Peregrine Raleigh — Restaurant in Raleigh

This very well may be the best dining experience in the triangle; from a brilliant atmosphere, top notch food, delicious cocktails, and incredible service. My time at Peregrine was a dining experience I won't soon forget and brings me excitement for my next trip. The space is beautiful and thoughtfully designed, a truly one of a kind restaurant. Delicate architectural curves and intentional set pieces, along with a stunning open kitchen, create a welcoming space designed to let you see every part of how the restaurant operates. The open hospitality concept is only further reflected by the staff and ownership. From the host to the servers and bartenders I felt truly welcomed from the moment I walked into the space. As I ate dinner I had an opportunity to speak to the owner and head chef Saif. My conversations with him were truly unforgettable. I met a man who wanted nothing more than to share his travels, heritage, and love of food to all people he meets through his cooking. Getting to feel such a personal connection with the ownership and kitchen is an experience I've not had the privilege of since moving to the triangle. Onto the actual food and drinks. My pre and post dinner cocktails were just fantastic, shout out to the Dearly Departed and Dirty Chai Martini (I could have drank the housemade chai syrup in both these cocktails by the gallon)! The wine selection for during dinner was also phenomenal, my partner and I shared a bottle of the Fume Blanc for dinner. The food...oh my goodness the food. With presentation that touches approachable high concept at times and worldy flavors that are doing things no one else in the triangle is, Peregrine is an unbelievably unique experience. We had the Tare Tare, Gem Lettuce, Begali Wedding Chicken, Halibut, Irish Potatoes, and Smoked & Brined Carrots. These dishes had flavors I could not have even begun to expect. I could spend hundreds of words describing these great dishes to you but you truly just need to come experience this very special restaurant yourself. Thank you Peregrine for an...

Ugh. I hate doing this. I like to lift not put down, but I’m hoping this helps Peregrine improve. Here’s how it went.

7:00 reservation. We show on time. Our table isn’t ready. Hostess is kinda clueless, “your table isn’t ready, it should be cleared shortly.” We get seated at 7:38. Ooof.

Before getting seated the manager is apologetic and asks if we want any apps. I’m one of those intermittent fasting weirdos so I say we want all but one. She graciously says they’ll comp one and make sure they come out quickly. That’s cool, life happens. We sit down, and they take our drink orders. All six come out at once within 3 mins. Maybe my fault since, well, I ordered six. Kinda would have wanted them staged though with some progression. But hey, maybe that’s on me. One of them is spilled on the table as they’re putting them down. “We’ll bring you another one” (one of the three little gems). That doesn’t happen. It also sits on the table all evening as kind of a weird obstacle. Never cleaned.

Cocktails come when we’re halfway through the apps.

Manager checks in asks if everything is OK. I feel bad for her, think she realizes, things are kind of a mess.

We then have to flag down the waiter when we are done to order entrees. Again, maybe my fault since I admittedly order weird, like food for 4-5 for a two top. The entrees, duck and the rice, take 40 mins. Probably because they weren’t ordered at the start of the meal since again, I order weird. Duck is cooked well done, kind of a bummer. For $47, I kind of expect everything to be perfect.

10 mins after we finish I flag down the waiter for the check.

The food itself was OK, but for the price I’m expecting something on par with Stanbury, Brodeto, etc, and this felt… tamed? Like there were good flavors, but they dialed them back, maybe for approachability?

I can’t say I’ll be back unless things change pretty substantially. Really, really, wanted to like this. Read about it on Eater and was stoked, but it didn’t meet...

Peregrine! I wanted to try this restaurant since it opened! The food was good, but given the price, I expected something more elevated. That said, the service was outstanding! NIA was amazing—attentive without being overbearing, warm, engaging, and genuinely sincere—she truly made our night. A++ for customer service! The entire staff was incredibly professional, polite, and observant, paying close attention to everything happening around them.

My husband didn’t love the table we were originally given and asked for a bigger one, even though we were just two people. Without hesitation, they accommodated us, which we really appreciated. This was a big plus for us.

The food and cocktails were solid—not mind-blowing, but enjoyable. The Dry-Aged Beef Tartare was visually impressive, though the flavor was just okay. The Gem Lettuce was vibrant and full of flavor, definitely a standout. The Halibut, while beautifully plated and well-prepared, leaned slightly dry. The Irish Saltwater Potatoes had an incredible depth of flavor. For dessert, we had the Celebration of Eid, and I absolutely loved it—though that’s my personal opinion. The combination of sweet rice (reddened by saffron), almond, and crème fraîche created a unique and delicious taste. A little more moisture in the rice would have made it even better, but the flavor combination was excellent. If you enjoy rice-based desserts, this one is worth trying!

One note—the restaurant is somewhat isolated due to the newer construction in the area, which was fine with us. We did notice the chef visiting tables and chatting with customers but didn’t stop by ours—not a big deal, just something we observed.

We understand that everyone’s experience varies based on personal food preferences and the level of attention they receive. For us, we had a wonderful evening—great ambiance and outstanding service.

Overall, a place where the service outshines the food. Thanks again to NIA and the entire team for making it a...