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Essex, Charlotte, NC

Essex

4.3
4.3
1751 Reviews
$30 and under
International

Make a booking

2 people
8:00 pm
  • Good for groups
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for business meals
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

View details

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    International
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (980) 406-3857
  • 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
  • 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

What 1,751 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essex in Charlotte offers a delightful dining experience with "excellent service," "delicious food," and a "chilled vibe." Known for inventive small plates and generous portions, it's perfect for any occasion. Though the ambiance can be lively, the accommodating staff and standout dishes like bang bang grouper and grilled octopus make it a must-visit.

1,751 Reviews
  1. Pamela

    VIP

    Charlotte

    51 reviews

    4.0

    51 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    It was just a Holiday dinner for a few gal pals. Drinks were yummy and the food was delicious. Thank you De-Nice for the entertaining service!

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  2. james

    Dallas

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We wee put in the back room. Food was good, not great. No ambiance in the back and there was plenty of room in the main dining areas

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  3. Rachel

    VIP

    New York City

    43 reviews

    4.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and ambience was great. Our server seemed to want to rush us through saying they were going to get very busy. The customer level seemed to stay constant and didn’t get any busier. Also the meal we requested from the menu wasn’t available. But all and all the experience was good.

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  4. Ruth

    Charlotte

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Has the butter chicken. It was good but not as good as I’ve had previously. Service was very good.

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  5. BonnyeH

    VIP

    Raleigh

    6 reviews

    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    It took over 5 minutes to be acknowledged after we arrived. Our server came fairly quickly and we ordered a round of drinks and food before attending a concert. Twenty minutes later I asked about our drinks and was told “they should be here soon”. I preemptively ordered another drink (it never did come). One of our drinks was a martini-it was served in a highball glass! The food came fairly quickly. The fried cauliflower was inedible.

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  6. Madeline

    VIP

    Charlotte

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    How did we miss this restaurant all these 8 years? Easy, the signage (outside the Omni) is terrible! But now that we know about this great place, it’s on our list for sure. Warm brussel sprouts Caesar was a welcome and super tasty departure from my typical starter salad (and enough for two), but the dressing was too salty for my taste. I’ll try another next time. And there will be a next time! My husband declared the burrata the best he’s tasted in the world (and he’s traveled it for sure) Bang bang grouper and tuna tacos were also tops. Our server was great, fun and attentive. Our loss that this was our first meal here. Please add signs.

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  7. Sue

    VIP

    Minneapolis

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 26 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We always love the food. Cederick was a great server and took good care of us.

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  8. Shalini

    New York City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    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.

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  9. Steven

    Greensboro

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    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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  10. 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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FAQs

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

Essex is rated 4.3 stars by 1751 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
8:00 pm

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 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • 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
  • 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
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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