Simply splendid! We thought the food was rather good (I had the grilled salmon with asparagus, she had the pounded-flat chicken with cabbage), the atmosphere spot-on (wealthy, older manhattan crowd (LOVED the euro guy with the jacket draped over his shoulders)), and the unique aspects of this restaurant made the meal extra special (we were treated to the birthday sparkler show *TWICE*!). It's a nice place, attractive, a little crowded in a good way. Would visit again. read more

We were guests at a hotel nearby, which recommended this place. We were seated right away, but the staff seemed really stuffy. They made no small talk or gave recommendations on what to have. I couldn't tell you if there was any specials that night. I ordered the lobster risotto, and we also got the tiger shrimp spaghetti. The food was decent, but I don't know if we would ever go back. read more

My favorite restaurant when I go to NY. Their flatbread appetizer is by far one of the best I have had and I highly recommend the steak tartar. Amaranth is a small place but it still is very very good. read more

Nice Italian restaurant on the Upper East side. When the weather so permit you can sit outdoor and watch people passing by. My favorite dish is the Salad Nicoise. Really good! I have a feeling that Amaranth is often frequented by local residents! I truly enjoy the place! read more

Dont bother with this overpriced restaurant. Food is decent but service is mediocre and management is money desperate. Many great restaurants in Manhattan for same price and better attitude. read more

Would not recommend this place. The layout of the restaurant is poor. The food is very average and probably below average for NYC. The service was nice enough, but they almost seem bothered by the customers. I eat at moderately and very expensive restaurants regularly and I can't remember a place who's pricing was so obnoxious. The charge for refills of everything including iced tea, which is something I haven't seen in years. With so many options in NYC, this one is one to avoid. read more

Deservedly three stars even though my steak tartare was coming out of a grinder (not hand chopped!) I could taste the beef was of good quality but for the love of god the texture is ugly when through a grinder. My gf's handmade fettuccini w lobster was good, at least the sauce was very good! I would give another chance before dismiss this place. read more

Excellent food!!!!!!! Change of menu often but the favorites are always there!! Nice staff but TERRIBLY slow and nonchalant service!!!!!!! It takes a loooong time to get attention But the food is very, very good!!!!! It's very clean. It gets loud around 2 PM. The lunch's peak hour. But over all it is an excellent restaurant!!! read more

Slow and inattentive service, but the food was great. The clientele is great for people watching.

Lovely neighborhood restaurant. More locals than out of towners like myself. Love the zucchini carpaccio fresh and delish. Fillet thinly sliced with Arrugulla and parm Nice ! There were 4 of us and we all had something different No complaints. Except For A saturday they were less than 1/2 full but the food took more than a while to come out. It was ok because we were visiting with friends and this time could actually here each other. Unfortunately a regular lit up sitting on the street and the smoke came drifting in. If looks could kill we would of been . read more

Loud, inattentive service, too many tables for too small a space, and my scallops and leek dish was inedible. Full of grit and sand. They took it off the check and offered something else but at that point my appetite was spoiled-- literally. I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth. It gets two stars because the lentils are great and my companion enjoyed his shrimp. read more

Lovely place. The fish is nice and the atmosphere is elegant and tranquil. Very quiet as well.

This is my favorite restaurant of all time. My friends took me there last week for my birthday. The food was absolutely amazing. The risotto Barolo was al dente and the best I've ever had in my life. The branzino was so delicious and so was the frito mixto. My friend's ordered the Pavlova for dessert which was beyond perfect. The waiters came out with sparklers and singing happy birthday. It was absolutely the best food and best time I've ever had in a restaurant. The service was impeccable and the food was so good that I can't wait to go back. read more

The food is amazing but I was very disappointed to see that they tipped 20% to themselves without asking. We were three people so there was no argument for them deciding the tip amount. I did not argue but will never come back. Sad! read more

Really cool place different, delicious food - kinda a strange limited menu but try something new and it will be perfect. The servers were ok.. Not particularly warm or fun or knowledgeable but average I guess.. They were simply ok. Great walking neighborhood. read more

This is a tradition with me every time I'm in Manhattan. Forget the food, let's talk about the people watching. This is by far the most interesting place to have lunch. A group of girls having a get together to show off their engagement rings. Literally 5 of them all just engaged and not a one under 5 carats . Throw in the little Tom Ford leather bags they all had, and you get the picture. The place is not snotty and actually is very accommodating and enjoyable for the mere fact they let you sit and savor without pushing through your leisurely lunch. Prices are no different than other upper east side places, and well the food is good solid bistro fare.......... see y'all next time. read more

I am shocked after going to this restaurant. I would strongly recommend you avoid. The food was cold, the place was loud, and the servers were slow and inattentive. Cannot believe their pricing given all this! It's just all for the location. read more

Service was excellent, ambiance is great. We got the porterhouse for two which was very tough/chewy. There were a few tender parts, but mostly hard to even cut and center of each piece was raw. The scallop appetizer and salads were amazing (we got the chopped and kale salad). We might try again and get the filets next time. read more

Four of us all had seafood dishes that were very good, but it ends there. The room, when full, is very noisy and the service was spotty at best. The physical layout is pleasant enough but unless it is raining it will be a while before I try them again. read more

The manager had greased back hair was unfriendly and spent most of his time talking to a buddy outside. When we asked the third time for a drink and asked him he seemed offended and was not nice, the food was poor. I ordered the tuna and lentils -- the tuna was very thin, cold and small, they have better at Denny's. The meal was way over priced. The drinks were lousy. When we asked the waiter about the specials he said they were on the menu and we could read them. No desire to be helpful. This place is awful, plenty of better restaurants in town. Avoid this one like the plague. read more

While the food and the service were good, we were served a couple of "bottled" water without being consulted for the 2nd one. At 10$ a bottle, I would have expected to be asked. That was an unwanted surprise. read more

It was our first thing going to Amaranth. We were kind of curious since many of the other reviews talked about the "people watching" aspect of the place. That being said, we didn't see anything put of the ordinary. Maybe it's because it was a Sunday and it was raining so there were not that many people. So, the food was really good. The menu was very standard but the food was cooked very well. The host was nice and, overall, the experience from a service stand point was very pleasant. Also, the price for two people with two main courses and wine was very reasonable for NY standards. We'll definitely come back!! read more

This is a small-sized restaurant, good for a quiet conversation. Believe it or not, I loved the chairs. They were so comfortable, as opposed to the rickety wooden chairs you find in most places these days. The food was good/very average. I ordered Veal Provencale, and to tell you the truth I don't believe it was veal - which normally has a strong taste, and this didn't. It was very tender and came with saffron rice. I ordered a side of spinach. Not sure why you can't get a veg with your meal these days. The prices were too high for the quality of food. Clearly, their rates are based on location. The service was fine, although I don't enjoy having to flag down a waiter for a check, especially when they're more focused on personal conversations amongst themselves. If you're nearby, you should give it a try and see what you think. read more

We ended up at this place quite late due to locational convenience to hotel. Food was lackluster as was the highly disengaged service. Ended up dining there due to late hour and wrote it off as a not to be repeated location. read more

People think yelp 3 star is deceiving, I have to say sorry that I can only give two stars and most for the nice front lady and kind of nice server. My fish looked very unappealing and tasted bland and dry. Seriously, when the serve brought my fish to the table, I was speechless. It looked like coming from some deli place, even worse than that the fish was so burned. read more

My wife put it best. There is simply no recovering from bad service. We went on a Friday night before a show at the Regency with two friends. The service from minute one was terrible. We were greeted by a rude maitre d' who briskly sat us down in the crowd. We were not offered a drink while we waited for our friends. Once seated and browsing the menu, we had to flag down the sommelier and practically beg for wine. The waiter was fine, but the staff cleared all plates at different times and practically pulled the plate out from under my wife's fork when she was still eating. Needless to say, even though the food was fine, we won't be going back and I recommend everyone steer clear. read more

food is amazing!!!!!! seating is a little awkward and dark. that said, if it is your birthday they bring out sparklers and play music really loud and it's really fun!!!!!!!!! i had the halibut and chocoalte cake and it was TO.DIE.FOR. the crowd was a lil weird mostly wealthy old peeps but i think thats pretty much expected from the hood. think it would be really fun for brunch or lunch outside! awesome, delicious, flavorfull food!!!!!! read more

Lovely meal and atmosphere. Not too much of a scene. Perfect for a nice, quiet evening.

The quality is very disappointing and very basic Italien food. Quantity are very small and it make it very expensive. I was surprise to have such a bad service, one of the worst I had in Manhattan ever. Don't waste your time there so much better place in the neighborhood. read more

To get started with, this place is absolutely inapt for anyone to go dine at, and I certainly would NEVER think of stepping back there ever again in my life. I didn't event get a bloody acknowledgment when I stepped into the restaurant (probably because I am the only non-white in there at that time), while the others were greeted with 'open arms'. And the service was awful, as the waiter (not the steward) who gave me the menu and took the order said that what I ordered for (fettuccini with lobster & artichoke) is too small to fill my stomach, which is bizarre as I went there to have what I want, & not what someone else thinks I should have. Apart from that, the place is absolutely not fit for quiet dining as the noise levels were beyond my imagination. And, finally, I didn't even get a bloody 'thank you' for my eating there. Hence, for all the aforementioned reasons, the tip which I left behind was just 10% as I felt that the service was pathetic. read more

Second visit to this small quaint restaurant. It's Fabulous! Have the octopus said, veal osso buco, Dover sole. All very good. Can be hard to get into sometime with a larger party. Service and food was excellent. Highly recommend read more

About a month ago I went with my family and some friends to this restaurant. Although we use to go here frequently and the restaurant was empty we were not given a 6 person table even though we were 5. The male manager was extremely rude and had a condescending attitude. When I asked him why we couldn't sit there, he said he had reservations an hour and a half later. This place and its managers are a joke... read more

Food was OK, but the personnel is worse than shit. Rude, arrogant, greedy. They ran after me after i left them a $20 tip for a $140 lunch, saying i didnt leave enough tip. Brrrr Disgusting.... Will never go back. read more

Returned with friends that like the restaurant after a (very) bad experience a while ago that led me to submit a bad review back then. The food in last 3 recent visits was good - not top notch though but good. We enjoyed the beauty of the place very much and got to like it for certain occasions. This place is a hidden gem in terms of the décor and the basic French food served. I am happy to reverse my previous bad review that probably was due to a onetime failure or the kitchen has just improved. As an UES club of locals it is not on the cheap side and not for hard core foodies. read more

Tried Amaranth for the first time today. Food was quite good. I had the Amaranth salad with chicken, feta and olives and my companion had shrimp with some kind of greens. We both enjoyed our meal. Atmosphere was pleasant. My only complaint is that you do have to chase after your server to get your order taken. On the other hand he/she won't bring you the bill and rush you out before you are ready..... read more

Hard to tell which is worse in this noisy, dated restaurant, the food or the service--both are terrible. If you want to pay a lot for lousy food, a snotty owner/maître'd and lousy service Amaranth is your place. It's in serious decline. read more

While the food is very good, and the decor nice, the service is perhaps the worst I have ever experienced and why I felt compelled to write my first review. We had reservations for brunch (if you are looking for more breakfast fare brunch - this is not the place) but the food is very good. The entire staff seemed beyond bothered to have to seat us, bring bread, etc....forget refills of water or coffee, we never saw them after we got our food. Not once were we asked if we needed anything. In fact we had to find them when we wanted a drink, a glass of water etc. It felt like they wanted nothing to do with us and sat us at a table with a door that was always left open by both staff and guests and it was a rainy cold day so we had to close it over 10 times. I would say that you may get better service if you flash cash or drive a bentley but it seems that while the more local guests at least got noticed, I would hardly say the staff was more gracious. they seemed like it was the worst job they ever had. We would not go back and I would never recommend this restaurant. For the price, there are much better alternatives in the city. read more

Food was sub-par. Service was unfriendly and inattentive, especially since there were only about four other tables. My wife got the shrimp over arugula with avocado. The shrimp was tough and overcooked - and there was no avocado. I got the fettuccine with seafood - I had to dig for the clam shells and, upon noticing many were cracked and chipped, I had to dig for and remove the many small, cracked shell pieces that would have turned my teeth into the same had I not noticed this first. They brought out two of what my wife ordered and were unapologetic (more attitude) when they had to take them back since my dish was not yet ready. The water scam says everything you need to know about Amaranth: When you ask for water (and you have to ask) they ask if you would like sparkling water. You say "no thanks, just plain". They then bring you a bottle of plain Fiji water and tack $9.00 on to your bill (the same price as the minibar at the Regency). It is no wonder the place was almost empty on a Friday night. The next night we went back to our usual local favorite, Jubilee - it was amazing in all respects - and they don't charge you for the water:) read more

I've been here many times. The food was always good and the service was decent. However, tonight I had the worst experience I have had at any restaurant my family and I have eaten at in NYC - and we have eaten at quite a few all over. Our food tonight was mediocre to say the least. Appetizers were small and the waiter didn't even stop to make sure we had drinks or the appropriate silverware for the table. Our food had butter after we told him specifically that we had severe dairy intolerances. To top it off the bus boy brought my daughters expensive gift and bag to another diner. Thank god I noticed him walk by! And the managers response? There is nothing I can do but talk to the bus boy AND told my daughter it was her fault that she didn't get a ticket - even though she had one. I will never come back and NEVER recommend this expensive and unenjoyable meal to any of my upper east side friends. read more