Alison — Restaurant in New York

Wow what a disappointment! We used to come here consistently. Always a great experience and always great service so much so that we brought others and recommended it to others. We had not been in a while given the current state of the city but decided to go back to "one of our favorite spots" last night. Unfortunately, as soon as we arrived it felt like we were in an alternate universe. The blond hostess took a while to approach. We did not realize that our reservation was outside so inquired about within. She said she would check but did not really. She just turned around and said no. She said outside was our only option. Despite that it is not yet spring or summer, we hesitantly agreed. So here's the thing: (1) If you are offering outside seating during cold weather, you should have heating lamps or not have it be an option at all. (2) Unless you are offering a discount for those eating outside, the quality of service and food should be the same. The drinks and meals took forever to come. It was like the staff themselves did not want to come outside. The meals were dropped off by a guy who seemed annoyed. A female server only refilled the water for the table closest to the door. When she returned later to remove our plates, she also seemed annoyed and did not respond when we thanked her. She almost hit my husband in the face with a dirty dish from another table. The host came outside briefly twice and never once approached our table. She knew it was cold yet she never offered to move us to the bar or inside if a table became available instead she accommodated others who came after with no reservations. Now the food...The burger was requested WELL DONE and it was not. One of the buns was soggy. Given the long wait and that it was cold, we did not risk returning it as we desperately wanted to leave. The free range chicken which we have ordered often always included a breast. This time it did not and seemed smaller. The drinks were watered down probably from how long they were left at the bar. I have never left no tip because I know working at a restaurant is not easy especially on a busy night but this experience was pretty tempting to change my commitment. Before we left, I went to use the restroom and yes there was space at the bar and an empty table but again, the hostess did not care enough. This was not the Alison that we knew and loved nor were all the familiar faces there except for the waitress who took our order. I know things like this happen but it does not make the experience any less disappointing when you are used to expecting the best...

Delightful! We came here on a whim before our trip to the Museum of the History of New York, and it was great. The manager on the floor Vladimir welcomed us warmly and our server Sayyid was fun and kind and prompt. We wanted a dozen oysters and a bottle of wine to start and it was 2:52, and he asked “are you starving? If you wait eight minutes we can do the happy hour combo and save you some money.” Totally unprompted and so kind!! We went for that, along with the mushroom croquettes and calamari to begin, then got the chicken schnitzel and Mussels PEI in white wine sauce as entrees.

The calamari was tasty and crunchy, and not overcooked, and the sauces they came with were killer. The mushroom croquettes were delightful and, again, accompanied by a delicious sauce. The oysters from Martha’s Vineyard were fresh and light, but unfortunately a few had a little shell left over that I crunched on. Totally forgivable though as it was only two.

As for entrees, the schnitzel was gorgeous: light golden brown, piping hot and ultra tender with a lovely breading and super buttery mashed potatoes. The mussels came cooked wonderfully and the sourdough was crunchy and fresh, but we needed more white wine sauce to go with and when we asked we were given it without a fuss!

We didn’t think we has room for dessert but Sayyid brought over the espresso flan and we both fell in love and found another stomach. Creamy, rich, balanced with a great moist texture and just fantastic all around. I finished with a tasty mocha and we called it a day.

What an absolute pleasure. I have a feeling this is a neighborhood gem, and deserves to be much busier. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the decor simple and comfortable, and a great team to back it up. If we’re back in the area we definitely will be stopping in again!

PLEASE DISREGARD MY HORRID PICTURES I FORGOT TO TAKE THEM BEFORE WE’D EATEN...

I was meeting a friend for dinner and it was pouring out. Being wet and cold instantly disappeared once I walked into this magical restaurant! The place is cozy, tables well spaced, clean and comfortable.

The wait staff was super friendly, made good suggestions and brought the food out timely. We had the crispy chickpeas with rosemary and black salt. This is listed under snacks. I suggest you order these as soon as you sit down to snack on while deciding what to order. The chickpeas were deep fried with wonderful seasoning and had a delightful crispy taste.

They have a wonderful wine list. We had the Chateau De Chantegrive Graves 2012. It is a Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon, France. It tasted like a mixture of a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay and was not too sweet. It also is a great value at $11 a glass.

We started with the Steak Tartare appetizer with fresh Chile and ponzu sauce. The chef at this place is a master at spicing, the true art of cooking. Fresh Chile and ponzu are two very flavorful ingredients where each can dominate. Just the right amount of each was added and the flavors blended perfectly with the tartare.

We then had the Wild Dover Sole with salsa Verde and the Salmon Rice Bowl with coconut rice, seared salmon, avocado, seaweed, sesame seeds and ponzu sauce. I had never had wild dover soles and wanted to try them. The dover soles were incredibly light and almost melted in our mouths.

The Salmon Rice bowl was extraordinary with oodles of flavor. The coconut rice was cooked to perfection.

We finished with a cappuccino and latte and the coffee flan. I love flan and coffee so it was heavenly for me. The flan had a strong coffee taste and was not overly sweet as some flans are.

Can't wait to go back and try other dishes. Even though I do not live in the neighborhood it is...