Del Mar — Restaurant in Columbus

Del Mar Easton opened a few years back but have just now gotten around to giving it a try.

To start with all of the positives, the ambiance is almost top tier. The lighting is beautiful, along with the furniture, lovely patio upstairs and down, very cozy up-scale vibe. Easton is back on the up and up and this place is the perfect setting for a date night, elevated dinner out, or a spot for evening cocktails. The service is also above average for the central Ohio area. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly, ready to make suggestions based off of your personal taste, and happily ready to accommodate any dietary restrictions.

Now I want to preface the negatives by saying this place charges a heftyyyy premium compared to similar restaurants in the same style. That is completely fine, but with that, I feel like you expect a higher caliber experience. Firstly, the food in my opinion was very basically average. The highlight of everything was the braised lamb in the loaded hummus. The hummus itself was fine, but nothing close to the Columbus staples like Lavash. They also made a point to mention how the pita was made in house, but it was also not up to par with several Columbus Mediterranean markets. The ceviche was also just okay, personally felt like it was lacking in flavor. While the scallops themselves were fine, the 4 small pieces were accompanied by a very plain red pepper puree, a small bit of plain couscous, and a few pieces of romanesco that just tasted like steamed broccoli. The pacing was also a tad bit frustrating, with several minute gaps in between drinks ordered at the same time making it to the table. The Spanish G&T was also a miss at $17, thought the fever tree bottle of tonic water left at the table was a nice touch, just tasted like a regular gin and tonic. Espresso martini also was not the same as other CMR restaurants, but I guess that’s a personal preference thing.

Overall the place is nice and pretty and has a nice vibe, but not sold on the prices matching the overall experience, especially when this brand has some really great restaurants in the...

As soon as I walked in the door. I got greeted and seated right away. The table presentation is beautiful. Glass cups, glass patterned plates, shiny silverware and a clothe napkin, just so beautiful. Server was at my table waiting with water option filtered or

sparkling. I choose filtered. She filled our glasses and left the pitcher of water on the table. Even though the pitcher of water was on the table I never once had to refill my glass because she would fill it for me. I was thinking to myself wow this is really good service.

Now for the food, first we started off with grill cauliflower and a veggie bowl with spicy feta. The veggies was fresh and crisp and the grilled cauliflower that was grilled perfectly. It was delicious. Then we order our main dish. I order salmon with grilled cauliflower and red grapes and my partner order the steak kabobs that comes with a small side salad. The salmon was cooked to perfection with the right amount of seasoning it was out of this world good and the grilled grapes I thought would hate were surprisingly delicious never ever have I eaten grilled grapes. My partners steak kabobs was tender and juicy and the salad with the mint dressing.

I have to say even though it’s a bit pricy it is worth every penny and I would gladly spend the money to eat there.

Also i liked that they took the time to think about women and personal emergencies that might happen. I go the restroom to find they have women hygiene products for those little life emergency. How thoughtful...

My partner and I recently had dinner at Del Mar, and I’ll admit—I was skeptical. Cameron Mitchell previously had a restaurant in the Short North with the same name, and I wasn’t a fan. When they rebranded, I worried the food would be similar. I was so wrong.

The interior is cozy yet airy, striking the perfect balance of upscale and beachy. Wanting to try as much as possible, we opted for a spread of appetizers instead of entrees—and we couldn’t have been happier with that decision.

We started with oysters, which were briny, fresh, and absolutely perfect. Next came the tuna tartare, unlike any I’ve had before. It featured olives (which I typically don’t like), but the flavors were unexpectedly fantastic, making for a fresh twist on a classic dish.

From there, we dove into a lineup of lamb flatbread, lamb meatballs, bacon-wrapped dates, and Brussels sprouts. Every dish was rich, hearty, and packed with flavor, but the dates stole the show. We saved them for last because we didn’t want them to be gone too soon.

Even though we only had appetizers, we were completely satisfied—but of course, we had to end with dessert. We tried the lemon blueberry tart and chocolate mousse, both topped with mascarpone whipped cream. The mousse was deeply decadent, while the tart was light, sweet, and refreshing.

By the time we left, I was already planning my next visit. Del Mar exceeded my expectations, delivering bold flavors, creative dishes, and a welcoming atmosphere. If you haven’t been yet, go—you won’t be...