The small plates were the best part about the restaurant. The flavor of the olives, bread and dumplings were amazing! Some areas we were unimpressed with were the steak and pork which were lacking the correct seasoning and needed more salt. We enjoyed the salmon and cocktails though, and the service was great and they couldn't have been more awesome! They did try to sell us fish head, belly and tails which our server said were leftovers from last night. When we asked for clarification about the fish it legitimately was just the head, belly and tail which we opted against. read more

Our family loves this place! There hasn't been a thing I've tried that wasn't tasty, but if I had to pick favorites do yourself a favor and order the following -pop up bread -goat cheese dumplings -Brittany's salad (changes seasonally) -cod fritters -flat iron steak -scallops -shoestring fries -cran rosemary gin & tonic It's such a fun atmosphere and exactly what Salem needed! read more

The food here is overpriced for what you get, and seems a bit dated for a place that claims to deliver a "culinary excellence". The overly sweet and burnt brussel sprouts for instance were a thing about 5 years ago but are just heavy handed now. Speaking of heavy handed, a burger with bacon, cheese and two types of heavy sauces, that is fried within an inch of it's life, is something you can get for much less money at a fast food restaurant. The cocktails, a telling spot on the menu for creativity (or lack there-of), includes four types of N/A cocktails that involve no imagination. Unless you have a large group or are looking to lobby someone (which should be done at the steak place down the block), STAY AWAY! read more

One of Salem's best. It's clear the staff and ownership are invested in a great experience for their diners. Love the open view of the bar and kitchen. Must try (not all at once) the Salmon, Squid Ink Pasta, Cozy Salad, Caesar, Chrorizo Sandwhich, Brioche, and the roasted carrots. read more

We recently had the opportunity to try happy hour at Cozy Taberna. Happy hour is from 3-5pm and features discounts on beer, well liquor and select food. Sitting outside on the patio was great. Well curated drink selection and great vibe. We really enjoyed our food, warm olives, Caesar salad, Brussels sprouts and scallops cooked to perfection. The bar manager, James, is very cool and knowledgeable. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent dinner at the chef's counter. Very good food, great atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Overnight Cozy became my favorite dining experience in Salem! Perfect for a date night, the atmosphere is great and we tried lots of different items from the menu and not one was anything but exceptional! read more

We have been here for lunch and dinner. Both times the food and drinks were amazing. We really enjoyed the kitchen seating. Couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Everything we ordered was delicious all the way up to dessert. Service was outstanding. Overall, this was a really good experience. read more

Love love love Taberna! The atmosphere, the food and the gin cocktails are amazing! One of my fav places in Salem, if you're curious take a chance and dine here! You'll be happy you did read more

We had amazing food, great service, and yummy wine. We arrived a little early, about 10 minutes better opening time. We were welcomed right in and seated with smiles. From start to finish our experience was great. The octopus is delicious. We also loved the Brittini's salad and goat cheese dumplings. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

A great solid meal. Great drinks menu. Lots of small plates that were like big plates. It may not be THE BEST food I've ever had, but a solid, enjoyable tapas meal In a great, beautiful space. read more

Such a great , happy place to be. From the mi urea we arrived at the bar The bartenders were ready and so helpful in explanations and suggestions. It's a treat to sit at the bar and watch them mix the drinks. Professional and magical. The Basque Kiss was perfect and full of sweet/tart flavors. No one - no place makes a Sazarac like the Cozy bartenders. We eventually moved to a booth with our friends and began our adventure with this amazing menu. The cheese board had everything you would want for early dinner flavors , almonds , cheese, amazing crackers goats cheese etc were perfect for a light beginning. The Salt Cod fritters were crispy, flavorful and just the right size for a beginning. The Clams Cataplana where absolutely delicious. So full of flavor, nice size and the sauce was amazing. Also our party had the Grilled El Greco Lamp Chops and the Honey Brined Pork Chop. Both entree's were incredible and perfectly prepared; crispy, full of flavor and just the right proportions. Along with them was Sautéed spinach which was so tasty and bright and colorful w pine nuts. Our small dessert was perfect - as we were all full ~ the Banana Cake is my personal favorite; moist, full of banana flavor and just the right size. - of course some coffee to top off the evening. We can't wait to return to try the Squid Ink Pasta and the Roast Coppa Steak Frites. All the staff were so friendly, helpful, and easy serving and quietly clearing. Perfect. They were all delightful. We can't wait to go back and sit at the chef's counter and watch the chef's in action. read more

The food was delicious. We enjoyed the feel and atmosphere created by the restaurant's layout. Most importantly the service was excellent. We plan to visit CT during happy hour since it looks fun. read more

Delicious food, share the small plates with your dining companions to taste and try new and cool dishes! The bacon wrapped dates and goat cheese dumplings were amazing. Delicious cocktails, good service and trendy but welcoming atmosphere. It's a bit dark inside though, which I liked, but one friend commented that he didn't like that. read more

I came here with a couple girl friends we were able to sit downstairs without a wait, we ordered many items off the menu. Everything was absolutely delicious. The timing of all items coming out was perfect, we were never waiting for anything and never had too many dishes on the table at once. Some favorites were house made Brioche and Radicchio Salad. Scallops were perfectly cooked as well as the brick chicken. I definitely recommend. read more

I understand why the people of Salem like it; as it is a fancy restaurant mimicking the ones in a larger city like Portland. This was just ok, not very good, and not bad, just ok. read more

Great fabulous new restaurant in Salem. The food is so delicious. Way to go Chef! Service is a little slow but could be the Spanish way. They have an extensive cocktail list. Try the Aviation one. I had salmon, & fried artichokes. read more

We celebrated our anniversary with a fantastic dinner here. Great selection of food with friendly staff. Nice alternative in downtown Salem.

Excellent food, loved the basement dining area. Great find off an alley in Salem. Friendly service.

I'm so excited to see this kind of restaurant in Salem. The food is so insanely good and the service is out of this world. I agree with another reviewer that the Salem food bar has been raised! Thank goodness! read more

I'm never disappointed with my food or experience at Cozy Taberna! The service is always amazing and the food is delicious. The squid ink pasta is by far the best! read more

Great night out! Wonderful service. Amazing appetizer menu. The only place I've been that had a whole menu of non alcoholic happy hour drinks! it's about time. way to go Cozy T! read more

The Cozy Taberna - Photo friend took from last Saturday night at Cozy Taberna. Awesome food. Friendly service. A must on your restaurant to do list. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Salem, Oregon

The BEST!!! Every dish here is incredible! I'm from LA, and I constantly dream of my next visit to Salem, so I can eat here! :D

The food was great and so was the service! The almonds and olives were great for snacking, and way more than two people could finish, the cheese board was delicious with locally sourced honey, three cheeses, bread, and Marcona almonds and my date loved the dates. Fried artichokes were really indulgent and delicious. We had the Paloma cocktail and coco cow. Yum! Really appreciated the attentive service from the bartenders. read more

I've been excited to check this place out. Went tonight with friends and it definitely didn't disappoint! The service was incredible. Maddie our waitress was so sweet and very attentive with as busy as they were. I wasn't sure on if I was feeling the wine selection and she allowed me to sample before ordering a glass. I'm so happy she did because it wasn't for me. The bone marrow board was my absolute favorite! Delicious! All the food was amazing and we got to meet Lois which I absolutely loved! She cleaned off our table and then came back to let me know that the lemon bunt cake is similar to the one a Little Lois (my favorite lunch delivery)! It was AMAZING! We had someone clearing plates for us every time we had an empty one. This place has such a cool vibe and we will definitely be back! Would recommend the bone marrow board and the salt cod fritters! The goat cheese dumplings and brussel sprouts we good too! Such a great experience! Salem was in need of a place like this! read more

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What a great addition to Salem! Cozy Taberna has a creative and inventive menu and executes on the vision well. ...Unique vibe, fantastic drinks, and solid service. We'll be back many times. I hope Salem welcomes and supports them! read more

On a whim last night we decided to walk-in for dinner. We were seated at the chef's table, which was really fun to see all of the dishes being created. The food was incredible--I've never had anything like the goat cheese dumplings. The drinks were spectacular, and I thoroughly appreciated the non-alcoholic cocktail selection. The maître d' learned it was our first time there and took extra care to make our experience incredibly memorable. We will 100% return. read more

Everything we ordered was unique, delicious and perfectly cooked. The clams and goat cheese dumplings were divine. Great service too.

We just had dinner at The Cozy Taberna tonight for my brother's 40th birthday. We had a large group and the staff was very accommodating! It's has a great vibe. Everything we ordered was out of bounds good! Drinks, food, dessert all amazing! Some favorites were the bone marrow, brussel sprouts, artichoke hearts, pork chop, squid ink pasta, and lemon bunt cake for dessert. The server was amazing, she had several tables besides ours and killed it! We all had a spectacular time. We all will definitely be going there again and again! read more

I'm changing my review from a 3 star to a 5. It has certainly improved markedly in a short time I appreciate the owner reaching out to me and recognizing the problem we had when we first visited read more

Be vary aware of where you spend your money. I found out how badly staff is treated and degraded by the owner Rex. He has had multiple bureau of labor industry allegations against for this and taking staff tips to pay wages. He had already lost atleast one claim where they found him to be untruthful in his statements. Don't expect your tip to go to your server. Just sad read more

Excellent food, great ambiance and the service was top notch. I will return again. Family style serving and the cheese/olive board was delicious. read more

This place was so amazing, I went back four days later for more! From the first step into this truly cozy restaurant, you can tell it's something special. Tucked away in an oddly enchanting alley, you're faced with an entrance on one side and what appears to be a glass garage door on the other, lifted to allow those dining outside a glimpse of the interior. On my first visit to the Cozy Taberna, I sat upstairs with my family, in their main dining room. This is noteworthy because when you make reservations, they will offer you a choice of main room, lounge, or even the chef's table (I'm trying that next time. The main room has the open kitchen on one side (love an open kitchen), two rows of booths in the center (with partitions between so you have privacy), and a bar on the other side with a huge mirror angled so you can watch the chefs no matter what booth you're in. On my second visit, my bestie and I were taken downstairs to room reminiscent of a speakeasy with a stairwell lined in a glass display of liquor. Here, dining is cozier, and you may wind up sitting next to strangers, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The wait staff aren't just friendly, they're warm, knowledgeable, and willing to help you decide on a dish or even a drink (our waitress on my second visit was a bartender who offered me a drink more to my liking than those listed on their cocktail menu. It was wonderful by the way. I highly recommend the peach lemon drop. Now for the food. Different but not weird. There are no strange froths or pretentious jellies set atop little pieces of meat. We're talking big plates of food with flavors that knock your socks off. And when I say it's different, I mean from the ordinary stuff you might find in a steak house. Yes, there are steaks and they are IMPRESSIVE (the bavette steak is my fav with a lightly sweet sauce that made my eyes roll back in my head), but they do everything with a twist. The crispy brussel sprouts are dressed in fish sauce and caramel. That's right, and don't you dare make a face because the combination was amazing. Think of it as a better version of balsamic reduction--sweet and savory. My only disappointments were the goat cheese dumplings because the sauce was so delicious but also so spicy that I was in tears. My bestie, however, cleaned the plate. And I mean, he licked it (he's Italian so that's high praise on some pasta). And my second negative is about the bacon wrapped dates--there are only three in an order. And they are AMAZING! I suggest you order multiple plates. They're savory, sweet, have an almond in the center to add crunch, and are drizzled in a spiced honey. Dear God, help me. Then there are the desserts which come from a place called Little Louis Cafe. If, like me, you've never been to Little Louis, it's because they seem to do only delivery (at least that's what their website implies). And I looked up their website because the desserts were so good. So far, I've tried the molten lava cake (more dark than the overly sweet milk chocolate ones you're familiar with), the banana cake (small but packs a punch), the Spanish French toast (actually, a bread pudding that's sliced up and fried to order then set in a creme anglais), and the burnt Basque cheesecake with freezer strawberry jam (think cheesecake but covered in that thick bit that you normally find only at the sides--my favorite part of cheesecake). No, I didn't order all those desserts myself. My dining companions shared. So far, my favorite is the Spanish French toast. No, the cheesecake. No, the molten lava cake . . . ahhhh! I must return immediately. Why, oh why don't you offer delivery through Ubereats or the like? Please consider it, oh, great owners of The Cozy Taberna. I will be your most loyal customer. read more

Best food in Salem. Brian James Lucy and Rex always make us feel like family. Good job guys! Chef is amazing and drinks are quality. Would recommend. read more

This has been the BEST find in a long time. Im so happy this place exists and its so easy to get to. tucked in the alley with its warm lighting and beautiful layout. Its a treat for all the senses. The whole space (main floor) is cozy and the staff are very professional. My hubs and I both have two different food allergies and I really appreciate the seriousness they treated our allergies. The server made sure to check all ingredients and double checked. I understand there is no guarantee when we eat out, but its so helpful when the restaurant takes food allergies seriously and can just use certified food handling techniques which are known to keep cross contamination down. Now for the food! IT WAS DELICIOUS. The dumplings are my new obsession they are soooooo yummy. Everything was fantastic and they have the best Brussel sprouts, proven so by the fact my hubs even ate some and he has been anti Brussel sprouts since I've known him. This place is a wonderful addition to Downtown Salem and we will be back. read more

Love this place! Chef David really made our experience exceptional. We sat at the bar right next to the serving station and everything looked delicious. We ordered the clam and bone marrow apps. Both flavorful and mouth watering richness. The steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare as ordered. Also don't forget to try their dessert. So delicious with less of the guilt that goes into ordering the heavy desserts. Look forward to our next visit. read more

Accidentally scheduled a reservation for the wrong day and they managed to squeeze us in on the bar where we had phenomenal food and service. I had two of the gin and tonic drinks and they were gorgeous and tasted amazing. The Brussel sprouts are out of this world! Love this atmosphere and so glad a place like this is in Salem. We were out of good quality food for quite some time, so I'm very excited to have the cozy! read more

Nice interior staff was nice the cocktail menu was pretty pompous in my opinion a lot of them had way too many ingredients for any real taste to possibly come through. The fried Brussel sprouts were good, but pretty much everything fried tastes good. The brick moroccan chicken was moderately disappointing the sauce was about as flavorful and complex as canned cranberry sauce, but the chicken was cooked well. The honey pork chop would have been by far the best dish of the night except for the literal 2 inch wide strip of fat in the pork chop for a 33 dollar pork chop there definitely shouldn't enormous chunks of fat in the meat! read more

Classy, delicious and warm! From the moment we showed up to when we left we were treated with friendly service.

Hands down best restaurant in Salem. I come from a family of chefs and love to cook and this was an amazing dinner experience. We went on a rainy Thursday evening and sat at the chefs counter. I love to see what goes on in the kitchen, the head chef was on it and put out one perfect dish after another. We started with a beer and gin cocktail, lots of craft cocktails to choose from. It was a hard choice but we opted for bone marrow and brioche bread for apps, both were so good and melted in your mouth. We had a steak with creamy sherry sauce and root vegetable for main, it was cooked perfectly. Dessert was lemon cake, we were so full yet still managed to finish the whole thing. We will be heading back soon and is our new favorite spot! read more