It's really really good. I don't know what to say. The food is romantic, even sexy at times. The roasted carnival squash filled with gruyere and sourdough was definitely a highlight, both in style and substance. I don't know, I could say more but you should just go, especially on a date. It's small, the service is personable and laid back. They even have a record player which is always spinning some Janis or Bob or Nina that the staff alternate frequently and thoughtfully. Gogogogogo..... read more

This place is a sleeping giant in the Durham food scene. I've been slow rolling this joint for a couple of years now, mainly because I don't care for their sister restaurant Pizzeria Toro (I know, stake me to the cross now). On a recommendation from a fellow foodie who raved about them, we dined here this past Sunday night. First off, ALL bottles of wine are 1/2 price on Sunday evenings, ALL OF THEM !!!!!!, so yeah Im a happy girl. The menu is interesting, small, and judging from past photos, does not look like it changes drastically over the seasons. Our server Daniel was amazing, very professional and personable. This place was sold out Sunday night and glad we made reservations. The restaurant is littler, tables arranged close together, and a bit noisy but not so much you cannot hear your fellow diners. We did a tapas night ordering the crudo, beef heart tartare, griddled octopus, latkes benedict, and cauliflower gratin. The curdo was a tropical delight. Loved the Asian inspired beef heart. The octopus was wonderfully balanced with a chipotle bbq flavor and jicama slaw. Latkes was a bit overcooked but the smoked trout was divine. The cauliflower gratin was Midwestern goodness. All the dishes were full of complex flavors and fresh ingredients. I could not even begin to rank them, as they were all outstanding dishes. Its places like this that make me love living in Durham and highly recommend making reservations on Resy to pay them a visit. I plan to watch their online menu (which is up to date :) to see when something new perks my interest. read more

See all

An amazing little restaurant with incredibly high quality food. The menu changes seasonally but all dishes are cooked to perfection. I love the extensive use of vegetables and local ingredients. read more

Went in on a Sunday night just to have some wine and apps. The atmosphere was lovely and intimate. The service was great and they had a unique wine list with several organic wine options. The trout appetizer we got was wonderful! Will definitely come visit again! read more

Unfortunately, even though the food was great tasting, and beautifully presented, I can not rate any higher than 1 star due to the incredibly, most disrespectful service I have ever experienced in my entire life. Upon being seated, we were given a glass of water, but we never were approached by anyone else for 15 minutes - no acknowledgement what so ever. When our waitress did finally come to the table, she looked at us and said, what can I do for you, we ordered our drinks and "snack", she promptly brought them out, then we didn't see her for another 20 min. She did not greet us, share her name, smile, or anything would expect when dining at a very expensive restaurant - especially when you made a reservation indicating you are there to celebrate a birthday. So our empty snack plate and drinks say empty on the table for 20 min, meanwhile she sat behind the bar chatting up the regulars, and she finally returned, again no acknowledgement of our existence, and completely bothered by having to take our orders. She took our orders, even discouraging against our questions about adding on a vegetable, and 20 min later our food came out. Water not refilled, and no offer for another cocktail. Food was very tasteful. We never saw our waitress again for 45 min. No checking in on us to see if we needed anything, or ask how we were liking the food, etc. After that 30 min, she asked if we wanted to take anything home, we said yes, and she brought the box back literally dropping it on the table and then walked away. 10 min later she just brought a dessert menu out put it on the table - not even asking if we wanted dessert, and then left. By that time, my husband and I decided we had given her enough time to act like she wasn't completely bothered by having to wait on us and we had to ask another server for a dessert to go and our check. Needless to say, did bring the check 10 min later and there was literally, absolutely, zero acknowledgement that we were even there. Thank God my husband is an angel, and he would not let me say anything to the waitress whose name I wish I had. I will definitely discourage others from dining at The Littler - unless of course you would like to pay $100 to be treated like you don't exist. Could get better service at a McDonalds. read more

Executive summary: do it. They've been featured in Bon Appétit... well earned recognition! Menu: seasonally changing with adventurous and traditional options. Never ever disappointed. The chef and kitchen staff have a passion and share it meticulously on every plate. ALWAYS fantastic. Service: This can make or break a restaurant. And let me tell you, they more than make it (especially "Karla with a K", Mike, and Amanda). Their friendliness, knowledge of the menu, suggestions, and always positive attitude literally make me look forward to the experience. Drinks: amazing wine selection and perfectly curated artisan cocktails... who could ask for more?! Ambiance: intimate space with eclectic music played on vinyl and reel to reel. A true hidden gem. read more

Cozy, intimate, really delicious food. The service is great as well. My favorite dish was the beef heart tartar. SO TASTY. Littler is a must for any foodies in the area. read more

Fantastic food that is constantly evolving based on the season. Service is top notch and always ready with just the right recommendation.

Everything we ordered was outstanding; flounder, octopus, escaroles, carrots (side), chocolate tart, saint honore cocktail and even a designed cocktail as per the chefs reading of our preferences... fabulous place for a date night. They also gave us complimentary sparkling rose because it was my birthday. Can't wait to come back! read more

To sum: good service, mediocre food. Was displeased to shell out over $100 and feel "meh". I ordered the lamb burger, which I requested medium rare but arrived very rare. I probably should have sent it back, but was tired and didn't want the trouble. Also, the taste was strange - haven't really found the adjectives to describe it. Almost like a thick gelatin. It was different from my lamb burger at Burger Bach a few weeks back, which was delightful and less expensive. There were also a number of lesser grade substitutions from the regular menu. I was disappointed to find the urchin roe was out and was subbed with salmon roe, which was less appealing. On the positive side, I really liked the latkes benedict, although my wife wasn't over the moon for them. And the service was quite attentive and friendly. I really want to like this place. I may give it another shot sometime. read more

The whole dining experience at Littler was exceptional. They've done a great job converting the old Monuts location into a nice, intimate dining space with a lot of character. For our meal, we started off with the beef heart tartar, which was excellent. The fried duck tongues were one of my favorite dishes of the night. I've never had duck tongue before and they were awesome. The pastrami was great, too. After splitting several of the snacks we decided to split one of the supper dishes and we settled on the hangar steak with the bone marrow flan. The bone marrow flan was easily the best thing we had that night and it was one of the better things I've had in a while. The hand pie dessert was great, too. My only complaint is the lack of local beers. They're going for the neighborhood feel and pretty much everything is locally sourced, but the local beer options weren't there. I'm sure this is something that will come with time, though. All in all, if our first meal at Littler is any indication of the quality to expect from them, then this place is going to do very, very well. This will be a great addition to the Durham food scene. read more

I was expecting this to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be stunning. When you get a dish like the latkes benedict, you realize there's some magic happening here. Delicious crispy potato pancake, a perfectly poached egg yolk on the top and the most succulent, delicate smoked trout ever . . . this is comfort food that's from heaven. Another winner is the shrimp and spoonbread, Littler's variation on shrimp and grits. Let me tell you folks, they are not afraid to make this dish righteously spicy. Tasty, tasty, tasty. We also had the softshell and the hangar steak, and both were also home runs. Vibe is very homey -- retro glassware, a turntable providing the music (the room sounds great, which is so different from so many other restaurants), it's all very casual and relaxed. They're definitely aiming for that 1970s dinner party feel, and they make it work. We are blessed to have many outstanding restaurants in Durham. Littler just upped the ante in a big way. This is as good a meal as I've had in years, and a lovely presentation and setting. Very impressed. read more

The beef heart tartare and the brussel sprouts were my favorites! Definite must try's. The restaurant is very small and cozy/homey. Would go back again. Also tried the octopus, the salad with smoked scallops, and the wagyu steak. The wagyu steak was probably my favorite out of those 3. Went back again, and I would still say that the beef heart tartare and brussels sprouts were my favorite. Also tried the seared chicken livers (which were only okay), the creamed collared greens, and the scallop main dish. The accompaniments with the scallops were great, very well seasoned, but the scallops were definitely overcooked. read more

Amazing experience. Small intimate dining with an outstanding staff and even better food.

We had a really enjoyable dinner here, although it falls short of 5 stars. The starters of the trout crudo and the grilled octopus were quite good -- i'd put the octopus at outstanding -- tender, with excellent accompaniments. Our table of 3 had 3 different entrees -- the chicken, the scallops and the braised short ribs. We each preferred what we'd ordered, but everyone sampled each others. The entrees were all very good. We also ordered a side of brussels sprouts which was fantastic. Dessert included a butterscotch pudding and a rhubarb cake with wild ginger ice cream. The cake was really good, but the ice cream had a bitter aftertaste which was both disappointing and a bit surprising. It might just be the nature of wild ginger ice cream, but it wasn't pleasant. I'm not much of a butterscotch fan, but that bowl was pretty much licked clean. Service was mostly good, although when the dessert menu said "consult the staff for our advice about our dessert wines", our waiter seemed confused. I did see him talking to the owner(?) or bartender(?) about the selection, but when he came back he didn't really have any information at all -- pretty much recited the selection on the menu. They also seemed confused when we ordered coffee. It's a short menu, and your dinner companions need to have a bit of an open mind about what they'll eat for dinner. Some of the choices are intriguing -- like octopus, or beef heart tartare -- and there's little that's 100% mainstream. There's nothing wrong with that, but choosier diners will struggle here. read more

This place is great! The decor and atmosphere is homey and welcoming...and yes, little. The food is really good - wish we could have tried everything on the menu, but we did get through a good portion. The beef heart tartar was very good, and we tried a bunch of the snacks. They all tasted great, but I would say my favorites were the short rib pastrami and the chicken fried duck tongues. Of the larger plates, the wagyu hanger steak was delicious and comes with very well paired accompaniments of bone marrow flan and a spring onion. The falafel was delicious as well, but I personably thought the accompanying cucumber and tomatoes were a bit too pickled and pungent (but my friends liked it a lot). Quite a few of the staff also work at Pizzeria Toro (no surprise there) and our waiter was very friendly (again, no surprise there!). We'll be coming back again for sure read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Durham. Service is fabulous, menu is well-tailored, but not boring, and decor is charming. We very much appreciate the tight quality control of their food and cocktails. read more

Littler - Oysters with granita. - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

One of the best meals I have ever had. My wife and I went here for a date night. The atmosphere is cozy and the wait staff were very friendly and down to earth. But the food, omg!!! For an appetizer we had the beef heart tartar. I was a little nervous about eating beef heart, but after the first bite I did not care, so tasty and such rich flavor that I found myself still being able to taste it long after the dish was gone. For entrees I got the lamb burger and my wife got the beef short ribs. The lamb burger is one of if not the best burger I have ever had. The texture of the meat and the flavor was just amazing, hard to put into words. The short rib was also delicious, and very tender. So was the risotto that came with it. This will definitely be a place I take friends and family visiting from out of town. read more

Have you ever wanted to have a friend that throws an amazing dinner party with perfect cocktails, fantastic music, intimate surroundings, and should basically be a James Beard rated chef? This is your place! We love this place so much it's become a weekly spot. Karla, Amanda, Adrienne, Killer, Cherry, Daniel, and Chloe are practically family. read more

Decor is nice and it is small, however the noise carries and it can get loud. We started out with the Oysters and they were fantastic. We tried the lamb burger which I am told was cooked to perfection. Also had the butter bean falafel with cucumber and tomato salad. It was good however a little on the dry side. Could have used more yogurt. We also each had a Summer squeeze cocktail and it was delicious. Waiter was attentive. read more

Experience was great and the food comparable to top shelf locals like Nana's. Latkes and salad were delicious. I got the hanger steak and my wife got shrimp and spoon bread. Steak was cooked perfectly and my wife said her dish was spicy, but perfectly balanced with the slight sweetness if the spoon bread. Service was excellent. Highly recommended. read more

We tried a takeout dinner from Littler for the first time last night. Had no idea what to expect, so ordered online and picked up a big bag of ingredients and partially prepared items Saturday afternoon. Turns out it was totally worth the drive from Raleigh to Durham. Everything was perfectly packaged and beautifully prepared. An elaborate salad of frisee and spinach was to be topped with croutons I was instructed to toast and a mushroom vinaigrette, which we heated up. The serving was so much more than we could eat, I saved some of the frisee for another time. It came with 2 fresh eggs we had to poach ourselves, which was a perfect topping. But those mushrooms were the bomb! Next, as the duck confit heated in the oven, according to directions, we finished the spaetzle and roasted vegetables (sweet potato, turnip and red cabbage, all partially cooked) by sauteing in duck fat. Mmmm. Then heated the accompanying sauce and followed directions as how to plate the main course. A delightful bananas foster flan topped with a crunchy brittle-streusel was a perfect dessert. The meal comes with succinct and easy to follow instructions and I cannot express how satisfying this meal was to prepare (or rather finish preparing) and to eat. Will be checking the Littler takeout menu more religiously from now on. We opened a bottle of our own Cabernet Sauvignon, but Littler provides options that include a cocktail and a bottle of wine, should anyone want the entire package. read more

The take home dinner for two is great! It's a little pricey but includes a cocktail kit, a bottle of wine and 3 courses. They do different meals each week and it's really easy to pick up from the restaurant. Would highly recommend for a date night-in. read more

Since relocating to Durham, in Littler we have found a home. The chef and staff couldn't have been more creative and nicer. The food is always creative, perfect, and flavors BRIGHT. We have been to Littler many times and each time we introduce this gem to a friend and/or neighbor. Some of the dishes we've thoroughly savored are Griddled Octopus with seasonal vegetables, Oysters and imaginative sauces, Pork Loin, Butter Lobster with Risotto, Roasted Carrots, etc, etc. The bartenders are highly creative. Try Bartender's Mercy . . a concoction created just for you based upon your choice of alcohol. read more

Great drinks,love Monday $1 Oysters. It's a bit small and it gets crowded. Love the service.

We had an excellent meal of appetizers and craft cocktails here. We both had a bibb lettuce salad that was crunchy, with fresh-from-the-garden greens, that was really satisfying. Then I had the smokey, tender, yummy grilled octopus on a bed of veggies. I highly recommend this dish. My friend had the eggs bendict on latkes with smoked fish, which was also delicious. We were feeling no pain after 2 excellent cocktails each (she had a tequilla based drink and I had the rum one, both were tasty, perfectly balanced and made you tempted to have yet another and call Uber). read more

Amazing. Great small restaurant that feels more like nyc's Greenwich village or Chicago's Lincoln park than durham. The poulet rouge was unbelievably tender with multiple flavors from the greens to the mash. The Brussel sprouts were to die for...now I like sprouts and all but these jumped with flavor. Top 10 meal in 2017 for sure! read more

This place has some of the best food in the state of North Carolina. Everything was flavorful, not over or under cooked, not over or under-salted and tasted genuinely like what it was made of. The chicken was "chicken-y" (because of a particular type of heirloom breed) and the pumpkin creme brulee was amazing. Props to the owner for putting Beef Heart Tartar on the menu...its very rare to find offal (organ meat) on menus in America. Also props to chef Amanda, for two reasons: First she led a team to a fantastic dining experience and second, after I mentioned the amazing ginger sorghum cookies, came out a few minutes later and package a small box of two of them to go. This sort of personal touch at the end is what stands out to me and separates the few from the rest. read more

Littler is a Triangle gem. Wife and I tried this restaurant for a date and so glad we did. Our waitress Cherri was excellent and she made some great wine pairing recommendations. The oysters were the best we've had in a long time and our main dishes were spot on. The atmosphere is cool and they had great music playing in the background. This place is now on a shortlist of Triangle favorites for us. Thanks for the amazing experience. read more

Wow this place is purely amazing. Strange at the same time and also nice the postcard at the end of your dinner. But the food, the food is amazing and extraordinary. They cook everything well and elegantly. Please try the heart beef tartare a purely organismic sensation :-). Will come back here again. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in North Carolina not just Durham. Wait staff is awesome. Cocktails are original and delicious. Food is excellent. The chef has created a menu that is original with layers of flavors that are tasty without being too heavy. read more

This was our second experience to Littler and it again did not disappoint. Staring with a dirty martini in exquisite antique glassware was on point. Oysters... cucumber mignonette.. umm yes. Then on to the Crudo Black Sea bass with a delightful miso soy glaze, it was absolutely amazing, left me wanting several more. We then adventured to the grilled octopus with a delightful accompaniment that made me left wanting more. We then experienced the scallops and Poulete Rouge which were absolutely perfection. Complex blends of citrus and richness made these dishes my new fav!! I would recommend this establishment but I don't too want to many people to find out about it, lol!! Amazing!!! read more

See all

Seriously, wow! Such a cute,ambient, little (ha!) space with BIG flavor! My folks and I went here for my mom's birthday and it did not disappoint! We had the latkes benedict with smoked trout, delish! Octopus "snack" was INCREDIBLE and cooked perfectly. Oysters were $1 each (special) and so fresh tasting. For dinner we had the lamb burger, chicken rouge, and scallop entree and holy smokes it was just stammeringly scrumptious, every bite! Finally, the pumpkin creme brulee...i could probably eat like 46 of them and not even feel bad about it. Lastly, Cherry, our server, was charming, attentive, and every bit as sweet as her name implies. Do yourself a flavor and check it out! read more

It was awesome! Can't wait to go back. Cozy...great sound system...excellent service...delicious food! Great cocktail to boot :)

Great little restaurant in Durham. $1 oysters on Monday are amazing. They mix up the toppings frequently making it a surprise every time you go in. Service is fantastic. Decor is perfect. Great experience overall. read more

Wonderful food, beautiful interior, and a great staff. I'm looking forward to going back.

Excellent. Great homey feel. The food was delicious and an original wine list. Not only did they have a veg option entree that was its own thing of beauty but they were able to come up with a fish dish off menu for one of us who was under pre-op orders to have a low fiber diet. Shapely apple tart desert in the form of an apple, with candle on top as we were celebrating a birthday. Will definitely aim to go back when in town! read more

Great experience! The atmosphere is quaint and intimate. Cocktails are fantastic- there is an option where you can order a mystery drink and just give them your parameters. The bartender actually comes out to your table individually to give you your cocktail and tells you what she made for you based on your preferences. They were some of the best cocktails I have ever had- she is an excellent mixologist! The food was outstanding- my friend and I were both pleased with our dishes. I truly believe this is one of the best restaurants in Durham and highly recommend checking it out read more

This was an unexpected find. A hideaway treasure. I would have not known to go here without the recommendation of a friend. If you're a fan of the raw bar, they've got a great selection of beef tartar, oysters, and crudo. And if you're feeling even more adventurous, try the fried duck tongues. The bartender also knows what she's doing with the cocktails as well. read more

This felt like a secret hidden gem. How did I not know about it?! Cozy and intimate atmosphere with a seasonal menu. Everything we ordered was amazing. Still dreaming about that chocolate mousse dessert! read more