Frederick Olmsted is a name with a big reputation, and this restaurant honors lives up to the man and his accomplishments. Servers are personable but non-intrusive, bartenders are as much perfectionists as their counterparts in the kitchen, and the food is an explosion of delight. We enjoyed expertly curated cocktails, house-made breads with complementary spreads, brilliantly executed meat lovers and vegetarian dishes, and seasonal desserts we were keen to share for extra depth, our experience was memorable. A city with so many options is great for foodies and tough on restaurants, but Olmsted earns its repeat customers. read more

Eh. After having Olmsted on my NYC dinner list for months, I finally had the chance to go for a weeknight dinner with a friend. Admittedly I came in with high expectations given reviews from others, but while the food was unique and tasty, the experience didn't merit the hype that this place has garnered over the years. We walked in through a confusing curtain to claim our reservation and were seated at the bar immediately, giving us a perfect view of all of the action in the kitchen. We ordered drinks and split a bunch of dishes and ate them all as they came out, with the total for 2 drinks, 3 starters, 2 mains and 1 dessert coming out to around $80pp, which is a bit steep. Food: (4/5) Squash rings - Spiced to perfection but the squash flavor didn't come through, and ended up a little too oily for my taste (4/5) Carrot crepe - highly recommended but not super memorable to me, was a bit too liquidy for my taste and wasn't really much of a "crepe" at all. The carrot flavor was still very present though. (5/5) Beet salad - super unique texture and the presentation was lovely! Looks like an explosion in a bowl. Enjoyed the crunchiness of the sweet beets combined with the saltiness of the cheese (3/5) Tagliatelle - definitely the most puzzling dish of the night; upon first bite I thought it tasted more like cabbage than pasta, and the butter was overwhelming to the point of dripping all over my plate (3.5/5) Pork belly - Well cooked but portioned a bit too small and nothing special, tasted like most other pork belly I've had. (5/5) Dessert donuts - Delicious end to the meal with ice cream that complemented the hot donuts very well. Drinks: Lavender (3/5) - Not too different from a regular Manhattan. Rosemary (5/5) - A must-get cocktail! Loved the flavors of mezcal and the black salt that was set around the rim. A great addition to the meal. Overall I'd still recommend checking it out, but there are definitely better restaurants for the price. read more

See all

Quite good, but not quite great. There's a lot of hype around this place, and it just falls short of living up to it. We went for brunch and got the egg rolls, breakfast burger, and tomato schnitzel thing. The breakfast burger was pretty good, but not that memorable. The egg rolls were a novelty, but didnt have a whole lot going on taste-wise. They'd be forgettable as well if they didn't burn the roof of my mouth, hot pocket style. The tomato schnitzel thing (cant remember the actual name) was awesome, but it unfortunately looks to no longer be on the current menu. The ambiance of the place is great, and overall the food was pretty good, but not that memorable. But then again, maybe I just have memory issues. Never ride a razor scooter without a helmet. 3.89/5 read more

Olmsted - Breakfast egg rolls. Let them cool, or else RIP your mouth - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Such an incredible experience, everything was wonderful. Each dish was so unique and delicious, especially the scallop crudo, and sitting at the chefs counter you get a behind the scenes view that's to die for. The staff (especially our server Kayleigh!) was all lovely, the meal beautiful, and we hope to be back soon! read more

Overall a really lovely meal and atmosphere. We loved the fried veggie and einkorn bread The duck pastrami was also really good, but I forgot to get a picture. The spatzle also good. The tomato schnitzel was okay, I wish it was crunchier but I think the wet tomato was working against the crunchy. Cocktails were also great. The fro-yo dessert is really original but it is A LOT of honey, you have to like honey. read more

See all

Sooo much hype surrounding this place. I made a Saturday brunch reservation several weeks out, and was able to secure a 2PM seating (the only one available for a month at the time I booked). Interior is super cute - love the tableware - with a photogenic patio out back as well. We ordered the egg rolls, duck two ways, and burger. Egg rolls are just as cute and creatively presented as everyone says, and the burger is solid (my boyfriend loved it), but my favorite by far was the duck. Somehow the scrambled duck eggs, sausage, and maple flatbread combined to make something far greater than the sum of their parts. Savory, sweet, with a slight kick from the slaw and chili peppers that accompanied the dish. Party in my mouth, for sure. Not sure if it was worth the trek out to Brooklyn, but I wouldn't say no to coming here again. read more

Olmsted - Breakfast egg rolls - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

We went for a last minute late night reservation. Everything was nice and lovely. Flavors were muted and subtle. Enjoyed the starchy risotto and the scallop agadashi. Wine pairing is pleasant, and they were kind enough to substitute dishes to accommodate my dining companion's restrictions. The only downside was the duck ham breadstick in the amuse bouches... the bread was somewhat stale, maybe perhaps our reservation was for so late. read more

See all

Hype meets reality, and Olmsted mostly performs. Immortalized by Pete Wells as the new champion of vegetable-forward, hyper-local Brooklyn cooking, Olmsted has a reputation for being both a hot ticket and a culinary experience. I can speak to the first point at least-- when my friend tried to book us a table of 4 a month out, when reservations opened, he checked too late in the day and had to actually set an alarm for the time reservations opened the next day. When we arrived a month later for our 7:45 reservation on a cold March Sunday, the place was pretty busy, and we had to momentarily wait in the (cold, though cute) garden before getting to our seats. The decor is kind of average, with some live plants along the top of the wall. We all started with a round of cocktails ($13 each). The drink list is interesting but not too eclectic; you might need to look up one of your ingredients, but on the large part it's easygoing, fresh spins on classic drinks. I thought my Rosemary, a bittersweet mezcal drink with a striking charcoal salt half-rim, was the best among them, though my companions were satisfied with the Pear and Fig. We all agreed the Hot Buttered Rum was tasty but a struggle to finish. I also got a glass of bubbles later (cremant de bourgogne from Bailly Lapierre) for $14, excellent. We started with the oysters ($15), which I would recommend even to non-bivalve fiends. It was topped with the most delicious champagne mousse and packed so much flavor into one bite. Do note the green rocks below it are not, indeed, edible. Next up was the steak tartare polonaise ($16). I was skeptical the broccoli and numerous sauces would work, but the layers of textures worked well together. The beef was good quality. Good toasty bread as well. The carrot crepe ($16) was visually impressive, and definitely technically accomplished, but I had a hard time buying the hype on this one. The creaminess of it was lovely, but most of the flavors were similar. Companions raved, though. Chawanmushi ($14) was a simply stunning rendition, though small. Get this. One of the few mind-blowing moments. This was followed by a seafood hotpot ($24), which was instantly forgettable. Our other two high-priced dishes were a similar whiplash. The famous rutabaga pasta ($22) had a compellingly crisp texture but ended up having a weird empty taste and wasting the luxuriousness of the truffle. On the other hand, the duck ($24) was effortlessly perfect. Served both grilled and in a Thai larb salad, this was one of the best dishes of the night. Service was very good. The bathroom has a wasp's nest and nice smelling candles. Overall, it ended up being a pricy but not insane night, at $275 post tax and tip for a party of 4, though that was with 1-2 drinks a person. So that's $70 all-in per person, with about 2 dishes a person, which is fair on both the portion and the price to me. However, I would say half of the dishes were stellar and half were purely average. I can't say it falls into the upper echelon of places I've tried in New York, and it doesn't compel me to go back beyond enjoying the garden in the summer. read more

See all

We were so excited about our meal at Olmstead and we were so very disappointed with the food. We pretty much ordered everything on the menu and everything was so incredibly over seasoned. The little gem salad is awkwardly presented and difficult to share. The fried chicken is all batter and dry. The crab boils had way to much old bay seasoning. I love old bay, but couldn't even taste the crab it was so seasoned. The Tonkatsu ribs were so salty, I could not detect any tonkatsu flavor... just salt. I couldn't even down one. The BLT was good, it was deconstructed and the tomatoes were quite fresh. The service was very good and the slushies were amazing. Perhaps I would return for drinks, but definitely not for food. read more

Our first time here, and its our new favorite. Everything was wonderful. The food, and ambiance was all so comforting. The main room seemed a bit loud, so if you'd like a more intimate setting the garden is the way to go. We will be back to try all the new season menus. read more

See all

Fantastic food! We came here for brunch and ordered the fall "pancake" which is a lovely warm fruit focaccia with hot caramel sauce. We also got the potatoe latke which was great as well. One note for vegans and lactose intolerant folks, pretty much everything had some dairy product in it so I wouldn't say it is vegan friendly. read more

Olmsted - "Fall" Pancake - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

The longer the wait and the higher the expectations, the greater the likelihood of being disappointed. So I was worried when I finally snagged a reservation at Olmsted. It was my number one Waitlisted Restaurant on Resy for God knows how long. Farm-to-table is my favorite kind of restaurant, the hype has been relentless and deafening, and the chef's pedigree (Alinea, Blue Hill at Storn Barns, Per Se, etc.) speaks for itself. In other words, Olmsted was created for me and me alone (obviously). So you could imagine my excitement when I got pinged for a 9:15 table on a Saturday--my reflexes have never been more swift. Now that I've come/seen/ate/conquered, I'm happy to report that I did in fact have the experience I was dreaming of, with some extra love and surprise thrown in there. The space is beautiful and earthy--the ideal Brooklyn restaurant. The execution on food here is a perfect example of why I always prefer small menus. Do a few things superbly instead of spreading efforts too broadly over too many options. The creativity, the flavors, the technique, the thoughtfulness, all of it translated in such a lovely, satisfying way. Yes, the portion sizes may have been smaller than usual, but the quality makes the price worth it. As I mentioned, the space is beautiful. Upon walking in, I was better able to understand why getting a reservation is particularly difficult: there aren't actually that many seats. While they now reserve bar seating as well, the space is pretty narrow and not too big overall. Even the kitchen is tiny! That said, there's a lovely garden in back you're free to sit in and apparently you can roast s'mores out there for dessert. I might need to return in the spring! As is the case with the food, it's pretty hard to go wrong here when it comes to beverages. While my original plan was to experiment with some natural wines, the cocktails looked too good to pass up on. If you appreciate masterful mixology, Olmsted has some talented folks behind the bar conceiving of/constructing these drinks. Similar to my favorite cocktail bar in the city, Mace, each of the cocktails here is constructed around one primary ingredient, thoughtfully complementing and highlighting it. My first drink was the Beet (Gin, Preserved Lemon, Maraschino, Juniper), which was superb. Gorgeous color, incredibly well-balanced and fresh. The bf got the Pear (Brandy, Cachaca, Lime, Escubac, Bubbles), which really did taste just like a pear. The Brandy/Cachaca combo worked beautifully with the fruit's flavors. My second drink was the Lavender (Bourbon, Herbs De Provence, PX Sherry, Black Walnut), which was delicious and unique. Really impressive. The food, as I mentioned, was just as magical. The variety of techniques and styles employed, the creativity, the precision--it was a joy to experience. With a small menu and small plates in general, I really got to appreciate the meal on a more conceptual level than I usually do when I dine out. As a farm-to-table eatery, the menu reflects what's in season and it all comes straight from the garden. As I said, this place was made for me. Eats, below: Duck Liver Mousse: A+ Like candy. With honey drizzled on top, this is easily the best liver mousse I've tried. Decadent perfection. I'm usually hot and cold on chicken liver mousse but there's no ambivalence about this order. Spread it on a crostini or spoon it right into your mouth. It's that good. Kale Crab Rangoon w/ Sweet & Sour Sauce: A Served dumpling-style in a classic, white Chinese food box, these were crispy, creamy, fresh and yummy. The least exciting of the night, but still delicious. Red Miso Chawanmushi w/ Salsify, Smoked Egg Yolk: A+ From Chinese-inspired to Japanese-inspired. This is one of the most interesting dishes I've had to date. Flavorful, rich but still light, savory in a really unique way. Carrot Crepe w/ Littleneck Clams, Sunflower: A++ Melt-in-your mouth dreamy. You'll blink and this will be gone. Now, from Japanese-inspired to French-inspired. I can't keep up with you, Olmsted. Beautiful presentation, delicate but powerful. This one was magic. Brook Trout w/ Creamed Brussels Sprouts, Shaved Chestnuts: A++ I'm not sure if I enjoyed the fish or the accompaniments more. The Brussels/Chestnuts combo was served in its own dish and man, that could've been a standalone offering itself. Rich, warming, satisfying textures, excellent flavors. The fish was light and creamy, punctuated by more creamed Brussels on top. A fabulous way to dress up a seemingly ordinary type of fish. Long Island Duck Grilled & Larbed w/ Watercress from the Wall: A+ No guinea hen on the menu in March but this was a pretty great runner-up. Not sure if this was Thai-style or more South American but either way, more worldly influence here. Cooked as well as I'd hope for and it's hard not to love that you can see one of its featured ingredients growing on the wall right next to you. A meal to remember, well worth the wait. read more

See all

Great food combined with a lovely ambience is always a win! I don't frequent reservation based places often, but I can't wait to go back here. read more

Went to Olmsted recently and wish I could give it a split review: 5 stars for food and 2 stars for the experience. The food was spectacular and original and delicious, plated gorgeously. Service was a tad slow, but my entire party raved about everything we got: pork collar, smoked duck breast, watermelon sushi, tempura beans, fortex beans, crab rangoon, carrot crepe...just...WOW. Clever cocktails and superb wines added to the great experience. Here are the negatives: the service was aggressive and controlling. NO, WE DO NOT WANT TO SHARE OUR FOOD. We had to argue with the wait staff about that, and we should not have had to do that. I get that sharing is a thing, but it will never be with me and my friends. Once we said that we were not sharing, the wait staff should have kept their thoughts to themselves, "Some people order the entire menu." Ok, but some of us had dietary restrictions and the wait staff kept forcing the issue about how the kitchen could modify. We had all selected what we wanted and the wait staff's behavior was way over the top and frankly annoying. Also, we were sitting in the garden and we saw the lovely birds in cages and the garden beds and...rats. Many, many rats. I was pretty sure they weren't getting inside but...sure, the restaurant composts and grows food and those activities attract rats but seeing them did not enhance our dining experience. If you eat inside you won't see them but in the garden, well, just don't look out there. read more

Had a lovely time at Olmsted! All of the dishes were delicious - especially the scallop crudo! Kayleigh helped us and provided wonderful service. Definitely a must try if you're in Brooklyn! read more

dinner on a Saturday night: food was mediocre. the water server was great and otherwise the service was terrible; confused (bringing wrong dishes) and incredibly slow -- waiting 20 minutes for cocktails alone. Tables are squeezed so tight as to be claustrophobic. will not return read more

So had a chance to come back to Olmsted recently. The experience warrants updated review.... This one would make Gordon Ramsay proud. While reservations for table dining are hard to schedule on short notice, bar reservations are often available - so we went that route. We were given a choice to sit at the main bar or at open kitchen bar. Elected open kitchen bar - what an amazing experience. Highly recommend as it will make it into a dinner and a show. Sitting at the kitchen bar we had full visibility into all dishes being prepared and plated. Was very interesting and impressed by the work that chefs put in. All three chefs were working in unison with great efficiency, yet focusing on perfection from each dish. Expediter (sous chef I guess) was great at finishing plates and providing support as she had solid control of the kitchen. Everytime a dish was plated - workplace was wiped down - cleanliness was observed. Everytime a dish was prepped - chefs tasted it to make sure there was consistency - of 20 garlic risottos I saw served - I think all 20 were tasted, which makes sense as salt, cheese, pepper, butter - were all added and cooked for each individual plate. Bottom line - kitchen ran as a well oiled machine. Chef Baxtrom popped in a few times - doing quality checks and offering guidance to line chefs. Pretty cool to observe - literally 2 feet away from where magic happens Menu changes regularly so we lucked out with some of earliest days of July menu. Of dishes we tasted: - Duck with spring onions - spot on - very filling and juicy, prepared mid-rare, with duck sausages and cherries on the side - 5/5 - Rabe tempura w shishito butter - quite a filling appetizer, light tempura batter, nice heat on butter - 5/5 - Snap Pea Sushi - great fresh appetizer to start - snap peas as base instead of rice, thin fluke sashimi on top, preserved lemon w salt, in a light acidic sauce - very flavorful and tasty - 5/5 - Scallops - grilled on skewers, seasoned wonderfully with creamy corn and mushrooms - I found this to be executed perfectly - 5/5 - Lobster Thermidor - perhaps the only dish we did not carer for. It was more like crispy crackers with lobster foam for dipping. No actual lobster in the dish (besides foam) and it did not work in my view. Perhaps as an amuse bouche it could work, but not as $12 appetizer - 1/5 Sitting in front of the open kitchen, we also observed other dishes being prepared. The pork loin with leeks looked absolutely amazing. As did risotto and the carrot crepes (which we had before and are delicious). So next time you want fine dining, perhaps consider booking a bar reservation at Olmsted and asking for kitchen bar sitting. read more

See all

We had our small family wedding dinner in Olmsted's private dining room, as well as a 30-min cocktail service in their garden beforehand. The food, drinks and service couldn't be beat. Our party of 17 (including two kids) was beautifully taken care of, and every dish we had built on the last for a lovely, totally satisfying meal. Unbeknownst to us, one of our guests had a food allergy they communicated to the staff at the last moment, and they pivoted on the spot for his needs. The private dining room didn't look like too much when we originally checked it out, but for our dinner and by candlelight it was charming, feeling both homey and special occasion. The garden was also lovely to enjoy a drink or two before we went inside for dinner. I'm giving 4 of 5 stars (I'd do 4.5 if I could) because while the final experience was all that we hoped it would be, some of the the communication/planning ahead of time was spotty and frustrating. In the end it all worked out, and stressors get magnified in a big way when you're wedding planning, so if you're planning a birthday party or other celebration, you might not find it as troublesome. In the end I would certainly recommend Olmsted for a private dining experience. Get the smoked duck if they have it as a menu option! read more

I recently went to Olmsted with some friends for dinner in their backyard. They modified their menu because of COVID to feature a bunch of new options and to reflect a backyard bbq picnic vibe. I was nervous to eat here since I am vegan, but was pleasantly surprised that they had many options they could make/modify for me. They even had veganise to accompany the build your own BLT dish. I highly recommend you check Olmsted out for some delicious food and great drinks! read more

Olmsted - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Most of my favorite foodie restaurants with relaxed service are in BRKLYN and this is my new fave. The menu has three sections and the tip is to pick 2 in each section for 2 people. We had 5 total plus dessert and that was the right amount. My favorite dish was the garden spaetzle cacio e pepe to which we added summer truffle on top. Other standouts included the heirloom tomato schnitzel which is a giant tomato cut in half and baked with breading : batter on top and the pork dish. For wine, I selected a Vacqueyras from Rhône Valley with a barnyardy smell. I loved it and the wine Director was knowledgeable and friendly. Overall this restaurant is outstanding and I'll be back! read more

See all

The ambience is nice but this place is definitely not worth it. The appetizers were great...but then the entrees came out and hour+ later while we're paying these outrageous prices. Service was meh By the way the bar has a shit ala carte menu that has no options and is way overpriced. I saw the person next to me get the same dish way quicker...? Don't come here Go to Otis read more

This place absolutely blew my mind. My boyfriend's brother bought him a giftcard to this restaurant, and we planned to surprise him with it on the night of. I made a reservation in advance, but the only time available was at the bar at 9:30 PM. I emailed the customer service team to see if we could have some better seating and an earlier dining time, and they were extremely helpful in seating us at the Chef's Counter and moving the reservation up 2 hours. I forgot to call ahead and ask if I could pre-order dessert for him as a surprise, so I quickly shot them another email in the uber to the restaurant with the order and asked that it be brought out after our meal, and they responded immediately and said yes! When we got there, we were seated right away, and looked over the menus. Our server was very patient explaining how the serving works (it's recommended to get multiple dishes, which are shared family style), what some of the menu items were, and even helped us plan around my dietary restrictions (I'm a vegetarian and allergic to nuts). We got the Roasted Shishitos & Bottarga, Summer Squash Sum Tum (without cashews), Garden Basil Spatzle, Einkorn Bread w/ Brown Butter, and Heirloom Tomato Schnitzel. We had a couple of cocktails when we arrived, and a beer each to close out the night. For dessert we got the Chocolate Mousse - they even put a candle in it for my boyfriend! It was a really lovely evening. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a high quality dining experience. Make sure to reserve your table early as this place fills up!! read more

From ethos to design to ambiance to the simple cleverness of each dish's conception and execution, Olmsted has earned my all time top 5. We started with the beet cocktail and hot amaro out in the lovely heated patio with blankets. Our first course, served by a wonderfully warm and knowledgeable gentleman, was The Duck Liver Mouse: The rich, smooth duck is immediately rocketed in flavor by the sweet and savory schmaltz, which you spread onto crostini with a smashing salty crunch -- also served with pickled vegetables Then, we were served The Beef Tartar: Essentially "steak and eggs" -- bottom layer of melting tartar, topped with a crumbled hard boiled egg layer, topped with béarnaise, and served with warm, slightly charred sourdough Then we had The Beet Salad: Long gold and purple ribbons, with shaved hazelnuts, and a pungent but complex blue cheese (I love that I get to keep writing "and then we were served...") And then we we served The Trout: Steaming on the plate, ready to be devoured, blanketed by an almost soufflé preparation of creamed brussels sprouts -- this is my wife's favorite fish dish of all time At this point we ordered another round and had The Pine: Unveiled at the table to release a piney smoke, the large format is cube even had a sprig if rosemary frozen into it! and The Pilsner: Just a great choice by their beverage manager to have a pilsner that has that grassy, hoppy flavor And finally, our last course was The Pork and Broccoli Rabe: The pork, prepared to unthinkable tenderness, was dressed with "Reading Raclette", which brought me immediate to thinking it was a cousin of teriyaki. The bitterness of the broccoli rabe balanced perfectly with the other sweet and savory flavors For our digestifs, we had Amaro (type no longer recalled): Who doesn't love an Amaro? It's like a warm, boozy Jolly Rancher Cup of Coffee: Served in an adorable mug and saucer, this black coffee was served as only 4 or 5 ounces, which happened to be snuggle-able at the comforting hot temperature at which it was served. Thank you to the host, our patio server, our table server, the bartender, the magnificent person at Expo, and the entire BOH. read more

Olmsted - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Expect twists and turns, like a breakfast of Carrot Kathi Rolls (Carrot Pulp Falafel, Cilantro Stem Raita) or the Duck Duo, crispy duck sausage with scrambled egg and maple flatbread. And don't leave without trying their bacon, egg, and cheese Egg Rolls, as delicious as they are adorable. The tight and thoughtful dinner menu includes a scrumptious Duck Liver Mousse, a Beef Tartare with hard-boiled egg, Heritage Pork with Raclette, and other seasonal curve-balls. Toss in a playful cocktail menu and you've found the perfect spot for those who like a dash of quirkiness on the plate. read more

See all

Great meal at Olmstead. They have a great attention to the details. The staff is always passing by the table to refill water or take things away. Plating is beautiful. Decor is cute, and their backyard seems very calming. You can sit in the backyard for drinks and a limited menu I overheard. The duck liver mousse was delicious. Carrot crepe was interesting- the clams were cooked perfectly. Kale crab rangoon was all right. Crispy and had a good amount of crab inside. The roasted duck was delicious and the grilled duck sausage was okay. Scallop was delicious and so was the corn salsa that was paired with it. Their chocolate mousse is a must!! It might be the favorite part of the meal. read more

Olmsted - Burnt orange cocktail - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Wonderful cocktails and outstanding food! The service we had seated at the bar was excellent. I can't remember the name of our server now--she works primarily on the weekends--but she kind of looks like Anne Hathaway and made a lovely old fashioned for me! We will return to try more of their menu read more

It took over a half hour to order a drink from our table. horrible service. in the time it took to get one drink to our table we made a reservation at another place down the street that was so much better. was looking forward to a nice meal and relaxing night and got none of that here...night started off better when we left! really disappointed with this place. read more

For my money, Olmsted is the best restaurant in NY. I'm sure you could pay $500 bucks/person for a mind-blowing omakase or tasting menu somewhere in Manhattan...but my wife and I shared six dishes and five drinks here for $140 plus tip last time. The math is easy. Food-wise, the menu here has changed a bit over time, so it's hard to single out particular dishes as must have, with the exception of the carrot crepe. I doubt they'll ever take it off the menu, and for good reason. It tastes like the purest, butteriest carrot you've ever had, with pops of salt from the clams, and it's visually stunning when it arrives. Other than that, I don't think you can go wrong. We've never had a bad dish here, and they do everything well. Standouts last time were the battered squash rings (somewhere between a healthy onion ring and an everything bagel), squash som tum (bracingly spicy), pork belly roulade (unusually soft, but still with the crispy seared flavor), and the chocolate mousse. The "secret" yakitori menu is a new development. I thought the flavor of the chicken thighs and the king oyster mushrooms was outstanding, but it was a very insubstantial dish for $24 -- maybe the first thing I've ever had here that wasn't great value for the money. Drinks here are fantastic as well. Can't go wrong with any of the cocktails (my wife's lemon balm was one of the best scotch drinks I've ever tried, and if you come in the fall/winter the warm drinks are nice), and the beer and wine are well-priced. The rotating four taps are always interesting choices from great brewers (Kent Falls, Sloop, Troegs, etc) at $6-7 a glass. Yes, it's a tough reservation, but you can usually get a table at 9:00 pm or later less than a week out. Service is always super friendly, especially at the bar. Come early and have a drink in the backyard (it's beautiful and warm year-round), or move out there after eating for some s'mores after dinner. Or both. You'll probably want to stay for a while. read more

We visited Olmsted some weeks back. The overall experience was very uneven. The execution of the food really didn't rise above 3.5 stars for me, the creativity was also underwhelming considering the chefs resume. The service and overall vibe was great, elevating the experience. On to the individual dishes, the first thing we got was lobster "thermidor" which is like those prawn crackers with a cheesy dip. It was pretty good, but the ratio was off. A lot more crackers were needed to finish the dip. Chicken fried trumpet mushroom. This one was a miss. The batter was not fried enough, dense and not at all crisp. Duck liver mousse. Good, as most liver mousse are. Not much one can mess up and they didn't. Carrot Crepe. This is a really interesting dish. There's one bite I had that was just the right ratio of everything that is simply amazing. But I didn't manage to replicate it again for the rest of the course. The beautiful presentation may have made it difficult to appreciate. Beef tartare. I have increasingly starting to favor lean meat as tartare, this was too fatty and too traditional for me. But that's personal preference. Rutabaga "tagliatelle". Another miss for me. Under-seasoned and more butter than necessary, this could be great but the execution let it down. Heritage pork. This was an amazing dish, everything was on point, from seasoning to texture. Duck breast and leg mortadella. Another great dish, the mortadella was just about the best duck based dish I had in quite some time, perfect in every way. Frozen yogurt with lavender honey. Amazing dessert, but a little less honey would be better as it is too sweet for us in the current form. Chocolate mousse. Great dessert as well, though this one needed more creme fraiche. Overall still a very positive experience, the missteps seems to have been due to an off night. I'll definitely be back again. read more

See all

One of the most creative and delightful meals of all time! Great service and atmosphere, loved the garden space. Don't wait to get here!!

We arrived about 10 minutes early for our 8pm reservation. Maybe the Hostess felt she needed to accommodate us early, but there was no table for 2 available, or so it would seem. She took us to the kitchen bar. Clearly an area reserved for walk-ins, we surmised, as it was filled with piled-up clean plates. We immediately requested to be moved, at which point Hostess stated the restaurant was full. Full? We have a reservation, we replied. So she quickly pivoted to a table in the rear of the dining room, with a superb view of the bathroom. Moreover, the table abutted the entrance to the patio dining area. which with the door constantly opening, was quite drafty, requiring a space heater for comfort. It was apparent that we were not going to have the 8 pm table that did open up, so we 'gave up' and decided to commence the meal. What we observed during the evening was laughable, but sad. The hostess attempted to 'sell' those same seats 3 times with no luck (I think one couple actually left). The table in the middle of the dining room opened up about 8:10 (we would've waited), but I digress. Now to the dinner... Our server for the evening was Scott. A very gracious and attentive server who 'rescued' the evening. The dinner was paced appropriately and the food was underwhelming to excellent. We ordered the Rangoons (average), Lobster Cracker (underwhelming), the Cheesburger (good) and Duck Pastrami (excellent!). A good wine (suggested by our server Scott) enhanced the experience, but the issue with our table almost sunk the evening for us. At the price point of this establishment, much was expected and a bit more understanding from the Hostess, would've gone a long way. Again, thank you Scott and Happy New Year! read more

Just so-so. We had the pre fixe with the wine pairing. The timing was all over the place, we were there for 2.5 hours. The wine would get poured for the next course and we'd wait another 20 min for the food that was supposed to go with it. Didn't have water on the table for half the meal. The food was good but it left us thinking "what can we have for a snack when we get home?" read more

Perfect experience every time! Very creative, thoughtful, and delicious food. Welcoming and warm atmosphere. Attentive and friendly service. So yes if you are wondering - go for brunch! Go for dinner! They even have a magical garden in the back where you can admire all the botany and sparkly lights from any of the various cozy seating nooks and from where you can dine or just have drinks/dessert. read more

From the moment I was seated, I recognized the meticulous curation of every aspect at Olmsted. I was in awe of the thought and care put into treating diners with an experience rather than merely serving delicious food -- from the artistically laid out menu and napkins to the child-like simplistic plate-ware; (even the washroom is worth a visit!) If even these details were so scrupulously attended to, I could not wait to taste the thoughtful dishes the kitchen would stir up. Popcorn Monkfish A bite-size rendition of the classic fish and chips. As a lover of monkfish, this was a delightful appetizer to begin with; however, I do wish that there was more substance with each bite. The pieces were fairly miniature, and perhaps that contributed to the lack of fish in each bite. That being said, with a dip in the aioli sauce and a touch of lime, each piece was quite tasteful and crisp to the bite. Sweet Potato & Uni Perogies with Sauerkraut & Sour Cream The addition of uni to traditional perogies was a clever touch. If sweet potatoes were not already soft enough, the uni exploded and coated my mouth with the same feeling I get when I pull a faux fur throw over myself. Aside from the uni, the taste of these perogies were good but not great. Having waited 40 minutes after the monkfish for this, I definitely expected a more impressive dish to compensate for the unpleasantly long service time. Nevertheless, it was a delicious velvety explosion of flavors. Male Mullet Tartare with Cranberry Chimichurri, Lavash The cranberry chimichurri was the subtle secret to success. Its fruity sweetness complemented the tartare with utter grace, without which would be rather average. With the tartare resembling a South American ceviche and the lavash originating from Armenia, this course was a cultural exhibition. Traveling half way around the world with a foot in each land was a rather uncomfortable stretch. Although the pairing of these cultural staples was not a success in my book, the distinct flavors from each separate entity were very enjoyable. Rutabaga "Tagliatelle" with Burgundy Black Truffle, Brown Butter As I was diving into the "pasta", I was puzzled as to why my "tagliatelle" was refreshingly crunchy before realizing that they were instead thin strips of root vegetables. Having been immersed in Alinea's gastronomical genius, I would expect nothing less from Chef and Co-Owner Greg Braxton, but to fool my senses. After a series of lackluster dishes, this plot twist certainly revived a spark of excitement in my heart. The heaviness of the truffle and butter did overcome the lighter veggie strips slightly, which may have also contributed to its unnecessary saltiness. In spite of that, this was still stood out as a favorite of the night. Guinea Hen Roasted & Confit with Poached Quince & Caramelized Sunchoke The roasted hen was as soft as foam and the confit unravelled effortlessly in my mouth with its perfect stringiness. Hidden beneath the layers of hen confit were the poached quinces, a savior to the excessively salted confit. With a hint of sweetness, the quinces resurrected these wasted pieces of meat. I unfortunately could not even finish the confit because of how salty it was. This promising dish went to waste with its overly salted seasoning, what a pity. TL;DR: Price Range (per person): $50-60 After reading all the raving reviews and the remarkable experiences of the chefs/owners, I entered Olmsted with great excitement and high expectations. Instead, I was greeted with unreasonably salted dishes, odd fusions of food and ingredients, and unjustifiably long service times. Certainly, there were commendable aspects for each course, but the bad definitely outweighed that good that night. Despite its undeniably outstanding concept and presentation, our dinner service lacked substance. It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed; however, I'd like to give Olmsted the benefit of the doubt and claim that this visit as a very unlucky and unfortunate one. Upon my next visit to New York, I would certainly give this revered restaurant another shot at the hoop in hopes that they'll score. (3/5) Insider's Note: As per any praised restaurant in New York, seats are hard to come, and even more so at Olmsted with its endless recommendations. We made sure to make reservations a month before, but still could only land dinner at 9:15pm. If you want the freedom to choose your time and date, be sure to call more than a month prior to your planned visit. A blooming garden is hidden at the rear end of the restaurant, which I believe opens up for seating in the spring/summer season. Sipping on a cocktail with an appetizer in hand would be quite charming to have in a land where the dishes you consume are forged from. read more

See all

We just had a beautiful, delicious and decadent birthday dinner at olmstead! The food was beautifully presented and each dish looked like a piece of art. The backyard was gorgeous with lush greens and twinkly lights. We ate the crab Rangoon, som tum salad, spaetzle and carrot and scallop crepe. The carrot crepe was especially memorable with a luscious and sweet sauce. For dessert, don't miss the lavender honey frozen yogurt! read more

See all

My wife and I went here over the weekend to check out the tasting menu and I was super, super impressed. I had been a few times over the years and always enjoyed the food but was never quite as in love with this place as the entire neighborhood seems to be. That being said, this past visit really changed my perspective and I kind of hope they stick to a tasting menu format indefinitely! First of all, as far as tasting menus go, $89 is very reasonable. All told with a few cocktails, 2 tasting menus, tax and tip we came in under $300. Now the food: - Duck ham baguette - tasty, nothing mind blowing but a great starter - Completely blanking on the name of a particular soup they served, i think it was a rutabaga soup, so light, creamy, warm and satisfying. Just really deep flavors. - monkfish popcorn - little monkfish nuggets - nothing extraordinary but super addictive and a great starter - bread course with an aerated ricotta - omg, really indescribable. best bread course i've had anywhere in years, wish there was more of it. - agedashi scallop - never had a scallop with the texture of this particular one before, that being said, forget the scallop, which was great, my favorite thing about this dish was the broth which was so complex, tangy, slightly sweet, sour, just a complete flavor bomb - salsify "risotto" - think of a root vegetable based risotto where every bite is completely unique, and the rootiness of it all somehow doesn't get in the way of the melt in your mouth flavors. really good. - rainbow carrot cake - like one of those oat bars you can get at any grocery store but exponentially tastier? very carroty and not overly sweet. a really nuanced dessert that i could've had 20 of. Strongly recommend for a special night out! read more

Really cute new farm-to-table new American. Food was great. Outdoor dining area is really nice. I even ordered a beet drink! Unclear if it's alluding to Olmstead, prospect park's landscape architect! read more

Items Selected: Rhubarb - Blanco Tequila, Lime, Bitter Orange, Salt Foam, Tonic Crawfish Boil Crackers Morgan's Meats - Pork Rillettes, Pickled Red Onions Popcorn Monkfish - Aioli Chawanmushi - Nori, Crispy Scallions Duck Chakna - Red Lentil Naan, Pear Chutney Carrot Crepe - Little Neck Clams, Sunflower Rutabaga Tagliatelle - Burgundy Black Truffle, Brown Butter Sauteed Soft Shell Crab - Pickled Peppers, Ranch Dressing, Ramps Horizonte - Columbia La Joya - Ecuador Caramel Apple Donuts - Salty Caramel Sauce S'mores - Housemade Marshmallows, Artisan Graham Crackers, Hershey's Owned and operated by Greg Baxtrom and Ian Rothman out in Prospect Heights, the concept at first seeming much the same as many with a Chef-driven menu based on seasonality, Olmsted differentiates itself from the pack by way of a backyard Garden and living wall from which many of its ingredients are sourced, the 50-seat space a near-impossible reservation after receiving attention as a Best New Restaurant contender at the James Beard Foundation Awards. Named after a deceased local architect, the narrow and straight space leading to a garden where a fire-pit offering Drinks, small Bites and a special Dessert experience offers additional seating for approximately a dozen, those visiting Olmsted will be greeted promptly at the hostess podium where reservations are confirmed before being led to one of many wood tables, the noise level near the front far more quiet than at the back, in part due to the location of speakers and in part due to the fact that the bar and kitchen lie along the same wall, which thus compresses many of the tables against a brick wall lined in Plants. Open as a first-come-first-serve restaurant on Mondays only, the other days booked as soon as reservations open via the website, it was after getting comfortable that menus were presented along with verbalized daily specials and a clipboard Cocktail list, the prices occasionally precocious, though the presentations and flavors are frequently on par with several of New York's top fine dining establishments. Beginning with a Cocktail and Water, the plates rustic and attractive though cups are unnecessarily small which necessitates servers leaving pitchers of water with the table, fans of innovative drinks have already made "Give Peas a Chance" a social media sensation, the Tequila-based "Rhubarb" not as photogenic but fresh and refreshing which paired well with Crawfish Boil Crackers that tasted exactly as they are named with the texture of Chicharrón while a daily dish entitled "Morgan's Meats" featured smooth shredded Pork served with Toast and Pickled Onions. Continuing with "Snacks," Chef Baxtrom no stranger to crafting single bites with complexity and big flavor following stints at Alinea, Atera and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Popcorn Monkfish offered a basket of lightly fried Fish alongside Radishes and a herbal Aioli while the daily special Chawanmushi executed on par with any experienced to date stateside, the Custard smooth and jiggly with the flavor of Shellfish and Mushrooms beneath fried Scallions and Nori added for texture. Without doubt a global menu suited to concept of Vegetable-centric fare and sustainability, the newly famous orange Crepe with trimmed Clams, Sunflower Seeds and razor-thin Carrot slices as delicate and precise as anything one might see at Per Se, Baxtrom's best dish of the night came by way of the Indian-inspired Duck Chakna with confit Fowl ready to be loaded into Naan made with Red Lentils, the Soft-Shell Crab unfortunately a $22 disappointment that was overwhelmed by Peppers, the thick "Ranch" sauce sloppily placed on the plate and not really adding much to any of the other ingredients. Appropriately impressed by the Rutabaga Tagliatelle, thin strips of the Tuber lightly steamed into al dente low-calorie Noodles and topped with sliced Black Truffles in Brown Butter, it was with two distinctly different styles of drip Coffee that a bag of Bombolini were enjoyed, the flavor not unlike that of a Cider Donut before being dipped into creamy Caramel Sauce, a fifteen minute wait quickly passed before the party of three was led out back to the Garden where sleeping Doves in cages watch diners place housemade Marshmallows on sticks before blackening them over a can of Embers and smashing them between Graham Crackers from a local Bakery plus a 50-cent Hershey Bar for twenty bucks, the cost largely related to time and taking up space rather than ingredient quality here, but worth it for the novelty and fun-factor. read more

See all

For a table of six, we ordered 3 appetizers, all 6 of the small plates, 4 main entree dishes, 4 desserts and all left a little hungry We constantly asked the server for her opinion on the amount ordered and she really should have recommended we course out our plates differently. Maybe we didn't enjoy the meal because we had a good 30 mins between every set of plates to idle and go through the wine. Feel like I would get a better meal elsewhere Liked the food but probably not enough to come back - would recommend the chawanmushi and the bluefish crackers read more

See all

I've only heard great things about this place and getting reservations is almost impossible so when I was finally able to get a table, you could only expect my excitement and anticipation to be over the roof. However, I can say I was pretty disappointed. Yes, clearly the quality of the ingredients is extremely high, but a lot of the dishes tasted like things I could honestly put together at home (minus the presentation skills). That's not to say it's a bad thing, but maybe it's not worth the waiting a month for a table and overpaying for the food that you could easily make in your own kitchen. Regarding price, this place is not that expensive, it's a solid $$ according to Yelp standards, however, how much you're getting for each dish almost feels like you're being ripped off-- particularly with the entrees. We ordered the yakitori which was about $24, and only comes with three skewers of your choice. The yakitori was pretty delicious, however it's just so ridiculously overpriced for the amount you're getting. It does come with a small spicy eggplant dish and a small radish dish. The spicy eggplant tasted like it was doused in Tabasco sauce and frankly it offended me because this is kind of a classic example of a chef trying to cook Asian dishes without a full understanding of the spices and ingredients that go into them. We also ordered the roast beef carpaccio entree and honestly why would anyone ever thing to put a deli meat item on a menu at a fine dining restaurant like this? It didn't taste too bad, but it is fair to say i was extremely disappointed. The redeeming qualities of this place was that the kale crab Rangoon was absolutely delicious and I would probably come back for the lavender frozen yogurt alone. The Yuzu cocktail was also delicious. The service was great as well, our waiter noticed we did not finish our roast beef carpaccio and asked for feedback. He did mention it was a new dish and when I told him honestly how I felt, he thanked me for the honestly. And he even took it off the menu which was extremely kind of him because we weren't expecting it! I will try to give this place another shot. Before coming, I read more recent reviews stating how this season's menu is a little mediocre than past seasons, so I'll try to come back in the winter and hopefully will have a better review for you! We ordered the kale crab rangoon which was probably the best thing I had tasted read more

See all