Welltravbrit's Ongoing NYC Jaunt
Dec 5th, 2015, 09:07 AM
#61
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I love it - Lox Sherpa!
A few more recommendations and thoughts. AsI was leaving THE MET on Friday (my focus was the extraordinary South Pacific collection much of which was donated by the Rockerfellers) I noticed how wonderful the Greco Roman collection looked while lit up at night. It really does make a difference to see it this way as the marble statuary really glows under the lighting which is exceedingly well done. So don't worry if you're heading to the Met late on a dark winter night, some of the rooms look fabulous at this time of year, though for me Friday nights are a little crowded.
My destination was the Signature Theatre's recently opened STEVE, directed by Cynthia Nixon and starring a very accomplished cast, of whom the most well known might be Mario Cantone. Once again we had excellent TDF tickets (center orchestra) but it's a small modern there with steeply banked seats so I would imagine most people get an excellent view.
The play is amusing, well directed and fast paced with clever, quick dialogue, lots of theatrical jokes and separate musical numbers at the beginning and the end which are rather fun. The performances were very good and I felt it was an entertaining evening with a nod to questions of age, vanity and meaning. However, rather like lots of comedies I suspect it's quite forgettable. Fyi, the NYTimes generously gave it a critic's pick. One of the friends we brought was less impressed and didn't find the couples believable, which is rather funny as Mario Cantone was paired with his real life husband!
Afterwards we headed to the Japanese yakitori place Torishin on 52nd street. I hadn't quite realized that this isn't your average yakitori place, but it became evident when we walked in the door to see a Michelin star prominently displayed!
http://torishinny.com
This is a very Japanese space and when we arrived on the later side most of the patrons were Japanese. One of the friends we were with lived in Tokyo for years and he was very taken by how familiar it was. When we left he pointed out the lantern on the floor, the salt beside the main door and other elements he said were typical of what you'd find in Tokyo.
We opted for the Omakase, a set dinner selected by the chef. I very much enjoyed the food which was predominantly various small squeezers of chicken in various incarnations - back thigh, wing,meatballs etc, Overall it was too much food and for me too much chicken, but that's the nature of this kind of restaurant. In addition to all the skewers there was okra with bonita flakes, zucchini, a truffle custard dish and a rice dish, I opted for Rice in Broth with Spicy Cod Roe but by that stage I could barely eat another mouthful. Consequently (for anyone whose interested in a quick trip to Japan from NY) I'd recommend two people splitting one Omakase and ordering anything else a la carte.
A few more recommendations and thoughts. AsI was leaving THE MET on Friday (my focus was the extraordinary South Pacific collection much of which was donated by the Rockerfellers) I noticed how wonderful the Greco Roman collection looked while lit up at night. It really does make a difference to see it this way as the marble statuary really glows under the lighting which is exceedingly well done. So don't worry if you're heading to the Met late on a dark winter night, some of the rooms look fabulous at this time of year, though for me Friday nights are a little crowded.
My destination was the Signature Theatre's recently opened STEVE, directed by Cynthia Nixon and starring a very accomplished cast, of whom the most well known might be Mario Cantone. Once again we had excellent TDF tickets (center orchestra) but it's a small modern there with steeply banked seats so I would imagine most people get an excellent view.
The play is amusing, well directed and fast paced with clever, quick dialogue, lots of theatrical jokes and separate musical numbers at the beginning and the end which are rather fun. The performances were very good and I felt it was an entertaining evening with a nod to questions of age, vanity and meaning. However, rather like lots of comedies I suspect it's quite forgettable. Fyi, the NYTimes generously gave it a critic's pick. One of the friends we brought was less impressed and didn't find the couples believable, which is rather funny as Mario Cantone was paired with his real life husband!
Afterwards we headed to the Japanese yakitori place Torishin on 52nd street. I hadn't quite realized that this isn't your average yakitori place, but it became evident when we walked in the door to see a Michelin star prominently displayed!
http://torishinny.com
This is a very Japanese space and when we arrived on the later side most of the patrons were Japanese. One of the friends we were with lived in Tokyo for years and he was very taken by how familiar it was. When we left he pointed out the lantern on the floor, the salt beside the main door and other elements he said were typical of what you'd find in Tokyo.
We opted for the Omakase, a set dinner selected by the chef. I very much enjoyed the food which was predominantly various small squeezers of chicken in various incarnations - back thigh, wing,meatballs etc, Overall it was too much food and for me too much chicken, but that's the nature of this kind of restaurant. In addition to all the skewers there was okra with bonita flakes, zucchini, a truffle custard dish and a rice dish, I opted for Rice in Broth with Spicy Cod Roe but by that stage I could barely eat another mouthful. Consequently (for anyone whose interested in a quick trip to Japan from NY) I'd recommend two people splitting one Omakase and ordering anything else a la carte.
Dec 6th, 2015, 06:15 PM
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another place to consider for free lectures and perhaps a concert is the CUNY graduate center. you could check their website for what is on.
I saw The Humans today and enjoyed it. I hope you will be successful in obtaining tickets
I saw The Humans today and enjoyed it. I hope you will be successful in obtaining tickets
Dec 7th, 2015, 07:43 AM
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One of the things we very much wanted to do on this trip was to begin to explore neighborhoods we had no familiarity with. Even though we come to NY regularly we often don't get much beyond our favorite museums, the family and the theatre. In the past we've picked hotels in different neighborhoods as a way of seeing other areas of the city but this time we have time to explore further and in a more leisurely fashion.
This weekend we pulled out the Municipal Art Society's (MAS) "Ten Architectural Walks in Manhattan". After taking our first walk I can recommend this guide . I'm often disappointed by walking guides which can fail on two major fronts, failing to give you enough historical information or failing to make it easy to follow the walk, astonishingly we've used several bad walking tour guides that have neither a map or good instructions! The MAS guide passed on both fronts.
We took the subway up to 125th Street (past the famous Apollo Theatre) and then the bus over to HAMILTON HEIGHTS, yes it's named after that Hamilton! You could easily take the subway directly here too. The walk covered early apartment house construction on Broadway, domestic architecture and brownstones on several lovely streets, a number of interesting churches, the wooden home of Alexander Hamilton (now relocated to a park)and the incredible neb-gothic university buildings at CUNY.
The neighborhood which is currently racially mixed has a large Dominican populations which you can see in the predominant shops. This is an area with an interesting history, with expansion following the train lines northward. Many of the nicest apartments were purpose built for the growing African American professional class in New York at the turn of the 20th century. I was first aware of the neighborhood when I was looking for a rental on Sabbatical Homes and it's clear a population of graduate students and academics make their home here.
The area is on a real hill (hence Heights!) which allows for some lovely views both over Harlem and downtown Manhattan. Overall a very enjoyable walk.
On Sunday we wanted to see somewhere we hadn't visited before and we were both curious about Roosevelt island. Last week we went to a panel on affordable housing and one of the speakers had lived on Roosevelt Island since the 1970s and spoke about the development of the island under a mixed income scheme and the current (market rate) changes taking place. You may well have seen Roosevelt island - it's the incredibly long skinny island in the east river right off Manhattan. previously known as Welfare Island it previously housed several medical facilities including a hospital and a smallpox isolation facility.
What's fun about Roosevelt Island is that it's easy to get there and you can take the cable car called the Roosevelt Island Tramway. It's a great way to see a wonderful view of the city from the water and much cheaper or environmentally irresponsible than than helicopter ride we may fancy! We took the subway there and the cable car back.
http://rioc.ny.gov/tramtransportation.htm
I realize others may not be as interested as we are in the city planning aspect, but there are wonderful views of Manhattan (it's a four mile walk around the island) and an interesting park at the southern tip. Called the Four Freedoms park (based on a quote from Roosevelt) the park was only recently completed though the original designs are from Louis Kahn and were completed in the 1970's - probably around the time the city ran out of cash. The four freedoms mentioned are freedom of speech and religion, freedom from want and fear . Architecturally the park is very attractive with a stunning view but it's a bit monument like with no dogs allowed and picnics restricted to a designated area! Even public space is beginning to feel like regulated private space.
Overall i really liked the scale of the developments on Roosevelt Island, while the recently developed waterfront area in Long Island City feels rather generic I found Roosevelt Island a little different. Perhaps because it's an island or perhaps it's because this feels less corporate as the apartments aren't too tall and are mostly Michtell Lama development from the 1970's.
This weekend we pulled out the Municipal Art Society's (MAS) "Ten Architectural Walks in Manhattan". After taking our first walk I can recommend this guide . I'm often disappointed by walking guides which can fail on two major fronts, failing to give you enough historical information or failing to make it easy to follow the walk, astonishingly we've used several bad walking tour guides that have neither a map or good instructions! The MAS guide passed on both fronts.
We took the subway up to 125th Street (past the famous Apollo Theatre) and then the bus over to HAMILTON HEIGHTS, yes it's named after that Hamilton! You could easily take the subway directly here too. The walk covered early apartment house construction on Broadway, domestic architecture and brownstones on several lovely streets, a number of interesting churches, the wooden home of Alexander Hamilton (now relocated to a park)and the incredible neb-gothic university buildings at CUNY.
The neighborhood which is currently racially mixed has a large Dominican populations which you can see in the predominant shops. This is an area with an interesting history, with expansion following the train lines northward. Many of the nicest apartments were purpose built for the growing African American professional class in New York at the turn of the 20th century. I was first aware of the neighborhood when I was looking for a rental on Sabbatical Homes and it's clear a population of graduate students and academics make their home here.
The area is on a real hill (hence Heights!) which allows for some lovely views both over Harlem and downtown Manhattan. Overall a very enjoyable walk.
On Sunday we wanted to see somewhere we hadn't visited before and we were both curious about Roosevelt island. Last week we went to a panel on affordable housing and one of the speakers had lived on Roosevelt Island since the 1970s and spoke about the development of the island under a mixed income scheme and the current (market rate) changes taking place. You may well have seen Roosevelt island - it's the incredibly long skinny island in the east river right off Manhattan. previously known as Welfare Island it previously housed several medical facilities including a hospital and a smallpox isolation facility.
What's fun about Roosevelt Island is that it's easy to get there and you can take the cable car called the Roosevelt Island Tramway. It's a great way to see a wonderful view of the city from the water and much cheaper or environmentally irresponsible than than helicopter ride we may fancy! We took the subway there and the cable car back.
http://rioc.ny.gov/tramtransportation.htm
I realize others may not be as interested as we are in the city planning aspect, but there are wonderful views of Manhattan (it's a four mile walk around the island) and an interesting park at the southern tip. Called the Four Freedoms park (based on a quote from Roosevelt) the park was only recently completed though the original designs are from Louis Kahn and were completed in the 1970's - probably around the time the city ran out of cash. The four freedoms mentioned are freedom of speech and religion, freedom from want and fear . Architecturally the park is very attractive with a stunning view but it's a bit monument like with no dogs allowed and picnics restricted to a designated area! Even public space is beginning to feel like regulated private space.
Overall i really liked the scale of the developments on Roosevelt Island, while the recently developed waterfront area in Long Island City feels rather generic I found Roosevelt Island a little different. Perhaps because it's an island or perhaps it's because this feels less corporate as the apartments aren't too tall and are mostly Michtell Lama development from the 1970's.
Dec 7th, 2015, 09:55 AM
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Two more restaurants before I forget, they've come up here many times before but just to add to the discussion...
ABC KITCHEN - my Sister in Law (SIL) made the reservation a while ago and we had a very nice meal. It's a relaxed place, the food is fresh, seasonal and the balance on the plate was good for me, lots of veggies and lots of fish on the menu. Frankly, it reminded me of lots of places in California. It's a good choice and I'd certainly go back, but it isn't really a "destination" restaurant. I was surprised when my SIL said you have to book quite a while in advance, I suppose that's mainly about being attached to a "star" name .
Last night we went to GATO - after a play at La Mama, more about that later. This is another "star" restaurant, not sure quite how we keep ending up at these places but it was right around the corner from the theatre and had a same day reservation. I'd seen it when walking past one day and had no idea it was Booby Flay's place till I checked out whether it was recommended here on Fodors. Anyway it's a very attractive place with a stylish interior, again pretty relaxed with good staff. We liked the format of the menu and started by sharing three small plates,I loved the eggplant and the tuna tartare in a pepper. As a main I had the Kale and Wild Mushroom Paella, with crispy artichokes and an egg on top which was excellent and my husband had the Red Prawns which were perfectly cooked and even better than the ones we'd had in Collioure earlier in the year. For us it was a treat to see these on a US menu.
http://gatonyc.com
Anyway I really must go and drop off my mounds of compost at the Union Square Farmer's market - I'm missing my curbside composting in California- it's not all glamour on this trip
ABC KITCHEN - my Sister in Law (SIL) made the reservation a while ago and we had a very nice meal. It's a relaxed place, the food is fresh, seasonal and the balance on the plate was good for me, lots of veggies and lots of fish on the menu. Frankly, it reminded me of lots of places in California. It's a good choice and I'd certainly go back, but it isn't really a "destination" restaurant. I was surprised when my SIL said you have to book quite a while in advance, I suppose that's mainly about being attached to a "star" name .
Last night we went to GATO - after a play at La Mama, more about that later. This is another "star" restaurant, not sure quite how we keep ending up at these places but it was right around the corner from the theatre and had a same day reservation. I'd seen it when walking past one day and had no idea it was Booby Flay's place till I checked out whether it was recommended here on Fodors. Anyway it's a very attractive place with a stylish interior, again pretty relaxed with good staff. We liked the format of the menu and started by sharing three small plates,I loved the eggplant and the tuna tartare in a pepper. As a main I had the Kale and Wild Mushroom Paella, with crispy artichokes and an egg on top which was excellent and my husband had the Red Prawns which were perfectly cooked and even better than the ones we'd had in Collioure earlier in the year. For us it was a treat to see these on a US menu.
http://gatonyc.com
Anyway I really must go and drop off my mounds of compost at the Union Square Farmer's market - I'm missing my curbside composting in California- it's not all glamour on this trip
Dec 7th, 2015, 10:30 AM
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Welltraveledbrit, we just returned from a long week-end in NYC, albeit mostly for holiday enjoyment, but have been fascinated with your "ongoing jaunt" providing info on so many places we have yet to explore. "The Met is often so overwhelming". . .we agree. But we love each visit.
Thanks for taking the time to share so many details about your experiences! You provide lots of ideas for future visits. NYC is an amazing place, isn't it?
Thanks for taking the time to share so many details about your experiences! You provide lots of ideas for future visits. NYC is an amazing place, isn't it?
Dec 7th, 2015, 02:44 PM
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NYTimes has had articles on the Aussie cafes in New York - eg Rubys 219 Mulberry , little Collins 667 Lexington, , Brunswick, Two Hands and Toby's Estate are some others.
Thanks for info on Russ IMDonehere
Thanks for info on Russ IMDonehere
Dec 7th, 2015, 04:23 PM
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I think we mentioned it. We ate a Melbourne restaurant called Flinder's Lane. A little pricey but pretty good.
http://www.flinderslane-nyc.com/
There are also cheapo places called the Tuck shop.
http://www.tuckshopnyc.com/home.php
http://www.flinderslane-nyc.com/
There are also cheapo places called the Tuck shop.
http://www.tuckshopnyc.com/home.php
Dec 7th, 2015, 05:20 PM
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This one is on my list of places to visit but I never seem to get there: The Hispanic Society of America broadway and 155th st... the collection of paintings is amazing and there are concerts as well and the museum is still free
Dec 7th, 2015, 07:03 PM
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Thanks for the foodie suggestions, I like the look of the pies and Flinder's Lane.
Tomarkot - glad you're enjoying this and I'm glad you think it might be useful. WE've done similar ongoing reports from London, Paris, Rome and Lisbon. I find if I leave it till I get back the gap between my good intentions and my failure to write the damn thing gets bigger daily.
Maxima - The Hispanic Society of America looks fascinating but I still haven't made it up there. I really want to see their Goya.
--------
Here are a couple of suggestions from my husband who has been roaming around some of the private galleries on Madison Ave. He liked both shows and enjoyed talking to the curators. First up "Fields of Dreams; The Surrealist Landscape" at the Di Donna
http://www.didonna.com/exhibitions/2...list-landscape
Secondly, "Mnemosyne: de Chirico and Antiquity" at the Helly Nahmad Gallery which is a show of De Chico's work set against Roman, Greek and Etruscan pieces.
http://www.hellynahmadgallery.com/ex...-and-antiquity
Tomarkot - glad you're enjoying this and I'm glad you think it might be useful. WE've done similar ongoing reports from London, Paris, Rome and Lisbon. I find if I leave it till I get back the gap between my good intentions and my failure to write the damn thing gets bigger daily.
Maxima - The Hispanic Society of America looks fascinating but I still haven't made it up there. I really want to see their Goya.
--------
Here are a couple of suggestions from my husband who has been roaming around some of the private galleries on Madison Ave. He liked both shows and enjoyed talking to the curators. First up "Fields of Dreams; The Surrealist Landscape" at the Di Donna
http://www.didonna.com/exhibitions/2...list-landscape
Secondly, "Mnemosyne: de Chirico and Antiquity" at the Helly Nahmad Gallery which is a show of De Chico's work set against Roman, Greek and Etruscan pieces.
http://www.hellynahmadgallery.com/ex...-and-antiquity
Dec 8th, 2015, 08:00 AM
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PYLADES
It's a little hard to know what to say about this theatrical "encounter". On this trip we've seen quite a bit of theatre, including many different kinds of shows; Off Off Broadway, on Broadway, comedy, drama, London transfers even a musical. However, Plylades was the most unforgettable - and not in a good way.
http://lamama.org/pylade/
What can I tell you about our latest foray into experimental NY theatre?
Well, I suppose I could say that you could recommend this play to anyone who has sheltered an abiding desire to see a naked man have sex with a watermelon on stage. Yes, really - you couldn’t make this stuff up! Earlier in the play they passed around watermelon slices which I ate and now I’m just worried that it was the “stage fruit” from the night before, lol!
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised as this was a Pasolini play based on a Greek tragedy. I do understand nakedness can be used as a device in the theatre but when most of the cast are naked for large amounts of time, simulating sex with each other ,and themselves, it’s a bit of a distraction from the poetic narrative. There was a lot I couldn’t quite follow, why did he smear black make up all over his member and wash it off later? Why were we there? What was the point? Why a watermelon and lots more intellectually stimulating questions!
I have to say the acting was good (particularly the eponymous hero from the Slovenian National Theatre) and the underlying play was interesting. It certainly gave us plenty to talk about over dinner at Gato and I liked some of the choreography. The problems is it was all too much spectacle, too much nakedness, too much noise and too much running around. It was heavy handed and too long. It was as if they had several good ideas and said enthusiastically lets run with all of them.
I felt I was in some sort of stereotype of artsy European theatre from the 1970's, though I have to say the New York audience was suitably grave and muffled their laughter for the most part - because we are all terribly sophisticated. Seeing people come out of the building with stunned faces turning to the strangers next to them for brief conversations was perhaps my favorite moment of the evening. If theatre is only to unsettle us perhaps Pylades is a hit!
So unless this all sounds fabulously to you, or you are one of the small subset who have hoped to see watermelon used this way in public, I’d give it a thumbs down. All is not lost however, I know I will be dining out on this for some time.
It's a little hard to know what to say about this theatrical "encounter". On this trip we've seen quite a bit of theatre, including many different kinds of shows; Off Off Broadway, on Broadway, comedy, drama, London transfers even a musical. However, Plylades was the most unforgettable - and not in a good way.
http://lamama.org/pylade/
What can I tell you about our latest foray into experimental NY theatre?
Well, I suppose I could say that you could recommend this play to anyone who has sheltered an abiding desire to see a naked man have sex with a watermelon on stage. Yes, really - you couldn’t make this stuff up! Earlier in the play they passed around watermelon slices which I ate and now I’m just worried that it was the “stage fruit” from the night before, lol!
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised as this was a Pasolini play based on a Greek tragedy. I do understand nakedness can be used as a device in the theatre but when most of the cast are naked for large amounts of time, simulating sex with each other ,and themselves, it’s a bit of a distraction from the poetic narrative. There was a lot I couldn’t quite follow, why did he smear black make up all over his member and wash it off later? Why were we there? What was the point? Why a watermelon and lots more intellectually stimulating questions!
I have to say the acting was good (particularly the eponymous hero from the Slovenian National Theatre) and the underlying play was interesting. It certainly gave us plenty to talk about over dinner at Gato and I liked some of the choreography. The problems is it was all too much spectacle, too much nakedness, too much noise and too much running around. It was heavy handed and too long. It was as if they had several good ideas and said enthusiastically lets run with all of them.
I felt I was in some sort of stereotype of artsy European theatre from the 1970's, though I have to say the New York audience was suitably grave and muffled their laughter for the most part - because we are all terribly sophisticated
. Seeing people come out of the building with stunned faces turning to the strangers next to them for brief conversations was perhaps my favorite moment of the evening. If theatre is only to unsettle us perhaps Pylades is a hit! So unless this all sounds fabulously to you, or you are one of the small subset who have hoped to see watermelon used this way in public, I’d give it a thumbs down. All is not lost however, I know I will be dining out on this for some time.
-
Dec 9th, 2015, 07:55 AM
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Often we have a day that starts late and spins in so many different directions that it isn't anything I'd recommend to anyone else, but it suits us nonetheless. Yesterday was one of those!
We started the day with a wonderful lunch. I love taking lunch at an elaborate restaurant. Here's my take on Michelin restaurants for less (at lunch) in London.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...in-london.html
So, one of the ideas was to do the same on this trip to NY. Everyone recommended Jean Georges but their bargain lunch seems to have crept up in price, though it's still FAR cheaper than an evening excursion. Instead I opted for reservations at Bouley and Juni though I cancelled the former because we just had too much going on that week.
JUNI was superb and I'd recommend it VERY highly. This was by far the best meal we've had on our trip and it's a ridiculous bargain at lunch; $34 for two courses and $39 for three. The food and service were excellent and frankly I was surprised that they don't have a second star.
http://juninyc.com
I'm a big fan or a formal meal with formal service and this was very well executed with a warm, convivial and relaxed waiter but the little touches, a delicious tapenade to start and petit fours - which were very welcome at lunch time. Shaun Hergatt is an Australian chef (this seems to be becoming a bit of a theme) and the food was engaging, beautifully presented and delicious. You really have to see the photos on the website to get an idea.
We opted for the three course, but I'd be interested to go back and try the five course vegetarian menu they offer at lunchtime. I started with a sweetbreads and truffle dish and then had cod in a kalamansi (citrus) sauce. The fish had been filleted and then formed back into a tournedos and re-wrapped with the skin. It was beautifully cooked. The desserts were just beautiful too, very elaborate and for us it was the perfect amount of food, not too much.
Another nice thing was that in contrast with many of the London lunch deals at similar restaurants they didn't have supplements for particular dishes and the prix fixe was the only options. At many places in London they offer a very limited and cheaper prix fixe but also provide a full a la carte lunch. At Juni you won't feel like the poorer cousin.
I liked the interior because it was simple with large tables set some distance from each other, a pleasure to find in Manhattan. However, the interior isn't an attraction and this isn't a place to be "seen". It's a discreet restaurant (in a hotel) with an unshowy dining room. This is a place to be wowed by the food not the surroundings. It was very quiet at lunch but I would imagine it wouldn't get too loud even in the evenings and could be a good choice for those who can't bear too much noise. In terms of a San Francisco comparison it reminded me of Masas or Gary Danko.
Highly recommended!
We started the day with a wonderful lunch. I love taking lunch at an elaborate restaurant. Here's my take on Michelin restaurants for less (at lunch) in London.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...in-london.html
So, one of the ideas was to do the same on this trip to NY. Everyone recommended Jean Georges but their bargain lunch seems to have crept up in price, though it's still FAR cheaper than an evening excursion. Instead I opted for reservations at Bouley and Juni though I cancelled the former because we just had too much going on that week.
JUNI was superb and I'd recommend it VERY highly. This was by far the best meal we've had on our trip and it's a ridiculous bargain at lunch; $34 for two courses and $39 for three. The food and service were excellent and frankly I was surprised that they don't have a second star.
http://juninyc.com
I'm a big fan or a formal meal with formal service and this was very well executed with a warm, convivial and relaxed waiter but the little touches, a delicious tapenade to start and petit fours - which were very welcome at lunch time. Shaun Hergatt is an Australian chef (this seems to be becoming a bit of a theme) and the food was engaging, beautifully presented and delicious. You really have to see the photos on the website to get an idea.
We opted for the three course, but I'd be interested to go back and try the five course vegetarian menu they offer at lunchtime. I started with a sweetbreads and truffle dish and then had cod in a kalamansi (citrus) sauce. The fish had been filleted and then formed back into a tournedos and re-wrapped with the skin. It was beautifully cooked. The desserts were just beautiful too, very elaborate and for us it was the perfect amount of food, not too much.
Another nice thing was that in contrast with many of the London lunch deals at similar restaurants they didn't have supplements for particular dishes and the prix fixe was the only options. At many places in London they offer a very limited and cheaper prix fixe but also provide a full a la carte lunch. At Juni you won't feel like the poorer cousin
.I liked the interior because it was simple with large tables set some distance from each other, a pleasure to find in Manhattan. However, the interior isn't an attraction and this isn't a place to be "seen". It's a discreet restaurant (in a hotel) with an unshowy dining room. This is a place to be wowed by the food not the surroundings. It was very quiet at lunch but I would imagine it wouldn't get too loud even in the evenings and could be a good choice for those who can't bear too much noise. In terms of a San Francisco comparison it reminded me of Masas or Gary Danko.
Highly recommended!
