Rada’s quiet confidence is as unintrusive as it is unusual. From its refined, Mediterranean-inspired menu to its pared-down, intentional design, Rada in Charlotte NC doesn’t shout for guests’ attention. Instead, it invites guests to join in its practiced nonchalance and to do so over a delicious meal.
A lifelong restaurateur, owner Eloy Roy grew up in the business, helping his father open OGGI in Miami Beach in 1989, and later bringing it to Charlotte in 2012. In 2024, he found himself at a crossroads. He had been offered a sales job, which was his first tangible opportunity to leave the hospitality industry in his professional life. Yet, he had been bouncing around a new restaurant concept in the back of his mind for years. “After two weeks eating my way through Buenos Aires, I came back with clarity,” says Roy.
From Serendipity to Selwyn
What followed was a six-month search for the perfect space to bring Rada to life, until a chance encounter with real estate broker Scott Alexander led him to the former LittleSpoon space on Selwyn in Myers Park. “From this moment on, it felt the universe was conspiring in my favor,” says Roy. “All the lights turned green.”
Roy envisioned a restaurant that would bring something new to Charlotte. Specifically, he pictured a place with sprezzatura, the Italian word for effortless elegance. “I felt like the city could really use the style of restaurant I loved,” Roy says. “A place of simplicity, grace, elegance, and with food that is of high quality.”
The food at Rada in Charlotte NC is globally inspired, but with a strong Mediterranean heartbeat. “We didn’t want to paint ourselves into a cultural corner,” says Roy. Dishes change seasonally, using hyper-local sourcing whenever possible. From Lady Edison pork to coppa and lamb soppressata from North Carolina farms, the menu is a reflection of deep culinary intention and respect for ingredients.
The wine and cocktail programs echo that same philosophy. “We believe in wines that are worth a conversation,” says Roy. The impressive 100-bottle list spans France, Italy, Spain, and unexpected finds from regions like Tasmania. Cocktails are European-influenced and, on the whole, are elegant, balanced, and rooted in simplicity.
Rada isn’t about reinvention—it’s about intention. “We know how a restaurant should feel. Also, we know flavor and how to achieve it,” says Roy. “We haven’t reinvented anything. But we honor the basic truths about hospitality and the beauty of coming together over food and drink, and we are in love with what we do.”
