The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Name Rooted in Vermont History

The story behind The Reluctant Panther begins not in a kitchen, but in Vermont's Revolutionary-era lore. When Wood and Joan Cornell converted a century-old Manchester Village building into a bed and breakfast in the early 1960s, Joan's curiosity about the region's elusive mountain panthers led her husband to explain that, with so many people around, "they're reluctant to come down out of the mountains." That offhand remark gave birth to one of southern Vermont's most enduring institutions. The inn has changed hands three times over the decades, but the name — and the spirit of independent Vermont character it evokes — has remained.

The original Main House, built in 1850, was lost to fire on October 29, 2005, and rebuilt entirely by 2006. One detail from the Cornells' era did survive: the distinctive purple color scheme. When Woody Cornell first painted the building a brilliant purple with bright yellow shutters to catch the eye of passing travelers, the village promptly enacted an architectural review ordinance — too late to affect the Panther, which was grandfathered in. Today, purple accents still mark the shutters, doors, and interior details of the rebuilt structure.

The Restaurant

The dining room at The Reluctant Panther is the culinary centerpiece of the property, operating under the direction of Executive Chef Sigal Rocklin, honored as 2018 Chef of the Year. The kitchen practices a farm-to-table approach, drawing on locally sourced products to shape a menu of contemporary American cuisine served in a relaxed yet elegantly upscale atmosphere. The wine list has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a recognition that reflects the seriousness with which the program is curated.

The dinner menu reads as a confident expression of New England's seasonal larder. Starters include a Lobster & Brie Fondue with crispy pancetta and baguette — a dish guests single out repeatedly — alongside a Vermont Cheese Board with maple peppercorn almonds and blackberry-rhubarb compote, and Grilled Asparagus with Maplebrook Burrata. Entrées lean into local sourcing: a Grilled Vermont Pork Chop with maple mustard glaze and rhubarb compote, Roasted Misty Knoll Statler Chicken Breast with herb gnocchi and ramp cream sauce, Switchback Ale Braised Short Ribs over smoked cheddar mashed potatoes, and a Grilled Local Hanger Steak with Parmesan polenta cake and ramp chimichurri. Seafood holds its own with Seared Scallops, Seared Halibut with chive spätzle and fiddleheads, and a market-priced Fish Risotto built around the fresh catch of the day.

The Setting

The inn itself — twenty rooms and suites spread across the Main House, Mary Porter House, and Carriage House — frames the dining experience with antique furnishings, fireplaces, marble baths, and museum-quality original artwork. The restaurant draws both overnight guests and destination diners, and the combination of a Wine Spectator-recognized list, a chef-driven contemporary American menu, and an atmosphere that is genuinely warm without being informal has made it among the highest-rated dining destinations in New England.