A favorite gem on the north shore. The dishes are creative and amazing. They make whipped ricotta and baba ganoush starters that melt in your mouth. The main dishes are also excellent with good portions. Wait staff is warm and attentive. It's a small restaurant so limited seating but very charming so it was worth our wait! We will return! read more

Tiny spot with great food and warm, personal service! Husband and I had a wonderful dinner here on the Settler patio last night. We wanted to try everything. Thanks to small plates and starters we were able to try many things. We started with the whipped ricotta (heavenly) and a cold radish special. Then onto mussels, which were done in a white broth (?) sauce (?). These were cooked perfectly. Plump and fresh, not a sketchy mussel in the dish. Served with their sourdough toast to enjoy the wonderful broth flavors. For dinner, my husband had their seafood pasta special which had lots of wonderful flavors including summer peppers. I had another starter, the korfa lamb meatballs served with a rich, spicy but not hot tomato sauce and fresh Greek yogurt. Everything was a treat. This is a place that is passionate about good food. The staff was so nice. One waiter in particular is so great at describing the food, flavors and experiences. We were too full for dessert but he humored us by sharing and describing their offerings. It was like an epicurean bedtime story!! Already looking forward to going back. read more

Excellent, excellent, excellent. For starters, they called me about 5 hours prior to our reservation to ask us if we wanted to move inside since it was going to be in the 30's at the time of our reservation, and barely changed our reservation time...greatly appreciated. The food was great. Definitely try the mussels and shrimp appetizers, easily one of the best shrimp dishes that I have had in a very long time. The sourdough that they make in-house is also incredible, and they give you plenty. For my meal I had the beef duo, hanger steak and cheek. Extremely tender, cooked perfectly, and the sauce that it came with was phenomenal. I highly recommend. Our server was also incredible. I cannot remember her name, but excellent service and knowledge of the menu. My only criticisms: would love a slightly larger cocktail and dessert menus, but given the circumstances and limitations for restaurants right now, I can't be too upset. The seating was interesting and not the most comfortable setup, but again, considering what they are probably dealing with in regards to keeping people apart and finding ways to seat people, this is fairly minor. Final note: their current offering of a starter and meal for $36 per person (some meals are a few dollars extra) is an incredible deal for what you are getting. This food you get at this restaurant is upper-tier, and can run far more expensive at some places in Boston or New York. You might spend a decent amount of money for a night here, but it is worth it if you appreciate very good and interesting dishes. read more

This was our first visit and very impressed. Looking forward to next visit. Both the food and presentation was unique and outstanding. . The very individual attention and detailed history of the ingredients as well as preparation to order was amazing. Chef on site prepares in their kitchen . Small but exciting ambience ; you feel as though you are the only patron there and cooking for just you. Special thank you and appreciation to Justin , our 'person':) read more

Amazing restaurant We have gotten meals to go during the pandemic and they were delicious. We live three blocks away and went for a dinner on the patio. The staff and management and the food were exceptional. They cook everything from scratch and you can tell by the amazing taste of all the food drink and desserts. You will not be disappointed. read more

A colleague and I stumbled on this restaurant. Small, clean prix fixe menu. Price point was more than we planned to spend but the food was professionally plated and ambience was "craft" cocktails and the like. Good food but not somewhere I'd go outside a special occasion. read more

Probably one of the top 5 dining experiences I've ever had. Everything we ordered was fantastic and the service was outstanding. All this while not being a bit pretentious. We loved it and would 100% be regulars if we lived near Salem. read more

If you want to experience next-level dining, come here. It is worth every penny. We will definitely be back and recommend to all friends that visit Salem, MA. read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Salem. The real deal. Is it a little pretentious? Yes. Is that part of what makes it entertaining? Yes. Worth every penny. read more

For a life-changing meal, go to Settler. Their food is unpretentious yet refined, and they have an amazing selection of wine, beer, and cocktails. Their servers are incredibly friendly and attentive. It really feels like no detail was missed when creating this restaurant -- they've absolutely stuck the landing. Chuck, the GM, is also highly attentive. We recently held a small event at Settler and Chuck went out of his way, truly going the extra mile, to ensure the event could be as successful as possible. I don't live in Salem, let alone Massachusetts, but my partner and I are already dreaming of our next trip back will be so we can have such a fabulous meal. read more

Had dinner out on the patio on the 4th of July. We brought our dog and they were very accommodating. They restaurant itself is really nice; tables, chairs, bathroom...etc. Whoever designed it had good taste. Service was great (albeit with the restaurant at half capacity it wasn't exactly a test of their abilities but still our waiter was attentive and did a great job). The wine list seems pretty good, we ordered a few glasses and they were all great. Maybe a little more variety would be good (5 different chardonnay's, 4 different pinot noir's, 4 different nebbiolo's, and 5 different cabernet sauvignon). I'm sure there are differences between them, but as someone who appreciates wine but doesn't particularly obsess over them it just seems like a lot of the same varietals especially when considering the bottle list is 12 whites and 21 reds. Food was all basically perfect, they make their own sourdough to serve with butter. We ordered the ricotta, baba ganoush, and falafel. All of them were great, the baba ganoush in particular was fantastic. All of the entree's we got were amazing. The chicken, salmon, "cacio pepe", and steak were all perfectly cooked. Chicken and all of the sides along with were amazing, same goes for the salmon and steak. My only critique would be that the cacio e pepe isn't cacio e pepe. Don't get me wrong, its an amazing pasta dish. The pasta was perfect al dente and it tasted amazing. I'm sure that this is the chefs spin on it, but this is a fairly well known and very traditional pasta dish. Its like me telling you I'm making crepes and then I put a thick american style pancake in front of you. Desserts were great; A chocolate tart and a almond and rubarb tart. The house made ice cream on the side was excellent and a great way to end the night. I would put this above ledger currently and I considered ledger the best restaurant in Salem. Please get some real cocktails on the menu though. I want to give you my money. Our bill would have been bigger if you had real cocktails on the menu. Let me give you my money. read more

By far, best restaurant in Salem. Great staff and food. Friendly, neighborhood atmosphere.

One of the best restaurants in Salem, Massachusetts. I love how their menu changes daily. I got the burger, can't remember what it was called but it was delicious. Luckily they were able to change the side to a salad, as I didn't want to ingest too many carbs. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip in October. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. And it's an open kitchen, the aroma of the chefs cooking flows out into the dining room and it smells fantastic! Great service overall. read more

Settler - Inside of burger - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Foor service and ambiance were amazing. We had the babaganoush, whipped ricotta, pumpkin Trompetti and apple crumble. Everything was delicious. read more

We had one of our first meals out after COVID lockdown at Settler. I knew they were still new -ish and wanted to support them during this difficult time. They didn't have a lot of business, as everything is low capacity both inside and out. The restaurant is small but gorgeous and the kitchen looked very well-kept and all employees were masked at all times. Our server used antibacterial gel every time he visited a table. The menus were single use and there was touch less payment. Now n to the good stuff... the food. They are wine and beer only, but the wine selection was lovely. I had a fabulous $14 Rose and a solid $12 sparking white. My husband's $12 red was also good, but I only had a sip. The sourdough and butter came out very fresh and delicious. We ordered the whipped ricotta with honey and herbs and it was delicious on toasted bread. His hangar steak was phenomenal and my salmon was very good as well. We were too stuffed to try dessert. It was a wonderful experience and we will definitely return. read more

Everything was outstanding. The space is beautiful, servers and staff are attentive and helpful, everything was delicious from start to finish. read more

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Excellent gluten free (celiac friendly) choices and always have a creative menu. Wonderful atmosphere and amazing staff. Always love it there. read more

This, without question, is the best restaurant in Salem. My girlfriend and I came here after a week-long vacation and it was the highlight of our trip. I desperately wish this restaurant would move to my hometown so I could enjoy their food every night. Marvelous service, too. To anyone who works at Settler, thanks for an unforgettably good meal. read more

From the moment you walk through the door until they hand you back your coats at the end of your visit, this restaurant provides top notch service. This is a place that strives to make every single aspect of your experience a memorable one. Though new, this restaurant operates as though it has been doing it for years. The food is excellent. Every item on the (soon to be rotating) menu has been carefully considered. There is not a wrong choice to be found. I will absolutely be returning. Cannot recommend it enough. read more

Yo let me tell you about this place. First of all I have never eaten here but my friends and I got stranded in front of settler cause our dumbasses left our hazards on. But then. This man. This miraculous man came out of the restaurant to help us. His name is chuck. Chuck is the GM of settler and he helped us jump our car and then called aaa for us when his Toyota couldn't get the job done. And then played cards against humanity with us while we waited. He stayed way past his shift being over to help us out and made sure we were okay. So let me tell you, we WILL be returning to settler and ordering the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu. And we will be tipping BIG. Thank you CHUCK. read more

Settler - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Recently, my friend and I were lucky enough to get seats at Settler's bar without a reservation. All I had heard about the place is that the food is fabulous (true) and that it is VERY, VERY expensive (not true). Yes, it's expensive in comparison to Applebee's, but not in comparison to any of the high-end restaurants in the area. In keeping with the boutique restaurant profile, Settler is very small. It's efficiently designed to maximize seating and bar service. The staff are attentive and well-versed in keeping the diners on track and receptive to the Settler experience. Initially, I was put off by the practice of discouraging tastes of wine and declining to split plates. However, when I opened my mind, I came to admire the stand the chef/owner Aaron Chambers takes to ensure his vision and the guests' experience are not compromised. If you are forming a preconceived notion, STOP - there was not a whiff of snootiness in the delivery. Justin, a convivial and down-to-earth guy from Revere, expertly handled the close-quartered bar. My friend ordered coffee, which turned out to be a fresh Americano. Brilliant! No Bunn coffee machine taking up precious space only to deliver pre-brewed java. The food and my generous glass of Nebbiolo were first-rate and well worth the price. I have paid more for so-so many times. Make a reservation, it's worth the wait! read more

This place was amazing - the food was delicious, service was great (from manager and waiter), decor is a cute/modern vibe. The ginger roots cocktail, dips, salad, and main entrees (10/10). Mrs. Deutsch and I say thank you! read more

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Easily the best burger in Salem. They only make 6 a day and they are totally worth it! Everything was awesome, food/service/wine... I can't wait to come back. read more

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We visited Settler for the first time on Thursday evening for date night. Everyone was tremendously friendly and attentive. The wine selection is well thought out and offers a nice variety at all price points. We started with the mussels with leeks and a light cream base. Such meaty mussels and a large portion really suited to four people. We then shared the trompetti pasta with broccoli rabe, ricotta and pesto and we ordered the butter roasted shrimp appetizer along with it. All the flavors were complex and layered, a of fresh herbs present in both dishes. The pasta is made fresh every day along with the sourdough! The bread was so lovely we took a loaf to go as well. Next time we will save room for dessert because the bake well tart is calling my name! The team at Settler have it all going for them-gracious service, warm and welcoming atmosphere with a nice patio area, beautiful wine selection and food made with love! We can't wait for our next visit! read more

Settler - Mussels were nearly a meal unto themselves! - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Food, service & ambience was a 135/10! My girl friends & I sat at the bar with a lovely bartender. We ordered lots and shared it all. I would eat all of our meal all over again! read more

Only had the food here once but really enjoyed the meal. Bit of an upscale gastro-pub--small and intimate atmosphere. It does get pricey for sure, but you get a meal you don't regret if you're willing and able to splurge a bit. Of the cuisine in Salem, it's among the highest quality for sure. Friendly staff. read more

Outstanding food and service. We are outside during in the warm days of the summer. Bread is phenomenal as well. We have ordered two sourdough loaves from the restaurant. read more

Great restaurant but a little pricey for the entrées. The restaurant is a bit small so reservations are hard to come by. They will not except reservations for odd numbers. So if your family of five, forget it. read more

If you're looking for a delicious, chic, and reasonably priced restaurant to go to, this is it. I would 100% recommend. The food is delicious, the ambiance is great, and better yet - the service is AMAZING. The manager will come in and check in to tell you about what's delicious on the menu, and your server will be super personable and professional. They serve house made sour dough, and even sent us home with some extra macrons. I will be back and recommending this to all my friends in the area. It makes sense that this restaurant has been doing so well. Please, keep doing what you're doing! read more

This restaurant has excellent food. My only complaint was about the pre-fixe menu not realizing this was the only option for October when I booked the reservation in early September. Although a little more expensive than my party planned on spending we decided it would be worth the splurge. Where we were upset was to find out the dessert was not part of the prefixe menu but not even being told by the waiter that this was additional. In the beginning we were told about an additional add on for some appetizers but the dessert being extra was not mentioned. I myself have done lots of prefixe menus and have never had dessert not included. I felt bad as I had booked this for the group and with dessert spending 88 dollars plus an additional 17 dollars for a cocktail was high for a lot of people. I just think this is an important thing to include when giving people the dessert selections as we all would not have gotten the dessert. I think having a menu for the dessert with prices may help to decrease this confusion. read more

Always delicious from the apps to the mains to the drinks. Vegetarian friendly as well. A perfect date spot.

Amazing service and food. The kind of meal you remember for a while. Accommodating to vegans! Chef was able to make a vegan seasonal vegetable pasta, and able to veganize some appetizers. If you're looking for the best restaurant in Salem, you've found it read more

Some of the lightest, freshest, and most thoughtfully crafted dishes we have ever tried. Great service, great recommendations especially for wine. read more

Above and beyond what you may expect for a small restaurant tucked in a side street in Salem. It could be the best restaurant on the North Shore. Every dish is uniquely seasoned and prepared. The menu is perfectly curated with enough variety for all tastes and preferences. The wine selection is diverse and the cocktails are an extension of the unique menu. 5 stars to the bartender. The waiter could have been less pushy and shown more curiosity about our desires. It felt a bit like we were his last table of the night. We were. read more

I agree with the other 1-2 star reviews and totally baffled at the 5 stars, unless maybe this is their first time at a nice restaurant. Jump to the bottom of my review for my recommendation if you want to try it out. The place is cute, small, and simply yet nicely appointed. As other reviewers note, the tables are pretty close together but go eat at any small nice restaurant pretty much anywhere [in the world] and this is what you get. My wife and I had folks right next to us and we had no problem having our own conversation and not being bothered by those next to us. Mistake from other reviews: They do offer wine by the glass but it's $18 and it's not a great pour (especially for that price). It is expensive. And given the taste of the food (not necessarily the quality of the ingredients) it was way overpriced. For 2 of us the total, with tip, came to $180. That included 1 glass of wine ($18 mediocre pour), 2 cocktails (really good, best part of the meal, $18 per), 1 order of ricotta, 1 order of falafel, 1 order of octopus (2nd best part of the meal), and 1 order of pumpkin ravioli. If that sounds like a lot, it is most definitely not. Everything is small plates and a small amount of food on each plate. For example, the ravioli which was an entree was $30 and came with only 4, yup 4, ravioli...$30. Notes on the food: 1 "for the table" ricotta - comes with 2 slices of their bread and you get way more ricotta than bread so you'll need more bread. They charge for the extra bread but don't tell you they do (fine, whatever, it's a fancy restaurant)...felt a bit nickel and dimed given the up-charges on everything else (it was like $2 for the extra bread, given how expensive everything else, just give people a couple extra slices...you're making up the cost elsewhere). The ricotta (which they said they keep on the ever-changing-menu because of how much people love it) NEEDS salt. If the chef/owners are reading this...PLEASE sprinkle some Maldon on that before you serve and it would bring this from a 1 star to a 4 star. Also, it says it comes with wildflower honey...what kind of honey are they using? My wife didn't know it had honey until I told her as we were leaving. The house bread with a 52 year old yeast starter (that the chef got as a gift from Daniel Boulud when he worked for him). Cool fact but it didn't impact the taste or quality of the bread. The butter accompanied was forgettable. We have some killer dairy in New England, this should be better. My recommendation if you're reading this and thinking, "Okay, this is just like your opinion, and there are a ton of 5 star reviews and only a few 1 or 2 star reviews. So clearly you're just a grumpy person who needs a life (I mean, who writes such a long review, really?) and the 5 star reviews are the real reviews." Go, check it out, it's cute. Sit at the bar and order a cocktail, they are really good. The people are nice. If you like octopus, go for that, it was really delicious (and I've had octopus in Portugal at some of the nicest restaurants in the world). If you're tempted by the ricotta, get it, but told you so on the finishing salt...you'll probably say it's good but deep down you'll know that it needs a finishing salt. read more

We arrived early for our reservation but were warmly welcomed and offered the chance to sit at the bar while we waited for our table. The bar man and all of the staff were exceptional all evening. The atmosphere was inviting and cozy and the food was marvelous. We plan to return soon as we have found a new favorite place. read more

Holy crap. Everything was perfect. Service, food, vibe. This restaurant gives me hope.

The food was outstanding! The cacio e pepe wasn't traditional, but it was delicious. My daughter enjoyed the special, which was homemade pasta and clams. And my, very picky, son had the chicken which we all agreed was the most flavorful and succulent chicken we'd ever had. read more

Ordered takeout from Settler and was blown away by the food! Everything tasted incredibly fresh and perfectly cooked. I will be forever dreaming of the heirloom tomato salad. If you're in Salem, would highly recommend this unique spot! read more

Settler - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I'm afraid to post this review and make it harder to get into Settler. My wife and I had an amazing meal at Settler last night, it started with house made sour dough bread, then onto my first course, the French style Marshall Cove mussels (Leeks, White Wine and Creme Fraiche ), for my main I had the rustic Cacio e Pepe (housemate pasta, sausage, chili sauce with parmesan) fresh and a little spicy. However, my wife got the hand made Parsnip Agnolotti, it was next level delicious. To finish, I had a few bites of the chocolate tart with pistachio gelato and cherries, so good. The service was impeccable and the design and renovation of the space are 5 Star. It is clear the level of effort that went into the design of the space, attention to detail with the food and service. This is, IMO, now the best restaurant on the Northshore, hands down. read more

Settler - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts