It's been over two years since we've been to mannas, one of our perennial favorite restaurants in Wilmington. They recently had a facelift to their interior and the results are stunning, but we were anxious to try out the cuisine and see if they have maintained their high standards. I'm happy to say they have. The menu is a bit limited, but at the same time there's something for everyone. I started with the beet salad (excellent!) as did our friends, and my husband had the fingerling potatoes which, although a somewhat odd choice for an appetizer, was delicious. For entrees, I had the trout, which had perfectly crispy skin, and the rest had the pork dish which, other than the temperature, was cooked and seasoned just right. One caveat here: if you are in the mood for beef, be prepared to empty out your wallet. The only offering is a 22oz cut for $95. I suppose if it's shared that's not too crazy, but if you're the only one at the table in the mood for steak your craving will cost you. Desserts were also limited but amazingly good. I had the coconut concoction which was light as a feather, with a crust that almost tasted like puff pastry, and our friends had the chocolate offering which was delicious and full of texture and creaminess. Don't misunderstand though. Not everything was perfect. It took too long for my husband to get his martini, and (there were four of us) everyone's entree except mine was a bit lukewarm, but other than that it's clear they've maintained their high standards of flavorful cuisine served artistically and with care. read more

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My husband and I ate here during the Memorial Day weekend. We started off with cocktails and a dozen oysters. Both were delicious! The service was attentive, yet not overbearing. My husband ordered the heritage smoked pork with butter beans and I had the speckled trout. The presentation and taste was amazing on both!! I highly recommend making reservations early and putting this restaurant on your foodie destination map!! read more

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Service was good, very attentive. Enjoyed that every staff member helped each other out. Food was very good. Okra and Chiles to start were good. Shrimp and Grits were great, 1/2 chicken was a large amount of food and very good. Would recommend for a more upscale dinner. No complaints, compliments to the chef! read more

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Incredible menu, impeccable service, and lovely Ambiance. Definitely the best dining experience in Wilmington.

The ambience is inviting and warm. Sam was my server and she was so delightful and knowledgeable about the menu. This was my first time trying a lobster butter and it was the perfect amount of lobster flavor to go with my filet. It was accompanied by roasted potatoes that I could have eaten all day. There's a creative cocktail menu and I liked the combination of mezcal and scotch in my cocktail. It was fun to sit by the bar area and watch the creation of other craft cocktails. A pleasant dining experience and a beautiful area to walk around. The prices are a bit on the higher side for the area. Glad I found this gem! read more

manna - a drink in a glass on a table - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Their are lots of good restaurants in Wilmington. We are blessed with options from Wrightsville to Wilmington. One for me stands above the rest. We have been patrons of Manna for many years. Thus is a very special venue for us and never, ever disappoints. High class service with attentive staff and amazing cuisine is the norm. If you want a nice dinner go somewhere else or experience the best of Wilmington at Manna. read more

Ambiance is beautiful, and our server was friendly, but for being "fine-dining", and voted one of the best in Wilmington, the food was mediocre at best. I'm unfortunately not surprised --- Wilmington NC as a whole and its restaurant industry are nothing to write home about. I enjoyed the farm to table vibe with limited but creative menu options. I'd recommend giving it a try but if you're wanting to drop some cash for solid fine dining, you're better off taking a trip to Raleigh or Charlotte for the weekend. read more

What a wonderful dining experience start to finish. Called last minute for a reservation for a birthday dinner and was super surprised they had spots open same day. Started the meal off with six oysters on the half shell. While I prefer mine plain with just a tiny amount of condiments added these were super tasty even if there was too much pickled onions for our taste. I want to enjoy the flavor of the oysters but I digress. We decided on another appetizer of the sausage and sauerkraut that was so good we ended up getting two. All the smells and flavor or Eastern European comfort food. We haven't had sausage that good since our last Poland Trip. Their bourbon selection was way better than I anticipated and chose a Starlight Bottled in Bond during the appetizers and a George T Stagg 2017 for dinner. Our dinner consisted of the Seabass and Pork dishes and they both were amazing. We definitely appreciate the generous portions and everything tasted wonderful. The Seabass was cooked perfectly and fully of flavor. Topped the night off with a couple desert and a after dinner drink and left more than satisfied. read more

My first date night kid free and Manna made the night everything I could imagine and more. We called at around 4 to make a reservation and they stated that they wouldn't be able to get us in until 9pm! Perfect, it gave us time to go downtown and get a few drinks beforehand. Luckily, at around 7:30 we got a call that they had a few cancellations and would be able to get in sooner! It was awesome that they went out of their way to let us know they could get us in at an earlier hour. We finished our drink and walked right over. The hostess was amazing and took us right over to our table where the waitress was already waiting to get our water selection. We started with the cocktail list and the black and decker was EXCELLENT.. I had 2 maybe 3. It was like a light strawberry margarita flavor. We decided on getting the ribeye for two as a main course and the chefs choice sides (at first we were skeptical because the chef cooks the meat at medium and we usually like our meat on the more medium rare side). However, we were blown away! Serious real deal melt in your mouth ribeye with perfect marbling throughout cooked to an actual medium rare perfection. The sides were potatoes cooked in duck fat, a squash medley, and beans blasting with flavor. The dessert was the only disappointing part of this meal. We misunderstood the menu but glanced it quick since the waitress recommended it and we thought we would give it a try. It was a 14$ coke float with cheesecake ice cream but it tasted like straight bourbon. No matter how much coke we added it was STRAIGHT BURBON. We took one bite each and we were done. I honestly cringed while taking the bite. If someone ate that for themselves and got pulled over they would be headed to jail. I was a little upset that they saw the dessert untouched and didn't mention anything or ask questions. Oh well. The customer service is unbeatable and the main course was excellent. You will be spending some money here so come prepared... but it's worth it. I hope my next dessert experience here it better. Perfect date night for anyone who likes perfectly cooked high end foods. read more

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Today is our second there. The atmosphere is great. The decor is what you would expect in a high end restaurant downtown. Service is excellent. Both times we have wonderful servers who are attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and proud of the restaurant. Food is always great. My family enjoyed it very much both times. Special shout out to the duck. It's the best I've had. It's nice and tender, cooked to perfection. The sweet potato confi purée and gnocchi (with the duck) are so good. From my two visits, I've tried their tuna, the "board game" New York strip and Bobby filet, the lamb shank and etc. The duck is no doubt the best. I would reorder it in a heartbeat. If I had to say one thing of improvement, I would be for them to have better steak knife. Especially when the meat is tougher to cut, a sharper, better steak knife is going to save a whole-meal arm workout. read more

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Absolutely one of the best restaurants we've tried in Wilmington since our arrival in May. Every morsel you put in your mouth is phenomenal, whether a cocktail, appetizer or entrée. I simply can't say enough good things about it, but I'll try. For people who may be afraid to venture out during this time of Covid, please know that their beautiful dining room has seven lovely tables all distanced from each other as recommended by the CDC. All employees are wearing a mask. We both felt very safe. My new favorite cocktail is the Aviation, topped with champagne. I wanted to order something other than wine, so the bartender asked me a few questions and then put this in front of me. It was unbelievably delicious. Our entrées were equally fabulous. My husband ordered the pork chop and I had the yellowfin tuna. It's so exciting to go to a restaurant where every single thing is even better than you anticipate. To round out the whole experience was our lovely server, Stephanie. If you haven't been to Manna, I hope you'll give it a try very soon. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Manna has amazing food. Period. Definitely the best place in town, everything is next level.

We had a great experience here! The staff was great and attentive. I have been wanting to try this place. My husband and I decided to go here after our wedding ceremony for a romantic dinner since covid killed any kind of reception. We had a nice table by the window, champagne, and an excellent meal. Great atmosphere for a date night! read more

manna - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Amazing food, 10/10 service, vibes are immaculate. Truly the best dining experience we have had in years, every bite was better than the last. Our server Cassie (? Not sure completely on the name) was AMAZING, so sweet and so wonderful with her recommendations. Best restaurant in Wilmington so far, by far. Will be taking all of our guests here! read more

My friends and I were so excited to finally try Manna after hearing alot about it. It was very disappointing. We were all in a little in shock to be honest. Our drinks were great, the atmosphere is great and the service was very good. The food just wasn't great. The homemade foccachi bread came out cold and with no flavor. It needed salt sooooo badly. The dipping "relish" was a great idea but again, needed seasoning. The eggplant dish was a waiter recommendation and it lacked flavor on every level. The pasta was good but not a lot of meat in it:( After raeding the other reviews, not sure we will give it a second try. Don't mind spending money on yummy food, but this just didn't meet our expectations. read more

My husband and I have been looking for a good occasion to check out manna for a while, and decided to make reservations for our anniversary. It turns out we share an anniversary with manna! They were hosting a special 11-course meal in honor of their 11th anniversary so we decided it was fate and booked our spot. I'm honestly having a hard time picking a favorite course; everything was so good! read more

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Amazing atmosphere, service and food! Manna makes some of the best cocktails in town. Have not had a single thing I didn't like! My super power coy husband enjoyed everything too! We can't wait to go again! read more

I normally would tip 5 stars because I enjoy the food and service the many times I've been here. But the last Sunday beggars night I ordered 4 plates off the mystery menu and received 3 plates of the same dish. I only come Sunday's because I enjoy the diversity of the dishes and was left disappointed. The waiter said it's hows the kitchen does it and still charged me for the missing order dish we didn't get because one dish was combined for 2 people? Yet the others were not? I guess beggars can't be choosers so I won't be back to support something I used to hold dear to my heart and will order off the regular menu instead. read more

manna - Beggars can't be choosers menu only on sundays, gotta make a reservation between 5 and 7 to enjoy it! - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Perfect spot for our anniversary dinner. The food was original, oyster special that night was amazing.

Went there with out of town friends and are so glad we did. The food was absolutely amazing and so was Stephanie our server. Everything was perfect. The timing of the food to the speed and attentiveness of the service. The flavor profiles were amazing and unique with every dish we sampled. It was very interesting and great to hear that the restaurant is trying to limit its environmental foot print by sourcing all ingredients local, changing the menu every day and composting left overs to give back to the farmers they source from. This will definitely be a regular spot for us, even without out of town friends. read more

Best food best drinks and amazing wait staff. Must try the oysters on the half shell my so good!!!

I have had meals at "nicer" restaurants, and have been to more specialty places, but I have never had an experience like I have here. This was the single best meal I have ever had - and it all started with our bartender. From the moment we sat down we were treated like royalty and met with unparalleled service and expertise. We picked a flavor and style, and he met us with a drink out of this world. We wanted to tweak, and we got something better. And when we felt like we were wearing out our welcome, we were made to feel like family with yet another hand crafted, unique cocktail. Cannot recommend enough coming here. - The food = incredible - The service = amazing - The drinks = better than anything I've ever had. 11/10 recommend. read more

Given the owner's response, I'm deleting my original review and changing it from one to three stars. I'm pleased to get their attention with regard to communication and voicemail. I strongly think that the restaurants that come out of the pandemic even stronger are the ones that adapt to the circumstances by offering takeout for customers who do not want to jeopardize their health, their family's health, and frankly the staff's health. Many people use Yelp as their app of choice for local dining and restaurants who ignore it do so at their long-term peril. read more

Fred is the best bartender in the area. And the food is delicious! Might seem silly, but the bread . It's also amazing that they make sure their menus are centered around ingredients that will work for the seasons you're in. Always been a go to date night/celebration spot read more

On the advice of a Wilmington colleague, I tried Manna last week. Sat at the bar and had an amazing gimlet. Perfectly prepared, icy cold! Started with local oysters with pickled onion sorbet. The oysters were incredible and the sorbet was fantastic. For an entree I had local corn with blue crab. One of the best meals I've had in a while. I'll be back! read more

We had an amazing time, great food & service! The atmosphere was romantic as well, perfect for date night.

I went on a Friday night on my own. The food with cocktails were interesting and incredible. I went back a few days later with 5 friends expecting a drop off on the experience. The follow up visit did not disappoint. Come here if you're looking for delicious and interesting food. Holding them to a high standard some of the servers, not all, are robotic. Our main server was great! read more

Best cocktails in Wilmington! We love going to Manna for drinks and apps. We always sit at the bar or in the bar area. We took some friends, who had never been, for cocktails a few weeks ago. We asked the bar for a seasonal cocktail with bourbon. Grace accepted our challenge and created two different cocktails for the four of us. One was stirred with rye and the other shaken with bourbon. Both had a variety of spices and bitters. Both were incredible! I'm telling you, if you want to have a very special cocktail Manna is the place to go. On Sunday from 5-6:30 they have a menu called beggars can't be choosers. The kitchen has a preset menu. You will be served whatever they are cooking that night. You can pick from meat, seafood or veg. $8 per plate. Cocktails $9. I have never been to beggars can't be choosers night but you can bet I will be going soon. PS-the pork belly is very, very good read more

Wilmington has come a long way in the area of cuisine in recent years - and I'm proud to bear witness of that fact - but I have also long held the opinion that the only real chef in this town belongs to a restaurant called Manna. I was overwhelmingly reminded of that fact last night during a casual early dinner with my fiancée...I had the beef tenderloin medium rare atop a layer of warm cheese grits overlayed by spinach with caramelized onions and mushrooms, she had a small homemade spaghetti plate with arugula herbs and the most perfected blend of salt within each pasta noodle. The beef was absolute pure grade A, melt in your mouth, savor every bite, moan under your breath deliciousness. The grits might have sung Dixie, had they gotten a fighting chance prior to my devour-ment. The bread - of course an ode to the blessed establishment's title - could have very well raised the dead, and kept the Israelites another 40 years in the desert due to it's sustenance alone, to say nothing of its taste, which I'm sure by now the reader can certainly imagine. I consider myself truly reminded of the only real gourmet experience in Wilmington, North Carolina, and my Dallas based fiancée finally had her 5 star Michelin taste buds not only satisfied but admittedly blown away. We will be back. read more

This farm to table restaurant is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants to eat. They change the menu daily so all kinds of new fusions are rotating throughout the menu. The ingredients are extremely fresh! read more

The service was impeccable! Very attentive to every detail and the superb venue to enjoy a meal. I had the duck which was very moist and a great flavor. The accompanying sides were so-so. My daughter had the lamb and was flavorful and a good portion. Loved the pickled oysters! Iced pickled toping was a nice touch and would order those again! Now the 4 is because my daughter ordered the ninety-five dollar steak and it was not cooked medium rare and did not have much flavor. We we're in shock thinking a $95 steak would be perfect. Sent it back to cook it a little more and it came back the exact same. We just decided not to say any thing a second time. Loved the staff they were great. read more

Fantastic experience! Wonderful food and wine and service! We especially loved the cocktails!

Hands down our favorite restaurant in Wilmington! It has become our date night spot! We feel like family when we step in the door. We've come to know most of the staff and everyone is so friendly. We usually choose to sit at the bar because we love the casual yet sophisticated atmosphere and talking to the bartenders. Name your preferred spirit and if you like refreshing or booze forward drinks and they will create a custom cocktail for you! It's always on point! We love how the menu changes daily. The chef uses all fresh local ingredients. We ordered the baked oysters and mussels as our appetizers. For entrees we had the filet and spring salad. As always, everything was delicious! The dessert was a parfait with butterscotch pudding and dark chocolate cake. Perfect way to end the meal! From the food, drinks, and service it's a always a fabulous night out and worth every penny! If you're in Wilmington, you must dine at Manna! read more

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AMAZING! Quality, fresh, innovative, farm to table with a rotating menu. Amazing cocktails. 10/10 recommend read more

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Had been wanting to try Manna for a while and a surprise visit by one of my mom's granddaughters was the perfect time. We arranged a total surprise and then our server, Fred, offered to curate the meal for us - family style. He made fantastic choices, paired the wine perfectly and made it a very special evening for us all! Elevated cuisine but not stuffy. Can't wait to go back. read more

Manna was amazing! From the creativity, flavor, service and ambience to the incredible service, this place is a gem! I highly recommend you visit and taste True farm to table dining! Highly recommend! read more

Great food, great staff (really) and the oysters....great! Pricey but worth it. I'll be back for a special occasion. Perfect downtown location read more

Fabulous! Wonderful! Spectacular! Fresh! Mouthwatering! Welcoming! Phenomenal! This review will become too long if I go on! This was our first time to Manna, and we will DEFINITELY BE BACK! Every Dish just got better and better! The service was outstanding! We had the Bread with Ricotta and Olive Oil, Raw Oysters, yellowfin tuna, the fair or fowl pole, and the Sea Bass. The drinks were very good too! Thank you for a wonderful night Manna! Hope to see you soon! read more

Great food, service, and atmosphere. We split several plates and everything was delicious. The perfect wine pairing recommendation from the house sommelier, Jeremy, was the icing on the cake! read more

Intimate restaurant perfect for a date night. High quality, fresh ingredients and attentive service. Highly recommend as a place to celebrate a special occasion or to impress your date :) read more