Bar Vivant was a much needed pause with its intimate, dimly lit room with a relaxed, unhurried…read moreenergy that makes you want to linger for a little while longer. We shared Betsy's Mom's Clam Dip, Mushroom Toast, Bitter Greens Salad, Minted Lamb Meatballs, and duck pâté. The meal opened with the clam dip; cool, lush, and briny, with a creamy oceanic richness that coated the palate; followed by a tangy, salty depth that clung to each crunchy bite of bread. The Mushroom Toast followed with deeper savoriness: earthy, almost forest-floor mushrooms, warm and tender, turning silky as they soaked into the bread, while the edges stayed crisp and toasted, adding contrast to the woodsy umami and subtle garlic warmth. The Bitter Greens Salad provided a bright, palate-cleansing break that included crisp and peppery greens with a sharp lemony dressing that snapped on the tongue, layered with faint fennel sweetness and the nutty, salty bite of shaved parmesan. The Minted Lamb Meatballs arrived richer and more comforting, tender and juicy with a gentle gamey depth, lifted by fresh mint that cut through the richness, and a cool, tangy tomato-yogurt sauce that added creaminess and brightness in equal measure. We finished with pâté--silky, dense, and deeply savory, with a faint iron-rich intensity and buttery smoothness, especially when spread on bread with sharp, briny pickles that added crunch and acidity. Each dish felt intentional and well-balanced for sharing, with varied textures and temperatures that built naturally across the table. I'd happily return to explore more of the menu.

Amazing place, and great service despite the full restaurant! The food was so good, everything was…read morecooked to perfection & the flavors worked together really well. Really looking forward to a return trip here. Had the steak frites, bitter salad & charcuterie board, all phenomenal.

I've passed by the other madame bonte coffee shops almost daily and did not see expect this…read morelocation to have a completely different area downstairs. It was way bigger than I expected. We made it just in time for some happy hour, bring on the muled wine. Then continued the night with a wine flight and some Lambrusco for me. Before coming here I forgot how good a Lambrusco is and this really reminded me by having it as an option in the flight then by the glass. For food I had the whipped ricotta and the arugula salad, I mainly was craving the whipped ricotta but that ended up having a lighter flavor and the salad was my preferred dish. The servers were great though, we stayed almost to closing after a friends jacket on the coat rack was taken by a different patron and we waited until they could come back and swap. Thank you to the servers for helping track down the other customer and getting that situation taken care of.

Really cute space on the lower level. Prices were standard for the neighborhood. Drinks were good…read moreand service was attentive. The food was lackluster though... we ordered 5 things but none of them were special, except maybe the flatbread (mushroom ricotta). I'd go back but consider it a drinks spot, not an impressive kitchen.

Vanguard on the UES is a gem. It's what you want from a wine bar, moody and cozy. Soft…read moreconversations can be heard around you. Vanguard does well with providing an element of class and elegance, feelings you expect at an establishment such as this. The food menu isn't something to write home about but it is enough for what you need from a wine bar, in my opinion. The service was great. I'm not knowledgeable about wine so I had my fair share of questions, but they were all answered gracefully. Overall, a great experience.

Great selection of wines from a few different regions. Service was fine, and it's the perfect spot…read morefor a rainy Sunday or a solo night out. I enjoyed two glasses of Chardonnay and had a nice, relaxing time.

It's one of my neighborhood favorites. Food is great. Love…read moretheir pierogies. The owners and amazing. So friendly. Also have great wine. Nice place to watch a game or match.

We had an amazing meal and wine experience here. They were doing their Alaska/Alaska food inspired…read moretasting dinner, paired with wines from cooler regions. The pairing was really great! It started with Keuka's spin on a Hugo spritz. All of the food was amazing and the wines were wines we never would have ordered on their own. Unfortunately, the food on the tasting menu is not part of their standard menu so we'll have to keep in our memories forever. The owner and the waiter/server were both very friendly. The owner is super into NY wines and has a passion for wine - and is happily willing to share her enthusiasm with anyone that asks. Will come back for sure!

I was meeting a friend here for light lunch & desserts. Having walked by her numerous times, we…read moredecided to give them a try. Upon arrival, we were greeted at the counter to sit at any table inside or out and a server will help us. The inside is quaint with ample tables and chairs, with display of a commercial professional espresso machine and display of some of their pastries. Decided on outside, we found a table with two chairs and waited for service. Very quickly a young woman greeted us and while we looked at the menu, brought us water with lemon at our request. We end up ordering first two sandwiches, one with prosciutto and the other caprese. We waited to order our coffee drinks and parties afterwards. The sandwiches came quickly and to our surprise the sandwich was warmed which my preference and both were served on ciabatta-like buns that's had textures of foccacia. We loved both sandwiches. We then ordered the Italian donuts with Nutella and the cookies horn with light lemon crème as well as a cortado and latte. Pastries were also warmed and overall satisfied with our choices. I would come back here as I'm in the neighborhood often. Great place to meet a friend with reasonable prices and quality food.

Great service. Panini with prosciutto was perfect. Nice decor as well...helps you relax!'read more

Wanted to write this review based on the wheelchair accessibility and laptop areas…read more There are coffee shops in the neighborhood with laptop rules that say you have to sit at the high tables. Obviously as a wheelchair user, I cannot sit at the high tables, and when I have asked the staff for understanding, other places have denied me. Ines let me use my laptop at a wheelchair accessible table without any fuss. Mark was very gracious. When I asked, he said, "we will make an exception." I felt heard without advocating for common sense and I greatly appreciate the humility. Thank you!

The place is cute and small. They have good happy hour prices on wine. The food we tried wasn't…read moreso great. My friend had been here before and raved about the escargot and meatballs. The escargot was covered with pesto that tasted like the basil wasn't fresh. Also, I'm sure there was plenty of garlic because the restaurant smelled like it, but I would have liked more garlic in this dish. The meatballs were mostly bread (there may have been some meat). After we complained, the item was removed from our bill by our friendly, polite, and conscientious server. Note: This is a French restaurant, but they didn't have any butter for the bread.

Great spot on the UES--great food (spaghetti bolognese is delicious!), good service, easy…read moreneighborhood restaurant.

Kudos to the host because he was also the waiter and busser…read more Super cute restaurant but so few options and all out of panini when we went which was sad but the outdoor space is great and indoor is quite ambient as well

9/16/2026 came here w/ my mother for a treat…read more Lovely staff and we took the bar seating. The inside was beautiful; kinda curious how they clean all the flowers, but since it's so dark, it's hard to tell how clean it is inside. We love the wall of glass bottles; it makes the experience unique. We ordered the albondigas de la abuela (meatballs over mashed potatoes w/ tomato sauce) $21.5. This dish was excellent; love the meatballs w the tomato sauce. Can't go wrong here. calamares pequenos ($26.5). This dish was decent, except it was on the more sour side. And two drinks Overall, the experience was welcoming, friendly, and good.

Really solid spot for tapas on the UES. It has dark, cool, tucked away vibes on 78th street, but is…read moreactually a sizable restaurant with outdoor seating options and a smaller space attached to their main restaurant for more tables. I've been here a few times and tried a smattering of their menu. The meatballs with polenta and salads stand out. Some other dishes (patatas bravas, cauliflower) are just fine-to-good but do the job. You can review the menu on an iPad and tbh I like the way you can "bookmark" items on it. That helps when you're trying to refine your final list of tapas from a pretty sizable menu. Good for a date or friend catch up.

Just loved my first time here! such a beautiful, dimly lit restaurant. Gave such a soft romantic…read moreatmosphere. Our waitress was a delight, we started off a arugula salad with pear, walnuts & gorgonzola cheese. So delicious!! Next was the gnocchi with truffle on top and let me just say this is the best i've had in nyc and i've tried a lot of gnocchi! It was cooked perfectly, the sauce was light and the truffle was the perfect touch to every bite. To end our amazing dinner we had the apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, this was heaven. I think for a moment we stopped talking because we were just enjoying every bite. Definitely can't wait to come back soon !!

Nothing but positive vibes grata dedication by the owners and the staff to make sure your dining…read moreexperience is tip top. I have been going to this place for years I live on the block and this has been always in my top 3 restaurants to eat at in this upper 70's area and the UES pocket of manhattan. We have had a bunch of changes to the neighborhood but not that many and UVA has shined like a bright star through years of new construction buildings etc so happy they are still here thank you Tommy Madden

Stella & Fly is a charming little cozy place to enjoy excellent cocktails.. My favorite is their…read moreespresso martini which in my opinion is the best in NYC. Very nice crowd of upper east sidders to socialize with. The staff is amazing.. attentive and very professional. They have trivia night and comedy night as well.. They even have a downstairs lounge. They are very thoughtful and played a happy birthday song for me. Thank you Kassandra for having Stella & Fly

If you're looking for a cute workspace with good vibes, this is your spot. The staff are always…read moresuper friendly and amenable. They do have quite a few espresso Options but it's a pretty straight forward coffee shop. This is really a place for you if want coffee and somewhere to get some work done