Dowling's at The Carlyle — Restaurant in New York

Quite nice looking place to eat after a drink at Bemelmans, but alas underwhelming. Service: Upon being seated a guy very affirmatively told us "I'm your captain" (huh?), took our order, and then ignored us for the rest of the night, as frankly did the waiters. When we'd finally been served and got the bill, I realized once I started to fill in the usual 20% tip (which wasn't earned but whatever) that there was a second tip line for the Captain. Left it blank, they can divide it up. I've never seen this in any country/establishment, but needless to say if that's your system a) this oddity should be explained when people are seated and b) the "Captain" should maybe show his face more than once at the outset (ours was busy doting on some lawyer and his date who appeared to be ordering the good stuff etc.)

As to the food: appetizer was small but ok, my wife's branzino was decent, but my steak was a wildly overcooked piece of gristle served cold. I tried to get a waiter's attention to ask for a redo, but none could be flagged down (they seated us in a corner) so I gave up and gnawed at the dead lump on my plate. Dessert was small but ok.

For the money, eminently skippable. Get a burger at Bemelmans and listen to the music, much...

Came here for restaurant week but since it was the last day they said they were only doing dinner (did not appreciate this information not being on the site). Food was overpriced and mid—the bisque was much too salty and the lobster quite chewy. I got the burger, and the patty itself was bland, which I could clearly taste despite having sauce, onions, etc. to go with it. The truffle fries were decent, and my friend did like the croque madame, saying that the bread was well toasted. And the bananas foster was solid as well (I credit this to Mustak, the person who made it, as opposed to the kitchen itself.) But considering the steep pricing for this meal, I’d say not worth overall.

So all of that gets a 3/5, tops. However, I would very much like to shout out Mustak, the captain who was on shift, for his kindness. He noticed that I was having some throat problems and whipped up a little home remedy for me, which I was so grateful for. We struck up a lovely conversation and at the end my meal, he brewed up another pot of that remedy for me. I’m deeply appreciative of the compassion he showed and for the brief (but will stick with me for a long time) connection we made. 5/5 for Mustak, who was the best part of my...

A simple menu of perfectly executed classics, jaw-dropping decor, and an aristocratic yet soporific atmosphere made for a memorable dining experience.

As soon as we walked into the main dining room we were taken aback by the cornucopia of modern art in ormolu frames, Art Deco aesthetic, and waitstaff in their sartorial splendor. If Billie Holliday, Howard Hughes, and Greta Garbo were still alive, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them all having a drink here while Glenn Miller performed Moonlight Serenade with his orchestra.

Although the decor was top-notch, most of our fellow patrons looked old enough to have attended the grand opening of The Carlyle. While we’re not ageists, we felt as though our lack of a trust fund or pied-à-terre in Monte Carlo would have excluded us from most of their conversations.

As for the food, it was mostly an afterthought. Thanks to the Fingerling potatoes and Cream of Sorrel, my Faroe Island Salmon was absolute perfection. My fiancé, however, was not as enthusiastic about her meal; she described her salt-baked Branzino and (Lilliputian-sized) mashed potatoes as, “Acceptable.” After tasting them both myself, I would also describe them...