This gem of a boutique hotel is Vermont charm at its finest! Conveniently located, its atmosphere is one of subtle elegance, rather than an in-your-face trendiness or a standardized, impersonal corporate look. The rooms are showpieces; the worst room here (not that there is even a "worst" room) is better than the best room anywhere else, with comfortable mattresses and many thoughtful touches throughout. (And there is a delightful quirkiness in placing antique furnishings, having just a kiss of weathering, in an immaculate setting). The staff make you feel right at home, and are a wealth of knowledge about local goings-on. And Chef Sigal works magic that truly must be experienced to be believed! The grounds are beautifully landscaped and are a delight. This has quickly become our favorite place to stay in the area (possessing, as it does, that indefinable something called "taste"). read more

While visiting friends in the area, we had dinner with a group st the Reluctant Panther. It has an upscale if not slightly old-school feel. I mean that as a positive. The restaurant was packed and the severs remained ahead and attentive. Our food was very nicely done. I had a beet salad to start and a great pork chop entree. It was a very positive, classy experience. read more

Great welcoming service and excellent food. The atmosphere is warm and upscale without being formal or stuffy. Would absolutely come again next time we are in the area. read more

Top tier. I stayed at the inn with my husband for my birthday and my birthday dinner did not disappoint. All staff we encountered were professional and friendly. We tried a lot of the food; duck pate, Brie lobster fondue, seared cod and romanesco, seared scallop dinner, cookie and creme brûlée. Every bite was delectable! I would go back. Also, I was surprised I had trouble deciding on my entree being that they have a small menu. Very impressive. read more

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The restaurant at the Reluctant Panther is well run. Although some staff was new, the service was timely and not intrusive. The food itself was very tasty, and beautifully presented. It was our anniversary and everything was delicious-including the wine. read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Grilled shrimp - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

Delicious 5-star food for an anniversary dinner that was unfortunately rushed because they booked us at 8 & close the kitchen at 9. After fast delivery of the apps, I asked the server not to fire the entrees right away. I wanted to enjoy the evening, not dine and dash. The server informed me the kitchen closed right at 9. I responded that they surely would not make an 8pm reservation if they were going to hurry us through dinner. She walked away. Despite the server trying to pick up my plate twice while I was chewing, and in spite of her spilling a hefty splurp of $140 champagne on the table sans any acknowledgment, it was a nice evening. However, I'd request a different waitress next time. read more

new menu fabulous. service above reprise . chef very attentive to what's important . best restaurant in manchester by far..

We come to Manchester every year and this restaurant is an. Annual treat. Superb dinner and drinks. Great service. Lovely atmosphere.

Just had dinner here and was absolutely delicious! Started with lobster Brie then Seared cod with capers served with spinach and vegetables. Husband had a ribeye steak with broccolini. Plentiful portion size. Quiet and comfortable and immaculate restaurant with lovely Paul Revere cutlery. Spreadable butter served in a rectangular dish with pumpkin bread as well as cruet of olive oil. Waitress brought complimentary tasting bite of Vermont cheese, nut and grilled grape. Yummy! For dessert coffee and selection of tea and trio of house made sorbet served with 2 house made shortbread cookies. Waitress was pleasant and attentive. Loved it! read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Lobster Brie fondue - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

Recommended by Capital District 'media celebrity'. Stopped in for dinner on my way back from Quebec City about 7:30 PM. Very nice location and across the street from another stellar restaurant - The Silver Fork. The parking lot was full - I guess it's a good sign. I walked in through the back door and after a turn or two was in front of the front desk. The gentleman pointed me towards the restaurant. I walked in and was acknowledged, waited a minute or two, the gentleman proceeded to seat me at a table. I noticed that there was a small bar and requested to be seated at the bar. I explained that would prefer to be standing since I had driven for six hours - not a problem was the response. I had the whole bar to myself. I immediately ordered a red wine, looked over the menu and was presented with the days specials - soups cold cucumber or wild mushroom, don't recall the entree. I ordered the cucumber soup and the Braised Short ribs with mashed potatoes, shishito peppers and haricot vert. In a minute or two came an amuse-bouche. I didn't catch what it was but it was delicious. Within a few minutes the soup plate came out with some herbs scattered on the bottom, then came the soup in a gravy boat and poured over the herbs. The soup was divine, it had a slight tartness from yogurt or sour cream or butter milk. I could not identify the herbs. Out came the Short Ribs (boneless) OH my! Very generous portion.There were two full ribs. The ribs absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. In any case I was able to finish only one rib. Sitting at the bar I also had the ability to engage with the staff - who were super. If you're in the area don't hesitate to go, if you can get a reservation - enjoy read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Cold Cucumber soup with herbs - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

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Incredible dinner at the Reluctant Panther Restaurant. My wife had the mixed green salad and I had the Carrot Soup !!!! Soup was amazing !!! My wife had the Roasted Misty Knoll Chicken Breast with Spinach and Mushroom Gnocchi !!! She loved it !!! I had the Seared Scallops !!!!! Wow delicious !!!!!!!! We shared a Crème Brulee for dessert read more

Thrilled that we were able to try this restaurant! Beautiful venue and excellent food! Located across the street from another famous Manchester restaurant Silver Fork! Reluctant Panther is located inside a beautiful inn (also just as beautiful albeit we stayed at the Equinox). Restaurant overlooks the inn's small pond. Food is all local, which I love! First to start off, the bread here is excellent! Little warm rolls were my favorite! Started the apps with the Farm mixed greens. That had a delicious Mint vinaigrette. Can taste the freshness of the spinach and lettuce! For the entrees, had to order the special veggie risotto (which also comes with the option of adding branzino for extra protein) wow! Amazing flavors in this risotto. I was a sucker for Morel mushrooms and this dish had tons of them! Also ordered the shrimp stuffed crab meat, three huge pieces with white asparagus (which was not local) and snap peas. Overall one of our best meals, great flavors and locally sourced ingredients! read more

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wonderful holiday meal. nice environment and attentive service. Pork chop was one of the BEST ever! Excellent wine selections and cocktails. Must try when in Manchester. read more

Delicious food, excellent service, perfectly mixed drinks! I love dining at the Reluctant Panther the service and food are always top notch. read more

What happened??? Last year we had a great meal. This year we did not. Salad (very boring greens) came without sauce (!) the other starter (zucchini flowers) was fine but nothing special, vegan cauliflower dish was kind of a joke (basic roasted cauliflower, *some* spices and some chickpeas, thank God I was not hungry!), only the scallops were decent. Risotto was mostly white wine and salt, my husband and I were saying how either of us could cook a much better meal easily at home. Overpriced and overhyped - mostly for the older crowd imho. Service was fine - the only redeeming quality this place had to offer were the fresh bread rolls. Not worth 200 dollars. We will not be back and recommend looking into other, less "fancy" places. read more

Food: Fabulous! Service: Excellent! Ambience: Sublime! Don't miss the Reluctant Panther if you're in the area.

Lots of hype. Put myself on a waiting list. I received a call stating that they had a table for 2. Very surprised when I walked into the restaurant because it was pretty empty. It's a very quaint restaurant. Not much ambience. When we sat down. The server said she had bad news / that the fish was sold out. Not a way to start a dining experience.. the food / presentation / quality/ 5 star. Portions are on the small side. Over all ok. read more

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Food was awful. Nothing had flavor. The shrimp and corn salad, blah! The famous lobster and Brie fondue was so bad that I had to spit it out into my cloth napkin. The soup do the day, which was some type of corn flavor had no corn. The beat part of the meal was the bread basket. I had the risotto and it was under cooked. For the amount of money they charge I would never go back again even if it was for free. read more

This is a fantastic restaurant. Service is great and the food is delicious. I got the shorts ribs which I recommend. Wine selection also nice. The atmosphere is comfortable in that tables are spread out for a more intimate setting. Make a reservation as not many tables and so worth it. We stayed at Kimpton Taconic and a nice easy 5 minute walk. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Manchester! The food is always delicious and the chef has a nice attention to flavors and detail. The staff is always friendly and attentive. read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Seared tuna entree. Delicious! - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

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Rare 5 star review for me especially after one visit. When told bartender at another place going here got muted response as they recommended another place. Glad came here as liked everything about place. Had large selection of wines including Chardonnay for every style and price point. Both fondue and venison Osso Bucco were great. Liked spacing of tables as did not feel crowded. Every table taken and was not too loud. Ended meal with manager asking if we liked to cooked and then being handle recipe for the fondue. read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Lobster fondue - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

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Exceptional meal. The service was excellent, present when needed but not overbearing. As the evening wore on the dining room became more energetic band slightly noisy, but never too much. Our cod entree was amazing, such an incredible blend of flavors, mushrooms, spinach, leeks and capers, such a great melange of accompaniments to the melt in your mouth cod. read more

Reluctant to say this but the food was average at best. Frankly, I could do better with the dishes. Ambiance was fine and staff was attentive and professional, Brussel sprout app dish was tired. Cod dish lacked flavor. Plating was uninspired. Desert was too frozen and overly sweet with little flavor otherwise. Wine by the glass was ok. read more

Great restaurant with great service. Our server was attentive while not being too intrusive. Vermont pork chop was very good. Lovely atmosphere in a quant inn. Great overall dining experience! read more

Food was good, wine list was even better, ambience was perfect, service was friendly and attentive. Highly recommend for a somewhat refined dining experience. read more

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The service, food, beverages and ambiance were amazing! I would give them 100 stars if I could. Will return and I definitely recommend them! read more

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Reminds me of the Michelin 3 star food and service restaurant that we went to about 30 years ago in Belgium. The food was very elevated and sophisticated, and the drinks were great. The tables for 2 are very large and comfortable, and the service was great. The Brussels Sprouts , vegan cauliflower, and cod were all excellent. This is the best restaurant in the area in our opinion, which is saying a lot because there are a a lot of great restaurants in the area. read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Menu - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

Nice location in old Inn. Friendly staff. Food is average. Setting in restaurant dark- I get old New England decor, but restaurant needs some updating. read more

I came in for a solo dining experience on a Thursday night before my family hit to town... I was seated on their lovely patio, that overlooks a fountain on their grounds. The scallops were recommended to me and they were amazing...savory grits with corn and bacon in the buttery scallops. Presentation was beautiful. I ate at another "fine-dining" establishment the next night and the Panther blew it away. Ambiance, cocktails, food, all A+. read more

Reluctant Panther Restaurant - Scallops, with bacon, corn and grits - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

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Excellent service, food and ambiance. Was able to seat us, even though we had no reservation at a busy time.

Food is divine. Highly recommend the trout with crabmeat. Service was excellent - we had a large group and it went seamlessly.

Food was excellent. Everything from bread to dessert. Nice room. Excellent tuna and carpaccio. Very good chocolate cake.

Easily the best meal of our trip to VT. Tasty, creative, not-heavy dishes. Pleasant ambiance and attentive staff. Tuna (starter and entrée) were excellent. Signature bourbon mule hit the spot. If you can't get a table across the street at Silver Fork (or even if you can), RP is an excellent choice. read more

When you walk in you know you're entering a place where you'll be treated as if you were royalty. From the reception you'll pass little boudoirs, private rooms and lounges before arriving in the main dinning room. The decor is simple, yet elegant, flowers everywhere makes the room very warm. The service is efficient and friendly, knowledgeable and very well informed. They have a long wine list, although not very interesting, pretty basic in my opinion. We were a table of four and ordered one risotto with purple carrots, and lamb with pistachios. I was not a big fan of the risotto, although very well prepared, I didn't think the carrots were a good marriage with the rice. Everyone else had lamb with a wine reduction and pistachios which was amazing I will good back and try other dishes for sure. read more

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Outstanding meal! Everything delicious - creamy cauliflower soup, burrata salad, venison, cod...creative tasty cocktails...yumyum maple creme brulee..even the breadbasket is amazing..a 5 star dining experience! read more

We started with the lobster and Brie fondue. It was excellent. They even supplied the recipe. The wait staff was really laid back and helpful, by the way. We also had the squash blossoms, which were yummy. We split the crab stuffed shrimp, which we also enjoyed. Our drinks were terrific. My Old Fashioned was spot on. Lynda ordered an IPA, which appeared a bit warm for her tastes. It was promptly replaced by a very nice glass of Cabernet which was on the house. No complaints, and we'll be back. We want to sit outside next time, weather permitting. read more

We came back to the Panther with friends this time. We all had a very enjoyable experience with great service, great ambiance in the delightful dining room, great cocktails, and very good food. Although the menu is short / focused I found myself wanting one of almost everything. We started with a fantastic amuse bouche once again. The Pheasant Pate starter was fantastic, a real treat, and the Lobster / Brie fondue was a real crowd- pleaser. For Mains the Artic Char was a hit and the Pheasant was very nicely cooked and prepared, but a bit disappointing to me as it didn't taste anything different than... you guessed it... chicken. If you would still order the pheasant if you substitute the word chicken in the description you will be very happy with it. The two ladies in the group decided on the Wagyu Coullotte steak. It had great flavor but was quite chewy. One of the ladies ended up spitting out half of her bites into an ever-growing pile in her napkin. Since the defining characteristic of Wagyu beef is tenderness this is a huge fail. I wonder if the Wagyu is counterfeit / falsely labeled. Despite the Wagyo failue we were all still impressed with the Reluctant Panther and look forward to returning. previous review: The Reluctant Panther Restaurant sets a high bar for itself with it's entrees all in the $30's but I was impressed enough to give a 5 star review even with only one visit. The menu is very creative and interesting, not just with the main but also with the accompanying sides. We started with the well reviewed Lobster and Brie Fondue which we thought was very good. My wife's chicken entree was surprisingly good, very moist with good texture and chicken flavor. The real star (and the reason she ordered it) was the side of Butternut Squash Cannelloni Bean & Arugula "Cassoulet". That was so good I would order it as my main course. I had the Venison Ossobucco which was perfectly cooked and sat on a perfectly matched celery root puree with pomegranate seeds. I was somewhat disappointed I could not pick up any Venison flavor in the meat, but it was so good I let it go. Service was excellent, the room was beautiful, the bread and amuse bouche were memorable, and the dessert menu was very inspired. I have a somewhat cynical expectation of expensive fine dining restaurants, especially those in a hotel (inn), but this place really hit the mark of what fine dining should be for me. read more

This restaurant is a gem! Not only foes it have a very pleasant atmosphere and well trained staff, but the meals are delicious! The menu offers an excellent selection which makes selection difficult. Each dish is creatively presented and the main item has enticing accompaniments. We are foodies and highly recommend this fine restaurant!! read more

This a beautiful restaurant with great ambience, service and food here was amazing! We are vegan and especially loved the beet fettuccini dish, brussel sprouts, and sorbet - especially the apple cider sorbet! read more

Delicious food, beautiful restaurant, great service. The vegan options were so good, flavorful, unique, and filling. It can be rare to see such amazing vegan options at upscale restaurants, especially such well labeled options right on the menu that don't need any modifications to make it vegan. Really appreciate it and enjoyed the meal. read more