Miss Lily's 7A Cafe — Restaurant in New York

I heard about this spot from my friend yesterday and I was intrigued after reading reviews and seeing the pictures. She invited me to roll out and I was more than ready to go from what saw per Yelp reviews as whole. I had high expectations from what I read and saw with my love for Jamaican food. I was so excited that I never bothered to call to make a reservation lol. So when we arrived the hostess who was very pleasant and nice said it would be a about a 15 minute wait for outside seating and 30 minute for a table which was not that bad for lunch time. We sat a a bar and ordered a drink to kill time. The hostess came to us and let us know she had a table for us which was like 20 minutes later not bad so far so good. Then my day was about to be made and I am still day dreaming about my Jerk Chicken Roti as I write review now LOL

Food: (5 out of 5 stars)

My friend ordered the "JAMAICAN BREAKFAST" ackee & saltfish, callaloo, festival. The Ackee and Saltfish tasted soooo authentic and fresh like I was in Jamaica or if my mother had made it (That's high praise folks cause my mother can burn in the kitchen) The texture and seasoning was perfect. The festival was also very good not as good as if I was in Jamaica but close enough as far a United States spot is concerned. Now this meal also was supposed to come with Callalo which they did not have and that was not cool. My only main grip of the night because that is one of my favorite things to eat and one of the main reasons I came in the first place. You can't have a Jamaican breakfast/brunch Akee & Saltfish without Callalo its like being a marathon runner with no legs or a quarterback with no arms in other words it doesn't make sense LOL. Also my friend added the "One Hour Unlimited" One Love Bellini, Hotstepper or Lily's Rum Punch for $15.00 which was a good deal if you get 2 or more then that basically made it worth it. She chose the Rum Bunch which again was Alcohol liquid PERFECTION in a glass. I ordered the "JERK CHICKEN ROTI" rice & peas, with a side cucumber salad. Listen folks I cannot honestly describe in words how amazing this was. The Jerk Chicken was tender and juicy with perfect amount of Jerk flavor blended AMAZING with the rice and peas. The Sweet plantain was just heaven as well the perfect blend of tenderness with a firm bit to where it was not soft and mushy which I hate. My Sorrel was just perfect people just ORDER IT THAT IS ALL !!!!

Service: (4 out of 5 stars) The hostess set the tone when we first arrived and was very nice and on point doing her job well. Our server Nyareeta was very pleasant and personable. She also gave some good recommendations on the menu. She checked in us regularly even though it was very busy there so she was on top her game. Every time we needed something or had a question she popped right up like the Boogey man it was creepy in a way like she had a sick sense reading our minds LOL. The 4 stars is because of the no Callalo because that is the one thing you cannot run out of or whatever reason for a Jamaican Brunch. No excuse and unacceptable !!!

Ambiance/Decor: (4 out of 5 stars) The decor was pretty cool reggae music playing but not too loud to where you cannot communicate with your party. Bunch pictures hanging and very colorful. You definitely do not think you are NY when you inside. Very friendly vibe and smiles all around. The seating and tables are kind of tight depending on where you are seated but not too bad though. You have enough space to where people are not in your conversation. The bar area on the other hand has plenty space and elbow room between people so you dont feel crowded at all. A good option for two people just getting a drink and chatting it up who don't like to be cluttered per say. Wish they had more seating at the bar area which was another negative but...

A nice Caribbean themed bar and restaurant. Coming from a West Indian background, I appreciated the music and the overall vibe of the place. I was seated quickly, and was accommodated with no issues when I wanted to move around. The food was good too! It didn’t taste like the most authentic island food, but it was seasoned decently. I would’ve gave this place 4 stars, had it not been for one particular server behind the bar. Her name was Angela S. A Hispanic passing woman on the older side. After the hostess accommodated me and my guest wanting to move by the bar, we waited to be greeted, handed a menu, or even told to scan a QR code. She did neither; we just made awkward eye contact until Angela B asked us what do we want. Overall she did was she was supposed to do (the bare minimum handing us stuff), but wasn’t the most pleasant or welcoming bartender I’ve met. For reference I’m a former bartender, so I know how friendly you’re supposed to be. Especially if you want that tip! So things went wrong at the end of the meal. I tipped five dollars on a meal costing less than $50, and she’s lucky she even got something out of me serving without basic manners. Why as soon as I slid her the five dollars in cash she literally stated verbatim “only five dollars?” With the most stink attitude that I could’ve gotten from a real Jamaican lady in an actual Jamaican food spot. If she had not taken the little board with the receipt in hand, I would’ve snatched the five dollars back. She didn’t even make the drinks that strong either. Tasty yes, but most Caribbean places serve stronger drinks. So overall, I would recommend this place but be wary on Friday evenings because that’s the shift that Angela S. worked.

I have attached a picture of the receipt just to let it be known her exact name and prove the amount I paid. Under 15% tipping guidelines, I should’ve tipped about seven dollars but if two dollars were enough to ruin your rapport with customers, the establishment needs to do some...

The BEST meal I had during my last visit to NY!

I had the pleasure of dinning at this gem during restaurant week! Everything about it is a win!

Let’s first start with the amazing service! Every staff was friendly and provided recommendable service from the moment we walked in!

The ambiance : they have a corner spot so it’s perfect for those that like to enjoy a meal outside. The patio area is cute as is the indoor area. Think bright colors and carribean vibes!

Now for the food- simply put, I was blown away! Admittedly I was not expecting much from this spot, but boy was I wrong!! I started with a watermelon salad and ordered the jerk chicken with veggies as my main meal! Now I know you are thinking what can be so special about a watermelon salad? It was just good! I appreciated every ingredient included ! It was very refreshing. My favorite part of the meal was the jerk chicken. Hands down the BEST jerk chicken I have ever had! It is tender and full of flavor !! When I say I finished this meal and left no crumbs it was that good!!!

My sister had the jerk mushroom lettuce wraps. Her entree was the friend snapper and to end it off she had rum cake! I have to admit I enjoyed my meal more ! However her food was good too! I really enjoyed the aioli sauce that accompanied the fish entree.

NOTE: for restaurant week you can opt to order off the restaurant week menu. It is 3 courses for $45!

The only item I would not order again is the rum cake! It was not your traditional Caribbean rum cake. It is more of a white cake with coconut flavors. I could not taste the rum. While the cake was moist and generally a good cake/ it was just not what I expected for rum cake.

To sum everything up, you MUST visit Ms. Lilly’s!! It’s 10’s across the board for me ! I will be stopping by the next time I am in the city? There is so much I...