Dovetail

Recommends

Alexis Korman

Joined 5 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. It can be easy to miss this understated eatery--located inside a 100-year-old building on the Upper West Side--which would be a mistake, considering it offers some of the most elegant, market-driven cooking this side of Napa Valley. Here, chef John Fraser (French Laundry, Taillevent in Paris) works his magic on sophisticated dishes like tender beef cheek lasagna, a brussel sprout salad with Bartlett pear, and decadent crab ravioli. Where the menu looks to farm-fresh ingredients for inspiration, the recently expanded dining room follows suit, outfitted in a soft palate of grays, blues and greens--along with maple wood touches--for a natural effect.

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Julie Qiu

Joined 3 years ago

Few dining experiences are this harmonious. My tastebuds were blown away! I enjoyed a terrific Restaurant Week dinner at Dovetail with a friend. The menu is tailored to showcase the restaurant's vision and skills (unlike other restaurants that just serve smaller portions of their usual dishes). Loved the Rabbit Mille Feuille (a must-try, especially if you love terrine), Hanger Steak (seared to med-rare perfection), and Vanilla Panna Cotta (was like a party in my mouth, Almond Bread Pudding is also great). The meal also consisted of an amuse bouche, white cheddar cornbread scones, a refreshing palette cleanser of aloe vera gelee and rosehip shavings, and petit fours to finish. Dovetail doesn't skimp on the details nor lag in service. Courses were well timed, flavors/temperatures on key, and ambiance is ultra comfortable (not stuffy, pretentious or on edge).

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foodie3462

Joined 4 years ago

Fun Sunday Night Suppa. I went on a Sunday to try the supposed pri fixe that I had heard about. The menu, to my surprise, was absolutely fantastic. Portions were a little small but I understand the pri fixe thing so won't judge on that. The crudo was awesome and my friend had the duck "goulash" which was nothing like what you would expect, with a beauitful broken egg on top! Can't wait to go back for the regular menu!

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islesglass

Joined 5 years ago

About Time UWS!!. Been to Dovetail twice. Once did a la Carte. Once did the tasting menu (which is now $88.) Being a complete foodie, I found Dovetail one of the most interesting menus I've experienced, with what appears to be simple food, but instead offers an excellent tasting experience. Though the first time I did a la carte and was blown away, I recommend the prix fixed because it offers the most flavor for the dollar. Add to the fact they bring out many extras during the meal, I think it was the best tasting I've experienced in NYC. Also, the restaurant was more that willing to swap out meat dishes for more fish, something most won't do.

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JonRoss15

Joined 5 years ago

A great addition to NYC dining. I live on the UWS and I took my family here when they came into town. It was close by and I read a lot of great reviews. As soon as we sat down, the waiter brought us some warm cornbread to start. They also gave us sparkling wine which I thought was a nice touch. My favorite dishes of the night were the potato gnocchi, crab ravioli and the red snapper. I expected ?pretty food? and was pleased by the healthy portion size and delicious flavor pairings. The bread pudding and carrot cake for dessert were winners. We were all impressed with the food and thought the service was perfectly nice. Glasses were always filled, the timing between courses was good and the manager stopped by frequently to check in. I would definitely go again ? the whole family had a great time.

Doesn't Recommend

kaalel

Joined 6 years ago

Heavy on the salt. I'm not sure what I was eating, I've never eaten that much salt before in my life. The soup, and the entree had too much salt. Additionally they tried to jam as many tables in as possible. I kept having my seat kicked in by the staff everytime they walked by. Sadly they were never around when i needed water to wash down the salt. If you're looking for a nice atmosphere, so-so service, salty food that Dovetail is the place to go.

Doesn't Recommend

jjjkleats

Joined 5 years ago

"OUCH" OOPS THAT WAS THE SOUP!!!. My very good friend Fred had very hot soup poured all over him on Saturday night. It wasn't even his soup. The staff had the order wrong and to correct the confusion they mistakenly poured the bowl on Fred. Our waitress did not know any of this and asked "how is everything?" She walked away and did not clean up the mess that was left under the table dripping all over the now clean Fred. The manager tried to be helpful by saying to Fred well you did not seem mad. It was really difficult to enjoy the meal. There are many other restaurants to go to where they don't spill the soup.l. Telepan for example.

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md2059

Joined 6 years ago

Great UWS Restaurant. My husband and I went to Dovetail on a Sunday night. We were able to get a reservation on a few hours' notice. On Sundays, Dovetail serves a $38 prix fixe dinner. The food was amazing from the amouse bouche of salmon caviar and sour cream to the divine miniature red velvet cupcakes we were given after dessert and the small containers of homemade peanut butter granola we got to take home. The service was warm and attentive, but unobtrusive. We really liked the cozy, inviting ambiance, and the crowd was a nice mix of people. Dovetail is a terrific addition to the UWS restaurant scene and we will definitely be back for both, the Sunday prix fixe and the regular menu nights.

If you go on Sunday, I would highly recommend the pork belly and the gnocchi with veal short ribs appetizers (the latter well worth the $8 supp) and the yoghurt panna cotta dessert served with candied grapefruit and grapefruit sorbet.

Doesn't Recommend

Chefecita

Joined 5 years ago

The evening started!! by asking a wine in the list that they didn't have..... and then the dinner started by the most awfull and greassy plates on nyc

sorry my dear chef , butter and animal fat are out of fashion, ow people want to eat beautiful balance plates, it's ok to have flavour but to much fat can be hazardous for digestion

te worst dinner in nyc

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Justin Hartung

Joined 9 years ago

Chef John Fraser whips up culinary flights of fancy in an Upper West Side townhouse.. Although this Upper West Side restaurant is located just blocks from Central Park, the design of the townhouse space is anything but lush. Instead, the overall aesthetic is subdued, with a color scheme that leans heavily on brown, beige and gray--maybe the park in winter? As if making up for the restrained dining room, the New American plates of chef John Fraser burst with color, starting with a kaleidoscopic "wings" appetizer composed of skate, chicken, gigante beans and orange slices. But it's the simplest dishes that taste best, including lean duck breast accompanied by velvety risotto and ultra-rare lamb sided with fluffy tabouleh.