Romantic and refined hideaway in the Lower East Side.

by Josh Ozersky

A killer combination of romantic decor and accomplished, creative food continues to make Allen & Delancey the Lower East Side's most sought-after date spot, even after several chef changes. Currently helming the kitchen is former Irving Mill and Resto wunderkind Ryan Skeen, who has adapted to the more grown-up nature of the room with a suitably elegant and generally offal-free menu. The dark wood, recessed candles and velvet curtains work their seductive magic--or so they say. If you don't have a reservation, Skeen has a fairly ambitious bar menu if you want to stop in spontaneously.

06/06/09

Doesn't get much better than this

by Mmmm

The service was lovely. The room had a great feel to it. When I called and asked if this was a nice place to bring my husband for a date. I was told yes but it surpassed my expectations. He loved it. We dined late so I could get a booth in the back room. The front room is a bit cramped so it is worth the wait. The girl that took my reservation said on a busy night eating after 10 pm was my only chance to get in there.

The food was delicious. Simple but very flavorful. We had a few raw fish items to start the meal which was nice. The bread was a standout as were the cocktails. Between the Halibut and the rabbit Pasta I think we both preferred the Halibut but it was all delicious. Our server recommended the sorbet plate for dessert which seemed odd until we got it. Very creative flavors

My only complaint was they seemed a bit understaffed but it also could have just been a busy Friday.

I can't wait for another reason to go back.

• Pros: Great bread, Great Candles, Cozy Feel
• Cons: Tables for 2 are too close together. Not great on a date

05/30/09

Needs a Few Tweaks

by SLNP

The decor was lush, warm and inviting, especially on the cold, rainy night that I visited. While waiting for my date I had one of the signature drinks at the bar. It was delicious... a very unusual blend of flavors which came together nicely. These drinks take a bit of time to prepare, and I waited quite a while for my turn keeping in mind that the restaurant was half empty and there were only four people at the bar. Once my date arrived he waited quite a while for his cocktail as well. The bartender was obviously flustered and unapologetic, and had that snooty air that cracks me up. The service once in the main dinning room was fine.

The oyster appetizer and rabbit entree were well done. I had the bass which was much too salty. For desert we split the french toast, the components of which were very tasty, but you had to compile the dish yourself and the caramel sauce was more in a solid then liquid state and impossible to drizzle over the other ingredients. I brought out the girl scout in me and warmed my spoon over the candle flame which I used to warm up the caramel sauce. This brought out it's bacon infusion as well, and it was yummy, but overall the food was a bit less exciting then expected, and therefore not really worth the cost.

Also worth noting... management needs to figure out the heating/cooling system. The temperature oscillated between too hot and too cold, so much so that I had keep putting on and removing my coat.

Allen & Delancey could be a gem of a place it just needs a few tweaks first of which would be hiring an additional bartender.

05/21/09

Great for cozy conversation and loved ones!

by JHammer

I wasn't sure what to expect based on some of the reviews of non attentive staff and mediocre food, but walking into this dark, cozy spot was simply impressive. I had taken the train to Grand Street and among the dingy stores and neighborhood, I was pleasantly surprised to walk into what felt like a whole other city.

John the bartender was really nice striking up conversation, after I was at the bar for a bit; my husband was arriving later than expected.

We both had the risotto and beef and were INCREDIBLY satisfied not only with our flavorful and delicious meal, but our attentive waiter. We didn't order dessert because I had a cake at home, but they brought out some ice cream with a candle (I had told the bartender that it was my husband's bday, SO NICE)!

I would go back in a heartbeat and my husband's bday was a complete success!

• Pros: service, attentiveness
• Cons: reservations only allowed a 6:45 table - but free tables

05/12/09

mediocre food

by swindler123

Took my boyfriend there last night for his birthday dinner. Heard alot of great reviews about this place, and was not expecting the food to be so *yawn* boring and average. Had the risotto which was ok - just ok. My boyfriend had the foie gras terrine which was wholly unspectacular. I have tasted better foie gras from a can. The menu seemed tired and uninspired. Again, the veal loin was nothing to write home about. Gratin on the side was dry, and the meat itself was salty. The ribeye was pretty awful. The pureed potatoes were bland, steak was tasteless too. Was looking forward to the sticky toffee pudding but that was taken off the menu. Pineapple upside down cake was blah. Was hoping for a breathtaking dessert to at least salvage the previous monotonous dishes but this was not to be. It was just a cake soaked in syrup. Nothing interesting here. On the whole, a thoroughly forgettable meal. I do not see how this place will continue to thrive given its sub-par food and sky- high prices. When the only thing decent about the entire meal was the bread rolls, I think there might be a problem here.

• Pros: delicious bread rolls, attentive service
• Cons: pricey, forgettable food, inconsistent air-conditioning

05/04/09

Don't let the crowd keep you away

by girlskoutNYC

The room is dark and lit with an orange glow, which I love. The polenta (yes, I ordered polenta), striped bass and pureed potatoes were excellent. The service was slightly amateur but in a way that is refreshingly unpretentious. The only nauseating aspect of our experience was the couple next to us who toasted in French (they were not French). C'est la vie...

• Pros: Food, ambience, decor, service
• Cons: People

04/16/09

good food but very bad service

by carmen136

The Restaurant is nicely decorated, maybe a bit on the dark side...but then it makes it feel more romantic.

Food is very good, but unfortunately the service is really terrible.

• Pros: food, cocktails
• Cons: service

03/03/09

Worse service in NYC (and beyond)

by tafinger

We went to Allen & Delancey Saturday, February 28. We had a 9:45 pm reservation. We arrived on time, but our table was not ready. We did not get seated until around 10:15 pm. The waiter came over, but disappeared before we could order drinks. He came back a few minutes later and took our order. But he disappeared again before we could order drinks. We would not see him again all night ? and never got a drink (yes, we could of went to the bar, or found somebody ? but we were just amazed about the lack of service).

Our salads arrived in about 25 minutes ? a delay, but not terrible. The salads were very good. Over an hour after we finished our salads (and two hours after our reservation), our entrees still had not yet arrived. In that hour, nobody ever stopped by our table.

Finally, we found our waiter and asked him to check on our orders. When he did not return after a few minutes (and we saw at the bar) we decided to leave. Hungry.

The service was just terrible.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Service

03/01/09

Worse service in NYC

by tafinger

This is not really a food review, as we never got our entrees. We had a 9:30 PM reservation on a Saturday night. We were not seated until after 10 PM. Nobody came over to take a drink order. Eventually a waiter stopped by to (quickly) take out order. Left before we got a chance to order some drinks. Last we saw him for the evening. Our salads came – a bit slow, but nothing major. We both enjoyed them. Then we just sat at our table until about 11:30 PM (more than an hour after we finished our salads, and two hours after our reservation). No food. No waiter. We eventually asked somebody to check on our orders. But they never came back (but we did see the person hanging out by the bar). Check please! The manager did not charge us for our salads. We had been looking forward to the dinner for a while. It is our anniversary.

We also heard the two tables nearest to us complaining about the service.

PS: Went to see Sleepwalk with Me, a comedy by Mike Birbiglia, before dinner. It was excellent.

• Pros: Salad
• Cons: Everything else

02/25/09

Different and Romantic

by LeeLee74

Very romantic, also ideal for quiet catchup conversation with an old friend. The drinks were delicious and food was better than ok but not great. The waitresses are very knowledgable, so ask lots of questions if you have them. The maitre de was a bit obnoxious but his attitude didnt hamper the evening. Reservations are a must as the space is small, the bar is a cool place to hang-out for a before din din cocktail.

• Cons: obnoxious host