Apps were good. Dinners were uninspiring. $600 for a six person dinner (multiple rounds of cocktails) and being charged for extra olives was infuriating. read more

Tourist food. Lower your expectations. Ordered linguine clam sauce. Comparable to Olive Garden quality. If you like Olive Garden, go for it.

Food was bad and expensive. Drinks good but no food was high quality. Stuffies were in reused shells. Yuck

Loved our lemonades here. We were dying of thirst and the sign out front brought us in. Since we were driving mopeds we got them without alcohol, and they were the perfect pick me up that we needed. They've got to be just as delicious with Tito's. read more

Manisses - a red drink with a lemon wedge - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

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Great dinner ! We had a great table out in the back garden. Staff was pleasant and efficient. The food was delicious! My only complaint was our waitress ' mask was not over her mouth or nose! read more

Manisses - a lawn with lawn chairs and a tree - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

Best food and drink here in years. Was fabulous years ago, then dropped, now back in glory. Great Bees Knees drink. Corn scallop chowder great, fun. Portugese style swordfish excellent. Honestly, every dish and drink was great. I'm so happy that this is my favorite place again. Update -- no more elegant tablecloths which makes the tables very uncomfortable because they are wrought iron which Dig in terribly on the arms. read more

Manisses - Very nice outside, no car sounds. - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

Great spot for a delicious meal away from the crowds! Beautiful indoor and outside tables to choose from. Staff is top notch!

My spouse and our dear friends were here tonight to celebrate our 12th anniversary for a nice dining experience. We reserved the night before after placing a credit card reservation according to the receptionist. When we appeared to our dinner reservation at 6.30 we were told that it was a reservation for two instead of for four. It was corrected promptly. Everything went well with our orders by Adrian. We placed our drinks then the appetizers followed by our entrees. We were given a bread basket and a lemon citrus butter pat. We requested for an additional butter plate and more bread, and waited for them until after the entrees came. We loved our entrees: Caramelized sea scallops, miso glazed cod, grilled sword fish, lazy man fisherman lobster special. Not once were we asked how our entrees were. He dedicated more time with other couple tables than us. Food was superior overall. Service can improve from the wait staff to the food runners. It's as if the duties are specific and overwhelming if called for more than required. We were asked, how much more bread we need. When we received then, it was sliced bread instead of whole bread buns from the first time. Is bread limited per table? There are four buns and one lemon citrus butter pat to share? We hope to return in the future. read more

Second time we have eaten here. Excellent food, attentive service. Vegetarians in our party that they were happy to accommodate. The ambiance outside and inside are both fantastic . read more

This review is as more about the decor than the food. The Hotel Manisees is a grand old victorian hotel that was recently purchased by an owner with no sense of the style and tradition this hotel represented. How sad and tragic that period stained glass windows, antique wicker furniture and light fixtures were all removed. The windows survived years of storms, vandals, and were the shining jewel of the Maniseees. In its place is a sterile faux chic french style devoid of any charm. I'm shocked that the removal of the stained glass windows was allowed if there is any historic district? Tourists flocked to this hotel to experience the best of New England victorian, over the top, flair. That sense of history has been destroyed. Tourists go to Block Island to see the best of its' past, not to view a sham french interior. The hotel's cupola once housed a period lantern, now hangs an enormous cheap looking crystal chandelier that's almost comical. So sad that the new owner and the interior decorator did not understand the value of the charm and history that this hotel once exuded. I do get that there was an attempt to bring light and freshness into the interior. It's upsetting that doing this meant sacrifice that was not worth the effort in my opinion. All this said, the menu is upscale with high prices. I had the gnocchi bolanese which was delicious. My partner had a breaded chicken cutlet which was moist and flavorful. While the food was well presented and prepared, my sadness at the stripping of valuable period interiors tainted any joy of the meal. Half of the excitement is dining in a grand old lady of a hotel. The cheap looking interior is nothing I will come back to experience. I will not return. Shame on the desecration of a very loved Block Island landmark. read more

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Every year we visit Block, Manisses is the restaurant we look forward to most. Their menu is creative, encompassing farm-fresh ingredients, the food is delicious and the outdoor garden is the perfect place to enjoy it. We follow them on Facebook and so when we saw they had remodeled we were excited to see it. We visited this past weekend and we were very disappointed. The restaurant looks nice, but now feels incredibly cheesy and cramped...with teal silk-like napkins which look like pieces of a recycled 80s prom dress. Service was incredibly slow. We waited nearly 45 minutes for appetizers (which the manager did try to correct with comping a bottle of wine -- thank you). But their menu is now very generic and food, just Ok. Now we get it -- we visited them at the beginning of the season, and understand there may be a few kinks they're still working out -- but when the restaurant is charging $34 an entree...we feel like they better have those kinks worked out. At the end of the day, its not a bad restaurant, just no longer first on the list when you only have a week on the island. read more

Manisses - 80s prom dress silk napkins... - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

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We stayed at the Manisses and were hesitant about also eating our one dinner there (we were just staying the one night this time). But....after hearing several people rave about it and checking it out on Yelp (of course!), we had to. We are early diners in general, so we were able to get a table when the restaurant opened at 5. Early even for us, but we had a feeling without reservations, this would be our only option and indeed that was true (even in mid-June, the restaurant got very busy by the time we left around 6:30). Our server, Kyle?, was very good - efficient, friendly but not overly so. He answered our questions and gave some good suggestions. We all had the salad which was wonderful - greens, pear, chevre, other yummy things - I'm pretty sure I almost licked the plate. For the main course, I had the short ribs (wow!), hubby had a lovely looking shrimp and scallop dish and sis had another scallop dish. Everything was wonderfully prepared and delicious. The room itself is a garden room with huge windows giving an airy, light feel. There is also a bar to the rear with a tavern/pub decor. All in all very charming and well worth the splurge. The prices were on the high side, but still what I would call reasonable. I think our tab for the 3 of us (with drinks and wine) came to $140 or so before tip. So not a cheap meal, but in our opinion, well worth it. read more

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We and another couple came here after another nearby restaurant could not accommodate the diet needs of one person. The staff was (cheerfully) able to provide a delicious salad for our friend. I had swordfish with a fantastic lobster mash potato side. I followed up with their brownie tower for desert. Our server was friendly and entertaining. read more

Manisses - Swordfish with lobster mash potatoes. - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

Hadn't been here before. Stopped in during restaurant week. Cocktails were great, Island greyhound was delicious. Chowder had whole scallops and was well seasoned, duck wings were crisp, dry rubbed and lightly sauced. Pork shank with polenta and broccoli rabe was amazing. Cooked to perfection, not greasy. Tiramisu was made onsite, not too sweet, delicious! Will be back. read more

Big issue with this place. And it's 100% the managements fault. It's 4th of July weekend- they should be fully prepped. What else are you prepping for if not the biggest weekend of the summer!? They are short staffed, smoke wafting through the bar, a huge table not cleared right in front of us. I hope this message gets to the management and they recognize they need to invest in their staff and their establishment, vs. blaming new hires. read more

I seriously have no idea why this place is ranked so low. It's a killer location, great ambiance and has amazing staff. We stayed at the hotel and visited 3 separate times- once for a drink at the bar, another for dinner and a 3rd for an after dinner drink and dessert (seriously one of the best desserts ever! It was a coconut pineapple cake). The food portions were perfect for sharing. We ordered quite a few different items to try and share and were very pleased. I'd go back again in a heart beat! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

Top of the line dining ambience with food to match. We almost came here the 2 out of the 3 nights we were on the island; it was simply that good. My wife and I sat outside in the tranquil and serene garden area right next to a soothing fountain. She had the swordfish which she said was one of the best ever. I had the pork chop which was also fantastic. The service was impeccable as was everything else! A truly great dining experience. read more

This has been a standby of ours for a long time. We eagerly stopped in last week to try it under the new ownership. We like to eat at the bar. The decor is now 1985 Bahamas. The lighting is the diner you remember as a kid. It was such a turnoff we decided to have a drink and leave. My drink was well done and wine list is good for BI. I winced when the server asked the bartender for chianti and explained that chianti is a red. Food may be good but I doubt if we'll ever try it. read more

We stayed at the Hotel Manisses. This was our first visit since the new ownership and renovations. The lobby was sterile and uninviting . The desk clerks were overall less then friendly. Disappointing!. This used to be a beautiful and warm hotel. ELIZABETH read more

I've been dining on this Island for 20 years. My wife and I are huge fans of this restaurant. It is our "Go-To" restaurant for fine dining on island. However, 2013 has not served this establishment well. In 2012, Food & Service were outstanding. THis year, unfortunately, service has slid off the map into Poor. On several visits THIS year alone, we have had across the board poor service, from different wait staff. Drinks are forgotten, wait staff take forever to bring drinks. once seated, we sat for literally 10 minutes this last visit before anyone came over to take a drink order. on one visit, the wait staff took so long to bring the drinks, TWICE, she took them off our bill. That is nice, and appreciated, but we would have preferred to get our drinks in a timely fashion, and not have to beckon the server for them. on my last visit, i ordered a particular beer, on the menu, only for the server to (1) forget about the order altogether, then upon being reminded, tell me (2) that they are out of it...after waiting another 5 minutes...i know the bar isnt that far away. the menu last year was better, more robust. this year, for now, it is simply fair. I hope the menu changes soon, as it did last year, multiple times across the summer season. the whole "no reservations after 6:45" is BS, and the front hostess girls, about 13 years old, couldnt expain the reasoning behind it...if we are paying what i would consider the highest dining costs on the island, they should take reservations...who wants to shell out $75-100 per person after waiting 45 mins for a table of 2? all the wait staff appear young and untrained. On our most recent visit, our previous server from late June was already gone (fired?), and they were training yet another young server. how about getting some veteran wait staff, who know how to handle an upcale establishment? Again, last year we felt service was spot on...the staff, though young, were attentive and knowledgeable, this year though still young, not knowledgeable or attentive. i shouldnt have to wave down the water server. nor should drink orders require a follow-up on where they are. its sad that every visit this year has had a cloud over it. it make us re-think our next visit. i hope the Drapers can get a handle on this...I'd also like to know if they even recieve these reviews??? what, if anything, is going to be done? read more

The decor and view weren't bad. We did come to eat here because of 2 menu items we saw, on the menu in our room. I ordered a glass of white wine and the waiter came over and said that he just sold the last bottle to the table next to us and has someone looking in the back. He eventually did get it. We went to order of the menu and Neither of the things we wanted were available!! So we had to rethink our entire dinner plan. We had the lobster risotto and the smoked salmon salad with shrimp. The risotto was good, but nothing to come back for. The smoked salmon salad was good, but the tails were still on the shrimp. A personal pet peeve. We decided to try the chocolate pie it was not a thick pie, not pudding like. It was hard and dry. I don't think I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. If your looking for food, go somewhere else. This place is over worked, over prepared... Wishing the menu was less complex with better/stronger flavors. read more

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Fresh, inventive, eclectic, pricey, and very good, almost perfect. If I could, I've give them 4 1/2 stars. The gazpacho was amazing. It tasted like summer, and was sweet (as in fresh vegetable sweet), salty, and spicy all at the same time. It may sound like a weird combination, but it worked. The beet salad was also fantastic. The sweetness of the beets were perfectly complemented by the seasoning and accompanying sauce. My wife's "Indian lamb, two ways" was terrific. The lamb chop, kebab style, was perfectly cooked and authentically seasoned. The second lamb dish was in a braised, curry style, and was also terrific. I had the striped bass taco which was also wonderfully cooked and subtly flavored. They do lose small points on execution though. My tortilla was on the dry side and my wife's rice was bland and a little sticky, not that perfectly loose grains of perfumed rice that one finds at good Indian restaurants. My kids tried the cappuccino creme brulee and "Neopolitan (layers of strawberry, vanilla, and chocoloate) pudding. The pudding was actually pasty cream, but both were fun and delicious. read more

Worst dining experience. Multiple staff mishaps throughout the course of the meal. We decided to bring up the issues to management and they were so rude, dismissive, and inconsiderate. Horrible customer service. We left feeling uncomfortable and upset by how we were treated. Would never come back and would never recommend this place due to the inhospitable management and host staff. read more

Waited 2 hours for my food. Manager was rude. Would never come back again. Food was subpar for price. Horrible experience

As the sister property for where we were staying (1661 Inn), we decided to check it out. Of course the staff at our hotel recommended it, but others have mentioned the restaurant as well. OMG! I am so glad we had dinner there. It was the best dining experience I've had in a loooooong time. It's very charming and romantic. Darker lighting added to the ambiance and the backyard view was very nice. Started with a bottle of wine. There is a great list to choose from and anyone could find something they like. We ordered appetizers, the Lobster-Butternut Bisque and the Jumbo Shrimp Tacoladas. Even as person born and raised in New Enlgand, I can't stand lobster. I think it's rubbery, tasteless and not worth the price or fuss people make over it. Bisque, also not a fan, but this was so good. I think I liked it because it was more butternut squash tasting than lobster. I probably had tons of butter and cream , but who cares...it was delicious! The Tacoladas were OK, not something I would order again. For entrees, we ordered the swordfish and the filet. I don't think I've ever had a better, more perfectly cooked, piece of swordfish in my life...EVER! It was so delicious, buttery, soft...my mouth is watering again just thinking of it. The hereford filet with demi-glace was perfectly cooked and we ate every last bite of both plates. The server was professional. Very good and "on point" without being too intrusive...he could read his tables very well. He did mention to 2 tables on either side that he hadn't "had the chance to try that" yet when asked about items on the menu. Maybe he was new, but when you work at a place with prices like this, you better know, and sell, your menu well. Luckily we didn't have questions on those items. The owner, who we met at the 1661 Inn, happened to be at the bar. He noticed we decided to dine at his sister property and sent over a complimentary dessert for our special occasion. It was a nice touch to a perfect dinner. Yes, I would recommend this place. Yes, it's in my top 5 meals of the last couple of years. I can't wait to return to B.I. and have dinner again here. read more

Food was amazing, service was exceptional, and when we saw one of the owners the following day; he remember our names. Highly recommended!

We were greeted by a lovely young gal. We arrived about 6:30 and elected to take stable outside by the fountain. We were promptly given water and bread. Our waitress came and took our beverage order and they promptly were served. Our salads followed and looked lovely. Our waitress came by and we had a second round. Our entrees beautifully presented. Scallops and a steak. Dessert was a cheesecake with peaches and fruit. It was a delightful evening and met all our expectations!! read more

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I went to eat at this location for dinner. The atmosphere was excellent. The staff was nice and very helpful.The location was beautiful,however othe food for the price was average .The food presentation was good.the read more

Manisses - Seafood Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

Ok I'm going to review two separate parts of the hotel. The restaurant is wonderful. We have dined here on all of our trips to BI. We are always more then satisfied . We decided to have our wedding reception dinner here. The library room was great, our server very attentive, and as always the food was amazing! Everyone here is fabulous! So much so we came back for our last dinner before leaving the island, and once again amazing food and great service. We will ALWAYS eat here when we visit. Now for the hotel. We stayed , and I couldn't wait to leave. Tiny room, tiny bathroom. Clean but terribly overpriced. I think for most of the hotels on the island, the trying to keep it old thing just means they feel like they don't have to update. The Lobby is horribly ugly, and NOT Victorian looking at all. So I would eat here, but never again stay here. read more

This place was great. We sat at the bar where Gerry (the bartender) took care of us. He was awesome. Took care of everything quickly, recommended great food, wine and his service was friendly and on point... We had the chowder, the lobster ravioli, grilled swordfish and it was all delicious!!! I take away a star because before we went in and sat at the bar, we tried to chat with the wait staff women outside about seating and the menu and they were very very rude. Horrible attitude, it was 9 and the place closes at 10, so it wasn't a time issue, they were just rude. So, sit at the bar, we did not catch the other bartenders name that was working with Gerry, but he was awesome as well. read more

This was a very busy place so make sure you have reservations. Even with reservations we waited 10 minutes to be seated. We also waited over 5 minutes before our waiter swung by our table. Since it was after Labor Day they were short of staff so it might be better in season. If it's nice weather we would suggest sitting outside on the patio. We found that it was very stuffy inside. My wife had the swordfish and her portion was quite small as was the mashed potatoes which were barely warm. I had a steak special that was superb. All in all the waiter did a nice job once he got started. We found that the wine was costlier than we have paid at other fine restaurants and the food was on the high side too. We would rather dine at other places based on this visit. read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. They had no clear parking lot signs and when I parked to walk into town I came back to my car and when I came back my license plate was on the ground and the bolts had been stolen. After talking with others who this had happened to, we strongly suspect (it's almost obvious) that employees of the Manisses hotel had stolen our screws to attach the plate to my car. This is theft. I would not have parked there had there actually been signs that mentioned it was selective parking. There was no sign in sight when entering the parking lot. I love BIRI, but it's a small island and there isn't a place to purchase screws (the hardware store was out but that's not the problem). Do not give this place business. The island is supposed to be a nice place and this was a deliberate and mean act. Why didn't they just tape the screws to the license plate! It would have taken no time and wouldn't ruin others day. read more

Sad...the place was sold and the new management let all of the old employees go. This is not the same restaurant that it once was. We won't be back. The food was poor. My sons chicken came out pink and my daughters gnocchi was mush and looked like mashed potatoes. Sad read more

We had a reception dinner here and it went almost as bad as it possibly could. Once we cashed the deposit we lost all communication with them. We tried numerous times to get in contact with the manager and she didn't call back until 8 days later - right when the wedding was about to happen. When the wedding happened we were running a late to the dinner (as if we had control over the reception) and when we showed up the manager lashed out at the bride and made her cry on her wedding night. When we got the bill we got over charged by ~$700. When we asked for an itemized receipt to figure out the difference, it was all "miscellaneous" charges. They are thiefs. I wouldn't give them a penny of my money going forward. The woman who runs it is absolutely miserable. read more

I have been vacationing Fourth of July weekend on Block Island for 35 years and have always stayed either at 1661 House or Hotel Manisses. This past Forth of July we decided to stay there without ever seeing the remodel of the inn. I stayed in Room 10 which the only thing they forgot was a shoehorn to fit in the bathroom. At $599 a night, you couldn't even get a corkscrew from the front desk because they stated they were out of them. I could go on forever stating why I will never stay at the Manisses again. All I can say is the previous owners knew how to run an Inn. These new owners have no clue how to run a $599/night boutique hotel. I will say that we did eat dinner one night in the restaurant downstairs, and although the service was not 5 star, the food was 4 star. read more

Don't fix it if it ain't broke -- they took a perfectly good block island tradition and turned it into a courtyard by Marriott. It seems like they may have copied some fancy menu from a good restaurant but the new staff has no clue how to make it or serve it. RIP Manisses we will miss you. read more

Below is a copy of an email I wrote to the owner of the Inn/Restaurant which explains our terrible experience there. It has been a week since it was sent and I have gotten no response. This confirms that the attention to guests is poor throughout the entire organization. Dear Ms. Draper, I wanted to write to you today to inform you of our dining experience at the Hotel Manisses last Tuesday July 8th while celebrating our wedding anniversary. Let me start off by saying that I am EXTREMELY familiar with food service, preparation and fine dining. I am one of those high energy people that holds two hats. One, as a chef with over 20 years of fine dining and catering experience and 2 as the Northeast sales director of a medical company. So not only do I know how to cook , the latter allows me to experience some of the best cooking and service at some of the very best restaurants nationwide since I often entertain doctors as part of my job. The dining experience my wife and I had at your restaurant the other night will go down as one of the most negative experiences we have ever had. The evening started out fine when we arrived. The young hostess was cordial and seated us right away and our waiter Michael seemed somewhat friendly. Then another couple arrived and Michael became less attentive. Our salads were great and the appetizers were very good. But this is where things went downhill. My wife ordered the filet and I ordered the swordfish. The swordfish was cooked well. The filet mignon however, came out medium to medium well when it should have been medium rare. We notified our server of this and he took it away, then things became VERY bizarre. The older hostess ( we didn't get her name) came over and caused a scene by asking my wife to get up from the table so that she could show her how the steak looks in the light INSIDE the restaurant. Her reasoning is that steaks looking lighter than they should is a common phenomenon that happens when dining outside. My wife was mortified and embarrassed from the MANY looks she was getting from other customers who were curious why she was asked to leave her seat! She let the hostess know that she did not see the difference. The hostess then said they would bring out a new steak. When the new steak arrived, which was cooked correctly, the waiter made a very sarcastic comment about the "customer always being right" then walked away while stating that he'd be back to check on how it was cooked. He NEVER returned until we were done with our meal. At this point he obviously had checked out and wouldn't even make eye contact with us. We declined dessert and he brought the check over. I paid and when he returned with the credit card and bill he pretty much threw it onto our table and mumbled something. Some lessons for your staff from our experience: 1) You NEVER EVER make a guest get out of their seat. 2) A steak's "done-ness" is not just determined by the color but by the firmness as well. 3) If this is a "common phenomenon" that happens in your restaurant with the color of steaks then you should inform the customer as they order. 4) The server should stay with the guest as they cut into their new steak to make sure it is cooked correctly. 5) Even if the customer isn't right you do NOT treat them like dirt after 6)Just because the kitchen makes a mistake it doesn't mean that the dining experience is over for the patron. We have been to other places where there was a mistake with our meal. The staff handled it correctly and we ended up spending hundreds more on dessert and after dinner drinks. 7) The end of a patron's dining experience is just as important as the beginning because the way they feel when they left is how they are going to remember their experience. My wife has also worked as a server in fine dining restaurants so between both of our professional experience and our experience as frequent diners we know what's excusable and what isn't. People are always asking about our opinions on restaurants and respect our critique. We had hoped to be able to give our approval since we have had many great experiences enjoying flaming coffees on your front porch. Although we live in Maine we are frequent visitors to the island and have not had a bad experience anywhere until now. Your property and the food was beautiful and unique. Unfortunately your service was "unique" in the most unpleasant of ways. If you have any questions about our experience feel free to contact me at this email address or at 2**-***-**** Thank you for taking the time to read this. read more

Beautiful hotel, delicious food, great location! The staff were ultra helpful and friendly. My only minor complaint is the plugin scent in the hallways of this hotel, smell is way too pungent. Other than that A+! read more

We had a delightful dinner here (bacon wrapped filet and pasta w. Grilled chicken). The food was fresh and cooked to perfection, the dining room was really beautiful, and the service (Ernestine) was excellent. A welcome change to the usual beach fare - well worth the money. read more

After all of the places we went to, we chose to come here on our last night and oh, how I wished we came here every night! Janey was a pleasure to deal with and the food was really good; the best on the island. The only downside was that my fish was very slightly overcooked/dry but it did not matter as there was lobster mashed potatoes and a great sauce with my swordfish. The scallop special appetizer was awesome and the drinks were great. Will go back here and would recommend it to anyone. read more