Watercolor Cafe

Gloria Z.

Joined 11 months ago

HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE?!? After years of traveling to NYC(from Westchester) to relax and listen to live jazz, I have finally found the Watercolor Cafe and it's like hitting the jackpot. By chance, after shopping, we stopped to look at a menu. The server politely showed us and mentioned that there would be a jazz trio playing at 8:30. It was already 8:00 so we decided to sit down for a bite. What we got was the best surprise of the year. We ordered a nice bottle of wine and started with two delicious appetizers. By the time we finished the yummy duck quesadilla and pasta pancake the music had begun. Amazing! Jazz at it's highest level. They were the Leslie Pintchik Trio. Leslie's piano accompanied by an upright bass and this unbelievable drummer who was actually sitting on the floor with his drums set up around him. They were so good that we ended up staying for two long sets and having a full meal with salads and entrees. The pianist even came to our table to say hello. Everything was perfect. In the city we usually pay $25 dollars for one set and get ushered out or pay another $25 to stay. Here, we payed a small cover of $10 and just relaxed and enjoyed until 11:30. I don't know of any other place like this. All the food was great(My husband still raves about his filet mignon and shrimp.). Service was personable and well paced. I can't wait until I am officially a regular at this warm little restaurant and will be going back to see Leslie and all the other great acts that play there.

Recommends

Bruce C.

Joined 11 months ago

This "review" by JLR88 is filled with factual errors, mis-quotes, 3rd-party mis-representations and outright lies........

As the object of this defamatory blather, I, Bruce Carroll, invite anyone actually interested in facts or fairness to contact me directly at bcarro24736@aol.com to receive a detailed and documented response that gives the lie to her claims (including guest checks, charge receipts email and text message transcripts and server affidavits).

I have spent most of my adult life in the service of music and musicians, with a parallel career in the restaurant business, and I have, I hope, done more good than ill in these pursuits.

I have the decency not to name the "performer" in question, but have made a $75 donation to a relevant 12 Step program in lieu of the payment she has refused.

And, unlike the person who has placed this anonymous "review", I am not afraid to identify myself nor open the matter to enlightened conversation, and hope that people who mis-use the internet will think twice before doing so.

Bruce Carroll/Watercolor Cafe

bcarro24736@aol.com

Doesn't Recommend

Jessica R.

Joined 1 year ago

DO NOT GIVE THIS BUSINESS YOUR MONEY!!!. We attended an opening act’s performance at this restaurant recently. We invited a number of guests who came only to see the opening act but understandably paid the $20 cover for the main act who none of us were familiar with. The food and drinks were average but extremely overpriced, even for Larchmont. The service was slow and often ignored the guests. Our group bought multiple drinks for the performer which we later found out the owner charged the performer for. After the opening act ended and we’d finished our meal, we moved over to the bar where we were continually “shushed” until we left the restaurant. Apparently this is a silent bar/restaurant. The owner, Bruce Carroll, had agreed on a price with the performer but then did not pay. When the performer contacted Bruce for payment the next day, she was told that “payment was agreed to under the assumption that she would bring in business.” We brought 8 guests with us – the main act brought 4. The owner also told the performer he expected more gratitude for giving her the opportunity to play. In a business relationship, “expressed gratitude” should have no bearing on an agreed upon payment being made for a service provided. The owner eventually agreed to pay but said he’d deduct the cost of the drinks that were given to the musician, despite the fact that these drinks were purchased by customers for the musician. The owner did state that the performer “sounded great” and “did a great job” – I’d hate to see how he treats a mediocre act! This is second-rate management and shows a serious lack of business acumen. Don’t support a business like this.

Doesn't Recommend

eileend

Joined 7 years ago

Great music, loved the show, will NEVER eat there again though. My husband and I went to see Dan Bern at the Watercolor Cafe on 9/17/06. We paid $35 each for the tickets (the show was great and well worth the money). My complaint is about the food and the service. There was a $25 minimum per head to sit at a table. To start, we ordered calamari, which was mediocre (it was a little rubbery, and the sauce was not great) Also, for $9.95, the portion was small. We ordered our food at 4:15 (the show was starting at 5:00). The calamari came within minutes (and was gone within minutes because there wasn't much of it!!) Then, we waited over AN HOUR for our main courses. My husband ordered veal marsala (23.95). I thought it was OK... he wasn't crazy about it. Again, the portion was small.

I ordered filet mignon and shrimp ($27.00). I ordered the filet to be served medium, but it came dry and absolutely CHARRED. The 3 SMALL shrimp hadn't been cleaned or deveined (ick). We ended up spending $100 (not including tip or concert tix which brought it to almost $200) on a completely forgetable dinner. Worst of all, we LEFT HUNGRY. One good thing I can say about this place is that they are a venue for GREAT music. But, they hijack their customers that are there for the music into paying (often more than the regular menu prices) just to sit at a table during the show. I would NEVER go back there to eat. There are so many excellent eateries in that area... I would go back for the music though.