City CafeSimply FantasicMany reviews reference the fantastic food you can have at the City Cafe and they are what lead me to stop by on Saturday.
What they may have failed to mention is that the staff is second to none. We couldn't be more pleased with the choices on the menu except to say that our server was exceptional!6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMBefore the ShowCity Cafe is a perfect place gor dinner before a show at Meyerhoff . Excellent food and service.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of Baltimore's Best!So glad City Cafe has remained at the top of its game after Chef Chad left. Baltimore Seafood Club is one of the all-time favorites. Blackened scallop caesar was cooked and spiced just right! Regular caesar and some crab cakes were up to solid Baltimore standards. GREAT service and terrific desserts topped it off as a great celebratory lunch experience. Great spot for good innovative unpretentious fare - lots of good choices for every palate.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Brunch Before Matinee ConcertWe picked City Cafe for its proximity to Myerhoff Hall so we could meet friends for brunch before a matinee. What a lucky pick! The menu is an adventure in brunch/lunch choices. Service was attentive: we were greeted promptly, served in a reasonable time, and never felt rushed, despite the busy time of day. We look forward to future visits, so we can sample everything on the brunch menu! So many delicious choices. Be sure to make reservations.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMCity on a whimMy fiancé and I went here on a whim on Saturday before heading down to DC and it was amazing! Our omelette's were cooked to perfection and I couldn't stop eating my fiancé's grits!! The fruit salad was full of fresh berries, melons and pineapple. We will definitely have brunch here again!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of our favorites in spiteOne of our favorites in spite of the noise..food is consistent and service great.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely the best soft-shell crabI usually do not write reviews unless the food was exceptional, and our dinner at the City Cafe last week was exceptional. My soft crab was the best I have ever had. The crabs were huge and extremely soft. However, the best part was that it was sautéed gently in butter AND without the heavy batter that is found on crabs in restaurants that do not know how to prepare soft crabs for Marylanders. This preparation at the City Cafe was truly authentic and absolutely delicious! Compliments to the chef! ( the service was great too!)6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWaitress was Outstanding!Our waitress was terrific. It was our first visit. We had lots of questions about the menu and she expertly answered them all. Very good experience.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy brunchFrom the fresh berries with homemade wiped cream to the skinny egg white omelet, everything was delicious!6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMPreShow DinerSecond time eating here before show at Myerhoff. Great food and short walk to concert.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMCity Cafe continues to beCity Cafe continues to be a solid choice for a nice evening out on the Charles Road cooridor. Pleasant service and well prepared food pretty much sums it up.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMUrban renewalLocated on Cathedral St in what appears to be an old showroom, with outdoor tables lining the sidewalk, City Cafe on a Saturday evening attracted Yuppies, young parents and retirees and, it appeared, everybody in between. The varied menu allowed two of us to order light salads for dinner, while two others opted for fish and beef. Prices were moderate, waitstaff was friendly, and apparent success in this old city site showcased Baltimore's bright urban opportunities.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMClassyCity Café is a super find! The service is terrific and the food is wonderful. The menu is heavy on seafood, but there's definitely something for everyone. I highly recommend the Moroccan lamb burger and the restaurant as a whole!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMSunday BrunchA friend and I went to Sunday Brunch, and had their chicken & biscuits....YUM! oh, and can't forget the orange crush drinks beforehand!! Service was great, and all the servers there are friendly if they are not your server.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat brunch - look forwardgreat brunch - look forward to going back for dinner!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMCity Cafe FrequenterCity Cafe is Baltimore's best kept secret. The food is great, the atmosphere is live, and tge did and drinks are delicious. There are vegan options as well and the staff it's more than willing to explain the menu and make recommendations.City Cafe has THE BEST Sangria...bar none.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMBaltimore BrunchGreat spot for a classic baltimore brunch. The noise was a little loud, but understandable given how popular the place is.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great, vibe was great,Food was great, vibe was great, atmosphere was great, Shrimp&Grits were great.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFine Dining in a Car DealershipCity Café provides consistently excellent food, drinks, and service! Unfortunately, the acoustics in this building (which used to be a car dealership display room) aren't very good; so, it can get VERY loud on a busy Friday/Saturday night (not to mention brunch on Sunday).5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining experienceExcellent service and delicious food. Another great dining experience at this fine restaurant.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing!Got to try it, you will love it! Expect to pay for what you get, but you won't want to eat anywhere else!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMReliably YummyEvery dish at City Cafe is remarkably well prepared and delicious, never disappoints. Service is friendly and prompt. City Cafe is one of our favorite downtown restaurants.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMalways greatwonderful friendly staff, excekllent food and service. always dependably good.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMTHAT VODKA LEMONADEI don't recall the name of the drink, but it had lemongrass vodka, lemonade, muddled mint leaves and lime, I think. It was fabulous and made my day. I could just sit there and drink them hour after hour, but then I'd never be able to get home, would I?
Thanks, dear bartender.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMVery enjoyable experience.Very enjoyable experience. Free valet parking is a big plus!!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent as usual. The softExcellent as usual. The soft crab special was especially good. A great place to go before going to the Lyric or Meyerhoff.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dinnerWe have been here for dinner and brunch a few times, but my wife and I took friends to dinner for their first time last Friday. We had a wonderfiul dinner ( and in the bar area no less). I had the steak frites, my wife the salmon, and our friends the bass. The streak was perfectly cooked at medium rare, and salmon was wonderful. Our friends loved the bass sim much we thought they might lick the plate. Would highly recommend the cafe!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMLove the City CafeAbsolutely love the City Cafe. It never disappoints. The food is always wonderful and fresh. It's hard to pick one favorite; but the Fried Green Tomatoes with Lump Crab are certainly in the running for my top pick. Also, the scallops at City Cafe are amazing! The staff is also super friendly and helpful. They happily accomadated our request for first floor dining since one of our party could not navigate steps.
I will definitely be returning to try new dishes as well as my favorites!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat BrunchThe brunch is very delicious and has a nice variety of food.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat fun!I love that we can't go wrong with City Café ... we went on a busy Saturday night with friends who had never been for dinner there (they were very pleased!). Everyone commented on how great the menu is - plenty of options without being the least bit overwhelming (everything on one page). Service was efficient and professional. Dishes were well presented and delicious .. Although none of us are vegans, two ordered the vegan dish - it was terrific. Salads were a good size, very fresh, perfectly dressed. No complaints. Can't wait to go back.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Dining without PretenseI love City Cafe! The food and service are always excellent and the atmosphere is comfortable and unpretentious. You could dine in a suit or jeans and feel quite appropriate. The menu offers nice variety, farm to table and vegetarian selections. On my most recent visit I had the Alaskan halibut and it was exceptional. It's also a great place for brunch (make reservations!). I recommend the blackened salmon BLT. Brunch comes with mini cinnamon buns--delicious.
It's a great place to dine in Baltimore.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGood, but spotty serviceCity Cafe is a dependable and fun place to hang out on a Friday or Saturday night. They haven't quite regained the vibe they had when Chad Gauss was running the show, but it remains reliable. They are retooling a bit, and the dining area has spread to where the coffee bar used to be, and service hasn't quite caught up. There were obvious oversights- no silverware when food was served; drinks took forever; took forever to get someone to bring the check. The section where we sat (the runway between the coffee bar and main dining) had no music. Food was fine, but overall not up to sterling standards.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMOnce again dinner was delicious...Once again dinner was delicious and the service was excellent! What more can you ask for? City Cafe never disappoints us. The menu continues to be updated with new and exciting offerings and the servers are always pleasant and attentive. This is certainly our 'go to' restaurant. Thank you to Bruce and Gino for keeping such high standards.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Monday Nite Steak Special Hit!What luck that we came on a Monday night for dinner. I forgot about about the steak special. I had a perfect filet mignon . My companion had the hanger steak. She loved it, too. Our go-withs went well and were prepared with much thought. Of course, we'll be back.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMMy visitI had the crab cake sandwich and everything was fresh; from the salsa and chips to the tartar sauce. My son had a mushroom burger with cheese and fries and loved it. I will definitely stop by again.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistent and yummyWe haven't been to City Cafe since chef Chad Gauss left. They still have the same standards which rock.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAgain, was wonderful!!We started visiting the City Cafe when we discovered it was walking distance from the BSO. This time we had the strawberry cucumber martini and a berry drink special both were out standing. Then the food, fresh oysters were excellent appetizers. Followed by the strip steak in a sauce with brussel sprouts, mushrooms and potatoes. This was also excellent. We enjoyed it so much we made a reservation for this week to visit again before seeing Chicago at the BSO. We are recommending City Cafe to all that frequent the BSO and can still walk. :)5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMMy yolks werent runny, oh wellI went for brunch and it was delicious. Normally I would be really upset that the yolks in my poached eggs weren't runny, but it was still really good.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWent to this restaurant SaturdayWent to this restaurant Saturday night before the Jerry Seinfeld show at the Meyerhoff. Great location within walking distance from the venue. Fortunate for us we sat in the bar. It was Happy Hour. I chose two Spanish wines an Albarino and a Rioja both $5. We shared oysters, fried lobster nuggets, grilled asparagus, lamb lollipops and the yellowfin tuna salad. The food was great and the service (Megan) even better.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMI booked a table for myselfI booked a table for myself an 11 other girls for dinner before a bachelorette party. Food was great, service was great, staff was very accommodating and friendly. City cafe is a favorite of my husband and I and I'm glad I got to introduce 11 other people to it this week :)4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was pretty good butThe food was pretty good but not good enough for the very high prices!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waitress, Lindsay, wasOur waitress, Lindsay, was excellent. She was very knowledgeable about the menus and the wines, and gave us very good recommendations. There were 4 of us, 2 got the Seabass, one the scallops, and one the wildmushroom ravioli, and we were all very happy. We were on our way to a show, so we appreciated that service was efficient, but not pushy. Highly recommend this restaurant.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a light dinner beforeWe had a light dinner before going to the symphony and we liked what we got. The soup of the evening was great, as was the Moroccan chicken salad and the mushroom ravioli. The one Savignon blanc was very good. Nice for a spring evening with light fare. Coffee topped the meal and we made it the the concert with time to spare. Plan to come back soon.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMALways enjoy the City CafeI always liked the City Cafe and I do not go there as often as I should. Whenever I do, I am never disappointed. I think the food is good with good selections and well prepared.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMI've become a regular hereI've become a regular here - but just learned Monday night was a terrific value.
$16 for a steak/chicken/fish entree, with two sauces and two sides. A bargain!
Plus $10 off any bottles of wine.
I'll be back.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMReturn patron...food is veryReturn patron...food is very good, service responsive and helpful, location is good. Airy, open, enjoyable atmosphere.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMSteak NightNice simple menu. Reasonable prices. Enough choices on the wine list. We went on advice of a friend for the prix fixe "Steak Night" so cannot judge the quality of the A La Carte menu.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWe always have a wonderfulWe always have a wonderful time at City Café. The chef uses seasonal, fresh ingredients in creative combinations. Both the décor and the food presentation are stylish. A happy place with vibrant energy.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMCity Cafe is one of our favoriteCity Cafe is one of our favorite restaurants. We had an especially exquisite meal Friday. The fried oysters are always a hit - we love the creamy sauce with a spicy edge. We had a halibut special with risotto/artichokes. It was just melt in your mouth delicious! We don't usually have dessert, but we tried the trio of samples. THe flourless chocolate cake was to die for, and the little wedge just the right amount. My husband especially liked the creme brûlée. The only disappointment at City Cafe is the bread. Instead of a great crunchy baguette, they do a kind of focaccia. It would be great if they gave diners a choice of breads.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and great service.Great food and great service. It is always a pleasure.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AM