You'd never guess one of NYC's iconic restaurants is hidden behind a pawn shop. Brought to you by…read moreChef Chris Santos and Tao Group, Beauty & Essex is bringing you glamours speakeasy vibes with bold flavors. We started appetizers with the Shrimp Cocktail, seasoned to perfection with a hint of spice from the charred jalapeño. You absolutely need to try the Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup Dumplings. These elevated little bites are extremely creamy, cheesy, and warm hug for your tummy. Highly recommend the Roasted Bone Marrow topped with Salsa Negra and pickled jalapeño pico de gallo. Finish it with a chef's kiss and run to check out the women's instagram worthy bathroom! Don't skip out on the NY Strip that's incredibly juicy and paired well with their signature red chimichurri and Roasted garlic. Don't skip the LES Donuts and assorted ice creams/sorbets. These donuts are airy, lightly coated in sugar, and a match made in heaven with each scoop. After dinner, def treat yourself to a little shopping in the fully functioning pawn shop ;)

The only thing I knew about Beauty and Essex going in is that it's a speakeasy, and I kind of…read morefigured that might make for a gimmicky experience with just-ok food. Fortunately, I was very wrong! Everything was incredibly delicious. To drink, we tried: - Beauty elixir (a very strawberry-forward gin-based drink topped with rose) - NSFW (good if you like passion fruit!) - Lychee martini And to eat: - Little french dips - Grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings - Thai style deep fried shrimp - Beauty and essex burger - Truffled mac and cheese with lobster My favorites were probably the fried shrimp, mac and cheese, and the grilled cheese dumplings. The shrimp were huge, and perfectly crispy with a delicious sauce. The grilled cheese dumplings were unlike anything I'd had before, and I loved the innovation! The burger was solid but didn't stand out compared to some of the other dishes, although we were pleasantly surprised to find that the burger comes with a huge side of the BBQ fries! Some of the portions were healthier than I expected! Our server recommended between 4-6 dishes to share between two people. We ordered 5 and were stuffed! Overall, I thought the food stood out more than the drinks. Service was excellent and the interior was gorgeous. Such a fun place for dinner!!!

If you're looking for a 10/10 vibe for your next group dinner, Aquarelle is literally it. We went…read morewith a big group and basically did a speedrun of the entire menu. The "Must-Orders" for the table: * The Royal Tower: Genuinely massive. 12 clams, 12 oysters, whole lobster, ceviche, scallops... If you don't get this for the table, you're doing it wrong. Everything was SO fresh. * Salt-Baked Whole Fish: This was a whole moment. They lit it on fire , hammered the salt shell off, and prepped it tableside. * Seafood Risotto: They brought out the cheese wheel for this one. It was so creamy We also had grilled octopus, squid, a few the flatbreads, and basically every pasta on the menu. Loved all the pastas . Desserts: The Pistachio Crème Brûlée is a NEED. I've never seen that flavor combo before and it's officially my new fav. The chocolate lava cake and donuts was also delicious The restaurant is beautiful and the service was amazing!

Aquarelle is a fancy seafood restaurant in the East Village. Prices are on the higher end, but it's…read moreseafood so I get it. The Good: - The decor and aesthetic were visually pleasing and in line with the aquatic theme of the restaurant. Bathtub axolotls...cool, should the mermaid maybe have a face...I'll let you decide. - The private reservation room was really nice for large groups and I liked that they had plenty of bathroom options. - The french fries were top tier, well seasoned with a solid crisp. - The ceviche hamachi was delicious and somewhat reminiscent of Peruvian ceviche. It consisted of some sort of yellowtail and shrimp. - The drink options were unique and the happy hour prices were a great value. I tried the Deja Vu, the Souka, and the Emerald Dream. Deja Vu was the best of the three, with a unique blend of lychee, matcha, and white rum. The Souka was strong and felt like a good answer to cap off the night. The Bad: - There were a lot of mistakes made during ordering and it happened from the very start. To name a few: I ordered the Deja Vu drink at the bar and then my drink was randomly given to another member of our party who did not order a drink. My friend ordered a hamachi ceviche and instead was given a seafood ceviche which he couldn't have due to allergies. Another member of the party had ordered a drink and had to keep reminding them about it, even though I ordered a drink after him and received that drink before him. My entree of squid ink pasta was completely forgotten about and then to add insult to injury, they gave me a lobster pasta which was not what I ordered. They let us keep the lobster pasta on the house, but forgetting an entree is just unacceptable. - The wait times between ordering drinks and entrees was obscenely long. Drinks should not take over a half hour to be received and the entrees took over an hour to be served. - Food quality: I didn't receive an entree and ended up cancelling my order after the mistake was made but the rest of the party did not seem to think of the entrees as worth writing home about. - Service: Look, I don't normally pay attention to service and will admit that I had thoroughly read reviews on Yelp prior to eating here...and everything that was said was true. Our servers did not seem to know which drinks, appetizers, or entrees belonged to which guest. Servers would come into the room and be like "who ordered this". I'm sorry, but any restaurant at this price tier needs to have waiters that at least write the orders down, this is just downright unprofessional. Overall consensus: The looks and the vibes of Aquarelle are aesthetically pleasing and really add to the potential it has as a seafood restaurant. I would like to say that I can envision this as a place to go for casual drinks and light seafood appetizers. However, I can't in good faith recommend the restaurant until they invest more time and effort into the staff. At a minimum, the staff needs to introduce themselves to the guests, WRITE DOWN ORDERS, and provide good and timely service (or at least provide an ETA and check-ins). For the prices that are being charged, the least that can be done is good service for food that, quite frankly is not that great, especially considering the wait times. I hope that Aquarelle can improve, but at this time I cannot recommend this restaurant.

Klejvis is the man! The food at brunch was amazing and the service was top notch. Will be back!…read moreAmbiance was on point as well.

I recently went here for a friend's birthday. I will say the food was pretty good. The scallops…read morewere delicious, but the steak yeah I highly recommend. Overall pricing was average for a restaurant like this. The service was pretty good, Katie was very helpful and great at managing all of our orders well since it was about 10 of us. The ambiance was cool, perfect for photos. However, there was a birthday downstairs I guess, while we were still eating which I thought was a bit awkward as that party blocked majority of the entrance and really didn't want to move. Overall, I would definitely return mainly for the food.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson makes the comfort foods you know and love feel like a love letter…read more.. We started drinks off with the Honeydew Dream Mocktail, topped with a slice of cucumber. She was super refreshing, slightly sweet, and the perfect opener for what's to come. For apps, we started with the Tuna Tartare. These were incredibly flavorful with the juices running down my hand. They had a bit of citrus, hints of spice, and I was pleasantly surprised to see them wrapped in collard greens. Now everyone says you have to try the M's Cornbread, and I can 1000% back this. The cornbread had a perfect balance of sweet and savory, with the chili butter tying everything together. Had to try the Fulton Street Potatoes, that were perfectly crispy, but the béarnaise sauce was a bit of a miss for me. For entrees, we had to do the Harlem Express and the All The Way To Flatbush. The All The way to Flatbush Showcases a slow-braised jerk spiced lamb with creamy yuca mash while The Harlem Express comes with creamy grits topped with 4 mini Fried Chicken Thighs and when I tell you I was obsessed. You can tell each dish was thoughtfully curated in every single bite and I have no idea how I had room for dessert. I had to finish everything off with the Sticky Date Pudding and she was everything. Warm, gooey, sweet, and my new dream dessert. Marcus Samuelsson will absolutely give you a meal you deserve, so make sure you check out Metropolis!!

I was invited to a friend's birthday event on the rooftop at Metropolis. The theme was soccer since…read moreit's World Cup Season. We sat in the outdoor portion of the rooftop where a big screen TV was set up. Metropolis is a nicely designed place, inside and out. There's a great bar area outside. Food and drinks are pricey but that's to be expected due to the location. I ordered an almost perfect cheeseburger platter. Perfectly cooked and tasty but they don't use pickles. I LOVE pickles! I ordered a spicy type drink which was really tasty. I spied a guest's lobster roll which I considered ordering but I'm glad I didn't. It was as small as an average size hot dog and again, pricey. The birthday girl enjoyed the steak frites. I sampled a bit of the jalapeño cornbread with soft butter. Excellent. Metropolis is a cute spot to bring a date that you're trying to impress. Cool views from the rooftop. I may go back for a Happy Hour on a random day.

Working with Jeff to plan an event Cobble Fish was truly one of greatest NYC bar planning…read moreexperiences. Jeff was responsive, accommodating and flexible (especially when I bothered him with multiple follow ups!). His customer service was top class, I hope to have other events at Cobble Fish!

There are some places you stumble upon that end up being one of your favorite meals of the trip…read more.. and Cobble Fish was exactly that. Located right on the pier in NYC, this is one of those spots where you grab a seat, soak in the waterfront views, watch the boats go by, and just enjoy a slow summer afternoon. The atmosphere alone is worth the visit, but the food? Even better. We started with the grilled Baja fish tacos, and WOW. The fish was perfectly grilled, so fresh, flaky, and packed with flavor. The crunchy cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle crema, and squeeze of fresh lime tied everything together perfectly. Every bite had the right amount of freshness, crunch, and spice, and honestly... these are fish tacos I'll be thinking about for a long time. Next up were the fried shrimp and fries, and this plate completely exceeded my expectations. The shrimp were perfectly crispy without feeling heavy, and the jalapeño aioli absolutely stole the show. It had just enough kick to complement the shrimp without overpowering it, and I found myself dipping every single bite into it. Now let's talk about the fries... I know fries are "just fries," but these deserve their own moment. They were hands down some of the BEST fries I've ever had. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to absolute perfection. Every single fry was golden, crunchy, and somehow stayed that way until the very last bite. If you know me, you know I don't usually rave about fries... but these were next level. Of course, we had to pair everything with a couple of margaritas, because nothing says summer in New York quite like tacos, seafood, ice-cold margaritas, and waterfront views. Between the incredible food, the relaxed atmosphere, and being able to sit right on the pier with the NYC skyline surrounding you, this was one of those meals that just felt like summer. Whether you're grabbing lunch after exploring the city or looking for a casual spot to unwind with friends, Cobble Fish absolutely deserves a stop. What we ordered: Grilled Baja Fish Tacos Fried Shrimp & Fries with Jalapeño Aioli Crispy Crinkle Fries (don't skip these!) Margaritas Overall: 10/10. Great food, incredible views, best helpful service, and officially home to some of the best fries I've ever eaten. This is definitely a spot I'll be coming back to every time I'm in NYC.

I've now been here 3x. This place is amazing and I keep coming back for more. I've introduced…read moredifferent groups of people to this place and it hasn't failed me yet on quality service & ambiance!

We came here to celebrate a birthday... after perusing their website and IG we decided this was a…read moregreat place to celebrate a birthday.... Well we were kinda right. Amavi is a great place to celebrate a birthday if you like a loud, DJ spinning, hookah smoking, over priced Mediterranean restaurant, this is the place for you. Now, this isn't to say this isn't a good place but be prepared. The food is decent, nothing to run and tell anyone about, except their Bronzino was absolutely delish! I wish everything else was at the level of this dish. Here is a run down of everything we ordered and ranked.... 1= fire the chef, 10 = Michelin Star Grilled Octopus :6 Caramelized onion Hummus :7 Sautéed Tiger Prawns :7 Tuna Crudo: 10 Bronzino: 10 Salmon: 8 Lamb Chops: 7 Mashed Potato: 8 Asparagus : 7 Lobster Aribbatta: 5 Hazelnut bar: 0 Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake: 0 Whatever you do, don't order desert. They are not worth it. So if you're looking for a lively and loud space with decent food.... Walk on over! Enjoy

Amazing new spot!  We were staying at the hotel above it and decided to stop in for a bite and it…read moredid not disappoint in any way.  Actually exceeding our expectations.  We sat at the bar and their bartender is a true mixologiat.  The most creative and wonderful tasting drinks.  Chris is so friendly, personable and funny it made our time that much better. His food recommendations were on point and every drink he suggested and made were delicious.  So much so we came in twice. Ha The food favorites were the veggie chips.  Perfectly thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini sitting atop taziki sauce.   Soooo delicious.   The Garides Skaras were by far the most delicious shrimp I have had in a long time.  Perfect seasoning and juicy. The Horiatiki aka greek salad was perfection and the lemon potatoes were wonderful. New York has so many restaurants to choose from, but I know on my next visit. I will definitely be going down to the FIDI area to eat at this spot again and try other dishes. I truly believe they will not disappoint.  All the dishes that passed by looked so good.

The server was great and attentive. As far as the food, I have never experienced food poisoning…read morelike this in my entire life. Other people in my party ate completely different plates and also fell ill. I understand that food safety issues can happen anywhere, but the severity of what I experienced was alarming. I hope management takes this seriously so other customers don't have to go through the same thing.

We had the best experience! Sat outside on the terrace, stunning views of the city, and the food…read morewas amazing! We had the empanadas, ribs, and fries. Such a beautiful restaurant Also shout out to Issa (spell check his name) he was so sweet to us

Natalie and Jean genuinely changed our trip (and lives!) with the incredible hospitality and…read morerecommendations! They were so accommodating and had great suggestions for any questions we had about the menu. I hope that ownership and visiting guests see this review because it was that awesome of a visit. This establishment should be very proud of the quality of service, products, and people that work here! First time to NYC, got a great view of the skyline, enjoyed fantastic food and cocktails - what else can you ask for. Anytime I come back to NYC, I will be back and I will be asking for Natalie and Jean!