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.
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.
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.
Satish Venketachalam
May 8, 2024
5
Had a team dinner here, so got a variety of items and drinks. Great food, service and vibe in this place. Seafood paella was amazing.
Fit Gear Hunter
Mar 17, 2024
5
Easily, EASILY one of the top 5 food experiences, of my entire life. They have a dish called "Marrow" w bone marrow and short ribs - served in the Bone! It was awesome. Plus as a bonus the full experience is to have a shot of Sherry or Bourbon down the bone channel after - I left that picture out - it was epic. A must try dish/experience (and side note they have a really good Special right now: a Turnip dish with Ramps, which I had never heard of before but was great)
C Rod
Feb 25, 2024
4
Stopped by this place on sat night, thank goodness we had a reservation cause the place was packed. It is kind of an interesting place, with a huge bar and upscale food presentation. Having the bar meant there was a long list of drink options, including beer and wine. Overall, I thought the food was ok as nothing really wowed me. We had an awesome waiter, though, very attentive and social. With a carafe of sangria, 2 deviled eggs, and a few meal options, we finished with over $100 bill. It was an experience, it just fell short of my expectations.
haley westhoff
Dec 30, 2023
5
Hands down my favorite restaurant in downtown Durham. My boyfriend and I look forward to eating here every time he visits and we have never been disappointed. I have had a couple tapas that I didn’t love, but that’s just taste preferences. I’ll never forget the first time we went and we were so shocked at how good everything was. Usually with tapas, there’s a couple misses, but Mateo’s never misses. I have never had anything poorly served or underwhelming. And their drinks are always phenomenal. Servers are super attentive and willing to provide suggestions as well. I love the vibe inside and they play great music. Fun, new specials each time we go. I genuinely can’t say enough good things about Mateo’s.
Some of our favorite dishes: pan con tomate (good with either the cheese or ham), the deviled eggs (I’m a deviled egg lover and these are SO good), the shrimp (idk how they do the sauce but WOW), the queso frito (my boyfriends obsessed), the meatballs, the fried chicken, etc etc etc. We usually get like 5-7 and leave pretty stuffed. Their dessert also ROCKS. Grenada cobbler drink is soooooo yum even tho it sounds like a lot going on and my boyfriend’s signature is the Ferdinand.
Christine Nix
Nov 26, 2023
5
First time at Mateo and loved it. Our waitress Lauryn was outstanding and didn't great job guiding us through the menu. Can't wait to go back.
