Oceana

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carolynmae

Joined 6 years ago

Great experience!!. I came to Oceana with my parents and my boyfriend for a nice pre-theatre dinner. To be honest, the show was supposed to be the highlight of the evening, however, all we talked about for the rest of the night was how great the meal was. We arrived slightly late due to traffic. We had called ahead and the girl on the phone was very pleasant, assuring us that it would be "no problem" and we would still be able to have a lovely meal and get to the theatre on time. We were seated promptly by a very warm and friendly host who also assured us that he would personally guarantee we would get to the show. Our waiter, Ben, was superb. He recommended several wines and helped us to choose a Portugese wine we had never heard of that was wonderful. The head waiter, Rashid was equally attentive, describing in detail every menu item and answering all our questions. I had chestnut and lobster soup for appetizer and snapper for entree. Both were wonderful. The best was the grapefruit cake for dessert WOW! We never felt rushed or hurried and we were out by 7:30pm just as the host promised.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Plush midtown power den serves lavish seafood in nautical-themed setting.. In Short
A power-lunch lair, this bi-level townhouse features two distinct environments: The ground floor is soft and elegant, with high-backed banquettes and nautical murals, while the upstairs is more masculine and woody. The wine cellar and salon are available for private parties. Original chef Rick Moonen is long gone, and his most current replacement is Ben Pollinger (formerly of Tabla), whose menu delivers globe-trotting renditions of seafood--from sashimi to ceviche to salmon roulade.

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mattgreen

Joined 8 years ago

Secret Oyster Bar!. My date and I were in the neighborhood and were craving oysters and champagne. We stopped in Oceana. The dining rooms are prix fixe only but they have a lounge on the second floor with comfy booths and soaring ceilings. It ain't cheap, but then again you get what you pay for. The oysters were perfect,served with caviar, and the champagne selection extensive. Very romantic. My date and I were impressed.

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pattimayonnaise

Joined 7 years ago

Eh. Went here for an anniversary dinner. Service was slow, our entrees arrived a good 30-35 minutes after our appetizers were cleared. The quality of the food here isn't the problem, our fish was tasty and the wine was good, it's just way too overpriced for what it is. The best part of the meal was the dessert, to be quite honest.

You can find better seafood restaurants in the city in regards to value. Another drawback was the nautical (or as we said, NOTical) decor, it was really corny.

Doesn't Recommend

mmccalpin

Joined 7 years ago

Staff Kidnapped by Space Aliens?. I hope our experience was an exception to the norm at Oceana. Our experience was bad on so many fronts that I wondered if the entire staff had been sacked and we were being served by the newly-hired replacements.

Trouble started for our party of ten on this Monday night when we were left for quite a while after being seated before a waiter came by at all. Surprising, but not too troubling yet, as the restaurant was busy.

The appetizers - once they came - were the highlight of the meal. I had a scallop ceviche that was very bright and citrusy. Others at the table raved about their octopus.

Then the real wait began. I was enjoying the company at the table and therefore was not checking my watch, but the wait for our entrees to show up was unbelieveable. Finally, one of our party complained to the staff and a manager came out to explain. His story was - and I am not making this up - that we were a big party and they were having trouble attending to our order as a result. Huh? The restaurant took our reservation for ten and seated us at a round table clearly intended for ten, but now they claim that ten was too hard to deal with?

The entrees were hardly worth the wait. My halibut was so colorless that another diner asked me why I had ordered tofu. The color was indicative of the flavor as well. The sauce underneath redeemed the halibut, but only just. The other diners agreed that the appetizers had been far more interesting.

The manager, after some prompting, comped two bottles of wine and dessert. We were all furious at the nitwit at our table that sentenced us to another interminable wait as the kitchen struggled to get ten desserts plated up.

This would have been a bad experience at a TGIFriday's, but at a place with such visual appeal and promise as this one, it was appalling.

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godfreyh

Joined 7 years ago

Great attention to detail!!!. Took my girlfriend to Oceana Saturday night and with reservations set for 9:30 pm arrived at 9:40 and was still taking promplty. The wait staff are so super friendly and make you feel right at home. One of the staff named Javier showed us so much attention I thought we were the only people having dinner. Now Im not to familiar on different wines but the staff made it so easy by the end of the night I thought I was a proffesional. The food was excellent but small in portion. The restaurant is pricey at $400.00 for 2 but with the attention your given and the quality of the food I cant wait to go back. Combine this restaurant with some dancing afterwards and you'll have yourself one hell of a night!!! Godfrey

Doesn't Recommend

eatergirl

Joined 7 years ago

What happened to this place?. My boyfriend have been to Oceana 3 times. Each time it was superb. When we heard that the Chef had left, we decided to try it. It was much different. We felt rushed through our meal, although our waiter was very nice. The appetizers were barely edible. The ravioli was terribly oversalted, and the loup de mer with potatoes had a strange odor. When I asked to see a manager, we were told that he was busy. Overall, a big letdown.

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crankypeanut

Joined 7 years ago

Cozy & Romantic. I've been here twice (once with my girlfriend for my birthday and another time with family from out of town) and everyone involved enjoyed the food and ambiance tremendously. Unlike many upscale restaurants, Oceana is quieter and modest. The atmosphere is never pretentious and intimidating and the staff is friendly and accomodating. My girlfriend and I had the tasting menu (if you decide to order it, everyone at the table must order it) and it was one delectable dish after the other. Each dish has its own very unique flavor, and everything is small enough so that you will not get too full for the next dish. We opted to have one bottle of red but you also have the option of having the kitchen pair wines with each dish. I am not much of a dessert person but at the end of the night we were presented with about 6 to 8 desserts on two platters which were delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant.

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tbrax

Joined 11 years ago

Outstanding. The best seafood in NYC, bar none. The menu changes regularly, but I've always found something (usually several somethings!) that appeal. All of the dishes are expertly prepared, and I have yet to be disappointed with a meal. The desserts aren't quite as good as the rest of the food, but they aren't bad either. The service is generally attentive without being intrusive, and the ambiance is calm and serene without being boring.

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helyn32

Joined 9 years ago

Wow!. My boyfriend brought me to Oceana for Valentine's Day and I was thoroughly impressed. Our six-course prix fixe dinner was delightful. Admist the soft drone of conversation we were served each small but perfectly-prepared course in a timely fashion. The seafood chowder was unbelievable as was the dessert plate which featured a plethera of sweet treats. We were served two kinds of fish, both fresh, light, perfectly balanced in flavor. It was wonderful to sit down to a dinner so thoughtfully orchestrated - each course was different, offered an original palette of flavor, and a pleasant surprise. We dined on the main floor and found the atmosphere to be calmingly quiet (perfect for conversation) and strangely relaxing as well. Although the meal came with a high price tag it was an experience that will stay in my memory!