Seraphine — Restaurant in Durham

This restaurant was a pleasant surprise! And my hopes were high since I've spent some time in New Orleans. We had a multitude of things to try from and loved every bit! The prices were very reasonable as well, $24-35 per entree. If you've lived in Durham long enough, you'll remember that this location used to be called Tobacco Roadhouse. The front now belongs to Parker & Otis and the back, (where the pool tables and bar used to be) is now Seraphine. I love what they've done with the place. The decor immediately transitioned us straight to New Orleans with the warm hunter green walls with gold details and exposed red brick. The coed bathroom were thee cleanest and sweetest bathrooms I've ever seen! The detail was magical💕

Food: Catfish & Red beans and Rice (Fantastic) Shrimp and Crayfish Croquettes (Amazing!!!) Duck Fat fingerlings (Delicious!) This one actually surprised me! I could not stop eating them! The flavor on them were phenomenal! Kids Alfredo: Very flavorful - homemade Alfredo. Gumbo.... It was good, but I've had better in New Orleans. (Again, it was not bad, but it was my personal least favorite among everything we had) But other guest in my party loved it. Cavatelli noodles - Spicy! Good! But spicy.

Dessert: Key Lime Pie - This is the BEST key Lime in the triangle HANDS DOWN! I'm definitely getting that when I come back!

On my next visit: I'm trying the Drango Oysters, shrimp and grits and beignets and a specialty drink!

Pro Tip! Don't go on a night that the DPAC is having a show. It gets very busy and very loud just from these folks that want to eat before the show. (We didn't know this and just so happen to go on a DPAC night. At the beginning of the meal, things were coming out fast, however, as they became more busy, service became much slower.)

Also, there is a patio, which I know people will love when the weather breaks.

Bee...

Genuinely one of my favorite places downtown Durham - from atmosphere, variety of seating, food quality and execution, and location. I made a reservation - I recommend reservations if you intend on coming when there are other events going on around downtown.

Atmosphere and seating: Excellent interior lighting. Immaculate bar setting and vibes. Gorgeous interior design and a beautiful outdoor terrace seating. Interior feels more formal, exterior feels more casual. Absolutely love the bar - it’s a spot to come and enjoy drinks at the bar itself even.

Food: Executed each dish incredibly well. The apps I got all impressed me - excellent cook and presentation on artichokes with a creamy sauce, a rich and hearty on gumbo with a slight kick (ever so slight), a perfectly balanced bright and crisp tuna crudo, and exceptionally crisp and creamy, savory crawfish shrimp croquettes. They were all incredibly well done in flavor and texture. The entrees were also great - hand crafted cavatelli with rabbit confit and a smokey pan seared scallops with a succotash base. Some of the best cooked scallops I’ve had in a long time. The beignets were good as well. A nice melt in your mouth chew and perfect pillowy shape.

Location: Super convenient on ATC with multiple parking decks nearby. Great spot for early dinner before DPAC or a baseball game, or going out and having drinks with friends. I think it suits the spot well and I was glad to see a new finer restaurant come to ATC when I heard Seraphine was opening.

Service: Great service! Our waiter checked up regularly, maintained a clean and lovely table presentation, was very friendly, and had great recommendations. The staff were all very pleasant and made dining here a very pleasant experience....

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Seraphine’s and it did not disappoint! First let me say that if you park in the South lot, you are just steps away from this lovely restaurant! Our server, Imani was on her game and explained the menu, made suggestions and was consistent in her check backs! The food was impeccable from the crawfish and shrimp croquettes to the Caesar salad and shrimp and grits. My husband went for the rabbit cavatelli. We also had the mountain cornbread which was soaked in bone broth, from their specials menu. It was off the chain! We finished the meal off with an order of Beignets which neither of us had tried before and let me tell you.. it may have been one of the best desserts we have tried at a restaurant establishment! They even added a pretty gold candle into the freshly whipped cream, for our celebration! The decor inside was lovely and elegant but still trendy. The only constructive criticism I can offer is that the hostess seated us next to two other parties on a bench seating arrangement which felt a bit awkward for an anniversary dinner, when there was a table for two just steps away. The hostess at check in, knew it was our anniversary and even mentioned that fact but someone else seated us, so I was a little disappointed in the choice of seating we were given. It is also quite loud inside but it is a small restaurant and it was packed on. Saturday night! Still, I give this experience a 5 star review because of the food quality and our server quality! We definitely will be going back again! Thank you, Seraphine, for giving us a fantastic...