We came for a short pick me up cocktail while we were in Soho. The service was excellent. And we…read moreenjoyed the cocktails, crudite and humus.

Nice space and staff in the heart of SoHo, but the prices are very high and food doesn't meet that…read morelevel. Came for brunch. Started with the meze trio. $28 for 3 little scoops of hummus, labneh, and baba ganoush. The warm bread served with it was a nice touch. Also had the fennel avocado salad for $20 which was good. Entrees we had were the sucuklu yumurta $24 which was nothing more than two sunny side up eggs with l four little slivers of sausage. The Shakshuka for $20 was just scrambled eggs. $18 for a mocktail. $12 for the smallest little side of grilled vegetables. There are better places to go where you can get a little more bang for you buck.

A super random choice for a brunch venue especially due to the location ( I live in the uws ) but…read moreI love restaurants in this neighborhood and more so because it's french . I also read they have amazing martinis and boy do they ? I absolutely love love ( me encanta as they say in spanish ) the space, ambiance , food , martinis / wine selection . I went for brunch with my bff and we shared everything in the menu ( dishes with caviar washed down by the martinis). I'm definitely coming back for dinner so I can explore the options and so I can have not just one but multiple cocktails . The place was quiet for some reason but didn't need a packed place to feel the vibe of the restaurant. The servers worked well together and were attentive to us ( maybe because It wasn't super busy ). Nonetheless , highly recommended . They also have the bar downstairs which seems like a perfect place for a date .

Soooo good. We loved everything we tried here, starting with the martini cart of course. One of the…read morebest martinis I ever had. If you love butter, this is your spot. All of the sauces are so decadent and buttery, it was my dream. There were four of us so we were able to try most of the the menu. We had the blue prawns, scallops, artichoke, escargots, sable, filet au poivre, and duck. All hits, no misses. We even ordered a second filet. This is a great spot for a date, dinner with parents or a night out with friends. Tables in the dining room are spacious and not on top of each other which is a rarity in this city. Would absolutely recommend!

Such a cute spot! The atmosphere at the front bar was cozy and welcoming, and the drinks were…read morereally good. The bartender was especially nice and made the whole experience even better, friendly, attentive, and great at what they do. We stayed at the front bar this time, but we're definitely planning to come back to check out the back room next time. Looking forward to returning!

Fun dinner/drinks spot! The food was good but you really come here for the atmosphere…read more I met two friends here on a Thursday night for dinner. We luckily had a reservation (highly recommend making one). I wasn't drinking that night but the cocktails looked delicious! For food, I ordered whatever fish entrée they had on the menu and the cauliflower side. The fish was just okay but the cauliflower was to die for. The next time I go back I might just order the cauliflower and some cocktails lol. Service was attentive but not overly interruptive. It was rather rowdy when we were there so I wouldn't really call this a good place if you are looking for a calm, quiet meal. Great place for a dinner with friends!

Astor Center is part of Astor Wine & Spirits where they do wine (sometimes spirits) classes. These…read moreclasses are good and entertaining, but geared towards folks who are new to wine education.

Highly recommend the "Taste of France" event. It includes a tasting of 30 different wines! Yes,…read more30! You essentially walk around 10 different stations offering wines from different regions of France, including a wonderful array of Champagne and sparkling wines which are my faves. Each table had a representative who were all very knowledgeable and enjoy discussing wine. I tasted a wide array of delicious wines and left with a deeper appreciation and love of French wine. The event also includes a variety of cheeses & charcuterie as well as passed hors d'oeuvres. All for $49! Definitely recommend for wine lovers, date night, or night with friends. Can't wait to go back for more events.

This was the only tasting menu experience during my recent trip to NYC. I had heard about Saga's…read moresister restaurant Crown Shy, but not Saga or the bar above it, Overstory, all run by the same group and all in the same beautiful circa 1932 Art Deco building at 70 Pine St downtown. Crown Shy is on the ground floor, Saga on the 63rd, where the elevator stops. You must use stairs to reach Overstory. I actually first learned about Saga when its chef, Charlie Mitchell was a judge on a Food Network cooking competition show and he was very stingy awarding points. Saga opened in 2021 by chef Jamal James Kent and earned 2 Michelin stars the next year. Chef Kent passed unexpectedly; Chef Mitchell has been at Saga's helm since 2024, maintaining its 2 stars. The lobby of 70 Pine is lovely with classic Art Deco touches. Diners or bar-goers check in here then take a dedicated elevator to the 63rd floor. The top floors originally were a private apartment. Saga has 2 dining rooms with stunning southwest or southeast views. There are also 2 terraces facing east and west; the west one was closed. I was seated in the SW dining room which is slightly smaller and perhaps a bit quieter, since Overstory guests must pass the SE dining room to go upstairs. The negative is that the SW room looks over New Jersey instead of Brooklyn. Saga offers 6-course and 10-course tasting menus; you must choose your menu when you reserve. I chose the 10-course. The elevator exits directly in front of the bar, where you are served a welcome drink (alcoholic or non). You are then led to the dining room. I chose the zero-proof beverage pairing. Of course there are wine pairings (3 levels), wines and cocktails as well. The beverages ranged from dealcoholized wines, tea-based, tomato water-based, kombucha-based, soda-based. There was a Morrocan tea service after the savory courses that was a bit of a show. I'm sure the menu changes with time, so I won't go over every dish. The meal did begin with 3 small bites, then there were 4 dishes with seafood and a lamb dish as the final savory course. After the tea, there were 2 desserts then a trio of mignardises. The dishes I remember most fondly were the stuffed cornbread bite with caviar, the lavender pasta with caviar, the scallop with stuffed morels and white asparagus, and the Australian lamb with stinging nettle and ramps. Service was exceptional, as expected, with extra touches like a welcome note on the table and a thank you email afterwards. Shout outs to head sommelier Ross and host Harris. I will say I found some bits of the music playlist rather harsh and jarring for a fine dining experience. Diners are allowed onto the terrace, which had fabulous 180-degree views of Manhattan, the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, the East River, Brooklyn, a bit of Queens and Governors Island. I also went up to Overstory for a peek. It's a pretty small but classy space, and it does have a wraparound terrace where of course the views are fantastic, even over New Jersey. I was told the bar can get very crowded. Overall an excellent and memorable meal and experience. Next time I visit NYC, I just might stay downtown.

Saga - Ending on a High Note (Literally)…read more After nine straight days of eating and drinking my way through New York for Spring Break, it feels only right to start the reviews at the very end--with my final dinner before heading home. And if you're going to close out a trip like that, you might as well do it from the top of Manhattan. Enter Saga, a two Michelin-star restaurant perched atop 70 Pine Street in the Financial District, just off Wall Street. The setting alone is a mic drop--soaring views of the southern tip of Manhattan that are equal parts breathtaking and mildly vertigo-inducing. The kitchen is led by Chef Charlie Mitchell, a Detroit native with Southern influences, Eleven Madison Park training, a James Beard Award, and the distinction of being the first Black chef in New York to earn a Michelin star. The meal itself is an 10+ course tasting menu that leans creative without ever losing control. The wine pairing deserves its own paragraph--it's not just thoughtful, it's playful. Think sake, unexpected bottles, and combinations that make you pause... and then immediately nod in approval. One standout: an NV Cruse sparkling wine with notes of mustard and cornichon, paired with finely cubed potato and Daurenki caviar. On paper? Questionable. On the plate? A brilliant, deconstructed potato salad--a subtle wink to Southern roots. It worked beautifully. The opening sequence came in a flurry of small bites--cornbread, caviar (again, no complaints), shima aji, and a perfectly executed madai tempura that was hot, crisp, and gone too quickly. The main protein course--venison with king trumpet mushroom and cabbage--was a personal highlight. Minimalist in presentation, but deeply flavorful. Midway through, we stepped out onto the terrace. If you go, don't skip this. It might be the best south-facing view in the city. Dessert transitions are often an afterthought. Not here. Saga shifts gears with a Moroccan tea ceremony, complete with a dramatic tableside long pour to cool the tea, paired with a kinako alfajor cookie. It's elegant, slightly theatrical, and a perfect reset before the final dessert courses--which were both excellent. Service struck that ideal balance: polished but relaxed. Our primary guide, Harris, was fantastic, but the experience felt like a true team effort. Over three hours, service remained quickly paced, attentive, friendly, and refreshingly approachable--no stiffness, no ego. New York is stacked with fine dining options, and I've got plenty more to get through from this trip--but Saga earns a strong recommendation without hesitation. And one more thing--do not skip Overstory upstairs. It's arguably my favorite cocktail bar in the U.S., and the perfect way to cap the night. Highly recommend. Follow along for more restaurant reviews, cocktail photos, and recipes: @bathboy.drinks #SagaNYC #MichelinMagic #NYCFineDining #TastingMenuLife #CaviarDreams #WinePairingDoneRight #Overstory #NYCEats #BathboyDrinks #CocktailCulture

Decent food but really terrible service on a Saturday night. They should just close the restaurant…read moreas this place turns into a club and nobody wants to serve anyone. Eventually cajoled server into taking our order, had to get drinks from the bar, beg for water, etc. Nightmare. Salt and pepper ribs were ok.

Overall rating: 4.4…read more I went with a group of 6x and while I love the large space and plants, I thought he food was okay. I just ordered a cocktail and the mason jar cheesecake. When I asked the size of the mason jar, the waitress said it would be the size of a regular mason jar. It is not. I also asked the staff how they water the plants and they had no idea. So odd.

Jordan was a great waitress! Super helpful and attentive. Food was also rllly good so will…read moredefinitely be back.

I "foolishly" knocked over the candle on the table and the bouncer yelled at us for having 1 of 2…read morecandles out and some Irishman yelled at the whole table for "not acting out age". Never coming back here again and I suggest you find a different place to come. Not worth it here at all. My friend even got a rag from the bartender and we swiftly cleaned up the table. Completely unnecessary rude service. Especially as we were one of very few tables. This place isn't what it used to be, go somewhere else. It'll be a better time than this

[4/29/2012] - moving this review to S&B's catering business (vs the cafe):…read more I cannot begin to say enough good things about Sips and Bites. Not only is their sandwich shop adorable and full of delicious things. But they also catered my wedding. First and foremost, the food was delicious. Everything was fresh and served at good temperature. Dozens of our guests raved, and everything I got a chance to taste was exactly what we wanted. We did a wine/beer cocktail hour with passed and stationed hors d'oeurves, and a buffet dinner. Hors d'oeurves included two kinds of crostini (goat cheese/fig/pistachios/honey, and fava bean/prosciutto/pecorino), an artichoke dip, mini lobster rolls, and okra corn fritters with garlic buttermilk dip (which we barely got, as everyone ate them all). So delicious. For the buffet we did a salad, four veggies, and two entrees. Salad was a spinach salad with strawberries, feta, and pecans. Vegetables included cabbage and beet buttermilk slaw, sweet corn pudding, pimento cheese potato gratin, and skillet green beans with shallots. Mains were skirt steak with parsley sauce and pork tenderloin with Madeira and fig gravy. The skirt steak was by far the best, that and the corn pudding. So, so, so delicious. And beyond that, for the business end of the catering Molly and Josh are a great team and extremely easy to work with. We had been nervous about finding a caterer to handle food, rentals, setup, changeover from chapel seating to tables in the courtyard where we had the ceremony/reception, etc. etc. But Molly and Josh covered everything and put us at ease. Molly handles the business end, selecting the menu, negotiating prices, contracting rentals, and Josh works with the staff for day-of setup and service. We had a set price per head that we wanted to stay within, and Molly helped us find ways to adjust the menu, rentals, bar and staffing to help us stay as close to budget as we could. They don't upsell, and respected what we were looking for in terms of menu, budget, and look and feel. We had an outdoor wedding at Akwaaba Mansion in Bed-Stuy, and Molly and Josh came for site visits, drew out a map of how the tables and seating would work, and worked with my day-of coordinator (a friend) to revise the plan the day before the wedding, when we had to tent the courtyard at the last minute. The service staff on the day of were so sweet -- young, funky, relaxed and playful, and helped without being weirdly invisible, overly stiff, or invasive. I definitely recommend Sips & Bites, with no reservations.

I had the pleasure of having my engagement party catered by Sips and Bites and wow did they make it…read moreamazing! Everything was perfect, the food was delicious and the presentation and décor was beautiful They made a special night even more special for my fiancé and I. We couldn't be happier. Molly and Emily- It was a pleasure to work with you and I cant thank you enough! I look forward to having Sips and Bites cater my next party!