Service and food was excellent! Fresh farm-to-table ingredients (wow), prompt and friendly service. I would give it 5 stars, but the noise level is terrible. I've been there 3 times now with different friends of all ages from 21 to 60. Everyone agrees about the noise. Love the decor, but definitely needs something for sound absorption. The noise bounces off the bare floors and walls. We'll keep going for the wonderful food! read more

Went here with an infant, a 4 year old and 2 Italian grandparents. The staff was helpful, atmosphere pleasant, and the food was great especially the molten chocolate...... read more

I dont normally do yelp reviews but i recently visited mandolin yesterday. The first two courses were great but the dessert was fantastic!

I've been wanting to visit this place and took my wife along with a few friends there last night for her birthday dinner. Got to say that the food was excellent. The open face BLT is with every piece of fresh tomato and bacon. The main course was oh so great. Everyone from the moment we entered the restaurant were friendly. I loved the feel and will be going back. Worth the visit for dinner. Parking is just bad. read more

Excellent food and excellent service! I got the chicken and dumplings, which was very tasty!

A cozy yet elegant gem in Raleigh with top notch service and extraordinary farm fresh cuisine. The cocktails were delicious as were the first courses. You can't go wrong with the pan seared scallops - some of the best scallops I've ever had! The lamb carpaccio was full of intriguing flavors and textures. Definitely a must! A winner at the table for the second course was the chicken and waffles. Great flavor and a huge portion size. As for dessert, don't miss out on the caramel cake or chocolate chess pie. Out of this world! read more

Really good farm to table place in Raleigh. I really like how their menu constantly changes and they are very innovative with their menu items. I think it is the perfect spot for foodies who appreciate a cool atmosphere with fairly down to earth staff. The only downside is how close you have to sit to other guests. It almost felt like I was a part of their business meeting when I was on my date but that's no biggie, I'll be back! read more

This was our first time dining out since quarantine began and we made a reservation to celebrate our anniversary. Mandolin was one of the few restaurants open for dine in. From the moment we walked in the restaurant it was not as it once was. The bench seating was worn and tattered. The staff were wearing their masks off and on and the kitchen staff mostly had their masks off or under their noses. There was no hand sanitizer required or offered upon arrival. Our cocktails and the ceviche were very good. The rest of the meal was lackluster. I had the streak frites. The chimichurri was good and that's where the praise ends. The steak was overcooked. The squash and zucchini ribbons were coated in oil. The frites tasted just like the fries at Five Guys burgers and I would know as I had them just last night. This meal was WAY overpriced for $27 and was more in line with bar food. My husband had the red snapper and while much better than mine, it still could not compete with similar priced entrees from Second Empire. We skipped dessert given the quality of the food up to that point. This was the first restaurant in years that did not acknowledge our anniversary at least minimally with a piece of chocolate or some other small gesture. We will not return. Mandolin, you need to step up your game! read more

Just stopped in for a glass of wine. Beautiful inside, but there couldn't have been more than 3 oz. of wine in my glass and at $11 a glass, I want it spilling on the way to the table. Can't go back now if they are going to skimp on wine like that. Other places that charge that much for alcohol make it worth your while. If you would have poured me a decent glass of wine, I would have come back; now; don't think so. read more

One of my favorites!! I am not made out of money so I can't go here often but when I do it is normally for their amazing brunch menu. I find that the simple things on the dinner menu are the best things to order. An easy place to spend way too much money though. Great mimosa's! read more

I really need to write my reviews as soon as I go for better details but here is the summary of Mandolin from November 2014. I loved the ambiance and our service was excellent! We had appetizers that were great and for our main dishes my boyfriend had the pork dish and I had the beef short ribs. All were fantastic! My only complaint was the dessert. It was some type of crisp with fruit. It was very limited in flavor and not satisfying. Overall it was an enjoyable experience though. read more

The first thing you'll probably notice when you dine at Mandolin is the warm, romantic ambiance. The soft glow of dim lighting and flickering candles draw from the dark wood and cream accents throughout the restaurant. The second thing you'll undoubtedly notice is the service. This was probably some of the best service I've ever had. Putting technical serving etiquette aside, the staff makes you feel welcome, pampered, and comfortable while maintaining a perfect balance of formality that is neither stiff nor too casual. Unsurprisingly, the food is exceptional. I enjoyed a creative take on a charcuterie platter and a perfectly-prepared cobia that captured some of North Carolina's finest flavors with a unique seasonal touch. This is - without question - a lovely date spot and a true example of Southern hospitality. read more

Our absolute favorite restaurant in Raleigh! We love the small intimate size of the restaurant, the southern menu with a modern flare, and warm hospitality from all the staff. Chef Sean grew up in Raleigh and grows a lot of his produce and the other ingredients are sourced locally. The menu changes often depending on availability of ingredients. If you go be sure to save room for the Caramel Cake with Buttermilk Ice Cream. Reminds me so much of my grandmother's Caramel Cake from many years ago. Mandolin is not the fanciest restaurant in Raleigh, but an extraordinary value for upscale dining. read more

I decided to check this place out for brunch as a trial run for a dinner visit. My sister and I were greeted by a very chipper and friendly host, who turned out to be the owner. She was so sweet, bubbly, and excited about her restaurant. And she should be! The decor is super cute and clean. I especially loved the photos from farms around the restaurant. We sat down and each got a Bloody Mary and a coffee. Neither disappointed. For food, I got the Panzanella Salad (Country Croutons, Farmer's Cheese, Caper Berries, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, House-Made Pickles, and Herbs) and Pork Madame (Cane Creek Farm Pulled Pork on Sourdough with Gruyere, a Fried Egg, and Home Fries). While the salad was certainly delicious, it doesn't make for a good entree. The Pork Madame was on point. Juicy pork and a nice runny yolk over sourdough. I wasn't super excited about the home fries, but was impressed enough by the other food items to overlook it. We both left very full and extremely satisfied. I'm looking forward to a dinner date with my man and a few cocktails. read more

Dined here upon the second day open.Hostess was very friendly. I have been to every restaurant that has opened here trying to support the location because it is really close to my house. To me, it was a repeat of my experience at Bloomsbury Bistro. Hefty bill at the end, but underwhelmed. Server was very quiet, no welcome to our new restaurant,offered no specials,or recommendations, just basically took our orders, drinks and entrees were very slow coming out, but that is not that big of deal when the decor was really nicely done, ambiance was really romantic. Food was presented well, but kind of bored me. We both ordered beef entrees, had a very fatty cut of meat for the beef short rib, some people might like that, but I prefer more meat and less fat, especially when the sides accompanying the entrees were almost non- existent. To me the portions are way to small for the price point. There are only 6 or 7 dinner options on the dinner menu, sort of like B.B. or Frazier's so I would advise checking the menu out before dining there as well. Probably won't be back for a while, but I wish the new venture the best of luck, that area needs a nice restaurant that sticks around ! read more

Wonderful experience, start to finish. Service was excellent, and ambiance was lovely. The menu regularly changes, and we had a hard time deciding because everything looked so good. We started with scallops, which were perfectly seared. My husband had the duck breast and I had the hanger steak. Both were mind-numbingly delicious, with the side dishes that were just as good - if not better - than the meats. Finished with the caramel cake, which was to die for. It's on the pricey side for us, so better for a special occasion, but oh so good. We'll definitely be back... and I hope it's really soon! read more

Mandolin was superb. It was upscale and classy without being stuffy or pretentious. I took my wife here for our anniversary and we both loved the meals. We both like farm to table restaurants and they do that very well here. The ambiance, food, and service were all excellent. I had the NC Crawfish and Rice Grits and Panzanella Salad for starters, Grilled Hanger Steak for my main and Caramel Cake for dessert. My wife ordered the fried green beans for a starter and had the Chicken and Waffles for her main. The standouts were the green beans (although probably best to split), the hanger steak and the crawfish and grits. I lived in Louisiana for 4 and the South for 12 years and am a big fan of crawfish and shrimp and grits. This dish was a true gem that I would have chosen as a main if I could have. Crawfish is rarely done well outside of Louisiana but this was definitely an exception. The rice grits were very good as well. Never had anything like them and the sweet corn, fennel and country ham made it ridiculously good. We will return. read more

Great spot, very comfy feel to the place, yet upscale at the same time. Excellent service and the food options are unique and all seemed great. My only gripe is my short ribs were very fatty but still plenty of meat and very yummy! Wine prices are pretty decent too for the quality of food they are serving. Would definitely repeat on a special occassion read more

Overpriced for what you get. I had high hopes, the interior is very Southern-Chic and classy, they have a blackboard in the front displaying an impressive list of local farms that they get all of their produce and dairy products from. My hopes were dashed, however, as my $32 pork chop entree that took an hour for some reason was about 0.5 oz of meat and 20 oz of pure jiggly fat. I've eaten more than my fair share of pork in my lifetime. That being said, I know pork is fatty in general, especially bone in, but this was ridiculous. I informed our waitress, who seemed genuinely sorry, that it was almost all fat and she quickly went to the kitchen to address the issue. When she came back, she said they got a new butcher and he claimed "that's how a heritage porkchop is supposed to be" and the most they could do was get us dessert. Won't be coming back, and I'm genuinely saddened and still hungry. read more

We went here on a random date night, picking the restaurant based soley on yelp reviews and Im glad we did. We just moved here from NY and this was our first taste of home since we left. The restaurant was beautiful, the service was great, the food was inspired and delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

We were so excited to experience Mandonline. Unfortunatley, we were seated by the front door on a very cold night, even though we made our reservations a month prior. Service was excellent though. Our server was very attentive, and apologized for the cold. The sommelier approached us as soon as we were looking at the wine list. He was extrememly knowledgeable about not only the wines, but the wineries they were from. We were very pleased that they always decant their red wines. Usually you have to ask. The fois gras starter was amazing. Definatley a WOW for us. We both ordered Cobia. It was seared, rather than poached as stated on the menu-the server explained that the chef felt the fish was too thick to poach. Unfortunately, the bloodline was not removed, affecting the taste of the fish. We shared the chocolate dessert, it was good but not great. We definately will be back to try other items on the menu. Love the farm to table aspect! read more

I have been here a 3 to 4 times, and the only time I was impressed was during brunch a couple years ago. Dinner has disappointed me each time. The first hurdle is parking, which is non-existent. Secondly, the service has always been cold, with little personality or welcoming attitude. It feels more like the servers are doing us a favor. Drinks are overpriced, but I can expect that of any fine dining restaurant, so the drinks are not what will keep me away. I could handle less than warm service and pricey drinks if the food were out of this world. Sadly, the food has never wowed me. $21 for an overcooked piece of fried chicken and half a waffle (which was a bit under cooked) is absurd. The bacon flavored foam on top was more strange than impressive. I have also had the chicken and dumplings, which is probably the best dinner entree I've had, but there was cartilage on many pieces of chicken, which was unpleasant to discover when chewing. Again, if the food was incredible, I would gladly pay the menu prices, but the dinner entrees I have had were more mediocre than I would expect for the prices. We also waited well over an hour to receive our food, with zero communication from our server and no apology. We were a forgiving group, so a simple "I apologize for the delay, but your food will be out shortly" would have taken the edge off. All together, we were there for nearly 3 hours on a weeknight. To end on a positive note, I had brunch here once and did enjoy the Mandolin Skillet. I could probably be convinced to return for brunch, but I would not recommend this restaurant for dinner. read more

Absolutely phenomenal southern food experience! Drinks were delicious and the food was equally as yummy and beautifully presented. I am gluten free and they were able to accommodate my requests easily! This will definitely be on our rotation of restaurants. Can't wait to go back again! read more

I had dinner with my girlfriend last week and was very impressed. Sean Fowler is an excellent chef that I know from the Fearrington House. Before opening Mandolin he was in charge of the barn at Fearrington. For anyone that doesn't know, that is where about every girl in the triangle wants to get married and is where the high-end weddings at Fearrington happen. It also tells me when Sean gets busy at Mandolin he knows how to handle it because he is used to doing 250 person weddings. As for dinner, the staff is very friendly and attentive. We were greeted right away and given a choice of where we would like to sit. The menu is easy to read. Our waiter knew the menu and understood proper steps of service. I spoke to the sommelier, Charles, and conveyed to him what we would be having for dinner and he helped us find a fantastic bottle of wine. I told him I was looking for something esoteric that would work with the food. (When I first got in to wine I liked big cabs and shiraz, but after working at a French restaurant, I gravitated to old world, elegant wines. I also love wines that are off the beaten path.) The wine he helped me select was from the Jura (French side). It is right on the boarder of Switzerland. The varietal that we enjoyed is called poulsard. It is a light red that has a slightly oxidized and a little frizzante (slightly sparkling). My girlfriend wasn't crazy about it at first, but I told her to wait for the food and just as I expected, half way through the meal she told me it was great with food! Charles did a great job. He got a feel for what my price point was and as any great sommelier does, he gave me a few different options at varying price points and was able to discuss the wine with me in a very unpretentious manor. He also took the time to decant the wine without me asking and checked back throughout the meal so I didn't have to pour. For the first course we did beef tartare and foie. The tartare had amazing house made potato chips, tempura cornichon, wasabi deviled quail eggs...it was awesome. The foie had caramelized pineapple, banana bread, and rosemary panna cotta. Okay a) the panna cotta is awesome and b) what's great about this dish is the sweet elements balance out the richness and fattiness of the foie. We were very happy with both dishes. For the main, we did duck and rabbit. Temperature was spot on. The dumplings make the duck dish. I could probably eat 100. The skin was fantastic as well. The rabbit had a nice earthiness about it. Also the presentation was nice, the bone on the rabbit was frenched (a technic where you clean the bone away from the meat). I also really liked the barley with rabbit. My girlfriend went to the bathroom, her napkin was folded, my water was refilled, silver was replaced. They stayed on top of service. For dessert, we did "Bosc Pear Pop Tart - Grapefruit Glaze, Bacon Caramel and Bacon-Coffee Ice Cream" and "Counter Culture Tiramisu - Devil's Food Cake, Coffee Mascarpone, Caramel and Lemon Cream". Really good desserts and also I thought the pop tart was very unique. They also have a nice selection of dessert wines. I got a Kracher cuvee beerenauslese (Kracher is in my opinion the best producer from Burgenland in Austria. This is a sweeter wine that was amazing with the pop tart.) For the tiramisu, I got a Vin Santo (this is a Tuscan dessert wine, usually higher in alcohol, 16.5-19% usually...both of these dessert wines are white by the way, but the bigger style was perfect for the tiramisu.) Overall this was a great experience. I love the location. The restaurant is beautiful. They definitely did a great job on the design. I was a bit over dressed in my suit, but you gotta show the dining room respect! Cheers! read more

My boyfriend and I had very high expectations of this restaurant based on word of mouth around the area. Unfortunately, if the drinks and service are taken out of the equation, this place really failed to deliver. Our waitress recommended the duck & dumplings, which hit the mark only in terms being overly salted and rubbery. Same for the pork loin, although it had a ham-like taste that reminded my boyfriend of when he accidentally grills meat for too long. This place has a nice atmosphere but as far as food, not the best that Raleigh has to offer. Dessert didn't save it either. read more

I really wanted to love everything about this place! We went for a special occasion. The decor is perfect for a farm to table restaurant. And, I give the wait staff, bus boys/gals all an A+. Good training! We had the fried oyster appetizer--4 fried oysters, which were amazing. 4 oysters for about $15 is a bit too much to charge, and the one inch square 3 pieces of pork belly that came with it were all fat, no meat. Husb's seafood stew was fantastic (he wanted more oysters). My hangar steak with the orange chimichurri sauce was way overcooked, chewy, bitter and greasy. I should have taken a picture of my plate---there were pools of grease. I definitely don't recommend! While we were eating, we saw a lot of chicken pot pies coming out. We booked through Open Table and specifically asked not to be seated by the bathrooms or kitchen, and that's exactly where they put us. Unfortunately, there were no other tables available and they didn't hold a table for us. My complementary dessert (a very nice touch) was a deconstructed apple crumble with donut mini muffins. The muffins were over baked, the crumble was warmed up granola, and the apples were slices and rounds that didn't taste fresh. We're going to give this place another try some time since the menu is based upon what is available locally--in the summer most likely. read more

BEST SHRIMP AND GRITS. I love the brunch here. The food is always fantastic along with the service. I would highly recommend a visit for delicious upscale southern/home style cuisine. read more

The food is great and I have been back to eat there despite the poor service many times. But tonight was the last straw. The wait staff is so incredibly slow and is not attentive at all for this class of restaurant. If service is no concern and you love good food, the place is great. But if you have somwhere to be after your meal, stay away. read more

Visited Mandolin on Mother's Day during peak brunch hours. I was visiting from Miami for the weekend and heard excellent things about this restaurant. I was not disappointed, to say the least. The food was excellent and the service was stellar. The Mexican omelet was delicious, as well as their biscuits and homemade toast. Would visit again if I return to Raleigh! read more

Our family just moved to Raleigh this summer, and local friends recommended the Santa brunch to us. So my husband bought a ticket for our young son. It was a bit confusing, because there were only kid tickets, and we weren't sure if that included seating at the brunch for all of us. So my husband called and left a message. Which was never returned. He called again. The woman who responded was very rude and wouldn't listen to him, only told him that the santa tickets were sold out. Which did not answer his question at all. So my husband DROVE out to the restaurant to ask in person. The person working there told my husband he had no idea and would have the owner contact us. Instead of contacting us they sent us an automated email informing us our ticket had been cancelled and refunded. So thanks for that, now I have to explain to my child why we promised him he was going to eat breakfast with Santa but that won't be happening. I don't know about the food here, obviously, since we've been uninvited, but I can tell you the customer service is appalling. read more

Mandolin has NO respect for its residential neighbors. It does not answer the phone when renting out to parties where the music is so deafening that no one inside can hear each other speak. I called the police who said that the ordinance did not require them to turn off music till 11PM. No one had any courtesy to ask that the intensive volume and bass be turned down. This restaurant is in a residential neighborhood with many homes feet from the door. There have been loud, drunk people spilling out on the streets after the restaurant is normally closed. Absolutely unacceptable. read more

Wouldn't go back! Have heard good things and I like the local ingredients they use but our food was overpriced and not good. The service was mediocre and there were only 2 tables! There are better places to eat in Raleigh for sure! read more

I dined her for the first time with my fiancé Food was good but the service was horrible. First we waited way to long before a server was sent to our table. Then we ordered drinks where the server asked for our ID (as he should) the problem came when he implied that my fiancé did not quite look like her picture on her ID which was taken over 2yrs ago. (So obviously somethings have changed) but still looks like her. After expressing that it was an old picture he still proceeded to ask for other forms of ID. I find this extremely rude to make an assumption about a woman's appearance and insult her because you do not think she looks the same then she did 2yrs ago. If you are going to refuse service then do just that but do not antagonize and be rude about a paying customer. By far the most ridiculous service I've ever received. read more

Great dinner and great service. Started with the prompt and polite valet and got better from there. Cool bartender served nice Dark and Stormies (adjusted for us nicely when we asked for a change). Daniel our server was excellent - he suggested a wine that perfectly paired the wife's lamb ragu and my flank steak. Valet pulled up the car as we came out of the restaurant. I have already recommended to friends and will certainly come back. read more

Cute building and cute decor. For the price the food should be great and it wasn't. Went for brunch - nothing special. Was with a vegetarian and they were not accommodating. Won't be back. read more

Meh! Just okay. We went to brunch because I received a gift card and nothing on the diner menu appealed to me. The food was strange. Why put chorizo and andouille in the same omelet? And smoked paprika on eggs Benedict? And why would anyone eat beet greens unless there was nothing else to eat? On the plus side, our server (Adain) was attentive without being intrusive). The coffee was good, the o.j. was fresh squeezed and the biscuits are divine. I understand wanting to be different, but why not a ham and cheese omelet with some of their wonderful country ham and a local cheese? And btw, the bacon was burnt. read more

I knew that leaving Charleston was going to be hard from a food perspective, but I felt like I was right back in the Holy City as soon as I pulled up to Mandolin. The restaurant is situated in a nice neighborhood setting with valet parking, Amen! The interior was tastefully industrial. We were greeted by a friendly Hostess who immediately took us to our seats (I had made reservations earlier in the week). We promptly ordered drinks, my friend got wine, and I tried a "peach cobbler." Now I don't know that it screamed peach cobbler, but was a good drink nonetheless. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. On to the first course, I selected the peaches with house made mozzarella, and my friend ordered the tuna crudo. They were able to accommodate her gluten intolerance, which was much appreciated. My peaches and mozz was delicious and beautifully presented, but somehow was lacking a little something. I thought to myself, this dish would have been absolutely perfect had it been served with burrata as opposed to mozz. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, and would have given a little more moisture to a somewhat dry dish. The tuna crudo was delicious. Dinner my friend selected the steak with sun chokes and I, the ribs. Both were solid, but not blow your socks off good. I'm happy to have such a lovely restaurant close by and will be back to try their fall creations. read more

One of the best dining experiences we have ever had. From the service to the ambiance to the every dish that was placed in front of each of us.. everything was just wonderful. The four entree dishes we enjoyed were the King Trumpet Mushrooms (vegetarian!), the Pork Chop, the Chicken and Waffles, and the Chicken Leg.. and not a single dish disappointed. Kathy was knowledgeable, honest, kind, and truly enjoyable to have as our server. My husband, in-laws, and I dine-out together as often as we can and we all agreed that Mandolin is one of our favorites.. and we are tough critics! Thank you, Kathy, Chef, and the entire staff for a night out we will be talking about for a long time! We will be back! Keep it up! read more

One of the best restaurants I have been to in a while! Loved the atmosphere and food was phenomenal. You could tell that everything was so fresh! My husband and I ended up both getting drinks, appetizers, an entrée, and sharing a dessert - which is WAY more food than we usually good, but it was just way too hard to pare down our choices! To drink I got the sangria, which was good - not great and my husband got the Garden's Bounty which was absolutely amazing! For appetizers we got the peach and mozzarella salad and the halloumi cheese salad, both of which were so fresh and had great flavors. For our entrees I got the striped bass, which was good, but the veggies underneath really stole the dish as they were phenomenal. My husband got the signature chicken and waffles which were melt in your mouth good and apparently a menu staple. For dessert we got the chocolate soufflé which was the perfect end to an amazing dinner - they bring it out right from the oven and pour in the hot fudge and add the crème fresh right at your table. We will definitely be back especially since the menu is always changing based on what is fresh - so there will always be new choices! read more

Mandolin is charming and up scale with an intimate dining atmosphere. The wait staff was very attentive. The food was delicious. However, I was very disappointed with the serving sizes. I ordered the Carbonara for the first course and although the presentation was beautiful, there wasn't much to it. It was so small I chuckled. I then ordered the scallops and when they arrived there were only 5 in a bowl on top of a sauce with no sides. Some risotto or asparagus would have been a nice accompaniment to these amazing and delicious saltwater clams. I am not a big person. I work out and eat healthy, but the sizes of the dishes I ordered left you feeling cheated for the prices you paid. It reminded me of a NYC restaurant where you pay an exorbitant amount for a cracker with goose liver pate' with dandelion greens and are charged $25 and you are suppose to be satisfied. My friend and I were so hungry just a couple of hours later we ended up going somewhere else to eat. read more