Mercer Kitchen
(212) 966-5454
99 Prince St
New York,
NY
10012
40.7249
-73.9988
Neighborhoods: Downtown, SoHo
What People Are Saying About Mercer Kitchen
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Though the fickle winds of celebrity restaurant-going have since directed A-listers to newer, more alluring spots, Jean-Georges' downtown eatery has still managed to remain a dining destination. The upstairs lounge is bright and open; the restaurant lies beneath in a large, open, brick-walled basement. Diners lounge on lavender banquettes beneath a ceiling of antique glass sidewalks.
The Food
The Provencal-inspired cuisine takes a more minimal route than in Vongerichten's other kitchens, but the clarity and brightness of flavor still inspires. Yellowtail tuna carpaccio, lightly dressed with a hint of mint, sings of summer, and crab salad partnered with sweet-hot mango mustard and greens hits all the right flavor notes. Entrees, across the board, are quite good. And dessert--especially a stellar version of the ubiquitous molten chocolate cake--shouldn't be missed.
User Reviews
kirilynn
December 07, 2008
Worst experience ever. Uninformed, rude staff. Made reservations for a time that the dining room wasn't even open, and allowed us to make a reservations with a high chair, when they don't have any. Biggest beef is the incredibly rude staff.
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AnnevanRiel
September 28, 2008
Friends were over and we wanted a good dinner in a nice atmosphere. We had a reservation for 9.30 but when we arrived we were told it would take a few minutes more. Happily we went to the bar for a drink. After the first drink, our table was still not ready. we asked again and were told to wait. Nobody even offered us a free drink while we were waiting. Finally seated (after more than 30 minutes), we ordered. The food was ok, nothing special and some dishes were not even appetizing (we did not finish all appetizers, considering we were quite hungry after the long wait, that is a very bad sign). Then the worst part of the evening.. we saw a black/brown insect, (which i cannot specifically name but is a very well-known creature in the jungle and some NY kitchens)... happily crossing the wall behind us. The waiters, after we warned them, did not seem too surprised and it took them five minutes to show up with a napkin (?) to scare the insect away. Again, no excuses whatsoever... we were astonished. Never, ever will we go back to this place in Soho!
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rachelz3
July 23, 2008
MK is one of the restaurants that decided to use Restaurant Week to strut their stuff. Lunch - 4 adults and 2 strollers (use the Mercer door for the strollers or wheelchairs), well accommodated. Raw Tuna Pizza - wonderful unique and worked perfectly. Figs and prosciutto with mozzarella- simple and perfectly matched, the mini cheeseburger was the best burger I ever had in my life, and roasted chicken with mashed potatoes delicious comfort food. Lovely to see the chickens roasting on the rotisserie. I will say the french fries were just average, and the chocolate dessert also pretty commonplace,the strawberry rhubarb was nice but needed some of the chocolate from the chocolate dessert (like a little souffle with a warm chocolate center) to be better. I do wonder if I would have loved it as much if I was paying full price. Lunch took 2 hours, perhaps due to the cakes? I tried one of their home made sodas, it tasted nice but it was just syrup and seltzer. I arrived early and they were charming about giving me a place to wait, and they had made arrangements for the strollers I had mentioned in my reservation. This put me at ease.
read full reviewThe Details on Mercer Kitchen
When to Go:
Be careful where you sit if it's raining--the antique glass sidewalk leaks sidewalk schmutz into the restaurant. The restaurant remedies this problem by hanging upside-down umbrellas to catch the drips.
Look Good:
A space in the restaurant can be converted into a semi-private area.
The Extras:
The cafe serves breakfast fare and coffee.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Celeb Hangout, Date Spot, Hotel Restaurants, Notable Chef, People Watching, Business Dining, Group Dining, Bar Scene
Cabinet Products:
General Info:
Cuisine:
Eclectic & International, Mediterranean, French, Traditional American
