Fig & Olive Downtown
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 924-1200
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Between Washington Street and 9th Avenue
- Directions:
- A, C, E at 14th St; L at 8th Ave
- Hours:
- Mon-Tue 11:30am-12am, Wed-Fri 11:30am-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-12am
Editorial Review for Fig & Olive Downtown – by Katie Heffernan
The Scene
When this Upper East Side boite decided to go big-box in the Meatpacking District, a welcome semblance of intimacy came with it. A glowing tower of olive oil and wine divides the sand-and-clay-colored expanse in two, and pots of rosemary bushes separate one group of tables from the next. Polished patrons are attentively served, making the space seem even cozier.
The Food
An opening trio of French, Spanish and Italian olive oils provides an unadulterated first taste--one to be savored, since subtleties can become muddled in later dishes. The goat cheese, fig and ham carpaccio is a small decadence, but better overlooked for a light start. Raw salmon and shrimp salad is all seafood, sweetness and citrus. Penne funghi gets an all-too-generous drizzle of truffle oil, while thyme chicken with artichoke tapenade brightens with a lemon infusion. There's no olive oil ice cream, but lavender creme brulee is unexpectedly tasty.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
When to GoMake your trip in-season (spring through early summer) when the restaurant uses fresh figs.
What to DrinkThere's talent behind the bar, and the specialty Wet Cucumber hits just the right note of ginger. Wines hail from the same three regions as the oils, with roughly 25 by the glass and 35 by the bottle.
Where to SitGet a different experience by saddling up to the communal table near the open kitchen, or being tucked away in the breezy, gauze-covered far corner. Warm-weather seekers will want one of the 35 seats on the patio.
The ExtrasRead the reviews of the uptown location.
User Reviews for Fig & Olive Downtown
05/12/2008 Posted by texintheicity
Attended a birthday dinner with 6 others last Saturday night. Food was decent, & thought the waitress was very attentive and helpful, especially when their smoke alarm kept going off throughout dinner. Unfortunately, they charged my debit card twice - once for my portion of the bill, once for the remainder of the entire group bill! I had to call 6 times to get this mistake corrected. The first manager I spoke with, Olivia, tried to tell me that ALL banks in Manhattan hold the full bill amount on each card when they split the check. The second manager I spoke with, a Ms. Hanson, tried to say that only MY bank (Wachovia) does this, but promised she would call Wachovia to correct the mistake, thus releasing the funds being held. Not only did she call me back and LIE, saying she had corrected the problem with Wachovia (after first complaining to me that Wachovia had the audacity to place her on hold) when in fact she had not called them, but she also said that I should be content to wait 4-5 days for the check hold to drop off my acct, saying that "MOST of our customers are fine with that." So basically she implied that I must be poor because I didn't want hundreds of dollars being held for 4-5 days because of THEIR mistake!!!! For being in the hospitality industry, her customer service skills could certainly use some improvement. Good luck splitting a check here! I won't be taking my business or my debit card back to Fig & Olive.
03/03/2008 Posted by kallenyc
I like this place: the location, decor and food. Service was a bit on the slow side but, more than anything, this place is LOUD. Be prepared to shout all evening at your tablemates and if you're in a large group, don't count on being in on any conversation more than one person away from you. We were a group of six women and would have had a MUCH better time if the music were turned down a lot, especially since at least one of us had a cold. On the other hand, if you're dining with someone who's a poor conversationalist but looks great, this place is perfect! You can look at them amidst nice ambience over a good meal and check out everyone else as it's semi-interesting people watching.
Pros: Location, Ambience, Food
Cons: Slow Service, Too Loud
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