Atlantic Grill

(212) 988-9200

1341 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10021 40.7725 -73.9584

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Neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Midtown

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 6.15.10

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Brunch, People Watching, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Seafood

Other Locations:

What People Are Saying About Atlantic Grill

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The wraparound dining room and polished wood bar have been slammed since opening in 1998. Swathed in sea-foam green with aquatic photographs, it's a comfortable spot teeming with neighborhood regulars: gussied-up grand dames, first-date couples and raucous groups of friends. Servers are professional and serious, but can only handle so many tables at a time. There's something for fish fans of every stripe on the lengthy menu. Freshly shucked oysters and clams appeal to purists, while classicists order crisp-crusted, all-meat lump crab cakes and chopped iceburg-feta salads. Zippier palates share…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Walk-ins will have a hard time scoring a table, unless they're willing to eat at the noisy front bar.
Save Money:
There aren't many less than $40 wines; by-the-glass options are around $9. The middle-of-the-road pinot grigio is a fine white, and the earthy Rioja fares well with oilier fish, like halibut and sea bass.
ambiance
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. Do not go if you are in a rush, as half the fun is the people watching, an the bar scene.
  2. The food was alright, nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere itself was nice, very bright and sunny and a good place to take a client for lunch.
  3. Great service, great food, and great ambience.
  4. No big shot chef, no special history or story about the place, and not a historic location with lots of history.
  5. Delicious food, great service, and a really great atmosphere.
  6. enjoy great food but also what is important to me when I go out to dinner is a restaurant with a great atmosphere.
  7. would not go back, can think of many places serving the same quality, similar menu, for much more affordable prices, and more suiting atmosphere.
  8. There was a nice atmosphere except for the few pompous patrons who looked way too gaudy or a lunch time meal, but overall its a great place to eat.
  9. It is a beautiful atmosphere.
  10. Nice atmosphere.
  11. The place is a little over-priced for brunch but it is a nice restaurant so that was expected Food (i had the omelette with cheddar, mushrooms and herbs), service, coffee, atmosphere were all fantastic.
  12. The restaurant had a great vibe and atmosphere and I will definitely be going back.
  13. When I ate here the atmosphere was great.
  14. The food is excellent, the service and ambiance equally up to its standards, just make sure to make reservations, this very popular and always crowded swanky restaurant can have long waits!
  15. Great outdoor atmosphere & very clean bathrooms inside!
  16. The ambience isn't as interesting and the food wasn't as good as I remembered the others to be.
  17. It is the perfect blend between smart casual and formal creating an atmosphere that is elegant yet not stuffy.
  18. amazing fish, great atmosphere & good wine list.
dessert
92.30999946594238% positive
  1. All dishes: appetizers, entrees, and deserts are delicious.
  2. Outstanding crab cakes, excellent service!
  3. The food was great too, especially the dessert.
  4. Really great wine list, and the desserts were divine.
  5. The banana tower is an amazing dessert as well.
  6. The service is outstanding and my crab-cake eggs benedict could not have been better.
  7. only had lunch here, but i had great shrimp and a spectacular lobster, and the dessert was heavenly.
  8. We especially loved the crabcake BLT, chopped salad and chocolate fondue.
  9. I've tried close to everything on the menu and recommend the crab cakes, spicy crunchy tuna roll (unreal) and the sea bass.
  10. The meal including dessert was fantastic.
  11. For dessert I had the chocholate tart with ice cream, again poor
  12. And the ice cream flavors were so creative when it came time for dessert!
  13. We finished off a great meal by ordering the carrot cake with ginger ice cream, which had amazing flavor.
drinks
90.90999603271484% positive
  1. Really great wine list, and the desserts were divine.
  2. So we said we would have a drink at the bar (the only redeaming quality or value in the whole place was the bartender and the big vodka sour she made me).
  3. It was busy so I understand it taking a little time for our second glass of wine or water, nothing too annoying.
  4. To some it may appear a bit more upscale than your token neighborhood haunt, but its the perfect spot to sit outside and sip wine and enjoy sushi or to bring your family for Easter brunch.
  5. Do not go if you are in a rush, as half the fun is the people watching, an the bar scene.
  6. We shared a great bottle of wine - La Croix St. Laurent - Sancerre.
  7. Decor is great but for $200.00 for two people and 1 glass of wine a piece.
  8. Aside from the Yuppies and Wannabes buzzing around the jam-packed bar, this is the place for an elegant, fresh seafood meal.
  9. The place is a little over-priced for brunch but it is a nice restaurant so that was expected Food (i had the omelette with cheddar, mushrooms and herbs), service, coffee, atmosphere were all fantastic.
  10. The wine was great.
  11. amazing fish, great atmosphere & good wine list.
food quality
87.5% positive
  1. The ambience isn't as interesting and the food wasn't as good as I remembered the others to be.
  2. The meal including dessert was fantastic.
  3. Recommended: appetizer calamari, beautifully deep-fried, but served with 2 awful sauces--ask for an alternative sauce.
  4. To some it may appear a bit more upscale than your token neighborhood haunt, but its the perfect spot to sit outside and sip wine and enjoy sushi or to bring your family for Easter brunch.
  5. The food was great too, especially the dessert.
  6. My friends LOVE the chopped salad too.
  7. Aside from the Yuppies and Wannabes buzzing around the jam-packed bar, this is the place for an elegant, fresh seafood meal.
  8. It is the best dish I've ever had at any restaurant that serves fish hands down.
  9. amazing fish, great atmosphere & good wine list.
  10. Our server was excellent and the food was wonderful.
  11. This place is good but food and service is presented for the masses, not much personalized service considering the price tag and that it is a full-evening-out type of dinner place.
  12. We especially loved the crabcake BLT, chopped salad and chocolate fondue.
  13. The lobster salad with the roasted peaches is amazing in the summer.
  14. enjoy great food but also what is important to me when I go out to dinner is a restaurant with a great atmosphere.
  15. fantastic sushi
  16. The food was excellent, our server Brenda was excellent, the mgmt was accomodating.
  17. This was the worst food imaginable!
  18. Thankfully the food and overall vibe there was enough to let our bad server dampen our mood.
  19. Our kind waitress Jacqulin was very helpful & kept our waters & bread basket full on a very warm holiday.
  20. One of the best meal experiences I've had in NY in a long time!
  21. great seafood
  22. Great service, very good food with ample portions.
  23. have enjoyed everything I have ever gotten and the fish is so fresh and always prepared in a great way.
  24. There was a nice atmosphere except for the few pompous patrons who looked way too gaudy or a lunch time meal, but overall its a great place to eat.
  25. The miso chilean sea bass roll was one of the best rolls I've ever had and the nori wrapped big eye tuna was a nice twist on a favorite dish.
  26. We started with the Florida Roll (crab and shrimp) which was paired with a delicious sauce.
  27. All dishes: appetizers, entrees, and deserts are delicious.
  28. upper east sides only good seafood place
  29. had the fish offering which had a very poor flavour and texture.
  30. The sushi and fish are amazingly fresh.
  31. Great fresh fish.
  32. The service is outstanding and my crab-cake eggs benedict could not have been better.
  33. Overall great seafood restaurant
  34. All the food was cold.
  35. Salad ingredients appeared nice and fresh.
  36. Outstanding crab cakes, excellent service!
  37. Fish was fresh tasting but not really tantilizing with flavor.
  38. Atlantic Grill has one of the best menus for fresh fish I've seen.
  39. Great food and selection
  40. Great service, great food, and great ambience.
  41. The seafood is fresh and delicious.
  42. Fresh fish was great, service and atmophere was great too.
  43. Best dish is nori-wrapped tuna.
  44. The food was incredible.
  45. The food is excellent, the service and ambiance equally up to its standards, just make sure to make reservations, this very popular and always crowded swanky restaurant can have long waits!
  46. The food is always superb and fresh with a great seafood selection.
  47. Thanks for a great meal!
  48. The food was absolutely lousy.
  49. Everythign we ordered was amazing and so fresh.
  50. The place is a little over-priced for brunch but it is a nice restaurant so that was expected Food (i had the omelette with cheddar, mushrooms and herbs), service, coffee, atmosphere were all fantastic.
  51. The food was alright, nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere itself was nice, very bright and sunny and a good place to take a client for lunch.
  52. live on the UES and always choose this place for a special occassion or a spontaneous dinner out with someone special when you want to truly be pampered with great food and service.
  53. LOVED LOVED LOVED the sushi, weird combinations that turn out to be absolutely fantastic, they change periodically but be sure to check them out!
  54. The fines herbes relish was delicious if not a bit on the oily side.
  55. Our food and service was amazing.
  56. Delicious food, great service, and a really great atmosphere.
  57. The food was delicious and I truly enjoyed my meal at this place.
  58. only had lunch here, but i had great shrimp and a spectacular lobster, and the dessert was heavenly.
  59. love eating at Atlantic Grill on Sundays since I always see folks I know AND the food is always great.
  60. We finished off a great meal by ordering the carrot cake with ginger ice cream, which had amazing flavor.
  61. When there is so much GREAT food in New York, why go for the high-priced mediocre meal?
  62. Best seafood on Upper East Side, Best service arguably in NYC
  63. The food is excellent.
  64. Everything was delicious!
  65. I've tried close to everything on the menu and recommend the crab cakes, spicy crunchy tuna roll (unreal) and the sea bass.
  66. Beautiful Chilled seafood platters (and I don't eat shellfish) that would make a Kosher person convert!
  67. The sushi is also great!
  68. The sushi, though some non traditional, is very good (try the house special sea bass roll ) As for entrees the sea bass and crab crusted snapper are my faves but the scallops are great too.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. I've tried close to everything on the menu and recommend the crab cakes, spicy crunchy tuna roll (unreal) and the sea bass.
  2. *There is a pre-theatre dinner menu for early diners that is of great value.
  3. Surprisingly, Atlantic Grill has one of the best Sunday brunch menus in the city.
  4. The food is always superb and fresh with a great seafood selection.
  5. Atlantic Grill has one of the best menus for fresh fish I've seen.
  6. Great food and selection
  7. would not go back, can think of many places serving the same quality, similar menu, for much more affordable prices, and more suiting atmosphere.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. enjoy great food but also what is important to me when I go out to dinner is a restaurant with a great atmosphere.
  2. This restaurant is such a great place.
  3. upper east sides only good seafood place
  4. The food was alright, nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere itself was nice, very bright and sunny and a good place to take a client for lunch.
  5. There was a nice atmosphere except for the few pompous patrons who looked way too gaudy or a lunch time meal, but overall its a great place to eat.
  6. The place is a little over-priced for brunch but it is a nice restaurant so that was expected Food (i had the omelette with cheddar, mushrooms and herbs), service, coffee, atmosphere were all fantastic.
  7. Overall great seafood restaurant
  8. It is the best dish I've ever had at any restaurant that serves fish hands down.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. would go back as long as I requested one of their best servers which I am sure they would do after we let them know what happened the first time.
  2. would not go back, can think of many places serving the same quality, similar menu, for much more affordable prices, and more suiting atmosphere.
service
82.81000137329102% positive
  1. Servers are attentive to this factor.
  2. Great service, great food, and great ambience.
  3. Decor is great but for $200.00 for two people and 1 glass of wine a piece.
  4. Our kind waitress Jacqulin was very helpful & kept our waters & bread basket full on a very warm holiday.
  5. The portions are now very small, the sauces are overly-ambitious & usually inedible & while the service is still good, the restaurant, due to its popularity, seems frantic.
  6. The hostess' manner was cold, rude and frankly, unacceptable.
  7. Outstanding crab cakes, excellent service!
  8. The service was good, not spectacular, but our waitress seemed like she just finished working at one of the bars around the corner, not a professional server by any means.
  9. Best seafood on Upper East Side, Best service arguably in NYC
  10. The service is outstanding and my crab-cake eggs benedict could not have been better.
  11. Delicious food, great service, and a really great atmosphere.
  12. Reasonable pricing & friendly service will for sure bring me back to Atlantic Grill - but then again, all the BRGuest resturaunts have really impressed me!
  13. Our food and service was amazing.
  14. Great service.
  15. Thankfully the food and overall vibe there was enough to let our bad server dampen our mood.
  16. Our server was excellent and the food was wonderful.
  17. This place is good but food and service is presented for the masses, not much personalized service considering the price tag and that it is a full-evening-out type of dinner place.
  18. live on the UES and always choose this place for a special occassion or a spontaneous dinner out with someone special when you want to truly be pampered with great food and service.
  19. Great service, very good food with ample portions.
  20. Fresh fish was great, service and atmophere was great too.
  21. The food was excellent, our server Brenda was excellent, the mgmt was accomodating.
  22. Reception at the front is rude.
  23. Do not go if you are in a rush, as half the fun is the people watching, an the bar scene.
  24. Have gone to AG over past several years, but the service at dinner tonight was so painfully slow that they've lost me as a customer forever.
  25. have eaten here for nearly three years, with firends with family, the service is great attentive and informed, perfect for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
  26. would go back as long as I requested one of their best servers which I am sure they would do after we let them know what happened the first time.
  27. The food is excellent, the service and ambiance equally up to its standards, just make sure to make reservations, this very popular and always crowded swanky restaurant can have long waits!
  28. Yet, my party was seated seated promptly, and our waiter was very attentive.
  29. loved the place, our server was very attentive and effective, serving and removing quickly and always asking if there was anything else we needed and how everything was.
  30. So we said we would have a drink at the bar (the only redeaming quality or value in the whole place was the bartender and the big vodka sour she made me).
  31. The place is a little over-priced for brunch but it is a nice restaurant so that was expected Food (i had the omelette with cheddar, mushrooms and herbs), service, coffee, atmosphere were all fantastic.
  32. The service is not very good, but I find that we try Atlantic Grill at least once a year.
value
100.0% positive
  1. Great service, very good food with ample portions.
  2. So we said we would have a drink at the bar (the only redeaming quality or value in the whole place was the bartender and the big vodka sour she made me).
  3. *There is a pre-theatre dinner menu for early diners that is of great value.
  4. Reasonable pricing & friendly service will for sure bring me back to Atlantic Grill - but then again, all the BRGuest resturaunts have really impressed me!
  5. The portions are now very small, the sauces are overly-ambitious & usually inedible & while the service is still good, the restaurant, due to its popularity, seems frantic.
  6. The prices are very reasonable.
  7. would not go back, can think of many places serving the same quality, similar menu, for much more affordable prices, and more suiting atmosphere.
  8. This place is good but food and service is presented for the masses, not much personalized service considering the price tag and that it is a full-evening-out type of dinner place.
wait time
75.0% positive
  1. Have gone to AG over past several years, but the service at dinner tonight was so painfully slow that they've lost me as a customer forever.
  2. The food is excellent, the service and ambiance equally up to its standards, just make sure to make reservations, this very popular and always crowded swanky restaurant can have long waits!
  3. would go back as long as I requested one of their best servers which I am sure they would do after we let them know what happened the first time.
  4. One of the best meal experiences I've had in NY in a long time!
1 Star Rating: Poor

08/05/10

Wake up!

by brklyn80 at Citysearch

The rude management and staff made me feel as if I was downtown at a swank hotspot. Well AG you are not.

You are pretty much an overpriced chain restaurant on the UES. We were greeted by a rude hostess that looked like she hated her life, and the manager was giving us dirty looks while we were waiting at the heavily crowded bar. Our server seemed like she stepped off the dumb train, she was not knowledgeable about the fish at all. How hard can it be to know the consistency of a white fish!?

The food was ok and predictable. The white linens on the tables were wrinkled and there was dust or residue on my wine glass. The prices were way too steep for the frozen vacuum packed fish. The only highlight of the meal was a sushi roll.

Will never go back, and I definitely do not recommend this place for families. They are not accommodating!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/06/10

UES Classic

by prlgirl , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

Atlantic Grill is one of those restaurants that seems to fit in every category- outdoor seating, special occassions, groups, and so much more. Sitting at the bar you can tell there are a lot of repeat customers that know the bartenders and hosts. To some it may appear a bit more upscale than your token neighborhood haunt, but its the perfect spot to sit outside and sip wine and enjoy sushi or to bring your family for Easter brunch. I came here for just that recently as their brunch is a favorite of mine. They have a nice selection of omelettes, salads, sandwiches and pancakes. While there was a crowd waiting to sit outside, we were happy to dine indoors given our group. The meal including dessert was fantastic. We especially loved the crabcake BLT, chopped salad and chocolate fondue. Unfortunately, our server was no where to be found for most of the meal and forgot to bring our appetizer. Thankfully the food and overall vibe there was enough to let our bad server dampen our mood. Always worth repeat visits.

  • Pros: Food, outdoor seating
  • Cons: Hit or Miss service
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/15/09

Worst service ever -- WORST EVER!!!

by Cloche at Citysearch

Have gone to AG over past several years, but the service at dinner tonight was so painfully slow that they've lost me as a customer forever. I should have know we were in for the dinner from hell when our family arrived for an early Sunday dinner at 5 p.m. and the place was relatively empty and it still took more than a half hour to get the waitress's attention and get a menue. Hours later, when the place was full, it took much longer to get the bill and finally escape. Never again!

  • Cons: Slow service
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/21/09

3 RATS

by agmfoodie at Citysearch

last time I went or early dinner with kids I saw 3 rats nibbling in the corner. can you believe it!!!! I used to go each week for sushi and white wine. gone are those days.

  • Pros: OPEN AIR UES destination
  • Cons: Filthy
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/12/09

Great Bar Restaurant for Solo Diners

by agiver at Citysearch

The bartender, Dan, was exceptional!

  • Pros: Service, Food Quality, Price
  • Cons: More bar sitting

The Details on Atlantic Grill

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great service
  • great outdoor atmosphere
  • great place
  • fresh fish
  • very attentive server
  • worst food
  • nice seafood restaurant
  • fantastic sushi
  • clean everything
  • great seafood
  • not quite as good atlantic grill
  • amazing flavor
  • best dish
  • recommend best sea bass
  • best sunday brunch menus
  • awful sauce
  • amazing everythign
  • much more affordable prices
  • memorable nothing
  • only order nori tuna
  • divine dessert
  • nice ambience
  • great fresh seafood meal
  • really great wine
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