Faena New York — Hotel in New York

(Note: This review is about the restaurant La Boca, located in the Faena Hotel.)

I should preface this review by saying it is a painful one to write. As an Argentine and a longtime fan of Mallmann’s (I own all his cookbooks), I went to La Boca with high expectations.

Maybe the first red flag should have been the name: a restaurant with prices excessive even by Manhattan standards named after one of Buenos Aires’s most iconic working-class neighborhoods.

Since our table wasn’t ready when we arrived, we went to the bar. My wife told the bartender she likes her cocktails spirit-forward and dry. He suggested what sounded like a riff on a martini, promising to make it even drier for her. What arrived was a treatment for scurvy: a few ounces of lime juice with a hint of cucumber.

We were eventually seated—followed by our drinks—and then left to wait. And wait. Was this a clever joke on the word ‘waiter’? Finally, the sommelier came to discuss wine with my wife. His descriptions of Argentine bottles (which we know well) made little sense, leaving us to wonder if he’d ever tasted them. We ignored his advice and ordered a bottle we trusted (at prices that looked like they’d been listed in Argentine pesos). Only when our cocktails were nearly gone did someone appear to take our order. We went with beef empanadas, eggplant milanesa, “Francis’s thick milanesa” (beef), and domino potatoes, a Mallmann classic.

Then came the bread and butter. Argentina has great food, but bread is not our pride. In that sense, La Boca was authentic: the bread, presented in a lovely silver dish, was cold and rubbery. The butter was equally cold. When focaccia and baguette share the same texture, something’s gone wrong. We gave up and sent the basket back.

The empanadas arrived next. Delicious—except they were cheese, not beef. We kept them, though, and enjoyed the filling: cheese balanced with thyme, paired with a chunky tomato water touched with vinegar, bright and summery. Still, not what we had ordered. To their credit, the staff quickly corrected the mistake, and the beef empanadas were also good.

The mains followed. The eggplant milanesa was excellent: tender slices, breaded and fried, laid over smoky eggplant purée with avocado and a spicy sauce reminiscent of sriracha. A dish imbued with the spirit of smoke. The “thick milanesa,” on the other hand, was a creative way of ruining a milanesa and a filet mignon both at the same time. The beauty of a milanesa lies in the crust-to-meat ratio and, of course, the crustiness. Here, it seemed like the beef had been brushed with a lukewarm mixture of breadcrumbs and oil after the fact. Since it hadn’t been grilled or cooked on a plancha, the tenderloin itself lacked its own crust as well. A double loss. The domino potatoes, meanwhile, were undercooked and unsalted—like a spa cleanse. Normally I don’t mind when chefs withhold salt shakers, assuming they’ve seasoned the dish properly. But if they haven’t, diners should be spared the runaround of requesting salt three separate times, only to be brought a pepper shaker each time. (The salt and pepper shakers are very pretty. Unfortunately, they’re also identical.)

Bottom line: go elsewhere. The décor and live music were memorable; everything else would be forgettable if not for the price tag. Yes, restaurants need time to find their rhythm, but watching what felt like the entire Argentine soccer team parade by every 30 seconds without eye contact or awareness of our table didn’t inspire optimism. The empanadas were excellent—but you can get equally good ones at Criollas (two locations in town) for half the price. Maybe this restaurant is an elaborate lesson staged by the real denizens of La Boca, who understand the value of great food, aimed at people willing to overpay for mediocrity. If so, touché. If not, we...

The actual hotel room was beautiful with great views of the river. However, the staff here is terrible. How can you run a high end hotel but have staff that is so unwelcoming? They treat guests like second class citizens unless you appear to be a billionaire. News flash- most ppl with money don’t flaunt it. Management is trying to make this property too exclusive for no reason, especially in a city filled with luxury hotels of a higher caliber that actually treat guests well. The bartenders are not friendly and want to be bribed just to take your order. The African American door man thinks he is god and I hear him demean many guests walking past the property just asking simple questions- a couple walked by and want to check out the lobby and he laughed at the couple and told them clearly they aren’t the intended clientele for this property. Another news flash, doorman, you also aren’t the intended clientele for this property. The doormen shouldn’t be condescending to the guests staying on property when clearly the hotel employees couldn’t afford it out of their own salary. But want to act like they are part of an exclusive club that only caters to billionaires. It’s quite comical- especially coming from this brand. Property needs an entire overhaul of their current staff, or this property WILL NOT MAKE IT IN THIS CITY. There are luxury hotels on every corner, what makes your property better than those? It’s not the service, that much I can tell you. Book this property at your own risk. The room is stunning with a nice tub, toiletries, and a great view. But the terrible staff really put a damper on my stay. Was booked for four nights and left after the first two nights to and moved to the baccarat hotel where I was treated beautifully. Please take this criticism seriously. Something...

Dear Faena, The first time I was at Faena New York when I was invited for dinner. A person who was the main in charge working at the hotel was absolutely unfriendly and I absolutely didn’t feel like I was welcomed by him. That was the first time I met him.

The second time I was invited to the hotel lounge for a drink with my best friend who’s a well known person in fashion industry. This person was there and again, he was definitely unfriendly and he gave us a negative attitude toward me and my friend.

I have heard that part of his expertise is “Guest Experience Excellence”. Unfortunately I believe he didn’t provide that professional and standard of “Guest Experience Excellence” at the level that I expected. I have never seen him smile even once.

I’m very concerned with his behavior and since my first experience at dinner was definitely not impressive. The second time was again unfriendly and unwelcoming. He always gave me a negative attitude of “why are you here?”

I have question. Why this type of unprofessional and below standard of his hospitality were allowed to perform in this luxury hotel?

I thought that Faena has the best professional hospitality management team with great leadership.

I was always very excited to come to visit Faena New York. I called it “a place of dream”, “a place of positive energy and great spirit”. I expect to be a long time client.

Unfortunately, I have to believe that Faena is not a friendly place to visit due to negative experiences of my visits. After unimpressed experiences of unfriendliness and unwelcoming by a person who was the main in charge working at the hotel. It has been very disturbing disappointment and I never want to come to visit Faena New York again and I will not recommend...