This wasn't a bad spot to grab some lunch. It's in midtown, so you have to temper your expectations. It'll be a little pricey and a little underwhelming. I had the 26 dollars black Angus burger and fries. The burger was cooked mostly as I instructed (medium, though there were a couple spots that were rare). It was 2 extra dollars for cheddar cheese. Had a bit of a weird taste that I couldn't place, almost a little musty, but it wasn't "bad," and I didn't feel the food was unsafe. The fries were fine. The raspberry pomegranate margarita was 18 dollars and wasn't bad for the price in midtown. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a small, compact space in the front that opens up a little in the back.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was mostly on point, if sometimes a little slow. I think they all probably work on a team model-shared tip model, as everyone seemed to serve me at one point or another. I was in for lunch, but at dinner they serve filet of sole, crusted tuna, tuna burgers, steak frites, various salads and veggies and a pasta dish. Not a bad restaurant for the locale, but I probably wouldn't stop by again. read more

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Great food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A great restaurant for lunch or dinner. I have done several birthday luncheon's for my family and friends as well. read more

I really fell in love with this place for everything about it/ my experience there. Stumbled upon this restaurant by chance and was pleasantly surprised firstly by how friendly the staff were. I sat at the bar since I needed to grab a quick bite before the event. David the bartender was a joy and a half! Adriana was another pleasant sever, literally all the wait staff I came into contact with were warm and welcoming. A real bright spot. Great wine selection! Honestly, I initially considers this place because they just looked like they have good wine and they did not disappoint! I ordered the bruschetta and daily special kale salad, which were delightful bites. The figs in the salad were.. *chef's kiss. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even the other patrons were delightful- people striking up conversations but in a very engaging and community-oriented place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Lots of good, warm vibes here-- the sort of place you want to see in business for generations to come. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Homey interior makes this great to be a neighborhood go-to... and it apparently was![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]By the time I left, the place was buzzing with patrons, many of whom were locals/ regulars.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Real "you're family here" type of vibes but elegantly done.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Tell you what, this place is totally out of my way but I will make it a point to go back! read more

This restaurant was straight up good American restaurant food that carters to all to enjoy. You can get anything from salads, soups, fish to burgers etc My Caesar salad was excellent. The shrimps were grilled and huge with perfect seasoning. I was so happy to have a fresh berry dessert it was yummy and refreshing. People in my party loved there dishes everyone was a happy camper. read more

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The small, intimate space has a lot to offer, and I enjoyed sitting at the bar with its sea glass counter. Despite the consistent flow of people coming in, with coats brushing the back of my chair, I didn't feel squeezed in. The bartender was friendly and mixed a fabulous Bloody Mary. The guacamole has a nice kick and the chips a decent crunch. The portion was perfect for two. Despite the lovely presentation, the tuna burger lacked flavor. I ordered without the bun to get a sense of the meat, and I was unimpressed. I received a palm-sized "puck" of meat. I'd seen someone enjoying the berry-topped crème brûlée as I sat down, and a patron praised the Island's as "the best in the world", (and he'd travelled a lot and been to Paris), yet I can tell you the French restaurant down the street is where one should enjoy this dessert, not on this Island. With a delightful burnt sugar topping, I must admit, the only place where the dish offered tasty custard, was on the edges. The dish was undercooked, not raw, so I had a sauce, not a custard. The ambience is pleasant and with other successful meals, I'll return, yet not for the tuna. I may give the chef a chance to show off this world-renowned dessert that the regulars enjoy so much. read more

Island - Crème brûlée - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very accommodating and friendly along with pleasant ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'll come back again The portions are generous and the price point appropriate. read more

I live around the corner and for years always get the Maple glazed salmon. Portion is good but I feel the quality of the salmon has changed over the years. Will still be back, but will try something else. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A really nice place with a wonderful staff and ambience[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], good food and service (John was great). Will definitely come back when in the area. read more

What a terrible experience celebrating my friends birthday. The food was hardly edible. See this $22 BLT? And the salad was sub par. Total $167 for a sandwich, salad, and omelet, and a few drinks. Won't be going back.​ read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Lovely indoor and outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]In a great location with excellent service but unfortunately,food was subpar[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Pancake dish came with an 3 small pancakes, but with lots of strawberries on the side. The goat cheese omelet was somewhat better, decent sized with lots of salad on the side. We were also served popovers but they weren't hot ( or even warm) and were sunken in. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I really love this restaurant, it has a great vibe and generally has great food[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] although I will say I had the most disappointing crabcake, everyone around me was ordering it so I got one too, and it was complete filler and I could barely find any crab. [[HIGHLIGHT]]But I still am going to give this restaurant a great review because other than one bad crabcake it really is a beautiful place, warm and inviting, and usually great food[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

Met friends for lunch. Found the food to be sub par. Cobb salads which we ordered were almost invisible . Old lettuce, a few pieces of shredded chicken, hard to locate the cheese etc.: overall the most inferior and disappointing Cobb salad we've ever had. Have brunch/lunch elsewhere but not at Island. Staff however was very pleasant. read more

The food was ok , basically good but not special . [[HIGHLIGHT]]But the seats were awful![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]And when asking for a cushion which many customers do they didn't have enough to give me one[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Disgraceful to submit patrons who are not necessarily that young to those back breaking seats.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Each time we come, either for brunch or dinner, the food is excellent, and the staff tries hard to make the experience enjoyable. The steak frites are not to be missed, and other entrees have proven to be delicious as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Not as relaxing an ambiance as other neighborhood spots (like Pascalou or Costa), but a great option for the neighborhood.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

From the high-end, high-cuisine dining sophistication to more affordable spots in the UES, hubs decided to go for this underdog on Madison & 93rd. Despite the already preppie, old-money attire at Island, our sneaks and my Nike pants had to suffice as we just finished with an Ephrat Asherie performance at the Guggenheim. With their yacht and nautical design, Island paints a picture of an almost sea-worthy journey- without a trip to the beach. We nabbed an 8pm Wednesday reservation in their second dining room right off their bar. Seats directly in front of the bar however, are skillfully arranged in a narrow stretch- as it's the only way to get to the middle and back dining rooms. The menu seems to represent just about any island in every continent you can think of: Caribbean islands, Islands off South America, Asian islands, islands in the Indian Ocean and so many others. When you hear about a place is "all over the place" you generally think of chaos- but not here. It's actually the menu because it's all over the place. You have Hummus next to Guacamole next to a Tuna Poke Bowl. So Mr. Owner- please don't take any insult- the menu has A LOT because it's formed around the world. Miso Japanese Eggplant appetizer was creative and delicious while hubs enjoyed his Arugula salad with a load of Parmesan. My rare, sesame crusted Tuna as requested was juicy but needed a hair touch of salt to bring the dish together and hubs' Maine Lobster Quesadillas had juicy lump meat- but weren't form correctly. I'm admittedly not much of a pie person and it's unlike me to order anything outside of Chocolate but the Key Lime Pie with Meringue called me. That sucker was tart, good and incredibly sweet (maybe turn down the sweetness on this one a bit)- while hubs' Blueberry Cobbler had the right warm temp and oozed nicely. Despite everything, food was very nice and service was awesome from our server. read more

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Nice restaurant that doesn't really specialize in any one cuisine. They add a modern, seafood twist to their dishes. The interior is very nice and cozy. It's on the fancy side. The calamari and sweet potato fries are very good, especially the sauce. I had the tuna poke. It is served on top of a bed of Basmati rice and salad. Mix everything together and it's delicious. Their entrees are a bit small though except for the burgers. read more

Wouldn't return. To start, our server gave away our table to another party even though we had a reservation. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had to wait and sit in a dark, dirty table in the back.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We received almost no service for drinks and minimal food. Asked for the check multiple times and had to hunt down the waiter inside to pay. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Dirty overpriced spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

A casual intimate fine dining experience. I came here for a Christmas luncheon and was thoroughly impressed with the food. As a large group we were given a fixed menu (pita/hummus app; 3 salads,2 hot entrees and chocolate cookies/fruit dessert). I did wish we had more diverse options because as I walked through the restaurant, which is fairly small, I was salivating from the calamari and other food on the others guests' table. The pita was warm and to live for in addition to the hummus *chefs kiss*‍ I had the chicken melt with fries which was delicious! It was nicely roasted with mozzerella in btwn buttery toasted panini bread alongside crispy fries and a mini salad. The salad options looked aesthetically pleasing from afar lol. Service was kind and attentive. I look forward to trying other entrees in the future. Overall it was a A! read more

Sadly, Everything at this neighborhood restaurant has gotten smaller but they are still charging the same price. The tomato soup is half the size and is an outrageous$13. Cobb salad this time gave me a bad stomach & so did the Niçoise salad that my husband has. Eeks! read more

Island - $13 over priced mini tomato soup - New American Near Me - New York, New York

I came in ,the other day, by chance -seeking a comfortable seat and a nice drink-and I found both here-and more! A nice respite from the Nyc Labor Day rush and a creative menu- I opted for fried calamari-good- and a watermelon vodka special.The appetizer portion was so big I could barely eat a third of it. And a good group of sophisticated people were in the dining room. The bartender-a young man-was friendly and gave very good service. I ended up taking home the Lobster Quesadilla with chopped lobster and a nice spin on it -with the addition of melted Brie. I couldn't finish it -large portion-but the taste was delicious. Count me in! read more

Love the food chicken is epic!! Pasta pomodoro is delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance feels like your on an old Yatch[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Very cute spot that I want to love, but overall was a bit underwhelming. The place has a cool island concept, and the menu certainly reflects that, but the prices don't really match up to what you pay for, and service pretty inconsistent. The staff was all very nice but I think there was a large party in the back while we were there, and our server would disappear for long amounts of time, and we ended up ordering certain things with a different server. The calamari was fine, standard frozen situation. The mussels were a little bit under-seasoned, and the fries that were meant to go with them came out about 10 minutes later. The steak was good but again for the price I was expecting a little bit more. My favorite part of the meal was the ice cream sundae (but in all fairness it's hard to mess that up). Overall, would try this place again to hopefully get better results! read more

Island - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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The salmon is absolutely delicious! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Also loved the atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the service was 5 stars. Will be back soon!

I visited Island for the first time in many years last night. I very much enjoyed it! The decor is preppy meets nautical and the clientele skews older but we felt welcome. Ordered: Caesar Salad ($14)- this salad was made with Boston lettuce instead of the typical romaine. This was a nice touch. The Boston lettuce was softer than romaine. The salad had croutons and a generous amount of fresh Parmesan cheese. The dressing was the real star. It had depth of flavor and the taste of anchovies. Roasted Maple Glazed Norwegian Salmon ($30)- the salmon was a nice sized piece that was cooked to order. It was roasted with a maple mustard glaze. The skin was crispy. The salmon was not dry/overcooked. It came over roasted Brussels sprouts. Seafood Linguini ($28)- the pasta was cooked al dente and served with shrimp, mussels and clams. The sauce was natural, made from the liquid from the mussels and clams, olive oil, garlic and multicolored cherry tomatoes. I really enjoyed this dish! I was a little disappointed that one of the clams arrived shut and therefore couldn't be eaten. Overall, I really enjoyed my dinner at Island. It was a little more expensive than other restaurants I typically dine at, but the service and the quality of the food was very good. read more

Island - Salmon at Island - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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We came to Island last night after my daughter's Christmas performance at a nearby church. I hadn't been here in several years, so my memory of that experience is vague, but it was cold last night and it was on our way home so we gave it a shot. So glad we did. My burger with fresh mozzarella was perfectly cooked and the super thin and crisp fries sent me over the edge. So good. My wife's fish and my daughter's chicken curry dish were likewise well executed. We had ordered an app of calamari to nibble on before our mains, but it never showed up which was actually fine because our mains were quite filling. Our server, Adriana, was so apologetic about it and refilled my wine glass to make up for it. She didn't have to do that, but it was a very gracious move and it's the type of service that makes this diner want to return. Well done! read more

When Barbara Corcoran recommends a lunch spot close to her office we had to try t. Great lunch spot! Awesome tomorrow soup, great salmon bowl, and blt. Make a reservation- it fills fast! read more

Island - New American Near Me - New York, New York

This is the cutest neighborhood restaurant in the upper east side I can't say enough about the awesome staff!

A great variety of well prepared foods and excellent service. Ambiance is simple and elegant

A friend of mine's kid went to school in one of the many prep schools in this area so he became quite familiar with Island And text me there every time I am in the city. I love it. The staff is wonderful and the food is refreshing. Drinks are perfect. read more

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Fantastic brunch all around, from the poached eggs to the chopped Cobb salad, the service was great! Quaint neighborhood restaurant. Will be back! read more

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Very enjoyable meal (lunch). Delicious tomato soup -- really recommend this -- and classic shrimp cocktail. Nice Prosecco. Pleasant service. Only complaint -- my teabag was served with a little pot of lukewarm water. My companion's was hot so we shared hers. Since she was treating me, I didn't want to complain since everything else was so lovely, but it's a detail they should be mindful of. read more

Cozy neighborhood dinner/date spot or even solo at the bar. They always have good options for specials including soup of the day and a fish entree and the service is timely. read more

Island was recommended by someone at the Museum of the City of New York for a nice, relatively inexpensive lunch. It was perfect. Friendly service, good food, nice surroundings. Very nice. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was nice. Not too noisy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was very slow on the night we went. Food was very good. I had salmon. I would recommend this Upper East Side neighborhood place close to museums, Central Park. read more

I've gone to island twice now. Both times were great service was great and drinks were very tasty. My favorite thing so far is the asparagus appetizer, a must try! read more

What a delightful restaurant experience we enjoyed here. Island has an attractive, rather intimate dining room with a little space for sidewalk tables, and the theme is sort of yacht-like without going overboard about it (keep in mind the restaurant's name). And the eclectic menu offers some appealing seafood dishes without slipping into Red Lobster mode. For instance, you can find some delicious crispy calamari, a tasty lobster quesadilla, Maryland crab cake sliders and a moist and lightly crusted yellowfin tuna burger if you are so inclined. We did and relished all but the crab cakes, which weren't bad at all but lacked the bursting crab meat flavor we've found at a few other restaurants (looking at you Guppy's in Florida). We also, however, tried the Kobe beef hot dog, an item we have never seen anywhere before this. When served, it looked almost like the Oscar Meyer weinermobile, neatly curved over a bun and packed with lots of sauerkraut. The verdict? Gimme' more. We didn't try any of the desserts though our server said we would be missing something good. No doubt. The wait staff seemed attentive and friendly though not obtrusive. In general, the atmosphere is not quite laid back but spiffy and focused as you might hope the staff on your yacht would be. As we said, a good experience, and given it's location not far from a family member's home, we'll certainly return. read more

Island - Kobe Beef hot dog - $16.50 and worth it - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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Enter a New Yorker cartoon on this enchanted Island! Was the maitre d playing Wordle? No matter the best table is available in the middle of a buzzing lunch hour on a Thursday. How cozy to be surrounded by Hermes bags and blonde ladies who speak in hushed tones! Wait staff brings tap water (the native choice) without asking! Lovely calamari feeds a family of 3, followed by a crab cake special (very nice) and juicy burgers. You may want to hang out just to people watch and forget all about that nasty pandemic. read more

The kitchen is barely trying. Like seriously how do you mess up a burger. At the very least get a proper bun, not the cheapest crap bun you literally can buy. And the steak is tough as shoe leather. You don't deserve the attention you get from the geriatrics that go there out of convenience. Just try a little and it could be great. Staff is very kind. Place looks great. But chef should be tossed. read more

My wife loves this place but quiet honestly it is hands down the worst place on the UES. The got our entire order wrong, it took forever and to make things worse the waiter argued with us about what we ordered. I have never left zero tip before, I did tonight. read more

Island is not a place I would seek out -- we dined there recently when a family member who lives on the Upper East Side suggested it and treated us. My impression is that most of its customers live nearby and want convenience and comfort. The decor is generically refined but not noteworthy. Our meals were very tasty. My husband's black cod was perfectly cooked with white wine and butter, and accompanied by sweet potato and kale, also perfectly cooked. I had a generously sized crab cake on a bed of creamy spinach and ate it all. The chocolate gelato was amazing. Drawbacks? The service from our early-20s server; she was not terribly attentive -- we had to ask for water refills on a very slow evening -- and she was a little too abrupt, casual, and "hi guys" for the refined ambiance. The cloth bench on one side of our table had a few stains on it and the cloth tablecloth had food on it at the hem. Overall, I would forgive these misfires and recommend Island for those on the UES. read more