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Matthew's Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
9 reviews for Matthew's Restaurant
Matthew's is widely considered to be Jacksonville's best restaurant, and it generally met my expectations (in just one meal so far) but it didn't wow me. I've eaten in a number of the country's best restaurants, and I'm rarely wowed, so my expectations have been calibrated down over time. I've found that "wow" experiences are more of a random occurrence than something that you can expect at top restaurants. If you have reasonable expectations when you go here, I think you'll be pleased.
The service was consistent with the best (but for one problem), in my opinion: expert and constantly present without you noticing them too much. The problem: I inquired about an M card (Matthew's loyalty card) at the beginning of the meal and my waiter said that I'd receive one with my check. It never came.
The setting is comfortable, upscale, attractive, and not too noisy.
Entrees range from the low $20s to the mid $30s. There were quite a few wines in the $30s, and well as a good selection by the glass. There are more expensive restaurants in Jacksonville, and I consider the place to be reasonable value.
I tried two types of bread, and they were merely pleasant to me (I think restaurants at this level should be shooting for better than pleasant). The butter was warm and spreadable, which I like, but rather bland (for my taste, the best butter is much saltier).
My appetizer was a hit: gnocchi with a blue cheese sauce and bacon. I scooped up ever last bit of the sauce, and would definitely order it again. My main, scallops with risotto, was tasty but not a wow. It had the advantage of being much smaller than my compatriot's dishes, however, allowing me to put down three courses without being stuffed. My compatriots all had beef dishes, and the consensus (and I tasted them all) was that they had cut-above flavor. The sirloin was notably large, however, too large for most people if they want to eat a multi-course meal. My dessert, a peanut butter/chocolate dish, was merely pleasant, a disappointment to me.
A couple of quibbles:
- a gnat buzzed me briefly at one point.
- I emailed them through their website prior to eating there, and haven't heard back yet. Most restaurants are brain-dead when it comes to the internet.
Insider hint: they've been running good coupons in Mint Magazine recently.
Overall: no, my experience wasn't perfect. Yes, I'd like to eat there regularly, and I enjoyed myself on this occasion. It's pretty expensive, but reasonably priced for a restaurant of this quality. If you have reasonable expectations I think they'll be met.
Let me start by saying Matthews is a great dinning experience, and may have no real competition anywhere in Jacksonville outside the dinning rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, The Ponte Vedra club and the hotels at that level. For those of you who don't know Matthew Medure is the owner/chef of the location and sports a trendy second location in south Ponte Vedra called Medure's. He also has a more casual location called Matthews Market right across from his original location.
We denizens of Jacksonville should consider ourselves lucky to have such a place as Matthews to dine at. Now that I've spent a good bit of your time worshiping at the alter of Matthew's let me get down to the nitty gritty. This is top notch food. The other local spots in historic San Marco don't work on the same playing field as the cuisine here. The locals are generally well educated and wealthy and that is the cliental that you will find at Matthews.
A robust wine list starts off your adventure, and a healthy and ever changing menu shows that Matthews knows where, and when to source and showcase ingredients rather then do the best that you can with what you've got. That being said expect to pay top dollar for what you get.
Matthews suffers from two flaws, one self inflicted one that is a chronic problem of the Jacksonville gastronomy scene. Firstly Matthews uses broths a lot. Some foodies will rave about the ethereal quality of a light broth or smoke. They will tell you that it takes real skill and a knowledge to pull off a truly spectacular dish; they are correct. I however prefer a sauce, something with a bit more substance and a clear idea of the chefs intent. Don't get me wrong im not the guy who walks into a Sushi place and pours shrimp sauce on this hand roll and calls that authentic. The second issue is that the population of Jacksonville does not go out for a night on the town. Don't expect to find a hip group of city dwellers that are going to go have dinner, go to a museum and then out for drinks on the town. Because of this Matthewes doesn't ever get the good kick in the tires it deserves from the real metro crowd.
I am actually going to give Matthews 4 stars. Before you yell and bemoan my unfairness let me justify this. This place will wow you. They are on a different level then AIX, BB's and the like, so a 5 star for AIX is not more then a 4 star here. I would like to see chef play more with tasting/adventure menus and really take some risks here. The service is top notch and so is the food. This is easily one of the best places to eat in Jacksonville, but when it boils down to the nitty gritty I guess I'll always be a sauce man not a broth man.
A small, cozy restaurant in San Marco. The menu is a la carte and varies from day to day. The food was absolutely incredible. The service was outstanding and very personalized. Perfect ambiance, minimal noise. Very romantic. I highly recommend it. Expect to pay $60-80 per person for three courses and dessert.
I went for the first time yesterday for their new "happy hour specials" certain apps and drinks were half-price! Well, it was worth it and I couldn't have afforded to order what I did at full price-LOL...i had the gnocchi and the tomato carpaccio- both very tasty and I sampled a tiny bit of the beef tips,kobe burgers and cheese plate that my friends had ordered- all quite good! the beef tips were soooo good we wanted more...the drinks were excellent and the atmosphere lovely- very upscale...the bartender was friendly and helpful but a little too busy with the other customers...twice as I was trying to ask something he seem didn't hear me and walked away!! Oh well I will be back for more :)
I love his cooking so much that I would probably consider handing over my wife in an indecent proposal-style trade for a table every Friday night.
The best in town. Period.
Matthew's Haiku Review
Waiters in suits serve
French-inspired fare while the
wine list flows ever on.
if i didnt live on the other side of town i'ed be here every other night...awesome,plus i miss my friend KELS!
Others' reviews of Matthews are pretty much spot on. The food in this little San Marco restaurant is fabulous. It's been quite some time since I've eaten there, but coming across these reviews makes me want to grab a reservation and take my better half out for something nice. As mentioned, the service is great. If there is another restaurant in Jacksonville that compares or comes close, I personally have yet to find it. In other reviews for other high-end restaurants in Jacksonville, Madure was mentioned, but I cannot attest to that as of yet. Regardless, if you can stomach the price and you want some of the best food and wine around, this is where you need to go.
i've dined all over america. this restaurant is still on my top 3. the service was OUTSTANDING. the food was amazing. the atmosphere was top notch. not to be missed!
