02/20/09

A Great February Birthday!!!

by troytruly

My wife surprised me for my birthday and had me drive right up to the door before I knew that this restaurant was the surprise. I had never heard of it although I take the FDR often enough. There was a valet that took our car immediately so no search for parking. We were seated immediately by a host who knew of us without reading a guest list. The ambience is beautiful. There was a live pianist. The food was great. I ordered from the pre fixe menu which is anything but cheap in quality for $35. The tomato soup appetizer was "assembled" right in front of us. The chicken breast was a hearty, flavorful proportion and the layered chocolate cake was a symphony of rich nutty flavor. Did I mention sterling silver utensils? I had some great gourmet coffee and a glass of white wine. In total our bill( I snuck a peek) was $86 and well worth it. Most people sat at the window but you can see the east river from anywhere in the resaurant. The wait staff was courteous and they checked in with us often. We lastly took pictures by the fireplace lounge and we were unrushed and completely comfortable the whole time. THe host even took the picture for us and offered to take as many as my wife deemed "cute". I had an unforgettable birthday there and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to have a truly fine dining experience.

• Pros: Seemles Service and dining experience. Incredible view
• Cons: Get directions as getting there may be tricky ( it's hidden under the FDR)

01/24/09

Staff was great, food wasn't

by Food12345

My friends and I went here for restaurant week. The bartender and staff was awesome but the food was not up to par. For the appetizer, all 9 of us ordered the crab soup - which ended up being flavorless and had an after-kick to it. For the entree about half of us ordered the lamb and while the rest ordered the chicken and salmon. The lamb was bland & overcooked, the olive sauce was just horrible. No one enjoyed their dinner. Dessert was a little bit better - we had the chocolate cake & the apple tart but by then no one wanted to eat anymore.

01/20/09

Great Lobster, nice atmosphere but pricey

by plue

I can not agree with all the negative reviews on this site. We had a 40th Birthday celebration for a friend of mine and the service, food were excellent. The entire staff was friendly and attentive to our needs and all of our dinners arrived on time and cooked exactly as ordered. The 2lb lobsters were worth every penny. Served tableside, cleaned and shelled, all we had to do was dip in butter. We were treated very, very well and the staff made this 40th birthday celebration very special. Yes, this place is pricey, but for sure it is one of those places for special occassions. I would recomend this place to anyone. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

• Pros: Beautiful and elegant setting, friendly staff, great lobster!
• Cons: Hard to get a cab after dinner. Side dishes are ala carte!