Briarhurst Manor

The manor is an exquisite historical site. A lovely place to visit. Dinner on the other hand was not a relaxing experience. The wait staff rushed us through what we expected to be a fine dining relaxing experience. The steak and lobster tail were delicious, vegetables under cooked. Again, the waitstaff was not receptive to us being left alone to consume dinner and enjoy the ambiance. Therefore 3 of 5

Great date night with an elegance that many places are missing now in days. Recommend the lobster bisque and if season the duck. Love this place and cherish it so much

When I recall my evening meal at the historic Briarhurst Manor, I find few ways to describe my experience other than a bodacious delight. Diligently seated, I found myself peering at a menu containing a wonderful assortment of not only classic dishes with unique flair, but also many original dishes conjured by their renowned executive chef Neil Moreno. Megan, our server for the evening, was very attentive and lively as she not only gave a detailed explanation of the menu, but also a brief historical background of the home and its prior occupants. How lovely it was that at no point in the evening did I feel rushed or unattended to. In due time our orders were in, The Pork, 2 Roasted Hens, as well as the Lobster Ravioli. My gaze veered away from the menu, and onto the many beautiful architectural features of this classic 19^th century home. Accompanied with semi-​candle lighting, quiet conversations, and the suitable spacing of tables the Briarhurst offers a stunningly unique romantic and peaceful dining experience. Our food arrived promptly. Through the first bite, to many, many, many, more bites I found a savory complexity of flavors that I unfortunately could not characterize in the remaining 800 characters allocated for this review. I will leave it at «simply stunning.» Why stunning? Well, following this entrée the onset of paralysis from the third trimester food baby making a commotion in my stomach was quite overwhelming. I do not state that with the slightest negative connotation, but in fact, the exact opposite. With a delicious «Coffee and Doughnuts» dessert to bring the evening to a close, I found the strength to make my way through the entirety of the home, welcome to tours. If you have made it this far through my review you may be thinking, «This seems too good to be true,» or perhaps even more likely, «Who paid this man to write this review?» I’ll admit to a compensation, however, not of a monetary sort. It was the value of feeling at home, away from home.

A fantastic night out.
The wife and I came in with a Groupon.
This is a really interesting place with a great staff and truly outstanding food. Expect to spend some extra cash for upgrades.

Absolutely wonderful experience. We came here this evening for our date night. We had the 5 course dinner and every course was delicious. The highlight of the night was our entrees. I had the scallops and he had Angus steak. I recommend this place for romantic evening and a special occasion with your loved one. It will be a memorable night.

I was so impressed with this beautiful little place. Bae took me here for my birthday and it was a stellar experience. We did the five course meal and ordered the following:
Starters:
+ Lobster bisque
+ Wild mushroom-​confit duck risotto
Entrees
+ Whole roasted Rocky Mountain trout with gold potato gnocchi, almond pesto, arugula salad which came on a slate. The salad had a citrusy, peppery bite to it and the trout was so tender and flavorful.
+ Chowder of seared scallop with jumbo prawn, smoked clam, pork belly, poached white fish, Colorado marble potatoes, steamed mussels. The mussels were very tender and prawns were flavor bombs.
Dessert
+ Brown butter bread pudding
+ Crème brûlée
There were some other tiny little appetizer bites as well.
The atmosphere here is so romantic and tasteful, the service was informative and helpful, and they even brought me a special birthday plate!
This is a wonderful place to take someone for a special occasion. Dress up and be prepared for a hefty bill, but it’s absolutely worth every penny. :)

Manitou Springs never fails to amaze me. It’s the cutest little town in the world. Many years ago we stopped in to check into a wedding venue and our most recent visit was for a private military dinner during the holidays. Wow! The old mansion looks like something out of a story book. Food was good and service was great but the ambiance is unbelievable. Can you say «Haunted Mansion?» Spooky, quaint and fun this place is on my «I have to come back» list.

My husband and I visited Briarhurst Manor on a weeknight, not for a special occasion, but because we wanted to give it a try.
When the hostess called the day before to confirm our reservation, she mentioned that the driveway/​entrance was difficult to find, which ended up being true. I was glad she clarified that and gave some additional directions because the entrance is very dark and it’s hard to see a sign confirming you’re at the right place until, well, you’re there.
We were greeted by the hostess, seated promptly and given menus. Our server, Taumi, came over and explained the a la carte and five course options. We chose the five course option. We chose upgraded appetizers (snails and sweet potato gnocchi) and the steak Diane and filet for entrees. Both steaks were cooked perfectly to our order and had great sauces and accompaniments. The snails were very tender, although the sauce they came in was oddly sweet. The sweet potato gnocchi were soft and their broth had a great smoky flavor. Our cocktails to start and the bottle of wine we had were also good. For dessert we had the bread pudding and the crème brûlée. I would say they were average; not the highlight but not bad. Overall, a pleasant and delicious meal. I feel like we could go back and there are other things on the menu that I’d like to try.
The service was great, although at times a bit over attentive. Both the hostess and our server checked on us at least once per course, so by the end of five courses we felt a little smothered. They also lingered a bit longer than we would have liked them to. It was a slow night and by the end of our meal we were the only ones in the restaurant, so it was understandable that all the attention was directed at us. However, Taumi was professional and knowledgeable about the menu, which I always appreciate.
We will definitely go back!

This is one of my favorite places to dine when visiting relatives in The Springs. Elegant fine food and extremely attentive service all make for a consistent repast. This last trip I took a chance and ordered the chief’s «creation», even though I knew that this was often a gamble. I wanted something different. His version of a pork tamale was a dismal failure as far as I was concerned. The pork tenderloin was dry and tough even with bacon and pork belly (which was congealed) which usually add needed moisture. I had several wonderful courses prior to the main entrée and did not disturb the plate after the initial tasting. I was full, had ordered knowing I might not like the dish and was content. The staff was quite upset, offered apologies, different dishes and made so many gestures to amend the situation I was embarrassed. They finally boxed up my leftovers and I was allowed to enjoy my wonderful dessert.
The next morning I made a hash of the overcooked meat, the pork belly and bacon minced nicely through it, added some potatoes and ramps, and served in lightly scrambled eggs. It was wonderful, the repurposing was easy and there was enough for breakfast for my Colorado family.
I look forward to returning although the next time I think I will stick to the traditional menu which is delightful and extensive in itself. I was not disappointed this time, I had ample opportunity to choose another dish and left sated. The added breakfast treat was certainly an unexpected bonus. All in all it was an excellent time.

Went here for our anniversary dinner and loved it. It was super romantic and the perfect location for it.
Food: FABULOUS taste. Quality over quantity (The portions were just right to be full, but not stuffed by the end.)
Staff: Friendly and attentive.
Cleanliness: Quirky but clean bathrooms and clean dining rooms.
OVERALL: Perfect!

Came for a wedding and it was fantastic! Plenty of room for the guests, lots of photo opportunities, great staff and delicious food! The parking lot is a bit hard to find as there isn’t a clear sign and the parking lot isn’t paved, but it’s spacious and I’d definitely return for more of their great food!

5 star atmosphere, 4 star food. Lamb chops were prepared very well. Great place to take a date!

This dinner was amazing. We went to celebrate my wife’s birthday and had a giftcard, which was the only way we could afford this place. The chef is self trained and the head chef at Adams Mtn Café which is also a manitou springs favorite. He has put his personal touch on all the meals. We ordered two entrees which is more than enough food. They try to get you to do the 5 course meal with the entrée but that is an additional $ 16 per person. The entrée alone is plenty of food. They also bring out fresh bread along with salted butter, apricot jam, and a pistachio spread which is all very yummy. Before the bread they brought out a duck and noodle platter with a delicious chipotle dip to help ignite your appetite before the entrée come. Our two entrees were: Pork «Tamale» which included bacon wrapped tenderloin, confit belly, posole pear, adobo molasses glaze, queso fresco, lime crema, yucca chips
The second entrée was called the Steak Diane which included peppered beef madallions, butter poached forest mushrooms, veal Demi glacé.
The Steak Diane was by far the greatest of the two!
Be prepared to not only get great service and food, but also to hear about the history of the home itself which is very fascinating! Briarhurst Manor was rated the most romantic restaurant in the state of Colorado last year. Enjoy!

Came across a groupon for a 5 course meal for two for $ 69 to Briarhurst Manor. (Got an extra $ 10 off with a promo code!)
Since everyone’s using a groupon, I was a little skeptical about the quality and portion sizes. But I was not disappointed at all! Everything was delectable and well balanced! Lovely venue. Charming service.
HOWEVER. I’m giving it 4 stars because I was very disappointed in the elk. It left a little livery, gamey taste, nor did I like the sauce they put on it. So don’t pay the extra $ 16 for it. But my boyfriend’s steak diane was one of the best steaks we’ve ever had!

Much improved since last time I ate here! The menu has clearly been updated to bring back some classics like steak Diane and beef Wellington. So it is nice if you like some «old school» dishes that were still cooked well. There are quite a few new items as well that are seasonal and farm to table style with local products. Needless to say this made the food very fresh and compared to other fine dining establishments it is no pricier.
The service was incredible. Our server and even the manager was attentive and never made us feel anything but welcomed and to relax and enjoy ourselves. We were the last to leave which I usually feel bad about but they didn’t even remotely act like we should leave and even offered to bring more wine and did not allude that they were closing or that we were an inconvenience.
As always the ambience and location itself has been kept up well. Despite the age of The Briarhurst it’s been kept up well and the patio was nice. My only criticism there is the chairs could’ve been a bit nicer but looking at a garden, mountain and sunset it’s pretty damn hard to complain.
It’s a great place to go on a romantic date or smaller group. I wouldn’t advice children or large groups unless you plan on reserving a large room.
A great place in a great location!

Great attentive service. Food was good. The entrance was a bit confusing and the parking lot looks like a pack of dinosaurs had stampeded through. The house is over 120 years old built by the founder of manitou springs. Very quite, Victorian era ambiance. The level of service is what stuck out the most here.

We had dinner again for my husband’s birthday there last night. As before, it was an entire experience, not just dinner. This time, we took our kids. The staff made my daughter feel special, as we were celebrating her birthday, as well. ‘A great deal of attention is paid to detail, and courses are served promptly without making us feel rushed. It’s a minor thing, but another nice touch is that usually when we take our kids somewhere nice, the only option for a «fancy» drink is a Shirley Temple. The Briarhurst had a number of selections, and that alone made them feel catered to.
Beyond the service, the food was excellent. We had baked bri and escargot for apps, and not only were they delicious, but the presentation was stunning. My son and I had chicken cordon bleu, and both enjoyed it a great deal. The birthday boy thought his elk was excellent, and our friend raved over her scallops. However, my daughter’s steak diane was truly phenomenal. We each ordered different desserts, and the consensus was that the crème brule was the winner. However, the show stopper for me was the tomato soup I had in place of the salad. It was the best soup I’ve ever had, and I’m sure I’ll think over it for at least another year. At my begging, they filled two containers and allowed us to purchase some to take home.
Some people have commented on the price, but you get what you pay for. Not only did we get an excellent meal, we enjoyed a wonderful experience. Thank you, Briarhurst, for yet another fantastic evening!

Dreadfully disappointing dinner.
Took mother here for Mother’s Day weekend. Two people, split one app, two entrees, no drinks & no dessert: $ 100. I don’t mind paying a hundred dollars if the food is worth it. This was not. It was mediocre at best.
The smoked salmon was delicious. Sourdough bread and whipped butter was excellent.
The server and front of house manager were polite and attentive. I did see our server put dirty dishes on the same tray as clean plates of food about to be served. No no!
I ordered the Beef Wellington. I love Beef Wellington. I know it’s old fashioned but I still love it. This one was so disappointing. Bland, soggy pastry, tough meat. Have you ever had so much trouble cutting into your steak that your fork scrapes the plate and makes a horrific sound? My fork did that three times. I had to pick it s huge white vein in the center of the steak. I could hear Gordon Ramsey screaming at the cooks in my head. I’ve ordered frozen Wellington from a catalog that tasted better than this.
Mother ordered the scallops. They were cooked well, nothing to sing about, strange sweet glaze on them. Squash was steamed and served utterly plain.
Everyone at the tables around us had a Groupon. It’s never a good sign when a 50+ year old restaurant needs to do Groupon offers.
What a disappointment.
Oh I almost forgot! Their parking lot was a flooded nightmare of potholes and ice. Certainly not five star worthy!
UPDATE ⁵⁄₂₂: The manager contacted me and refunded $ 40 of the dinner price, I have increased the review by one star and I thanked her for contacting me to make things right.

We celebrated our 19 year anniversary and my Birthday. I see the reviews are a bit low, Check out TravelAdvisor. Unilocal has a very diverse crowd, where Traveladvisor has more people seeking a fine dining place.
Nothing is ever perfect, so I will start off with the bad and then go into the great. Briarhurst is an excellent restaurant, but getting to it can be a bit harrowing. They did a great job calling us the day before to let us know about not missing their drive way which is immediately following these big Blue Arches for Blue Ski Inn, so they did a great job letting us know about a potential issue while confirming our reservations.
The bad part, the driveway was gravel and mud– and the parking lot was muddy. We did not realize there was a drive roundabout where hubby could drop me off. The entrance looks like it has a walkway, but I guess there is a drive around on the side– but we saw no signs (and actually walked towards the ‘door’ to finally see a sign that we had to go around to the side). The parking lot was horribly muddy (the kind where you step on it and a good deal of mud sticks to you and you see where you stepped_​, and I still had mud and good in my nice shoes even after trying to wipe off on the grass and a rug they put outside the door. Not to mention the nice car– freshly watched was splattered with mud that stuck to the tires.
That’s the only bit of negative, in fact besides the nice phone call, this restaurant went above and beyond to hold our reservation when we were late (we were coming from out of town and traffic kept us from getting there on time). We arrived almost 45 minutes late, and they were still so kind and gracious. They seated at a table with a fresh rose and candlelight.
Our service was excellent. We had Rachel — who was just a refreshing ray of sunshine for the evening! She brightened the atmosphere with her smile and kindness. Even though we had a Groupon in this nice establishment, she did not give us subpar experience. In fact, she was one of the best experiences of service in my entire life. (As a previous server of 10 years, that says something). She was patient with our questions and invited us to check out the restaurant while awaiting, or between courses. Food never came to quickly or too slow. I wanted to talk to the manager– but she was busy, so I hope this review will do.
The food was excellent. We were able to ‘upgrade’ (pay the difference) between the Groupon and menu, which made a very nice option to tailor our meal should we choose. I had the beet salad and hubby had a very nice creamy soup. The filet and scampi were excellent too, and the desserts were scrumptious even taking them to go and eating later.
I believe we will make this a yearly tradition. Some of the best fine dining we have ever had. wine paired well, quiet atmosphere, and just a wonderful experience. Just please– a restaurant of your caliber should have a nicer driveway or at least a paved one. Other than that– the experience was excellent and a restaurant where we will return.
PS. I would not recommend children for this place. I am not saying children were not welcome, I am just saying that if you are one of those families with children– request one of their more private rooms– that is an option too!

My wife an I recently went to the Briarhurst Manor after hearing some good things about it. We actually bought a groupon back in February that was about to expire, so this turned into a mid week dinner.
The Manor itself is very nice from the outside and cozy on the inside. The décor reflects the Manor and the staff were very nice. The seating is very small, but that doesn’t bother me, but to some it could be an issue.
We ordered with our groupon the 5-​course dinner. My wife got the beef wellington and I the Bison short ribs. I will say that her item did take a while as it felt like 2 other couples behind us received their food first. I ordered mine medium, but it came out medium well on it’s way to well done. The flavor of both were good, but could have been better, especially the tenderness of the bison. The pumpkin cheesecake and orange chocolate tart were both very pleasing.
Overall this place gets a 3 star from me. With my groupon I would say it was 4 stars, but to others who will pay full price, I see disappointment ahead. Honestly I would go to the Pepper Tree again for that kind of money.