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Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern Raleigh Reviews
What a wonderful experience.
This gem is located in (guess what) a "second empire" building with all the magnificent details of that era. Not only were the surroundings stunning, the service and food were exceptional. Our server, Albert, with his amazing memory, was able to give us a run down of the evenings offerings and also suggested the fois gras appetizer. OK, truth here--not a fan. At least not a fan until I tried the very different goose liver at Second Empire. Outstanding. Was more of a sliced, seared presentation with lots of ornamentation (can't remember all the accoutrements--perhaps due to the exceptional Pinot Noir). Hubby had the duck as the entree and I ordered the Moroccan dish. Superb both. Rumor has it the chef/owner has been there for over 26 years. Well done, you!
Birthday Dinner!
It was my father's 88th birthday and the staff was so kind and accommodating towards us! It is a very special experience when you dine here. The environment is old world, the food is magnificent, and the service was outstanding!! I highly recommend Second Empire for any occasion.
Triangle tops
Very Possibly the finest dining in the triangle. Service, atmosphere, food , and efforts to please are all top notch.
Perfection!
I had eaten here several years ago and I knew it was special. This was the place I knew we needed to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. My husband was surprised and we loved everything! Our servers Will and Zivi were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. The Chef, Daniel Schurr, is a master in the kitchen, our food was perfect. We live an hour and a half away and my husband said we are definitely going back. Truly a wonderful experience, thank you.
Not up to Second Empire standards
The cocktail, salad and main course were all phenomenal. The customer service has been impecible in the past, but not this time. We were snubbed by a server filling in for the maitre d (the server ignored us and helped someone that had just walked in the door). We waited longer for the dessert (sweet potatoe bread pudding - very good) than for the main course; we had to ask our server, who brought it out after another delay.
Great Dining Experience at a Downtown Raleigh Historic Building
Outstanding service, fair prices and great upscale food! Multiple experienced servers and a menu with lots of tasty options!
Very romantic
The elegance of this old mansion is incomparable. And the wait staff is as professional and competent as you you will find anywhere. Truly a five-star restaurant.
Beautiful setting for a meal.
Historic 1879 home is the setting for this restaurant. It's gorgeous, unfortunately we couldn't get a table on short notice. We were able to get two seats at the downstairs bar. Once seated we were greeted by the serving staff who described in great detail the specials du jour. We opted to try their paella and for starters went with calamari and onion soup. I tired a glass of Opus wine which was disappointing. Not the restaurant's fault. Soup was good, while the deep fried calamari was meh. Probably should have shared that at it was quite a large serving. The paella was fine. On the bland side, but it did contain a generous portion of fresh seafood. Very little rice and seem to pack saffron. Our favorite paella experience was not in Spain, but in Napa where it was prepared with squid ink. Overall a pleasant dining experience. Great service. Go, but get a reservation.
Great Dinning before theater
The dinning rooms are very warm and cozy. We were there for dinner before going to the Ballet. The staff were all very pleasant and accommadating. The food was excellant and the presentation of each plate was very nice. I would recommend dinning at Second Empire.
Amazing experience!
Amazing dining experience! My husband and I go here for special occasions and have never been disappointed. The staff is very friendly, the food is phenomenal, and it’s a beautiful location! Recommend this place 100%!
Birthdays with Friends
If I could give 10 stars would- Everything was excellent if from the service to the ambiance and especially the food do- AMAZING!
Beautiful venue and place to eat such Incredible food
Beautiful venue and place to eat such Incredible food that'll change the way you look at fine dining. The wait staff know exactly what pairs well with which food. It's pretty incredible.
It was my birthday yesterday so we figured to celebrate at
It was my birthday yesterday so we figured to celebrate at Second empire. Because our last experience was good. This time well hard to say. We got there early because I reserved for 5:15. However it appears I mis read the date on the reservation. Fortunately they weren't as busy so we were seated downstairs. The wait staff asked twice when we are celebrating and we informed them twice that it was a birthday celebration. The waitress didn't spear to be as well versed in the specials. But then again last time our wait said that specials as in poetry. Must have been a special gift of his. For appetizers we had dishes to share. Fois gra - it's always pretty good. Velvety smooth Calamari- pieces were too big and some were a bit rubbery. I didn't like it. Mushrooms soup - it didn't look pretty but tasted great. For second course. Barramundi - it's a special for the night. The texture was good and all the potatoes and asparagus plus other sides mingled well. Duck breast - for my 9 year old so we ordered well done instead of the recommended medium. The side of the duck was a bit hard to chew but the flavor was good. The side veggie seems a bit too much in a sense that it overpower the duck itself. Trout - my hubby like the trout. Desserts. Key lime pie - my son loved it last time. But this time he said it didn't taste as good. The sour flavor he liked seems to be replaced by bitterness of the lime. Soufflé- waited a long time for this - it was good. I did enjoy it. Cheese cake - hubby liked the pistachio cheesecake. But then again he lives pretty much all cheesecakes. Big Disappointment- no candles on dessert because the walk waitress forgot. Why do they ask what we celebrate then. Feels that the service level was definitively down from our last visit. The waitress always hurried from our table and to serve other tables. I suppose the labor shortage could've been a cause or management.I did notice the other table also celebrating birthday was presented with a different menu. I would like to know why we were given such option. Maybe we were not the right color. Very disappointed.Anyways. I don't plan on coming back again for celebration any time soon.
The food is always spectacular and the service is just as
The food is always spectacular and the service is just as great! It's one of our favorite spots to visit when we need a night out.
I have dined here twice over the last few months for
I have dined here twice over the last few months for special occasions. The service was impeccable, and the food just as delicious. So many nice touches, such as them splitting our appetizers in two portions( to not have to share one plate), giving us a preprinted menu with our special date & hand written note from the chef, etc..We have had the seasonal salad, beef tartar, and calamari (twice) for appetizers. The calamari was top 3 I've ever had! Super tender, fabulous dipping sauce that differed each time.All entree's we've tried - 4 so far - have been wonderful and gorgeously plated. Two were on menu and two were specials that evening. For dessert we have tried their chocolate layer cake, chocolate souffle, and creme brulee. All so delicious as well!We have also had a few cocktails there which have all been on point!My experiences here make me think of what it would be like to eat the food from Top Chef (a favorite show of mine). The thoughtful food pairings with each dish and the beautiful presentations are top notch in my opinion. I can't wait to go back again & again to eat this food!
Delicious food.
Great atmosphere and terrific staff. I will be back next time in town.
My husband decided to surprise me with an early valentine
My husband decided to surprise me with an early valentine dinner. This place did NOT disappoint. You walk in, and you immediately feel like a guest on the Titanic. You're welcomed with galant smiles, your coat is checked, and you're treated like royalty. I decided to start off with the lilac cocktail....absolutely delicious, delicate, yet potent. We proceeded with the lump crap appetizer and duck leg. The duck was a bit TOO salty but overall was a well prepared dish. I had the short rib while my husband enjoyed the lamb. Both excellent dishes. The meat just fell apart. All the flavors sang harmonious together. The whole experience was worth every penny
Second Empire has the best food I've had in Raleigh.
I've eaten here twice since moving to Raleigh in 7/22. Food was equally fantastic on both occasions. The proteins were perfect but the rest of what came with the proteins elevates the meals to magic. Balanced ingredients and flavors with beautiful presentations. Service was old school fancy restaurant. A team of folks delivered everything we needed/ordered. One career waiter with a couple decades of experience took our order and was extremely knowledgeable about every dish, every ingredient, and every menu item including wine and drinks. Speaking of wine, the wine list is extensive with bottles going for a standard 2-3 times retail from the labels I recognized. My only criticism would be that IMO the house cocktails were uninspired and borderline average in comparison to the rest of the experience especially when considering some of the great mixology happening in Raleigh. That said, Second Empire is still my favorite splurge/celebration meal in Raleigh, and one of my favorite meals anywhere.
Went to Second Empire last night with my fiancé and her
Went to Second Empire last night with my fiancé and her mom. Absolutely delicious. We started with a cheese board, and we each ordered the scallops, fish (forgot name but like red snapper from Hawaii), and filet mignon. Each was good, but the filet mignon was possibly the best steak I've had in my life. Service was really good with a waiter and assistant constantly checking in on you. We did have to pay for parking as there is limited parking at the restaurant with a lot of construction nearby. Apparently the head chef is the original head chef and has been there since the restaurant opened!
Excellent experience.
Food was delicious and service outstanding. Celebrated my birthday here and would definitely recommend you consider hosting your special event here.
We were promptly welcomed and seated within 3 minutes of
We were promptly welcomed and seated within 3 minutes of arriving for our reservation. We were actually about 10 minutes early and it was perfect. The waitstaff was very knowledgeable and attentive without hovering or rushing us. Both appetizers were as described and maybe even better than we expected. The drinks were refreshing, festive, presented well without being weak or over the top. The Main Courses were prepared to absolute perfection.I can not say enough positives about our experience. So many times you do Not get what you pay for. In this case it was were every penny. Will certainly be backHighly Recommend
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern Raleigh at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern Raleigh page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
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* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
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* EternalAnt36, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* EternalAnt36 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
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* EternalAnt36 now uses their connections at Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern Raleigh to secure the table.
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* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern Raleigh!
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