Santé

Sante has become the place I look forward to the most when I want a special meal. Every visit has been wonderful and this year I chose it for my birthday dinner with friends. The restaurant is cozy with a warm rustic charm that makes the whole evening feel relaxed and inviting. Since the space is small, planning ahead with a reservation is a smart idea. Our server was incredibly gracious and helped guide us through the menu with thoughtful suggestions that matched what my friends were curious about. The entire night felt personal and welcoming. If you are celebrating anything or just want a meal that feels memorable, this is a fantastic choice.

An unforgettable evening at Sante. Incredible food, beautiful atmosphere — and art that commands attention. One painting in particular stopped me in my tracks. It had presence. It had soul. It moved me. My husband surprised me by purchasing it, and as it came off the wall, another patron exclaimed in disbelief that it was sold - clearly I wasn’t the only one captivated. Thank you for curating a space where art isn’t just decoration but part of the experience. That piece will forever remind us of a truly special night.

The foie gras was absolutely delicious - rich and melting in my mouth. Every dish exceeded expectations. We visited close to Christmas, and the atmosphere - from the restaurant to the Matthews downtown area - felt especially lovely and welcoming.

My husband and I had dinner at this restaurant. What stood out the most were the starters — absolutely delightful! We tried two dishes that were listed as dinner specialties, and they felt truly unique. For the main course, we ordered filet mignon and pork medallions. The filet mignon was tender on one side, but unfortunately, it was completely bland and lacked any flavor. Eating tasteless meat brings no enjoyment. As for desserts — yes, they were delicious and well-prepared, which helped to end the evening on a sweet note. Overall, while the starters and desserts were wonderful, the main course left us disappointed.

We went for my birthday dinner and received a complimentary desert. It’s a great date place with a romantic ambiance. Our server was very attentive. The old fashioned and margarita cocktails were amazing! We also enjoyed our filet mignon and salmon entrees. It’s a small place so I would make reservations to ensure a table. We will definitely be going back!

I spent NYE dinner at Sante last night and unfortunately the service was very lacking, although the food was good. When we arrived for our reservation, we were seated and then ignored without a server for what seemed like an unreasonable amount of time. Finally, we flagged a waiter down and asked if we could get a server to our table. When our waitress came she apologized and said the girls working the front didn’t tell her she had our table. We were there a full half hour before we got our first course. Later on, while we were eating our salads, one of the young girls came out with what appeared to be our entree, saw we were still eating our salads and looked confused, then set our meals down on a dirty counter while she got clarification from the waitress that those meals were ours. We were visibly still eating our salads and she proceeded to deliver the entree which there was no room for at our table so we had no choice but to have our salads taken away from us. Our waitress was nice but it was obvious she was taking care of way too many tables and the very young girls helping out were making a lot of mistakes. I witnessed a few other tables get orders incorrect, cold cappuccino’s delivered to them, and entrees being brought out too early. I think the girls were trying their best but need a little more training as customers are paying $98 per meal and expect fantastic service at that price, and not to be forgotten about when you are seated. We unfortunately sat without being asked what we’d like to drink for a very long time. Had the service been better and what’s expected of a restaurant of this price range, I would have given more stars.

We had an incredible first experience at Sante for my husband's birthday. We sat on the patio out back and it was lovely. Small area but you didn't feel too close to the other tables. The meal was fabulous and our server, Heather was just as great. Everything from the Cesar salad, the filet and then dessert was perfectly prepared and wonderful. This will definitely be added to our favorites in Matthews. Very warm and welcoming.

Sante.. what a rare and unique place.. anyone that’s around the south Charlotte Matthews area.. be lucky to be able to dine in at an incredible local place. Chef Adam and his wife Veronica with his daughter, Erin has been running this business for over 20 years, and guess what… CHEF ADAM IS STILL YOUR MAIN COOK!! How incredible is that?! Does he need too.. no.. but his passion and his meticulous aim for CONSISTENT quality drives him to have a touch of every dish going out.. even if it’s a Wednesday night! Did you know sauces here are reduced with an incredible amount of ingredient for hours??? No short cuts here, everything here is love care! What’s even better is Sante and the business supports local markets and did you know Chef Adam has made a big impact in my life when I was a 18 year old boy in the back doing dishes and doing prep? This was 20+ years ago but as someone that’s 40+ years now, who has made a successful career with remembering Chef Adam’s passion and STILL inspiring me.. should inspire anyone today! Come dine in here but don’t mess with my reservations after this because this place is LITERALLY a household gem. Thank you to the Reed family… business is business but thank you for being just good people…. and don’t ever let anyone discredit your passion that’s been going for 20+ years! What a Gem! -Donny and Mollie Chung

Since I travel very frequently on business I always rely on Yelp reviews. This little gem popped up and turned out to be absolutely charming. You are sure to enjoy the quaint ambiance of a French bistro. I was very pleased to have such gregarious service with Dara. It was a very hard decision to make as their menu is quite diverse with many delicious entrees. Having traveled all day I needed substance and selected the shrimp tagliatelle . Great choice! No doubt I will be back on my next trip.

Staff was AMAZING - called ahead to pay my parents bill for their anniversary. They then surprised my parents with a dessert and decorated table without me even asking. Thoughtful and kind beyond measures! Food was amazing and a great spot right in downtown Matthews. Can't get better than that!

Finally made our way to Santé and it was a very good experience. It was the service that made it exceptional. The food was good but it wasn't the wow we were hoping for. The restaurant itself is small, make a reservation if you want to go! It's a bit outdated but maybe that works for them. They make all the desserts in house and present a large tray of the options at the end, they have many dessert choices which was very nice rather than the normal two or three.

Wednesday night I went to Sante in downtown Matthews with one of my besties. It's a French inspired restaurant that is cute, quaint and just full of character ‍ I had the pan seared farms chicken with garlic mash. I also got a side of truffle mac and cheese. No joke this was the best meal I have had thus far in Charlotte. Our waiter was quirky and really made our night enjoyable. I've been going to a lot of restaurants in the city so it was nice to eat somewhere outside the city and support a small local business

The food was excellent, as was the service. The restaurant itself is very clean, and the atmosphere was welcoming. Happy to support another locally-owned restaurant!

Service is superb & overall food is appetizing. Pan seared chicken with mashed potatoes was my favorite . Trout could've used a tad bit more seasoning.

True local fine dining in Matthews, NC. Beautiful restraunt with paintings all over the walls with a warm cozy vibe. Food was fresh and phenomenal. The team small yet mighty was super friendly and attentive.

This is our second time here - very good. The service at this place is outstanding - they do an excellent job of suggesting things and talking with you. Lawrence was outstanding. We had a filet and the swordfish special with risotto - all of it was cooked perfectly.

LOVED. 5/5. 10/10. However you want to put it, it was just fantastic. Beautifully decorated for the Holidays, Sante provides the perfect intimate setting for a date night or special occasion. Our dating anniversary just so happens to be right around Christmas so what a perfect time to try this cozy little family owned spot in the cute downtown Matthews. You definitely need reservations because it is small inside. Everything is made from scratch using local seasonal ingredients and most of it comes from the Matthew's Farmers Market across the street! Fresh bread is delivered to your table along with dipping oil that was splendid. The features included she crab soup, French onion soup, and a venison dish which you don't see offered in restaurants very often. The venison was perfectly cooked and we were blown away by how TENDER it was! I ordered the CAB filet which was good, I just wish there was more of the gorgonzola butter on top to have more in each bite. Everything from the intimate setting, to the wait staff, to the delicious food and interesting wine, was truly fantastic! I looked at my husband and said - we have to come back here.

This place is awesome! Great service, wonderful ambiance and exquisite food entrees. Wines were very good too! Plenty of bourbon and spirits. Desserts were so gooooood! Would recommend highly. Reservations required. I ordered the sea scallops with Israeli couscous. Delicious!

Sante is really the perfect little place for fine dining in Matthews. Terrific staff, menu and owners. Truly reminds me of being in a Paris bistro.

We celebrated our anniversary last night at Santa. We are absolutely blown away by Zack and the quality of the food. Everything was absolutely outstanding from our drinks to our appetizers to the main course and then of course the dessert. Zack did a fantastic job as our server and we came away so impressed and will definitely return.

We had reservations for our anniversary and were traveling 5 hours to Sante. One week from our reservation we were told they forgot to turn off the reservation system and cancelled our reservation due to a private event that day. Very unprofessional to say the least.

This place has GREAT food and GREAT service. Honestly, the weak point for me is the cocktails. But it's definitely one of the best places in Matthews. It's a cozy place that is fancy enough for a date but not so much that you feel out of place.

Very disappointing. Three out of the four of us were told our entrées from the standard menu were sold out and was during regular dinner hours. Probably should maintain your menu items before having multiple specials. The food we did order was just average. If you're looking for French food, I'd just go to uptown or even Cafe Monte in Southpark. Not even a comp'd dessert to apologize to the table, which shows service didn't even care.

They did it again! We absolutely love this place. This time we sat out back and they had enough fans going so it was comfortable during summer. Service was great per usual. I love the Pinot noir options and the fact that they use fresh muddled cherries in their old fashioned. Chef made me some dairy free blacked grouper and my bf had the chicken dish.

Decent, I would go back. Salmon- My friend loved u this Veggie plate - Mac n cheese was amazing Brussels and cauliflower was good. Id skip the others Mashed potatoes- good to flavor, a little dry The bread that was complementary was not very good

Four of us celebrated my birthday last evening and had a very memorable experience. The restaurant was very busy for a Tuesday, yet the service was impeccable and the food was outstanding! Chef Adam is a force to be hold. He cooked last night on his birthday! He and his wife opened Sante in 2001, and their dedication to excellence has allowed them to flourish all these years. It is the best kept secret in downtown Matthews!

Took my husband during Father's Day weekend. Very good food. Quaint restaurant, good service. Parking was not so great. We had to walk across the street to park. It's a busy area. But was worth the walk.

I think that Santé is my favorite restaurant. I've never had a meal here that wasn't absolutely delightful. I went with a group of friends for my birthday this year. It's a small restaurant with a quaint, rustic ambience, and I would recommend reservations. The waitress was very kind and provided suggestions based on what my friends asked about the menu. You can't go wrong celebrating here.

I went here with a friend for dinner on a Thursday night. I made a reservation. This place has only street parking. This area had a bunch of small shops and other restaurants in the area. When you walk inside it's not that big they have about 12-15 tables in the restaurant. When we sat down. They had a sign at the table saying Happy Birthday. Which was a nice touch because we were there to celebrate a birthday, but I didn't tell them that information. The service was nice and the food was good. I had the scallops with risotto and they were cooked nicely and it was well seasoned. We ordered dessert and the server came out with a display of desserts to show us for us to pick one. I liked that idea. This place was nice and I will be coming back again.

Poor on all levels. Service was very slow and completely lackluster. The appetizer was cold and barely edible. Entre was also cold and leather like. Sat in an Alley/Storeroom behind the Resteraunt. Full of debris, boxes, fixtures.... Not suitable for an area to be considered part of the resteraunt. NOT A PLACE I WILL EVER RECOMMEND!

The best kept gem of Matthews! A favorite spot for an evening out with girlfriends. The food is always delicious, the service perfect and the atmosphere just right for enjoying a great meal. Hats off to Adam and Veronica and their Team!

Visited on a Sarurday night. Party of 4. Started with the Octopus app. Octopus can be chewy but this was the tenderest Pctopus I've ever had. I had the duck breast. Skin was very crispy and cooked a perfext med rare. Wife had scallops and rest of party had halibut and pirk tenderloin. Wife thought scallops were over priced for only getting 3. Big disappointment eas dessert. I had the pot-de-creme. The meringue was exstremly grainy probably due to the sugar being mixed in late. I mentioned this to server who told me she had it the previous night and it was grainy when she had it. I'm wondering 1.if she said anything to mgmt, 2. Why she let me order it if she knew it was not right 3. She didn't take it off the bill. Overall food good but overpriced.

The snapper was overcooked which was easy to do since it was such a small, thin, piece of fish. The pasta dish was just OK. Dessert's were disappointing (cheese cake square & pastry puff with ice cream). Service was average.

We had heard so many wonderful things about Sante and we couldn't wait to try it out for a date night. Other than our server being absolutely wonderful, the experience was pretty awful. None of the food we had was special - in fact a lot of it was downright bad. I asked for my steak medium rare and it came out raw - I couldn't slice through it. I told the waiter it was raw and he looked down and said "yup I can see that". The rest of the food I felt I could make better myself at home. The tables are incredibly close together - you feel like you're out with everyone in the restaurant. And on an extremely hot summer evening, there didn't seem to be much AC. Overall - for $170 meal with drinks, a starter and main course, I would not recommend. There are so many amazing restaurants in Charlotte to go to at this price point - or cheaper!! - don't waste your time here :(

Private party. Food was good. We had the filet. Moscow Mule from the bar was tasty as well and served in a generous container. Place is small and intimate w outdoor seating out back. It was a bit warm in there w all the people, but other than that it's a neat little place

Amazing food, amazing wait staff. Great experience, and the atmosphere was perfect. It was the perfect choice a special occasion.

Fortunately we made reservations for dinner on a Saturday evening as every table was taken. There were a couple of walk-ins that had to be turned away. Service was very efficient as staff kept following up to make sure everything was alright. My filet was excellent as was all the food. I will definitely return.

My husband and I attempted to have dinner here last night. Our drinks and the appetizer were brought out in a timely manner, however our dinners took well over an hour and that was after we inquired about them. Even though we specified in the reservation about an allergy to bell peppers, my dish contained bell peppers. This was not a listed ingredient in the menu description either. Then our server told us twice she never checks the notes on the reservation begging the question why put it in there at all. My husbands dish was tasteless so rather than wait another hour for new food to arrive we asked for the check and left.

Superb in every sense of the word. My wife and celebrated our engagement here and the staff was very accommodating. Classy and chill place to be.

Had to check out this place in downtown Mathews for restaurant week. I made a reservation for a party of 5 and we were seated immediately when we walked in. Our waitress was very friendly and we really like the atmosphere. Bread was brought out about 10 minutes after we were seated and it was delicious. We of course all splurged and ordered some delicious drinks! For our first courses we ordered the falafel, zucchini cakes, and a salad. Everything was good and the zucchini cakes were very unique. Three of us got the filet minion, there was an order of the shrimp orZo and the scallops. Two of the filets came out over cooked but everything else was good. I haven't had to send a steak back in years so this was really surprising to me. I ordered it medium rare and it was well done. Our waitress was very apologetic which was kind. When our new steaks were brought out it was the difference between night and day. Veryyy yummy. The chocolate dessert was delicious! Overall we had a really great experience dining at Sante for restaurant week.

Great date spot. Staff is very attentive and the food is good. I sampled a few cocktails and enjoyed them. Small place but great vibes.

We ate at Santé for the first time last night and had an amazing evening! The food was delicious and the fact that the chef came to visit and check on us was a wonderful, personal touch. Veronica was so sweet and hand wrote a note for us to come back and visit again. Even though they are short staffed right now you would never know it! Our waiter was amazing, gave great recommendations, described everything perfectly and made our visit memorable! Thank you and cannot wait to visit again!

My wife and I came here a few months ago so this is a bit of a delayed review. We were pretty excited about this as we live close and had always heard such good things, and the experience was fine, pleasant really. The service was absolutely outstanding. Very attentive, helpful and pleasant. We started with escargot and it was solid, very tasty. But then our main entrees were very underwhelming. I got the steak, a NY Strip, and it was cooked well (rare) but just woefully under seasoned. My wife's entree was similar, fine, but nothing wow, other than the two raw/undercooked potato. Nothing was wrong here, but maybe because our expectations were high it felt like the main courses were certainly a letdown. For the price, I'd certainly go somewhere else for a fine dinning experience, though again that's based off our one visit and certainly doesn't seem to reflect what others had experienced.

Delicious food, attentive service, and romantic atmosphere! It is a true gem in Matthews! We currently live in Houston, which is quite a foodie city, and this restaurant would work in Houston. The escargot with puff pastry was scrumptious! Their amaretto old fashioned was one of the best I have had! Make sure you make a reservation though because it is a smaller restaurant. Definitely check it out because you will not regret it!

We paid our second visit to Sante last night to again celebrate our anniversary. We tried the entre specials for the evening and they were innovative and very delicious. The atmosphere is excellent with low background music that did not impose on conversations. The server was delightful, patient and had a nice smile.

Quality food, quality, service, quality ambiance. One of the best restaurants I've been to since moving to Charlotte 3 years ago.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to get up, the next group is here waiting to be seated." is not what you expect to hear ever, in any restaurant especially one that wants to play with the big boys like La Belle Helene and can themselves fine dinning. Let me give you the run down of what happened up until that point. We were the first ones there were we arrived 5 minutes early for our 5:30 reservations and felt rushed from the time of ordering appetizers, when the server said, "the chef likes it when you put in your entrées at the time of ordering the appetizer, to keep from confusion later",... huh?? What does that even mean buddy?? Well, it's not his fault, and you can tell this is a management issue, and I might add that he still received a 25%tip regardless of anything, he didn't cook the food. Next, the server brought out two pieces of bread, very dry and floury bread, with oil and herbs for dipping, sort of like Carrabbas except for not as good, and I'm not advocating for Carrabbas here, it just wasn't good at all! French onion had WAY too much bread, too little onion and cheese, maybe 5 out of 10, you can have better at Longhorns and they're not even French or fine dining!! The duck entrée was disappointing, and I'm sort of glad for the small portion size for I wouldn't have wanted to eat much more of it anyways!! My date and I both had Crème brûlée for dessert, it was okay but definitely not worth the money. Atmosphere was okay, location is nice, the look was ok, the presentation of the food was great , but that's about it. I can't get over the fact that right after I paid $106 for this experience, the manager would come up to me while my date is using the rest room to ask me to clear the table to make room for those who are outside waiting to be seated. How is that my problem that you overbook yourself, and we weren't even there that long since she only had one glass of wine. I'm from Europe and I assure you, you don't get rushed out of any restaurant there, EVER!! And lady, just so you know, you don't hide your emotions well, your face said it all when I told you that I will sit right here until my date gets back from the bathroom, I mean who would ask someone to leave the table while the other person is still in the bathroom, how can you even ask me that?? And this is regular practice here I saw , others have said the same thing about you in different reviews, you ask people to clear the table, I mean who does that?!! I really can't explain why you have any good reviews at all aside from people either don't know or understand fine dining. Save yourself the trouble/disappointment and don't eat here, spend the extra $50-100 and experience actual fine dining. And by the way, I also find it interesting that you didn't reply to the other person who left you a similar review, the other lady you asked to clear the table to make room for others, happened about 4 months ago. Just wrong!!!

This terrific little restaurant in the heart of downtown Matthews is the perfect spot for anything from a romantic escape to a casual dinner with friends. The charming dining room is compact enough to allows tables to be comfortably spaced without reducing the sense of intimacy. And the extensive wine, liquor and cocktail lists alone will have you planning a return. On a recent visit, we started off with a cheese and charcuterie board and delicious order of Bruschetta, paired with a tasty selection of cocktails and bourbons. For my entree, I ordered the highly recommended Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon Fillet, which was good but a bit underwhelming. My wife enjoyed a Filet Mignon, and we shared a delicious order of cheesecake for dessert. The service at Santé is absolutely top-notch, and the romantic setting makes it one of the best spots in Charlotte to impress a first date. The food on our visit didn't quite impress enough to earn a fifth star, but we'll definitely be making another visit soon to give the menu another go.

Fantastic food, wine and service by Zack. The halibut was cooked to perfection and the cinnamon cream brûlée was amazing! Here on business from Asheville and I was extremely pleased!

We moved to the area almost 2 years ago and were hoping to find a go to dinner spot for date nights without our kids. Sante has become that place for us. The food, drinks, and service are always perfect. The atmosphere is intimate to the point of being known by the staff after only a couple of visits. Also, on holidays (like Mother's Day) when they have special events, it is a great spot for the whole family.

Quaint spot in downtown Matthews with personalized service and high quality food. Great for a date night!

Thank you for a fantastic dinner experience!! Our party of four had the sirloin which was prepared perfectly, medium rare just as ordered, smoked salmon with quinoa. My daughter said "Wow, the best Salmon I have ever had!! I had the Springer mountain chicken, it was simply unbelievable served with mashed potatoes and veggies!! We also had the shrimp penne that was good until the last drop. The service was spot on!! While they where very busy they still where attentive to our needs!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! Lovely meal!!

Incredible food and great service. Very romantic. Owner stopped by the table to check on everything. The escargot was amazing.

I have a small list of restaurants that are nice and have good food and would be a great date spot. Sante made it to the top and my husband and I had a fantastic dinner here. The service was amazing and the restaurant is small and intimate and has a feel nice fancy but cozy feel. We each had a cocktail and shared an order of brussel sprouts. My husband had the salmon and I had the chicken. Both were SOOOO good! My chicken was perfectly cooked and had amazing flavor but the best part was how juicy the chicken was. I don't know what they heck they do to have it be cooked but also so juicy but it was one of the best chickens I have had in a very long time. Highly recommended.

My daughter,grandson and niece went to Sante' for dinner last night. From the in-house made bread to the specialty signature cocktails, to the appetizers ,moving along to the main course ending with dessert and coffee. Everything was delicate with pops of flavor. The entire meal was full of smiles and surprises. I like to taste my food with a little twist. You get this from Sante'. If you looking for an exceptional dining experience you must go and experience it for yourself I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

Quiet little restaurant nestles in downtown Matthews with delicious food and friendly staff who are very attentive during your dining experience.

What a cute place. You will think you are in NYC. Excellent service. Fantastic cocktails. Exceptional food. I had the duck and my husband had scallops. Scallops were good , the duck was fantastic! I can't wait I go back. I'll save room for dessert next time. They looked decedent.