The restaurant is in a great location: Near Central park zoo. There's plenty of outdoor dining. Service is attentive. We got the lobster ravioli and curry shrimp with couscous and they were both delicious. The mezcal Negroni cocktail was very good as well. read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Lobster ravioli - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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I thought Amaranth had a great vibe. The food was great. The menu wasn't huge, but had a selection of just about everything. I had one of the seafood specials, which I thought was excellent. The service was pretty good. I would say it's more European style service than American. If you want something, flag down your server. I would suggest a little wind break/ curtain at the door for the winter season. It's pretty chilly at the tables next to the door. Fun place to go for dinner and meet up with friends. read more

Food excellent service excellent and ambiance excellent. We had a wonderful evening . Decor was beautiful.

My reservation was at one . I arrive at 1:09 I have been coming to that restaurant for more than 25 years even when the place was not busy and kind of lonely.The manager yesterday told me you are late. Usually it is 15 mn courtesy. I said my husband is looking for parking he said wait outside till he comes, We know this man but he was rude i felt. The place was full and i could see that there was no table for us despite the reservation. He sat other people before me. When my husband came he said well i do not know when you will be seated so we cancelled the reservation and left. It was very strange because we have been going there for a long time. Everybody has always been very nice but this man who knows us too was plain rude and disinterested in seating us despite the reservation. We ended up at Avra where we did not have a reservation. They were very nice and it was lovely. So we will go back to Avra. read more

Had lunch here during the week and was super easy to get a last minute reservation. The outdoor area is super cute and the staff was very attentive. The complimentary bread is so delicious and was nice and warm. We split the focaccia and it was absolutely incredible! It literally melts in your mouth and is definitively a must get. I got the pappardelle and it was cooked to perfection. The portion size is perfect and would definitely get again! read more

The food sucks. Old and very basic in every way. You can't imagine this place is alive in such an affluent neighborhood

The most delicious salmon and wild mushrooms I've ever had. Obsessed! Very kind and attentive waitstaff, too.

Expensive, but worth it. The best salmon I've ever had. So juicy, fresh, very good. Good, quick service. read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Pan Seared Nantucket Sea Scallops - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Service was wonderful and we both had the carrot ginger soup and branzino! They both were delish fresh and flavorful!

We wanted to love this place and there are things about it that are great, mainly lovely outdoor seating. The good parts stop there. We ordered the lobster ravioli, and for $40 it came with five raviolis and Zero lobster flavor (we both tried it, and we were convinced there was no lobster in it, except some hard shell which was gross). I tried two of the raviolis, my friend ate one, but no one ever came to check on our table for us to ask how it was. We assumed we were just given typical ravioli and they forgot the lobster. When they finally came to check on us at the end of the meal, we asked if they forgot the lobster or maybe gave us the wrong meal. The manager stepped in and told us nobody had ever complained and if we hadn't eaten so much of it he would give us something else. Then he just lingered at the table after being condescending. It was...odd. We didn't ask for anything for free or even a refund. We just thought we got the wrong meal, but he was so condescending and dismissive that it ruined the experience. They did give us a dessert for free which was kind. If he had just said oh "my goodness I am so sorry. I'm gonna try it." we would've been satisfied, but instead, he spoke down to us. In short, rude management. Food was not food for the price. Lobster ravioli shouldn't be crunchy with no lobster flavor. Won't be back. read more

This place was recommended by a New Yorker friend. Place looks nice and staff are very helpful. As for Food I wasn't very impressed. We tried the Thin Focaccia with Robiola Cheese ( interesting), Veal Scaloppini Alla Provencal ( very salty) and Angel Hair pasta ( very bland). Drinks were good, my martini was excellent. read more

Holiday time in NYC and stopping in here again for the fantastic thin focaccia filled with ripe tomato,arugula, Robiola Cheese then drizzled with white truffle oil. The sidewalk heated red tent was filled with lights and red decorations which struck an ideal festive mood. Excellent friendly service ,as always , makes for a great experience! read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Focaccia my favorite starter to the meal! - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Nice place, sitting outside- they have 30 tables on the street The tuna was freshly made The Branzino was very good A little pricey but nice place to hang out read more

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The Focaccia was no longer like the photo on their website or the Focaccia they used to serve before! It was pita bread Very Disappointed

I am always glad when I have picked a restaurant for convenience and it turns out to be commendable for the cuisine. That was the case with Amaranth. My niece and her husband were visiting, and for him it was a first ever trip to New York City. I wanted to show them the Grolier Club, where I belong (it has a free public museum, dedicated as the entire institution is, to bibliophilia), and since she is an artist by avocation the Society of Illustrators museum. This place was halfway in between. So it was proximate. But it also was good. When we walked in, only one table was occupied. Within moments, however, multiple parties arrived, including a large tour group. We ordered quickly. The service was fast enough, there was no issue -- that table of nine or so even finished before we did. We split their special focaccia. I'd recommend it, with a browned bread, thin and crisp; a moderate quantity of mildly savory cheese; and vegetables. My wife and the niece had the crab salad, and the meat was plentiful. The niece's husband had the tuna nicoise. I had moule frites. Everyone was satisfied. Se finished. The prices were low for the ambiance and the Manhattan location. I would recommend Amaranth. I'll try it again for dinner. read more

If I had one word to describe my dinner, it would be an enthusiastic "Meh!" Food was totally mediocre and fine. 5 star nursing home food, if you will. To echo the sentiments of many other reviewers, it is so overpriced it's borderline criminal. The bread was that five cent bread that restaurants sometimes give you in takeout orders. Soup tasted like a good, hearty Annie's canned tomato soup. The avocado salad was fine! I was expecting the most lavish, delicious, ginormous avocado salad, as it was $27. But nah. The focaccia flat bread was pretty good! Again, was it worth $33?!? Not in a million years. The $30+ penne bolognese was your average store bought pasta. It was a huge bummer to find out that none of their $30+ pastas were homemade (except for maybe the ravioli, but I could be wrong about that). Our service was great, and the servers were wonderful. read more

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Overpriced and mediocre service. Got annoyed when I walked in and the place was half empty and the hostess asked if I wanted to sit next to the exit door.. WTF They also rush you along your meal ... I expected a lot more from this place. The place is just an average restaurant with overpriced menu. read more

Nice spot, great location, good service, nice food. Nothing really stood out. Tables spaced out, everyone wearing masks. Seems accommodating to large groups and families. There was a musician that came around who was a bit off key. read more

Not sure why this place doesn't have a better rating. We had dinner on a Sunday night with my boyfriend and everything was great. Nice setting, good service (maybe we were lucky the place was not full?) and food was perfect. Quintessential UES spot - from the clientele to the views from the al fresco tables. Traditional Italian dishes, plus a lot of fish plates (my favorites!). My only complaint is that the bottle of wine we got was 2.8x retail price (FYI, I see an average of 2x in NY restaurants). Still, not an outrageous amount for one bottle ($68). We had (2 people): - Tre Colori Salad ($15): we just wanted some greens and they made it happen (off-menu). Though I would have expected the charge to be less than $15 for a few lettuce leaves. - Lobster Risotto ($37): very nice taste, I can't describe it very ell, but there was a mix of flavors that made it delicious. Maybe a little lemon? We cleaned the whole plate with the bread (the beauty of being dating long time and not caring about what others think of me lol) - Poached Salmon ($39): I was between getting this and the lobster salad and the server recommended this one. Great choice! Loved it. Perfect for a summer night. The cold poached salmon came with a dill sauce on the side (I guess it had cream and a bit of mayo, tasty yet felt healthish). Came with a tomatoes cucumber salad. Perfection. - Ricotta Cheesecake (~$11): rustic ricotta cheesecake with pine nuts. Delicious! You may notice the main dishes are quite pricey, but I think all portion sizes make justice for this. You easily get 1.5-2x more than in other places. You could share an appetizer and main between two people easily (there is a $25 min spend per person, which a main and an app will get you to ~$30 pp). All in all we loved the experience. Will be back to try the veal milanese and some other fish. read more

One of my all time favorites! The same quality for so many years! Love the seared tuna with lentils! Can't wait to enjoy my lunch at this "classic NY location" read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

The food was good but not worth the price. I thought the portions would be bigger for the price but they were pretty small. read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Dessert - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Wife, son and I in from Tampa on a city visit. I grew up here, so know it can be pricey to eat. And it was. Lunchtime saw a full house. The feature cheeseburger was $29 with fries - was cooked right, and fries portion was generous. But definitely pricey. Wife had a shrimp pasta dish, son had a specialty salad. Again, both tasty, but not cheap. Nice menu overall, service was excellent - quick and efficient. Staff was friendly, and all covid requirements were being strictly followed. Tables are tight together, so noisy, and not a lot of ambience. There was outside seating, but too cold for us! Overall, good food, excellent service, definitely expensive. read more

This restaurant is in dire need of a redo. It is so shabby. The food is mediocre and very expensive even by New York City standards. Eight dollars for a Diet Coke! That is robbery by anyone's standards! A minimum of $35 a person at lunch. Perhaps not terrible but considering the quality of the food not worth it. Service is poor. No one comes to the table to see if you are enjoying your meal or if there is anything you need. It seems to be a restaurant for the "bridge and tunnel set. " People who think it's very New York to be seen there. Perhaps it was years ago. It certainly is not now. We would never go back and we live in the neighborhood. read more

The UES seems to have quite a few neighborhood restaurants that are about a storefront wide, have white walls & low ceilings, are very upscale, and have swarming waiters. These places tend to be frequented by the wealthy locals, who for them, this is like a comfy sandwich shop. I came here for dinner and the clientele did not disappoint. On my way in, I saw a somewhat well known billionaire leaving. At the table next to me, were plastic / botoxed out Russian ladies, wearing lots of black and coated in gaudy jewelry. Fantastic. For dinner, I had a myers rum and the baby chicken, which came with mashed potatoes, spinach and a mustard sauce. My dinner was excellent. I cleaned the plate. The chicken was delicious as were the sides. The service was good as well. There are a lot of these high end neighborhood spots in the UES that are notorious for stratospheric prices, mediocre food, and dreadful service. My dinner entree and cocktail came to about $40. Not bad there. The service was fine, too. I was not wowed, but the service was more than adequate. I definitely think Amaranth is worth it if you are in the area. read more

Amaranth is a very cute neighborhood restaurant. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, great for a quiet lunch. The service was wonderful. Our waiter was attentive and food came out quickly. The food was absolutely delicious! I had the avocado and baby artichoke salad to start. I expected slices of artichoke and avocado, but texturally, its more similar to a tuna salad than a garden salad. The avocado and shaved artichoke are mashed together so that the avocado dresses the artichoke. Topped with a drizzle of olive oil, a shaving of Parmesan, and a few grape tomatoes, it was simple and allowed the ingredients to shine. For entree, the pan seared scallops were incredible! The menu describes the sauce as a lemon white wine sauce, so I wasn't expecting it to be in a cream sauce. To be honest, I likely wouldn't have ordered it had I known it would be a cream sauce. That would have been a mistake! This dish was the highlight of my meal. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the mushrooms and leeks provided a great accompaniment. The sauce was light and flavorful, not at all heavy. All in all, I plan on going back to Amaranth for another enjoyable meal! read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

I came here last year in December and it's not a place I would have picked on my own but it's worthy enough for a review! I don't care too much for the scene---lots of older ladies showing off their latest plastic surgery that wears skimpy outfits! (But hey if that's what you like---then GO FOR IT! Those ladies are on the PROWL!) This restaurant is famous for their Focaccia Robiola - it's good but it wasn't that good for them to be famous for! The Tuna Tartare was pretty good but I haven't ever gone to a place that can mess up a tuna tartare...perhaps Beef Tataki but not Tuna! A lot of the Vegetarians raved about their Four Cheese Raviolini with Butter and Sage. I cannot remember what I had for my entree, however I remember their delicious dessert-Mille Feuille Napoleon with Mixed Berries. It's a dessert that leaves an lasting impression in your mind and your stomach! In other words---ME LOVES! This dessert is very light and airy... I wonder if you can say it's HEALTHY for you? Since it's just light, crunchy, and sweet-thin cookies sandwiching between seasonal fresh fruit! I love fruit and I hate really really decadent desserts that are so rich and disgustingly sweet, so this dessert was PERFECT for me! But if you like the heavily sweeten desserts than go with the Warm Flour-less Chocolate Cake. A lot of people raves about this but it's just too rich for me! I would come back again just for the DESSERT, sadly I would have to be reminded of the entree again! read more

One of the best lunch spots in nyc. The avocado salad is my favorite and if you want the most delicious burger order theirs! Love the vibe and the service was excellent! read more

The 3 star rating is highly deceiving. The food was very good and the service was quite good as well. I would be lying if I said that this was my favorite Italian restaurant in NYC, however it is definitely a good establishment. I ordered a tuna tartare to start, and had lobster risotto as my main dish. Both items were very good. The only thing that gets a little annoying is that they blast a birthday song on the speakers every time they bring a birthday cake to a patron celebrating their bday. read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Tuna Tartare - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Yum, this place is delicious. I went before Valentine's Day and it was beautifully decorated with lit up wreaths in the shape of hearts all around the restaurant. Really cute decor. Had the most delicious wine and crisp fresh artichoke salad (highly recommend), and the four cheese ravioli (gluten free options available for all the pastas) was amazziiiing!!! The bread is warm soft with a crispy yummy crust. Highly recommend this place for a cute little Italian dinner with a date or friend! read more

Amaranth Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Absurdly poor. Everything. Loud. Indifferent service bordering on the obnoxious. Water? Wait for 15 minutes. Food was laughably bad. Caprese salad was a store bought tasteless tomato with tasteless cheese and some basil sprigs. $24. Branzino was tasteless. Friends with whom I dined had similar blah cuisine. Outrageously disappointing, especially given how expensive it was. Several restaurants along the UES at Madison Ave. have managed to serve good food, not sure why it is so hard for these guys. Don't bother. read more

Extremely overpriced, entrees bland, the wine list is outdated. I am actually shocked this restaurant is still in business!

It's a nice spot, with outdoor and indoor dining. The service was fine, nothing great. The food was very mediocre. The avocado salad had no flavor, tasted like cabbage and avocado. The sole was just an embarrassing bland oversauced mess, and the spinach was soggy and flavorless. There wasn't a good dish among the four entrees and appetizers. read more

Food was average. The main turn off is the attitude of the people who work there. When we entered the restaurant and asked for a table for 2 the guy stood there without saying anything. His manager comes in and asks us what we wanted. We repeated ourselves, a table for 2. He asks us to look at the menu and decide. We were hungry so we didn't have a look at the menu, we just said yes. When we looked at the menu after getting seated it says "Min Food Order 30 USD per person". Limited menu. The service was below par and they take a 20% tip added in the bill for 2 people. The menu said the 20% will be applicable for a group of 6. Its a very bad experience overall. I really don't recommend this restaurant. read more

Total disappointment with this place which was actually recommended by some friends. When I asked our server how spicy is the Pasta Arrabiata ,he said that is the first time he sees this dish in the menu and he's gonna check with the chef...I mean really ??This is the answer you get on a dinner time in an Italian restaurant (not cheap by the way ).All entrees are 25 and up if remember good. I got the scallops which was a huuuuuge mistake. The scallops were cooked fine but everything that comes with it it was so heavy that I could taste only the 2 pounds of butter. The only thing that I enjoyed the most was the bottle of wine. Oh..almost forgot.The coffee that my friend asked arrived in 20 min and it was just black American. Thanks but I'll skip this place next time. read more

Meh. At $100 a head I expect better service and more consistently excellent food. I had a overly cold eggplant Napoleon that was much too salty, a Barolo red wine risotto that was excellent but arrived more than 20 minutes after everyone else's entree, and a completely featureless $19 "millefeuille" (at most huit feuilles) that was tough and chewy instead of light, very short on cream, devoid of powdered sugar, long on so-so berries, and falling apart. I had to ask for water three or four times before I got a refill. Not coming back. read more

Brunch here is really nice. The restaurant fills up from the window side on back (it's more desirable to sit near the front where you can get some fresh air, as they leave the whole front open), but when I went, there were definitely some folks sitting in the back, which I found to be darker and more claustrophobic. Service was fine, as was the food. My salad Nicoise was fresh, with a decent amount of tuna. However, what really turned me off were the prices. I think the salad was $25. For a tuna Nicoise. I get this is the upper east side, but I did not think it was worth it (for the record, I live in SF, where it's definitely possible to get a $25 salad Nicoise, but not at places like this). All of this being said, if you're in the area and looking for Italian, this might fit the bill. read more

The Upper East Side, Madison Avenue in particular, is chock full of restaurants that cater the the "ladies who lunch" crowd. That is part of what makes NYC NYC, and it should be that way. It has its ups - you get to see women wearing hats, which is a weakness of mine - and its downs - you get to pay $50 for a small sad little salad, and the waiters often make you grovel for allowing them the privilege of wandering by your table on their way to do much more important things. Amaranth, tucked away on 62nd St. just yards from Madison, escapes the worst attributes of those types of restaurants and shines in the category that is most important - food. The food is wonderful. One of the very best dishes I have ever had anywhere in the City is the pan seared sea scallops with mushrooms, braised leeks and lemon white wine sauce. It's comfortable, warm, and inviting; true, the service can be spotty but it's not out of malice or boredom, and in my mind attitude makes all the difference. It's just a little gem that escapes the hullaballoo of Madison Avenue and puts out consistently excellent food. read more

The concierge at our hotel recommended this restaurant and since his first recommendation had turned out so well, we eagerly accepted this rec. He had told us the food was mediterranean. If it was, it was the most americanized med food I have ever had in my life. Mom's risotto was bland. My chicken curry with jasmine rice? The rice was underdone and the chicken was overdone so it was dry, also, I found a hair in the chicken. The service was slow, rude, and when we complained, we were brushed off and just presented with the bill. Want to pay far too much for a crappy meal that you can make better at home and get terrible service? Go here. read more

Amaranth is a wonderful spot for lunch, just off Madison Avenue. They offer outdoor seating and I find myself looking around the room, to take in all the beautiful people, so it's always interesting. I love their Tuna Niçoise salad with a glass of Sauvignon- YUM! After that, I'm ready to resume shopping. read more

Amaranth has a steady clientele surely not put off by its excessive prices which are not justified by the quality of the food itserves. A recent visit, after a year plus long pause due to the pandemic was disappointing. An unexceptional Prosecco at $17 a glass was flat. Mussels overpriced at $35 - with french fries not hand cut and not crisp. Their famous Focaccia Robiola is excellent but overpriced at $33 (used to be $28). The service overall is attentive. In terms of ambience, I'd give it 3 stars. It's cozy and has an authentic European flair which draws celebrities and habitués from the 'hood. But it is definitely overpriced! read more