Littler - Durham

One of the best dinner experiences I have had in Durham!! The food was unbelievable and the staff was attentive but not annoying which is the best!! Definitely going again as soon as Im in the area for dinner again!! Pictured is a carrot pasta which was 10/10, it was like carrot mac and cheese, creamy and coated the home made pasta perfectly. Next is tuna sashimi with pickled watermelon radish and a sesame sauce... so good, and last was a sea bass with wild mushrooms, two of my favorite things done perfectly to highlight the natural flavors, cooked to perfection!! One of my favorite spots in Durham and worth the trip from wherever you are!!

Beyond words! Exceeds expectations in every way! Atmosphere is amazing and casual while giving the best date night vibes. The waiter gave the best wine recommendations and landed on my new favorite white. I cannot recommend LITTLER enough. Please do yourself a favor and reserve a table now because they’re sure to be a fast hit!

I didn’t hate this place but it was difficult to be impressed. The place is small making it hard to travel between tables but its also cute and I get the ambience they are trying to create. The service was where I wasn’t won over. The waitress Sarah did not pay attention to details wasn’t attentive. We had to basically yell her name to order desert so we decided to pay before finishing our food to avoid further delays. I had the cauliflower dish. Not worth it, the food was little for big prices. The desert that won me over was the squash cake and ginger spiced pineapple, this was extremely delicious! Wow! All in all, Im not mad at the experience but I wouldn’t recommend this place as a must visit.

Everything at the Littler is little: the size of the room, the candles adorning the table, the cutesy bar in the corner, the amount of salt in more than half the dishes, and the attention given to the flavor pairings. I don’t mean to be scathing, but when considering cost, this was, by far, the worst meal I’ve had in Durham. There need to be major changes for me to consider another visit.I had one bite the entire night that even merited a compliment: the braised cabbage under the bass was lemony, crunchy, and evoked memories of a briny sauerkraut. The good memories end there. The cavatelli was a bizarre amalgamation of carrot juice and Kraft Mac N’ Cheese, and yes that tastes exactly like it sounds. The stove would have a tough time believing the cauliflower was ever cooked. A few black spots does not equate to “roasting.” It was tough to chew, utterly saltless, and I was just bewildered by the choice of accoutrements (capers, dates, grapes, pine nuts, and sweet potato purée made for a sweet and sour mess).If ever a metaphor could capture the disappointment of my meal at Littler, it was the supposedly “runny” egg on top of the Benedict. Raymond expectantly cut it. We all expectantly waited. And waited. And stared in incredulity when we realized the yolk was cooked through. If only the check was little.

No frills but just great tasting dishes that make you want to come back again and again. That's precisely what happened to me. The small dinning area can be busy very quickly. Thanks to the bar top, for single dinners like me, we are lucky to always be able to fit in. The menu is interesting without being fussy. You will have to debate a little with yourself on what to get each time. But it won't be long. Haha. The dishes are savory, reflects the region, beautifully plated, good portion.