Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 810-4444
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- 8th Avenue
- Directions:
- B, D; E at 7th Ave
- Hours:
- Daily 5pm-12am
Message from Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
Cheese Fondue, Raclette, Chocolate Fondue, Pastas, Steaks, Seafood....
- Authentic Swiss dishes
- Extensive wine list
- Catering available
Paid advertisement by Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Editorial Review for Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar – by Kathleen Squires
The Scene
A welcoming, open facade leads to a bi-level interior decorated gallery-style with the works of noted local artists such as James de la Vega. Wine is prominent, either in pours from the subterranean wine cave or as decoration along the street-level dining room walls filled with Hell's Kitchen locals.
The Food
Though much of the menu draws from border countries with the likes of pasta, cordon bleu and schnitzel, dishes that involve cheese are best. A crusty hunk of toasted French bread smothered in melted Swiss and garnished with caramelized onions is a great shareable starter and kirsch-kicked fondue has the perfect consistency. The raclette, gruyere-like cheese heated over an open flame and scraped off the wheel as it melts, oozes with a touch of smokiness and is a hard-to-find highlight. Stray only for the rich Jacques Torres chocolate fondue, with its array of fresh fruit and marshmallows. It alone is worth the visit.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
What to DrinkOrder from the "wine wall," a broad selection all priced at $24/bottle, $8/glass. There's a well-priced reserve list, too.
Fun FactChocolatier Jacques Torres eats here so often he has two specials named after him. One's sauteed wild mushrooms and roesti potatoes topped with raclette cheese, and the other is a chocolate fondue. Visit his Manhattan store.
User Reviews for Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
07/26/2008 Posted by lalalala2nyc
We went here for a friend's bday to have fondue. The appetizers came and the food was OK. We'd ordered a bottle of wine and I drank about a half glass and my friend about a fourth when we both ended up with fruit flies in our glasses. We alerted who I think was the host - some small, weird Swiss guy. Anyway he basically said he would either give us each a different glass of wine each (remember we still had most of our bottle left), simply remove the flies from the glass and bring them back to us (the most suprising and disgusting option presented) or we would have to pay for a whole new bottle. It was so weird. I've never had an experience like this in a restaurant. Normally they would just replace the bottle no questions asked. We certainly didn't put the flies in our glasses. This little Swiss midget basically told us the flies would just come back so we have to pay fhalf for the open bottle plus the new one. It was really a weird and uncomfortable situation. To the waiter's credit he ended up bringing us glasses of wine and discounted the bottle 15% not what most places would do but better than having a fly removed from your glass and brought back to you. The food was OK but someone in our group said the fondue smelled like a$$. Later on our stomaches were doing a dance. We probably should have gone to Artisinal but the reviews on here weren't so great so we thought Swizz would be good. Honestly, I would skip this place the food was just OK and this place is just too weird and gross to even bother with. Honestly, with options like we were presented with about the flies who knows what else goes on this place. Yuck. If you want low-key fondue and drinks try Honey on 14th Street.
Pros: We have a odd and somewhat funny story to tell and our waiter was nice
Cons: Everything else
05/27/2008 Posted by Gregwinter
I was there on a date and it was an OK setting. It was dark and romantic inside with the red lined walls but it felt overdone. The front area of the bar was cramped but there were plenty of seats in the back.
