Martine Cafe

This has been my favorite restaurant in Salt Lake for years. The food is excellent...always. I always trust any recommendation from the servers (love Linda). This is my choice for any special occasion. My only complaint...I liked the pricing method they used to have, where you could order anything (even the special) off the menu for the same price. That insignificant fact, however, would never keep me away from this restaurant! In my opinion, a MUST try! more

Two weeks ago, my husband and I as well as some guests from Park City, visited Martine's with high hopes as well as good recommendations from friends. Very, very disappointing. We had done a search on internet and checked the menu as well as reviews. They would not honor prices listed on the website, our wine sat unopened for 20 minutes upon arrival. Food was lukewarm, sea bass was tasteless. Would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. more

The menu is small and simple. We enjoyed the tapas and a great bottle of wine. We shared four different tapas: white asparagus, chorizo something..., beef, and I can't remember the other one, but it was all good! The bread was delicious and I didn't know I hadn't had REALLY good olive oil, until I came here. It was delicious. The atmosphere is romantic and definitely suited for couples, not large groups. Pros: Romantic setting, variety even on a small menu Cons: parking is annoying more

This is a great date place. I picked up my fiance from the SLC airport, and surprised her with a night out. The waiters were very friendly, seating was cozy, and the food was terrific. I made reservations, but I don't think I could have just as easily walked in without them. Pros: Great food, service, ambience Cons: None to think of more

It was great to see this SLC standard busy on a Saturday night in this war-torn downtown. Parking has always been a challenge for Martine, and it hasn't improved recently, so be prepared. But once inside it is like leaving Salt Lake. High ceilings, dark wood and deep cozy booths, with servers dressed in crisp whites, reminds one of old time restaurants in San Francisco or Chicago. I've always loved reading the menus from Martine, and it's predecessor, The Peery. Everything sounds so appealing, and with the Tapas menu you can have 2 or 3 selections. Four our party of four, 3 folks ordered the special salad and two tapas, and one had the duck entree and salad. The salad was with white beans and roasted vegatables on greens with vinagarette, and was reasonably priced at $5. The duck was great, with a cherry based sauce. Also mentionable was the lamb andouille empanada. Everyone was quite happy with their selections. Service was very good too. Food total for a party of four was about $125, which I consider to be refreshing for this quality of food, service and atmosphere in SLC. more

Decent food. Nothing noteworthy on presentation of the food, a fairly rustic style. Pretty cool atmosphere. Good wine list and sangria. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Food lacks wow factor more

I left disappointed. Although I do think it is the most elegent looking restaurant in SLC, I had some of the worst service in SLC. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks, and it just went down from there. I ordered off the ""tapas"" menus, both the portions and price were to large for true tapas. Our choices were quite bland too. It is lovely looking inside the restaurant though. more

My friend took me here one night earlier this year. We were tired from a long day but she insisted it was worth it. Well, she was right. They have somewhat limited seating, though, admittedly it was middle of the week, so we did not have to wait at all, and we had a reservation. If you don't know tapas it may be strange to get used to the small portions. Fortunately my friend was paying and ordered almost everything on the menu. The soup that night was fresh spring pea. Not dried split pea, which I like, but delectable soup made from fresh baby peas and sweet cream. We both nearly slid under our seats it was so amazing! We ordered only one bowl, so we kept fighting over it. All the entrees were impressive. The meats cooked to an amazingly tenderness. The beef and pork dishes we had were superb, particularly the pork! There was one so-so dish, a halibut cooked in grape leaves. I love both halibut and grape leaves, but this was a daring experiement that resulted in the only thing I wouldn't order again. With each dish composing only a few fabulous bites we both jockeyed and negotiated for the best morsels. But there was plenty in all. We were so full we couldn't order dessert. I understand the menu changes frequently, so I will try to go there every time I am in town. Highly recommended. more

After hearing that Martine was one of the most romantic restaurants in town, my boyfriend and I made a reservation there for our anniversary. It was absolutely horrible! We could not get a table for almost an hour even though there were empty tables AND we had a reservation. The hostess could not answer any questions and ,probably from feeling guilty, started ignoring us completely. By the time we got a table, waited (AGAIN) for a waiter, who was impossible to catch afterwards, and ordered, the night was far from romantic. Would not suggest counting on this restaurant for any special occasion. more

Superb food. Charm. Class. Romance. I forgo that I was in SLC. Try a variety of the tapas and some sangria. A definite reccomend. The service can be a bit unpredicatable. Pros: tapas, tapas, tapas Cons: unpredicatable service more

I went to the restaurant with high expectations after reading all of the reviews on Citysearch. The ambiance of the restaurant is beautiful with the tables set pristinely. The menu is small but offered an interesting variety of food. We had the tapas, stuffed bell pepper with feta, which were adequate. As a main course I had duck in a cherry sauce. The duck was overdone and the waiter had to get me a steak knife just to eat it. The potatoes that came with it were also overcooked and were far from delicious. Our other order was a halibut that was in bacon based sauce...Needless to say it was less than appetizing. During the whole meal our waiter was formidable but not overly helpful in any way. To top it all off, the meals are slightly overpriced for what was served. Pros: Atmosphere, prompt service Cons: Overcooked food, poor service, not alot of parking more

I have enjoyed eating at this place for quite a long time. It has very romantic environment and the ambience and it jives you up for a nice long night ahead full of warmth and passion ;) more

The restaurant oozes charm, and can be counted on for a romantic candle-lit evening. The Tapas was the highlight of the meal, though the Beef entree was delicious as well. They seemed to be running out of menu items, but I can understand why from the descriptions we received. Be prepared to spend money, but it really is worth the sensational food. Pros: Tapas, Beautiful, Candlelit Cons: Costly more

This would be a nice romantic place if the staff wasn't rude and they actually cooked your food. The decorations are nice, but the service is terrible and the prices are outrageous!! Don't waste your time of your money! Pros: looks nice Cons: Expensive, Rude, The FOOD! more

The Tapas meal is intriguing. However overcooking and uneven heating spoils the plates. The Moroccon beef tapas had juicy cubes of beef, and ""needed a glass of water to get down"" pieces. Next time stir mine! The empanada had a good crust, but its contents were 60% corn - way too much. The squid tapas were very rubbery and overcooked. Someone forgot to watch the bread as it was over rised with mamoth air holes and too chewey a crust - was it microwaved? The bill was $128 for 4 with only 2 deserts, coffee and 2 glasses of wine. Skip it next time. Pros: variety, atmosphere Cons: cost, overcooked, uneven more

Martine is one of my favorite restaurants, anywhere! It is a breath of fresh air for Salt Lake City! The atmosphere is cozy, romantic and adult-friendly. The food is always good. I like to order a few tapas for variety, but I also love the entrees. Definitely a local treasure. It has gained in popularity recently, so I recommend making a reservation to insure a table. Their wine list is very affordable. The servers are very knowledgable about the wine and have made some great recommendations. For a lovely, grown-up night out, this is the place in Salt Lake. Pros: Food, ambiance, service Cons: not for kids more

Great place for a business lunch. Not really a romantic place, a bit stuffy for that. Not a lot of booths. Pros: downtown, food Cons: ambiance more

Quite Excellent! This place is a wonderful Oasis located right here in SLC. Imagine a place combining European Culture and Metropolitan Elegance at the same time. When my partner and I go there we feel like were in NYC, San Fran or Seattle. The food is always great and service is excellent. Just a tip for the of towners, if your a gay couple or even if you fall somewhere in between and your visiting SLC. This is an excellent romantic place to go where you, your partner or spouse will be treated like real human beings. Select a wine from the extensive wine list, have a few Tapas and get comfy, cozy. Pros: romantic, european, metropolitan Cons: not good for kids more

Having fine dined in Salt Lake for years, we were very surprised to find Martines, slightly off the beaten track, but well worth the look-for. This renovated older building exudes a subtle but charming ambiance. Check out the bank vault/wine cellar. What really shines at Martines is the food. A fairly simple menu, the food was surprising creative without compromising taste. Semolina/chipolte (?) crusted scallops were heavenly. My duck was the best I've had all year (better than Grappas in Park City) and there was enough to share. Likewise were my companions meals sumptious. A Grilled Gingerbread with Butterscotch was a perfect ending to a delightful meal. It's hard to find a restaurant that scores high in all areas, but Martines did just that with attentive and impeccable service. We were planning our return before we even left the restaurant. Bravo! Pros: Excellent Food, Excellent Service, Ambiance more

The service at this once loved restaurant has gone considerably downhill. The last couple of times I have been in, the greeter has been rude and the service so-so. Not worth the price of their dinner. more