Café de Martín

I came to this restaurant for the very first time on my birthday, and it was truly magical from start to finish. To begin with, our waitress, Xiomara, went above and beyond to make the celebration unforgettable. She graciously changed our table to exactly what I wanted, made several arrangements to get the outdoor heaters turned on, and checked in on us constantly with such warmth and attention. She didn’t just serve us, she genuinely took care of us, making sure we were comfortable and having the best time. And the food? Absolutely incredible—so delicious and full of authentic, traditional Peruvian flavor. We ordered the Causa, Ceviche de la Casa, Lomo Saltado Mar y Tierra, Arroz Chaufa, Lomo Saltado con Pasta, plus several drinks, and everything was outstanding. If I had to pick favorites, the Lomo Saltado and the Arroz Chaufa were the stars of the night, hands down. For dessert, we tried the Passion Fruit Cheesecake, Nutella Chocolate Cake, and the Coffee Tres Leches. They were all delicious, but the Coffee Tres Leches was easily the best, so good! The ambiance was just as special as the food. It felt cozy and welcoming, and the outdoor area is beautifully decorated with gorgeous greenery and details that make it perfect for photos, especially on a special occasion. I would 100% recommend this place, and I can’t wait to come back!

My sister and I weee in town for a dog show and found this through Yelp. It was perfect! They have a super adorable patio that is dog friendly. The staff were super friendly and attentive without hovering. We tried the Chicha Power cocktail which was somewhat like sangria with spice (definitely recommend) and Causas appetizer with chicken salad which was fantastic and could be a meal. My sister had the Jalen Marina and I had the lamb stew. Both were amazing! We wanted to try dessert, but we stuffed to the brim with leftovers to go.

A Tallahassee Necessity! This place is incredible- from the food to the service to the atmosphere. The staff is very attentive and will make you feel right at home. The location itself is so quaint and the live music is a lovely touch. As for the food- so fresh and packed with flavor. We will absolutely be visiting again!

The atmosphere and the food are what make this place special. Wonderful paella and calamari, and outstanding cocktails. Sit outside and enjoy live music when the weather is nice!

I was really craving ceviche, so I decided to try this restaurant. The food was good. The portion of the Peruvian paella was huge—probably enough for two—but it was mostly just rice, and the flavor was not impressive. I'm not sure if it’s worth the price. The lemonade tasted artificial, with those prices, it should be natural. (3 stars) The service was regular. (3 stars) The place has a beautiful patio perfect for nice pictures. That's the only thing I do give 5 stars.

Delicious food and great atmosphere! We love so many items of the menu. Lomo saltado, tallarines verdes and ají de pollo are spectacular! The deserts and drinks are incredible! Impossible to miss a delicious passionfruit or tamarind Pisco Sour. This restaurant is a hidden gem💎

Walked in with family. Didn’t really pay attention to the decor. We sat down and ordered. Food was delivered and was delicious. My cousin ordered a Modelo that wasn’t delivered until we reminded staff. Then I looked up at the wall and was stunned. On the wall were masks and more than 2 featured black faces that were racist stereotypes. In this day and age why would a restaurant that opened in 2021 think this “decor” was appropriate. These horribly racist masks are not ok in the US or Peru. The exaggerated “red lips” etc. I immediately lost my appetite. This decor explains why there were no other people of color in the restaurant. The fact you can see these masks when you first walk into the restaurant is all anyone needs to know. Never again.

I loved it from start to finish. The cocktail recommended by sweeping a mixture of Margarita and Piña Colada, I really recommend it🍹 The delicious ceviche 🥣 My Paella was really exquisite 🍤 Bartender Kevin's attention was excellent Music 🎵🎶 delicious dessert ❤️ We'll be back soon🥰

Oh. My. Goodness. INCREDIBLE! The service, atmosphere, drinks, apps, entrees, dessert! I could go on and on! For drinks we had margaritas, pisco sours, the bird, ceviche and the vegetable spring rolls for apps, and many entrees. My favorite entrees were the crispy shrimp salad and the Pasta Huancaina with Lomo Saltado. For dessert we had the Oreo cheesecake, classic tres leches, and a chocolate cake that I cannot remember the name of but it had caramel in the layers? Seriously, everything was amazing! I wish I had taken pictures but my friends and I were too busy trying everything we forgot to. You will not be disappointed here!

We went for a late lunch on Friday. It was quite which I thought was perfect. The inside is nicely decorated and clean. Our server was polite, efficient and friendly. We had the chicken wings, lamb stew, lomo saltado and 2 limeades. Everything was very good. The teriyaki chicken was more salty/savory than sweet. Well fried and sauced. It's nice that it comes with fries, could be it's on entree. I got the lomo saltado whiich was tender but needed a little something. Which I might not even have noticed if the lamb wasn't so good. He said the the rice and beans with the lamb were good. Get the limeade/lemonade. It was delicious. We would recommend and visit again.

My wife and I were in town this afternoon and decided we should get some lunch. We were going to Carraba's when I remembered Cafe de Martin was right behind Carraba's. I commented we should try it as I'd seen some nice posts about it over the last year or so. It was almost 3 pm when we walked in and were shown to a table. there were no other guests in the dining room. We were presented menus and iced water. Our server came back shortly and asked if we were ready to order. my wife inquired about a lamb dish or a chicken stir fry. She was steered toward the chicken dish. i ordered the Asado Sandwich but the server said it was a lunch item not available past 3pm because the bread is baked daily. It was 3:04 pm and on the lunch specials menu we received when seated. I didn't argue, but felt it not customer friendly. No other patrons in the place - she could have said, let me go check with the kitchen and see what we can do. I perused the menu, so much was accompanied by rice and potatoes which is not good for us diabetic people. I saw crunchy shrimp appetizer and asked of they were good and popular - oh yes sir, very good. I ordered those and an Campesino Salad - chicken salad with vegetables topped with a creamy vinaigrette. Our server gave me the thumbs up sign for that item too. We watched as the two line cooks in view were busy preparing mise en place or our orders. My wife's stir fry arrived, it was piping hot. She took a bite, commenting it had good flavor but the chicken was a little chewy. A few minutes later another server delivered my crispy shrimp appetizer. There were 6 or seven frozen panko cruses small shrimp, a smidgeon of spring greens, a little ramekin of dipping sauce and some under cooked krinkle cut fries. The shrimps were 50% breading and probably were at best, 36-40 count sized. I ate them as I was starving, they were disappointingly tasteless and small - not what I'd expect from a Cordon Bleu trained chef. We Sat awhile wondering when my salad was coming. It never did. When the server asked if she could take our plates, I said yes, and I never received my entree salad. She apologized and said she was very sorry. Another server brought the bill which I paid the $40 and left an 18% gratuity - way more than actually earned. Won't waste my money here again. Not sure what all the hype was about but I didn't feel the magic at Martin's. Your response that you're small and locally owned means nothing in this case. Authentic frozen shrimp? No entree salad delivered. Server never followed up. Raise your standards!

The ambience, the staff and oh goodness the food! So delicious and fresh. I had the chicharron de pescado, sooo good! My friend has the Asada de Res and really enjoyed it. Topped off with Tres Leches and we all shared it and agreed it was very good! We'll be back!

Causa, drinks (local craft beer!) and ceviche were delicious. Service was a bit slow but understandable as they seemed to be understaffed. The tiny fruit flies that joined us for dinner and ended up in my drink were not welcome.

My daughter & I have been wanting to come here for awhile and I can honestly say we won't wait so long the next time. The ceviche mixto was perfect, had just the right amount of everything. The asado sandwich had plenty of flavor and our favorite yukka fries didn't disappoint. The passion fruit cheesecake was very light with a subtle hint of the passion fruit. You can dine inside or out and the service was great.

Excellent! Felt like we were in Mira Flores having dinner. Looking forward to going back. Saludos

Food awesome! Service was good! The outside vibe was so cool! Definitely check this place out if you're thinking about it. Will definitely be back

This is my go to place now! I have worked my way through almost the entire menu and haven't had a bad meal. This Sunday afternoon, I sat on the beautiful patio with nice music in the background. For once I just had a sandwich, the fish sandwich was amazing. The Jalea marina looks like what I'll order next. It is Fried fish and seafood marinated with Peruvian flavors, served with fried yucca, fried corn, red onion creole sauce, aji de la casa and tartara I am addicted to the Ceviche Apaltado/Avocado. So good and fresh! The Aji de Gallinais a good "first timer's" dish. Shredded chicken in a magnificent creamy sauce. I need to learn to make it. Yesterday, I had the Tallarines verdes (beef) It was served with linguine and a pesto sauce. The pesto was delicious as it is made with basil and pecans. The service is not rushed and non intrusive. This is a must try restaurant! I met a couple who had just returned from Peru and they thought the food was very authentic. I will continue to work my way down the menu!

The food is always so good. It tastes like you're eating in someone's home. The atmosphere is kinda elegant and romantic but also comfortable. Tres Leche is the best we've ever had.

Have been back several times since the last review. The updated patio is very nice and as always the food and service were great. Our waiter (Osvaldo) was engaging and friendly. It's a place where you feel welcome and appreciated. If you haven't yet been to the restaurant, you should give it a try.

Absolutely FABULOUS. Some of the best food I've ever had. Good for couples or small groups. They have a great little outdoor area and are building a bar next door. Service was great and very speedy. The FOOD. Good lord it was so tasty, everything was fresh and the portions are giant. Here is what our group got: - Tallarines Verdes: some of the best pesto I've ever had in my life, in love. - Aji de Gallina: so creamy and the combo of ingredients may sound very different but the flavors together are amazing. - Asado sandwich: very filling, big fresh steak. And I don't usually like photos to wedges but their's were perfectly fried and wonderful. I will definitely be returning!

This is one of favorite restaurants that I always come back to for lunch. I love the sandwiches and the sauce it comes with. Their dinner menu is not my favorite, mostly because of the price and I feel like the quality is lacking. I really enjoyed their drinks and the ambiance of the restaurant is very cozy. I have been here quite a few times and the service isn't the most amazing. I understand that people can have good and bad days but I have been abandoned many times while dining here but they have always made it up to me by giving a free dessert. I would highly recommend coming here for lunch but maybe not dinner.

Awesome Peruvian food! We had the ceviche mixto and the limo saltado. Both were the best I've had since San Francisco! The drinks were refreshing and inventive. Highly recommend!

Went to try their new bar, which is right next door. While you can get food at the bar, and now get cocktails inside the restaurant, patrons have to go outside to move between the 2 spaces. They also added a number of additional outdoor tables in front of the bar. Sat at the bar and had the speciality of the house: a pisco sour. It was delicious. Also had an order of fried yucca with sauce Huacaina. It, too was fantastic. We then went next door for our dinner reservations. They were getting busy and service was a bit hectic. We ordered the vegetarian spring rolls , ceviche mixto and Jalea Marina (fried mixed fish with a creole sauce and pickled onions). The spring rolls were disappointing: kind of mushy inside and not much flavor. Both fish dishes were well cooked and very flavorful. The only negative with dinner was that they had a singer performing but the speaker was pretty loud. It was hard to talk. For dessert we took home a box of alfajores: flaky cookies with dulce de leche in between. Delicious.

Best of Tallahassee for our family! Now they are adding a bar next door! The food, service and ambiance are absolutely amazing!

We visited the restaurant last Saturday to celebrate my daughter's FSU graduation the food was delicious and the service excellent. The ceviche, lomo saltado, arroz chaufa, tallarines verdes y el cheesecake de maracuya todo riquísimo.

How have I not left my review yet for the best Peruvian restaurant in Tallahassee?! We've been here a dozen times and it's always delicious. The entrees and salads taste spectacular and pretty large portions. I love the oriental salad and we always get ceviche. Best place in Tallahassee for ceviche. The restaurant can get busy so definitely get there early. They recently expanded the patio seating and have a bar now expanding the charm of the restaurant. My favorite part is splurging on dessert here. The Dulce de leche cookies are amazing. Tiny but packed with flavor. Try the peanut butter cheesecake if they have it! So good. Also, it's pretty common for the owner to stop by your table and check on you.

The food was great. The service was great too. You should get the seafood pasta is the best pasta there. It's got calamari scallops and shrimp. If you love Florida stuff the water is good there too.

This place is quite becoming one of the best restaurants in town. I went a couple times last year and came away impressed after both visits. On this trip, my wife and I tried their brunch. We started off with an empanada. The powder sugar on it is not for everyone but I like it. For my main course I had the beef sandwich with potato wedges. They were very good! I had a glass of white wine to get with my meal.

Mostly every foodie is going to this place. TL:DR - The Peruvian food is very good and the inside is very cozy. However, it is definitely priced higher than what this traditionally is. The restaurant is very welcoming and cozy. The desserts welcome you right as you walk in and then are seated. The food is very good and definitely the best Peruvian food in Tallahassee. There are some of the classics like Lomo Saltado and Ceviche, which everyone must try. Price - I understand the external pressures on small businesses, including inflation and supply chain issues, however, in my personal opinion, this Peruvian food spot is overpriced. Coming from south Florida, there are countless Peruvian spots that are properly priced and equally delicious. Those places don't exist in Tallahassee and why I think it's priced this way. Not saying it's NOT worth it, just that it's not fully accessible to everyone how this dish originally is enjoyed. Edited to include response on pricing: "We are not able to get the correct ingredients for our food in Tallahassee. It requires a monthly trip to Atlanta, Orlando or Tampa. If we were located in Miami we would have no trouble obtaining what we require. Additionally, all the ingredients have gone up in price whether purchased in Atlanta or from local vendors. I can assure you we are not price gouging since we are the only Peruvian restaurant in Tallahassee." - Cafe De Martin. I love the transparency and the fact they cared enough to respond. I absolutely find it worth it and delicious to visit. Do not mistake my memories prior to Covid of eating $9.99 Lomo Saltado in South Florida as indicating disappointment with the service or food quality, which was amazing.

I've gone on 2 different occasion and experienced great service. The food was good, it's a nice environment, and it's not too pricey.

Peruvian food has always been one of my favorites and this restaurant completely met my expectations and beyond them as well. I could spend the entire day in their outdoor area with a cappuccino or a mimosa. The service from the staff was also extremely welcoming and friendly as they truly seemed to be enjoying their job. The overall presentation of the food, seating area, and service is the best I've seen in Tallahassee for sure.

Because of COVID-19 I pick up my meals or lunch on the wonderful patio. Service is prompt and accurate. Ordering is best by phone for me. Each meal is a flavor delight. I love sampling new servings. I highly recommend dining here.

My husband and I tried this restaurant for the first time this evening and it was wonderful! The food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. It was flavorful and amazing. I hope to return soon to try their sandwiches.

Service: the waitress was very attentive. Food: very flavorful Overall a really good experience

This place is a hidden gem! I love going to this place everytime I'm in tally. The service is very nice and amiable. Went here around 7:30 and wasn't too busy. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful. The restaurant is very colorful and unique. Lots of little decorations that really pull the place together. They even have a garden seating area that is adorable and serene. The food was absolutely delicious. We got the appetizer Causa De Langostinos, personally it wasn't my type of taste but my family loved it. For dinner I got the Pasta Huancaina with Con Lomo Saltado which was absolutely amazing. For dessert we got the normal tres leches, it was a bit dry but overall yummy. Would definitely recommend this spot to anyone looking to try authentic food.

Fantastic lunch! Ceviche is brilliantly balanced and quite tasty! The fried rice was a great complement to the ceviche. Efficient, friendly service for lunch. We got in and out...

My dish was amazing!!!! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a true Peruvian gastronomic experience. Wow, delicious!!!

I love Cafe de Martin! It was first recommended by a Peruvian friend, and we met with a couple of other friends and my dog at the restaurant. I was very impressed with how welcoming they were for my dog outside. Marimar provided excellent service to our group of four friends, and we loved how friendly and helpful she was throughout our evening! We ordered the chicharrón de pescado, a couple of ceviches de la casa, and a ceviche, and the food was fresh, fabulous, and beautifully plated. Ceviche is a staple in Peru, and Cafe de Martin's ceviche was fantastic. Our entrees ranged in price from $16-20, so it seemed quite reasonable for what we enjoyed. We all got the delicious chicha morada (corn-based beverage) to drink as well, then after enjoying our evening outside in a lovely ambience and closing the place down, we went inside to get our desserts to go. The desserts are amazing! I highly recommend Cafe de Martin and cannot wait to return. If you want a local taste of Peru, este restaurante es perfecto!

My fiancé and I have been twice and we got the same thing both times because it was so good! The Oreo tres leche is a must. They also have cute outdoor seating And the service has been good both times we were there everyone is very friendly.

I'd been excited to try this place, between the Yelp reviews and the feedback from friends, I expected this to be a slam dunk. Went on their website three days prior to arriving and clicked the reservation tab. I filled out the form and asked for a table for four for Saturday night. I never got a response, but went with friends anyhow (one couldn't make it). We were sat quickly and we were excited to begin. It started a bit slow as we waiting for service for close to 15 minutes. When the server came, we ordered drinks which came quickly. We then ordered fried yuca as a starter and was asked if we were ready to order our main meals, and we were. I ordered the Cilantro Lamb Stew (Seco de Cordero con Frijoles), my wife ordered the Lomo Saltado, and our friend ordered the Arroz Chaufa. The meals came out without the starter, so we cancelled it. My wife and friends meals were good, but while I found the portion of lamb to be generous, it was slightly warm and quite dry. We did come in 1.5 hours before they closed, and they were quite busy, so I'll return again to see if I can get one of those 5 star experiences everyone is posting about!

From what I'm told, this is a relatively new restaurant in the area. Naturally, I'd expect a few hiccups. First. The food and its presentation is 5 star. Lots of different flavors, good value for the portion and all dishes are beautifully plated. The Lomo Saltado de Carne / Beef was flavorful, colorful and served piping hot. Fries are really potato wedges and they were nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfectly seasoned. The Oriental salad didn't have a traditional Thai vinaigrette, but it was very good and most likely "Peruvian style". The salad was fresh, crisp and had enough variety to keep in interesting. The Asado Sandwich slightly edged out the chicken sandwich. Both came with wedges and a spicy sauce. The Causa de Langostinos Shrimp and Avocado salad was not the expected a ceviche type dish. It was more of a mayonnaise based shrimp salad. Good, just not was expected. The breakdown, was a young staff. Our waitress got our food order correct, but missed an ice tea that was ordered. (They did not charge for it). And she was invisible after the food was served. When we finally flagged her down we requested pepper for the table. She never brought it. And long after our beverages were empty, she finally came along asking if we'd like refills. By then, we were ready for the bill. Still, Cafe de Marin is an excellent new spot that should be tried to experience the fine food of this culture. Service will improve with a little seasoning. But out of the gate, this Cafe comes close to hitting a grand slam.

I could go on and on about how amazing this place is but I will sum it up as the best food in Tallahassee. I can't sing enough praises. I've had their ceviche, gallina dish, and the the pasta with lomo saltado. They are are 10/10. I love that they have expanded and really wish more people knew about this spectacular place. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed a nice Cortada before hitting the salon, so glad Peruvians have moved to Tallahassee

I am here with a Peruvian born and raised in Peru who lived in Miami in later life. He has confirmed my suspicions that this is some of the best Peruvian food out there. Thank you Martin

Enjoyed the ceviche and fried rice. Delicious food and good service. Live music was a bonus!

Fantastic service and the food is amazing. I had the pisco sour, steak and carrot cake with an expresso. I dare you to try this combination and not think it is absolutely incredible. Tallahassee's newest best returaunt 100%.

Awesome food at this small, cozy Peruvian restaurant tucked in the corner of Esposito Shopping Center and hidden behind Carabba's. Very unassuming place but big in flavor. The price is slightly on the high end but the ingredients are solid. The ceviche is a must try. I've been here several times and tried different dishes each time. You won't regret any of the ceviche. This recent visit which I remembered to take photo, we ordered Cilantro Lamb Stew and Chicharron de Pescado. The tartara sauce that came with the fried seafood was so good that I had to request for more and our friendly waiter was more than happy to oblige. The red onion was so mouth watering. For some reason, the yuca and the fried corn is so addicting that we couldn't stop eating. Everything didn't look fancy but don't let the picture fool you. Give it a try!

A lovely local place to try out Peruvian dishes with friendly service. A friend of mine (who's been to Peru) invited me to this place and we enjoyed everything we ordered. (And my friend said everything was as good as what he had in Peru!) This is a xuisinr I am not familiar with (except that I've had ceviche in non Peruvian restaurants), but I love this kind of local places and the food was prepared with good quality ingredients. Maybe on a tad bit pricey side, and the menu items gear toward more creamy and rich side..but I definitely recommend it!

Beautiful restaurant atmosphere, and the food was off the charts good! Can't wait to go back - their dessert selection looks amazing (we were too stuffed to try it).

Great lunch menu. Fresh and tasty salad, sandwiches and soup of the day. Pet friendly when it's not pouring down rain!

Had dinner here with friends while visiting Tallahassee. They have the best ceviche I've ever eaten. Everything was fresh and well prepared. Fantastic meal at very reasonable price!

High marks for Food,Service & Ambiance!!! I forgot to mention our server Jennie did such a great job,and Alan took our photo on the patio.Thanks to both!Potato Wedges are a great side with the sandwich.I loved the Smoked Pork Sandwich and Peruvian coffee! Next time I will try the Crispy Shrimp and Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche.

The food is quite expensive and they do serve drinks. It is noisy and you are seated in a row on top of each other. Unfortunately, this results in a loud dining experience.

So yummy!! Enjoyed everything. Good service cute little restaurant. Will be back! Margarita was regular though i would try something different next time

Tucked away in a strip mall (which seems to be the Tallahasee way) is this hidden gem of a restaurant. Super friendly staff. Clean, inviting space, with open kitchen, comfortable dining room and patio seating. The service was exceptional from the initial greeting through the settlement of the tab. The menu is packed with tempting options, but for my first lunch here, we split an order of the ceviche de la casa and a chicken sandwich. Every bite of both dish was expertly prepared, perfectly seasoned and delicious! We ordered the ceviche "medium spicy", which was spot on. The chicken sandwich, with the pickled onions, spicy mustard and fries was so good! Can't wait to go back and try many more of their offerings. The soup de jour looked amazing! Don't let strip the mall location or your unfamiliarity with Peruvian cuisine keep you away from some of the best food in Tallahasee!

There's a reason it is always packed. Every dish I've gotten has been amazing. Try not to stuff your face with appetizers, entree, and drinks because you'll want to save space for the delectable desserts!

We were seated by the hostess for about 20 - 25 minutes and no one came to give us water or introduce themselves or even say "Someone will be right with you" so we left. Can't say anything about the food, but the service was non-existent. Pretty patio, though.

Authentic Peruvian food and excellent service! Servers are very helpful in recommending choices. The desserts are the best in Tallahassee.