like, because we waited for 2.75 hours and only got our wine and a half loaf of bread. The $8 break and rosemary olive oil was tasty! read more

Bad service. Table was sticky and then the server came over and touched my hand and he was also sticky? ???? Very weird do not recommend. I think the server was Miguel or Paul? Either way one or both were sticky read more

Been twice now and both times fantastic. Nice priced Wines and cocktails and plenty of menu items to choose from. We have tried meatballs, salad, homemade bread, schnitzel, fish and steak. Also a great dessert list. We are happy Cochineal is open again. The days are Thursday-Monday at the moment, dinner up until 10pm. The chef, Alex says they will offer more hours /days as they grow into the business and see what is needed. They have the same number as the old Cochineal. Welcome back!! read more

This place is superior beyond belief. The cuisine is always fresh and so incredibly tasty. Marfa is lucky to have this restaurant. I come here about twice a month and haven't had the same thing twice. The schnitzel here is to die for! read more

Great first meal in Marfa! The bread was fresh and delicious. Also don't miss the shrimp paella. The chocolate semi-fredo was the perfect way to end the meal. Would definitely come back on our next visit. read more

Had an absolutely phenomenal meal here, as part of my wedding. Food was all local and delicious, presentation excellent, and the ambience and service top notch. This is a very special restaurant, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Also, I recommend sitting outdoors under the big West Texas sky, if the weather permits. read more

The atmosphere is fantastic. Too bad they messed up the order. My friend didn't get her dinner alone with us. Definitely on a pricey side but here this is Marfa price - we are paying for the building curators. read more

I can't say enough good things. Beautiful outdoor patio Phenomenal food. We dined on tapas evening, ordering Spanish salad, Farmers pate, and quail medallions with a blackberry sauce. Every bite was delicious read more

This is a must visit location when visiting Marfa. I feel pretty confident you could order just about anything on the menu and walk away satisfied. My fiancé and I decided to order two tapas (escargot and antelope carpaccio) along with a first course (risotto) and a few drinks. The drinks were beautifully prepared and delicious. The escargot was wonderfully seasoned and the antelope carpaccio paired with a wonderful salty cracker - it just showed they really knew their stuff. I was blown away by every plate and honestly we would have gotten more but it gets a little pricey. That being said, it's worth the money. We ended up paying right around $100 for our meal just as a reference. I do want to add that it was very difficult to get ahold of anyone to set a reservation and once I did that promised me a time slot and the next day told me that no longer was available so I would recommend improving your reservation system or maybe using Resy. We ended up getting a seat outside and it was fine but there were a lot of flies so it would have been nice to have kept that original reservation we had been trying to set up. Service was great though and of course I can't brag on the food enough so definitely go check it out! read more

This is the Marfa go-to for fine dining. It has just reopened under new ownership after a long hiatus. New chef Alex Gates is featuring local produce and meat. We loved the cucumber gazpacho, farmers pate, barramundi fish entree, and the local bison tartar. So many different tapas plates on the menu under $12. They use local salad greens and offer generous portions on their entrees. Full bar and extensive wine list. We will be eating here a lot! Can't wait to try the lunch menu! read more

EXCELLENT staff! The bartender with the great mustache was great and very knowledgeable. Everything we had was above and beyond what we expected... ceviche to die for! read more

What a great experience! Came to dine from an out of town food desert...treated our dietary (vegan) restrictions as if we were the only ones in the busy restaurant. The front of the house was spectacular, engaging, and ensured we felt at ease. My wife, who admittedly is not a fan of eggplant, was blown away by the bread and tapenade. Everything we tasted was great and the whole experience was finished with a very thoughtful dessert for the birthday gal. We will certainly my be back when we are in Marfa. read more

Simply the best meal I have had...ever. The kitchen worked skillfully and the staff was a delight. Thank you for a lovely evening!

So its January, and things are a little slower in Marfa. This restaurant was still hopping with mainly locals from all appearances. Nice ambiance and friendly greeter on a Sunday evening. They are doing a Japanese theme menu this month, ok by us. Our server had a rather casual attitude. We ordered sake and rather than getting our drinks first, she wanted to take our meal order, so we did that. Several minutes later, no sake. We managed to get her attention and asked for our drink, she just said ok. It arrived after the food did, ice cold. Sake should be warm! She tried running the bottle under warm water to no avail. They dont have the proper serving vessels/glasses for sake, but cant hold this against them as they do not do this year round. But why cant we have our drink to enjoy before dinner? The food was very good, and arrived fresh and hot. I would gi e this place a second try, especially when they are back to their regular menu rotation. read more

Upscale fun spot for dinner. Indoor/outdoor seating, fancy food selections, and a great bar. They are only open for dinner, and they do take reservations. Our table staff was polite, pleasant and prompt. With lots of good dinner options in Marfa, make sure that Cochineal is in your rotation! read more

Excellent food and service. We ordered the chef price fixe and we loved every offering. Drinks were great too. We probably will not get this way too often but when we do we will not miss this place! read more

We ate there after church tonight. They had refused to take a reservation but agreed to seat us as long as we were finished by 7:30. Although they took a few extra minutes to bring our wine, our waitress was great and gave us great service. The food was really good. We got the antelope dinner. It was flavorful and yummy. We each has great dinner salad. Would recommend to anyone visiting read more

We went for Valentine's Day and it was great! We could only get a 5:00 time slot but they were still busy but attentive. The pre fixe menu was awesome. Beef tartare, French onion soup, beef short ribs! The presentation was gorgeous and service was excellent! read more

I don't go out of my way to post a bad a review on a small town restaurant but this restaurant tries too hard to be big city. Uninviting small restaurant, we got sat outside in the cold because we didn't have reservations. There was not even a heater or fire pit nearby our table. Didn't really care for farm-to-market menu, it was bland if you ask me. $28 for a mediocre filet pork chop and arugula. $8 for fresh stale bread! $8 for 25 oz Topo Chico! Pro tip: you can buy it at the grocery store in Alpine for $1.69. They're robbing tourists and they know it!! read more

The food was rich and flavorful - particularly enjoyed the waygu beef and the brisket entree. As warned by other reviews, the table service was spotty - waited ten minutes for drinks, etc. Overall, a nice dining experience and recommended if you're in the area. read more