Beautiful restaurant with bright neon colors and funky furniture. Tried the mortadella cups (a bit too salty), fried figs, and the wavy pasta that comes with shrimp (might've been frozen because was a bit fishy) and zucchini. Overall it was ok. The only standout thing was the amazing and attentive service. The people there are really friendly. However when you pay, the gratuity shown on the machine is calculated using the post-tax total vs pre-tax so take a second to look at it carefully.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Nico Snyder
A truly unique spot that was equal parts fun delicious and cool. The restaurant and menu kind of seems designed for groups of four. Pretty much every dish on the menu is something you’ve never had before. The menu stand out for me was the artichoke raviolo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bridget Riley
Cute for a birthday ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie
We had a great meal at Cafe Mars. Food was inventive. Service was very friendly and accommodating, and the decor was fun. (The soundtrack in the bathroom was a surprising and fun touch.) If you're interested in tasty food that pushes boundaries creatively, definitely check it out!
Robert Krueger
Exceptional. Inventive, fun and delicious food and drinks. Incredibly charming staff. Artichoke Raviolo was a standout amongst standout dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lots of Lettuce, Monkey Bread
Rick
It was a very special occasion, so we had almost everything on the menu. Each dish (and our paired beverages, both alcoholic and not) built on the one before ... intense flavor, creative and delicious. The servers obviously love working there and are fabulous. There was a nice buzz from many happy diners around us. Can't wait to go back!
Sara Huneke
Inventive food. Quirky atmosphere. Outstanding service. We tried Cafe Mars for the first time last night and everything was wonderful. Our friend had a minor medical emergency and had to leave halfway through the meal. The staff was extremely professional and compassionate and took such good care of all of us in the aftermath. We were so impressed. Plus the food is unique and delicious. You must try the garlic monkey bread and fried figs. So glad to have found this gem in our neighborhood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Negroni Olives, Lots of Lettuce, Jell-Olives, Monkey Bread
OlenaO
I think when you live in New York and dine here - you are exposed to so many amazing cuisines and being impressed and amused by anything gets harder and harder. And yet - Café Mars just left an amazing impression of wonder!........... the moment we stepped inside the fun interior and sat down in our both to dinner itself to take picture of the window - and of course - the food!!! I definitely want to be back to have some more!!! The dish that stood out for me from yesterday - pasta waves (yum yum) and scallops. Thank you Café Mars crew for making this Thursday dinner such a memorable occasion!
pascal
At first, Café Mars stands out by the high-standard creativity of its dining room, dishes and silverware, warm welcoming. Until you sit down ... and realize that actually the same high standards and creativity apply to everything they do! As soon as we were seated, John came to us with a great smile to choose aone of the beautiful cocktail glasses presented in a neat little basket. By then, we were already conquered, and the whole experience kept enchanting. The food is seriously well executed, the wine list is well curated, John delivers great service, the chef Paul is as friendly as talented. In short, Café Mars is fabulous! Highly recommended.
HighExpectations
The food was truly delicious and very creative. The spaghetti casino and the steak pizza lol were perfect. And, the cucamelon starter was refreshing and delicious as a mid. Topped it off with special fruit dessert! Pawpaw ... Wow!! Oh, and the drinks were carefully crafted and hit the spot!! Great pairings.
Great food, adventurous ,excellent food from Owner/ Chef Paul and his excellent Chefs . Have to try this bonified special place located in the eclectic Gowanus neighborhood. All the Staff is excellent service is the best. Chef Paul's creations are not to be missed..Delicious..top of the line Bar. Mgr Jordan will make you feel at home as soon as you walk in. Jake atvthe Bar will take care of all your libations. Sometimes Chef Paul will visit your table himself with your order to give you the ingredients and cooking explanation of your dish. 5 STARS
My family and I went to Cafe Mars for a birthday celebration and this place did not disappoint. The service was excellent, with the wait staff going out of their way to make this birthday a special day. From the very point we checked in the host made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious and very unusual. Loved the monkey bread in particular and desserts are fabulous. Dinner felt like an event! Very well worth it and highly recommend.
Pamela
I've eaten many times at Cafe Mars. The food--unusual Italian--is delicious, complex in the best way, and memorable. I ate there again Friday night and got to enjoy the widely-recognized Jell-olives, the parmesan-cured fluke that I've ordered at every meal, and the lemony girelle and the spicy waves pastas. Theirs is an evolving menu so there were also amazing new offerings--fried nectarines (!) with heirloom tomatoes, pork-tart, and my new favorite, a pasta "artichoke" that invites you to "eat the whole thing." I'm looking forward to trying the day boat scallops next time--we were just too full to order from the "big" selections. I've always enjoyed the dessert offerings, but the ones we had this time just blew us all away. I am not a watermelon fan, but the watermelon Italian ice with pistachio cookie topping--wow! The zabaglione with blackberries-Meletti-sumac-umeshu was extraordinary. Topping off the night was chocolate and eggplant, a layered dessert of cake, chocolate mousse, and eggplant "raisins" that sent us into another dimension. All this, in a spectacular Memphis Milano setting with the most welcoming and informed staff available. I love this new experience of everything Italian. So well done!
Rik
Inventive is definitely the defining characteristic, and with shining success. The crudo, the grilled sardine, and the artichoke raviolo were particular highlights. Great cocktails, too.
Beautiful restaurant with bright neon colors and funky furniture. Tried the mortadella cups (a bit too salty), fried figs, and the wavy pasta that comes with shrimp (might've been frozen because was a bit fishy) and zucchini. Overall it was ok. The only standout thing was the amazing and attentive service. The people there are really friendly. However when you pay, the gratuity shown on the machine is calculated using the post-tax total vs pre-tax so take a second to look at it carefully.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
A truly unique spot that was equal parts fun delicious and cool. The restaurant and menu kind of seems designed for groups of four. Pretty much every dish on the menu is something you’ve never had before. The menu stand out for me was the artichoke raviolo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute for a birthday ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great meal at Cafe Mars. Food was inventive. Service was very friendly and accommodating, and the decor was fun. (The soundtrack in the bathroom was a surprising and fun touch.) If you're interested in tasty food that pushes boundaries creatively, definitely check it out!
Exceptional. Inventive, fun and delicious food and drinks. Incredibly charming staff. Artichoke Raviolo was a standout amongst standout dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lots of Lettuce, Monkey Bread
It was a very special occasion, so we had almost everything on the menu. Each dish (and our paired beverages, both alcoholic and not) built on the one before ... intense flavor, creative and delicious. The servers obviously love working there and are fabulous. There was a nice buzz from many happy diners around us. Can't wait to go back!
Inventive food. Quirky atmosphere. Outstanding service. We tried Cafe Mars for the first time last night and everything was wonderful. Our friend had a minor medical emergency and had to leave halfway through the meal. The staff was extremely professional and compassionate and took such good care of all of us in the aftermath. We were so impressed. Plus the food is unique and delicious. You must try the garlic monkey bread and fried figs. So glad to have found this gem in our neighborhood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Negroni Olives, Lots of Lettuce, Jell-Olives, Monkey Bread
I think when you live in New York and dine here - you are exposed to so many amazing cuisines and being impressed and amused by anything gets harder and harder. And yet - Café Mars just left an amazing impression of wonder!........... the moment we stepped inside the fun interior and sat down in our both to dinner itself to take picture of the window - and of course - the food!!! I definitely want to be back to have some more!!! The dish that stood out for me from yesterday - pasta waves (yum yum) and scallops. Thank you Café Mars crew for making this Thursday dinner such a memorable occasion!
At first, Café Mars stands out by the high-standard creativity of its dining room, dishes and silverware, warm welcoming. Until you sit down ... and realize that actually the same high standards and creativity apply to everything they do! As soon as we were seated, John came to us with a great smile to choose aone of the beautiful cocktail glasses presented in a neat little basket. By then, we were already conquered, and the whole experience kept enchanting. The food is seriously well executed, the wine list is well curated, John delivers great service, the chef Paul is as friendly as talented. In short, Café Mars is fabulous! Highly recommended.
The food was truly delicious and very creative. The spaghetti casino and the steak pizza lol were perfect. And, the cucamelon starter was refreshing and delicious as a mid. Topped it off with special fruit dessert! Pawpaw ... Wow!! Oh, and the drinks were carefully crafted and hit the spot!! Great pairings.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food, adventurous ,excellent food from Owner/ Chef Paul and his excellent Chefs . Have to try this bonified special place located in the eclectic Gowanus neighborhood. All the Staff is excellent service is the best. Chef Paul's creations are not to be missed..Delicious..top of the line Bar. Mgr Jordan will make you feel at home as soon as you walk in. Jake atvthe Bar will take care of all your libations. Sometimes Chef Paul will visit your table himself with your order to give you the ingredients and cooking explanation of your dish. 5 STARS
I wish I could eat there right now
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi, Lots of Lettuce, Jell-Olives, Rollatini, Spaghetti Salad, Parmesan-Crusted Fluke, Monkey Bread
My family and I went to Cafe Mars for a birthday celebration and this place did not disappoint. The service was excellent, with the wait staff going out of their way to make this birthday a special day. From the very point we checked in the host made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious and very unusual. Loved the monkey bread in particular and desserts are fabulous. Dinner felt like an event! Very well worth it and highly recommend.
I've eaten many times at Cafe Mars. The food--unusual Italian--is delicious, complex in the best way, and memorable. I ate there again Friday night and got to enjoy the widely-recognized Jell-olives, the parmesan-cured fluke that I've ordered at every meal, and the lemony girelle and the spicy waves pastas. Theirs is an evolving menu so there were also amazing new offerings--fried nectarines (!) with heirloom tomatoes, pork-tart, and my new favorite, a pasta "artichoke" that invites you to "eat the whole thing." I'm looking forward to trying the day boat scallops next time--we were just too full to order from the "big" selections. I've always enjoyed the dessert offerings, but the ones we had this time just blew us all away. I am not a watermelon fan, but the watermelon Italian ice with pistachio cookie topping--wow! The zabaglione with blackberries-Meletti-sumac-umeshu was extraordinary. Topping off the night was chocolate and eggplant, a layered dessert of cake, chocolate mousse, and eggplant "raisins" that sent us into another dimension. All this, in a spectacular Memphis Milano setting with the most welcoming and informed staff available. I love this new experience of everything Italian. So well done!
Inventive is definitely the defining characteristic, and with shining success. The crudo, the grilled sardine, and the artichoke raviolo were particular highlights. Great cocktails, too.
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