Ambassador Grill — Restaurant in New York

Everyone claiming the place is a scam is right, I'd rather eat with Elmo in Times Square, at least I'd be entertained while they ripped me off. I had a corporate account and only got an $18 credit which covered two of the meals on the entire menu, with the buffet starting at $48?? It's a routine buffet with the standard misspelled signs and quite a few flies buzzing around, the only reason you'd take it would be to avoid the staff service (I'll get to that in a second.) The majority of the menu items are $25 and I assume they are as barebones as what I got. The vanilla waffle was a single waffle with a dusting of powdered sugar and a very tart mixed berry compote. Came with two butter pats and corn sugar syrup. The waffle had overmixed batter and was chewy. I have no idea where the vanilla was supposed to be as it had no hint of it. Overall fine for a routine hotel breakfast waffle but only barely worth the $10 extra it costs with the MANDATORY gratuity.

As for the service, every interaction was only a cover for moving me out of the restaurant with a drive thru level of cold attitude. The hostess just said "hi" when I walked in and I had to ask if I just sat myself before she finally "your room number?"

The server immediately asked me what my order was upon first getting to the table along with "coffee, tea, juice?" Which I declined because I don't need Tropicana at those prices thanks. The water was brought without a word, I don't think any of my thank you's were acknowledged the entire time. While waiting for the food, another server came up and asked me the same beverage question just so he could take my coffee cup. The food arrived with a half hearted "enjoy." I got through one wedge of said waffle before the server was back, not to ask how it was, but to say did I want anything else. The no thank you was maybe halfway out of my mouth before he said ok and left my check on the table.

I can't imagine anyone comes here unless they're getting a $30 credit. I'll just stick to the cafe from here on out, which also accepts the credit. They've been more polite as I've walked past the place than the entire staff I interacted with while dining at...

We had a very unpleasant dining experience today, mainly due to the rude behavior of a male staff member dressed in black.

Right after he put down the check, he walked away, but then kept coming back repeatedly while we were still chatting, telling us the restaurant was about to close. He even took the check away without us asking, and came back multiple times to clear our dishes — clearly rushing us out.

What made it worse was that the tip was already included in the bill without any prior notice. In our past dining experiences, this is highly unusual — it typically only happens when the meal is over, the party is large (usually six or more people), or the bill reaches a high amount. None of those applied to us. His behavior felt discriminatory. It made us wonder if we were being treated this way because we’re Asian — as if we’re easier to take advantage of.

In addition, he lacked basic manners and hospitality. He didn’t clear the dirty dishes left by previous customers, and after we were already seated, he told us to move, saying that a group of three could only sit at a table for two, even though many other seats were clearly available. He acted like he didn’t see us and completely ignored our needs, which made us feel disrespected and unwelcome.

All we wanted was to enjoy a nice meal, but his behavior really ruined the entire experience. I hope the restaurant takes this seriously and addresses this kind of service...

When you see someone truly committed to making your experience enjoyable, it really stands out. I will genuinely miss having my dinners here—especially thanks to Victoria, the bartender. She always remembered my preferences, made great suggestions for both food and drinks, and was a pleasure to talk to. Her attention to detail made every visit feel special. If you go, definitely try the Espresso Martini (amazing!) and the Rose’s Bath—though the latter is a bit small for the price, it’s still a nice option.

The food overall is very good. I loved the pasta, the burger is a bit basic but comes with plenty of delicious fries, and the New York steak—while a bit overpriced—was absolutely worth it for the flavor.

The restaurant itself is elegant and beautifully designed. I would highly recommend it for a fancy dinner out, or if you're staying at the hotel and have dining credits, it's 100% worth...