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Essex, Charlotte, NC

Essex

4.4
4.4
1745 Reviews
$30 and under
International

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2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • Good for business meals
  • Good for groups
  • Great for creative cocktails
Welcome to Essex Bar & Bistro, where the cocktail is king. Charlotte’s newest uptown craft cocktail bar and gastropub, Essex is part bistro, part lounge, and part meeting place. We’ve put as much care into the craft of cocktailing as we do our menu of international cuisine, which are designed to complement master mixologist’s liquid creations. Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte at Trade & Tryon, and only steps away from Spectrum Center. Essex is the perfect place for happy hours, evening cocktails, after-dinner drinks, or a late night rendezvous.

We reserve the right to add a service charge on parties of 6 or more.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    International
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
  • Phone number
    (980) 406-3857
  • Website
    http://www.essexnc.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Haim Aizenberg
  • Catering
    Please email us at events@essexnc.com for information on catering.
  • Private party facilities
    Welcome to Essex Bar & Bistro. We’ve put as much care into the craft of cocktailing as we do our menu of international cuisine, which are designed to complement our master mixologist’s liquid creations. Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte at Trade & Tryon.
  • Private party contact
    Reggie Sadler: (980) 292-0477
  • Location
    101 S Tryon St, Suite 14, Charlotte, NC 28280
  • Area
    Uptown
  • Cross Street
    Trade St
  • Parking details
    Essex Bar and Bistro offers valet parking! Valet Hours:Mon-Fri: 5pm until 11pm Sat & Sun: 2pm until 11pm*Please call to confirm as some days it is not available.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,745 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essex in Charlotte offers a vibrant dining experience with "delicious food" and "excellent service." Known for inventive small plates and standout dishes like gnocchi and burrata with fig jam, it's perfect for pre-show dining. While the ambiance can be lively, outdoor seating provides a quieter option. Highly recommended for its "great atmosphere."

1,745 Reviews

  1. Shalini

    New York City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Disappointing Experience During Birthday Celebration I recently visited your restaurant for my son's birthday, and unfortunately, our experience did not meet the expectations I had for this special occasion. We made a reservation for 12 people, but our table was set for only 10, and two guests were seated at a separate booth. This left us feeling quite inconvenienced from the start. Additionally, on two separate occasions, our drinks were forgotten by the waitress, and our appetizer order of 3 calamari only resulted in 2 being served. Both the Asian steak and Mediterranean chicken were overcooked, and the rice was served cold. However, the shrimp tacos were the only highlight of the meal. The service overall was very poor, with no one checking on us throughout the meal. When it came time to serve the birthday cake (which we had brought), it was simply placed on the table without candles, and no dessert orders were taken for the other guests. I was also told by the hostess that a free dessert was included, but the waitress claimed this was not the case, which left me confused. I felt deeply disappointed and embarrassed, especially since I had family visiting from out of town. I had hoped to create a memorable experience, but instead, the lack of attention and quality left a negative impression. I hope you take this feedback into consideration for future improvements.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Steven

    Greensboro

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Waiter was very friendly and offered good suggestions. Appetizers are expensive, but very good and the dishes are large. Excellent Espresso martini.

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  3. Janie

    Charlotte

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    The ambience was the best thing. We have wanted to try Essex for quite some time. While pleased with the view (we moved to outside patio after sitting inside next to a very load table of 6) our waiter seemed distracted and not customer friendly. He seemed to be in a rush to take our order (it was not busy) and only took my food order, trying to rush off before taking my husbands. Ravioli entree was more suited as a small appetizer. Filet was well-done when it was ordered as medium. Not certain if we will try again. It was just ok.

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  4. Rian

    Charlotte

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was absolutely wonderful, i felt very welcomed food was marvelous! i definitely recommend i came here my birthday and absolutely loved it!

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  5. Kion

    Charlotte

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    The server seemed to be having a bad day, and was pretty short with us. The food was decent.

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  6. Jessica

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and great service! Quinoa salad was great

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  7. Ron

    Philadelphia

    51 reviews

    3.0

    51 reviews

    Dined on 24 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I have eaten here many times in the past. Last night was not your best foot forward. The service was spotty, the noise level quite high, and your pricing is too high for the food we received.

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  8. Andrea

    Charlotte

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 24 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The appetizers and cocktails were delicious and well presented.

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  9. Carly

    Charlotte

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 22 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Restaurant was at capacity. Took over 30 mins to get a drink. Our food didn’t even come out in full. They ran out of multiple items. You should never seat to capacity without the staff and inventory. Poor experience

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  10. Nancy

    Chicago

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 22 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Have always enjoyed Essex. It's one of our favorite go to. We had a great experience. Our first server was fabulous.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Essex offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (980) 406-3857.

Essex is rated 4.4 stars by 1745 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Essex

101 S Tryon St, Suite 14, Charlotte, NC 28280

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Trade St
  • Area
    Uptown
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    International
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Essex Bar and Bistro offers valet parking! Valet Hours:Mon-Fri: 5pm until 11pm Sat & Sun: 2pm until 11pm*Please call to confirm as some days it is not available.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Haim Aizenberg
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.essexnc.com/
  • Phone number
    (980) 406-3857
  • Catering
    Please email us at events@essexnc.com for information on catering.
  • Private party facilities
    Welcome to Essex Bar & Bistro. We’ve put as much care into the craft of cocktailing as we do our menu of international cuisine, which are designed to complement our master mixologist’s liquid creations. Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte at Trade & Tryon.
  • Private party contact
    Reggie Sadler: (980) 292-0477

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