VIDA SteakHouse NYC — Restaurant in New York

I was very excited to celebrate my birthday with Vida NYC but was immediately disappointment of the level of disorganization, lack of communication and customer service. I had a reservation for 7:45 and was running 15 mins late due to bad weather and traffic. I called the restaurant to inform them of the lateness and the host said they only have a 10 minute window but when I arrive they will accommodate me. When we arrived minutes before 8:00 pm I speak to the host, give her the name on the reservation and she informs me that there were no available tables but points at a table in front where two gentlemen sat and said that once they were done we would be sitting there next. My party and I stepped to the side, looked around the room which by the way is a very small tight space and noticed an open section in the corner. FYI they only give an hour and a half to dine in. As I saw the empty space in the corner I asked the host can we sit in that area? The host says the area was reserved for more than 6 people and for a 9:30 reservation which if they were smart they’d let’s us sit there have our hour and a half dinner because it was 8:00 pm when we arrived and by the time the reservation came it’d be time for us to go. So we stood by the bar, ordered a round of drinks while we waited for the table that was promised to us. About 30 minutes passed and now the 2 gentlemen sitting seemed like they weren’t leaving anytime soon, so my friend asked the host again if she was sure we’d be sitting next as she had promised to us and told her that it didn’t look like the two gentlemen were leaving soon. The host said we will not rush them and she had an attitude when she said it. Now at this point I am annoyed but proceeded to enjoy my drink which was good. As we continued to wait, finally the two gentlemen get up and the staff starts to clean the table. So now I am gathering my things to go sit and the host walks right pass me, without any acknowledgment nor communication and sits another group at the table she specifically said was ours after the gentlemen left. At this point I am very upset at the level of disrespect and unprofessionalism and I told her so we waited all this time just for you to walk pass me after you promised us we’d be seated there next and don’t have the decency to tell me what’s going on. All she said was this party has a reservation for 8:30. At that point I go directly to the so called part owner who seemed lost and all over the place himself, I explained the situation to him and he apologizes and offers a round of drinks. I immediately declined the offer to even stay there because of the unprofessionalism and disrespect from his host and asked for my deposit back, which was $60, he agreed and processed my refund. This place was a waste of my time, a huge disappointment at their lack of professionalism and customer service and I will NEVER go there again. Thanks God the area is very busy and I was able to reserve and enjoy my birthday elsewhere where the food, drinks, ambiance and most importantly the customer service...

I came here to celebrate my mother’s 50th birthday. The space itself is small but cute, and our server was great, clearly doing their best but visibly overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure. Food and drinks took an extremely long time, and although we were patient and understanding (since we were there to celebrate, not complain), we constantly had to flag the waiter down. They only offer bottled water, and for a large party, it was frustrating that no one checked in to refill or offer more. The drinks were really good, but the food was mediocre for the price. What really ruined the experience was the way the manager handled our table. He came over to tell us our time limit was up and that they couldn’t cut our cake, even though we didn’t have a cake; we ordered a crème brûlée that oddly tasted like steak. I had even requested a song to play for the birthday moment, which was ignored. The entire celebration felt rushed and poorly managed. The manager kept passing our table telling the server to “get this table out,” even though we were still waiting for drinks and hadn’t received the check yet. When we offered to finish our drinks at the bar, he continued to press about our “expired” time limit. He also made an unnecessary comment about how he typically charges $500 for table decorations (which I had brought and set up myself) even though that was never mentioned when I booked. It’s clear this is one of those newer restaurants that values quantity over quality. The service team was spread too thin, and the management approach lacked basic hospitality etiquette. I work in hospitality management myself, and when you need to turn a table, there’s a respectful way to do it. Guests should never feel like they’ve overstayed their welcome, especially after spending good money. A little advice for the manager: Next time, approach the table with warmth and professionalism. Something as simple as: “Hi everyone, I hope you’re enjoying your time with us! Happy birthday/congratulations to your group. I just wanted to let you know we’re approaching the end of your reservation time. Is there anything else I can get for you before I bring the check? You’re also welcome to continue your drinks at the bar.” That small change would make a huge difference. I had high hopes for Vida NYC, but unfortunately, I won’t be returning. Best of luck to the owner. I genuinely hope they refine their...

Food: 3/5 Service: 2/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Experience: 0/5

We came to Vida for a birthday dinner where reservations were made for 12. After about a 5 minute wait, we were seated in a booth that could comfortably sit 10. We had to call the floor manager who tried to extend the seating area by adding additional tables. We were still waiting 10 minutes extra for the additional chair to be placed for us to settle in.

This might be one of the only restaurants I know that doesn't sell coffee or offer you water. The only water available is the water that you have to purchase: aquafina still or Pellegrino sparkling.

I ordered the steak eggrolls appetizer with lobster Mac and cheese (I asked for bacon to be added but there was no bacon), and jerk chicken wings. The egg rolls were excellent. The lobster Mac and cheese was bland as were the jerk wings.

The check came and we wanted to pay for the birthday girl and settle amongst all of us. Only at that point did they tell us that they only accept a max of three credit cards. For a group of 12?! Could they have not waived this policy or adjusted it to accept six cards?! Additionally, we received one bill that said $900 to include the deposit that we paid, surcharges for the credit cards used, a cake cutting fee and gratuity. We paid this off with cards and cash. They then gave us a second bill for $1100 and charged that amended amount on the final card. After they received the amount, they realized the second bill did not take into consideration the deposit and confirmed the first bill was the correct one.

Honorable mention: The table was set so far from the seats that we had to stay in a "sat up" position for the entire dinner. they didn't place the cake toppers on the cake because it was "leaning" for the experience, there were no discounts or additional accommodations.

At the end of the day, the day's gotta end and the cost (and up charges) is not equivalent to the experience, which was a less than stellar birthday experience for the birthday girl. I do not recommend this restaurant until they become more...