second empire

4.5 stars out of 5 (nearly perfect, fine dining).. (see explanation of ratings below)

for sixteen years, chef daniel schurr has been knocking it out of the park in this beautifully restored mansion in downtown raleigh.

great wine list with a large selection of wines by the glass.

they've expanded the tavern area (downstairs) which has a slightly less formal feel (and two television screens).

allow 60-90 minutes. about $50 per person (app, entrée and drink).

three minor service miscues in one dinner warrant a half-star deduction.

about my ratings:

i divide restaurants into three categories.

1) fast food and "fast-casual" (no table service).

2) casual dining (table service, average entrée price: $10-$20).

3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no tv's in dining room, average entrée priced at more than $20).

fine dining can earn a max of five stars. casual dining can earn a max of four stars. fast food can earn a max of three stars.

my husband and i recently went to second empire for the first time and loved it! the food was fantastic and the service was the same. the atmoshpere was romantic without over doing it. and i loved the historical house. we will most definately return. it is pricey but it is well worth it.

the service was exceptional, the food was delicious, the ambiance impeccable. my only complaint (if that's what you want to call it) would be the portion sizes. maybe i'm just being greedy, and the food was soo good i just wanted more.

i’ve got a perfectly cooked pork loin chop on top of collards, pureed squash and ditalini pasta, an excellent and satisfying dish! the flavors are all southern but amped up quite a bit with extras, very enjoyable.

i think i’ve found a new favorite restaurant in the triangle area. not only does the second empire restaurant feature fantastic service and a super fancy atmosphere, but the food is absolutely wonderful. 3 cheese plate i made reservations well in advance for our friday evening out, as i knew it was a popular restaurant in the area. not only did i get a call, but i got quite a few emails about the reservation, making sure i was asking for the main floor (not the tavern) and that it wasn’t for a special event of any kind. we ended up arriving about 20 minutes ahead of our reservation because i tried to plan for traffic, which was abnormally good on this evening. i couldn’t find any parking in their tiny private lot, but at least street parking could be found within a half block. our table wasn’t ready, so we were directed down to the tavern area for a few minutes while our table was prepared. the tavern area seemed nice enough, but a bit more crowded than the upper level.  i hear they ha

service and atmosphere were nice. the food left something to be desiree both in portion size and culinary talent. i would give it a better rating if it was not so over priced for the product.

great atmosphere. we had a terrific time sitting in the lower bar level. the service was first rate. the food was pretty good, but didn't quite live up to the descriptions on the menu or that the waiter offered.
our company made the night special and memorable. the service will bring us back again.

one of the best in raleigh. six of us went to second empire and had a spectacularly good meal. the service was superb - professional, good natured (we had a series of running jokes about the mime arriving as part of my birthday celebration), and precise. basically flawless. the food is uniformly excellent. as styles go, i'd call it modern but "baroque" - lots of ingredients in interesting combinations. we had a wide variety of dishes, all great. i tried two appetizers (my wife and i pass plates halfway through) and crabmeat and asparagus salad is out-of-this-world good. the scallop seviche is merely excellent (i'd take the crab). as a main, the swordfish was excellent - but so was everything. everyone loved their desserts. wine list is well chosen. one of raleigh's best restaurants, no question.

excellent cioppino app-cd be a dinner almost. entree good but not amazing. intricate & complex sides good but heavy & cd have been lightened up. saucing was also good but quite heavy. service was good as was the wine.

i went with low expectations and found an amazing cheese plate and the best cut of meat in town. yes they can be snobby but will relax if you do. the downside they would not make me a special sauce for my filet but theirs was lovely

i haven't been in awhile but i remember it being over priced and snobby. go to ruth's chris instead.

loving it!. this is a very classy and worth every penny restaurant. located in downtown raleigh, great job preserving a historic building. lovely environment and great food! my husband got a menu on his birthday with all the staff's signatures on it. sweet!