Bank+Vine — Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre

I've 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 - it's 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 couldn't help polishing off the entire platter. It was in the top 3 creme brûlée I've 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 don't 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. It's 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.

It's a 2 hour drive from our home in Philadelphia - but we look forward to making the...

This was the absolute worst food I have ever eaten. They label this a fine dining experience with farm to table freshness but that was not my experience. First issue, the drink was very odd. And very salty. I chucked it up to having an acquired taste! I figured it was something new and maybe just not for me. Moving along to the brioche bread with summer jam as an appetizer. That was another disappointment! It wasn’t good at all! And lacked flavor! The bread didn’t taste fresh nor did it stand out. It tasted like a regular slice of white bread.

The reviews showed the chicken and waffles was a great choice! (Last photo I attached was from a previous review) The photo sold me and was one of the reasons I decided to try this established . I ordered that along with a side of the fried potatoes and avocado toast. When they brought out my plate, I was shocked. My waffle was burnt. Which first caught my eye. I didn’t want to cause any issues so I tried eating it. That’s when I realized that they served me frozen fried chicken. The kind that you get in the frozen aisle at your local supermarket!(photographed below) They neatly displayed said chicken on the burnt waffle! Bad enough the chicken wasn’t fresh, the skin was lukewarm and cold on the inside! I didn’t think you could mess up avocado toast. But they somehow managed to as well. The avocado “toast” wasn’t even toasted for starters. Also, they made a avocado like cream , instead of it sliced or mashed onto the bread. But then they had added sliced radishes all over it. None of this was listed in the description. I will say, the potatoes were delicious! They were unique and not a typical breakfast potato. They had a garlic aioli with sliced jalapeño which was flavorful! Another positive not was the complimentary sausage they served us. They also gave us complimentary deviled eggs. The taste was odd. But I wouldn’t like to stress I didn’t order it. So I wasn’t upset by the odd flavors and texture. From the drinks then onto the starters and entrees, everything got worst! For a table of 6, 5 of us had issues with our meal. To make it worst it was a birthday celebration. All in all, this has the style, decor and service of an upscale establishment but the food is more aligned with Applebee’s. I do not recommend this establishment,...

Our dining experience at Bank and Vine on 12/23/22 was extraordinarily pleasant. The food was exquisite and the atmosphere absolutely delightful.

We arrived for our 7 p.m. appointment and was greeted immediately by the hostess, who took our coats and guided us to our table. About a minute later, Matthew, our server, arrived and told us about the evening's specials. He took our wine orders, returned quickly with the drinks, and then took our order.

The burrata cheese and prosciutto plate, with winter citrus (grapefruit and orange) and balsamico appetizer was fresh and delicious, spurring our appetites. We were also treated to a complimentary small plate of Italian gigante beans in extra virgin olive oil, which was better than I ever imagined a plate of beans could be, leaving me wonderfully surprised.

I had the Tagliatelle Cacio e pepe with Guanciale and hard egg yolk, which was heavenly. The sauce was very creamy, the pasta served al dente, and the portion adequate. The pepper in the sauce was not overpowering, and blended well with the Guanciale.

The spaghetti carbonara, black pepper, truffle, and egg (poached) was also delectable. Again, the pasta was served al dente, and the yolk mixed in well with the rich sauce, and proving to be an utter delight.

As with the appetizer, we were also give a complimentary plate of blistered Shishito, sweet peppers, pecorino, mildly soaked in olive oil and served with a hollandaise sauce. The pepper assortment was very tasty, and the hollandaise sauce a satisfying companion.

Finally, for dessert, we had a milk chocolate Budino, with butterscotch caramel, and a house creme fraiche. The dish was very decadent, and was served with a complimentary molasses cookie, which was soft, sweet, and scrumptious. As a tasteful birthday nod to my girlfriend, a single lit candle was wedged in the plate's groove.

Bank and Vine is part of the Friedman Hospitality Group, known for it's fine dining. We dined at several of the group's establishments, and disappointment in our selections were extremely rare. Bank and Vine was the best dining experiences we had this year, and I'm looking forward to visiting more of Friedman's...