The Bar Room
We were in the Midtown area shopping yet again. The previous night we went to Serafina, which was pretty awful. Luckily we had more choices, and this restaurant was nearby. It caught my eye because it had a nice indoor patio area that was lit by natural light similarly to The Milling Room. The menu seemed reasonable as well as the price, so maybe there can be some value found here. We were able to walk in without reservations on a Sunday at 5:30 PM.
Ambiance
The interior was quite nice. When you walk in, it felt open, non claustrophobic, and very airy. The indoor patio area was very nice. Since the ceilings were so tall, conversations were easily heard. We were seated in the corner, and the seats themselves were very comfortable.
The service was fast and fantastic. Food came out at a good pace.
Food
The Piña Colada ($17) came with Bacardi 4 year rum, fresh pineapple, coconut syrup, and lime. My partner always loves sweet drinks, and for me, this was a perfect balance of sweet. The rum and and all the ingredients complemented each other seamlessly.
The French Onion Soup ($16) came with melted swiss and baguette crostini. The soup was sweetened a little, but no where as much as the French onion soup from Le Grande Boucherie.
The Grilled Hanger Steak ($34) came with crispy fingerlings, brussel sprouts, and a Thai chili vinaigrette. The steak was ordered and cooked a perfect medium rare. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion to price value ratio. The potatoes were basically baked crispy and then smashed. Everything was quite delicious here, and I’d order this again.
The Fish & Chips ($26) came with crispy flounder, coleslaw, hand cut fries, house tartar, and malt vinegar. The way the fish appeared was definitely different than how I’m used to. The batter also is a different method than your normal fluffy and flaky beer batter sauce. The flounder itself had an interesting after taste, and deep down, I think I still prefer a different fish like cod or halibut. The fish sat on a bed of coleslaw which was a little wet, but had a distinctive crunch with a nice vinegary flavor to it. The tartar sauce and malt vinegar helped complete that classic fish and chips experience. The fries were fried and seasoned very nicely. They were crispy and pretty good.
Final Verdict
If you’re up near Bloomingdales in Midtown East and are looking for some pretty decent cocktail bar/pub type of food, this restaurant is not too far of a walk and is recommended.
Yelp Jabs
The fries that came with the burger did not have enough salt, and the ketchup they gave was insufficient for the amount of fries.
For this Elitist, this is an easy problem to solve. They can, you know, ask for more ketchup or salt? It’s difficult for the kitchen to guess what a particular person’s salt palette is like. Maybe this Elitist prefers to lean towards excessively salty? For my dish, the seasoning was fine. I definitely prefer less salt than over salt.
Didn’t have time to fill our drinks, make way for our pregnant friend, or ask how everything was!
I can definitely see how the service can slip sometimes. If I were not a very vocal and active diner and had waited patiently, I think service would be more absent than desired. Generally, I don’t really like it when the servers come and ask how is everything. I generally give them a canned response because I’m just trying to eat. But then again, many other diners seem to like the attention at these more laid back pub-like restaurants.
Revisions
- Oct 30, 2022 - Initial revision.