Brasserie 8 1/2
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 829-0812
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- Directions:
- F at 57th St; N, R at 57th; E at 53rd
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-11pm, Sat 5:30pm-11pm, Sun 11am-3pm, 5:30pm-9pm
Editorial Review for Brasserie 8 1/2 – by Kiri Tannenbaum
In Short
A sweeping spiral staircase allows everyone to make a grand entrance at this subterranean spot. The space is blessed with two bars--one near the lounge rotunda filled with low slung leather chairs; the other stretches the length of the spacious and colorful dining room. Executive Chef Julian Alonzo, a Bouley disciple, cooks new American cuisine with French and Asian influences. Zucchini blossoms and crab cake are among the first courses, with arctic char, roasted pig, filet mignon as entrees.
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Insider Tips
Know Before You GoThe staircase was featured in an episode of "Sex and the City" where Carrie Bradshaw cleverly pointed out the ladies who were dressed to the nines at Brasserie 8 1/2.
When to GoOn Sundays the lounge converts to an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet equipped with carving and crepe stations, accompanied by live jazz band---all for a mere $27 per person.
The ExtrasAn attached dessert bar, called After 8.5, is open Tue-Sat from 8:30pm until closing, and serves sweets to be shared, cocktails, dessert wines, ports, champagnes, coffees and teas.
User Reviews for Brasserie 8 1/2
09/10/2008 Posted by citysearcher123
I've been here a few times now (dinner only), and every time has been a good experience. The service has been fairly attentive and the food is beautifully presented. It has been a bit empty on a couple occassions during prime time, which we found surprising. Overall, I like the ambiance and although I enjoy trying new restaurants, I wouldn't mind going back to this one again!
07/28/2008 Posted by chiway
I went and had the restaurant week menu at this swank, well-appointed American French midtown place for borderline trying-too-hard-to-be-classy-cool diners either trying to impress hot dates who are probably out of their league, or going with friends using their daddies' Amex cards, or bored business men at the tail end of their midlife crisis, or Lawrence Fishburne who happened to be at an adjacent table. Although this certainly isn't my type of place, I have to admit the food tastes good. There was the simple crabmeat salad on brioche toast which was not really all that interesting but ultimately effective as an appetizer, whetting the appetite and generating curious anticipation for the next course. The lobster risotto was near flawless. Creamy, perfectly textured, and flavored in smile-inducing fashion. The grilled quail was rather pedestrian but satisfactorily flavored as to provide a pleasant bone sucking experience. Medallions of duck was slightly overcooked but I enjoyed how it was paired with duck confit to create variety of flavor and texture using the same protein on one dish. The crusted sea bass was cooked well and left moist with well-complementing sides (asparagus and mashed potatoes). And although I'm not big on sweets, I thoroughly enjoyed my peach shortcake. It sounds like a lot of food, but we were served very small portions and 3 courses each (I shared some of the dishes with my friend). The dishes weren't on the regular menu, but from this tasting, I feel like I can say the kitchen is comprised of extremely competent cooks who know how to execute a good plate of food. However, after scanning the regular menu which failed to impress in relation to the pricing and spending 60 a person including wine, tax, and tip for a half-filled stomach, I left feeling that this is just another "I Wanna Be Trendy, Modern and Overpriced" superficial New American / French joint which has wasted a talented kitchen crew in trying to be too cool.
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