06/30/09

Terrible Service

by jennibean

Found the food to be ok, but the service and ambience was terrible. It was very stuffy and although it was pretty empty they didn't want to sit anyone outside that didn't have reservations. Took 20 minutes to get a menu and another 20 to get food. Nobody came by to check if we were ok. For the service alone I would not recommend this place, nor would I return.

• Pros: Outside seating (If you have a reservation)
• Cons: Ambience, Older Crowd, Overpriced, Rude Staff

05/27/09

Tartar Heaven

by lkcoops

Friends took me here for my birthday dinner. We had cocktails at the bar then got a table outside. I had the chicken pate with currant jelly appertizer which was wonderful. For dinner I had the tuna tartar and it was the best I've ever had!!! Dessert was a cheese tray which I enjoyed. The service was relaxed - not rushed, not slow. My friend did have trouble getting a latte, which seemed odd. They got the order wrong - twice.

• Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Service

01/04/08

Paris is next door

by dinout

Great experience. It felt like a nice trip to Paris. Not even the food is great but the menu is well extended, not talking about the wine list that feature around 300 wines.

I was seating promptly, the service was nice and the manager kept stop by the table to insure we were having a good time.

10/18/07

Decent French bistro fare on UES

by SCaron42

We walked in on a Wed. evening and were seated promptly w/out a reservation. Service was very nice. I felt the wine list was fairly priced, and they have half bottles. The frisee salad and duck pate were very good, I would skip the porcini mushroom soup, and the lamb shank was above average at best. Nice dinner, in a beautiful setting, especially the outdoor seating. Decent French food, fairly priced. There are NOT a lot of choices on the Upper East Side. This is above average French bistro fare, nothing fancy, but I would go on another occassion and try it again. The ambience is lovely.

09/02/07

Fine French Food

by killblondes

Great food, service is so-so, a bit expensive. The interior of the place is gorgeous. There isn't any music and it can get hectic.

• Pros: food
• Cons: expensive, service

07/25/07

How many ways can you serve overpriced bland?

by magnolia9

I recently went to dinner at Orsay with a few friends. Based on other people's reviews, we thought it would be a nice place to try. We were very disappointed. The food was mediocre at best. My friend ordered the baby chicken something-or-other. She barely ate any of it and said that it had no taste. My entree was not much better. The desserts left a lot to be desired, too. My advice: choose another of the thousands of great restaurants in the city and save yourselves a boring night.

• Cons: Flavorless food, overpriced, lackluster service

07/10/07

SIMPLY GREAT

by zjorkoskokov

I can not imagine how anyone leave ORSAY without feeling like a celebrity. We dine out at least five times a week . Orsay has been a constant sucsess with my business associates and friends..

The food is fantastic , pricey but hell we live on the UES . The staff are some of the best.

We are usually greated by a beatufull Matre D, Melissa . The have the memory or some sort of system that enables them to remmeber ou rfavorite table , server and exactly how i like my Martini.

The food is fantastic, a great improvement and change from the borring traditional french (NYC)

Although James the GM is no longer there .. OLIVIER is great in keeping US- The demanding East siders

Always satisfied. The decor is amazing. I just cannot stop recomending the place. In any way simply ask for the Melissa and Olivier to make your evening . it always worked.

Good luck .Team Orsay

• Pros: Melissa and Olivier , Fantastic Food
• Cons: none that i can think of

07/02/07

Nothing Special

by charlesmstam

The food at Orsay is of the the solid bistro variety, but it is way overpriced and the waitstaff is rude and unhospitable. This is one of those places that caters to rich people on the Upper East Side who think because they are spending lots of money they are getting top flight cuisine. The food here is certainly edible, but the tabs just don't justify the quality. The space is cliche in the french motif and the service has been awful of late. They want to rush you out of there unless you plan on spending like you are on an expense account. If you plan on eating here, do so when the usual Hamptons type clientele are off getting skin cancer or wasting their money at Swifty's, because I have actually had a good experience when the restaurant was empty.

• Pros: Solid Bistro Food
• Cons: Overpriced, Horrendous Service, Corny Decor

06/23/07

GO HERE TO BE BULLIED

by bellainyc

I've never had such a horrible dinner. I went there to have a nice dinner with a friend, and our steaks came out overcooked (mine) and undercooked (my friend's). I politely asked our waiter to take my order back to the kitchen. No biggie, right? WRONG.

The manager, OLIVIER (remember that name), came out and ARGUED with me for over thirty minutes saying that my steak was not overcooked and refused to take it back to the kitchen. He was outright rude and confrontational right from the beginning, and I was MORTIFIED in front of my guest and other patrons. I don't understand why he was being such a bully when all I asked was for my dish to be prepared to my liking.

You will not believe what Olivier does next -- he PICKS MY STEAK UP WITH HIS BARE HANDS and proceeds to tell me that I WILL NOT be getting a replacement dish b/c I had the dish for 30 minutes (I had exactly two bites of the steak) and that he'll take my order off of the check and proceeds to walk away.

THIS WAS THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. PERIOD. I would have NEVER expected to be treated so poorly at a "nice" restaurant. I was so upset b/c I left hungry and angry that a manager (OLIVIER!!) felt that he could treat me that way

EAT HERE IF YOU WANTED TO BE TREATED LIKE A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN.

• Pros: Absolutely none.
• Cons: Olivier, the manager. Poor service, being treated like dirt.

05/06/07

My favorite French restaurant in NYC

by leavingny

Every time I visit, I am provided with excellent service and amazing food. The waitstaff is very helpful, offering suggestions to enhance our dining experience. We've been for Valentine's Day, for Restaurant Week, and on other special occasions. We made a reservation each time, which helped us get a better spot in the restaurant. This place is amazing.

• Pros: Helpful waitstaff, amazing food
• Cons: It's not cheap...can't go every day!