DavidRosensweig

i’m skeptical of any restaurant at 44th and 5th but i went with an open mind and good expectations. great decor and nice staff but the turbot fell flat, collard greens were overcooked and tough and potatoes chewy. surprisingly the chef was head chef for the athens olympics…his daughter had a party that night and the band turned up the volume in the back making it impossible to talk. go for olives, wine and bread at the bar but skip the rest.

yes, the guacamole is as the avocado meant for it to be. as are the pomegranate margaritas. mole chicken empanadas were decent but as with most of the food here, this is where you go when you’re looking for a solid restaurant, modern space, white linens, that serves mexican food better than the nyc average—not the authentic tastes of southern california

if only i could choose no stars. vile. failed a simple bento box. salmon terriyaki tasted fishy and oily, crab shumai smelly and unpleasant, california rolls were stale and had a mystery funk taste. grilled shitake mushrooms came with chinese deep fried noodles (like you get with hot & sour soup take out) with shaved pecorino cheese on it. weird. it did not work at all. to top it off, a server wasn’t paying attention and cleared someone’s water into my briefcase. stay away.

Worth coming back to on the whole, though highly variable. The core tapas were fresh and well executed across the board with distinct, bold flavors. Cocktails and dessert were creative but not the strong suit — both resembled long island iced tea in their liberal mixing of alcohols — the grappa-chocolate fondue that tasted more of anise than chocolate. Great atmosphere.