Japonais Restaurant
(212) 260-2020
111 E 18th St
New York,
NY
10003
40.7369
-73.9878
Neighborhoods: Midtown, Union Square, Gramercy Park
Reviews & Ratings for Japonais Restaurant
71 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 71 reviews
Fabulous for sceney NYC dining
by missgnyc
May 20, 2007
I visited Japonais on a Friday night with a group of four friends and it was fabulous. If you're looking for a vibey, buzzy beautiful location to dine I'd really reccommend it. Also would be really good for a date location (if you like the person as its not exactly Wendy's) as the surrounds are very ONO-esque and the interiors are saucy to say the least (lots of low level lighting, reds and golds etc) Food was great, try the Lobster Spring Rolls as a starter as they're great! Vist or be sorry!
- Pros: Beautiful interiors, great atmosphere
- Cons: none
GOOD JOB!
by atomus
March 03, 2009
I went to japonais for a dinner with my gf last saturday. it was packed.
the dining room was very well decorated and had a great ambience.
It was definetely less pretentious than other asian fusion restaurants like morimoto.
i felt very comfortable here as all the staffs were accomodating. It seems like accomodating servers are hard to find in new trendy restaurants.
I had a very comfortable and enjoyable dinner and my gf loved it all as well. It was not the best dinner i have had but it was much better than I expected and would be back frequently here for sure. highly recommended!
- Pros: spicy mono, the rock, le quack
- Cons: foie gras torchon
Great food, atmosphere, pricing
by MikeyDisco
February 23, 2009
I have been here before at the bar upstairs and greatly enjoyed the gorgeous atmosphere that made up the entire venue. My girlfriend and I ordered off the Price Fix dinner menu and fell in love with everything. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice place to enjoy a wine or for a romantic dinner in a lovely neighborhood.
- Pros: Everything
- Cons: food took a little longer than expected
Most reliable Review~
by jwook
January 31, 2009
As I read reviews of this place, I was reluctant on coming here but i took the chance. The atmostphere here is awesome however; I must agree that the service sucked. I waited over an hour for my entree. I dont think they care about how they treat their customers. why?? B/c i noticed 20% tip is already included in the bill. No wonder they could care less. This is just a fair warning that they add 20% gratuity automatically and the service is really bad.
Atmosphere and food is ok but service needs a lot of work. Trust me along w/ all the other negative reviews~ Not worth wasting 2 hrs of your night there just for dinner b/c its more waiting than enjoying your time there.
- Pros: Atmosphere
- Cons: Service, Tip is automatically included w/ the bill
Over-crowded and RUDE
by xoxo5
January 30, 2009
My boyfriend and I attempted to go here during restaurant week and it was a disaster. We waited 20 minutes in a line just to get to the hostess, all the while being pushed and shoved by others trying to get to the bar or the hostess. By the time we finally reached the podium, we were told by a very rude hostess that we would have to wait another 30 minutes for our reservation. Restaurant 101: learn how to manage your reservation slots and hire more personable staff. I have nothing to say about the food or wait staff because after all of this, we walked out. Not worth it!
- Pros: nothing comes to mind
- Cons: wait time, rude hostess
GREAT AMBIANCE
by dctradam
January 18, 2009
Went for dinner. Place was dead until around 9:30PM. Then the place came alive. Lots of good looking people. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny.
- Pros: Good Food, Good Service, Great Scene
- Cons: Little expensive
worst service ever and so rude! do NOT go here!
by nycjm
January 12, 2009
The food is good and the atmosphere is very cool but the service is HORRIBLE. I went with 3 of my friends and we each ordered a burger. Only four of us, and the restaurant is empty- only 4 other people in the lounge area! The waitress only enters in two burgers, and doesn't tell us until she brings out the food. If it were crowded and we were a large party, maybe the mistake would have made sense, but it was not busy! So we very nicely agree to split these and she will bring out the other two later. Now at this point you would think they would send over a free drink, or tell us the burgers on the house, but no. So we split the burgers and don't want to wait for the other two, so we cancel them. She comes back and tells us that the kitchen is angry and we have to take the burgers home if we don't want to eat them now. We said no, we want to cancel them. She sends over the manager who spends ten minutes arguing with us and basically trying to force us to pay for the burgers! He told us that it was an empty restaurant and he wouldn't be able to sell them. We are talking about two $12 hamburgers here, I think such an expensive and upscale restaurant could take the loss. We explained that had we gotten our food on time, when we ordered it, we would not be having this conversation right now, and that his empty restaurant is not our fault. Finally he gave in and then our waitress brought the bill over CRYING, which is so unprofessional. We felt so bad we left her an extra big tip, even though this was all her fault, just because if the manager is so rude to customers we can't imagine how he would treat his employees.
So basically, do not go here. There are a lot of other Japanese restaurants in the city. Go to one where you will be served your food on time and treated like a customer, not one where you will have to argue with the manager for ten minutes because they are trying to make you pay for food that didn't come.
- Pros: the food is good but not worth it!
- Cons: bad, rude service!!!!
Beautiful ambience, bad service and mediocre food.
by docforbrains
November 22, 2008
This was by far, the worst Japanese restaurant my husband and I have ever been to. When you first walk in, the decor is beautiful and the ambience seems great. Then, the hostess takes us to our table and doesn't even move the table for me to sit- I had to move it myself, while she watched me struggle. The service was horrible- they didn't even go over the menu with us or offer any recommendations. Some of the waiters are walking around like they are from the secret service with earpieces. The waiter even poured our drinks by reaching across the table- not classy at all.The food wasn't even that good and it was definitely overpriced for the quality. There are so many great Japanese restaurants in NYC, this one is not worth it.
- Pros: Nice ambience and decor
- Cons: Poor service, expensive and food not that great
Would definitely go back to this spot!!!!
by Caz11213
November 13, 2008
I really enjoyed this place. The food was EXCELLENT. It was freshly prepared and well cooked. The service too, was EXCELLENT. The waiter was well informed and explained everything very well. I am not a sushi eater, but the menu had something on it for all tastes. I really loved the atmosphere.
Bad Bar Experience
by bgg99
November 09, 2008
After spending $200 on dinner with my girlfriend we decided to have a few glasses of wine at the bar. We had a nice time for 90 mins., until the bill came as the young asian girl at the bar was mad we did not tip her enough! It was certainly in the 15%-20% range and frankly all she did was pour us 3 glasses each of white wine. Not to mention once I thought about it she overcharged us by adding on a round! I have gone to this place at least 10X in the last 3 years with clients and my girlfriend and will not spend a dime in this place ever again. I was astounded that she would do that and as well steal from customers by adding on two drinks we did not have. Keep an eye on ther bar and your credit card as these guys are looking to rip people off. Bad business practice and this place is going down hill!
Best new restaurant in NYC - best food, best service and best interior -10 stars!
by syddie
October 14, 2008
This is by far one of THE best new restaurants in the city. The location is great and the space is amazing. The interior is very seductive yet comfortable, and it's rare to be in a NYC restaurant that is so spacious and open. They have an outside lounge area with hardwood floors and cushioned seats along with an upstairs lounge/dining area. I LOVED the red interior. Absolutely perfect for a romantic night out or if you're in the mood for something that is truly stylish in the most "NY" sense. The food is creative and delicious. the menu is split into two sections - a sushi section and a hot entree section. So, if you're not into "Japanese food," guess what, you have an entire half of a menu (which is diverse with a LOT of choices) to choose from. The food was fresh and flavorful and very tasty. The dessert menu was also creative (thank god! none of your boring NY cheesecake and other things you see at every other restaurant) and the presentation was fun and thoughtful. The food also gets 10 stars. The service was good. The staff were friendly (but not overly friendly, they were happy to answer your questions and help you with whatever you needed) and PROMPT - a very rare combination that NYC restaurants have been desperately lacking for some time now. Did I mention prompt? You never had to wait for anything - they quietly brought your food, cleared your plates, refilled your water without being asked (an important one) and came by to check often but not enough to annoy. The staff were great. My experience here has been top top top. But, don't just take my word for it, go try it. You absolutely will fall in love with it.
- Pros: Food, food, food, beautiful interior - very seductive, and prompt service
- Cons: Absolutely none.
