Manna Uptown

Visit was super disappointing. We first started off with the charred Caesar and the Kale salad. The charred Caesar was charred way too long which made the salad soggy and crispy. The kale salad was more like a slaw salad with a super sour dressing vs. flavorful dressing. Next up was the French onion soup. It was made with way too much salt. It was super salty and not very flavorful.For the entree we got the Victoria wings and it tasted like a perfume wings. The smoked technique was not very good. We also got the cauliflower steak with square fries. This dish was lacking in flavor and size for the price of this vegan dish.Our server was not attentive and was gone for long periods of time. Needless to say we dine here occasionally but the quality of food has drastically gone down.The ambiance was quant and very low to moderate noise levels.The craft drinks were amazing.I do not recommend this place for the price and the what we ordered.

Beautiful restaurant. Loved the atmosphere and decor. Service was a little slow but they were busy so totally understandable. Espresso martinis - definitely one of the best I've had. I had the halibut and my friend had the filet. The filet was cooked perfectly and the potatoes had a nice truffle flavor but not over bearing. The halibut was light and flavorful. But the fondants were a little under cooked and cold. For sure want to try their brunch sometime!

Upscale restaurant that falls short on flavor. The food was definitely not worth the hefty price tag. The drinks however, are delicious. The staff was pleasant, and the artwork is unique.

Stopped in for a cocktail and a couple appetizers after a busy day. Very early but the bar was open with a few guests. Sign said seat yourself in bar area. We started to sit at a table in the bar area and a very rude woman told us we need to wait to be seated. Bartender was very nice and told us to sit anywhere. He was very friendly and helpful selecting a cocktail from their extensive list. Both his recommendations were spot on. I noticed another bar tender was actually making our cocktails two different drink at the same time with different hands. Very impressive ! The apps were great and the cocktails were perfect. Overall another great experience at uptown which is getting to be our favorite South of town spot

Manna'sSpoiler Alert: 5 Star ReviewManna's qualifies as one of a select few fine dining restaurants in the Greater Dayton Metropolitan Area, and we like that this experience is in Centerville Uptown. In our view, Manna's is a five-star dining experience IF servers are on their game. It is the responsibility of management to train and supervise the servers; servers may be the weak link in fine dining. Chef and owner Margot Blondet is well established in the Dayton restaurant scene, and although experiencing initial missteps potentially provides a 5 Star dining experience. In a May 19, 2023 a DDN staffer provided an adolescent review of the bar and wine scene, and should have focused much more on dining and service. This DDN reviewer neglected menu and meal content. And forget pronunciation - who cares? At any rate there are much better reviews for adults on restaurant review sites.We like that the parking lot has been expanded; we recommend that the city fund the connection of the east parking lot with the west parking lot. We recommend that the entrance from Main Street access both the east and west parking lot; this would relieve bottlenecks from 725 or Franklin ST.This is a beautiful restaurant; perhaps too small on all levels with little forethought to seating. Firstlevel according to Margot is Hell, and is painted all Black - very strange. Second level is Purgatory and third level is Heaven; we like first, second, and third levels as descriptors. Might recommend a walkthrough of all levels prior to seating reservations. We have identified our favorite table.We have followed the Reviews since opening, and our observation is that many of the initial impediments have been overcome, which is not to indicate that near perfection is achieved. We find the lunch menu offers a paucity of options. Please bring selections from the dinner menu to the lunch menu. Recommend that lunch menu be expanded to capitalize on skill set of chefs.Because an older uptown Centerville property was remodeled, the dining/bar rooms are small. The patio section, while appealing is facing the western Ohio sun and is too hot to suite our requirements.First level dining is a choppy, small space which is crammed with elbow to elbow seating, and unfortunately the second level dining is also a small space which is crammed with elbow to elbow seating. Our lunch experience was fine; however, we are hesitant to reserve during popular dinner hours. In our view crammed, tight seating with a high noise level is a detraction to the ambience of dining.Others have commented on the grand stair case; this stair case seems to add to the general ambience, and is not an impediment to second floor dining as far as we are concerned.We greatly desire to experience more French and Peruvian menu offerings. Burgers, fries, chicken salad, zucchini fritters, empanadas et al. all are fine for an average dining restaurant. Given the pricing, we expected more high end selections. Dinner menu does provide a nicer selection than does lunch menu.Jordan is our talented young server who hails from Puerto Rico; Jordan is Not a fish fan, but is enthusiast about Barramundi. I ask Jordan why, and he explains the chef said Barramundi is good.I ask IF there is a lunch and/or dinner tasting menu - There is not. Take note that the Brunch menu is actually part of the lunch menu. Service is excellent - 5 Stars.Ambience is the element that nearly all diners comment, and ambience is clearly 5 stars. Music is not for all, but Boomers may be pleased.Chef Margot, et al. always rate a 5 star - IF only the menu is expanded. At least include a Great French Onion soup.My dear wife informs me on the drive to Manna's (pronounce however you like) that Whit's Custard is her decision for dessert, and of course, Yes, dear. Our selections:Shrimp OmeletteGruyère and shrimp omelette, with onions and peppers, served with roasted potatoes and balsamic saladAndBarramundi SandwichPan seared barramundi on toasted rustic ciabatta, almond chimichurri mayo, piquillo compote and arugula. served with a kale salad. Manna's does not meet our requirements for Saturday night dining, but does meet our requirements for midweek dining. The noise and crowded factors are not something that we enjoy. It is difficult for us to recommend Manna's to a couple for special occasion weekend dining.Yes, ambience is a solid five; our menu choices rated a five, and the servers rated a five; we shall return. We highly recommend this fantastic dining experience to the diners from Greater Dayton Metropolitan Area, Columbus, Cincinnati and beyond....

This is hard to review.. because elements were great and then others very disappointing. My friend I hadn't seen in awhile wanted to try this restaurant. It was going to be enjoyable just to get together. We had reservations and tried to find it. It's not easy to find. Coming from the highway, which more than half probably are, you have to pass the entrance before you have a prayer of seeing the restaurant. The traffic on this road is busy, so it is not convenient to putter around. The sign is ridiculously obscure. Free parking in the back and the only entrance is in the back. I passed it several times before finding it. It's lovely inside somewhere between gosh and posh. But I liked the decor and the hostess was beyond gracious. It was a hot day, and she offered me water while I waited, which was so thoughtful and appreciated. While I waited on my friend, she told me a little history of the restaurant in the owner. The same owner owns solar in dayton, which?Is more Peruvian while this location is more French. Love France and French food, so I was intrigued. My friend and I were sitting, and our server Addison got us started with a cocktail and a starter. She seemed friendly enough at the start. I had the charred ceasar salad, which was delicious and just the right size. This is where the night took a turn. I was vasilating between 2 choices for our entree. I was torn between the calamari or the mushroom flambee. our server recommended the flambee, and I went with it, expecting table service to see them flambee it. I'm A sucker for the show, but sadly, that wasn't the case. It's disappointing but not tragic. My friend loved her entree but My meal had no flavor .. except sometimes a bitterness. Underseasoned and underwhelming. my friend tried it and ate about as much as I did ... she agreed and said she was sorry for choosing this place. The server asked only my friend how her meal was .. never me. When my friend was don, she took both our plates without asking. My plate was more than half full ... she didn't ask if anything was wrong or if i wanted it boxed or if i was finished. We joked that I should inquire about my boxed leftovers. My friend is African American and we had just been talking about how she's had some prejudice bad service... I pointed out our server didn't ask if me if everything was ok and just took my plate without asking. I pointed to my skin and we laughed about it making fun of the situation. The server then came and asked if we were interested in seeing a dessert menu.My friend said no I said yes. Yup you guessed it she gave Menu to my friend and not me. At this point I felt she was being dismissive and rude. Thus is not a cheap place .. too pricey for bad experience. It's a shame .. it started lovely but ended insulting. Sometimes, 1 bad egg can ruin it. But still lovely visit with a dear friend.

We were impressed! Frankly, when Manna Uptown opened last spring, there were some mixed reviews, so we decided to wait a bit until they got things ironed out before visiting. I'm glad we did because we have nothing but positive things to say about our dinner out last night.When we made reservations, we were asked if our party had any mobility problems, which we didn't so we were seated upstairs. The restaurant has a formal French feel with chandeliers, black and white wallpaper and yellow accents throughout the restaurant. Their use of decorative fine china was a nice touch over most restaurant's plain place settings.For dinner, I had the Chicken & Gnudi with Sage Brown Butter and my husband had the Pork Medallions with a Mushroom Cream Sauce. Both were plated beautifully and were very delicious. The chicken was tender and the gnudi melted in your mouth. We shared the Chouquettes for dessert and enjoyed that as well. A nice sweet touch to end our meal.The service was top notch but be aware that this is a fine dining experience, so it is at a relaxed pace.

We came on a Friday night on a whim to see if we could eat here and all the tables were booked up. But we were able to set up the bar and we're happy we did. The bar chair was very comfortable. The drinks here are phenomenal. Our bartender was very attentive and friendly. We ordered things off of the appetizers and glad we did. Everything was tasty. I love the uniqueness of their theme. The bottom floor is hell, middle floor is purgatory, top floor is heaven. After we drank an ate, we took the stairs to see each floor and the decor is very nice. we ended up getting a drink on the top floor sitting at the bar and the bartender again was very attentive and friendly. We would definitely come back here. Everyone is very nice, the drinks are very special and lastly, the ambience is top-notch. Only negative is you have to go upstairs to get inside the place making it a little bit more difficult if you need a ramp. We parked in the back and there's plenty of parking spots.

A absolutely beautiful restaurant!!Had lunch at the bar. The bartender was an absolute delight. Amazing cocktails. Had heirloom tomato with burrata and pesto just wonderful. I had the eggs Benedict. Very tasty Then the Basque cheesecake. To die for. I can't wait to go back!!

She selected Manna Uptown for her Valentines dinner; first time visiting this establishment. Short and sweet ... it was a wonderful dinning experience! The staff were friendly, welcoming and helpful. The ambiance was very charming, comfortable and cozy. And the food was creative and delicious. We plan to return one evening to sit at the bar and try a desert. Don't miss out on this hidden gem!