One of our most exciting and flavorful dining experience in months. Our downtown Raleigh dining scene has amazing options, and Madre has stayed under our radar for no particular reason. We dined at their lovely bar back in the first months of their opening, and it was good. We had met the general manager, Red, and were impressed with the flavors of our one appetizer, Calabrian Chicken, yet we never rushed back. Now, we feel compelled to return ASAP to enjoy these exceptional flavors, fabulous teamwork system of service, and a comfortable chic atmosphere. The place was happening at 5:45 pm on our recent dining night out with friends. Grateful to have a reservation we were seated at a very comfortable banquette type of seating. It felt like dining in a friend's home. Our server, William, is excellent at his job. Very efficient, great input on food choices, and quite personable. The meal started off with a burst of flavor as we enjoyed their fairly new offering of a ceviche called Eye of the Tiger that featured a sauce you can never get enough of. Wish their bread service was a bit more inspired, but the Le Farm bread did soak up some of the various sauces sent out from a very inspired kitchen team. Food runners help make certain the tapas come out fresh and hot when needed. They are a friendly group of hospitality workers who seem to genuinely enjoy their work and treat their guests with sincere appreciation. It all starts at the top, and GM Red is a personable and sound leader. We loved the Chef's pasta, our octopus dish was stellar, the Calabrian Chicken almost stole the show, but the unctuous flavors on the plate of the Seared Halloumi was hands down my favorite. I love how this culinary team can crank out such outstanding flavors table to table and patron to patron without missing a beat. The energy in the room must feed their souls & for that we are grateful. Lastly I wish to mention the thoughtfully curated wine list where my husband discovered a treasure of a wine from the Familia Torres brand. It was exquisite and paired perfectly with Madre's flavors. Our friend who frequent their bar often rave about their Mezcal margarita! Another visit. See you soon Madre familia! read more

This used to be one of my 3 go-to first date restaurants, but I've had to cut it from the list after realizing it makes literally everyone in the place seem irresistibly sexy, and that is not wise. Truly, though, I'm here often and love it - my dear friend and I are both heavy-duty allergy kids and the Madre squad is exquisite at managing cross-contamination and adapting plates to be accommodating. If you have nothing else, order the cauliflower with the green goddess dressing. Maybe order that two or three times, actually. The salchipapas are probably my favorite app in Raleigh. Also, the owners are both super cute, and the Bryan Costello design is magnifique. I would hire that man to redo my entire home to feel like Madre. read more

The music and decor are cool but not necessarily cozy like I want a place where I'm ordering tons of small plates to share to be. The food is not bad but it's also not anything I crave or am excited to have again. Overall this place seems overhyped. I was really excited to go and wanted to love it, but I just didn't. Nothing was bad, but i left just kind of feeling deflated rather than excited about the experience. This probably would have been a 4 if I wasn't just disappointed from all of the hype. read more

This place has potential, but we had a really bad experience! It started by us standing at the entrance for 10 minutes as a waitress after another passes by as and telling us the host will be right with you! 10 minutes later she comes and asks how can I help you! No apologies or anything! We obviously would like to be seated! Our waitress (Asmaa) was great, kind and attentive, so we're like okay things are turning around, then I open my utensils and the fork was not clean with food stuck to it .. The food was good but our steak which we ordered first, came last and it was cold! So clearly someone forgot it in the kitchen! Overall bad experience read more

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I've been wanting to visit Madre for some time now. The service was fast and our server never too far. He gave us some great suggestions. The food was flavorful and drinks were great. Next time we won't split a main as it was not big enough for both of us. Enjoyed the ambiance with the music and the decor! Great spot for a girls night. read more

Madre - Carrots, Ribeye, Bread, Cauliflower - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I took my friend to Madres to celebrate his birthday, and from start to finish, the experience was top tier. We were seated promptly upon arrival, and the service was immaculate. The waiter was very attentive without being overbearing, which is always appreciated. The food? Absolutely delicious. Madres offers small plates, which made the experience even better because we were able to share dishes and sample a variety of flavors. Every plate was well-prepared and full of flavor. The atmosphere is versatile in the best way. It can easily be romantic, celebratory, or just a laid-back night out depending on the vibe you're going for. We noticed other guests celebrating birthdays as well, which added to the lively but still intimate energy of the space. Whether you're planning a date night, a birthday dinner, or just want great food and service, Madres delivers across the board. The atmosphere, service, and food all get high marks from me. Highly recommend. Would absolutely return. read more

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WOW WOW WOW! THIS PLACE IS FANTASTIC! I was here on a business trip and came here with the team and it was fantastic. I have never been to a tappas restaurant before and honestly it wasn't my first pick but the team was excited and I was so glad that I was wrong! We had a group of six so we ordered a variety of plates to try! The staff here is incredible! We had several people in our group that had dietary needs and they carefully marked each item that we could/couldn't have and what modifications were available. There were some really stand out dishes and some that I wouldn't order again but everything was delicious! If you're looking for a special meal out I highly suggest this! Here are a few of the best dishes in my opinion that I hope you will try! - Trout - this was my favorite dish! Really great flavor balance and the sauce was delicious - Roasted cauliflour was fantastic - Pork Belly was so well cooked and the flavor was incredible - Grilled shimp was delicious Really I can't rave about this place enough! If I'm back in Raleigh I will be here agian! read more

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Madre is such a vibe with the mood lightening and the music. It is a tapas style restaurant and the portion sizes are pretty good. The food was also tasty. read more

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Went for dinner on friday night (close to opening). Seated quickly at the bar & immediately hit it off with the bar staff. Everyone was kind, attentive, and had great recommendations. I ordered three plates (dining solo) and it was MORE than enough food. I left quite full, and incredibly satisfied. I should mention I tried two of their craft cocktails (gin item on the menu, similar to a gin sour) and then had two regular gin sours. After dinner I made my way to Moon room & kept the vibes going. Great place, trippy bathrooms, but overall great vibes. Gracias, Madre! read more

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This place is really cool. Many patrons were dressed up, giving the restaurant an even more upscale feel. Delicious braised cabbage and the STRACCIATELLA Staff (Brie) is super friendly and informative. read more

Madre - Carrots - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Back for more! This time I tried the calamari and bread and butter. The calamari has a thick crunchy batter that works, topped with a tangy tartar sauce that brings that brings it together nicely. I walked in around 9:45, just before closing and they still let me order food and drinks at the bar. Stayed for an hour and never felt rushed even though we were the last to leave. As always, a cool dim ambiance! read more

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Brandon was spectacular!! They took the menu and marked up items that I could safely eat as a celiac - so many delicious things to choose from Not to be weird - but check out their bathrooms! You will thank me The food was good, the assortment was amazing - the butter was out of this world. Our server made sure that everything came out correctly, quickly, and kept our drinks full! It was quite enough that you could have a full-blown conversation :-) they also have a bar area and generous seating read more

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Madre has a great selection of tapas that are great to share. I always order a bunch of tapas to share so we can try different items. Out of the items we got, the hanger steak was my favorite. It was seasoned well and cooked to a perfect medium rare. I was not a big fan of the olives. They were bland and the fact that they were hot didn't help. The cocktails are pretty good. I got the old fashioned and it was made perfectly! read more

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GREAT food, server was top notch, the restaurant itself was amazing. Two detractors cost them a star. The music whilst pleasant, was a tad loud and interfered with our ability to converse with an older member of our party. The other downer was the girl greeting/seating everyone. She had a negative (gruff) vibe and clanged about aggressively when she cleared tables of glasses and plates for smaller parties. It was almost comical as if she was purposely trying to be disruptive and make a racket. read more

After I found the entrance I wandered in and was greeted by the hostess that showed me to the bar. Madre is tapas and I love eating small portions of great food. I ordered the salchipirata and chicken legs in aioli and hot honey. This meal was outstanding! The bar area was on the dark side which was great to chill out and relax and less so for social interaction with random strangers! I will add Madre on my Raleigh collection for future visits. Cheers! read more

Madre - Relaxing night at Madre! - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Madre captivated me with their chic, romantic, and enchanting restaurant design by Costello and I just knew this was where I wanted to gather for a delicious 40th birthday dinner. The Mediterranean and Latin inspired Tapas menu offers a variety of options. My friend and I decided on the Albondigas (lamb meatballs), PIQUILLO PEPPERS, Pork Belly, and CROQUETAS. We also had the la farm bakery loaf of bread with tapenade butter. Everything paired well together. I'm proud of my friend and I with our collaboration. The la farm bread was so soft, warm and delicious with the tapenade butter ! I just wished they promised an appropriate bread knife. We were sharing this loaf and we had to really tear into the pre sliced bread. The Albondigas were dry. I would pass on that for tapas. The highlights for me, are the La farm bakery bread and tapenade, the croquetas and pork belly. Delicious. I'm still dreaming about the croquetas. The warm codfish, crispy breadcrumbs and oozy cheddar filling was orgasmic. I paired my meal with a glass of Tempranillo, Rioja Alta. Real smooth. Complimented my meal well. Great recommendation from our waitress Bri. Dessert was disappointing. I made the mistake of ordering the fudge. Not very tasty. The staff were very welcoming and engaging. This restaurant is classy. They gave me a birthday card and a young lady with a Polaroid camera took our photo and printed the photo to attach to my card as a keepsake gift. Classy and memorable. I enjoyed the beautiful artwork in the restaurant and my favorite being the focal point of the room, the overflowing candles with melted wax dripping and poured onto the floor. So creatively genius! The bathrooms were sick ! The doors appear see through and once you enter and lock the door, the glass fogs the door for privacy. I can't say I enjoyed the unisex aspect. For this reason the bathrooms could have been cleaner. I adored Madre and appreciated my friend for celebrating me with dinner. I plan to return for brunch and cocktails. read more

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This is a cool vibey restaurant that serves small plates and neat drinks! I went in, from the recommendation from my hotel bartender, and I sure am glad I did. I didn't have a reservation so I sat at the bar and received speedy service. My drink was the Sage Advice and it was delicious and very refreshing. I ordered two small plates, Salchipapas and Calabrian Chicken. I loved the Salchipapas but felt I needed more sauce. I wasn't super crazy about the Calabrian chicken as it was served in a bowl so I wasn't quite sure how to go about eating them since they were bone in chicken servings. Plus, they were just too greasy for me. Service at the bar was good! The hostess that night was so kind and actually checked on me more than the bartender, who was quite busy! I would like to come again and try different food, as I feel there may be some better options. One of my favorite things was the cool bathrooms!! They have frosted doors that frost over when you locked them. I'm easily amused but this was crazy! read more

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Bring back the Spanish tortilla!!!! Sad they removed it. It was the best item on the menu hands down. Unfortunately we had to wait 30 minutes for our reservation to sit down. However, they did bring us champagne while we waited. We have been to Madre countless times and has underwhelmed this past time. We waited 45 minutes for our steak to come and it was blue rare, essentially raw and not even close to medium rare as we ordered. The potatoes were black burnt and had burnt chorizo on top. read more

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I got to try out Madre during a work trip while passing through North Carolina. The service and ambiance were great. I decided to follow the servers' recommendation and order multiple tapas instead of one entrée as my meal. Portions were much larger than what I was expecting. If I could describe the food in one word, I would say "confusing". Everything I ordered was just okay and didn't really stand out much for me. The description of the restaurant online said Mediterranean, but the name and tapas concept would suggest Spanish food. The items on the menu also didn't seem Mediterranean to me either. I ordered papas bravas, sushi, chicken drumsticks, salad, and pasta... The papas bravas were okay. They just would have been better if they were crispy. I'm guessing they were boiled/roasted. The sushi and chicken were my two favorites out of what I had ordered. I wasn't a fan of the pasta or salad. The pasta was covered with breadcrumbs, which seemed strange, and the salad was just a giant wedge half-grilled on one side. read more

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Disappointed after all of the hype I've heard about this place. Based on everyone's reviews we opted for the salchipapas, croquetas, and Calabrian chicken for the two of us. The croquetas stole the show - incredible texture and taste, perfect blend of potato fish and cheese. The chicken is where I started to wonder what I was missing. It was bland to be called Calabrian and left me wanting something more. The salchipapas were pretty good, they do a potato well. The service was overall attentive - we never had to ask for anything extra or flag anyone down. It would have been nice to have more pointed recommendations. The actual space is beautiful. We sat at the perfect table back by the fireplace by ourselves. Despite maybe not being the next Michelin star, this is still a great place for a romantic date night or drinks with the girls. read more

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I enjoyed Madre. The service was impeccable. I enjoyed all of the food. My favs were the pork belly, Croquetas and the stuffed peppers. These items were perfected and I appreciated how delicious these were. My waitress was Bri and she was a great server. My only recommendation here is better cutting knives for the bread. I caught myself having to tear the bread apart with my hands, not especially the cutest look. The butter knives weren't the best for cutting the bread. Besides this, I enjoyed a positive experience. Madre just might be my new favorite place I look forward to returning to someday soon. read more

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This was the most amazing experience ever! Our server was so kind and attentive, the food was incredible, and one of the most important things to me, the atmosphere was TOP TIER. 10/10 recommend this place if you are in Raleigh. read more

Madre - The atmosphere - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Rarely, I had the opportunity to give a 6 star review. Well there are no 6 stars available. But, if they were, this will be the place to get it. What a gem! Ambiance is so so fantastic, I could believe it. The music selection was amazing. Food was great. We loved that it was in tapas format, because we got to tried several dishes. And, about the service, well, another amazing point. It was really good. For anyone who is already in the Raleigh area or is planning to come visit, this restaurant is highly recommended. We are visiting NC, and we love it! Happy meals everyone. read more

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Love the vibe, love the ambiance, still felt intimate when it was busy! I have loved everything I have tried here, brunch, dinner, all of it! Especially the Calabrian chicken! Service has always been great as well! read more

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Madre delivered on every front--from the warm, attentive service to the beautifully executed dishes. Special thanks to Trevor and Jill, who made our evening feel like a curated experience rather than just a dinner out. Their knowledge of the menu and genuine hospitality elevated the night. The food? Absolutely outstanding. We started with the Pan Con Tomate, which was bright, rustic, and addictive. The broccolini was charred to perfection, and the Albondigas were rich, tender, and deeply satisfying. The Calabrian Chicken brought bold flavor with just the right amount of heat--definitely a standout. We also loved the bread service--simple, fresh, and comforting. That said, a small suggestion: it would be amazing to have an option for infused olive oil or a sprinkle of herbs or spices to mix in. Something to echo the Mediterranean flair of the menu and take that first bite to the next level. Come hungry, leave inspired--and maybe dreaming of a rosemary-garlic oil swirl. read more

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Outstanding tapas and small plates restaurant from vibes to the food, this place is quickly becoming a Raleigh staple for obvious reasons. With all the great "tapas and small plates" restaurants that's seem to be taking over Raleigh, it's hard to stand out, but Madre finds a way to! Upon entering, they make you feel like you're in a mix of modern, and old timey restaurant from Barcelona with their excessive candle wax drippings and dark ambiance. Looking over the menu, it's easy to pick out starters such as the bread and butter (10/10) or prosciutto. From there, you can branch out of your comfort zone and order more adventurous plates such as the bone marrow or pulpo (octopus) Stand out dishes that I recommend are the charred broccolini, salchipapas, and Calabrian chicken! Service, food, vibes, and overall experience was a 10/10 read more

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If you like unique, fresh flavors, you will love Madre. We have eaten here several times and our HOA has had them cater our annual social. This time we got the Cuban Cigars, the Nachos with steak (don't think typical nachos, these are Madre nachos). The steak was sooo tender. I forgot that we started with the Hatch Chili soup. Incredible. We always over order and over eat, but no regrets. We'll skip another meal. Glen Roy, the waiter is terrific. read more

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Last night - We were met by an amazing staff who were so accommodating while we waited for our reserved table. They sat us outside and brought us drinks. It was packed yet the atmosphere was calm. When we got inside it was worth the wait. The sangria was refreshing and crisp and not too sweet. Wine selection was eclectic and bought a Chilean wine made with a French grape- smooth and warm. Next came the food- favorites charcuterie board had an amazing goat cheese that was soft like Brie. Stuffed peppers were delightful stuffed with cheese and a lovely crunchy sauce. Roasted cauliflower came with green goddess dressing that was tasty. Warm olives a must and save room for the olive oil yogurt cake- order 2! It is worth the drive to downtown Raleigh. Parking deck close by and a cool vibe in the area and the restaurant was very chic. But my favorite part was the staff - warm friendly and above all engaging. Service and customer service alone is worth a visit. But the food and libations were outstanding. read more

This place is such a cool spot for small plates if you're dining solo like I did or with a group. You can also get larger plates if you want. The food was amazing and I especially loved the bread! It was fresh made with a seasonal butter, olive tapenead. It was even perfect a few days later. I also had the pork belly and salchipapas. Of course I had to have an Aperol Spritz for the warm day we were having that was so so good. I will say like one of the other reviewers the entrance was a little hard to find. read more

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I've now been here twice. I have found neither time impressive. Nothing I've eaten sticks out and it's actually hard to nail down the theme. The food is just ok. The service is just ok. The place is cute. Like the ambiance and location with proximity to other places to go to easily when you're done. It was also easy to make a reservation. It made for an ok date night but not somewhere I would pick to go in the near future. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Raleigh. Get the fried chicken. Bummed they got rid of the calamari. Service is great, food comes out fast. read more

This place is amazing. The service is fantastic, the bartenders are very attentive and accommodating and make great drinks. I also loved the vibe, the decor of the restaurant, and the music was very chill. One critique is that my margarita had less "drink", and after ordering two it felt as though I only had one drink. The other is that the aioli sauce for the pulpo was too salty, the salchipapas were cooked very well and were suuuuuper tasty but were just a bit too salty (could have been the aioli sauce), and the grilled shrimp only had 4 pieces. But the sauce for the shrimp was delicious. Will definitely be back - if they can make the food a little less salty. read more

Madre - Salchipapas - Mediterranean Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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A weekend in the triangle area came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. The place offers indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated outside cause it was full indoors. Everything we ordered came out fresh, hot, and tasty. These dishes are phenomenal. The only thing that would give it 5 stars would be bigger portion size. The quality of the food is spectacular, but the serving size is small. read more

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incredible service and amazing food! music was a bit loud, but it was also towards the end of the night.

Found the chicken wings and potato app were great! We didn't finish the whipped ricotta. There was a mishap during our dinner (on our end) and the staff was so gracious and went above and beyond to support my friend and I through that, which was greatly appreciated! Super cute ambiance as well! read more

Beautiful restaurant and fantastic food. This is literally the type of food I imagine I would try from a chef in a professional cooking show. Everything was exploding with flavors and also looked good on the plate. Make reservations because it's definitely trendy. The restaurant itself is extremely beautiful and decorated so well. It reminds me of a place I'd look for when I go out of town. The bar and dining room is very aesthetically pleasing and makes you want to look nice and take pictures. Make sure you take a trip to the cool bathrooms. I came for brunch and got the mimosa carafe, biscuits, burger, french toast, and chicken and donut. The stand out was surprisingly the biscuit. My partner and I agreed this was the best biscuit we've ever tasted anywhere and it was paired with a nice jam and onion-y butter that I loved. The chicken was good as well and even though we weren't a fan of the bread for the french toast because it made it too crispy, it was still tasty and the chantilly was sooo flavorful. We also wanted some scrambled eggs since it was breakfast and even though it wasn't on the menu they delivered. I loved my experience here, the service was great, and I'll definitely be back for dinner and interested to see how the menu continues to change. read more

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The food was beyond delicious! Drinks were yummie! Tapas we had, the shrimp, steak, cauliflower and potatoes (names are different on menu). Everything was so so tasty. Will definitely return again! read more

Dear Tyler, Brad, and Celina, I recently sent you a letter explaining our dismay with the quality of food on our last two recent experiences. I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing to share my recent experience at your restaurant on 8/19/2025, which unfortunately did not meet our expectations the last couple of times we were there. While I was looking forward to enjoying a meal at your establishment, I was disappointed by the quality of the food served. Specifically, on this visit the duck fell short of expectations from past experiences. The duck wasn't cooked properly leaving the skin chewy not crispy. The underlying fat between the skin and meat itself had not been rendered properly, it felt like we were eating duck chewing gum. Although the eye appeal of the breast was nice, we found very little duck meat to eat after discarding the fat and inedible duck skin. On a previous night out with friends we found that one of our favorite dishes, Calabrian Chicken, had a different flavor and left us kind of taken back. We thought it was just a one-off. We do try to eat at Madre at least once a month with or without friends and never have any issues with service, drinks, or dinner items. But having a less than stellar meal the last two times at Madre in a six-week time frame has left us wondering about trying some of the newer eatery around as our go to places for us or when we are entertaining. I understand that occasional issues can arise, but the overall experience left me feeling dissatisfied. I will say Madre does have some wonderful dishes that we enjoy, like the Negroni Olives, Gildas, Shishitos, Spanish Hummus, Roasted Cauliflower***, Salchipapas, Piquillo Peppers, Hamachi Crudo**** (I could eat this as a meal), Pulpo, Grilled Shrimp, Albondigas, Pork Belly, and (the original) Calabrian Chicken up until about 6 - 8 weeks ago. I wanted to bring this to your attention not out of frustration, but in the hope that it helps improve future adjustments to the items I mentioned. Your restaurant has a good reputation, and I believe that feedback--both positive and constructive--is important. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'd appreciate any follow-up you may wish to offer, and I hope to have a better experience should I return in the future. To this day there has been no follow-up. read more

The food is authentic & best I've had outside of the Bay Area of CA! I've been eating here almost weekly for the past few months & not had a bad meal. Their fresh made tortilla chips are irresistible with the seasoning blend on top. Amazing service as always by Yemi (sp?) yesterday and even other servers welcome me back each time and have even remembered my child's allergies! The ambiance here is nice -We enjoy eating with the fountain and outdoor seating by the water. read more

Great vibe inside. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Food was very flavorful. We had the chicken, flank steak, potatoes, carrots and trout. All very good! I'd do the ribeye instead of the flank next time. Great date night venue. read more