Absolute gem if you're into wine!…read more One of my friends brought here and befriended the bartender a while ago and she definitely knew so much about wine. I learned so much about the different regions and even discovered a Chardonnay that blew my mind. They don't serve orange wine FYI. I just love this place and my friend blew my mind once we went downstairs. It's connected to a cocktail bar (Experimental Social Club) so you can have your wine and then move downstairs for a swanky cocktail club vibe! Usually they need reservations but if you come through the wine bar those aren't necessary! Pro tip!

Have been here twice now and it's such a lovely and beautiful space! Definitely recommend getting a…read morereservation as it gets quite busy but is not loud inside at all. We split a bottle of a chardonnay which was so delicious and for food got the chicken sandwiches which are a must get, the baby gem salad which was also incredible and the zucca pasta which was delicious but could have been a bit warmer. Such a beautiful bar and great place to catch up!

Interesting place to say the least. Not big on wine however the happy hour sign brought me in…read more While the staff muffled at me when I commented on the French options I quickly learned they are very much French- IYKYK. Grabbed my wine and got out the way. Clearly they aren't catering to welcome people coming back but it's NYC, it's expected. Ps everyone ordered the oysters!

Just a Great hors d'oeuvres spot in NEW YORK CITY! In a…read morelittle under a year, I have been to this spot uncoincidentally twice through passing- The street is bustling with enticing cuisine and merging sense of palette confusion. This STICKS OUT. It is French, it offers a sunlit outdoor patio and rests on New York cobblestone. Only the finest. We ordered their 30 dollar happy hour wine selection (their choice of white, rose or red). We went for rose as it was only approaching cocktail hour. Ended up spending $60, do your own math! As for food, this was where I had a blonde moment. The French wordings of cheese or meat was simply something I haven't even seen in France. So what to do? Tell our server we love rich goudas, goat cheeses and manchego's; but stray from any blue cheese family member or associate. He brought an array of an assortment! I do not recall the names of their cheese, two we liked one we did not appreciate. The unappreciated cheese was a reminder to my deep hatred for blue cheese and utter regret for even bringing it up to our server. TOO MUCH BREAD. Not because I am a model, but because I believe in proportion sizings, especially when it comes to the delicacies within the cheese world I aspire to be apart of. NO MORE BREAD PLEASE, I begged as I calm and swiftly maneuvered the slices into my concerned and judged mouth. We also enjoyed the escargot, 10/10. Get the escargot and wine babes xxx

This is a great upscale place to grab a drink. It's not too loud, and there is dimly-lit seating on…read moretwo floors. I got a seat by the bar and enjoyed watching the bartender mix drinks.

I was looking for a spot in the area to meet a friend, and after a quick search settled on Little…read moreNed. As I walked in and saw just how swanky this place is I panicked - there was no way we could just walk in here without a reservation, right? But the hostess was, thankfully, so down to earth. I was straight up like hey I totally messed up and thought we could just walk in here, she was like you know what, let me see what we have. Lo and behold, she did have a table for us - as long as we were out in an hour and a half, which was just the right amount of time. Stepping into this place feels like you're in some secret, super special cocktail club. Decor is super high end, vibes are upscale AF. The cocktail menu is incredible -- and incredibly pricey, but truly worth it. I ordered the Valentino which was strong and sweet, really well made. They gave out a complimentary nut mix that was also delicious. Service was swift and gracious. If you're looking for a spot to impress a date, this is it.

The care that was taken into each table is truly impressive. Our server was very attentive and made…read moresure everything was safe for me as I have a few food allergies. The hostess was doing just as much as our server from side work to helping the bartender with drinks to bussing tables she was on it. The manager as well was attentive to everyone dining and made sure everything went smoothly. The atmosphere was intimate and well lit so you could read the menu without the lighting being so in your face. I went for restaurant week with a few friends and the place was packed for a summer Sunday night. It was a choice of one antipasti, one pasta, risotto, or secondi and one dolce. We had focaccia for the table (not included with restaurant week), which was light and fluffy and served with salted butter and olive oil, for antipasti I was recommended the crispy baby artichokes with lemon and shaved pecorino which did not disappoint and reminded me of crispy potatoes. My friends had Beef tartare and Zucchini Fritters highly recommend as well. For the second course I had lasagna with bolognese, crispy mushrooms, béchamel (sauce that mac n cheese is based) and mozzarella and it did not disappoint. My friends had Ricotta Cavatelli and Spicy Vodka Rigatoni (which wasn't listed on the menu online and seemed to have replaced the Spaghetti Carbonara online). For dolce I had my all time favorite Tiramisu as I looooooooove coffee and while very delicious it was a bit heavy on the coffee. My friends had the strawberries & cream verrina and Limoncello (also very strong). I also had the Calypso cocktail which was good. If you like strong drinks it's the place for you, next time I will get a mocktail. I will definitely come back here for cousins night or with a date, truly an amazing restaurant experience.

{Overall: 3.5; Food: 3.5} Ambiance: 4; Service: 4…read more Carlotto is enjoyable, but on the more expensive side for what it is. The pastas are good and the ambiance is dark, romantic, and intimate. Service is good and the overall experience is pleasant. I enjoy the food, but it is not something I find myself craving, which makes it harder to justify the prices.

I met a friend here for happy hour on a weekday, and we had a wonderful time. The restaurant was…read morespacious and the marble bar was gorgeous. There's even a speakeasy lounge downstairs. The bar seating was plentiful and comfortable. There is plenty of space for people to stand behind the bar or a high top tables enjoying happy hour after work. If you go at 4:30 or 5, it's a bit calmer as the after work crowd trickles in. And as the evening went on, it started to get more and more packed, and it became a really lively vibe. After my friend left for another function, I stuck around a little bit longer for a little solo dinner. I had a glass of Prosecco off the happy hour menu followed by a dirty martini, and I did request to look at their full dinner menu because there was a couple items that I wanted to try. I wanted to try the duck Ragu and halloumi cheese, both of which were absolutely fantastic. The halloumi cheese was perfectly grilled and flavorful, and the duck Ragu was very comforting. I highly recommend both dishes. I ended up chatting with a woman sitting next to me who happened to work with select apertivo, and next thing I know one of the bartenders handed me a lovely bright cocktail to try on the house. It was a refreshing bubbly Barlume spritz that I'll definitely have to get again next time. Overall, I had a really great time at Barlume. The service was excellent from the servers and the bartenders, and they were all very attentive, personable and friendly throughout the evening. I'll definitely be back for happy hour or dinner with friends!

It's been a minute since we'd dined out (life on the other side of having a kid has been DIFFERENT…read morey'all) so we decided to go check Barlume out. Did you know this is where the Beecher's used to be?! RIP, I miss their Mac n cheese.... the vibe is completely different now (think extravagant Mediterranean vibes, it's very instagram-mable with the beautiful bar area). I had made a reservation for 5:30 (again, life with a baby is very different)- we arrived early but the staff were very gracious and were able to get us seated. They seated us in a side alcove area where they had cushioned seating, which was very helpful. What we Ordered: Drinks: Barlume Spritz and Hibiscus Mule (N/A cocktail)- drinks were good, nothing too special but we appreciated the cute stirrers Appetizer: Halloumi- grilled halloumi with roasted eggplant puree. The saltiness of the halloumi went so well with the creaminess of the eggplant. (Baby liked the eggplant puree too hah) Entrees: Lobster Arrabiatta and Duck Ragu and Truffle Pizza. My husband got the lobster arrabiatta and was raving about how delicious it was. He said it was the perfect level of spice. My duck ragu was served with busiate (a corkscrew shaped pasta) which I thought 'trapped' the sauce perfectly so you get a nice saucy bite each time. Pasta was perfectly al dente- my one gripe is that I felt the duck ragu was a bit too salty, which even managed to overpower the tomato flavor. We shared the truffle pizza, which came topped off with stracciatella, porcini mushrooms and shaved truffles. I liked the porcini mushrooms on the pizza, this was a first for me. For dessert (which we had to gobble down quickly because baby was starting to get fussy) we got the pistachio cake. SAVE SPACE IN YOUR STOMACH FOR THIS ONE!!! This was my favorite in the whole meal, the kataifi gives it that wonderful crumbliness and it went soooo well with the mango sorbet that's served with it. Recommend for a nice dinner with friends or a cool place to grab drinks! 4.5 stars

We went recently to their 20th anniversary celebration since we have been regulars for almost as…read morelong. The event was wonderful so we went to dinner a few days later. The food was high quality and has remained consistent for many years. The servers are also incredibly warm. We love that this is in our neighborhood. It definitely gets crowded and loud but that's part of the fun.

I came here for a work dinner and really enjoyed it. I love tapas and the food here was good and…read morethe service was really nice. I can't say I was blown away by any particular dish but I will also add that there was nothing I had that I said "I didn't like that". Some of the standards like patatas bravas and pan con tomate were standard issue and fine. I thought the seafood paella was good and I thought I would love the short rib paella more, but it did not stand out to me. This is a fun place to come as a group so you can share and try a variety of things and the service is great, so I give the overall experience four stars.

Casa Carmen is a beautiful spot with a warm, upscale atmosphere and great service. The Mexican…read moredishes were flavorful and beautifully presented, and the ambience makes it perfect for a date night or special occasion. We order chicken and lamb tacos. Cooked very well. Lamb tacos have the texture of peril which I loved. We had an avocado Moscow Mule and lemonade very good. Guacamole was pretty good. Not a fan of the flan Coco because I am not a dessert person. This is my favorite space to visit when I'm in the union square. Definitely a place I'd recommend and visit again!

Despite being busy, the restaurant was accommodating for our group of 6 right after work. It had a…read moregood variety of food which makes it good for possibly picky eaters. The restaurant has great decor and low lighting which is just what we needed after a long day of meetings. Highly recommend the guacamole.

An absolutely fantastic dining experience. Came with a group of 4 celebrating a birthday dinner…read more The ambiance is perfect for a date night. Music and decor sets the mood for an "elevated casual" vibe. Everyone at my table enjoyed their food. Servers were very attentive. Perfect restaurant in the city to receive a top-rated experience.

Booked ahead for dinner on a Thursday night for 4 people. I liked Craft back in the day and had…read morebeen keeping my eye on this offshoot. I tried: + Crispy artichokes + Whipped ricotta + Paccheri + bucatini cacio e Pepe + skirt steak + Gemelli - too salty + Olive oil cake + Buona notte amaro Absolute best bites were the artichokes and the paccheri. Also really liked the olive oil cake. Gemelli was too salty, but the bucatini was good. The dining room feels like an afterthought - oddly placed open kitchen and bar. I think it used to be a private dining room for Craft but don't quote me. Overall solid, but not incredible.

9/30/26: (Update) Looks like "Skeletons Gone Wild" inside and outside at Oscar Wilde's!…read more Love the holiday Halloween themed decor at Oscar's . We arrived at 4 PM. The place was packed. The hostess told us there were two seats left at the bar. So we grabbed them. It took a couple minutes to catch the bartenders attention. We ordered a specialty cocktail a "Cup of Joe" (Expresso Martini) $19 and a beer. Once we placed our order, the drinks were made quickly. My cocktail was fantastic! The bartenders really work their tails off here. Think this restaurant could use more bartenders, considering the large number of customers. Interestingly, I said the same thing from my last review in November '24. Anyway, it's always fun to stop in Oscar Wilde's to check out their holiday themed decor.

Came here for an after work dinner with coworkers. I was not expecting them to be ready for…read moreHalloween but how fun. they really really went all out with decorations. No inch of the restaurant was left alone. The plan was super packed so i am glad i made reservations. We got seated right away. Keep in mind the tables are high tops. Usually not an issue but i am quiet short so hanging out for a long time made my legs hurt since they dangled the whole time. This place does drinks right!!! The whole team kept getting more and more and we couldn't stop. I got their cocktail that was similar to a cosmopolitan, can't remember the name. But i could have had 15 of them. Extremely good. For dinner, for the chicken sandwich, it was ok. Nothing special. It's just a sandwich for the price, which i thought was weird. Because of how busy this place gets, i do think the service is slow. So order your drinks at once because you don't know what your waitress is going to come back. However, the drinks and food comes out quick. So you don't have to wait for that. I will be back for drinks!!

2nd time here. In a city with so many options, the service and hospitality blew me away. During my…read morefirst visit I had made a comment, which they remembered and then proceeded to go above and beyond. Ambiance was upscale, intimate, perfect for a night out or something more casual. The dill vodka martini was dangerously easy to drink. We enjoyed every dish here, but standouts included the labneh (+simit), wagyu filet mignon, and the seasonal butternut squash. If you like uni, then the spicy tuna crispy rice or the uni pasta. Unpopular opinion, but the carrots were OK so i'd skip in favor of other options. Get the dark chocolate mousse for dessert and thank me later. We left stuffed and will be back. Shoutout to Hector!

Opto had been on my list for a while, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get a…read morereservation. The space feels warm and inviting the moment you walk in. But just as I'd given my name and the hostess was about to seat me, someone at the bar stepped in to greet friends, and three people stood up to meet them. By the time I could get around them, the hostess was already at the far end of the restaurant, near a back room, not having waited to guide me the rest of the way. I'd barely reached the table, hadn't sat down or taken off my jacket, when a waiter greeted me and asked if I'd been to the restaurant before. I gave him a look that said I haven't even sat down yet, but he pressed on, asking what kind of water I wanted and whether I'd decided on a drink. In that moment, the room stopped feeling like fine dining and started feeling like a diner. When my friend arrived a few minutes later -- someone I hadn't seen in a long time -- a waiter was at the table the instant she sat down, asking what she wanted to drink. They tried to clear our starters twice while we were still eating, and at one point took the cutlery off my friend's plate while she was mid-bite of her salad, just to make room for the entrées. During the entrées, two waiters and a back waiter attempted to clear our plates three separate times while we were still eating. The food was delicious, and the space was lovely. But the sense of being rushed throughout the meal was the most absurd I've experienced at a restaurant like this. I won't be going back.