08/03/09

Surprised by how good this was

by allisont

My husband and I went to Mas for a birthday meal. We were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful wood-and-stone accents throughout the restaurant, and how well the tables were spaced. We were seated in the small back alcove room, and it was almost full the whole night. There was always a pleasant hum of conversation but it was never noisy.

The food was excellent. We both had the $68 tasting menu. We each had three dishes plus dessert, starting with an excellent caviar course. My husband also thought his cheese course was outstanding. The supplemental charges for the caviar course ($9 each) and his cheese course in place of dessert ($3) were very reasonable.

My only complaint, and it's not a strong one, is with the service. Although Mas's food rating in Zagat's is equal to the top tier, the service is not. The host who poured our champagne put huge heads of foam on both glasses and slopped drips of wine on the table, repeatedly. Our main waitperson was a little silly and overly friendly in her attempts to 'engage' us. There was a reasonable pause between the first and second courses, but the entree course came much too quickly and they were handing us the dessert menus seconds after the entree course was cleared. Also, the coordination between wine and food wasn't great - our glasses were dry before we were asked if we wanted more, and the glass of wine ordered specifically for one course came a good 5 minutes after the course was served.

• Pros: Ambiance, food
• Cons: Not the most professional service

07/20/09

Our Favorite Restuarant in New Yoke

by TedSTL

In a recent trip to New York we tried Mas for the first time. Our food was incredible. The atmoshere extremely warm - particularily for New York - and the service could not have been better.

Our server had spent time in San Francisco, Chicago and New York at some terrific restuarants including Blackbird in Chicago(another one of my favorites). We let him choose our entire meal and he asked some thoughtful questions and made perfect recommendations!!!

• Pros: Atmosphere, Food and Service
• Cons: None

05/10/09

Pretentious and Rude

by AlisonH

"I had high hopes for this place.... The food was definitely good, but the service was pretentious and rude. I took my mom there for Mother's Day. Right away the waiter was pretty distant and pretentious but after we ordered it was even worse! We had eaten a late lunch so we decided to just split an appetizer and an entree. Also, she had to drive home after dinner and the wine was $16/glass so we didn't get any drinks. Well, they weren't fans of our order. The waiter said "That's all you want?" and then later in the meal sort of made fun of us for sharing. My mom also saw the waiter go over to the host and tell them we were sharing and they started laughing. The whole rest of the meal, he was totally rude to us. I could understand having a little attitude if we were taking up a whole table at prime time and only ordering drinks. But we basically each had a meal's worth of food and eating at 6:30pm when half the tables were empty. If a restaurant frowns upon sharing, they should mention it on the bottom of the menu. I still think that's a bit pretentious, but I respect the directness, instead of laughing about it behind our backs (or more like in front of our faces.) Restaurants should appreciate their customers, not make them feel unwelcome. You can get food as good at places that are fun, upbeat and welcoming."

• Pros: food
• Cons: rude service

04/03/09

I have finally found a favorite place to eat!

by tadevosy

I have been living in New York for over five years, and this is the first time I have discovered a restaurant whose reputation does not do it justice! I cannot believe it took me so long to discover this gem of a place, tucked away inconspicuously on Downing street. Now, I simply cannot get enough of it. The food is simply amazing. I have tried pretty much everything on their menu (excepting the fish, which I cannot eat at the moment) and have yet to dislike a single item. The ingredients are amazingly fresh and put together perfectly. The only restaurant where I would order vegetarian entrees and be perfectly happy with them! Very reasonably priced ($68 dollars for a four-course meal that allows you to pick anything from the menu and arrange it in any order you like? Are you kidding? It's a steal!) and impeccably executed. The wait staff is polite, solicitous, and attentive, although it has to be said that the first time we were there, they made us wait for our table for close to 30 minutes. In all fairness, I have to say that they had a table ready but asked if we wanted to wait a bit and take a more spacious table instead (I am hugely pregnant). Worth the wait! Last time we were there, I ordered the duck and forgot to ask them to cook it medium-well (avoiding undercooked meats). It took less than a minute for our waiter to come over and offer, without my having said a single word, to have the chef cook it a little more! Now that's attention to detail!

My only slight criticism would be that their by the glass wines are a bit pricey and not sufficiently diversified. And, on any given evening, if you call for a table, they seem to give you the same stock answer about one being available either at 6:15 or at 9:00. Not sure how true this is. However, in every other aspect this restaurant has exceeded my expectations. Beats Blue Hill (a restaurant with a similar philosophy regarding local and seasonal ingredients) by a mile! I cannot wait to go back soon.

• Pros: great food, friendly staff
• Cons: hard to find table at good time

01/13/09

Charming West Village Location - Romantic and Upscale - Kitchen a Bit Uneven

by sakumawiki

I?ll start with the fact that the decor and location are fantastic ? for a romantic evening, you really can?t ask for much more ? West Village charm & beautiful interior ?farm house? textures of wood, leather and earth toned surfaces. The tables are snug and fit together closely ? but there seems to be enough cushioning around to absorb the majority of the noise you?d expect from such tight confines. Next, relax and order from the tasting menu. You could select from the main dishes ? but the multi-course tastings offer a full range, starting with a selection of appetizers and ending with dessert. I hadn?t been here before and decided to let the waiter suggest a wine from the pre-recession priced list that would complement both fish and meat ? set parings are not an option. We went with a very nice ? and flexible ? Oregan Pinot Noir (albeit still pricy at $60 ? and on the low end of the list). The down note here is that the most memorable part of the meal was the very lovely foodie couple next to us that we chatted with between courses. A lobster salad starter was shamefully over-powered by a too-tart vinaigrette and a flim-flammy pork belly dish was served like a piece of flabby soup meat with little seasoning and no evidence of any crisping or cooking beyond the multiple boils it had already endured. With those exceptions aside, the rest of the dishes were good ? uninspired, but good. The waiter was very helpful and service in general was efficient and very friendly. I?d recommend Mas with the caveat that you must take the time to ask about each course option. In this case, the kitchen is uneven but mostly pretty solid and the overall experience is uniquely downtown.

• Pros: Location, decor, service, menu options
• Cons: wine list prices, uneven kitchen

12/26/08

What?

by ronnieno

I am sitting here trying to figure out where the hell you all ate.

We always give two chances, we only eat out twice a week, number 2 was this week.

Sarcastic staff, again. Your restaurant is half-empty, be nicer.

Truly AVERAGE food (nearly $40 an entree for cheap braised meat? Give me a break! Or a lobster!)

Don't waste your money.

12/25/08

Good food

by yummylee

Went to Mas with my husband for our anniversary. We were given a very nice and quite table in the back. Service was excellent and food was also very good. Highly recommend.

• Pros: Ambience, Romantic, Service, Food

12/05/08

Great spot

by gellert14

Went there for my girlfriends birthday. The service was awesome (they were more than flexible in making sure it was a great night). The food was great as well. All in all, a great spot.

• Pros: Service, food, ambiance
• Cons: None

11/02/08

Mas Mas Mas

by AdamW123456

We've been coming to Mas (farmhouse) since they opened almost 5 years ago, but hadnt been for a year. We ate there the Saturday night after Halloween, and can happily report that Mas is still warm, inviting, and committed to serving great, special dishes without pretense. It is one of our favorite rooms in NYC--small, but not noisy; warm, and welcoming; elegant without being snooty. If you are looking for a "comfort foodie" experience, head to Mas!

10/21/08

Just OK

by SMALLO1

This "french" restaurant is just OK. The food is tasty and the ambiance is definitely romantic but the faces on the uptight staff and chefs is to put anyone in a bad mood. I must have gone on a bad day because they were not in a good mood. Will probably give it another go round just because i like the setting but if there is no smiling faces forget it...totally not worth the $$$$

• Pros: Food,romantic