Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
A cheese lovers' paradise, with a good selection of economical wines to match.
(347) 448-4743
310 W 53rd St
(at 8th Avenue)
New York,
NY
10019
40.7643
-73.9851
Neighborhoods: Midtown, Clinton
Hours:
Daily 5pm-12am
Price:
$$$
Last updated 4.30.09
What People Are Saying About Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
The Owner
Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
Owner
Located in Manhattan's Time Square theater district, the chef owned and operated Swizz provides an intriguing menu of European infusion cooking with influences from Switzerland, Italy, France and America.
Upscale and casually elegant, the menu offers traditional Swiss dishes such as cheese fondue and the very special raclette cheese, as well as seafood and other international creations including vegetarian dishes. The wine bar offers a great selection of international wines at reasonable prices.
We're Open for Lunch for Groups of 10 people and more.
We also offer GIFT CERTIFICATES - Call or email us for more info!
The Editor
Kathleen Squires
Citysearch
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.
User Reviews
nycjoyboy
January 26, 2009
I was looking for an interesting choice for a restaurant to celebrate my birthday. I found Swizz through an online search, and obsessively checked as many reviews as possible. (one of the guests in our party is notoriously "difficult" in his food opinions.) I must say that the entire evening was excellent. From the professionalism to the response of my online reservation, I sensed this would be a great evening, and I was not disappointed. Upon arrival, the host was incredibly warm and charming (and good looking too!) And helped us choose a nice Riesling as we waited for our guests to arrive. We decided to have fondue for each course (Cheese, Chinoise, and Chocolate). The cheese fondue (Napoleon) was gorgeous! It had a perfect consistency and had depth of flavor that was not overpowering. Clearly, excellent quality of ingredients went into the dish. (As a side note, my partner who really hates cheese gave the Napoleon a try and loved it!) and we decided to try the Raclette, which was very good, and a unique taste of the traditional Swiss dish. For Desert, we had the Toblerone and the Jacques Torres. Both of which were both euphoric. The ambiance of the space is perfectly comfortable, and the staff is incredibly accommodating. A lovely menu without being too fussy. Perfect for conversation and enjoying each other?s company. This was a great experience. Highly recommended. I'll absolutely return.
read full review
HeyNow15
January 26, 2009
The food was very very bland. Our fondue had had almost no flavor, and the sauces were decent but didn't overcome the blandness. It wasn't that the food was bad... it just wasn't really anything. It definitely was not worth the $100 tab for two people. If you're looking to spend this kind of money, I would strongly recommend going elsewhere. Also, the place smelled like stale cheese.
read full review
ploomis
October 25, 2008
I'm not really a fan. Bad ser vice for one. We ordered a few courses and from appetizers to entrees we had to wait forever. They had cleared one an it was literally 20 minutes before anything else came out. That normal? I know we're supposed to savor the wine but I wasn't e ven that into the wine. I don't know what our server was doing but she seemed more interested in talking to the other servers than in helping us. And they weren't e ven busy so it's completely inexcusable.
read full reviewThe Details on Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
What to Drink:
Order from the "wine wall," a broad selection all priced at $24/bottle, $8/glass. There's a well-priced reserve list, too.
Fun Fact:
Chocolatier 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.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Family-Friendly Dining, Romantic Dining, Private Rooms, Theater District Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining, Bar Scene
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
In garden
Message from Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
- Authentic Swiss dishes
- Extensive wine list
- Catering available
Located in Manhattan's Time Square theater district, the chef owned and operated Swizz provides an intriguing menu of European infusion cooking with influences from Switzerland, Italy, France and America.
Upscale and casually elegant, the menu offers traditional Swiss dishes such as cheese fondue and the very special raclette cheese, as well as seafood and other international creations including vegetarian dishes. The wine bar offers a great selection of international wines at reasonable prices.
We're Open for Lunch for Groups of 10 people and more.
We also offer GIFT CERTIFICATES - Call or email us for more info!
