LILLI RESTAURANT — Restaurant in New York

Where do I start??? There were about twelve of us and we were celebrating someone's birthday (my friend's husband). The reservation was for 9pm and we did not get seated until almost 9:30pm. It was a surprise birthday dinner.

The night before the dinner someone from the restaurant informed my friend that $1,350,00 would have to be paid in advance. WHERE DO THEY DO THIS AT???? I can understand a deposit; but who pays for food in advance though??? The person asked that the money be sent via Zelle. My friend was so confused and uncomfortable about doing this. However, it was too late to find somewhere else to have dinner and did not want to ruin her husband's birthday dinner. She did try to Zelle the payment, but her bank denied the transaction.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she was TOLD that the money HAD TO BE PAID UP FRONT before any food could be served. She paid it not to have any confusion or spoil the dinner. This IS INSANE because we have gone to other places with a reservation for twenty-two people and paid a bill of almost $3,000.00; and did not have to leave a deposit.

Now it is time to order drinks, appetizers and then entrees. We had to order from a prefix menu @ $85.00 per person (was not worth it), The drinks were coming out one at a time, some of us had to ask at least 3-5 times for water. Then everyone in the establishment was bringing a drink or appetizer to the table. A few of us finished our appetizer and others did not get theirs yet (just a mess), The staff was just ALL OVER THE PLACE!! Then the entrees were coming out one at a time. We kept asking whomever for water ALL THE TIME!! When I asked if the bottle could be left on the table, I was told NO!! I was just so over everything at that point but just let it go.

Anyways on a positive note the crab cakes were very tasty, the oxtail was tender and flavorful. Some said the salmon was good, but someone said theirs was dry and the lamb chops were okay, just small. Someone said their chicken fried rice was trash, lol. For one appetizer and an entree it was not worth $85.00 though. The music was nice but just loud, it was hard to talk to each other without yelling. The ambiance was nice as well. Although I did not like the rum punch, everyone said their drinks were good.

The final balance was $348.82 for the drinks, gratuity, and other fees. The next day when my friend went through the bill to really see ALL THE ADDITIONAL FEES......She had to text someone at the restaurant to explain these fees to her. She really should have checked the bill before she left but it was late, she was tired and just over them at this point.

Fee for Brunch Prefix (20.00%) $53.40 (we had dinner) Cake cutting fee $25.00 (she bought his own cake there.) Admin Fee $104 My friend was told it was for gratuities however, there was already a charge for gratuities. A charge for 3 Don Julio & pineapple juice when there was only two. This is what happens when multiple people are bringing out drinks.

Is this the new norm now paying for food before you eat??? They do not ever have to worry about any of us coming back here or even recommending this place. Another overpriced caribbean spot. Everything is not for everyone and this just was not the...

First, I’d like to start with the disclaimer that I went on Mother’s Day with a party of 9 attempting to walk in. I completely understand that coming on a holiday after Church with a large party will change a restaurant experience, however, there are a couple of things that lowered the service experience for me. One, I believe that at any sit-down restaurant I should not have to ask for a glass of water. Two, even understanding that we are a large party attempting to walk-in, they made us wait 40+ minutes (understandable) to sit at two different tables (unacceptable for the wait). I’d like to mention here that I was able to create a “waitlist” reservation for 8 people on OpenTable. Before this, I attempted to call 3 times to make a waitlist reservation for 9 people. When we finally got seated we were told the reason the tables were separate was because the “reservation” was for 8 people instead of 9 (even though I was never notified of being officially taken off the waitlist). Aside from these service issues, any other complications we experienced I believe were due to us being a large party with multiple senior citizens coming on a busy day. As for pricing, I don’t quite understand why making a $20 drink a double would make it $40 (to me that is stadium pricing, not restaurant pricing) but I accepted it. Other pricing was acceptable but I do believe you could get better service, food, and atmosphere for a lower price elsewhere. However, if you are coming to catch a vibe with friends or in general, it’s a great place to go. There’s a dj spinning tunes the whole time and the food tastes great with acceptable serving sizes. Our server Jordan, was doing his best given the bussiness and I appreciate that. Even though we were a more challenging group, he tried to accommodate all our asks. As for food to get, the oxtail wontons and Asian wings were great for appetizers. I would have liked to try the calamari but it was sold out by the time we got there. For mains, I would recommend the oxtail or the lamb chops. The snapper is also good but I would recommend sharing it and getting another side to share as well as it was quite large. I got the salmon from the brunch menu which was cooked well however was too sweet for my tastes. On that note, a lot of the food was sweeter than necessary so if you are diabetic or sensitive to sugar I would recommend you ask which dishes are sweet (the snapper was very sweet for my grandmother). Please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions/experiences and you may have a different opinion/experience coming here. I think it’s definitely worth checking out at least once although I don’t think I will be coming back unless...

I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant after hearing positive feedback from family members, but unfortunately, my experience didn’t live up to the hype. The restaurant is definitely overpriced for what it offers. The main dish menu was fairly simple which I actually appreciated, since an overly extensive menu can often mean lower quality but I decided to stick with appetizers and a side of fried rice.

The fried rice was disappointing. It tasted like it had been pre-cooked, stored in the fridge, and then reheated, resulting in a texture that was somewhere between undercooked and rubbery that taste when rice is microwaved…..

For the appetizers, I ordered the sweet chili wings, shrimp rolls, and what I believe were fried shrimp. While I understand the importance of not over-seasoning, these dishes were noticeably bland. It felt like the restaurant relied too heavily on the dipping sauces to provide flavor, which didn’t do enough to elevate the dishes overall.

Given that this restaurant markets itself as a Caribbean-Asian fusion spot, I was surprised that the Caribbean flavors weren’t more present. I think it would elevate the experience if they incorporated more Caribbean-style sauces or seasonings especially with the shrimp rolls and fried shrimp to better balance the fusion concept and add depth. Honestly, speaking serving spicy mayo, and sweet chili sauce is very mid.

On a more positive note, I really loved the tech-savvy digital menu it was easy to use and added a modern touch to the dining experience. Also, the piña colada was excellent refreshing and perfectly blended.

Overall, the concept is promising, and the ambiance and tech features are a plus, but the food could definitely benefit from stronger seasoning, better execution, and a more intentional fusion of the Caribbean and Asian elements.I really wanted to like this spot, but the food just didn’t deliver for the...