Manon Restaurant

I’ve lived here almost 20 years, and this was my first time at Manon. Boy, did I miss out all those years. I really enjoyed the entire experience. I love the interior. Small, very country French, just lovely. It IS small, so choose your table carefully. The staff was very attentive and helpful, the menu was not overwhelming. We shared mussels in wine (yum) and a white bean soup. I had the duck l’orange, which was delicious. the seasoning was just as I remember it in Paris. My friend had the bass, which he REALLY enjoyed. We brought a nice red wine with us, which worked well with our meals. We finished off with the chocolate truffle and coffee. What a pleasant night!

Salad was good. Service was horrible! Rude flustered and unattentive waitresses. Took 30 minutes to get our salads. Had to ask another waitress to please bring us some bread. Main courses overpriced and totally unremarkable. Would not recommend. Pretty bad deal all around!

Superb. Had the tuna licorice special. Didn’t want it to end. Wait staff was great and the environment was adorable. Will definitely be back soon. Highly recommend.

We had a dinner outing with 2 other couples, so total of 6, on a Saturday night. I ordered scallops for my main dish, and tried a bunch of the appetizers we ordered as a group. Service was between woeful and mediocre, but reason for the one star is that I got sick from my food. When we got home, I immediately felt bad and barely made it to the bathroom. Every time I thought I was done, I had to run back, and at one point I just decided it made no sense to leave. I was finally able to crawl out of the bathroom around 2:20 am, after 2 hours of agony.
As for the restaurant, our waitress knew the menu well, but had an attitude. My friend and I both ordered coffee, and he filled my mug first, which left only enough in the carafe for half a cup for him. Neither of us drank the cofee yet and when the waitress happened to walk by, he asked her if he could have more coffee for a full cup. She clearly was irritated and said the carafe contains a double portion, that one cup obviously got over poured, which is why «yours is half full.» Then she says, «Would you like for me to order you another coffee?» As in, I will be charging you for another order. Her tone and demeanor were like when your child misbehaves and you tell him, woul you like to have a timeout?! The coffee was unremarkable and after taking a few sips, neither one of us actually drank it. I don’t understand this kind of approach when you cater to a group spending $ 345 on dinner for 6 (no alcohol). And if you are going to add a mandatory 20% tip, you better not forget to bring butter for the table, or neglect to ever even pour our wine.
Overall, not a pleasant outing.

The ambiance is very nice. I had the strip steak with green pepper sauce starting with the onion soup. My wife had the asparagus soup and the filet of beef. Both were good but not extraordinary. The service was very good but we went early about 6pm and it was empty.

Good chef… good food. pleasant wait staff… and a good experience. Get the nougat icecream… and duck Laronge! I love the French pressed coffee too… truly a lost art in most places! Well be back soon.

Really one of our favorite places for dinner. Everything on the menu is spectacular! And while it is a little cozy, it’s the perfect setting for an intimate dinner with friends and loved ones.
This is our Sunday night treat!!!

Provencale cooking kicked up a notch in an intimate, slightly whimsical settling.
Locals I’ve talked to seem divided on Manon. Some complain «the menu never changes» and call it «somewhat tired». The other camp who really like it (like me) think of it as a little gem of classic French country cooking with a nice offering of seafood. The BYO aspect really sells it for me – allowing me to try terrific French wines from my cellar rather than paying 3x-​4x retail. The waitstaff, rather than being French (or Americans with fake French accents ;) are helpful and pleasant. Chef Jean Michel Dumas sometimes greets you if you are early or off weekend. Open Wed-​Sunday nights for dinner, cash only.

I adore Manon! Such a gorgeous little place. Eclectic décor, delightful service, and scrumptious food.
The appetizers are amazing, with a wide range of choices. Entrees are delicious — nice sized portions without being too big. Their specials are always fantastic. Their desserts are wonderful, never super sweet.
If you order the mussels, make sure you are sharing them! The lamb is always cooked to perfection.
I love that this is a BYOB — makes for an inexpensive evening.

I’m not sure if I’m so impressed that I would be back but listen… if you want a last minute, quaint, joyful place that serves decent food b/​c it’s Friday and you don’t want to cook and want some quality time with your significant other or husband-​enjoying your own bottle of cotes de Rhone… then Manon could fit this category.
We had the porcini soup… it was yummy in flavor though lacking salt. My husband had the chicken livers and I the lamb chops. Both tasted like they had the same sauce and it was not fragrant; the lamb and chick liver were over sauced… you don’t need that much sauce, it takes over and makes the meat less appealing when it is in glop.
The ice cream was good. The apple tart tartine was a-​ok but I wouldn’t order it again as it was too… well tart for my tastes. Service was outstanding and I do love the interior as it was colorful and lots of trinkets to look at. 2 soups, 2 entrees and two desserts for $ 120 including tip.

We’ve visited Manon over the years and we will probably not go back again. On the one hand, the waitstaff were exceptionally accommodating and the atmosphere is charming, if not a bit cramped, but enjoyable nonetheless. The food on the other hand was less than average in my humble opinion. The coarse country pâté as an appetizer was the highlight of the meal and I suspect that it came from a provisioner and not the kitchen. The rack of lamb with a moutard crust was both undercooked (order medium but delivered plated rare — which really wasn’t the problem) and not particularly flavorful. It was tough and gristly and the moutard coating barely penetrated the meat. I’ve had and I make better. The whipped potato /​parsnip purée was great but the accompanying green beans were slathered in so much butter that they took on a waxy mouth feel. My dining companions had the grilled salmon (also accompanied by the way too buttery green beans) and was by and large, non-​memorable and undistinguished. The desserts were pretty standard including a serviceable tarte tatin. There is nothing more obvious to a diner than when a chef grows tired of cooking or bored of his menu offerings. Which I think is the case here. Other than the fact that Manon is a BYOB, there is little to recommend this place.

This year’s experience wasn’t the greatest. The food was delicious as usual but the service was not good at all. Dinner lasted 2 ½ hours, which is long, but I expect that for good food and a good atmosphere. The problem is, our entrees came 30 minutes after we ordered. What did we do for the rest of the time? Sat and waited… and waited and waited for the waitress to come our way. It seemed like she never even came in our direction to check on us. The restaurant is small and every table was occupied so it wasn’t feasible for me to stand up and chase the waitress down… the service really took away from our experience this time around…

The only reason i gave two stars is that the food is excellent. However, it was one of the worst dining experiences that I have ever had. We were a party of six and everyone agreed. We ate there over a year ago and are still outraged at their rudeness. Their attitude was haughty — our attitude is to spend our restaurant dollars elsewhere. Two of us wrote letters complaining… Not even an acknowledgment from manon.

I was here Saturday for dinner after a spending the day in the area. We were turned away from «9» as they were all booked up for the next 2 hours with reservations. I Unilocaled on my phone, and not super impressed with the variety in the area, but came across Manon, a place for «french comfort food.» The wait was an hour, but we decided to stay; we waited 15 minutes before the very nice hostess came out and seated us due to a reservation being canceled.
The inside was very nice, a little dark, candle lit, but not too dark where it was hard to read the menu. Our server was very nice, almost jolly. We ordered ordered the off the specials menu, Truffled Mushroom Pâté, a mushroom soup, the warm goat cheese salad, and I got the Steak Au’poivre and sis got the red snapper. They were all exceptional, my pâté was fresh, and the steak was cooked perfectly from end to end.
It’s only Cash and BYOB; we had done some wine tasting during the day, and had bought a few bottles so it was perfect.
5 Stars based on nice people, not overly romantic atmosphere, and great food. I will be back.
In regards to the previous very bad reviews, they may be under new management, or a new chef, considering how dated the reviews were. I would consider giving Manon another try.

Love the food and setting, and have been coming here on and off for 15 or more years. «Off» because every 20^th visit or so there is an issue with the staff’s temperament or the chef is in France or some such and food quality plummets. After a hiatus of several months following an outrageous experience when we arrived with friends at 8:15 instead of 8:00 (after having called to let them know; nominally, they are open until 9:30), we tried it again, arriving earlier. This time all was right on the mark, with pleasant service and the usual great pâté starter, bouillabaisse and duck mains, pear pie dessert and espresso. We’re hoping for the best, because Manon is normally one of our faves, so we’ll probably try again with fingers crossed.
UPDATE: We tried here yet again on a recent weekend, and for the second visit in a row the waitstaff (an excellent veteran waiter and two new young ladies) was markedly improved. Granted, we’re still gun shy and have been going no later than 7:30, so Manon may still not be a top choice for late eaters. Otherwise, food and service were great, and as always the funky setting is as much fun as a «zinc» café in France. Fingers crossed, but Manon appears to have regained its title as the best in and around Lambertville-​New Hope.

I have really mixed feelings about Manon. Being from the area, we’re familiar with most of the restaurants and Manon has a reputation for excellent food.
Indeed, on our first visit, we were blown away by the food. Exquisite flavors and preparation. So when we went back, we were stunned. The food was truly mediocre. When we asked the waitress if the chef wasn’t the normal one, she said «no, it’s the normal one, but he’s got a toothache and is a bit under the weather.»
We tried again and I simply wasn’t impressed. Since it’s a pricey place, and there are much better/​more consistent restaurants in the area, we will NOT be returning.

The worst restaurant expierence of my life.
First Manon is small and crowded. Too small for the space. I went with a group of friends one Sunday morning for brunch. They squeezed ten of us into a very tight, small space.
I ordered a chicken breast entrée. When it came it had a funny smell to it. Thinking it was the sauce, I took a small bite and spit it out — it tasted rotten. Other people at the table had the same selection and their’s were fine. It was just this one breast that had something a matter with it.
I told the waitress and she seemed afraid to tell the chef. I insisted that it was bad and I would like a different one. She took it back to the kitchen and the chef owner came flying out and threw the plate back down in front of me and told it was just fine. I was actually afraid of him. He was yelling and walked off leaving the plate in front of me.
Two of the wait staff came over and apologized to me, but said it was the owner/​chef who had the final word. I did not eat any of my meal, but was charged full price for it.
I will never come back here, rude owner and I won’t give him my business.

Excellent French Provencal cuisine with delicious desserts to follow. At Manon, you will experience friendly service and a comforting atmosphere.