The Reluctant Panther Inn & Restaurant

We truly could not have imagined a more perfect wedding weekend, and so much of that is thanks to Morgan. From the very beginning of the planning process, she was absolutely incredible. Wedding planning can sometimes feel overwhelming—especially when well-meaning family members have lots of opinions—but Morgan always remained calm, poised, and completely professional. She consistently ran everything by Jake and me first, making sure our vision stayed at the center of every decision. Her steady, confident energy made us feel supported and at ease the entire time. The inn itself is a beautiful, boutique gem in Vermont. Having the property privately for the whole weekend was such a gift—most of our guests were able to stay on site, which allowed us to truly celebrate together from start to finish. It created such an intimate, special atmosphere that we’ll cherish forever. The food was top notch—the chef is incredibly talented—and every meal felt thoughtfully prepared and delicious. The inn was spotless, each room uniquely designed and full of charm. The housekeepers and staff were so friendly, accommodating, and genuinely warm to all of our guests. It was truly the best weekend of our lives, and we are endlessly grateful to Morgan and her amazing team for making it all happen so seamlessly. If you are considering hosting your wedding here, do it—you will be in the very best hands.

We visited the inn and restaurant in August. Absolutely everything was exceptional. We were traveling with a 9 month old. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The room was spacious and comfortable. We had the best meal either of us has ever had (order the short ribs) at the restaurant. Breakfast in our room was also delicious. Highly recommend.

This place is like out of a dream. The room Was soooooo nice and beyond my expectations. Dinner was amazing and had a vegan option that was delicious. The morning picnic basket, please never stop that. Location can’t be beat. As expected, I could hear ppl upstairs moving and jumping around but they eventually quieted down. In love with this place.

We stayed one night in the Snowflake room in early November. Room was impressively large as was the bathroom. Gas fireplace in the room added great ambiance. I was worried about the included breakfast being a "breakfast basket" brought to the room but it was incredible. It was so nice to sit in the room and have breakfast in the provided robes. Snowflake room is not a good room for anyone with mobility limitations. The bed was so high it needed steps to get into bed. The tub/shower was a high sided whirlpool tub which was a little difficult getting in/out of.

Not what I expected. I wanted to treat my husband as to a nice fancy dinner and it was meh. I ordered duck at medium rare, it came out with some pink but grey. Grey should NEVER be the color of duck breast. That tells me it’s old bad meat. Bread was stale and the sides also felt just reheated. At this price, should be fresh always. Will not go again

Rooms are described as 'suites' - I think this is a stretch. A suite to me has a separate seating area. On the positive, the bathroom was huge with a whirlpool bath. The patio and garden are lovely.|Breakfast was a little disappointing. It was beautifully presented in a basket but the breakfast sandwiches were past their best.

After about 5" of snow, the ramp at the side of the building was very slippery. I called this to a gentleman's attention inside the inn. When we left after dinner the ramp was WORSE, hence the two star service rating. Our meal was very good, but the menu is somewhat limited.

We had a lovely stay! Room was very comfortable. Nothing too fancy but VERY spacious with a super comfy bed. The staff was top notch and greeted us by name any time we saw them after check in. Lots of nice little touches like cookies upon check in, breakfast picnic baskets sent to your room, etc. We stay in chain hotels frequently so we enjoyed the more personal experience and charm of the Reluctant Panther. We came in the summer but would love to come back in the winter as well. Great spot to stay at if you’re in the area!

While visiting friends in the area, we had dinner with a group st the Reluctant Panther. It has an upscale if not slightly old-school feel. I mean that as a positive. The restaurant was packed and the severs remained ahead and attentive. Our food was very nicely done. I had a beet salad to start and a great pork chop entree. It was a very positive, classy experience.

Delicious 5-star food for an anniversary dinner that was unfortunately rushed because they booked us at 8 & close the kitchen at 9. After fast delivery of the apps, I asked the server not to fire the entrees right away. I wanted to enjoy the evening, not dine and dash. The server informed me the kitchen closed right at 9. I responded that they surely would not make an 8pm reservation if they were going to hurry us through dinner. She walked away. Despite the server trying to pick up my plate twice while I was chewing, and in spite of her spilling a hefty splurp of $140 champagne on the table sans any acknowledgment, it was a nice evening. However, I'd request a different waitress next time.

The restaurant at the Reluctant Panther is well run. Although some staff was new, the service was timely and not intrusive. The food itself was very tasty, and beautifully presented. It was our anniversary and everything was delicious-including the wine.

Top tier. I stayed at the inn with my husband for my birthday and my birthday dinner did not disappoint. All staff we encountered were professional and friendly. We tried a lot of the food; duck pate, Brie lobster fondue, seared cod and romanesco, seared scallop dinner, cookie and creme brûlée. Every bite was delectable! I would go back. Also, I was surprised I had trouble deciding on my entree being that they have a small menu. Very impressive.

We come to Manchester every year and this restaurant is an. Annual treat. Superb dinner and drinks. Great service. Lovely atmosphere.

Incredible dinner at the Reluctant Panther Restaurant. My wife had the mixed green salad and I had the Carrot Soup !!!! Soup was amazing !!! My wife had the Roasted Misty Knoll Chicken Breast with Spinach and Mushroom Gnocchi !!! She loved it !!! I had the Seared Scallops !!!!! Wow delicious !!!!!!!! We shared a Crème Brulee for dessert

Just had dinner here and was absolutely delicious! Started with lobster Brie then Seared cod with capers served with spinach and vegetables. Husband had a ribeye steak with broccolini. Plentiful portion size. Quiet and comfortable and immaculate restaurant with lovely Paul Revere cutlery. Spreadable butter served in a rectangular dish with pumpkin bread as well as cruet of olive oil. Waitress brought complimentary tasting bite of Vermont cheese, nut and grilled grape. Yummy! For dessert coffee and selection of tea and trio of house made sorbet served with 2 house made shortbread cookies. Waitress was pleasant and attentive. Loved it!

Recommended by Capital District 'media celebrity'. Stopped in for dinner on my way back from Quebec City about 7:30 PM. Very nice location and across the street from another stellar restaurant - The Silver Fork. The parking lot was full - I guess it's a good sign. I walked in through the back door and after a turn or two was in front of the front desk. The gentleman pointed me towards the restaurant. I walked in and was acknowledged, waited a minute or two, the gentleman proceeded to seat me at a table. I noticed that there was a small bar and requested to be seated at the bar. I explained that would prefer to be standing since I had driven for six hours - not a problem was the response. I had the whole bar to myself. I immediately ordered a red wine, looked over the menu and was presented with the days specials - soups cold cucumber or wild mushroom, don't recall the entree. I ordered the cucumber soup and the Braised Short ribs with mashed potatoes, shishito peppers and haricot vert. In a minute or two came an amuse-bouche. I didn't catch what it was but it was delicious. Within a few minutes the soup plate came out with some herbs scattered on the bottom, then came the soup in a gravy boat and poured over the herbs. The soup was divine, it had a slight tartness from yogurt or sour cream or butter milk. I could not identify the herbs. Out came the Short Ribs (boneless) OH my! Very generous portion.There were two full ribs. The ribs absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. In any case I was able to finish only one rib. Sitting at the bar I also had the ability to engage with the staff - who were super. If you're in the area don't hesitate to go, if you can get a reservation - enjoy

wonderful holiday meal. nice environment and attentive service. Pork chop was one of the BEST ever! Excellent wine selections and cocktails. Must try when in Manchester.

Delicious food, excellent service, perfectly mixed drinks! I love dining at the Reluctant Panther the service and food are always top notch.

What happened??? Last year we had a great meal. This year we did not. Salad (very boring greens) came without sauce (!) the other starter (zucchini flowers) was fine but nothing special, vegan cauliflower dish was kind of a joke (basic roasted cauliflower, *some* spices and some chickpeas, thank God I was not hungry!), only the scallops were decent. Risotto was mostly white wine and salt, my husband and I were saying how either of us could cook a much better meal easily at home. Overpriced and overhyped - mostly for the older crowd imho. Service was fine - the only redeeming quality this place had to offer were the fresh bread rolls. Not worth 200 dollars. We will not be back and recommend looking into other, less "fancy" places.

Food: Fabulous! Service: Excellent! Ambience: Sublime! Don't miss the Reluctant Panther if you're in the area.

Thrilled that we were able to try this restaurant! Beautiful venue and excellent food! Located across the street from another famous Manchester restaurant Silver Fork! Reluctant Panther is located inside a beautiful inn (also just as beautiful albeit we stayed at the Equinox). Restaurant overlooks the inn's small pond. Food is all local, which I love! First to start off, the bread here is excellent! Little warm rolls were my favorite! Started the apps with the Farm mixed greens. That had a delicious Mint vinaigrette. Can taste the freshness of the spinach and lettuce! For the entrees, had to order the special veggie risotto (which also comes with the option of adding branzino for extra protein) wow! Amazing flavors in this risotto. I was a sucker for Morel mushrooms and this dish had tons of them! Also ordered the shrimp stuffed crab meat, three huge pieces with white asparagus (which was not local) and snap peas. Overall one of our best meals, great flavors and locally sourced ingredients!

Lots of hype. Put myself on a waiting list. I received a call stating that they had a table for 2. Very surprised when I walked into the restaurant because it was pretty empty. It's a very quaint restaurant. Not much ambience. When we sat down. The server said she had bad news / that the fish was sold out. Not a way to start a dining experience.. the food / presentation / quality/ 5 star. Portions are on the small side. Over all ok.

Food was awful. Nothing had flavor. The shrimp and corn salad, blah! The famous lobster and Brie fondue was so bad that I had to spit it out into my cloth napkin. The soup do the day, which was some type of corn flavor had no corn. The beat part of the meal was the bread basket. I had the risotto and it was under cooked. For the amount of money they charge I would never go back again even if it was for free.

This is a fantastic restaurant. Service is great and the food is delicious. I got the shorts ribs which I recommend. Wine selection also nice. The atmosphere is comfortable in that tables are spread out for a more intimate setting. Make a reservation as not many tables and so worth it. We stayed at Kimpton Taconic and a nice easy 5 minute walk.

Exceptional meal. The service was excellent, present when needed but not overbearing. As the evening wore on the dining room became more energetic band slightly noisy, but never too much. Our cod entree was amazing, such an incredible blend of flavors, mushrooms, spinach, leeks and capers, such a great melange of accompaniments to the melt in your mouth cod.

Reluctant to say this but the food was average at best. Frankly, I could do better with the dishes. Ambiance was fine and staff was attentive and professional, Brussel sprout app dish was tired. Cod dish lacked flavor. Plating was uninspired. Desert was too frozen and overly sweet with little flavor otherwise. Wine by the glass was ok.

Food was good, wine list was even better, ambience was perfect, service was friendly and attentive. Highly recommend for a somewhat refined dining experience.

Our favorite restaurant in Manchester! The food is always delicious and the chef has a nice attention to flavors and detail. The staff is always friendly and attentive.

Rare 5 star review for me especially after one visit. When told bartender at another place going here got muted response as they recommended another place. Glad came here as liked everything about place. Had large selection of wines including Chardonnay for every style and price point. Both fondue and venison Osso Bucco were great. Liked spacing of tables as did not feel crowded. Every table taken and was not too loud. Ended meal with manager asking if we liked to cooked and then being handle recipe for the fondue.

Nice location in old Inn. Friendly staff. Food is average. Setting in restaurant dark- I get old New England decor, but restaurant needs some updating.

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The service, food, beverages and ambiance were amazing! I would give them 100 stars if I could. Will return and I definitely recommend them!

Reminds me of the Michelin 3 star food and service restaurant that we went to about 30 years ago in Belgium. The food was very elevated and sophisticated, and the drinks were great. The tables for 2 are very large and comfortable, and the service was great. The Brussels Sprouts , vegan cauliflower, and cod were all excellent. This is the best restaurant in the area in our opinion, which is saying a lot because there are a a lot of great restaurants in the area.

Great restaurant with great service. Our server was attentive while not being too intrusive. Vermont pork chop was very good. Lovely atmosphere in a quant inn. Great overall dining experience!

Food is divine. Highly recommend the trout with crabmeat. Service was excellent - we had a large group and it went seamlessly.

I came in for a solo dining experience on a Thursday night before my family hit to town... I was seated on their lovely patio, that overlooks a fountain on their grounds. The scallops were recommended to me and they were amazing...savory grits with corn and bacon in the buttery scallops. Presentation was beautiful. I ate at another "fine-dining" establishment the next night and the Panther blew it away. Ambiance, cocktails, food, all A+.

Excellent service, food and ambiance. Was able to seat us, even though we had no reservation at a busy time.

Food was excellent. Everything from bread to dessert. Nice room. Excellent tuna and carpaccio. Very good chocolate cake.

Easily the best meal of our trip to VT. Tasty, creative, not-heavy dishes. Pleasant ambiance and attentive staff. Tuna (starter and entrée) were excellent. Signature bourbon mule hit the spot. If you can't get a table across the street at Silver Fork (or even if you can), RP is an excellent choice.

Outstanding meal! Everything delicious - creamy cauliflower soup, burrata salad, venison, cod...creative tasty cocktails...yumyum maple creme brulee..even the breadbasket is amazing..a 5 star dining experience!

When you walk in you know you're entering a place where you'll be treated as if you were royalty. From the reception you'll pass little boudoirs, private rooms and lounges before arriving in the main dinning room. The decor is simple, yet elegant, flowers everywhere makes the room very warm. The service is efficient and friendly, knowledgeable and very well informed. They have a long wine list, although not very interesting, pretty basic in my opinion. We were a table of four and ordered one risotto with purple carrots, and lamb with pistachios. I was not a big fan of the risotto, although very well prepared, I didn't think the carrots were a good marriage with the rice. Everyone else had lamb with a wine reduction and pistachios which was amazing I will good back and try other dishes for sure.

We started with the lobster and Brie fondue. It was excellent. They even supplied the recipe. The wait staff was really laid back and helpful, by the way. We also had the squash blossoms, which were yummy. We split the crab stuffed shrimp, which we also enjoyed. Our drinks were terrific. My Old Fashioned was spot on. Lynda ordered an IPA, which appeared a bit warm for her tastes. It was promptly replaced by a very nice glass of Cabernet which was on the house. No complaints, and we'll be back. We want to sit outside next time, weather permitting.

This restaurant is a gem! Not only foes it have a very pleasant atmosphere and well trained staff, but the meals are delicious! The menu offers an excellent selection which makes selection difficult. Each dish is creatively presented and the main item has enticing accompaniments. We are foodies and highly recommend this fine restaurant!!

Delicious food, beautiful restaurant, great service. The vegan options were so good, flavorful, unique, and filling. It can be rare to see such amazing vegan options at upscale restaurants, especially such well labeled options right on the menu that don't need any modifications to make it vegan. Really appreciate it and enjoyed the meal.

We came back to the Panther with friends this time. We all had a very enjoyable experience with great service, great ambiance in the delightful dining room, great cocktails, and very good food. Although the menu is short / focused I found myself wanting one of almost everything. We started with a fantastic amuse bouche once again. The Pheasant Pate starter was fantastic, a real treat, and the Lobster / Brie fondue was a real crowd- pleaser. For Mains the Artic Char was a hit and the Pheasant was very nicely cooked and prepared, but a bit disappointing to me as it didn't taste anything different than... you guessed it... chicken. If you would still order the pheasant if you substitute the word chicken in the description you will be very happy with it. The two ladies in the group decided on the Wagyu Coullotte steak. It had great flavor but was quite chewy. One of the ladies ended up spitting out half of her bites into an ever-growing pile in her napkin. Since the defining characteristic of Wagyu beef is tenderness this is a huge fail. I wonder if the Wagyu is counterfeit / falsely labeled. Despite the Wagyo failue we were all still impressed with the Reluctant Panther and look forward to returning. previous review: The Reluctant Panther Restaurant sets a high bar for itself with it's entrees all in the $30's but I was impressed enough to give a 5 star review even with only one visit. The menu is very creative and interesting, not just with the main but also with the accompanying sides. We started with the well reviewed Lobster and Brie Fondue which we thought was very good. My wife's chicken entree was surprisingly good, very moist with good texture and chicken flavor. The real star (and the reason she ordered it) was the side of Butternut Squash Cannelloni Bean & Arugula "Cassoulet". That was so good I would order it as my main course. I had the Venison Ossobucco which was perfectly cooked and sat on a perfectly matched celery root puree with pomegranate seeds. I was somewhat disappointed I could not pick up any Venison flavor in the meat, but it was so good I let it go. Service was excellent, the room was beautiful, the bread and amuse bouche were memorable, and the dessert menu was very inspired. I have a somewhat cynical expectation of expensive fine dining restaurants, especially those in a hotel (inn), but this place really hit the mark of what fine dining should be for me.

Terrific. Great service, cocktails. Solid and amazingly fairly (!) priced wine list. Had an appetizer (Vermont burrata with tomatoes and pesto) that was off the charts. Great short ribs. Really enjoyed.

We had our 30th Anniversary and my wife's dinner for her birthday last night at Reluctant Panther. These folks could not have been nicer. They really went out of there way to make it a nice evening. We felt so relaxed we stayed for 4hours. I'm embarrassed to write That I can't remember our waitresses name, but she was awesome. The food was great and the management is totally professional and prepared. It's not hard to understand why I heard to different dinner guest say it was their favorite restaurant. Well done, Cheers and thanks for a terrific evening. Michael

This a beautiful restaurant with great ambience, service and food here was amazing! We are vegan and especially loved the beet fettuccini dish, brussel sprouts, and sorbet - especially the apple cider sorbet!

Such a fun, special place! Loved the lobster fondue, short rib and Lamb mains, and delicious chocolate cake! Interesting wine list with many excellent options. Service and atmosphere were exceptional for celebrating a special event!!

Service was great! The food was mediocre at best. The trout stuffed with crab sadly had no stuffing. The flavors in the dish did not blend together. The short rib was a great cut of meat but the flavoring was awful. The vegetables were cooked perfectly. The desserts were eclectic looking but pretty flavorless and bizarre to eat. The banana cake was really dense and hard. They gave us a small truffle at the end which was good. And a complimentary pinky nail size of salmon which was totally strange.

Such a wonderful dinner! Service was amazing as were the cocktails. The chickpea and ramp pasta, wagu flank steak, and seabass. The chef Segal came out and spoke with us and the presentation was perfect!

My family of 10 celebrated my husband's 80th birthday last Saturday at this wonderful restaurant. We enjoyed all the food, but we agreed that the lobster and brie appetizer was one of the best things we ever tasted.

Beautiful menu. Really inspired food. The staff is well initiated in fine dining. Elegant dining room that is well-distanced. Semi-formal atmosphere. You won't feel out of place wearing a jacket to dinner, but can also come as you are. Great wine list.

What a great find. The staff was extremely friendly and very professional. Sarah greeted us and checked us in. She was full of great suggestions regarding local attractions. Our room was very spacious and very comfortable. We got a lovely handwritten note from the manager Sean welcoming us (which was a beautiful touch). We had a great double sink bathrooms with high end products (Malin+Goetz which I normally purchase at Barneys New York). Our bed and sheets were very comfortable, crisp and clean. We enjoyed the afternoon tea with homemade brownies (again the staff could have not been nicer) After dinner, we had homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting in our room with our turndown Service. Breakfast could not have been better (it was included). We had a great selection to choose from. We started with freshly squeezed orange juice and delicious Vermont coffee. I got the omelette of the day with bacon which was heavenly and my husband ordered pancakes with Vermont maple syrup. Did I mention how great the staff was?!? I would highly recommend this gem. Can't wait to come back.

If there was the ability to give more stars, I would have! I LIVE to eat, and during our 1 week stay in Manchester VT this dinner stole the show!! Chef is from a kibbutz in Israel & classically trained in Vermont. We insisted on meeting her after the dinner, the food was that good. Here's just a few I'd say don't miss: *lobster Brie fondue *burrata *garden veggie risotto *crab stuffed trout *sorbets that will knock your socks off / all other AMAZING desserts Well done team at The Reluctant Panther... you win Best in Show, in my humble opinion, for VT fine dining. P.S. I'm literally salivating, reminiscing of last nights dinner, as I type this review.

We had an outstanding dinner here last night. There were four of us, and we all agreed that Reluctant Panther is one of the few top restaurants in the area. The complimentary "amuse bouche" started things off on a bright note, and when I tasted the delicious house made crusty wheat bread with room temperature sweet butter, I was already VERY satisfied. 'Could have made a meal out of that...but it was just the beginning. Three of us shared a plentiful brie and lobster fondue, and oh my...I'll be dreaming about it for a long time. Tender and sweet pieces of lobster in a not overpowering cheese sauce with very thin, delicate slices of mushroom.....savory and truly delicious. It is served with plenty of crostini. A cheese board presented with three interesting and different local artisan cheeses and nice touches of a little fruit jam for the goat, and a smear of honey for the smokey blue. Our friends wisely shared the entree of short ribs braised in ale with crispy Brussel sprouts, and smoked cheddar mashed potatoes, brushed with a savory onion marmalade. The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and tasty. Two ribs on the plate made it easy to share. I opted for the lamb loin and at first I requested rare for temp. - but our server wisely advised me to order it medium-rare. I certainly was glad of that advice as the plentiful loin pieces were quite rare indeed. I could only eat a few slices before I was completely full. I'm never sorry to take a good dish home. The lamb was butter tender and stuffed with pistachios. It sat atop a mound of wonderful Israeli couscous that was enhanced with bits of butternut squash and apple. I would steer you away from this dish if you only like your meat cooked to well-done. You would be ruining a great cut, and I'm not certain that the chef would or should be willing. My husband and friends each ordered a different dessert, and I enjoyed French pressed coffee - my favorite way to have coffee. Most delectable, with a dramatic presentation, was the marshmallow ice cream enrobed in a chocolate shell. The server poured hot custard sauce table side, and we watched the chocolate melt over the ice cream and pool on the palate. GREAT idea! There are inviting flavors of house-made sorbets and ice cream from The Chocolate Barn in Shaftsbury (best ice cream in So. Vermont). Two decadent chocolate desserts and a "Fall Harvest" plate of apple -based treats round out the offerings. Service was friendly and professional, and the ambience pleasant with two fireplaces. Dress ranges from jeans to dinner jackets. I like that!.

We went for my daughter's high school graduation dinner this past Friday. There were seven of us and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Everything was cooked perfectly and the dishes had unique and well executed twists. We have been coming to S. Vermont from NYC for over two decades and own a home here now. Hands-down, this was one of, if not the best, meals we have had in VT. The wine pairings and options were very good too. My son who is not a vegan, but is mindful of his environmental impact decided to do the vegan option which was very seasonally appropriate--linguine with ramps and fiddleheads (see photo). It was not a basic and boring vegan dish. It's indicative of the thought and care the chef puts into the rest of the menu. I had the yummy VT Wagyu hangar steak with chimichurri and bacon gnocchi. Often you expect that maybe the desserts won't stand up compared to the rest of the menu, but this was not the case. Those were very good too. The service was friendly from the time we walked into the hotel's front door and timing of everything was spot on. The server was very attentive to my son's nut allergy too. We will definitely be back here and hope for repeat excellence.

Delicious braised short rib, and venison meals. The entrees were fantastic and every side was so well thought out & went well together with the main proteins. The desserts were really creative and delicious too. We loved the whole experience including the complimentary items: a unique amuse-bouche, delicious house-made table bread and a small chocolate truffle to end our meal.