Apiary

10/06/09

scott bryan rocks

by kevdog

been following scott bryan for years, and his latest is

as good as ever. We loved the hamachi, the beet salad, and sweetbreads. his hangar steak is classic, and the the rabbit pappardelle was fantastic.

can't wait to go back.

• Pros: great food
• Cons: a bit noisy

10/01/09

I Did Not Feel Welcomed

by pucca_power

Nice decor, but this place reeks Gramercy Wasp. If you don't look the part, you probably won't be treated very well. I had a glass of wine and left before I felt any less welcomed.

• Pros: Nice Decor
• Cons: Elitist and Homogenous

05/13/09

Highly Recommend! Each course better than the last!!

by Mikelllita

Went to Apiary with friends after a recommendation from the 'Foodie' circle and we were all extremely impressed. The scallop appetizer had a delightfully simple yet dynamic flavor (the stuff dreams are made of). We tried almost all of the entrees (Chicken, Duck, Pork) and couldn't stop trading bites with each other because they were all impressive. The wine list was great and we found a great deal that paired perfectly. Highly recommend and will be back. Oh and the service was a dream as well! Thanks Apiary!!

• Pros: Food (the scallop app is a must), Great Service

02/11/09

Great Night!

by ELIST

I am surprised with negative views on Apiary. We had a great time! my friends and I utilized the No Corkage Monday evening special during this "crisis" and we were treated WONDERFULLY!! Erik was phenomenal and our food was delicious. I think it is a great, cute place and addition to the neighborhood.

02/08/09

Just OK

by foodiesRus81

Everything about this place ranged from just ok to pretty decent. That's not a compliment in New York. The menu, decor, and service were all satisfactory, but not outstanding enough to make me want to return. Two annoying things: 1 - they took the wine bottle *somewhere* after pouring, and didn't return to refill empty glasses for a long time, and 2 - the menu descriptions were misleading (see dish reviews below).

The wine and food are all reasonably priced, with the food cooked well. Note that there is no liquor served, just wine and a good beer selection, but they have some inventive sangrias and wine/champagne based cocktails. There is a fair selection of proteins and veggie sides (it's all a la cart which can make a full meal tip on the pricey side). Some of the protein dishes were creative, but did not live up to expectations. The decor looks like pretty much every other restaurant in this price range does right now in the soho/nolita area. Unoriginal.

Bottom line: with all the excellent choices in Manhattan in this price range (and lower!), I wouldn't recommend this place.

I had: Peking duck breast

This was not Peking duck! It was tasty enough and cooked well, but it is preposterous of them to call it Peking duck breast on the menu and serve something that doesn?t even resemble peking duck! Maybe they bought the duck at Peking Seafood on Canal street? That?s why they think they can name it that? I would have given it more stars, because it was really tasty, but I can?t let them get away with this kind of cheekiness.

Cherries Financier dessert

This was the one dessert on the menu that seemed like an original idea. Although again ? misleading description?it was supposed to come with creme fraiche and did not. It was a nice pastry dish though

• Pros: Tasty food, good looking crowd
• Cons: Disappointing, not a good value

01/24/09

Great Service and Ambiance

by pinkberrygirl

Though the menu is inventive and has an elegant spin on traditional, I wish it were a bit more flavorful. I love the venue, the service has always been fantastic, and the Sangria is delish. Just dont expect to get another Union Square Cafe or Gotham - and you'll love it.

• Pros: Service, Ambience

12/15/08

no liquor but wines priced to move!

by faustfoster

I decided to try the new neighborhood joint after they had been open for a few months. I had read a lot of the blogs and decided it was time to check them out.

The place was very attractive modern and sleak. For all the past reviewers that said they thought it looked cheap I would suggest they try to buy anything from lignet roset. It is definately not cheap.

The room is small and a little noises but overall it is welcoming.

I enjoyed my meal. It was very good but not spectacular.

What is amazing is the wine list. Although I was slightly disappointed that they did not have liquor the wine list removed all disappointment. The selection is quite large for a neigborhood restaurant but the prices are great. This is a restaurant that gets it. They are not gauging you on the prices of bottles of wines.

It was more than enough of a reason to go back time and again.

• Pros: wine list
• Cons: noises

12/11/08

Neighborhood Gem!

by evillagefoodie

After reading some of the negative reviews here I was a bit reluctant to dine here, but it is a couple of blocks from my apt so we decided to give it a try.. and we were pleasantly surprised by both the food and the service -- I guess that have ironed out some of the kinks.

The place was actually bustling for a Wednesday night with nearly every table occupied and a nice crowd at the bar. The clientelle seemed to be business/chic with no college students in sight.

The creative and delicious mediterranean-influenced new American menu was a nice touch as there isn't much of this cuisine in the 'hood. I had the pork-belly appetizer (this was a bit expensive, but also a very large portion for an appetizer- but was great!) and the Moroccon Chicken which was tender & juicy and came in a demi-glaze of cumin, cloves, pepper, morroccon spices and caramilzed onions.. fantastic!

The beer & wine selection was creative and diverse.

I would definitely recommend this place - seems like they certainly made some changes to correct the mistakes and paid attention to the negative reviews!

• Pros: creative yummy food, location, small intimate dining room
• Cons: only beer & wine from the bar.. can be pricey..

12/03/08

No bee in my bonnet!

by wordbird00

My father and I both live in Manhattan and are no strangers to bad or overpriced meals at restaurants that are trying too hard to be cool. Apiary is NONE of these things. I brought my very picky father to Apiary, partly because of his unabashed love of honey and partly out of my secret wish to be a beekeeper. Like other reviewers, I was hesitant to go based on previous reviews, afraid my dad would be his complain-y self if things weren't just right, but decided to throw caution to the wind and give a new place a go. I was very very pleased with the meal and the presentation. I thought the decor was pleasant and not gaudy... felt a bit like a beehive with the wooden slat screens. We each had the green salad which was very good. Light and crunchy. I had the skate which was amazing, and pops had the Moroccan chicken which he also liked a lot. My father would consider himself a sangria connoisseur, and he really liked the red sangria. We both practically inhaled the trio of ice cream (cashew/vanilla/honey) at the end of the meal. Fighting over it with our spoons. The service was great. And the BREAD! There's nothing better to me than having great bread with your meal, and Apiary certainly had it. A nice white French bread and a decadent olive bread. Nothing really knocked me out of my chair about Apiary, but it was still a great meal and a very pleasant middle-of the road place to go in the neighborhood.

• Pros: The bread! The wine!
• Cons: Lighting is a little dim

11/29/08

Pleasantly Surprised

by wattsrocks

After reading negative reviews I was hesitant to try Apiary when a friend suggested it. But we decided to give it a shot. It was a blustery cold night and I was happy to escape the cold into this inviting establishment. We ordered a $25 bottle of Rioja - it was such a good price that I feared it would be ghastly. It was lovely! I suppose I can understand why some people say it has a hotel bar vibe, but I like clean lines & minimalism. Especially in a small space...who wants a ton of heavy textiles or chotchke everywhere? The food was Delicious. The olive bread very good but would have been even better warm. We ordered the Beet Appetizer which was 6 thin slices (3 red & 3 golden) w/ a drizzle of toasted pralines & sort of a goat cheese cream. Thankfully it wasn't drowning in sauce, although I guess it could have used a touch more of the topping. Yum! We shared the Scallops & the Skate. The scallops were a good size (4 of them) & served over a bacon risotto. I don't eat meat and was so happy & surprised when they said they'd make it without bacon! This dish is fabulous! I know that some things taste better with meat (especially bacon), but honestly I think the flavor was perfect without it. There was some fall flavor in there that I couldn't identify, perhaps apple? I don't know - but we loved it. The scallops were perfectly seared - great texture.The risotto could have been a little creamier for my taste, but it didn't matter. We finished every last grain of rice. The skate had a nut dusting & served w/ a grilled cauliflower & spicy eggplant. The fish was cooked perfectly & the flavors divine. The presentation was simple & tasteful. For dessert - the pumpkin creme brule. I had one at another restaurant this fall and they were both reminiscent of pumpkin pie filling. However Apiary's out-shined the other place. The caramelized top was heavenly and it was a little warm which I love. We paired it with the suggested dessert wine which was nice. Will definitely go back.

• Pros: Food, Ambience, Service
• Cons: Tables a little close - our neighbors could hear our convo, but then we are a little loud.