Central Park: Loeb Boathouse

09/23/09

Poor Service, Food was Very Good

by David Greene at Citysearch

The restaurants website does not support Mac, forcing me to use opentable directly, at higher cost to the restaurant. Our guests arrived before us and were told the reservation was made for 2, not 4 people. I arrived to find them sitting in the waiting area, not at the table, and had not been offered a drink. I showed the host the email confirmation on my iPhone. He shrugged and said they were having problems with opentable. Having made dozens of reservations this way, it has never been a problem. When we were seated, we asked for the table next to the pond, but were told it was reserved for a friend of the owner. Nobody ever showed up. The server was rude, offering as a response to what he considered medium rare "bloody". Nice. He was evasive, slow and rude. I like the location a lot, and the food was very good (I noted there were no vegetarian entrees on the menu), but the service was a turnoff. I'm not sure I'll go back, and I'll certainly be careful who I take there in the future (ie. not clients).

• Pros: Location, ambiance, food
• Cons: Service

05/22/09

too bad

by laurenbt22 at Citysearch

first time at the boathouse, which i thought was a lovely place in central park. we sat on the side tables near the gondola boat to enjoy the last part of the day. Then came the mean waitresses. Consistently rude, after 1 beer and a glass of wine, the bill was promptly put on our table without asking us if we would like anything else. We asked for a second round and as time went by with no drinks, we politly asked again, at which point the waitress said "wait a minute" in a nasty tone. Boathouse should send staff to manners school asap. I would probably not go again.... and go somewhere else in the park instead.

• Pros: peaceful pond like setting
• Cons: sun glare

You may never make it to Venice, but you can still ride in a gondola.

by Contributor at Citysearch

Overview
Perched on the easternmost corner of the lake, the boathouse has been providing a respite from urban anxiety since the 1870s. The original fixture--designed by Calvert Vaux--was replaced by the current copper-topped lakefront edifice in the 1950s, yet the nostalgic charms of this inner-city escape have not been diminished by an upgrade.

Features
To fully experience this Central Park gem, you're going to need to get on the water. With that in mind, you can either rent a boat and paddle yourself around or take a ride on a gondola and let someone else do the rowing. Afterward, grab a bite at the restaurant, which has an outdoor terrace that's perfect for warm summer nights.

08/16/04

Superb

by yannpastor at Citysearch

The Boat House is my favorite place in the city, either for a nice brunch near CP's Lake, for a glass of wine and grilled shrimps at the Grill or for an abundant and delicious dinner al fresco.

It's a MUST.

The food is fabulous (especially fresh seafood). The staff is professional (except for some of their maitres d'). And the location is heavenly.

• Pros: Location, Food, Service
• Cons: , Maitre d'

10/18/03

Who new?

by bsd at Citysearch

The Boat House was always a unique location with great potential but had fallen into disrepair. So its about time that new owners have completed a multi million dollar restoration that has made the Boat House a top notch, first rate catering venue.

I attended a wedding there recently. It was superb. From the passed elegant Hoards d oeuvres to the four artfully plated courses that followed. The hotel grade silver, china and stemware were what I would expect at at small 5 star restaurant. The service was on the mark, seeming to anticipate my needs but never intrusive. The restoration/renovation has brought in lighting that made everyone look like movie stars. Add to this its idyllic setting on the water nestled in Central Park and what else can you ask for?

• Pros: Food, Staffing, Location
• Cons: Parking?