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The Reluctant Panther Restaurant, Manchester, VT

The Reluctant Panther Restaurant

4.8
4.8
1189 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
The Reluctant Panther Restaurant features locally sourced American cuisine in a relaxed yet elegantly upscale atmosphere. Menus are complemented by a multiple year Wine Spectator award winning wine list
The Reluctant Panther is happy to accommodate well behaved children but does not offer a children's menu.
Reservations Required.
Please Note: We do not allow dogs in the restaurant, inside or out, with the exception of service animals.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (802) 362-2568
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Sigal Rocklin
  • Private party facilities
    The Panther Pub is Warmly lit and comfortably furnished, the Pub is used for special events and private party bookings. Business dinners and small wedding rehearsal dinners are particularly effective in The Panther Pub.
  • Neighborhood
    Manchester
  • Cross street
    Seminary Road
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our private lot or in public spaces nearby. We have handicap access parking both in the front and rear of our buildings.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,189 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Vermont

    Best Overall

  • Vermont

    Best Food

  • Vermont

    Best Service

  • Vermont

    Best Ambiance

  • Vermont

    Best Value

  • Vermont

    Great for fine wines

  • Vermont

    Romantic

  • Vermont

    American

  • Southern Vermont

    Best Overall

  • Southern Vermont

    Best Food

  • Southern Vermont

    Best Service

  • Southern Vermont

    Best Ambiance

  • Southern Vermont

    Best Value

  • Southern Vermont

    Neighborhood gem

  • Southern Vermont

    Great for fine wines

  • Southern Vermont

    Romantic

  • Southern Vermont

    Good for special occasions

  • Southern Vermont

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Reluctant Panther Restaurant is a gem in Vermont's dining scene. With "outstanding service" and "fantastic food," it offers a perfect blend of fine dining and a relaxed atmosphere. Guests rave about the "amazing" squash blossoms appetizer and exquisite lobster and brie fondue. A must-visit for an unforgettable dining experience.

1,189 Reviews
  1. tracie

    Los Angeles

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a remarkable surprise to find such an elegant yet unpretentious restaurant that is not trying to hard while achieving extraordinary flavors and combinations of ingredients. Vermont is a bit of a gourmet food desert so this is a true gem because there is no attempt to make food with foam or tweezers or eye droppers. Just exquisitely Source ingredients that shine

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  2. Sharon

    Greater Boston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The dining room is spacious and provides a relaxing setting for a delicious dinner. The menu provides a variety of choices and everyone seemed to enjoy their meal when we dined there.

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  3. Christina

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a lovely dinner with great service and a wonderful ambience.

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  4. Catherine

    Greater Boston

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious and beautifully presented. Duck breast cooked perfectly and trout: not 1 bone! Pate with bacon was so tasty; the beet salad , again: delicious! Wish we lived closer, we'd come more often. Excellent service. The larger room could get a bit noisy, and the fireplaces could not be utilized unfortunately. Lovely overall.

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  5. Tom

    Greater Boston

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had our first meal at the reluctant Panther last night, and it was absolutely outstanding! We can’t wait to come back!

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  6. Michele

    New York City

    41 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoy this restaurant every time we are in the area. We had a bit of a slow start waiting approximately 10 minutes past our reservation time. We were seated, and proceeded to order a bottle of white wine wine. We were told the wine that we ordered was not cold and it would take some time to chill the bottle. The server brought the bottle of wine to the table and an ice bucket and proceeded to let us sit there for 25 minutes, waiting for it to chill. very difficult to understand that they don’t have white wines chilled on a regular basis. This would be an opportunity to try to correct this situation. We did have a delicious meal, short ribs, and duck breast, both delicious and perfectly service was excellent once we were seated. dessert was OK but there’s definitely room for improvement with the butter cake. It was a bit dry and not served warm. Overall, we would continue to dine at this restaurant., Even though we felt that given the circumstances, there was no apology for the missed steps, or no comp of anything. comping the dessert would’ve gone along way to make us feel valued as a guest

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  7. Linda

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food, great service - highly recommend.

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  8. Leslee

    Greater Boston

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Reluctant Panther never disappoints. Two of our party of three were gluten free, and much of the menu is gf or can be adapted. Good gf rolls too. I never feel like I’m sacrificing a wonderful dining experience when managing my dietary restrictions here, and the service is excellent.

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  9. Lisa

    Greater Boston

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on October 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is the absolutely best restaurant in a town full of excellent restaurants. We eat here frequently and we have never had anything that was less than superb. The combinations of flavors, the care and presentation, the variety of dishes on the menu, the inventiveness without being precious.....I'm trying to think of an adjective even better than superb. The room is lovely, the service perfect, unobtrusive, but never stiff and formal. Even when the room is full (and it is a large room) I can hear our conversation. In the summer, when one can eat in the garden, it is equally lovely. Manchester dining is not inexpensive, but the prices here are absolutely reasonable for the quality.

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  10. John

    Portland

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on October 23, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My wife and I enjoyed yet another excellent dinner at the Panther starting with cocktails at the bar which were pearfect. The return of the burrata with mixed beets was excellent as was my wife's soup of the day. The pork chop with sage polenta was as good as always and my wife's risotto of the day was excellent. Matt and his staff are top notch. Back soon

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FAQs

The Reluctant Panther Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 1189 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Google Map for The Reluctant Panther Restaurant

39 West Road, Manchester, VT 05254

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Seminary Road
  • Neighborhood
    Manchester
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our private lot or in public spaces nearby. We have handicap access parking both in the front and rear of our buildings.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Sigal Rocklin
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (802) 362-2568
  • Private party facilities
    The Panther Pub is Warmly lit and comfortably furnished, the Pub is used for special events and private party bookings. Business dinners and small wedding rehearsal dinners are particularly effective in The Panther Pub.
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