One of the best places in Raleigh to celebrate an anniversary or have a romantic dinner. Beautiful environment, delicious food, and excellent service. We started our meals with the shrimp arancini (the portion was only two but they were a good size each), the pork chop and scallops for entrees and finished by splitting the key lime pie. Everything was excellent and we were both quite full.
This was my husband and I’s first time here. We loved our experience!
The wait staff was so kind and attentive. My husband put on our reservation that it was my birthday and I was pleasantly surprised that every person we interacted with wished me a happy birthday! I even got a menu with my name and date at the top with the chef’s signature. I thought it was pretty cool!
We ordered the foie gras and charcuterie plate as our first course and the ribeye and rack of lamb as our entree. All of it was delicious! Dessert was pretty good, I think we were just so full to fully appreciate it.
Perfect for couples or dinner party hidden gem in the heart of Raleigh.
This place is one of a kind, and big shout out to Whitney + John, their service is impeccable, their attention + genuine conversations at the bar helps create this experience every time very enjoyable!
Parking can be tricky, but that’s everywhere in downtown Raleigh these days.
Highly recommend the short rib, French onion soup, duck, all desserts, both liquid and food.
Wine list is extensive as well, pretty easy to navigate through. John + Whitney offer plenty of recommendations to pair with your dish too.
My wife and I decided to give this place a try for our 13 anniversary. It did not disappoint! They didn't have a table available (call for reservations) but we decided to sit at the bar and order our food. The atmosphere was amazing. The bar kind of feels like a little speak easy. We started with the Foie gras and it was mind blowing! My wife ordered the wet aged filet mignon which was also amazing. I ordered the duck breast. Let's just say we will definitely be coming back time and time again!
We have been wanting to try this place for a while and it did not disappoint! Our waiter Wyatt did a great job explaining the nights specials and made sure the whole evening went smoothly! We tried the foie gras appetizer and the shrimp and goat cheese arancini both were amazing. Then for mains, we had the duck breast and one of the steaks, So good. But the star for us was the chocolate soufflé for dessert. 12/10 experience for us.
Oh. My. WOW!!!!!
If you have not been to this restaurant, you need to make reservations and go! It is rare that I am this impressed with a restaurant. And this place deserves all the accolades! Amazing service, very unique venue, and the food was top notch more than five stars. It was a 10 star! Great explanations of all the foods, insanely helpful staff, never had to ask for a thing, from the wine to the bread to the appetizers to the entrees to the desserts, we simply cannot say enough about how great this place was. And for everything that we got, to be able to go in there and have a wonderful 2-hour experience for around $200, you just cannot find this at a lot of places. Definitely worth the money! Seriously. You need to just go! I said you need to go!
Service was great. The servers were very attentive and we loved it. The French onion soup and salmon carpaccio was really great first courses. The ribeye was good. The seafood paella was not worth it because even though there were mussels and scallops, it was also filled with dry salmon and a white fish and was unappetizing. Desserts were worth it. Other than the paella we loved our dinner.
The food was delicious and flavorful! I truly enjoyed my ribeye! The service left a bit to be desired. My husband and I had to wait quite a long time to get our drink order and food orders taken while watching other tables get multiple visits by our waiter.
Pricey but phenomenal. The complexity of these dishes is consistently second to none, as is the service. It’s not an experience you’ll easily forget!
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The service at Second Empire in Raleigh, NC, was absolutely top-notch, and my husband and I had an amazing time celebrating his birthday there. Now, let me tell you, I'd been dying to try this place for ages, but you know how it goes - you don't want to dine at the most romantic restaurant in Raleigh alone. So finally, my husband became the worthy companion I needed!
Of course, being the ultimate procrastinator, I thought of booking the chef's table last minute - only to find out it's fully booked until next year! Talk about "you snooze, you lose" in the world of good food! Nevertheless, we opted for regular seating, and Second Empire did not disappoint.
The best part? When we checked in, they handed us personalized menu for my husband’s bday - a sweet touch that made my husband feel extra special on his big day. The servers were on point, sharing their vast knowledge of the menu and the restaurant's history, which added a nice touch of elegance to the whole experience.
Now, let's talk about the food - the Grilled Tiger Prawn & Australian Octopus and the off-menu foie gras were nothing short of spectacular. Seriously, that foie gras was so good it should have ordered a double.
While my husband's Ribeye was seasoned to perfection, my duck breast was feeling a bit "ducky" that night and ended up a tad dry.
Dessert time - My husband devoured the Sweet Potato Cherry Bread Pudding while I savored the Espresso Semifreddo like it was a caffeinated masterpiece. We couldn’t decide which one was more divine!
But here's the kicker - I was originally torn between Second Empire and Heron for our celebration. The deciding factor? Heron had a dress code. I can’t be bothered with the idea of strict attire rules (but if that’s your jam, then you do you!) when all I want to do is savor a delicious meal. So, Second Empire it was, it won us over with its scrumptious offerings and relaxed dress code.
Despite the dim lighting wreaking havoc on our picture-taking ambitions, the impeccable service and delicious dishes made it an unforgettable night. We're already plotting our grand return - this time, I'll set an alarm for that elusive chef's table reservation, no snoozing allowed!
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