Annisa
(212) 741-6699
13 Barrow St
New York,
NY
10014
40.7325
-74.0027
Neighborhoods: Downtown, West Village
What People Are Saying About Annisa
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Co-owner Jennifer Scism once helped oversee the front of the house at Chanterelle, and that restaurant's spirit of elegance is clearly a source of inspiration. The airy, minimally-adorned room features buttercream walls and wood floors. The folds of a large white curtain run along one wall. Pools of soft white light created by the flicker of small candles abound.
The Food
An idiosyncratic, occasionally freewheeling style of intelligent New American haute cuisine is on offer. Chef Anita Lo can make the volume of her flavors go from a delicate purr to a scabrous growl on a dime, often within the span of a single dish. An assertively-seasoned lamb tenderloin, for example, finds its foil in cooling yogurt and cucumber, while wafer-thin sheets of raw tuna juxtapose the oniony pang of pink radishes.
User Reviews
philli1
March 23, 2008
i went with my parents and brother for easter dinner. my brother had the only vegetarian option- an eggplant dish- which for $25 was 2 pieces of eggplant, yogurt sauce, and a tiny pile of lentils. my dad had the lamb, 4 small pieces which were overly salty, and my mom and i had the colbi which was by far the best entree but again, the portion was tiny for the price- a small piece of fish with 5 baby carrots. for dessert we had the apple tart, which was tasty but nothing spectacular. overall the restaurant was overrated and expensive.
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ismaelq
December 18, 2007
I took a dear friend to Annisa for a special occasion. Our first impression: the place was loud. We got a nice table, but it wasn't until a few of them emptied that conversing ceased to feel like an unnecessarily loud indulgence. Annisa seems to have an acoustics problem. The good news is: acoustics may be the least solvable of its ambiance-related problems. The restaurant has surprisingly dirty--in some areas filthy--walls that dim lighting does very little to hide and the quality of the food not enough to help one forget. It only takes a short round-trip to the bathroom to notice the magnitude of the problem. I find it simply unnacceptable that an otherwise decent restaurant, Michelin-starred no less, let itself go like this. Decorator/painter needed!!!! Some people assume, often correctly, that a restaurant's physical exterior reflects its interior, namely the kitchen. I tend to agree; moreover, I believe that it affects staff morale, as in our waitress, who rarely cracked a welcoming, I-like-my-job, tip-me-well, come-again smile--not a hypocrite, I guess. For appetizers, we had the seared foie gras with soup dumplings and the scallops with sea urchin. Since my friend had had the original Chinese soup dumplings hot, Annisa's version seemed cold and unremarkable to her. I'd say they were room-temperature dumplings a foie-gras slice above the rest. My scallops, on the other hand, resembled a lotus flower in presentation and mythological effect: a plesant drowsiness catalyzed by the silky freshness of a Pinot Nero, an excellent red to start and match light seafood with. However, I must say that this dish in particular could reach new heights if served at least warm. For entrees, my friend had the skate and I the lamb (matched w/ a full-bodied Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon). Both offered simple yet refined textures that formed the idealized memories of home-made classics. Our dessert was a well-balanced chocolate biscuit w/banana mousse.
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johnjohn88
December 09, 2007
12/8/07 dinner at 8. Made convenient online reservation. Took female friend out to dinner. Seated w/i 2 minutes of arrival. Never heard of this place until I the day before I had dinner here. Selected this place based on the positive citysearch reviews here. These positive reviews are all on the money as I agree w/ them. Relaxing place w/o being pretentious. Waitstaff helped us select a very good wine. Nice wine list. The food is a given. That is, the food is very good. The menu is short: about 8-10 appetizers & 8-10 main courses. Thus. I don't think u can go wrong. The highest compliment I can pay is that I would bring a date to Annisa. Yeah, this is from a guy's perspective. Female friend also liked Annisa too. Good crowd. Had a good time.
read full reviewThe Details on Annisa
What to Drink:
An array of wines by the glass and a strong sommelier make for epiphanic accompaniments.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Discover, Visa, Diners Club, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Quiet, Online Reservations, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar, Prix Fixe Menu
