Reviews & Ratings for Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe

04/13/11

So very, very disappointed

by Elakshi at Citysearch

For the past several years, I have counted Morrell among my few, favorite, consistently delicious restaurants in midtown. Unfortunately, with their new chef, that has changed. A friend and I went for dinner last night and found that the service was not good (no water refills, waiter disappears and does not check on how the food comes out, the wrong wine was poured and we had to send it back and request the one we had originally ordered) and the food was terrible. We both started with the beet salad which was an over salted, barely edible pile of greens with about a eight tiny beet cubes and some chevre crumbles. For our entrees, my friend had the Udon and I had the mushroom risotto with duck confit. The seafood in the Udon was so salty that my friend had to send her dish back; my risotto and duck confit was edible, but the risotto tasted primarily of black pepper and had no depth of flavor and the duck was overcooked and dry. The risotto reminded me of the Lipton noodles that I used to eat in college which only required me to add hot water - in fact, I think the Lipton noodles were better ... I have never published a review of anything before, but my great disappointment with last night's dinner has spurred me to let people know that this is no longer the restaurant it used to be.

12/30/09

Overpriced, poor customer service

by mstrom at Citysearch

Went here around the holidays and made a reservation on opentable. Got there and was seated in a terrible table near the bathroom. Asked the hostess to move us if possible upstairs to a nicer table. Hostess said no problem, should take 10 minutes and she'd move us. Long story short we ate the whole meal down there and she never came back. The food was just ok but everything from the wine to the food was very overpriced and you really just feel like a number in there. When I mentioned this oversight to the hostess at the end of the meal, she laughed and apologized and didn't even offer a dessert or a discount off the bill. I also left a message for the manager just to let him know, and never heard back. Clearly they could care less if you enjoy your experience. And the kicker was opentable contacted me to say that I was marked down as NOT honoring my reservation. Very disorganized and incompetent hostess and customer service overall. Look at the tree and go skating and grab a drink at Bryant Park, it's a lot nicer experience.

• Pros: Good location for sightseeing
• Cons: Terrible treatment of customers, overpriced, food just ok

08/14/07

Fun enough for the view and to wind down

by kawaiicat7 at Citysearch

For what it is it might deserve higher marks but it's hard to say. From the jump: the white bread is pointless, the whole grain bread is very good. Everyone around us had the cheese plate but we didn't have time, though it looked nice. My date had the lamb burger sliders which had in my opinion a decent crunch, but were either overpowered by the dressing-like sauce on them, or underwhelmed by the lack of lamb/burger taste as a whole, and the bread while crunch did not stand up flavor-wise either. I didn't try his lobster salad but it looked decent if you want something extremely light (bits of lobster meat and sprouts). I had the sweet pea/shrimp risotto which was slightly off-putting as, on the menu it says it comes with a tomato confit, but once it arrived it was green. . . Also, I typically stray from anything excessively creamy and oily - and let's just say this was extremely creamy and surrounded by oil.. but once the amazing flavors touched my mouth, all was forgiven. Decadent, yes. Filling? As time progresses! And certainly not something you would want to eat every day (not for the health conscious!) but a very lovely dish indeed.

My date had a chardonnay that, for $30/glass, came far too cold and wasn't suitable until the end of our meal. By then it had a wonderful flavor, but that was far too late in the game. My Spanish red was described as complex and powerful, but was truly unimpressive as far as Spanish wine is concerned.

And while it may sound like I am complaining (our waiter was awful), I still enjoyed the place and would go back. Why? My dinner was excellent, the outdoor seating is fun (and I wasn't even facing Rock Center, And I am not a fan typically of outdoor dining). I honestly shouldn't have enjoyed it - the tables are close together, but somehow, it was a lovely place to sit, and my meal leads me to believe other things on the menu are winners. Just... not the sliders.

• Pros: Great outside seating (the best!), good meal, fun
• Cons: Some food a bit off, both wines not served appropriately, poor wait staff.

05/17/07

as long as your waiter isn't Michael

by esusanny at Citysearch

I would've appreciated an informed and helpful waiter in respect to selecting a glass of wine w/ the appetizers and meals we ordered. I was expecting it to be more of an authentic Italian experience with servers who suggest (or just bring out) great wines with consideration to food, weather, etc, but our server could've worked in Applebees for all he cared. No suggestions, recommendations, personality, or manners. The place is small, but not too tight. The halibut was tasty. I was also very pleased to see the foie gras plate listed on the online menu was not on last night's menu (please support cruelty free establishments!). If my best friend didn't want to have her birthday dinner there I wouldn't have gone just based on the foie gras appearance, but hopefully mgt has taken it off the menu?? Dessert was fair- creme brule, lemon tart. Cheese plate was fair w/ a good selection of cheeses. For the price ($150 for two people) I would go somewhere else for a good wine selection plus service.

• Pros: large wine selection, location, easy reservations on a Tues.
• Cons: Michael the waiter, location (if you drive)

07/28/06

Wine buffs never had it so good.

by Karen Hudes at Citysearch

The Scene
The contours of this bi-level Rockefeller Center wine bar are appropriately rippled, like wine flowing from a bottle, or perhaps the leisurely stream of conversation that follows. With its clean, curvaceous lines, Morrell's easily transforms in the evening hours from a bright business lunch spot to a date oasis in midtown.

The Draw
The wine list, which includes over 2,000 selections, is helpfully pared down and subdivided, aided by the option of tasting before you order. Italy, Australia and Argentina are well represented on the menu, and Morrell recently added an exclusive to their list called Invinctus--a deliciously full, fruity Napa cabernet with cherry notes.

04/29/05

High-end wines and have superb charcuterie!

by joachim at Citysearch

Though Rockefeller Plaza can be considered a bit "touristy," Morrells wine bar isn't. With an extensive (and yes, as an earlier reviewer noted - expensive) wine-by-the-glass selection, it offers the experienced and inexperienced wine taster alike a chance to explore notable wines without having to purchase the whole bottle.

The food could be considered an afterthought, or a way to waste time between tastings. But it's more than that. Every dish I've had there has been well prepared and delcious. Especially with a great pairing of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, or a Washington State Pinot Blanc. Be prepared to pay for what you get though!

• Pros: Great Wines, Tastey Food, Good Service
• Cons: Expensive

03/10/05

What a selection!!!

by littlesalty at Citysearch

I'm always looking for places with amazing wine by the glass lists...and this place is tops, although it is a bit pricey (which isn't surprising!) To respond to a post on this board, you're NOT supposed to fill a wine glass "all the way up to the top." If you do, it does not allow room for swirling or sniffing and there's not enough aeration to appreciate the bouquet of the wine. FYI.

03/29/04

Disappointing

by newwyorker at Citysearch

It's such a nice location, but the food and and desserts were just mediocre. There was nothing on the menu that was in any way "unique".

The wine list is pretty amazing, but $9 for a teeny glass of wine whereas everywhere else in the city they pour the wine into the glass until it's full.

I am disappointed!

• Pros: nice location, nice interior, good service
• Cons: , small glass/hi price

02/10/04

Morethanitshouldbe

by cybergemini at Citysearch

The wine selection is formidable, but overpriced. The portions are small, but tasty. The staff is friendly and knows their wines. The bar only seats about 10 people, so get there early if that's your preference. Being near the rink makes it a great people watching location and draws in an unusual crowd of wanna-be powerbrokers and tourists. It is a romantic place for a date. I would not take a client here because the space is tight and it's a bit noisy.

• Pros: Location, Wine Selection, Food Pairings
• Cons: , Too Loud, Overpriced

08/22/03

Great location, wine & food

by WolphGang at Citysearch

Great location: sidewalk seating.

Food: small rich portions that leave enough room for dessert -- sticky toffee pudding mmm.

• Pros: location