We Spent $350 for a Dinner for 4 at Koi. We Were Ripped Off...Upsetting Because Midtown Has a Plethora of Great Restaurants. Koi markets itself as "upscale Japanese cuisine" offering "unique and mouth-watering interpretations of Japanese cuisine." What it actually serves is a Westernized, California-inflected approximation of Japanese aesthetics, the kind of menu that sprinkles "yuzu," "miso," and "shiso" across its pages like set dressing. A diner from Tokyo would not recognize this food as Japanese by any meaningful standard. Koi is a scene restaurant that has been coasting on its 2005 Los Angeles celebrity-hotspot origins ever since. The food is incidental. The atmosphere is the product. We are a family of four who ordered zero alcohol. The bill was $300 before tip, $350 after. Here is exactly what we got, priced to the dollar: Edamame ($8): over-salted, which is a remarkable failure for one of the simplest preparations in any kitchen. Kobe-Style Potstickers ($29): four tiny, over-fried dumplings with barely any filling inside -- over $7 each for something a neighborhood dim sum cart would be embarrassed to serve. Roasted Duck Breast ($38): overcooked, dry, and stringy, glazed with something that tasted indistinguishable from grocery store orange marmalade. This is not refined Japanese cuisine. It is a dish assembled with no understanding of what makes duck worth ordering. Organic Chicken Breast ($39): bone dry, entirely flavorless, accompanied by a soba noodle stir-fry that contributed nothing. Nearly $40 for chicken with zero technique applied to it is not a culinary interpretation. It is an insult. Pan Seared Salmon ($43): carelessly plated with vegetables and spinach crushed together beneath the fish, topped with a sauce so aggressively tangy it overwhelmed everything on the plate. Lobster Tail ($58): nearly sixty dollars for lobster dried out completely by a yuzu panko crust that had no culinary justification for being on the dish. In Japan, lobster is treated with restraint and precision. At Koi, it is buried under breadcrumbs. Two Hibiscus Virgin Mojitos ($13 each): fine, but easily replicable at home for under $5 each. Two bottles of still mineral water at $12 each -- $24 for water you can buy at any deli on the block for under $3. Charging $12 a bottle for still water at a restaurant where nothing on the plate justifies its price is not hospitality. It is extraction. Our actual server was one of the evening's few bright spots. She was attentive, professional, and personable. The problem was her support staff, who treated our table like a maintenance project. They swooped in every three minutes to refill water glasses we had barely touched and, most egregiously, physically reached across our plates while we were actively eating to clear items that were not ready to be cleared. That is not attentive service. It is intrusive, poorly trained, and completely at odds with the prices being charged. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Then there is the noise. It was so loud inside that we could not hold a conversation at the table for the entire meal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We also noticed that most surrounding tables were drinking cocktails and grazing on appetizers without progressing to entrees. That tells you everything. The restaurant has found its audience, and that audience is not there for the food. Midtown Manhattan is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world, many of them within walking distance of Bryant Park. Koi is not among them. At $350 all-in for four people with zero alcohol, this is one of the worst value propositions in a neighborhood overflowing with genuinely exceptional alternatives. Avoid it entirely. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Really cool interior that delivers on a decent lunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] From most to least favorite: + Baked crab hand roll: this is packed with crab! Probably the most crab I've ever had inside a handroll like this. + Salmon carpaccio: So much truffle oil in this and the salmon is pretty good melt in your mouth quality. + Northern Lights roll: Similar to the salmon carpaccio. This one has some truffle oil to it too. + Yellowtail roll: well flavored and met expectations. + Edamame dumplings: The taste is a bit of hit or miss for people... interesting edamame filling but with the texture or grassiness of this, I can see how some people can get thrown off. Good sauce but personally a pass for our group. read more

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Koi is secretly one of the most vegan-friendly spots in midtown. They have a separate vegan menu with sushi as well as hot dishes. We loved the garden cut roll and the grilled tofu and vegetable entree. The avocado hand roll was in an unusual format but was tasty. Overall, the food felt a little bit expensive, but everything was great and fresh with good attention to detail. We also appreciated how seriously they took allergies - they said everything vegan was made in a separate space so there would be no cross-contamination with shellfish etc. read more

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Had a reservation for restaurant week and they have a pretty wide range of options to choose from compared to some other restaurant week options elsewhere. The service is immaculate, the servers and staff are very helpful with choosing menu options. The food itself is very average, still good but nothing really stands out. The prices for restaurants in this area are pretty high as well, so something to keep in mind. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Otherwise, the interior is really nice inside and is a great place for friends or for dates.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It's read more

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Room wasn't quite ready at The Bryant Park Hotel (we got here a bit early). Asked front desk folks for a place to get a light lunch and one recommendation was Koi.......you don't have to say sushi twice to me!! Was seated promptly, great ambiance and seating but very noisy. There was a fairly large group that was especially loud and we weren't even near them. Service was excellent, attentive and knowledgeable about an eclectic menu. I went with the Omakase lunch special and was not disappointed. Really good sushi with a twist on the finish of each piece of nigiri. A bit pricey for the portion size, but definitely grade A sushi.......after all it is NYC prices! read more

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Located off of 40th inside of BP Hotel , across from Bryant Park. Upscale sushi with exotic and delicious cocktails, wines and sake. Celebrated a friends birthday here as our 1st night in NY & food was incredible. read more

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Came here for a work dinner with a group of folks from out of town and we tried a variety of things on the menu. Overall, my favorites were the salmon sashimi, and the veggie tempura, but all of the dishes were very fresh and well . The service was a little bit lackluster, we had to clarify an allergy multiple times and the waiter wasn't fantastic on checking on us regularly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor of the restaurant felt a tiny bit outdated, with candle holders, devoid of candles, and dust settling on fake plants.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would come back just for the salmon sashimi though, which was some of the best I've had in the city! read more

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I'm getting familiar with a lot of the restaurants near my office in bryant park. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The one thing they have in common is the high price tag and beautiful interiors.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Koi is no exception. Work dinner here with large group. Mostly ordered from sushi menu. Attentive service - check High priced sushi - check Expensive everything - check Its nyc, i expect expensive. However, when most of the sushi is covered in the same sauce, thats a sign that they are not using high quality fish. And the good sushi spots at least mention when they are using good fish, no signs of that here. I would say that was my major disappointment. If I'm going to pay top dollar for sushi, at least make an attempt at giving me something fresh. With all the high quality sushi in town, this was a disappointment. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The service was fantastic and the place had an amazing vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food was also well worth the wait. Prices are on the super high side though, but what do you expect for NYC. We had the roasted Chilean Seabass, northern lights roll, potstickers, Hamachi fusion and Dragon roll. read more

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Sort of shocked to see the aggregated rating of this place be somewhat low. I thought it was an incredible sushi spot. The staff were friendly, they offered a great selection of drinks, cocktails and non alcoholic options. The food was delicious. All around fantastic. We went with a fixed menu option that included a starter, main, dessert that satisfied exactly what I was looking for. I'd go back again. read more

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Exceeded my expectations. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Beautiful restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Excellent service. Food is top notch. Had the dragon roll and sweet chili shrimp roll. Dessert was also delicious. Extremely pricey but worth it if you want to treat yourself. Perfect restaurant for celebrations. read more

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Koi was good as expected. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A beautiful restaurant in midtown, great place to take clients to for a work lunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great service and tasty dishes. Love the sushi rolls, we all shared. But not impressed by my main dish, was pretty bland. read more

Koi Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I was here recently for an event. It's a large space and we had a portion of the back row sectioned off. Prior we had a small presentation in a conference space upstairs with a bar before heading downstairs to the restaurant. Staff is attentive and we had an assortment of apps and sushi placed on tables and either passed or replished. What I had Koi Crispy Rice topped with Spicy Tuna (just ok) Tuna Roll Salmon roll crab roll Kobe Style Potstickers Salmon and beef skewers Lychee Martini read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Still a cool room, still pretty good food, but a little bit of a fallen angel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Last time here this was a buzzy, hip and fabulous restaurant. Now it's kind of sleepy, and while the food was fine, it didn't come with the same flair that I remember[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Frankly, maybe not a bad thing -- you can get in and get a table...but I think there are other equally good sushi joints in the city that don't come with the price tag that this once tragically hip (but still priced as tragically hip) spot charges.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was fabulous, and, as I said, the food was fine...but reiterating, pretty aggressive on the pricing for what it is now. Try the crispy sticky rice with spicy tuna -- house specialty and totally delicious. read more

Koi is in the Bryant Hotel, so you have to enter through the lobby. The setting is dark and minimalist. We had an early reservation, 5:15, having booked late. The service was professional and prompt. We ordered off of the Dinner Menu. There's also a Sushi and Vegan Menu. Neither of us has drinks. I ordered the Koi Crispy Rice, half topped with Spicy Tuna and the other half with Yellowtail Tartare. While this dish can be sort of cloying, but it was very balanced and extraordinarily good. And I had one of the best cod entrees I have ever eaten, a Miso Bronzed Black Cod. I know there are many versions available in many restaurants, but there's was utterly delicious. My partner's meal was equally good having the same appetizer and Seasoned Salmon. We both had sorbet or ice cream, house made, that was first rate. What I didn't like? While it was quiet at 5:15, right after they opened. By the time we left, at about 6:30, it was really noisy. We still could hear each other, but with more difficulty. Second thing is it is expensive. The cod dish is wonderful but $46. Yes, I know. Manhattan prices and I can't complain about the food. But you are now warned. Still worth going. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Service, vibe and sushimi was impeccable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will be going back next time we are in NY. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Highly pleased across the board from greeting, seating, service and quality of food![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Make sure you make a reservation. We had a great dinner! read more

Amazing experience. Absolutely love this place. We go here every time we are in New York and is a staple for us. They have incredible food and great service. Check out some photos of the food below. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The lighting is great and love the decor too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend going to Koi. Order the tartar but as a hand roll! Also the aka roll is awesome. read more

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Very fresh and delicious food. Service was amazing and has been consistently well each time I've been here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice sexy ambiance[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I'm a vegetarian. I was looking for a pre-theater dinner spot for me and a non-vegetarian friend. This place was perfect. We both loved our food. She had fish, and I had the two vegan rolls. The cocktails were also delicious. And the service was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

Excellent sushi restaurant close to Bryant Park, tons of delicious sushi choices. A highlight is the crispy tuna roll. [[HIGHLIGHT]]At Koi, sushi lovers will appreciate the friendly and attentive service, as well as the great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Koi is the go to spot for our team dinner during fashion week. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The food, service and ambiance is always top notch![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I can't wait until my next visit!! read more

Stopped by for a birthday lunch with a friend on a weekday and it was so busy! Despite the crowds, our service was attentive and prompt, and the food was better than expected. Stuck to sushi and seafood items and enjoyed every bite. It's a nice setting for an outing with co-workers or special occasion; and great it's conveniently located by Bryant Park, the library, 5th Ave shops; and for me, by the office. read more

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This restaurant is conveniently located next to Bryant Park. It is located inside a hotel so you'll have to walk in through the hotel doors and then turn right and walk through the restaurant's the doors. The interior is extremely beautiful and servers were very nice and professional. We got these buns to share, which were delicious! I would highly recommend it. I also got the Sunfire Cut Roll, which had lobster, snow crab, and mango. I decided to try it because I wanted to try something I wouldn't normally be able to find on a sushi menu at other more casual sushi restaurants. I enjoyed it. read more

Koi Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Very overpriced, the sushi was not very good or fresh. The service wasn't great, just overall felt like it was a rip off.

I don't think I've been here since my last review several years ago, but since today a colleague from Texas was here visiting NYC & wanted to meet for dinner, this place popped into my head since we all like sushi, it is near the office and I'd had such a good time last time I was here. So I reserved for the 4 of us after work, and the place was quite packed for a Wed night. Still a lovely ambiance (and a large space), still as loud as I remembered. We had a nice booth though so we could still hear each other pretty well. I started off with a mocktail (Strawberry Fields, which could have used something to offset the sweetness) and the others got some mocktails & cocktails that looked refreshing. It also happened to be Restaurant Week so we took advantage of that menu. We were all happy to see the crispy rice as an option on the RW menu & all chose that--happy to say it's still tasty. 2 of my colleagues picked the sushi rolls as entrees, which they enjoyed, another got the miso cod which she said was overcooked (it definitely did not look as appetizing as other places I've had it, seemed dry). I chose the filet mignon as my entree (at the waiter's recommendation) and it was good/tender (though I'm not a huge fan of the kind of sauce it was immersed in) and came with mashed potatoes. Definitely very filling. For dessert, 2 of us got the chocolate lava cake and 2 the cheesecake. They both were presented quite beautifully, though the chocolate lava cake I felt was a bit too rich for my taste. We were all very full so we took most of the dessert home. The waiter was friendly throughout & gave recommendations when asked. Bathrooms are down a rather long flight of stairs (not great for me with my knee injuries); the women's bathroom had several stalls but unfortunately a few of them were not very clean. Btw the entrance to the restaurant was through the Bryant Park Hotel. Overall we had a very nice time and they didn't rush us. I enjoyed the food more the first time around, maybe because we had tried a larger variety of things & shared. But the food was still solid, and it was more economical this time around with the RW menu, which had a good amount of choice of popular items & was a good value. Enjoyable place to go if you're in the Bryant Park area (or if you want to avoid some of the tourist traps in nearby Times Square)! read more

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Very polite service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice space.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But food is too expensive for what you get, even though some of the dishes are tasty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The clubby music backdrop is distracting and unnecessary -- no one is dancing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Also, just to nitpick: too many menus (non-vegan, vegan, dessert, beverages, daily specials, and, I think, something else). Main menu is hard to read (low contrast) and feels too flimsy for a place that is trying to be fancy. read more

Stopped in here for a spontaneous dinner on a Thursday night. It wasn't busy and we got seated right away in the top sushi area where we had a nice over view of the restaurant. We ordered: Black miso cod - expected the skin to be crispy but it wasn't, however flavor was great Scallops - we expected them to be seared/crispy on top more but they were more on the raw side Asparagus / mushrooms - good if you just want some veggies Shrimp tempura handroll - the BEST of all, we ordered another one Overall, lively ambiance for post work dinner. read more

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This mocktail was delicious! Had to get a refill The chocolate dessert was everything! Wish I didn't have to split it The waiters were very attentive and kind! read more

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While visiting NYC, we stopped here after going to the US Open. It was close to my in-laws hotel so it was perfect. When we entered, it was a little jarring to go into a NYC restaurant that was empty. We were the only table of people there and it was during your typical dinner time, around 7pm. It took a bit for a waiter to come to our table, which we found odd since we were the only table there. Once the waiter came, we put in cocktails and several dishes for the table to split. One of my favorite things we ordered was the seaweed salad. We also split a handful of the shareable plates, a couple of entrees and for dessert, the mochi ice cream. Of the shareables, i think the sushi tacos were the table favorites. Overall we had a nice experience and despite the quietness of the restaurant, we were pleased with our food overall. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere, great food, great drinks.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend the calamari salad and sushi tacos, they were so good!! Both had us ready to lick the plate afterwards. read more

9/10 of the vegan menu items were a cop out. I was excited to book the reservation seeing there was such an inclusive menu since vegan restaurants are so limited but once I sat down to look at it, I had never been so disappointed. Cucumber rolls? Fried vegetables? Sorbet? These are all item I can find for under $5 anywhere in the world. I don't need a waiter to suggest an "oddly realistic vegan steak", I want good seasoned food that is creative and a unique experience. I hope there's more thought or at least better pricing for these "options" in the future. read more

I stopped here with my cousins yesterday for dinner. The customer service was super fast getting us seated and taking our order. Drinks and food arrived quickly and it was delicious and fresh. The ambiance of the restaurant is very foreign like with bamboo trees. Our waiter was extremely kind and answered all of our questions and recommended the top sushi rolls. Overall a great spot to try if you are in the mood for some sushi. read more

Koi Restaurant - California Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Recommended by a colleague, Koi did not disappoint. I dined with a group of friends and shared a couple of appetizers and rolls. Our waitress' recommendations were spot on. To start, she recommended the Koi Crispy Rice and the Edamame Dumplings. The Koi Crispy Rice is one of their most popular dishes, prepared with spicy tuna on a crispy rice base. It was outstanding. We also ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak, the Northern Lights roll, the Hamachi Yuzu Rolls, and the sweet chili shrimp roll. The Hamachi Yuzu was a standout roll, the tuna just melts in your mouth. The service was outstanding, our waitress was highly attentive but not overbearing. The waitstaff kept the table clean and bussed. The ambiance was warm an enjoyable too. Definitely high on my list to revisit the next time I'm in Manhattan. read more

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Sushi was good. Had the koi crispy rice plate which was my fave, the salmon carpaccio, and the shrimp tempura. In addition, the rolls we had were delicious. Service was on point! read more

Had takeout, pretty solid dragon roll, covered with crunchy and shredded tempora flakes. The miso cod was good, you didn't need the extra sauce as it was plenty salty, though had a few bones in mine so be careful when eating. read more

Koi Restaurant - Miso cod - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Wow. The fish was fresh and amazing. I was solo and sat at the bar. They had a special for a mini omakase style as a special for $60. I had to do it! My waiter was amazing. Very attentive and informative. This place seemed to be quite busy when I left, lots of high end business types but I felt comfortable (average middle aged mom) read more

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Leslie was the most incredible waiter. So communicative and gave the best service. The food was delicious and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance was really cool.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Koi Restaurant - Dragon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Interior finishes were unique and well done.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We sat in a booth that was quiet enough and super comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was attentive but not overbearing. Cocktails were perfect; wife had a cucumber mojito - she rated top since we lived in miami. I had the Samari signature and liked it enough to have two. Good blend of smoky whiskey, bitter and sweet citrus Crispy rice with spicy tuna for starter, was great blend of sweet with right amount of heat. Wife had skirt steak med rare, she said most tender steak in months and side of mushroom fried rice - I got to taste, amazing I had miso cod, perfectly cooked fish Wife had the bread pudding with a capacino, the coffee was great, bread pudding was good but not New Orleans. I had the orange/coconut; the cake & mouse were so light, and the coconut ice cream was rich and smooth with great toasted coconut flavor; it was like an upscale spin on the dreamcicle (orange+vanilla) read more

The food was amazing, the service was top notch. We were taken care of by Yuri and she was honestly so amazing. read more

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Phenomenal food and service. I recommend the salmon carpaccio, truffle avocado and spicy tuna crispy rice, and the lamp chops. The bathrooms in this restaurant are located down a large flight of stairs. read more

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