Mateo Bar de Tapas

Located in downtown Durham in a former Book Exchange building, the venue lives up to all expectations when it comes to food, décor and the inevitable Iberian vibe. Offering a rich selection or Spanish flavours, some dishes are even given with a local touch, causing such flavour combinations as the BBQ pork with piquillo cheese or the roasted bone marrow with oxtail marmalade and spring onion. Besides the taste fusions created by chef Matthew Kelly, Mateo also boasts a great wine and sherry selection that are easily matched to any of the dishes by the attentive and knowledgeable staff.

Durham is home to one of the best chefs in America (four times) by the James Beard Foundation, Chef Matt Kelly. Blending authentic flavors of Spain with classic ingredients from the South, Mateo offers a refined menu of Spanish dishes with Southern soul. Food enthusiasts will line up for tables to get a taste of their small tapas-style dishes like the Chicken Croquetas with espelette pepper honey and aioli, Gambas al Ajillo shrimp with garlic and chilies, Patatas Bravas, Spanish ham and cheeses, charred octopus with black garlic aïoli, and grilled cabbage with parmesan fondue and crispy potatoes.

Which is why it should come as no surprise that the city is home to Copa, a Latin restaurant run by a Cuban biochemist, and Mateo, described by Alton Brown as “the best tapas bar in the U.S.” It’s also the home of two tentpole cultural events that sell out in a flash: April’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which draws top filmmakers from around the world, and Moogfest, an avant-garde music, art, and tech gathering held the same month. (Yes, it’s named for that Moog—Robert, the synthesizer inventor and electronic-music pioneer.)

Expectations were high when Matt Kelly, executive chef of Durham’s Vin Rouge, opened Mateo Bar de Tapas in 2012. Since then, food enthusiasts have lined up for tables at this vibrant eatery for such authentic Spanish tapas as tortilla española, patatas bravas and pan con tomate. Sweetbreads topped with a sauce of the season are on the menu, as are blood sausage, the finest Spanish hams and cheeses, and varying seafood small plates, like charred octopus with black garlic aïoli and fried squid with piquillo pepper tartar sauce.

A pillar of Durham’s foodie scene, Mateo’s served tapas, pintxos, paella and porron in the heart of downtown Durham since 2012. With a Spanish heart and a Southern soul, you’ll find treats like Cheerwine sangria, Pollo Frito (fried chicken stuffed with mahon cheese and serrano ham, pickles and aioli) and Pan con Tomate complete with an option to add Duke’s mayonnaise. Choose Mateo for a bit of adventure with just the right amount of familiarity and comfort to win a date with your sweetie.

Mateo’s menu has an enormous selection of inventive Spanish-style tapas—everything from chicken liver pate to cold crispy pork skin, blood sausage spring rolls to bone marrow and smoked oxtail marmalade, shrimp and pork meatballs to the locally famous patatas bravas. Its ever-changing blackboard has even more options, some that thread the needle between “small plates” and “entrées” but leave you just full enough. If you ever see the sweet potato dish on there, go for it.

He started his career at the French-inspired spot Vin Rouge, opened the Spanish-themed Mateo Bar de Tapas in 2012 and will reveal two more downtown spots this summer (Lucky’s Deli and Mother & Sons). Mateo, which earned Kelly a James Beard nomination, is Spanish but with Southern influences, too — like North Carolina-sourced hams and cheeses among the traditional jambon and queso offerings. It also boasts one of the largest sherry selections in the country.

Dress up and delight in Spanish tapas at this upscale eatery located in a beautiful old brick building downtown. Chef Matt Kelly has been named one of the best chefs in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation and is known for putting local North Carolina ingredients into foreign service, which means you’ll get a taste of the South and of Spain. There are dozens of delicious dishes to choose from, but the best part about tapas?

Mateo Bar de Tapas (109 W. Chapel Hill Street; 919-530-8700), housed in the Old Book Exchange Building in Downtown Durham, features the flavors of Spain with the beloved ingredients of the South. A casual, yet refined, menu of Spanish small plates with a Southern inflection. Mateo Bar de Tapas is known for their extensive Spanish wine list as well as one of the largest sherry offerings in the country.

Tapas is one of my FAVORITE dining styles because you get to try a bunch of small plates and it usually means you’re surrounded by a group of friends J Mateo is the perfect place to celebrate a birthday or big event and try everything they have to offer!. It’s a Portuguese-inspired menu with yummy dishes like albondigas and patatas bravas. Make sure you order a pitcher of Cheerwine sangria!

Romantic restaurants in Durham are plentiful, but I personally feel that Mateo Bar de Tapas tops the list – the name even sounds charming. They offer some excellent traditional Spanish tapas and incorporate local twists in the menu such as the use of Almejas (North Carolina neck clams). Mateo Bar de Tapas is also one of the few places in Durham where you can find properly cooked paella.

One of the best restaurants I have ever dined at in North Carolina is Mateo. I have fond memories of an epic girls’ night here where we ordered whatever the server recommended and sat in a booth trying new dishes, laughing way too hard, and enjoying catching up. Their menu is an absolute gem, like the Almejas dish pictured which features NC little neck clams, boiled peanuts and jamon.

Welcome to Mateo Bar de Tapas, the premier Spanish tapas restaurant in Durham, North Carolina!. Our menu features a selection of authentic and delicious tapas dishes that are perfect for sharing with friends and family. Using only the finest ingredients, our skilled chefs prepare each dish with care and precision, ensuring a truly memorable dining experience.

For couples who love to share and explore flavors together, Mateo Bar de Tapas is an excellent choice. This Spanish-inspired tapas bar offers a lively yet intimate atmosphere, ideal for a fun and romantic date night. The small plates are perfect for sampling a variety of dishes, from classic patatas bravas to innovative Southern-Spanish fusion creations.

If you ask someone at Duke what their favorite Durham restaurant is, Mateo is almost always the answer. Located downtown, the restaurant offers a wide array of Spanish-style tapas with a southern twist. My personal favorite dish is the Queso Frito y Huevo, an egg surrounded by crispy manchego cheese and served over charred green beans.

For his first restaurant, Kelly opened Mateo in 2012, serving a menu of Spanish tapas, where diners found the thrill of crushed tomato served on toasted bread and topped with olive oil and salt, bite-sized chicken croquettes dotted with fiery honey, and shallow pans of paella studded with shrimp and mussels on a bed of golden rice.

If you're looking for a place to get your tapas fix in Durham, look no further than Mateo Bar de Tapas. You'll feel like you've been transported to a Spanish courtyard, complete with a fountain and striped umbrellas. The menu is packed with delicious small plates, so grab a group of amigos and get ready to share.

📍 109 W Chapel Hill StA fusion of Spanish tapas and Southern charm, Mateo is a cozy, rustic spot perfect for sharing small plates and a bottle of wine. The ambiance is warm and inviting—ideal for intimate conversations or group gatherings.Must-try: Albondigas, deviled eggs, and their extensive sherry list.

Mateo: From the award-winning chef behind another Durham favorite Vin Rouge, Mateo is the French bistro’s Spanish counterpart. This tapas bar offers seasonal rotating small plates in a trendy and romantic atmosphere. Accompanying the flavorful plates is one of the largest sherry selections in the country.

There's nothing better than going out to dinner and trying a variety of different menu options. Mateo Bar de Tapas is the perfect restaurant for those who can never quite decide what they want to eat. In downtown Durham, Mateo Bar de Tapas brings authentic Spanish flavors to the Bull City.

I like any meal that makes me think, and at a fusion restaurant I need to concentrate all my mental energy to figure out what’s being fused. Mateo is that rare beast, Spanish-Southern fusion. It’s the perfect place to go with a dining companion because it’s a tapas restaurant.

Chef Matthew Kelly is the executive chef at this amazing restaurant which offers Spanish as well as Southern cuisine. Iberian port, country ham and clams are only some of the many awesome options for diners. Address- 109, West Chapel Street, Downtown Durham, Durham, NC- 27701

Chef Michael Lee is dominating the scene with M Kokko and M Sushi. Reservations are a must for his sushi spot and a bar seat is prime real estate. Start with sake and Japanese sea bream and golden eye snapper sashimi, and make your way to the Grand Omakase tasting menu.

Mateo is a festive Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in a space that previously housed the Book Exchange. It’s a local favorite for date nights and special occasions for upscale dining in Durham. Chef Matthew Kelly executes the vision of Spanish-style dining perfectly.

Housed in the old Book Exchange building in the heart of downtown Durham, Mateo features a menu that blends the flavors of Spain with beloved dishes of the South. The menu consists of small plates with a variety of choices. Don’t know where to start?

Mateo serves authentic Spanish food, which can be hard to find, especially when Mexican restaurants are so popular. The Spanish food Mateo serves focuses on paella, steak, olives, and tapas. In short, it pretty much embraces the Mediterranean diet.

If you’re craving tapas, small dishes that can be easily shared amongst members of your party, this Spanish-inspired venue is for you. Try the octopus if you’re feeling brave and items like the meatballs, gambas and potatoes are always a hit.

If the food and wine of Spain is calling you more, just head a little further down Chapel Hill Street to Mateo Bar de Tapas (109 W. Chapel Hill St.) for jamon, queso and a refined selection of Spanish-style tapas fused with Southern flavors.

Many of Durham’s hottest local spots, such as Pizzeria Toro and Mateo Bar de Tapas, are known for their cool and casual cuisine and can be found just around the corner from ONE CITY CENTER.

Mateo (109 W Chapel Hill St, 27701): Tapas bar from chef Matthew Kelly of Vin Rouge, Mother’s + Son’s, and Saint James Seafood. Mateo blends flavors of Spain with Southern inflection.

Southern ingredients meet traditional Spanish Tapas at Mateo, Bar de Tapas. The space is casual yet refined and perfect for a night out in Durham.

109 W Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701Phone: 919-530-8700 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Mateo Tapas (@mateotapas)

Mateo Bar de Tapas: Transport yourself to Spain with authentic Spanish small plates, a lively atmosphere, and a curated wine list.

Places like Gibson’s and Mateo use local ingredients for a real Southern flavor. These spots are top picks for food lovers.