"Callan Buckles cooks Charlotte's most talked-about Mediterranean small plates in 50 Myers Park seats — reserve on Resy for a date night."
The Dover sole arrives whole, boned at the pass, under a green romesco the colour of early spring — one of the dishes that put Rada on Charlotte's map. Owner Eloy Roy, formerly of Oggi Ristorante Italiano, opened the room in the old Little Spoon space at 2820 Selwyn Avenue in Myers Park and handed the kitchen to chef Callan Buckles. The food is broadly Mediterranean — Spanish, Italian, French and Basque — built for sharing, and the bill runs about $100 a head.
Callan Buckles cooks a compact, frequently changing menu that leans on Basque and broader Mediterranean ideas. Small plates set the tone: an eggplant escabeche, a meatball with zingy harissa, clams in a vin jaune and scallion broth at about $19, a lasagnetta with leeks and Asher Blue near $24. Larger dishes carry the meal — a roast chicken around $38, a bavette steak in leche de tigre near $49, and the whole Dover sole meuniere with pickled shallot and green romesco at roughly $77.
The cooking is confident and seasonal rather than showy; Buckles changes the menu almost monthly as produce and curiosity dictate. Charlotte Magazine and the national press took notice quickly, and the kitchen earned a place in the MICHELIN Guide Charlotte selection — a meaningful nod in a city only recently on the guide's map. The drinks match the plates: a San Sebastian martini around $21 and one of the better wine lists in town.
Rada seats only about 50, which gives it an intimate, slightly exclusive feel. The room is eclectic but cozy — warm lighting, close-but-comfortable tables, a sound level easy enough to hold a conversation across a two-top. Service is attentive and well-informed, especially on the wine and cocktails. Dress is smart-casual, the crowd skews date-night and celebration, and the small footprint is exactly why weekend tables are the hardest to get.
Book Rada for a date because everything about it serves the conversation: 50 seats, a sharing menu that keeps the table busy, and a drinks program strong enough to anchor the evening. The Mediterranean plates encourage ordering widely and lingering, and the room flatters without feeling formal. Reserve a Friday or Saturday a few weeks ahead on Resy. For more, see the Charlotte dining guide and our best restaurants for a first date.
Not for a big group or a budget night — the 50-seat room can't easily seat a large party, and a proper meal of shared plates with drinks runs near $100 a head before tip.
Yes. Rada is among the most talked-about restaurants to open in Charlotte recently, and the compact Mediterranean menu under chef Callan Buckles backs up the buzz. Expect Basque, Spanish, Italian and French touches across plates built for sharing, from a harissa meatball to a buttery Dover sole. At about $100 per person it is a special-occasion spend, and the cooking, wine list and cocktails justify it for a date or a celebration in Myers Park.
Fairly hard for prime weekend times, because the room holds only about 50 seats and the restaurant has been one of Charlotte's hottest tables. Reservations run through Resy; release a few weeks out and book the moment a window you want appears. Weeknights and earlier seatings are easier to land. Rada is at 2820 Selwyn Avenue, Suite 180, in Myers Park, in the former Little Spoon space.
Smart-casual. Rada is polished but not stuffy, so a blazer or a nice dress fits the mood without being required; neat denim with a good shirt reads fine. Most guests dress up a little for a date night or celebration. There is no jacket requirement, and the eclectic, cozy 50-seat room is more about the food and drinks than a formal code.
Plan for roughly $100 per person before tip. Small plates such as clams in a vin jaune broth run about $19 and the lasagnetta about $24, while larger dishes climb to a roast chicken near $38, a bavette steak near $49 and a whole Dover sole around $77. Cocktails like the San Sebastian martini are about $21. Sharing several plates with drinks is the way to eat here.
Yes — it is one of Charlotte's better date-night rooms right now. The 50 seats keep it intimate, the sharing format makes conversation easy, and the cocktail and wine programs are genuinely strong. Book a Resy a few weeks out for a Friday or Saturday and arrive hungry enough to order widely. See our best restaurants for a first date for more across the city.
Via Resy · weekend tables open weeks ahead
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Rada's 50 intimate seats and shareable Mediterranean menu land it among the city's strongest date-night rooms. See how it ranks against the rest of Charlotte.
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