EDEN — Restaurant in Cottonwood

Eden in Cottonwood – A Rainy Night, a Perfect Dinner, and the Best Bartender in Arizona

We came into Eden around 4:30 p.m. on a rainy Cottonwood afternoon — not expecting much more than a cozy dinner and a cocktail. What we got instead was one of the most memorable nights we've had in a long time.

We were greeted and seated by Zach, who also ended up being our server. He’s newer to the floor, but you could tell he cared. His timing was great, he was attentive without hovering, and he made us feel welcome the entire evening. He deserves a solid shout-out — but the spotlight of the night, without question, was Cody at the bar.

We ordered one drink to go with our meal, and it was so good we literally paused and said, “Who made this?” We asked to meet the bartender — and Cody came over like a low-key magician.

That’s when the night really started.

With Cody now in the mix, he crafted us more drinks to pair with our dinner, and every single one was better than the last. His knowledge of spirits, his ability to build flavors without relying on sugar, and the fresh ingredients (including edible flowers from his own garden) made each drink feel like its own experience.

Dinner itself was also fantastic. I had the steak frites — cooked medium rare with chimichurri on the side — served with crispy, golden truffle fries and a side of roasted broccolini. Everything was well-seasoned, hot, and satisfying. My girlfriend, Diana, ordered one of Eden’s seasonal shrimp pasta dishes, and it was just as impressive — creamy, rich, and full of flavor without being heavy.

After finishing dinner and paying the check, we weren’t ready to leave — not with Cody behind the bar. We walked over and spent the rest of the evening tasting more of his creations. Between the two of us, we each had about 4 to 7 drinks total — and somehow, every single one was exceptional.

One standout was the authentic Mexican Carajillo — Licor 43 and freshly pulled espresso, done the traditional way. Another was a cantaloupe margarita that was fresh, light, and perfectly balanced. I also had a cocktail built around Oaxacan white whiskey that had depth and warmth without overwhelming the palate.

Cody doesn’t just pour drinks — he crafts stories. He explained the origins of the spirits, asked about our preferences, and made everything from scratch using quality ingredients. He’s passionate about his craft, and it shows in every detail. The drinks were so clean and balanced that we felt amazing the next day — no hangovers, no sugar crash. Just pure, handcrafted quality.

By the end of the night, the rain was still tapping on the windows, the bar was glowing, and we genuinely didn’t want to leave. We’d come in for a quiet dinner, and we walked out having found our new favorite local spot — and hands down, the best bartender we’ve ever met in Arizona.

If you're in the area — or even if you're not — go to Eden. Eat well. And then go sit at the bar and ask Cody to make you something special. Trust me. You...

Very disappointed. This morning, me & two friends went to eat at a beautiful new place. Service was not what we expected, we waited for 1 hour to get our food. Upon arrival their was only 3 other customers in the restaurant, we got our drinks & 2 appetizers within the 40 minutes. We order a cold wrap, salad & a seafood pasta, the place stared to get full (rush hr/lunch hr) customers arrived got food & drinks, even patio got full, their was a party of 7 by the entrance all customers had salads & drinks, we asked the waiter if he would place the food in to go boxes since we already waited 45 min, we use the restroom, one of my friends went to ask for the tabs at the bar, they told her to wait 5 min, so by then is 1 hr of waiting, we approach the bar to cancel our order, NOBODY APOLOGIZE, NOBODY ACKNOWLEDGE US, my friend paid for the drinks & appetizer, waiter said 5 more min for food, we cancel & left. I call the restaurant spoke to the manager to make him aware of the situation. The manager said maybe it was the POS ticket machine, ok? So why not explain to us, or say anything, everyone that arrived got food right away, even the table next to us that was on on waiters section got food and drinks sooner than us. Everyone in the restaurant had food on their tables. Now, I want to shared that all of us tree ladies have food service experience, the manager didn't even try to make our experience better, I don't even think he care, that we are from out of town and had 1 hr lunch break from our training and didn't even get to eat a full meal. I feel like it was a racial situation. Now let me explain, we looked apart, 3 plusize women, all brunettes,...

I randomly found this amazing restaurant. Walked into this gem in Cottonwood. I decided to sit at the bar area. I was welcomed by Cody behind the bar. Thanking me first for trying out the restaurant. The level of details of his menu and his customer service I have not received any where else while dinning in Cottonwood. He created one of the best dinning experience ever. I started with Gazpacho which was hands down one of the best I have ever had. Then he talked me into having the Dr. Pepper marinad for how many days and smoked "I think" chicken wings. Talk about flavors and evelated taste was amazing. Then for my main dish the steak frites with an amazing salad. To top it off they had a gentlemen playing music in the corner. This guy isn't your average guitar player his playing two guitars at once creating amazing sounds. I was blessed to have my own personal concert of Khruangbin songs and I think I was the only one that knew the songs. I was blown away. So to say the lease I had the best dinning experience. The atmosphere is great, their team of people are amazing and kind and hard at work to try to give you that amazing dining experience that this town really needs. So thank you to the owners the chef and team for creating an amazing place. As I walk out of the restaurant they have a VW bug with the writing that says Cottonwoods gem. They took the words right out of my month. I left think just wow what did I just experienced. So thank you to all that makes this happen and if you want the coolest dinning experience sit at the bar and make sure...