Le Manhattan Bistro
| Address: | 268 S Main St, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701, USA |
| Phone: | +1 570-706-9588 |
| Site: | lemanhattanbistro.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 4:30–10PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–11PM 4:30–11PM 10AM–2PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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chris latshaw
Ive never left a google review before, but I felt that the brunch experience my wife and I had at Le Manhattan Bistro this morning was so special and so wonderful, that we wanted to go out of our way to share our experience with others. First, the building is an old converted bank which has been carefully restored and tastefully repurposed as a restaurant. The space has towering ceilings, ornate wood trim and enormous arched windows - the sum of which is a grand dining atmosphere. A large vault at the far end of the hall has been retrofitted into a wine cellar and, left open, makes for a fun vignette (and as your eyes travel about the room to take it all in, they continually return to rest on the vault as a focal point). And then classic french bistro furnishings make the actual table experience feel cozy and familiar. If you make a left at the end of the main dining space, you will enter the bar area. Here the stamped-tin ceiling sits lower, which, along with the warmer lighting and fewer windows, makes this the more intimate seating area. The menu was extensive and offered both quintessential french cuisine as well as more whimsical and imaginative interpretations of classic french dishes. There were so many tempting options that it pained us to pick just one (and we cannot wait to return many times to try each of them). I had the salmon eggs benedict and my wife chose the special of the day: an asparagus crepe with gruyere cheese. Both were delicious and served promptly. My eggs were perfect and tasted farm-fresh, as did the salmon. And normally, I am scared of ordering anything with hollandaise - its such a gamble. But this was JUST right: sophisticated without being too heavy or too rich. The coffee is worth mentioning, as it was the best coffee we had in Wilkes-barre (and we tried several different places). For dessert, Jean-Baptiste (the owner?) ordered the creme brûlée for us. And even though we were feeling quite full after our entrées, we couldnt help polishing off the entire platter. It was in the top 3 creme brûlée Ive ever had (the best outside of Paris). We declined when Jean-Baptiste repeatedly urged us to try their bloody-marys because it was still early and we never really developed a taste for breakfast drinks. And after a while he stopped mentioning it... but then suddenly two shots of bloody-mary appeared on our table (replete with tiny sprigs of celery in each shot glass). I have to admit - I normally dont care for bloody marys at all, BUT THESE WERE SO GOOD. ...These leads me to the best thing about Le Manhattan Bistro: the people. Everyone we met from the service staff was exceedingly attentive and pleasant. And I sincerely hope, whoever you are, that someday you will get to meet Jean-Baptiste. His warmth, wit, charm and generosity have made Le Manhattan Bistro a very special place. Wilkes-Barre is very lucky to have Le Manhattan Bistro. Something this wonderful is usually reserved for only the most major cities. Its almost an anomaly - a big fish in a little pond. One last thing: they show french movies on Monday nights. Dinner and a movie for $20/plate. I desperately wished we could have stayed one more night to have done this.... next time, I suppose. Its a 2 hour drive from our home in Philadelphia - but we look forward to making the trip again soon.
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Irene Rykaszewski
The food was wonderful French country cuisine and we had a lovely dining experience....good drinks at the bar, attentive wait staff. I deducted one star because of the terrible music (some kind of hip hop dance music). Everything about the place had a wonderful French ambiance...the French accents, the French sayings on the chalkboards, the French menu.... Frankly, I personally want French music to complete the experience. When we mentioned it to the owner...he said he didnt come to America to play French music....but since they came here to cook French cuisine I think American diners would enjoy the complete French experience.
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Matt Kresge
Having grown up in the area I didnt have great memories of the building that houses this restaurant, so my expectations were low. Happy to say its been floor to ceiling remodeled and the food is easily some of the best Ive ever had. Ive been trying to think of somewhere with better food in the valley and Im not coming up with anything. Ive had 3 different meals, a few different soups and desserts and they were all fantastic. I would go back anytime. They also have a nice list of signature cocktails that were perfectly prepared. Its not a cheap night out but you definitely get what you pay for here.
MY
MyPotter12345
Excellent dining. My beautiful wife and I went for our anniversary. The entire experience was a delight. The service was spot on. The food was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was relaxed yet refined. Classy without being pretentious. A smooth Merlot started off the brunch. The stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese and basil was a fantastic appetizer, not too heavy. The duck confit was perfectly done. The chocolate mousse cake with passion fruit finished off the dinner. One of the best desserts myself or my wife have ever tasted. Best wishes to Le Manhattan. Thank you.
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shizheintz
This place is awesome. The waiters are nice. Wine was good. Food was delicious. We started of with a meat and cheese platter. We got the smaller size which was still huge for 2 people. It was served with warm french baguette some nuts and fruit. For the entree we shared a filet mignon and got some truffle fries. I personally do not like truffle fries but besides for that i loved everything. Definitely as a new yorker i feel like i found the one place that has class to it.
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Jocelyn E
incredible!!!!!! Best place around. I have to assume any bad reviews must be from competitors... this restaurant is amazing!!!! Liz and Patrick are wondeful servers and the owner JB is an absolute doll!!! Do not let any bad review sway you from coming to this fabulous establishment... the food was beyond excellent... we laughed, we had fun, we enjoyed... Wilkes Barre needed a class act like this. I am beyond satisfied. ENJOY!!!!
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the bul
Worst service ive ever encountered! The staff and owner are very rude. The menu looks good until you get food poisoning. I was in the hospitol for two days after eating here. If youve been here and enjoyed it then you are certified crazy. Either that or they pick and choose who they are courteous to. Which is quite disturbing
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Jeffrey Joseph
The food is good but thats not the point of my 1 star review. The service they provide is insulting and shouldnt even described as service. The owner is arrogant and obnoxious. When youre in the service industry, youre supposed to put customers first. Thats something this French man clearly hasnt learned yet.
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john smith
Food was good. What I did not appreciate is the owner telling me to put my phone away. I was actually in the midst of reading Yelp reviews on good choices from the menu when he did this. Wont be coming back due to this arrogance. I can overpay for food elsewhere if this is the case.
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Psu Danes
The rest of the restaurant owners better take notice there is a new sherif in town. This place makes Connors Grill Room look like cafeteria food for the elderly!!! All the food was excellent!! For a staff that has only been trained for 2 months they did very well.
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Stacy Traver
What a fantastic experience. The staff was great, food was excellent. The place felt welcoming. Yes its pricey, but you get what you pay for, plus this is place to go for an occasion or date night. Will go back again for maybe anniversary, hint to my husband lol.
