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 Columbus area.