Tete-a-Tete — Restaurant in New York

Food: (8/10) Penne Ala Vodka (10/10) [$17.53] was delicious, had grilled chicken added on top, good serving size, perfect temperature , served with several pieces of sliced bread that were perfect for dipping in the sauce. Calamari (8/10) [$14] overall pretty good but nothing special, not rubbery, tasted great, definitely not enough sauce to go along with the serving size, but was fresh and would get again. Alfredo Pasta (8.5/10) [$17.53] overall pretty good, nice serving size, added grilled chicken on top, served hot, perfect ratio of sauce to pasta. Matcha Latte (9/10) [$6] pretty standard and all around good. Creme Brule Cappuccino (8/10) [$6] decent size, served a little cold, would not get again. Lava Cake (8/10) [$8.50] pretty good, nothing special, served with some vanilla ice cream on the side. Oreo Cheesecake (7/10) [$8.50] not very impressed, saving grace was how fresh it was otherwise, way too sweet, very small slice and the addition of the soggy half of an oreo on top was a definite mis-step. Would not order again.

Atmosphere: 9.0/10 Overall it's a very gorgeous space, beautifully decorated, music is not too loud (low enough to be able to have a conversation without losing your voice - the actual music playlist on the other hand was horrendous). Decent sized tables depending on how many are in your party, upon it getting later in the evening most overhead lights will be turned off so prepare to be eating without any real direction, although it wasn't a huge hinderance. Be prepared for a very smoky environment as they offer indoor hookah, so if you'd like to avoid that you won't have very many options to do that indoors.

Staff: (7.5/10) Upon entering the establishment you're greeted by the first floor barista who will tell you to go upstairs for the dining section (she was friendly). You go upstairs and are greeted by a variety of staff, will check on you every so often, our waitress was very accommodating with waiting for us to decide on what to get. Service was mediocre at best, beware that you will be charged a surcharge for using a card, so bring cash, they will charge you a service charge on top of paying gratuity (which is already factored into the bill so you don't get much of a choice re how much you tip).

Edit as of 05/26/22 Came back for breakfast and had a great experience. If you come before the second floor is open they won't let you up, but that's not a huge problem. We had the syrniki, which were wonderful, would absolutely have them again and recommend them highly 11/10. My boyfriend got an omlette, which he really enjoyed and we also had a plate of the baked brie to share which was wonderful. As always, everything was beautifully plated, and delicious. The only minor downside is that the baristas downstairs are always kind of snobby, but the servers upstairs are usually pretty attentive and nice. Overall 9/10 Overall: Would return and...

This is the only store where I visited twice prior to posting a review because I wanted to provide close to a full picture of this hidden gem.

Visit 1: 10AM Saturday Brunch We did not have a reservation but were able to get a seat pretty quickly. Store is two levels, first floor is a take out cafe with desserts, second floor is the restaurant with a bar. As you can see from the pictures, dining area is beautifully set up and the environment is just lovely for brunch.

I ordered an Americano and my friend ordered a “freshly squeezed green apple juice”. It’s in quotes because I made fun of her for ordering it. But it turned out to be so pretty in this emerald color. The table next to us asked what we ordered and ended up getting one as well.

I really recommend the chicken fingers, it’s not the school lunch kind of chicken fingers you imagine when you think of this dish. It was crispy and delightful, served with a sauce that tasted like honey mustard.

My friend ordered an omelette and I ordered the French toast with berries. Both turned out amazing. The potatoes that came with the omelette were was perfectly flavored and crispy.

Visit 2: Friday night dinner around 5PM Walked in again without a reservation, was seated quickly and told that we only have the table for 2 hours which was enough for us. Different from brunch, at night the place turns into a hookah lounge w. dinner service. If you do not like the smell of smoke or hookah, I wouldn’t recommend going at night. If you don’t mind it, this might just be your next favorite go to spot!

We ordered two drinks, a Russian Viagra and a Passion Fruit Martini. When the bar tender brought the drinks to us it was filled all the way to the rims and she said “I was being too generous”. We both thought she meant the amount but after we took a sip we understood she meant the amount of alcohol lol. Simply delicious.

We got a beef tartar appetizer and it’s very different than your average beef tartar where the meat is raw and bright red. Here, they seasoned the raw meat before hand in a sweet marinade and added finely chopped onions into the tartar. Dish is served with toasts (wasn’t enough and we had to ask for more which the waiter gave for no problem). For us it tasted much better than the generic beef tartar, definitely would order again.

Lastly, we ordered a brisket with mashed potatoes. It wasn’t very good and tasted like frozen diner food. Would not recommend.

Give it a try the next time you are itching brunch or just some chill time with hookah...

We used to go here all the time years ago! With time we noticed many changes taking place (visually, menu, atmosphere in general). Eventually we learned a new owner was to blame. This place was once a cozy cafe with a great atmosphere, semi-private seating/tables (you felt like you were in your own little booth) and music wasn't so loud you couldn't hear yourselves or have conversations. With the many changes this has now become more of a lounge than a cafe. The seating area is cafeteria-like with no "booth-like" vibes with high back walls to keep your group private and enjoying each other’s company. There is absolutely no ventilation there anymore it seems. Plenty of windows, but they are always closed and the amounts of hookah being used at once you'd think they would ventilate the place. The last time we were there maybe a month ago, the hookah was SOOOO bad (it stunk, and it literally was hard to breathe) - we had to move to sit somewhere near a window and open it up despite it being freezing cold out that night. Service is on and off, the best is always Kostya, but haven't seen him in a while. Everyone else is sub-par, some aren't smiling/welcoming, some are never attentive and you spend way too much time waiting for them. The prices have risen significantly! One night out for just dessert and tea cost us upwards of $50 – it was just two desserts and a pot of tea. Before we used to enjoy coming here to hang out and even have event meetings. Now you never know what you’ll get when you arrive – a smoke screen with stinky hookah and no air? Unfriendly staff? The fact that the seating no longer offers a more private space is a huge turn-off – that was, years ago, this café’s best feature. Unfortunate that some places with the hopes of becoming more “modern” and “up-to-date” become like every other lounge out there and lose it’s “stand out” moment. Years ago we all thought “Wow, finally a quaint café to hang out at even late at night and it always felt cozy.” Now, it has none of that, unfortunately. I’m all for vibes and the vibe of this place just doesn’t cut it anymore. New ownership doesn’t always...