A WEEKEND IN RALEIGH: RESTAURANTS

Downtown Raleigh is so fortunate to be home to so many award wining eateries that it made building a guide to Raleigh's finest eats not an easy task! The city is known for its endless amount of outstanding restaurants so to help you narrow down your options we've gathered a variety of our favorite spots that you will not want to miss when venturing into the city with your wedding guests!

Famous for its seafood, 42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Lounge is one of our favorites spots to dine when we are off the clock! And if their seafood isn’t enticing enough, they bring out baskets of hushpuppies the second you sit down…

Madre is keen on motherly hospitality and small plates for sharing. Plus, they have lots of wine options and delicious cocktails.

Bida Manda is a hip, modern hideaway for Laotian fare and exotic cocktails! This spot provides a unique experience with its diverse food traditions and culture of Laos and is a must try when coming to Raleigh!

Tazza Kitchen is a neighborhood high energy eatery centered on made from scratch wood fired cooking and amazing craft beverages!

Longleaf Swine BBQ is a whole hog BBQ and smoked meats restaurant in Raleigh and is a must on your list of places to grab a bite to eat!

Known for its rooftop dining, Belgian beers, microbrews and American pub grub, Raleigh Times is a great spot to add to the list of cool places to eat and enjoy the afternoon in Raleigh!

ORO Restaurant & Lounge ~ located in the heart of Downtown Raleigh, is a fun, chic, and casual restaurant that everyone needs to try while they’re in town!

Located in a historic garage, Transfer Co. Food Hall features over 50,000 square feet of food-related businesses and is such a cool place to enjoy with a large group!

Located in a lively spot in downtown Raleigh, Sitti is the perfect spot to dine in the city! This delicious spot is loved by so many and known for its modern versions of Lebanese dishes.

A chef-driven Italian-American restaurant in the heart of downtown Raleigh, Gravy is a popular spot with its courtyard and relaxing atmosphere!

Crawford and Son is a casual neighborhood restaurant located in historic Oakwood! This is a popular dinner spot amongst Raleigh and is known for its curated menu of modern comfort plates, craft cocktails and drinking vinegars.

Standard Beer + Food is a hip, contemporary locale featuring updated American cooking and a market selling artisanal foods! And if that isn’t convincing enough, it’s next to Raleigh's most loved ice cream shop - Two Roosters Creamery

Located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, St Roch is known for its raw and roasted oysters, along with its New Orleans-inspired menu!

The Cortez is a fresh seafood and small plates experience with a freshly kept selection of tropical cocktails that draw on their food travels through the years and Mexican-American heritage.


"The Cortez isn’t an ordinary seafood restaurant. It surprises and delights at every turn." ~ The N&O

Centro Mexican Restaurant is an energetic atmosphere and a staple in downtown Raleigh! Known for its organic Mexican cuisine and craft tequila cocktails, this is a must for those Mexican food fans!

Death and Taxes provides an intimate, swanky setting with an open kitchen serving new American dishes and cocktails!

Poole's Diner ~ A circa-1945 diner with seasonal comfort food, cocktails and house desserts in a retro-chic setting.

With creative pizza and house-brewed beer, Trophy Brewing & Pizza is a popular one around here and loved by many for its rustic parlor with a low-key vibe.

Perfect for a glass of wine or tapas, Barcelona Wine Bar has it all and is a popular one among us locals! Venture over to Raleigh's new, modern train station for a breathtaking view or keep the night going with one of Raleigh's nearby bars!

Stanbury is a hip, rustic venue for creative, seasonal New American small plates and entrees, plus craft cocktails. This place is sure to provide a unique and quality experience as it is dedicated to both integrating and highlighting our region's local agriculture producers!

If photos of the place don't convince you enough to make this a stop on your list, then Vidrio's delicious upmarket Mediterranean cuisine menu and craft cocktails just might!

JOLIE

Jolie is one of Scott Crawford's restaurants, right next door to its sister restaurant, Crawford & Son's! It is a modern french bistro that serves delicious, classic French dishes with a modern twist.

Figulina is located in the heart of Downtown Raleigh, serving a new pasta-centric concept by Chef David Ellis.

Caffe Luna serves delicious Italian cuisine with a tuscan flair!

BRODETO

Brodeto is owned by Chef Scott Crawford, serving Italian-Croatian cuisine with a seafood-centric menu, coastal-inspired cocktails, and select wines from the Adriatic region.

Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar ~ Elevated Italian plates and wines served in a stylish reclaimed mill right on the corner of downtown!

FIVE STAR

Five Star Restaurant serves classic Asian Cuisine in a speakeasy space!

15+ Gift Ideas For Your Valentine!

By Lindsey Simmons • February 13, 2025
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and you’re on the hunt for the perfect gift for that special someone. If that special someone happens to be a bride-to-be, we’re here to help! From romantic keepsakes to stylish accessories, the possibilities are endless. To make your search a little easier, we’ve put together a list with a little bit of everything!

Winter 2025 Wedding Showcase

By Lindsey Simmons • December 11, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Winter Wedding Showcase on Sunday, January 26th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner, Ripe For Revival .

Fall 2024 Wedding Showcase

By Lindsey Simmons • August 16, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Fall Wedding Showcase on Sunday, October 27th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner, Ripe For Revival .

Summer 2024 Wedding Showcase

By Lindsey Simmons • June 19, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Summer Wedding Showcase on Sunday, August 11th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner.

A Sunday Kind Of Love: Why Sunday Weddings Are A Great Idea!

By Lindsey Simmons • April 11, 2024
When it comes to choosing the ideal day for your wedding, Fridays and Saturdays have traditionally reigned supreme as the day of choice for tying the knot. However, in recent years, another contender has quietly emerged, captivating couples with its unique charm—the Sunday wedding. We’ve gathered our favorite perks of a Sunday kind of love, and why we think you will want to experience the sweetness of a Sunday wedding at Merrimon-Wynne.

Say "I Do" To A Friday Wedding

April 9, 2024
The weekend begins on Friday, so why not kick off your wedding festivities then as well?! From perfecting your ideal wedding celebration to freeing up the rest of the weekend, here’s why Friday weddings are such a big hit:

An Evening To Ignite 2024!

By Lindsey Simmons • March 19, 2024
WHAT. A. NIGHT! In partnership with Band Together and La Fête Planning & Design our annual fundraising event, An Evening to Ignite, was a night to remember! Hundreds of individuals came together in support of our 2024 charity partner, Neighbor To Neighbor , a local non-profit dedicated to reversing the debilitating effects poverty has on the most vulnerable families in Raleigh. They believe in providing long-term, one-on-one mentoring relationships for teens resulting in positive generational leaps in education, employment and personal development. What started as an idea and a dream in 2017 to bring together community members and events industry vendors to make a large-scale impact for one local, grassroots nonprofit has become a reality and grown into an annual event that raises over $150,000 each year! With the amazing support of our sponsors, vendors and local community, we are so proud to announce that we raised $201,933.32 for Neighbor To Neighbor ! Every single dollar that was raised will help bring to life Neighbor to Neighbor’s dream of a state-of-the-art teen tech center that will create more training pathways, mentorships, and employment opportunities for youth in our community. We cannot wait to see this space realized! The success of this event is due in large part to the generosity of our vendor community and their contributions of time, effort, staffing, materials, inventory, and talents. Over 40 local event industry vendors came together to donate over $250,000+ of goods and services to ensure 100% of the proceeds raised during the event went directly to Neighbor to Neighbor. Year after year, our vendor friends continuously raise the bar by outdoing themselves and helping make Evening to Ignite bigger and better than the year before. We are eternally grateful to be in such a collaborative and talented industry!

Spring 2024 Wedding Showcase

By Lindsey Simmons • February 20, 2024
If you’re newly engaged or a current couple looking for inspiration, The Merrimon-Wynne House is so excited to share one of our favorite events with you - our Spring Wedding Showcase! We have teamed up with some of Raleigh’s top vendors to create a space that will inspire so many couples for their wedding day and we hope that you can join us! The Merrimon-Wynne House has an endless amount of possibilities to create a truly unique experience for you and yo ur guests so we invite you to come see our spaces for yourselves while enjoying sparkling cocktails and culinary delights! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner.

Winter 2024 Wedding Showcase

By Lindsey Simmons • November 29, 2023
If you’re newly engaged or a current couple looking for inspiration, The Merrimon-Wynne House is so excited to share one of our favorite events with you - our Winter Wedding Showcase! We have teamed up with some of Raleigh’s top vendors to create a space that will inspire so many couples for their wedding day and we hope that you can join us! The Merrimon-Wynne House has an endless amount of possibilities to create a truly unique experience for you and yo ur guests so we invite you to come see our spaces for yourselves while enjoying sparkling cocktails and culinary delights! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2024 charity partner, Neighbor To Neighbor .

Holiday Bazaar

By Lindsey Simmons • November 2, 2023
Make shopping for your loved ones this holiday season something you look forward to! From November 27 to November 28 from 5 PM to 8 PM, shop local vendors all in one place while sipping on holiday cocktails in a festive atmosphere! We'll have holiday music playing and firepits & lounges kick your feet up in between shopping!  There is no entry fee to come and shop, but we do ask that you RSVP below. Santa will be joining us on Tuesday so feel free to bring your little ones by to meet him ($10/family).
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