Cecily — Restaurant in New York

Incredible new restaurant in Brooklyn. I went with friends, one of whom had been before - I'd never heard of it prior. The food, ambiance, and service were all outstanding. Given that they told us they've only been open 3 weeks, I was impressed how dialed-in the dining experience was.

It was quiet and dimly lit, would make a great date spot. Well-stocked bar with extensive wine list, cocktails, and zero proof options. We shared several appetizers, mains, and desserts. It's hard to choose a favorite- everything had really unique with interesting flavors and seasonal ingredients.

For starters we had the shishito peppers; I always order shishitos when I see them on a menu, but I'd never had any like this. Rather than the usual salt and lemon, these had a rich, umami-ful sauce that I couldn't quite place, perhaps containing chili and tomatoes? My friend compared them to Doritos in an admiring way - equally addictive, rich, and savory. The other starter was an incredible raw kohlrabi & turnip dish - they were thinly sliced and marinated in a rich, smoky & tart creamy sauce, which the menu said was crème fraiche but it had much more depth of flavor than just that. Delicious! I'd go back just for this dish alone.

We then had the chicory salad - an excellent mix of radicchio and chicory, with a tangy dressing and crispy panko topping - a nice large serving as well, big enough to share.

Our mains were the butter beans on sourdough bread with braised collards - an excellent vegetarian option; we also had the chicken which came with spinach and was very simple but excellent, moist and delicious.

We had both of the desserts on the menu - I'm always happy to find a semifreddo!

Perfect meal, no notes! Go try it before it gets written up somewhere and you can't get a...

We went to Cecily for an event in June, and got to try some of their dishes.

The inside is a bit smaller than I thought, or it is more of an obscure dining room shape. They have a fully stocked bar, and a super friendly and talented bartender.

We had a few cocktails; Pink Panther, Cecily Manhattan, and Passenger Pigeon. The Pink Panther was not pink as I had hoped, but it was tasty. Fruity and elegantly sweet, really nice cocktail. Cecily Manhattan was strong, reminded me of Old Fashion. A nice, relaxing drink in the evening. Passenger Pigeon was aromatic and flavorful, with just the right amount of sweetness.

Food we tried: Grilled Scallops had a great aroma of the yuzu. They were plump and soft, perfect texture, delicious! Little Gem Caesar was super fresh. The piparra pepper had a nice little kick, Anchovies gave bold flavor and added texture. Mussel Toast was divine! Garlic aioli is the bomb, while chili butter gives subtle kick that is so delightful. Half Roasted Chicken was super moist, and packed with flavor. So tender, easy to cut with butter knife. It had crispy exterior, each bite was amazing.

For dessert, we had Mom’s Strawberry Cake. It was magically delicious. I believe they added strawberry compote into the whipped cream, making it extra flavorful and tasty. It had loads of fresh strawberry compote under the cream.

The staffs were nice, they took a really good care of us during the event. The drinks and food were great, we enjoyed them all. This is such a neighborhood gem, we would love to go back again in a near future to try more of...

A bit disappointed here, and overall the feeling is that it’s not quite as fancy as it thinks it is.

The food was pretty good, but lacking the kind of finesse you’d expect for the price and atmosphere. Chard broth was thin and weak, with the leaves soggy and daikon pieces cut far too large for a comfortable bite. Kimchi lost its crunch and was spicy without other subtlety. Ribs had a nice fry on the skin but got a bit dry too dry in the process, and while the sauce underneath was an interesting take on the common mint accompaniment, the consistency was very inconsistent. Some of the portions and presentations were family style/sharable but some were very much not, with no explanation one way or another from either the server or the menu. No apparent story, theme, or ethnicity to the menu, which overall was very unfocused.

Service was good from the host, but compromised by our server. There was an air of “you’re welcome for being here” throughout. Long delays between water, ordering drinks, and ordering food; who doesn’t ask when taking the drink orders if you’re already decided on food? Once the food started arriving we were checked in once but never again. No offer to replenish drinks. Just a desert menu preemptively slapped on the table at the end without a word; again none of the usual sort of banter like “how are we feeling about desert this evening, we have XXX that our guests love”.

With wine and one or two small plates one could still find some enjoyment over an evening, but for the price this did not live up to expectations or the...