Reviews for Kathryn's Bistro & Martini Bar in Emerald Isle, NC

Had a really wonderful experience here. Food was fantastic and our waitress Maggie was a gem. Definitely a place I'll be back to... when in town. Read more

This place is amazing. The specials are either grouper or filet mignon. I normally don?t order the specials, but its just... variations of what they are already great at. I always get the filet mignon. The waitstaff (shout-out to Christopher) are topnotch, and on a normal evening, the food comes out surprisingly fast. Arguably either the best, or one of the best restaurantsin the area. Roughly 16 tables + a full bar, so plan accordingly. Seating for 8 is easy, anything over that, absolutely callahead. Almost forgot, the bread is also great. While I was writing this review, someone at our table wanted me to give it 10stars, but they obviously don?t understand how Google reviews work. Read more

This would have been 5 stars if not for our level of service. It was definitely an older crowed and with myself and my partner... who are much younger we did feel neglected. It seemed our server checked in on his older patrons 3 times the amount we werechecked on. I had to wait 12 minutes and after 3 attempts on the 4th was finally able to flag them down just for a refill on mybeverage. To note my partner and myself have a great love of food and were just visiting the beach for the day and we did looklike beach bumbs where most were in more casual attire to fine casual attire. My partner and I still left a generous tip forour check total but did dock some due to extensive waits between being checked on. Now onto the good bits. The atmosphere wasupscale casual chic with beautiful lightfixtures and martini bar. Since I'm pregnant I did have my partner order the emeraldisle martini to which his said was very good and I thought well presented and beautiful. The appetizer we went with a jumbocrab and spinach au gratin and it was delicious. I personally would have loved to have a bit more crab in there as the cheeseand spinach overwhelmed it. The crumble on top was perfection. For the main course we chose to do the special of the day. Thefirst special was filet which was perfectly cooked to the med rare request. The sauce on top was a gravy and very earthy. One ofthe more fine steaks I've had and I've had a lot! The second was the grouper in a pesto sauce. To me, this dish was stunning onthe taste buds, well balanced, beautifully displayed and all around enjoyable. I could see this being added as a favorite ofmine. I would drive back 2 hours just for this. We did end on dessert and found the chocolate lava cake to be underwhelming atbest. HOWEVER the key lime pie, now that is a pie worth fighting for. The crust alone was immaculate and the touch of lime andcaramel on the plate sent this over the top. I would have this time and time again. Read more

Excellent bistro with amazing food and professional friendly staff. We called after 8 on a Sunday night and they accommodated... our group of 8. The martini list was mouth watering and so were the martinis. I got Le French and it was great! The entree thatstole the show was the shrimp & grits. It was the best I think I've ever had. I also had a salad and it was fresh and delicious!This was the best place we ate during our vacation! Thank you sooo much for accommodating us!! Read more

Honestly, from the outside, I thought this place looked like a hole in the wall at the end of strip mall. Boy, was I mistaken!... This cozy restaurant was without a doubt, TOP TIER! The waitstaff was in the top three I have ever had; extremely attentive,knowledgeable, and radiating love of the job. The food was unbelievably good. We had the special of soft shell crab, flounder,and the appetizer of lamb lollipops. Excellent! Also the martini?s, of course, were truly unmatched! High end place all the wayaround. We will be back for certain. Read more

We really enjoyed our food! Our waitress was super sweet, and we each tried a martini (of course). We ended with the chocolate... lava cake and left very pleased! Read more

Every single thing about Kathryn?s from start to finish was perfect. We arrived around 5:30 in hopes of beating the crowd and... were seated immediately. The service was fantastic. The oysters were phenomenal and some of the best I?ve ever eaten, martiniswere made perfect, and the lobster tail and special of the night were yummy. We will definitely make this a monthly stop. Read more

Highly recommended! First time visiting, we had a great time. The martinis are very good, and the food and appetizers were... delicious. Great customer service! Read more