Duane Park Cafe

(212) 732-5555

157 Duane St (nr. West Broadway)
New York, NY 10013 40.716757 -74.008739

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Neighborhoods: Tribeca, Downtown

DUANEPARKCAFE.COM

Hours:

Mon-Fri 12-4pm

5:30pm-11pm

Sat 5:30pm-11pm

Sun 11:30am-3pm

5:30pm-11pm

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Romantic Dining, Fine Dining, Brunch, Notable Chef, Historic Setting, Lunch Spot, Business Dining, Online Reservations, Date Spot, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene, Prix Fixe Menu

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

New American, Traditional American

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Duane Park Cafe

Featured Review

Kathleen Squires

Contributor

In Short – You'll feel like the Southern belle of the ball inside this Tara-like room, where you half-expect Scarlett O' Hara to swoop in. But not only the chandeliers and white columns set the plantation tone. Shawn Knight (ex-Natchez) adds Dixie touches to a modern American menu with dishes like barbecued quail with black-eyed pea farro salad. Otherwise, Berkshire pork chop with smoked bacon spaetzle holds Yankee appeal, while the desserts like a Mexican chocolate tart go beyond the North and the South.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Try house cocktails like the Cliff Hanger--lime vodka, lime sorbet, and fresh lemon juice, $12.
When to Go:
Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday, while a classical English afternoon tea, complete with finger sandwiches, scones and petit fours, is served Mon-Fri, 3-4pm.
Save Money:
The lunchtime prix fixe menu offers 3 courses for $24.
ambiance
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “generally am disappointed with New York restaurants: top chefs turning out so-so fare, terrible inattentive service, long waits, obnoxious atmosphere.”
  2. “Posh decor, relaxed atmosphere, amazing food, extremely friendly staff.”
  3. “The atmosphere is cozy.”
  4. “love the decor - check out the website, there's nothing like it in NYC.”
  5. “Completely unpretentious yet completely posh, Duane Park offers great food in a tucked away location.”
  6. “Highly recommend this place, they just renovated and the decor is beautiful, great little bar area to hang out and wait on your other guests.”
  7. “wanted to choose a place with DELICIOUS food, not just nice ambiance or fancy.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “From appetizers to dessert (including drinks), everything is perfect.”
  2. “Scallop/crab cake appetizer featured light and crispy exterior/melty gooey interior accompanied by a bland but pleasant lemon 'vinaigrette' (more like a cream) indifferent pickled seaweed/cucumber salad.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “In addition to a solid meal, friendly service and powerfully tasty drinks, we found ourselves lost in the lively and haunting beauty of the performances.”
  2. “Aside from a lovely setting--beautiful wallpaper and chandelier that transports one to an antebellum manse--and delicious food, the attentive (but not overbearing) service, wonderful wine list and gracious host/hostess make Duane Park the perfect place to”
  3. “Great wine list and reasonable prices.”
  4. “From appetizers to dessert (including drinks), everything is perfect.”
  5. “Highly recommend this place, they just renovated and the decor is beautiful, great little bar area to hang out and wait on your other guests.”
food quality
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “In addition to a solid meal, friendly service and powerfully tasty drinks, we found ourselves lost in the lively and haunting beauty of the performances.”
  2. “fabulous meal”
  3. “night of classy entertainment and great food!”
  4. “Completely unpretentious yet completely posh, Duane Park offers great food in a tucked away location.”
  5. “Posh decor, relaxed atmosphere, amazing food, extremely friendly staff.”
  6. “The food was as the reviews stated, very good.”
  7. “We had a fabulous meal there on a Saturday night!”
  8. “this place has suprisingly good food and service.”
  9. “Tasty food, bad server that doesn't eat sorbet”
  10. “The food, especially the Horseradish Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras whipped potatoes, spinach, and wild mushrooms; Scallop and Crab Cake and Roasted Monk Fish with purple mash potatoes, lobster seafood sausage, and saffron vinaigrette, was excelle”
  11. “Floured-and-fried monkfish was dry, potato was lumpy and bland, garlicky spinach far too salty, gloppy saffron sauce strangely cinnamony and pumpkiny.”
  12. “The food was wonderful, especially for the price.”
  13. “The sauces were all incredible on the tuna, as well as the halibut & beef tenderloin.”
  14. “wanted to choose a place with DELICIOUS food, not just nice ambiance or fancy.”
  15. “Of course, I also love the bass, the steak, duck confit”
  16. “Scallop/crab cake appetizer featured light and crispy exterior/melty gooey interior accompanied by a bland but pleasant lemon 'vinaigrette' (more like a cream) indifferent pickled seaweed/cucumber salad.”
  17. “The owners definitely know what they are doing, catering to a clientele that likes food without feeling the rush and and the need to be a celebrity to get decent service like so many of the trendy, high-end restaurants in New York today.”
  18. “Everything was so tasty.”
  19. “Comfortable fare, some innovative dishes, and a waitstaff that is actually professional.”
  20. “Amazing food, fabulous place for a date of group of friends!”
  21. “Duane Park is not only an amazing restaurant with tasty Creole inspired food (you must try the bouilliabaise!”
  22. “small sophisticated and charming restaurant with very good food.”
  23. “Everything I have tried is really good, but if I have to recommend one dish I would say the scallops.”
  24. “The food was amazing.”
  25. “Can't really recommend just one dish because love everyone that I've ordered.”
  26. “Great food, excellent service”
  27. “Aside from a lovely setting--beautiful wallpaper and chandelier that transports one to an antebellum manse--and delicious food, the attentive (but not overbearing) service, wonderful wine list and gracious host/hostess make Duane Park the perfect place to”
  28. “The tuna was by far one the best dishes of tuna I have ever had in the city!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Food was good although menu was a little limited(still plenty to chose from).”
  2. “The youthful selection of singers graced the stage and moved about the dining room floor clad in elegant gowns.”
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. “The service was horribly slow, to the point that I could have gone home [to Midtown] and come back with some McDonald's faster.”
service
72.22000122070312% positive
  1. “The owners definitely know what they are doing, catering to a clientele that likes food without feeling the rush and and the need to be a celebrity to get decent service like so many of the trendy, high-end restaurants in New York today.”
  2. “I've never experienced fine dining with unhelpful and almost rude servers.”
  3. “Place was empty and found the service to be very good, polite service.”
  4. “Great service too - all in all, a jewel of Tribeca.”
  5. “Aside from a lovely setting--beautiful wallpaper and chandelier that transports one to an antebellum manse--and delicious food, the attentive (but not overbearing) service, wonderful wine list and gracious host/hostess make Duane Park the perfect place to”
  6. “this place has suprisingly good food and service.”
  7. “The service was good - the owner personally seated every party and wished them well as they left.”
  8. “The music playlist was great too, high kudos to the manager who put it together.”
  9. “Posh decor, relaxed atmosphere, amazing food, extremely friendly staff.”
  10. “was seated promptly, my waiter had good timing and made excellent recommendations.”
  11. “Tasty food, bad server that doesn't eat sorbet”
  12. “The staff is also very nice and accomodating.”
  13. “The service was horribly slow, to the point that I could have gone home [to Midtown] and come back with some McDonald's faster.”
  14. “Great food, excellent service”
  15. “HOWEVER, our server,"L", made the experience very unpleasant in the end.”
  16. “The server really plays a big role in your dining experience and she ruined it.”
  17. “generally am disappointed with New York restaurants: top chefs turning out so-so fare, terrible inattentive service, long waits, obnoxious atmosphere.”
  18. “In addition to a solid meal, friendly service and powerfully tasty drinks, we found ourselves lost in the lively and haunting beauty of the performances.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “The food was wonderful, especially for the price.”
  2. “Great wine list and reasonable prices.”
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “The service was horribly slow, to the point that I could have gone home [to Midtown] and come back with some McDonald's faster.”
  2. “Aside from a lovely setting--beautiful wallpaper and chandelier that transports one to an antebellum manse--and delicious food, the attentive (but not overbearing) service, wonderful wine list and gracious host/hostess make Duane Park the perfect place to”
  3. “generally am disappointed with New York restaurants: top chefs turning out so-so fare, terrible inattentive service, long waits, obnoxious atmosphere.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

02/23/12

Disgusted

by Dana Piedmont

Horrible reservation system, obnoxiously rude male manager. I will never go back to this place.

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/19/12

The Reason People Hate New York

by MsPiedmont

My sister in law made a reservation weeks in advance for her father but because of a reservation regulation that is so outdated my great grandmother never heard of it we were put on a waiting list and pushed for other tables. Then just before the show they attempted to push us into tables used for waiting clientele that was turned away from the show's stage...they were RUDE, MEAN, DISRESPECTFUL AND LIED TO US...DO NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/29/09

Ciao, Opera! and so much more

by gatecrasher15

We thought we had exhausted the weekly line-up of Duane Park’s performances from burlesque, to live music, etc. The other night we were treated to the newest trick up their sleeve: opera. That’s right, opera. We were hesitant when first informed of the planned performance. I envisioned large women, belting out full bodied arias that echoed off the walls and shattered stemware. How wrong I was. The youthful selection of singers graced the stage and moved about the dining room floor clad in elegant gowns. Each of the three singers performed a short aria, and then took a 20-25 minute break before singing their second and final pieces.

The pacing was perfect. The performances were unobtrusive, pleasant and refreshing. My perspective on the genre completely changed.

In addition to a solid meal, friendly service and powerfully tasty drinks, we found ourselves lost in the lively and haunting beauty of the performances.

  • Pros: Great food
  • Cons: In Tribeca...
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/15/09

A night of classy entertainment and great food!

by MandiWhitford

I found this place over the weekend and am in love! Duane Park is not only an amazing restaurant with tasty Creole inspired food (you must try the bouilliabaise!!), it is also making its way into the entertainment circuit a few nights a week. On Friday, there is a burlesque show. Yes, that's right, burlesque! No cover! It's classy, inspired, and I felt like I was in 1940's Paris. The room transforms easily into this environment - it is spectacular. I can't wait to go back. You must check it out.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/19/08

Best restaurant in Tribeca

by Tribecadineralicia

I love this place! It is elegant without being stuffy; unique without being overstated; and the food is out of this world! I first came here with a couple friends, and loved it so much that my friends booked my birthday lunch here - they accommodated 40 of us promptly, warmly, and we never felt rushed. I love the decor - check out the website, there's nothing like it in NYC. And the food is spectacular - been here many times and am always delighted. Great service too - all in all, a jewel of Tribeca.

The Details on Duane Park Cafe

Place Categories:

  • amazing food
  • polite service
  • relaxed experience
  • very nice staff
  • personally liked place
  • recommend dish
  • really good everything
  • perfect neighborhood restaurant
  • fabulous meal
  • obnoxious atmosphere
  • rude server
  • horribly slow inattentive service
  • helpful waiter
  • love decor
  • big role
  • good timing
  • love bass
  • professional fare
  • delish scallops
  • not amazing restaurant
  • powerfully tasty drinks
  • beautiful wallpaper
  • excellent recommendations
  • nice fancy
  • perfect pacing
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