(212) 334-2426

265 Elizabeth St (nr. E. Houston St.)
New York, NY 10012 40.7238 -73.9938

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Neighborhoods: NoLita, Downtown

American

Hours:

Mon-Thu 5:30pm–12am

Fri 5:30pm–2am

Sat 11am–4pm, 5:30pm–2am

Sun 11am–4pm, 5:30pm–12am

Last updated 4.14.11

Category:

Restaurants, Liquor Stores

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Online Reservations, Outdoor Dining, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Tapas / Small Plates, New American

Dress Code:

Casual

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Elizabeth

Featured Review

Jessica Allen

Contributor

Owners Jeff Mancini and Sam Martinez made over their neighborhoody Rialto into something a little splashier, complete with three perpetually packed spaces: a bar area, a cozy middle room and a cedar-lined patio with a retractable roof. It’s not all about the scene, though; the restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine including an artisanal cheese plate and beef tartare as starters and fried chicken with cheddar cheese grits and steak frites with a brandy cream sauce as entrées. Burger options range from veggie to bacon to Mediterranean lamb. Save room for dessert; sweet offerings…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Don't feel like dealing with the scene? Have your food delivered. The delivery area is defined north and south by Bond Street and Spring Street and east and west by Thompson Street and Chrystie Street; also, there is a $20 minimum.
Save Money:
For such a trendy place, it certainly has its fair share of deals: get half off bottles of wine on Sundays, a $25 two-course prix fixe meal with a glass of wine on Mondays and a $10 lunch special including soup or salad plus half a sandwich during the week.
What to Drink:
Wash down your meal with a handcrafted cocktail like the Midnight Tea (tea-infused gin with lemon juice and egg whites) or the Besos (chocolate-infused tequila, basil, agave and strawberries).
ambiance
90.62999725341797% positive
  1. “Also, if you are looking for a fun brunch option, this is also a great location.”
  2. “atmosphere was great, as was the service.”
  3. “excellent decor and ambiance, great bar tender with an appreciation for fin liquor.”
  4. “You are immediately captured by the stunning and romantic design.”
  5. “From the extremely chic decor to the yummy food, this place is a home run.”
  6. “Anyway, I've been recommending this place to everyone whether looking for a fun drink at a low key, but fun-crowd bar OR looking for a totally decadent, scrumptious meal with chic, but not overly done ambience, and have only heard thanks in return.”
  7. “Lackluster food, terrible service, completely generic decor, an F-list crowd and absolutely nothing worth coming back for.”
  8. “The staff was nice and the decor refreshing but I'll take a great meal over a card room any day.”
  9. “The place has an amazing decor and overall vibe.”
  10. “The new decor is dramatically different than that of its predecessor and a huge plus.”
  11. “The black and white mosaics and dim lighting sets the mood for a romantic dinner for two.”
  12. “Atmosphere was fun, with a well dressed and up market crowd.”
  13. “Modern decor, good service and mediocre food”
  14. “All I can say is what an amazing place, from the lovely staff to the beautiful atmosphere I had an absolute great time!”
  15. “came here for a birthday/ladies night and we tried every cocktail on the list, AND enjoyed some very attractive people watching from our corner booth view :) The design of each room has a different feel so each time you go, you can have a completely dif”
  16. “It's such a great place, lots of interesting people an a lot of fun.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Others had french toast and waffles with fresh fruit and chantilly cream - also delicious.”
  2. “The dessert did it too, both the cheese plate and the excellent coconut custard with a novelty for me at least, black sesame ice cream.”
  3. “seriously the best fried chicken I ever had, my dessert was also killer, some crepe thing that blew my mind.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Great creative cocktails, hip crowd and great service.”
  2. “The space is nice though, so would recommend for drinks only.”
  3. “Met a friend here last night for a drink and decided to stay for dinner, wasn't that busy but had great vibe.”
  4. “Bartender was pouring some seriously good cocktails - try the cucumber tequila one - much more heft than your standard fruity summer cocktail.”
  5. “We made the best of it and ordered drinks, which were all very good.”
  6. “They have an interesting drink menu unlike what you typically see in NYC.”
  7. “The cocktails are really good too.”
  8. “Anyway, I've been recommending this place to everyone whether looking for a fun drink at a low key, but fun-crowd bar OR looking for a totally decadent, scrumptious meal with chic, but not overly done ambience, and have only heard thanks in return.”
  9. “excellent decor and ambiance, great bar tender with an appreciation for fin liquor.”
  10. “This place is amazing- great food and fantastic drinks.”
  11. “While initially lured by the dangerously delicious cocktails, I now return again and again because of cravings for certain items on the menu.”
  12. “Incredible drinks”
  13. “They also have a really cool (but not overly crowded) bar scene for before or after dinner.”
  14. “and the drinks were excellent!”
  15. “The bartender made the perfect drink for me.”
food quality
91.94000244140625% positive
  1. “My friend enjoyed her steak as well.”
  2. “While initially lured by the dangerously delicious cocktails, I now return again and again because of cravings for certain items on the menu.”
  3. “The food in this restaurant is so good that I felt compelled to write about it.”
  4. “The staff was nice and the decor refreshing but I'll take a great meal over a card room any day.”
  5. “had eaten here before and had a perfectly pleasant meal, but the scene and food quality seem to have vanished.”
  6. “The patio space is beautiful -- perfect spot for weekend brunch, which I've tried and loved (the bacon is insanely good, trust me)!”
  7. “The food was good too.”
  8. “Anyway, I've been recommending this place to everyone whether looking for a fun drink at a low key, but fun-crowd bar OR looking for a totally decadent, scrumptious meal with chic, but not overly done ambience, and have only heard thanks in return.”
  9. “LOVE the fried cheese burger and last time I had the tuna.”
  10. “The food is excellent.”
  11. “Ive been to hundreds of restaurants in Manhattan, but have never tasted such interesting, delicious food in my life.”
  12. “Not too crowded when I went, and the food was not bad.”
  13. “Modern decor, good service and mediocre food”
  14. “use citysearch as my primary source for tasty recommendations.”
  15. “Others had french toast and waffles with fresh fruit and chantilly cream - also delicious.”
  16. “thought the food was great and so was the space, but the service needs some work.”
  17. “seriously the best fried chicken I ever had, my dessert was also killer, some crepe thing that blew my mind.”
  18. “What amazed me about this place, aside from the food, was how nice hosts were.”
  19. “My husband tried several of the other small plates - delicious as well.”
  20. “From the extremely chic decor to the yummy food, this place is a home run.”
  21. “The cheeseburger, fries and Elizabeth cocktail were fantastic.”
  22. “There is a little for eveyone, the burger will fill you up and the tuna is great to hold you over if you are not that hungry.”
  23. “We sat in the card room and we enjoyed the food and the cool vibe of the place.”
  24. “Huge grass fed beauty with sesame seed bun, special sauce, lettuce, and a crispy cheddar wheel that looks like it landed from space sticking out from the bun.”
  25. “We had the hamachi crudo, great flavors, and the steak tartare, which was unfortunately mixed, was pleasant enough.”
  26. “Garlic fries were perfect too.”
  27. “everything is delicious, including the crowd”
  28. “This place is amazing- great food and fantastic drinks.”
  29. “good food”
  30. “Lackluster food, terrible service, completely generic decor, an F-list crowd and absolutely nothing worth coming back for.”
  31. “Went back for dinner and brunch- food was delicious, innovative without being fussy.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “They have an interesting drink menu unlike what you typically see in NYC.”
  2. “They have great options if you want a satisfying entree for yourself or plenty of smaller options if you want to share with friends.”
  3. “The four of us had to order almost everything on the very limited menu and decided that it was just okay.”
  4. “While initially lured by the dangerously delicious cocktails, I now return again and again because of cravings for certain items on the menu.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “great place!”
  2. “It's such a great place, lots of interesting people an a lot of fun.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “Anyway, I've been recommending this place to everyone whether looking for a fun drink at a low key, but fun-crowd bar OR looking for a totally decadent, scrumptious meal with chic, but not overly done ambience, and have only heard thanks in return.”
  2. “While initially lured by the dangerously delicious cocktails, I now return again and again because of cravings for certain items on the menu.”
service
86.84000015258789% positive
  1. “The space was beautiful and comfortably held all of my guests (~80-100 people when it was most busy).”
  2. “The place was filled with beautiful people but not in a pretentious way.”
  3. “Modern decor, good service and mediocre food”
  4. “came here for a birthday/ladies night and we tried every cocktail on the list, AND enjoyed some very attractive people watching from our corner booth view :) The design of each room has a different feel so each time you go, you can have a completely dif”
  5. “Our waiter was so nice and patient with us.”
  6. “thought the food was great and so was the space, but the service needs some work.”
  7. “Lackluster food, terrible service, completely generic decor, an F-list crowd and absolutely nothing worth coming back for.”
  8. “Great creative cocktails, hip crowd and great service.”
  9. “Great service”
  10. “The staff was nice and the decor refreshing but I'll take a great meal over a card room any day.”
  11. “atmosphere was great, as was the service.”
  12. “Our waitress was knowledgeable and smiling, the busboy very pro.”
  13. “The best part was that the manager, Sam, and the rest of the staff were SUPER nice!”
  14. “The bartenders and table servers are friendly and attentive which is a huge plus for a trendy eatery in Soho.”
  15. “All I can say is what an amazing place, from the lovely staff to the beautiful atmosphere I had an absolute great time!”
  16. “It's such a great place, lots of interesting people an a lot of fun.”
  17. “The service was slow and we could never find our server when we wanted her.”
  18. “This piece arrived about 10 minutes after everyone at the table had finished their meals, and then the manager informed me as if he were doing me a great favor that the extra piece was on the house.”
  19. “The bartender made the perfect drink for me.”
value
80.0% positive
  1. “When we showed up at the restaurant there was a huge line running down the block and when I asked about our reservation I was told that they were not honoring reservations during the CdM party.”
  2. “The bartenders and table servers are friendly and attentive which is a huge plus for a trendy eatery in Soho.”
  3. “The new decor is dramatically different than that of its predecessor and a huge plus.”
  4. “The portions are perfect and the price was so much lower than I had anticipated.”
  5. “Lackluster food, terrible service, completely generic decor, an F-list crowd and absolutely nothing worth coming back for.”
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “This piece arrived about 10 minutes after everyone at the table had finished their meals, and then the manager informed me as if he were doing me a great favor that the extra piece was on the house.”
  2. “The service was slow and we could never find our server when we wanted her.”
  3. “Service was a little slow but we weren't in a rush so we didn't mind.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/28/09

Incredible drinks

by blondie27nyc at Citysearch

I live in soho and have always loved coming here . The drinks are innovative, creative, and delicious. I came by last weekend for an afternoon cocktail and was in the mood for tequila.. The bartender made the perfect drink for me... It was not only beautiful and exquisite in appearance but tasted incredible... Subsequently, my one drink turned into three... complimented perfectly by the blend of raconteurs, the strokes, delta spirit, and eagles of death metal..

  • Pros: Excellent service
  • Cons: None
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/06/09

Did not honor reservations

by raisin416 at Citysearch

We had heard that Elizabeth was doing a special party for Cinco de Mayo; we were pretty excited to try this restaurant so we made reservations quite far in advance through opentable. We even got the reminder from opentable about our upcoming reservation. When we showed up at the restaurant there was a huge line running down the block and when I asked about our reservation I was told that they were not honoring reservations during the CdM party. This was frustrating since my friends and I all came from different areas of the city to meet for dinner. It's fine if our reservation needed to be cancelled for a special celebration but the least the restaurant could have done was notify us in advance so we could have made plans elsewhere. What was also very disappointing was that the gentleman I spoke to at the front of the line told me he was the general manager at Elizabeth; I would have expected a manager to be much more accommodating, especially to people who were interested in trying the restaurant and made reservations in advance. I realize it's not worth making reservations here in the future.

  • Cons: reservation ignored
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/26/09

Good place for Brunch

by NYCfooodie at Citysearch

Made an online reservation for 11:15. When we arrived we noticed that the menu stated that most everything on it couldn't be ordered until after noon. It was a little misleading to make a reservation and not be able to order right away. We made the best of it and ordered drinks, which were all very good. We sat in the garden and it was beautiful and not too busy so we didn't feel rushed at all. I had the baked eggs and the beet salad - both delicious. Others had french toast and waffles with fresh fruit and chantilly cream - also delicious. Service was a little slow but we weren't in a rush so we didn't mind.

  • Pros: Baked Eggs and beet salad
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/05/09

Best new local

by NYCharlie at Citysearch

After discovering this place at an engagement party on a Saturday night in December, I ended up loving the espresso martinis and lively bar scene so much that I ended up staying until 4am and have found myself ending up there on a regular basis since. While initially lured by the dangerously delicious cocktails, I now return again and again because of cravings for certain items on the menu. Now it's crazy difficult to decide amongst the pumpkin ravioli, the winter risotto, the grilled cheese sliders (honestly, those are out of this world), the cheese grits, the brussel sprouts, the artichokes, mmmmm, getting hungry just thinking about them! Anyway, I've been recommending this place to everyone whether looking for a fun drink at a low key, but fun-crowd bar OR looking for a totally decadent, scrumptious meal with chic, but not overly done ambience, and have only heard thanks in return. Thought I'd make it easier and just blast this recommendation instead of the case-by-case basis thus far. Enjoy!

  • Pros: Ambience, Drinks, Crowd, Food
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/05/09

Wonderful dining experience from beginning to end....

by laraseidel at Citysearch

I recently read some great press on this place and thought I'd try it out. You are immediately captured by the stunning and romantic design. Gorgeous bar area. You get a sense from the beginning that all of the staff are glad you are there. The menu had everything from comfort food like cheese sliders to studied cuisine. There was so much to choose from and we couldn't decide what we wanted. Our waiter was so nice and patient with us. We ended up ordering the tuna tartar, fish & chips, pumpkin ravioli and the milk crepe for dessert. It was all great, and the crepe cannot be described in writing. You must experience this. After dinner we decided to mix into the bar area. They have an interesting drink menu unlike what you typically see in NYC. The Sangria is fabulous too!!

While I'd rather keep this little gem to myself, I'd recommend it to anyone for any occassion:)

  • Pros: Ambiance A+++; Service; Food
  • Cons: None

The Details on Elizabeth

Place Categories:

  • good food
  • great place
  • great service
  • incredible drinks
  • really good creative cocktails
  • great cool vibe
  • beautiful perfect spot
  • perfectly pleasant meal
  • beautiful atmosphere
  • beautiful back garden
  • happy general manager
  • beautiful people
  • delicious everything
  • delicious chantilly cream
  • delicious fresh fruit
  • amazing decor
  • beautiful space
  • romantic design
  • fantastic garlic fries
  • patient waiter
  • creative hip crowd
  • nice staff
  • attentive bartenders
  • huge plus
  • attentive servers

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