Mateo has had a Spanish heart with a Southern soul in downtown Durham since 2012. The first solo venture from James Beard semi-finalist Chef Matthew Kelly of Vin Rouge, Mothers & Son’s, Nanas and the beloved Saint James Seafood (RIP), is housed in the old Book Exchange building in the heart of downtown Durham. The menu blends the flavors of Spain with beloved ingredients and dishes of the South, with one of the largest sherry collections in the country and a large Spanish wine collection. Alton Brown called it the best tapas bar in the country, posting a pic to social media before taking the stage at DPAC.
First visit here, loved the decor and vibe. Each dish was truly great, high quality ingredients and expertly prepared. We had the roasted beets salad, little neck clams with jamon and boiled peanuts (somehow this works), the jamon croquettes - out of this world, potatoes bravas and the pulpo (our favorite but not pictured). Only 2 comments:
1) I wish the potatoes did not have the tomato sauce smothered on top (side dish is better) else they get soggy, which defeats the purpose of deep frying them in the first place, and
2) I would recommend a bit more spice / heat on the clams..smoked paprika or cayenne or something.
Our server was very pleasant, attentive and joyful. We will be back!
Aresa Hairston
Apr 19, 2025
5
OMG seriously.... The food here was Ahhhhmmaaazzzinngggg!!! Our waitress Kate was so awesome. The vibes were so chill and I love the fact that you could order so much and share and just in case you didn't like it, it was small, but I loved everything I ordered!! Again, if my stomach had more room, I would have had so much more, but it gives me a reason to come back again and again to hopefully try the whole menu. The prices were reasonable too. So awesome!! Chefs kiss 😘
Rafael Bonilla
Feb 22, 2025
5
Without any previous planning, what we have in sched for Friday got canceled, and we decided let's go to Mateo. Best decision ever. Started w a pitcher of red Sangria and some pan w tomate. The we order a table of ham and cheeses, fried calamari, pollo frito (OMG), bone marrow and patatas bravas. Everything was AMAZING.
NSA
Feb 1, 2025
4
place was packed on a Wednesday evening..
food was good
they have parking
service was medium but mostly cause it was very loud and busy.
came back for restaurant week. rating stays the same.
savory food delicious. dessert was a mess
Aiden our waitress was amazing
Jennida Chase
Jan 20, 2025
5
Came on a Thursday night and met a friend at the bar. The service was excellent. All the food was delicious and the wine was great!!
Nixzali Salcedo Pena
Jan 3, 2025
5
Had an amazing experience during my first time here! Aidan was our server and she did a fantastic job explaining me the menu and the sherry options. She recommended the Cesar Florido, Dorado Sherry and it was wonderful! I also tried Patatas Bravas, Queso Frito, Arroz Frito, Albóndigas and Croquetas. Our server also recommended to try the Basque Cheesecake, which was lovely. Everything was delicious, filling, and fresh! This is a great place to visit with family and it is also a cute spot for a date.
John Lawler
Aug 4, 2024
4
Love the atmosphere and vibes here, excellent lighting and a lovely bar area. Chill, lowkey upstairs area. Packed in a little bit downstairs.
The food is great, but I’ve heard so many things about Mateo that it may have just not quite lived up to expectations. A few items were slightly overcooked (like chorizo or shrimp in the paella), but everything was delicious in general. Delicious pork belly and street corn. The paella in general was slightly underwhelming on texture but had great flavor, albeit could be spicier. The bone marrow dish could’ve had a little bit more bone marrow to short rib ratio. All the tapas were extremely delicious, well prepped, plated and served. Everything came out quickly and tasted incredible in general. Don’t come in with expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised at everything.
Overall throughly enjoyed my experience at Mateo’s - excellent wait staff and service. Extremely refreshing and delicious cocktails with a nice selection of vermouth as well.
Andrea Martin
Aug 3, 2024
5
Great option for Tapas. Plates are well constructed and thought out. The Cheerwine Sangria was a nice touch.
Stephen Mutz
May 21, 2024
5
This is my third time, and my wife’s and my second time in the last year. Fantastic restaurant with a great atmosphere, and so many delicious options. Today we celebrated our seventh anniversary, and our waiter even threw in a little something special, which we really appreciated!
While we didn’t get it this time, I think the best dessert is the apple pie. We also really liked the pork belly, but you really can’t go wrong with anything… Except for the chicken croquettes, that one we did not like ha.
