their steak . I love the ambiance. It is great for a date night or any intimate gathering

First time in Durham and this was my first meal. Food was exceptional and drinks were yummy. Would love to upload a photo but ate the food to quick and had too much fun to remember a photo. Olives, octopus, papas bravas, queso frito (my favorite!), brussel sprouts, jamón and cheese selections, and probably some others I can't remember cause we got so many but everything was delicious. Pasión margarita was yummy. But the main reason to come is to have Kate as your server. She was funny, quick with the food, gave amazing recommendations, and just a joy to be around. I'll be back but only if she is my server. read more

Mateo is an excellent spot for a date night or intimate dinner with friends. Loved the ambiance here the most, the lighting is a tad on the darker side, so keep that in mind. Personally I liked it, as well as the decor. Another thing to note is if you plan on ordering paella it takes awhile to make so you should order is quickly after being seated and get some tapas to nosh on while you wait. We ordered the seafood paella (add the bay scallops, trust me), chicken croquettes, and a ham and cheese board. Everything was better than I expected. The drinks were also very tasty. I was so pleased to find this place because it is the closest thing you'll get to eating in Spain during COVID. read more

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We hosted a dinner in the upper room and could not have been more pleased with the entire experience. The food was outstanding and the dishes in each round paired well. Serving staff were attentive and friendly and accommodated our schedule and needs completely. It was a delight to work with the restaurant on planning and coordination of food and drink selections, all resulting in a wonderful and delicious occasion. read more

My SO and I decided to come here for our anniversary dinner, and it was absolutely splendid! The ambience of the place was very upscale and rustic feeling. We were both very impressed with the decor of the place and loved our seats. A quick tip is that you should ask to sit in the second level of the restaurant if you'd like a quieter place to eat with windows (there are fewer seats upstairs). The food was incredible. Every single dish we had was amazing. At times my partner and I found ourselves eyes closed and smiling in delight of how good the food tasted! There's plenty of different meat options among chicken, pork, and some seafood, but less vegetarian and vegan options available. If you are unsure what to get, don't worry as the menu is a good size: small enough so that you aren't overwhelmed, but large enough that you'll most likely find some things you think you'll like. Aside from that, it was great that the food came out in small portions (hence, tapas) as we really got to explore a lot of the menu! We got around 2 lighter items and 4 more substantial items, and we felt very satisfied with the amount of food we got for that much. So, maybe 2-3 items is the right amount per person for a meal to fill you up. When deciding how much to get however, try to order less than would fill you up so that there's room for dessert! We got the banana pudding and the flan, which were both incredibly delicious. We can say confidently that we had an unforgettable dinner. Considering all of what we ate (plus one drink from the bar), the bill came out to be around $80, which we were happy to splurge on considering the occasion. If you're looking for a nice place with great food, definitely eat here! read more

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Lovely time at Mateo! Came in this week with some friends and we really enjoyed! We ordered a pitcher of the cheerwine sangria and it was definitely the best part of the meal. I highly recommend trying it if you love cheerwine and actually wine! We ordered the nacho chicken skins (a special), marinated olives and the batatas pratas (not sure of spelling). The olives were super flavorful (and you get a lot for the price wow!). The potatoes were so so good, we loved the aioli that came on top. The chicken skins were a bit to fried and salty , and we didn't enjoy those as much. The atmosphere is amazing, the restaurant is absolutely beautiful and they have space for large parties ! Will be back :) read more

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Love, love , love Mateo. We were ecstatic to finally get back to Durham and sit at the bar. The bartenders were lovely individuals with charming demeanors & the tapas were mouthwatering as usual. I love everything frito! From the toasty bread slathered in grated tomato -pan con tomate - to the delicious roasted carrots with yogurt absolutely everything was incredible. The garlicky gambas delight the palate and the chicken skin fried with ham & a mound of melty cheese bomb make the world a better place. My only complaint was this menu version of the albondigas tasted just like Americanized chili beans! read more

Now that I know which dishes are BOMB.. This place deserves 5 stars! I love the cute atmosphere here. Totally needed after a long exhausting week. Perfect dark classy ambiance to pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy delicious tapas. The duck risotto/pato y arroz is to die for! So flavorful! I love all the components including the butternut squash. The braised beef cheek/carne cocida also flavorful, super tender. Love the caramelized onions and mushrooms. This time also tried the chicken croquetas and they were unexpectedly super good! Filled with a gooey warm cheese mixture and crispy on the outside. Each bite was a delight! We tried the blood sausage with sweet potato purée too which we were also weary about but it was also really good. Very flavorful, kind of smoky, and the sweet potato purée plus apples just balanced all the flavors together. Of course had to have dessert and we decided on the bread pudding. It wasn't the best I've had but still pretty darn good and hit the spot. Had cherries which balanced out the sweet white chocolate. Overall, definitely the dishes are hit or miss but the Hits are just amazingly delicious! I left full content satisfied!:) read more

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Excellent for larger parties. The food is fab and the atmosphere very fun! We went with 3 other couples and shared everything. The drinks kept coming and it felt like having a huge family dinner read more

The king of tapas in Durham. All hail the king! Mateo is a Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Durham that is a favorite among locals. We went for New Years Eve and had to book several weeks in advance as we were a party of 6. The restaurant has a menu full of tapas that are intricately thought out and varied. We got the following: Mata y pimienta gelatin, arroz frito, costillas de puerco, pulpo a la plancha, bistec de carne, pollo frito, and a special from that night of wild mushrooms (sorry, can't remember the name in Spanish!). My favorite by far was the Bistec de Carne, a brisket that was so tender and well spiced, I'm drooling remembering it. The runner up favorite was Mata y Pimienta Gelatin, a farmers cheese with pepper jelly. My advice is to order this one as a semi-dessert. Not that it's sweet, but a wonderfully savory end to the meal. Being tapas, plan accordingly with your group. We told the waiter up front that everything we ordered, we wanted two plates of, as we were a group of 6. This worked out well with everyone getting a bite or two of each plate. A delicious culinary journey. read more

I finally checked Mateo off my Durham Eats bucket list this evening. It was a memorable yet inconsistent inexperience, and I will most probably come again. I arrived to a packed restaurant a little before 8 pm, ready to wait a few minutes. The only seating options were a couple of chairs at the bar and one high table, and I chose the latter. Before I even had time to get comfortable on one of the tall yet tiny metal chairs, a friendly pixie-haired waitress appeared out of thin air to help me navigate the menu and drink options. I asked her to get me a wheat beer, and she brought me a pint of Brooklyn Ace, which was an excellent choice. Crisp and tangy, it put me in a good mood, not as irritable as I could have been as I struggled to read the tiny font on the menu by the light of the candle on my table. Giving up, I just asked my waitress what she liked. She suggested several tapas and Pintxo options, and I ordered a couple of each. The food arrived quickly, and I tried each dish as it was brought to the table: Huevo Diablo Pintxo - this was advertised as Spanish deviled egg with chorizo, and though I couldn't really taste the latter, this was the best dish I tried. The texture of the rich creamy topping contrasted beautifully with the extra hard and chewy boiled egg - the overall effect was very satisfying. Bocadillo Pintxo - these were two little sliders with a tiny bit of barbecue pork, an over abundance of Piquillo cheese and some pickled cabbage. It was dry and bland, and the flavors didn't hold together very well, probably because the proportions were off. Disappointing. Costillas de Puerco (pork ribs with espelette pepper jelly) - this dish held a lot of promise, but was inconsistent at best, with just one of the ribs soft and juicy, the others either overcooked or burnt to a crisp. On the other hand, the final tapas plate - Queso Frito y Huevo - was delightful, with an egg fried on top of a layer of crispy Manchego cheese, underneath which nestled delicious lion's mane mushrooms over red pepper sauce. My only complaint was that the cheese was a bit too salty. Mateo is quite large, with a low lit interior, an open kitchen, a large bar along one long wall, low tables along the opposite long wall, and the area in between packed with tall metal tables and chairs. There is also a massive seating area upstairs which they rent out for private parties ($150 booking fee, $2000 minimum bill on weekdays, $3000 minimum on weekends). Overall, Mateo was a mixed bag for me. But I will probably come again - there are plenty of dishes I haven't tried, and the service and atmosphere are worth giving them a second chance. read more

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I'm a bit of a stickler when the word tapas is used. It means only one thing to me, Spanish food. If you're doing tapas in any other way, boo! We're talking small plates at that point so... Mateo is a great new TAPAS place that dishes out very authentic eats. Saddened by the demise of the Red Room, Mateo does tapas way better than the Red Room ever did. Plates like pan de tomate, tortilla espanola and gambas ajillo are some of the traditional options most tapas places should serve. And Mateo is a great looking spot! Cozy as all get out, this place oozes warmth and charm with an old-school continental feel and sexy lighting. I just wish I could read the menu a bit easier but what the hell. Our table tried a bunch of apps and I was really turned on by the costillas (ribs), braised oxtail toast and chorizo with brussel sprouts. The pan de tomate was also basic but excellent, especially with some jamon (top) on top. One common theme was the wonderfully crusty bread that Mateo uses as a carb base for many of its tapas, delish! Service was solid and professional, well-trained staff here. So encore Mateo for bringing tapas back to the Triangle. If you had plunked me down here I could have just as well been in NYC as Durham. So mis amigos, when you opening up Mateo II in Raleigh? Pretty please? read more

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Been here a few times now, enough to check out several selections on the large tapas menu. It can be tough to get in, as the place is very popular. I've had good luck going at opening (5pm) on Sunday. The albondigas are by far my favorite, served in a very flavorful tomato sauce with field peas. They're terrific--four good-sized meatballs and a nice amount of the tomatoes and peas. I also very much enjoyed a special of quail escabeche with a citrus sauce and lentils. The shrimp with chorizo over grits and the Spanish deviled eggs were also winners. One time I had a tandoori chicken dish with pine nuts and an orange sauce that didn't really do it for me, but the last time I went it was no longer on the menu. The staff has always been very pleasant and dishes come out from the kitchen at a pretty good pace. I wish they were a little more generous with their wine pours, but oh well. Most dishes are between $6 and $10 and in most cases two would make a meal. read more

Mateo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I feel like I was at a completely different restaurant from the one that has been reviewed so many times on Yelp. The one I read about here sounds amazing. The Mateo I ate at was underwhelming. We enjoyed the Pan con Tomate and Gambas al Ajillo. I was really disappointed in the Calamares Fritos. I thought they were super salty and rubbery. The Vieras were also disappointing, and I would not order either dish again. The small plate that compelled me to write this bad review, however, as the Patatas Bravas. This dish has always been a Tapas staple for me, and I was shocked when our server delivered a plate of spiced French fries to the table. I was shocked when I got home and looked back at the multiple photos on Yelp, and saw that previous diners had all taken photos of beautiful, traditional looking Patatas Bravas. What we were served was nothing like what previous patrons had received, or what I would have expected. After that, we decided not to order anything else. Over half the plates we ordered were not enjoyable, so we didn't see much point in trying other dishes. Going out for Tapas is a treat for me, and one that I look forward to. It is a time to relax with some nice company, lovely Spanish wine, and tasty nibbles. Mateo thoroughly disappointed me. read more

When I first walked through the door (for dinner), I was met by a theatrical curtain, the kind that closes shut to indicate that the show's over. Confused, I searched all around for the opening, which was actually a bit challenging to find. Once I made it through to the other side, I realized the curtain is meant to keep the cold wind out of the restaurant. Pressing on, this place is smaller than I expected. It's located right on the corner in downtown Durham. Interior lighting is dim. Reservations are seated at low tables, walk-ins are seated at high tables. Many people rave about this place, and after I had a taste of the food, I quickly understood what all the hype was about! Tapas are a type of Spanish cuisine (for clarification purposes, tapas originated in Spain, not Mexico). I always describe it as a Spanish version of dim sum because it's the same concept - you order multiple small dishes (appetizers) that are meant for sharing. To begin, I shared the Sopa de Ajo, which is tomato soup with onion, chorizo, poached farm egg, migas, $7. Despite the redness, it's not spicy, at all! The tomato base is the most powerful flavor in this bowl, and it tastes great, but it makes it difficult to distinguish the other ingredients. There are many mysterious chunks in this bowl (some that are soggy), but whatever they are, they taste alright! Incredibly tender and bursting with flavor, Carne Cocida is one of the most popular dishes on the menu, and definitely one of my favorites! It consists of red wine, braised beef cheek, potato puree, mushrooms, and onion marmelleta, $10. The combination of the hearty potato puree with the succulent beef cheek, immersed in the savory sauce is perfect! Highly recommend! Smoked Lamb Tongue Toast is one of the dinner specials that was recommended by the waitress. It includes lamb tongue, quail egg (tiny version of chicken eggs), and homemade espelette mustard on 3 pieces of toast. The bread isn't as hard and crispy as bruschetta, but it's not super soft either. Not a big fan of this, mostly because of the bread and because the lamb tongue isn't the star of the dish, as the name suggests. Creamy and delicious, Pato y Arroz is my other favorite dish of the night! It was recommended to me by a friend, but even a quick glance at all the Yelp reviews will indicate that this is a must! Bomba rice, duck, local oyster mushroom, fall squash, greens, caramelized onion aioli, $12. Love, love, LOVE this!! Absolutely amazing, highly recommend! I must admit though, when I first heard about bomba rice, the first thing that popped into my head was the song "La Bamba." If you're not familiar with the song, YouTube it. I'm sure you'll remember it soon enough! Albóndigas are a common menu item when it comes to tapas, but these taste different. These lamb meatballs (3) are served with benne tahini, cucumber, pine nuts, red onions, dill, and feta, $9.50. They taste a lot like falafel, which are shaped like meatballs, but taste nothing like traditional meatballs! They're dry and different in texture. If I wanted Mediterranean food, they'd be great, but I came here for Spanish food....maybe the Pork and Beef Meatballs on the Dinner Specials menu taste a lot better. I'd say pass on the lamb meatballs. All of the dishes are served in a small dish, except Fideuá de Conejo, which comes in a sizzling skillet. It's presented as shredded noodles with saffron, smoked rabbit, chorizo, collards, NC BBQ aioli, and pineapple chunks, $15. It's a fairly large portion, compared to the other menu items. I don't normally like collards, but these taste okay. The noodles are fun to eat as well. Plenty to share, beautiful colors, and a great dish! Sweet Potato Cheesecake is not your typical cheesecake. It's not nearly as sweet, or as dense, and there's a spiced kick at the end of each bite. It's served in a small mason jar with honey vanilla crème fraîche, pecan crumble, and dulce de leche in a tiny pouring cup, $7. Loved the presentation, but didn't like the taste. If you like bread pudding, try Budín de Pan. It's different because it looks like a muffin, but it tastes like densely packed bread pudding. It's bourbon and pecan bread pudding with cherries and white chocolate, plus buttermilk crème anglaise, $7. The acidity of the cherries nicely balances the sweetness of the white chocolate, such that neither is overpowering. I'd prefer regular bread pudding, but with that said, I enjoyed this! Overall, I had an excellent experience here. Love the food! Staff is very attentive and checks in regularly. They also came around often to refill water. Bathroom is clean, but there are no male/female illustrations or translation aides to help customers determine which is the appropriate bathroom. The options only indicate "damas" and "caballeros." FYI, damas = ladies, caballeros = gentlemen. You're welcome! read more

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I love Mateo Tapas. This place books up quickly on weekends but Boyfriend & I were lucky enough to get a parking spot right out front then grab 2 seats at the bar. Drinks - Boyfriend stuck with a water while I tried the Ponysaurus IPA followed by a glass of 3 Ribieras. I was super excited to get to try the IPA and thought that it was good! Tapas Frias, I always start off with an order of Mata y Pimienta Gelatin. The house made farmer's cheese spreads easier than butter onto the baguette then you top it with the pepper jelly = amazing! Dinner Especiales, Boyfriend and I decided to try 2 of the specials. -Calico Bay Scallops, I loved the lemon sauce with the scallops -Cheesy rice grits, I liked these; however, Boyfriend was not a fan Tapas Caliente -Morcilla, I have never ordered this before because I was always scared of blood sausage (not sure why) but it was delicious. I liked the pumpkin seeds and sherry brown butter that it was served with. -For our last small plate we had to go with the Patatas Bravas after seeing an order beside us, the presentation made it look irresistible. These were definitely our favorite small plate of the night! My favorite Tapas restaurant around the area. read more

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Good food but didn't stand out. Paella was cooked properly but didn't have that nice chared rice stuck to the pan. The bone marrow was tasty but again, didn't stand out. Stay away from the corn based churrios which is missing the nice chewy flavor you would expect. read more

Mateo - Paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Uses to be one of Durham's best. Classic spanish tapas were great. Now, not so much. The taste of over-fried oil, poor service, Duke's mayo instead of aoili(?!). The pan con tomate has a thick layer of sauce now, instead of traditional delicously subtle layer. One of the many restauraunts that used a pandemic as an excuse to throw their business down the toilet. Do you feel safer now? Sad display Will ne missed. Will have to drive to curate in asheville for spanish food. read more

On yelper recommendation I brought a friend out to Mateo the other night in a blind sort of way. Mateo delivered. This has been my favorite meal in quite a while. Beverage. I can't remember the name, but I will remember you always and struggle to repeat. Durham Gin, salty pickles, local tonic. Bacarones and potato chips: I swear this is going into the, I had a bad day file for feel good dinners. This dish is pure genius in its simplicity. Queso Frito y Egg, Manchego and egg: This might be my go to breakfast from now on. Beets and farm cheese: The pickle on the beets with the cheese was a noteworthy combination. Gambas, Shrimp with marcona almonds, garlic, olive oil, and chilis: served with one lone baguette slice. C'mon. We closed the place down. They were too kind. Service and food, beverages make this a fast favorite. read more

I absolutely love this place, everything was delicious and the service was very friendly. Though I am from the west coast so maybe it's standard Southern hospitality, but it was warm compared to what I normally expect. The cheese with pepper jelly was one of my favorite things I've eaten, ever. It's amazing, I think about it every so often. The garlic shrimp was a very typical (but still delicious dish), I was very whatever about it. I liked the refreshing flavors of the grilled octopus, which I think is seasonally. Lastly, I have a love hate relationship with the bone marrow. It was delicious but I think the oxtail on top was.. well over the top. It made the dish too rich. Separately, they're great. The hand pie (peach) was great too. I loved the burnt honey. Would, a thousand percent, come back, a thousand times. read more

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Expensive. YES. Worth it. DEFINITELY. Love their unique changing menu. Each bite is full of flavors. Loved the majority of the dishes we ordered. It's definitely a special date night. Elegant and romantic feel, especially upstairs! Love the decor and service! We had some guests in town and we were deciding on a dinner spot, we suggested Mateo. What I love about the food is its unique flavors, you just have to try it, you can't say it tastes like this or that, it's uniquely its own. read more

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We had a reservation for a party of 4 for 7:00PM on a Saturday night. We were seated upstairs which was much quieter and more private feeling than the downstairs. We loved the ambiance, it made for easy conversation. We started off with some drinks which arrived quickly. We ordered: the asparagus, the beets, and a large sampler of hams and cheeses to start. We also put in our order for paella. All the flavors were excellent, and it was so fun to discuss each dish that we shared. The paella came out just as we finished up the first items. It was very well done, and the seafood was delicious! After that we ordered the patatas bravas and the pig tail. Both were delicious and rich in flavor. For dessert we ordered some sherry and 3 desserts to split: an olive oil and pear cake, a strawberry and tarragon cheesecake, and a chocolate mousse. All three were well balanced, complex, and satisfying! Our server did a good job of checking in as the meal went on. This was an excellent choice for a dinner to really catch up with loved ones and have a shared experience. read more

Absolutely amazing-atmosphere, service, and food! The short ribs were sooooo delish! Their version of chicken cordon blue was superb, and the sweet potatoe special was perfection!!! My beverage, and alcoholic version of sweet tea was wonderful too! Our server was fabulous! It was reasonable priced and I'm looking forward to future visits!! Keep up the good work! read more

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Mateo seems to be one of the popular places in downtown Durham. You can make reservations on Open Table which always makes life easier than having to wait. They have a very extensive cocktail and drink menu. It seems as though they are very big on Sherry's here. I opted for the Pepino (Hendricks, salted cucumber , jack rudy tonic) - this was incredibly refreshing. For dinner we did was all patrons should do at a tapas bar - order all be things ! We went with : - Asparagus off the special menu - the asparagus was cooked nicely and had some aioli on it, I wish there was a bit more aioli served with it. - Patatas Bravas - the tomato sauce was so good. Can't go wrong with fried potatoes. - Pulpo a la Plancha - this was by far our favorite thing we ordered. The char on the octopus was great and added a depth of flavor to it. - Gambas - this was very garlic forward but expected - Cheese board - we loved all the cheese except the blue cheese. But ya can't win them all. It was one of the pricer meals I have in N.C. but definitely worth stopping by. read more

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Oh MATEO! How much I love this place! Everything about this place is amazing. The atmosphere, the people, the food.... I don't love all their dishes but the overall experience is always awesome. read more

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This restaurant is the best in the Triangle. I have had the pleasure of dining here several times and I really can't get enough. Tapas and Spanish cuisine perfected right in the middle of a really happening Durham. Love this place and it is rare I give a 5 star review but here is why. 1) Constant impressive quality, even after having some of these dishes 2/3 Times each time they come out it is a little bit better. 2)Nothing is greasy or too overdone- what I mean is that it is easy to go overboard with some of these traditional Spanish Tapas, Mateo has perfected the simple ingredients that make dishes great. 3)The food comes out as it is ready, meaning if you sit down and order your food right away you could be out of here in 30 minutes, but I promise you won't want to! Stay- because the bar and cocktails are even better. To top it all off they have Estrella Spanish Beer on draft. Come to Mateo and you will leave happy! read more

A surprise gem of Raleigh that offers pricy tapas with great flavor. The datil was the most date-y devil on horseback I've had. That could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preference. The date was most of the body, with a little goat cheese, wrapped in a thin, but lovely layer of ham. Smelled great and was pretty good. The morcilla is fantastic. The blood sausage is bold yet not out of control. The green goddess offers a creamy refreshing garden effect. Has a decent crunch and a lovely oily taste. I know it's tapas but this one I wish was either a little bigger or offered more spring rolls. They give you way too much sauce in the bottom. To the point where I question whether I should be watching it like a soup?! The bistec is a solid choice. There were pieces that could have been more tender, but it had a satisfying beef taste, with a lovely, salted crust. The chimichurri was solid, although nothing amazing. Looking back, they should have sliced the steak in thinner pieces. They came out in a cube like shape that made it harder to cut through the tendons. I would have ordered more, but I was already full from everywhere else I ate that day. Id say its worth coming here, especially if you are local. read more

Had drinks and tapas with my homegirl a few weeks back and we were thoroughly impressed. Bartender was friendly, tapas were delicious (especially the chicken croquettes and pan con tomate), and drinks were tasty. Perfect spot to unwind at the end of a long workweek, lovely decor as well. read more

It's hard to believe that Mateo's ownership is the same as Vin Rouge's; even though they both unmistakably hold their food to high standards, the ambiance and the food cultures are completely different. As a modern Spanish tapas bar, Mateo is much trendier and accessible for the everyday palate than the classic French fare. I had heard that Mateo is packed for dinner, so I made reservations (opentable ftw!) for lunch ahead of time. I needn't have bothered; lunch is super chill. Most of the tables were open. Lucy Z. and I split three recommendations from the waitress: the pulled pork sandwich, the pork ribs, and the patatas bravas. I had heard that Mateo was expensive, so I was expecting really small portions. No, lunch is definitely NOT expensive. Portions are fine. The sandwich (less than $10) was enough for two (especially with the side - we got housemade chips, yum), but we reluctantly agreed that it was pedestrian. I was happy with it because it's been a while since I've been in the South, but it was surprisingly lukewarm. I think it would've been much more memorable had it been hot. We both loved the other two dishes (which were actually tapas), and they were amazingly well-flavored. Admittedly, there are only 4 pork ribs in the costillas de puerco (with esplette pepper jelly), but they were so flavorful that I wouldn't have wanted more anyway. I guess the point of enjoying tapas is to really relish those few bites that you have. There were A LOT of potatoes in the patatas bravas, and because I love potatoes, I particularly enjoyed this dish. The sauce was smoky, strong, and very satisfying. Sharon P. thought they were just potatoes in a too-strong sauce (when she had some later). I even enjoyed the leftovers. Be careful not to put this in your car because it will definitely make the whole vehicle smell like it. read more

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They offer paella in pizza boxes for pickup! We get to keep the pan and if we return it, we get $10 off our next order. It was okay but I did expect more rice, it was a thin layer of rice. read more

Mateo - Seafarer paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great Spanish tapas restaurant! Highly recommend its fried rice and bone marrow! (Cannot recall the exact name anymore) read more

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We didn't have a reservation but we got there as soon as they opened and we were able to sit at the bar right away. The bartenders were both very friendly and offered great recommendations. Everything we ordered was great, presentation was very nice, and to top it all off we had the banana pudding... it was amazing!! read more

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Love this place! My favorite was Crab with rice and the octopus. Both delicious! Also enjoyed chicken with cheese. Tuna ceviche was not our favorite. The pieces of fish was very small and had mushy texture. read more

Quite a classy place, dimly lit at night with candles on the table, however you can dress up or down as you feel fit. Waiters were super knowledgeable on the menu and fun to chat with and had good recommendations. Definitely go there with at least one to two others - always better to split and share the food. Would recommend the shrimp, Brussel sprouts, and Mata y pimienta gelatina. read more

Make sure to order the Paté - Chicken liver pate, peach relish, pickles, radish, toast - exceptional. Avoid the goats cheese stuffed dates if you have a nut allergy, which we do because the romesco sauce has almonds in it! Very poor for this restaurant that this is not listed on the menu. We had a near miss, so watch out for that one. Lively, upbeat ambiance! Service was good except they did not ask upfront if we had any food allergies. read more

Some of the best tapas I've had in a while! Wonderful service, great atmosphere. Good beer and cocktail selection. read more

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Delicious tapas, knowledgeable waitstaff, cozy decor, cool vibe. Sherry flights and sangria offered.

This is a great place to come share some small plates with friends. If you're unfamiliar with this type of food it's best to ask to clarify what's coming. Winners: Gambas, Patatas Bravas (the best. Do not skip. Still salivating over it), Queso Frito Y Huevo (also do not skip), and the brussel sprouts which were also very good. Some disappointment over the chicken croquettes, and the Tortilla Espanola. I'm still not sure where the chorizo was hiding. This one was really heavy and we made the unfortunate mistake of ordering it last. It's just layers of potato and egg, creamy with no relief from that heaviness. The service was fine. We did ask for more bread at one point to soak up some of the delicious Gambas mixture after devouring the shrimp. Nice girl answered enthusiastically yes, but never showed up with more bread so that kind of sucked. read more

I've been to a lot of tapas places and Mateo really tops the list. We had a reservation for 7pm on a Saturday for my birthday and it was very busy but we were seated right away. My boyfriend and I had a total of 7 small plates including: -patatas bravas- very standard at any spanish tapas place but these were underwhelming and our least favorite, I've had better elsewhere -chicken croquettes- (this was a special) these are so cute...they come on a long skinny plate of 7 little balls. I really enjoyed them but my boyfriend wasn't a huge fan of the texture on the inside -chorizo- I always like to order chorizo at these places because it's hard to find anywhere else..it was very good -house made farmer's cheese- no idea what kind of cheese this was but it was creamy and delcious. it came with bread and a pepper jelly...which was fantastic. -spanish deviled egg- this was my boyfriend's favorite dish of the night. a deviled egg wrapped in chorizo. I'm not usually a huge fan of deviled eggs but these were really good -brussels sprouts- love getting these at tapas places, they are always very good, which these were -fried rice- this came out last when I was already stuffed and I wish it came out earlier! SO good with the chorizo and egg on top. I feel like you don't typically see a dish like this at spanish tapas places We also had the white sangria, which was ok but I thought the flavor was kind of odd. The atmosphere of the restaurant is fantastic though. Dark yet lively inside. I would definitely return! read more

Pretty good meal. I know it's a Durham institution. It was hyped so much that I was expecting so much more. It's all fine. A decent place to take friends/family from out of town. Don't take waiter recommendation for wine, the one he brought us was so bad. We're sad they got rid of the outdoor seating too, but I know that was a crucial parking lot. A few GF gluten free things and pretty knowledgable staff so I'll take it. read more