Mercer Kitchen (Mercer Hotel)

Doesn't Recommend

natt2000

Joined 5 years ago

don't believe the hype of JG. I went their last night and the food was so bad i thought i was going to get sick right then and there. meat, fish, vegetables covered in thick gooey sauces. hey... buy good quality produce and you do not have to cover it in sauce!!!! JG is over. Tired of hearing praise for someone who thinks gooey sauce is cooking...i may sound mean but i am tired of paying big bucks for bad food from famous names. Place was so dark i couldn't even find my mouth. The wait staff are too young and inexperienced... do not know the difference between pinot noir and pinot blanc. Location was good once but NYU has invaded. Everyone get out of my city and go back to where you came from!!!!!!

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canobar

Joined 7 years ago

Pleasant Surprise. I am generally a big fan of anything JGV comes up with, and Mercer Kitchen was for some reason one of the only one of his restaurants that we hadn't yet tried, so we made reservations last minute without taking the time to read much about it first.

The atmosphere was lively without being too much of a scene (read: Spice Market). In spite of the reviews I've since read below, the duck was delicious (moist and, as usual, subtly flavored) and my skate was fantastic. The molten chocolate cake dessert was as good as the legend would require (not "dry" at all...), so I'd say the only real disappointment was our crispy squid appetizer which arrived as a greasy, standard lumpy mush.

It must be difficult to make a decision about Mercer Kitchen based on the reviews below- and every restaurant has its off days, particularly during restaurant week- but we had an excellent meal, lively but not too loud atmosphere- even as early as our geriatric 6:30 reservation- and attentive service on a busy Saturday night. My suggestion: give it a chance, will not disappoint.

Doesn't Recommend

sorenhbech

Joined 5 years ago

Long wait for a table with a reservation + average food = below average experience. Had a 9:30P reservation for dinner and arrived at 9:25P, and was told it would be a few minutes for a table for two. We waited at the bar and around 9:45P I went to check in to see what was behind the delay in being seated and were told "it is restaurant week, we are very busy, but you are the next table to be seated." Another 25 more minutes passed and several other tables for 2 were seated. Clearly I was lied to about when I was going to be seated. We finally were seated at 10:10P with barely an apology for the wait. For a restaurant that has been open for as long as this one - thru many restaurant wks - they should have optimized their reservations systems by this point so people don't have to wait so long for a table...

Service during the meal was fine, but we both found the food to be average at best. The salmon main course was bland and the tuna/shrimp appetizers were fine but unremarkable. Chocolate cake was dry. Yes, it was a restaurant week menu but even more reason to get people excited about a restaurant so they come back one of the other 50wks of the year!

Having been to Mercer Kitchen before a few years ago, I was looking forward to rediscovering it...well, what I discovered was a restaurant whose time has clearly passed...

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nyc115

Joined 5 years ago

great customer service and FANTASTIC food. I went here last night for restaurant week and the food was fabulous! the atmosphere is great (trendy, dim lighting, very Soho feel). The steamed shrimp appetizer was one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. I will definitely go back to this place even though it is very expensive

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barbienyc

Joined 6 years ago

LOVED IT!!! perfect place. BEST DUCK AND SKATE EVER!!!!!. It was a tuesday night.... MY Birthday Night.... with my boyfriend. We had reservations in which we arrived late (my fault). Was not a problem. He ordered the duck and I had the skate (HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT).... it was soooo delicious.... I cant wait to go again.

Great if you have friends in town.. It's dark and kind of romantic (i guess that depends on who you are with) just a little loud......large large space!

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xomango

Joined 6 years ago

Return of the Mac. Ended up here because Asia de Cuba messed up our reservations and am so glad that they did. We sat at the bar, and, while that was a chore because of the mega guido/B&T happy hour/cocktailing crowd, once it cleared out a bit and we did get seats, it was great. If anything, go for the mac & cheese. It's by far the best I've ever had on the East Coast. Oh! And sit downstairs if you want a livelier atmosphere. The upstairs is way too quiet for my taste, at least. And if you can, call ahead for a reservation. Going there cold is fine, but if you want a table you'll be waiting a long while.

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jassmine_b

Joined 7 years ago

Place to go for a New York City experience. This place is great if you have guests from out of town who do not want a touristy place - but a cool place for dining. My food was great (oysters, nice and fresh). It is pricey, but worth the money. The interior is cool. Definitely will come back.

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happiness1234

Joined 6 years ago

cute enviroment, ok food.. the ambiance was cute, it looks like your run of the mill "trendy-ish" place... went here for my birthday, and not as festive as i would have liked.. my carpaccio appetizer was not that great, and my duck entree was a bit dry. my dessert was also just mediocre, overall, an ok place, but nothing to come back for.

Recommends

mimic47

Joined 7 years ago

good food, very noisy. Great place to go if your in a festive, party mood. Not romantic because it is very loud. The food and service is good but the portions are small. The salmon was very good. We felt like we had to yell across the table, but we still had a nice time.

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Christiana01

Joined 10 years ago

Upscale see-and-be-seen. Very chic and happening place. It was the perfect place for a 33rd birthday dinner, party of 10 on a Friday night -- loud enough to be fun, not too loud to talk, gorgeous space, chic not stuffy. Crowd was grown-up -- late 20s+. Food varied: my appetizer and desert were TO DIE FOR, my entree, just "meh". The service, however, was the worst I've ever had. We wouldn't see our waiter for gaps of 20 minutes. He insisted on keeping our wine bottle chilled elsewhere, so when we wanted refills we had to wait an eternity. Seriously the most deplorable service and I'm not usually one to complain about service! Hostesses were very, very nice. Ended up about $120 per person but definitely worth it in my opinion. Great place for a big night out.