Lillie's Victorian Establishment — Restaurant in New York

The restaurant is beautiful, and the food tastes good, but I can only give it 2 stars because the service attitude didn’t fully meet my expectations.

The two of us spent $100 on 2 cocktails, a burger, fried squid, and a cake. We tipped 18%, and I believe this level of spending should come with standard service.

About 10 minutes after leaving the restaurant, I realized I had left my lipstick there. I went back to look for it but couldn’t find it. (I’m absolutely certain I didn’t put it in my bag or pocket and didn’t take it out of the restaurant. Before the meal, I touched up my lipstick and left it on the table, but I didn’t pay attention to it afterward.)

I asked the staff member clearing the table if they had found it. They said the server responsible for our table had already left and couldn’t be reached. I suspect that the lipstick might have been accidentally collected with the tablecloth or something similar, so I asked if I could check the trash bin. However, they only showed me an empty trash bin and refused to show the bin where the garbage from our table was disposed of. I have no idea why.

When I asked if there were any security cameras in the restaurant, they said the decorations blocked the cameras, so there was no footage.

After we spent a while looking for the lipstick, the manager came over and said, "We don't hold personal items; we are not responsible for missing items." That attitude made me so angry. I left my item in the restaurant—it’s not like I was asking them to take responsibility for it! I was just hoping they could assist me as much as possible in finding it. We paid for our meal and tipped properly—why did they feel the need to emphasize they weren’t responsible? Why were they so cold and detached?

Then they said to me, "You should let it go, we are sorry about that." Who are they to tell me to "let it go"? They didn’t even offer to take my name and phone number in case they found it during their evening cleanup. It was clear they truly didn’t care and had no intention of helping—they really don’t hold personal items, as they said.

I felt so heartbroken. That lipstick was a Christmas gift, and now, just after New Year’s, it’s already gone.

Their attitude made the experience of losing something even worse. I’m absolutely certain the lipstick was left in the restaurant, and yet they made no real effort to help. It was such a cold and inhuman response.

Honestly, losing something in a restaurant is extremely rare. I can be forgetful sometimes and have left things like my phone or hat behind in restaurants or even at Starbucks. Usually, the staff would keep the item for me, or it would still be on the table where I left it. To be frank, this is the first time I’ve had something completely disappear in a restaurant—gone without a trace.

After all, it’s not like this is a train station or a crowded public place where no one is watching. It’s a restaurant, a controlled environment where you’d expect some level of attentiveness. It’s really hard to understand how something could just...

I wish I was leaving a good review, but after what happened to my friends and I at this location, I simply cannot.

My friends and I came to Lillie's tonight (12/13/2022) at around 9:30pm...we were sitting at the right hand back corner of this establishment. (See photo attached)

All was great at first, Front hostess was nice, sat us down, and let us know to scan the QR code for menus.

A couple of minutes later she sat a couple to the right of us next to us. It all went downhill from there.

It must have been maybe 5min and no waiter had come to greet us or anything. Then the front hostess came back to seat two young ladies to the left of us, but still no waiter had attended us. So we waited patiently...a couple more minutes passed and nothing.....No waiter..nothing. Don't get me wrong, The place looked extremely busy, I get it... but not one person came to our table to attend....HOWEVER!!! One young gentleman (Asian I believe) came to introduce himself to the couple next to us, offered them water, and took their drink order. Yet didn't even bother to turn to our table, but we figured we'd be next. NOPE! He then went back to the bar area and stood there talking to his co worker. Mind you it's been about 15min now without anyone coming to attend my 2 friends and I. Meanwhile, another young waitress (blondish/black hair) comes to introduce herself to the two young ladies left of our table and begins taking their order! It was here that my friends and I decided to get up and leave.

See, we didn't mind that they had taken the first couple's order, but to take the other table's order after, when BOTH PARTIES WERE SEATED AFTER US. AFTER US!! TERRIBLE! Shame on you!

Moreover, when We got up, and I let the waitress know that "we were here before the other two tables", all she had to say was "oh, you were!?"

Terrible service guys. Just terrible. Do better. Management, please have a better action plan during peak hours of the evening. Maybe it was miscommunication by the staff that evening as to who was waitressing which table, but that was absolutely RUDE, and uncalled for.

Unfortunately, I won't be coming here or recommend anyone to come to this establishment. Bummer cause it was such a cute spot. However, worst experience ever tonight team. Just bad. And to top it off, not even one apology just a "oh, you were!?"

I hope this review serves your team as a reminder to check up on EVERY TABLE (even the ones in the back corner) on peak hours of the...

My wife, a colleague and I recently had dinner at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment on W 49th Street in New York, and it was not a memorable experience. When you first enter the restaurant, you are instantly impressed with the décor, with large flowers hanging from the ceiling and a beautiful well-equipped antiquarian bar, all of which evoke a turn-of-the-century European experience. This restaurant is unfortunately “more sizzle than steak” in that some of the food is not in my opinion, up to snuff. As starters, we ordered a dozen oysters which were served fresh with a variety of condiments, like tobacco, horseradish and a third dipping sauce. So far, so good. As a main dish, my wife ordered the “moules-frites” or mussels with French Fries. We were really taken aback when she was served the mussels, the portion was puny, about half the size we would have expected. Also, given that mussels are one of the cheapest foods to buy, I cannot understand why Lillian’s would be so miserly in their serving portions. My colleague ordered the skate schnitzel which was heavily coated but tasted fine. I ordered the filet mignon with garlic mash and both the plate and food served were not warm, parts of the filet were actually tough and the inner section was close to raw, whereas other portions were medium rare, which had been my stated preference. I had to dig to cut out sections of meat which were actually edible. Some of the muscles I could not cut, even with a steak knife. No part of filet mignon should be tough unless it’s overcooked, which it was not. As a lifelong barbeque’ist, I’m wondering whether I was served a “shoulder petite tender” which can resemble a filet mignon, instead of a real filet mignon. (I’m not accusing Lillian’s of doing this, I’m just speculating.) On the positive side, our waitress was excellent – she was a recent émigré from Columbia and was very gracious in taking care of use. So, all in all, “Lillian’s” was a “meh” experience. My own acid test after a restaurant experience is to ask myself whether I would return based on my first visit. The answer is a definite no. However, if others wish to dine at this restaurant, take extra time to enjoy the décor, because that will be the major positive share of your...