I held a private dinner at Lantern for a group of ~60 people, and everything was amazing. The food, drinks, and service were all superb, and Lydia (the events coordinator at Lantern) was absolutely amazing to work with. She and the rest of the staff organized and executed everything seamlessly, and the space was beautifully decorated. A couple weeks before the event Lydia and I worked together to craft a custom menu (food and drinks) from a comprehensive list of seasonal options. The night of the event, the kitchen staff also went above and beyond in accommodating guests with dietary restrictions, by serving some off-menu desserts. If you're planning a private event and searching for an elegant venue - with great food, drinks, and service - look no further. A list of the greatest hits/crowd-pleasers: - Korean fried chicken - Pea shoot and scallion dumplings - Pork and chive dumplings - Junebug cocktail read more

After saving up for a month or two, went here with some friends. Expensive... BUT... SOOOOOOO good. Friends were Chinese from California with huge Chinese fine dining options, and they even said Lantern was one of the best they've had: good fusion of Chinese and a touch of Southern cooking. Excellent quality. Bottom line: just don't pay the utility bills for a month or two and then pig out once at Lantern! You may not have running water or heat for a bit but it's worth it. read more

I have no idea why this place would be labeled as "new American" but whatevs, to each their own. I would say this is much better described as Asian fusion. We got lucky and scored a table in the bar area which in my opinion, has more ambiance than the main dining room. And we didn't have a reservation either which I guess is a must on weekends or you will be waiting forever for a table. Their menu has a lot of awesome choices, too many cause I had a hard time picking. The food is well served, prides itself on local suppliers and was pretty tasty. I settled on the duck and egg noodle soup. It hit the spot in all the right places, as did the pork dumplings and salt & pepper shrimp appetizers. Sadly I was on a no-alcohol tip but their signature drink menu showed a lot of promise if you're willing to step out of your regular alcoholic comfort zone. I would have liked to see a little more variety in the sake department, or a plum wine. Although the food is the selling point here, my favorite part of the meal was the dessert. Banana ice cream with salt, caramel and roasted peanuts. The perfection in that combination was a happy dance in my mouth. Lantern is good. Fantastic? I wouldn't say it's "the best like evar!" but it was a good, solid meal and would come back, if it didn't involve shelling out on another plane ticket and all. ;) read more

Lantern - banana ice cream and chocolate lava cake desserts - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

ever go to a restaurant and think wow if only i could just keep ordering from this menu and keep tasting all of the things!? like in a world where the concept of fullness didn't exist. that's lantern for me. the salt and pepper shrimp - amazing. salad - delicious. pea shoot dumplings - tasty. cocktails - perfect. and on and on. sit in the bar, or (on a nice day) out back for a relaxed atmosphere and consistently great food. read more

We were very disappointed with the food here. We ordered the beef sashimi (mid), the squash salad (4 small chunks of squash with a load of pea shoot sprouts), fried shrimp & dumplings. None of it was good. We heard so many good things and were so underwhelmed! The service was good but we waited 40 minutes for our second course because they forgot us. Will not be back :( read more

I absolutely love love love this place. There are two areas to sit. The front restaurant area, which i find a bit stiff and stagnant and then the back bar. Oh the back bar. The same menu is available in both areas but the ambiance in the back is superb. Very cozy with red lantern lighting, a few tables and bar seating are available. It's a bit noisier but it's worth it. The food at the lantern never fails to disappoint. Their take on asian fusion pleases the palate. However, mixed with the lovely ambiance at the back bar, there's no better place in Chapel Hill to eat on a Friday night. read more

Long overdue review so some details may have escaped from me... The dining room is not quite spacious so prepare for that. Get the Korean-inspired fried chicken appetizer! Very nicely done, crispy and flavorful in multiple layers. We had steak and pork shank as main dishes but neither of them stood out. Panna cotta for dessert is lovely with their homemade granola for extra touch. Recommend for a serious dinner when you are in the area. read more

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Went here yesterday for my birthday dinner.this place is lovely perfect ambiance for a date candlelight dinner. I am a big fan of Asian food and love to try asian fusion.this place didn't disappoint.if you like lychee try the late blossom cocktail. For appetizers we ordered the highly reviewed Korean fried chicken. It's yummy .perfectly crispy and spicy without being too hot. Also tried the pork and chives dumplings. They were good too. For entree we tried the nc crispy fried whole fish and the tea infusion smoked chicken . The highlight was the coconut cream nad rose cake. I had never tries something like this before and glad I took the chance.It reminded me of Indian dessert and we finished it in a few seconds. A must try. Overall a great place for a date . read more

Lantern - NC flounder - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Lantern is one of our "go-to" places in Chapel Hill. We typically skip the main dining room for a table in the bar in the back. The bar is vintage Chapel Hill, kitschy but cool. The food is Asian-fusion, and is great to share, having almost a tapas feel to it. We often skip entrees and order an assortment of appetizers. The wait staff are the best, knowledgeable and friendly. They work to develop a camaraderie with other staff and their patrons, and it adds to the "neighborhood" feel to the place. Food is excellent, mixed drinks are great. Wine list could use a little work, but considering the size and type of food, I don't dock them points there. If you are looking for the standard entree and wine motif, the Lantern may not be for you, but we think it is one of the best restaurants in Chapel Hill. read more

Came alone on a business trip at 930 pm on a Tuesday. They offered to seat be in bar area - very loud , not surprisingly. I opted for the dining room. There were only 2 other groups dining. The bearded host was very articulate. One thing for sure - the staff takes their job and the food very serious and they can describe the dishes with pain staking almost author-like detail. It felt a bit pretentious but I think they are just an intelligent bunch. :-) I started with the mushroom dumplings which, as the waitress stated, was indeed earthy. Good and hearty. Then I had the tempura soft shell crab over a bed of (some sort of really tender) interesting greens, atop of a spicy white sauce - superb!!! I'm not sure if it's a given with soft shelled crab but I didn't like the few prices of shell that didn't feel edible and hung on my molars. But it was steaming fresh and tasted amazing!! For dessert I had an ice cream with Carmel red wine sauce and roasted pistachios. At first it tasted boring but once the flavors mixed it was such a unique yummy combo!! I would highly recommend this! read more

Lantern - Tempura soft shelled crab is so good!! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I've been to Lantern three times since moving back to Chapel Hill. All three times have been top notch. The menu changes seasonally, although there are a few staples. Every appetizer I have had has been delicious. The notable ones are Salt and Pepper Prawns and the Steamed Dumplings. For entrees, I've had the flank steak with marrow, the whole fish special, and the pork. I would put all of these dishes up against those from any restaurants in Atlanta. It's well worth the money. read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Chapel Hill and probably the Triangle. I can't say enough good things about the Lantern, from making reservations to the ambience, to the succulent dishes, to dessert, to waitstaff, to drinks. This place has it all. If you're thinking about a special occasion dinner, do yourself a favor and go here. read more

The Lantern restaurant is fantastic but their back alley bar is our go to place any time we're in town. The bartenders are great and are down to mix up any of your favorite cocktails. Everything on their late night food menu is fantastic except for the beef tartare. It's good but they put a very unique twist on it so it's like ground beef with taco seasoning. If your looking for standard tartare do not order this. Also, make sure to ask for the Big Farm cocktail when you're here. It's not on the menu but definitely worth trying. read more

Memorable special dish of fried seabass and delicious Tom yum soup. I still dream about this night...wonderful ambiance and tasty food. What more could you ask? More restaurants need to be consistent and delicious as Lantern! read more

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There was a lot of hype about this place during my visit to Chapel Hill so we tried it out. Food was good-- not worth the prices though. We had a fairly large party that they were able to seat quickly upstairs. We are at different tables however- but we were ok with that. Two of our 4 tables got really fast service-- the other two not so much-- too the point that my table in particular did not get our app for only 1.5 hrs... In the end the food was good- but not worth the wait and the price. If you hear of other good places to try, go for it! read more

excellent all around ! menu changes- you can't go wrong here. a true five star restaurant.

Lantern is one of the first places I think of whenever I'm having dinner in town on somebody else's dime. The menu here is very diverse and complex, especially for an Asian restaurant. You can tell they really take this stuff seriously. The precision of the cooking is remarkable (how often is "lime leaf" listed as an ingredient?), and the results are spectacular. Everything is flavored wonderfully and spiced just right. The atmosphere is a little stilted, coming out the bad end of classy... You'll want to dress up to the nines to avoid feeling awkward. Also, the prices are way above what I'd normally pay. If you can afford it and you're in the mood for something really nice, you'd have a hard time beating this place. read more

Lantern - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Flawless food. Phenomenal chef. Great service. Great location. Good prices. Good atmosphere. Great takeout

Came here tonight to celebrate my husband's birthday. While the food was good and the outside patio was lovely we will probably not return. We found the menu very underwhelming with very limited choices and some of the choices and their ingredients didn't make any sense. Is a good place to meet people for a drink and a few small plates but wouldn't recommend it for a full meal. read more

Good experience and tasty food. We shared many dishes full of flavor enjoyed within the small but inviting space calmly lit with clouds of George Nelson bubble lamps in this downtown Chapel Hill venue. Both the vegetable and the meat dumplings were prepared deliciously and were particularly moreish. Other appetizers like the shrimp and chaat were also full of spice and savory goodness. The chicken main was the only minor disappointment of the evening, given that it was rather dry and boney, requiring a studied, surgical application to separate any available meat. Coconut panna cotta was devilishly good and capped an impressive first experience. Another highlight worth mentioning; the cocktails, which were exquisitely concocted with layers of flavor and cheerful presentation. "Deed without a name" was frothy and smoky with its full-bodied Laphroaig profile. Definitely recommend trying Lantern. read more

I am not sure if my expectations were too high or the fact other restaurants in the area serve better food but I did not love Lantern. Service and atmosphere were exceptional, no complaints in those departments but, overall, the food was disappointing. We started with the Okra, which was the highlight of the evening. Crispy, perfectly spiced and wished I had ordered two. The Kyoto fried chicken were basically chicken nuggets and without the sauce would have been mediocre at best. The Pork and Chive Dumplings were lovely, impeccably steamed and seasoned. They ran out of the pork spring rolls the Saturday night we dined so we settled on the salt and pepper shrimp. I want to start out by saying that I am 38 years old and have been eating shrimp since I was like 4. Never in my entire life, here in the US or abroad have I been served shrimp with the shell on. The first one I ate with the shell on I almost chocked trying to get it down my throat. The last few I ate I removed the shell but that fact also removes the seasoning so you are left to enjoy plain shrimp. It was odd to say the least. We enjoyed our evening and glad we finally tried this Chapel Hill intuition. Personally, I enjoy Jujube (2.5 miles from here) over Lantern and do not think we will return. read more

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I am a lantern lover. Asian fusion is my sh!t! Food is always excellent. Super tasty and unique. Their pork chop is the bomb but the entire menu is not to be slept on. They need to bring that their beef carpaccio because that stuff was LEGIT! If you want a unique dining experience and to delve into new foods, come here. Their back bar is also a little known secret that is definitely worth stopping in to! read more

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I have been a customer until shortly after Lantern opened. Five years ago, I would have given the place four stars. However, recent experiences have been unsatisfactory. Last week, our dinner began with glasses of Prosecco. As I raised my glass to drink, a cockroach scuttled across my arm. I flicked it to the floor with my other hand. The ambiance was broken. I frequently order the same fish dish from the menu. At least the menu description is the same. For the last few visits, what the server brings to the table is a surprise, nothing like previous instances. This time the dish comprised several small pieces of not-tender fried fish surrounded by a small amount of a delicious sauce. To end the evening, when we returned to our car in the adjacent parking lot, we found a ticket on our windshield. read more

Was I in NYC, LA, Miami or any other cosmopolitan city with great food? No, I was in Chapel Hill and this place rates right up there with any fine restaurant that I have dined in those cities. Lantern came with wonderful reviews and did not disappoint! Service, food and atmosphere were all amazing. Our party of 3 were seated promptly at the time of our reservation in a packed restaurant on a Wednesday night. Our server Michael greeted us at our table and quickly got our drink orders and returned to give us good wonderful information on the menu. We started with the smoked eggplant and the pork and chive dumplings. Both were so well prepared and flavorful that we all could not wait until our entrees were brought out to the table. For entrees we selected the Steamed NC fish of the day (sorry forgot the type) and two orders of the BBQ'D Pork Chop. Both were out of this world. Expertly cooked and presented. The fish was swimming in just the right amount of soy broth which added such flavor to the dish. My son and I were glad that we both ordered the Pork Chop as after one bite we knew that we would not share this dish. Perfectly cooked to a medium the flavor bursted and ignited every taste bud on my tongue. We were all full at the end our meal that we did not have any room for desert. We left the restaurant walking through the back lounge area and out door patio knowing that when I return to visit my son in Chapel Hill, that we will not only return for another great meal, but have a few drinks in the lounge and or patio. read more

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The décor of this place is elegantly simple, with a muted contemporary feel. Service was excellent and prompt. It definitely has the kind of atmosphere you would want on a first date or to entertain business contacts, but let's get to business: The food. As an appetizer, I had their salt and pepper shrimp (pictured below), which was served with a pile of flash-fried cilantro and jalapenos, and served in a bed arugula. The shrimp are slightly breaded in what appeared to rice meal, but unfortunately had not flavor of salt nor pepper in it. Frankly I found them fairly bland. I was also encouraged to eat them whole, with the shell and tails - something with which I am very familiar being a huge lover of Asian food - but I found them to be too tough to do so, so I wound up peeling them after eating the second one. The flash-fried cilantro and jalapeno peppers were neat in concept, but chewing a mouthful of it reminded me of oily rice paper and it has no flavor to them at all. It was excellently presented, but disappointing. For an entrée, I had the local pork chop (also pictured below); which is served with spicy, slightly pickled, papaya salad; and a bed of jasmine rice (I asked them to hold the rice). This fared better than the appetizer. The pork chop, which was served the egg on top and seasoned with saffron, was juicy and tender. It was good, but not $23 dollars good. The papaya salad was the best part to me, but it was spicier than what most people -- not me -- would like. Overall, this place was more fine-than-good. They did all the right things to make this a fine dining establishment, except for the fine-food part. The food wasn't bad, just not what you would expect. No offense to this place and perhaps others may enjoy it, but while I was not turned off, I was disappointed. That said, I'll give it 3 of 5 stars (i.e. Just "A-OK") read more

Lantern - Their local pork chop served with spicy (pickled) papaya salad and jasmine rice, with an egg on top. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The food was fresh and flavorful. The service is unobtrusive and impeccable. Had the bourbon and muddled blueberries, "Walk Right In" to drink and the steamed fish for my entree. Yuzu pudding was surprisingly light and refreshing for a warm pudding! My one suggestion would be to use a bit less cilantro to garnish the fish. It was quite a lot and I like cilantro. Be prepared to spend some $$$ and be pleased. read more

Lantern - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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We ate there last night. Entrees took almost an hour to arrive. Two steaks were too salty to eat. Foie gras toast likewise. They comped one entree but the meal was ruined. Too bad. We have had many good meals here but the pandemic has severely impacted the kitchen. read more

A classy, small restaurant with a very minimal (but delicious!) menu. I got the Steamed Wild NC Black Bass, and I would say that it's one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. Definitely would recommend for special occasions! We made a reservation, so I don't know how they do with walk-ins. read more

Great service, amazing menu, cool ambiance. Great place to celebrate 20 years of marriage.

TLDR; Service: good. Food: fine. Worth the price: no. So, hadn't been on a date night in a while, and this place was actually recommended to my SO from a coworker for a nice date night. We got dressed up and hit the town! The outside of the restaurant has an almost tavern feel, but the inside is small and quaint. The hostess was a little frazzled, but very nice, and got us seated fairly quickly. There was no wait as long as we sat by the bar. Which is actually what was recommended to my SO anyway. We were lead up and seated and our drink orders were taken immediately with menus while we waited for the waitress, which was not a long wait at all. Side note; they have two types of ginger ale (which is my drink of choice ha-ha), home brewed and spicy. I got the home brewed and it was incredible. Best ginger ale I have ever had. Highly recommended IF you like ginger, not just canned gingerale. It's also sold by the glass; no free refills. They didn't tell me that but I should have assumed and didn't mind. The ambiance and small and intimate, it's rather dark but still enough candle-like light to see the menu. It was quite literally next to the bar. But somehow with the ambiance the lack of space didn't seem to bother us much, there was plenty of footroom, that's all that matters, really. When trying somewhere new, we typically share an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. My SO also always asks for recommendations. The waitress immediately asked about any dietary restrictions; I let her know I need to avoid anything spicy. She said "Well nothing on our menu is spicy so that is easy." She recommended the beef carpaccio (raw beef) dish, the Vietnamese spring rolls, and two other dishes I can't remember because we ordered the carpaccio and spring rolls. I had never had raw beef before but it sounded interesting. We also ordered the crispy NC fish as an entree (red snapper). The carpaccio and spring rolls came out first, and together. The carpaccio was very spicy. I don't think it was peppercorns, I think it was something else. It was dark so I couldn't see exactly what was so spicy - I think it was the dark sauce. But regardless it was hot hot hot in my mouth. The Vietnamese spring rolls were interesting. My SO said there were too "raw" for him (not enough meat, too much green), but that's per his taste. I liked them okay but wish there was more shrimp. I also could not dip them in either of the sauces they were served with. My SO tried both dips for me because the carpaccio was spicy; he said both sauces had a spice. So the spring rolls were ultimately a disappointment. The crispy NC red snapper came next. It was cool, because the whole fish was cooked in tact, and I've never been served a fish like that. The flavors did not do it for me though. I think there was a lot of cilantro, maybe, or some other herb that doesn't do it for me. The fish itself wasn't spicy but the sauce and veggies it was laid in were spicy. The carrot salad side it was served with was spicy. The jasmine rice is was served with was the only think NOT spicy I was served all night, which was disappointing as the waitress said nothing was spicy. Everyone has different tastes, but I was given an expectation and none of the food met it. We chose not to get a dessert. My SO wished we had gotten an additional appetizer because he was still hungry but none of the dessert selections stuck out to us. I got two gingerales over the meal and my SO got a coke (which did have refills). Our total was 69.00 and some change. With tip we paid 83.00 for the meal. We would not go back. The waitress was nice and the ambiance was cool but the food tasted like things we could make at home, AND was too spicy for me after being told nothing was spicy at all. With how much we paid we would go elsewhere in the future. The food isn't bad I don't think. But the combinations above in addition to it just maybe not being our kind of food to taste made it not a winner for us. I'm rounding up from 2 1/2 stars. read more

I hosted a surprise retirement party for my dad at Lantern and I truly could not be more pleased with how the planning, execution and post party went! To begin, I started planning this party ~6 months in advance of the date and selected the private dining area with heavy appetizers as the menu selection. Lydia, the events coordinator, could not have been more helpful in fulfilling my every request and staying in constant communication with me over the 6 months. The detail this location puts in to making the party effortless for the host is truly top notch. Every guest who attended raved about the food, drinks and overall ambiance of the venue. Living in Los Angeles and planning the party 2K+ miles away seemed impossible, but with Lydia's help, it was a breeze! After I returned back to CA, I contacted Lantern to share photos and discuss the bill, and to my surprise, they quickly refunded/addressed my concern with headcount. Truly, the HIGHEST customer service there is! I cannot wait to return to Lantern to enjoy the food, drinks and location when I return to NC! If you're thinking of visiting/booking this location for an event, DO IT! read more

Delectable foods - having the duck rice congee which was very flavorful and palpable consistency, but the portion was small for the price; chosen the fried whole North Carolina catfish with chilies, garlic, tamarind, fresh lime leaf, carrot salad and jasmine rice" which was good in flavor, texture, temperature and aesthetics, except that the fish was breaded and the carrot salad was not a salad, but was tasty lightly fermented. The jasmine rice was not quite jasminely. We also ordered the "Moon-viewing hotpot with homemade Anson Mills soba noodles with black trumpet mushrooms, fresh bamboo, local vegetables and a poached Fickle Creek Farm egg" - deliciously fresh vegetables, but the broth was a little strong. The service was impeccable, but the server knowledge of the menu was somewhat limited. Would recommend a try if you enjoyed farm-to-table meals. read more

I found this place completely overrated and WAY overpriced for what we got. My girlfriend got the Seafood Hot Pot(29.00), and I had the Crispy Duck Soup(27.00). At almost thirty dollars a dish, they tasted like a mediocre bowl of ramen or Pho. The duck cut in my soup was fine, if a little fatty, but her seafood seemed to have an overly fishy taste to it. We also had the Salt and Pepper shrimp(13.00)--these were very good. Eight good sized shrimp, served over crispy spinach and jalepenos; these we enjoyed. The service was also some what lacking--it took quite a while for us to greet us, and we barely saw our server. We had better service from the person that ran our food to us, and we later needed to flag down to get our check. I've heard good things about the bad area, and may make it back for a drink and the shrimp. The entrees, however, felt like a rip off and were quite the disappointment. We will not be back for dinner. read more

Lantern is always a great experience for me. Even though they don't have specifically vegan options all the time, the servers are always extremely helpful in making changes and accommodating. The ambience of the place is really nice and they have a great drinks menu as well. One of my favourite spots for Asian food in chapel hill! read more

Lantern - Steamed mushroom and cabbage dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I have high standards for Asian fusion, having eaten at several outstanding restaurants including The House in San Francisco, one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I ordered the Steamed wild NC Fish, which tasted like something I could make at home. It may have been my fault for ordering a lightly flavored dish, but I tend to appreciate dishes like this so I was disappointed. I also tried a Pork and Chive dumpling that a friend ordered that tasted okay. Nothing impressive here - if you're looking to splurge I would save your money for something else. read more

All in all, solid food. It's a very small menu so there isn't much indecision in making your choice. They generally also have some sort of special menu item available beyond the regular menu. However, I don't think there was anything particularly exciting about it that would make me want to come back. read more

I excitedly booked the Lantern for my birthday dinner and to impress a friend from Europe with a wide culinary palette. We had a party of 8 on a Saturday and I must say I was less than impressed by our experience. Granted, I have had delicious food from around the world so my expectations are high. But for a restaurant that once made the top 50 in Gourmet magazine, I was expecting much more. To start, our cocktails were excellent. Perfectly mixed, and tasty. Good way to begin! Then it went downhill from there. The food was served cold and lackluster (my bi bim bop was actually cold but I was too hungry to send it back). Appetizers came out limp and lifeless. We were really having too much fun talking to complain much but the deficits were noticeable. The other main dishes were "ehh" and not "ahhh." The dessert sounded divine but in reality was just cold chocolate cake. Finally, the check came in at $185 for two (including tip) which I am willing to pay for a worthy and delicious dinner but I can say with certainty that I won't be back. Lantern, step it up, friends. You have culinary expectations to live up to. read more

Locally sourced organic produce and meat. Seasonal as well, so the menu keeps changing PROS: The back room where the bar is located is the place to sit...dark, with a red backdrop and lanterns mischievously dangling from the ceiling. If you're bringing a date, ask for a table in the back room The cocktails are amazing. Very limited beer selection, but the ambiance, food and drinks are well worth it. Vietnamese Style summer rolls are great to munch on with drinks. The Japanese steakhouse-style seared rare flat iron steak with crispy spinach, ponzu sauce, warm green tea sushi rice and sea salt is the Bomb!!! The spinach is fried and crispy and salty and one keeps forking more and more into the mouth. For dessert, nothing speaks satisfaction like the Hot chocolate cake with Thai coffee ice cream. Seals the deal. The quantity and taste is just right. CONS: Service is slow read more

Good food but our server was rude! We had a ladies night out and a friend left early. She asked the waitress for her portion of the bill. They do not split bills here, so she paid her percentage and left. When the final bill was delivered to the table, the portion she paid has not been deducted. When my friend asked if this was the current bill, the waitress looked at her like she was stupid and replied "Yes". The only reason we caught the mistake was that there was no deduction for the amount already paid. We were being asked to pay for the full bill. We tried several times to explain this to the server, but it was like talking to a wall. She got so flustered, or finally figured out she made a mistake, and snatched the bill out of my friends hand and walked away. Who does this? We spoke to the manager and he said we, a group of five women, misunderstood our server. Seriously?!?! We later heard the manager telling our sever that he "appreciated her". Nepotism? Affair? Weak sauce from a manager. Why would you want to pay to be treated badly? read more

The Lantern might possibly be the best place to breakup with someone because they can' t possibly throw a fit here when eating deliciousness! Note: I have not done any breaking up with anyone at Lantern, nor do I plan to at this time. I have been going here since the place opened, and it is possibly the most reliably consistently good place around, especially considering their commitment to using as much local food sources as possible. For people that say they want to support local farms this is one of the best places to eat out (Panzanella and Crook's Corner being other places). Yes you pay a little more maybe, but the taste and quality is worth it and the power of your dollar spent is threefold which in turn is cheaper for you in the long run. I do have a few tips .. if you order a fish, it may come with a head. The flesh on a fish's head is possibly one of the best bits so don't be a prude or complain about it. Also this place isn't about being rushed, it's about having a pleasant experience and enjoying your food and drinks. If you need food or drinks quickly, go somewhere else. Lantern gets very busy on the weekends, so I advise going here during the week. Finally, especially to newbies on a date, there is no need to act pretentious or 'put on aires'. Listen to your servers recommendations, they know what they are talking about and you cannot hope to 'one up them' or 'impress' without sounding like a douchebag. Shut up, enjoy the experience, and let them take you on a lantern journey. Oh I almost forgot - do not act condescending to the bar and waitstaff, of I might punch you in the face myself. Thank you Lantern for many years of happy memories and meals. read more