Serendipity 3

This place is totally overrated. The front desk is disorganized (couldn't find my reservation made a week in advance); service is below-par; food is just so so; the most expected dessert turned out to be disappointed.

Pros: fame

Cons: , Food, Service

Posted 09/26/04

This place is cute, its a NY Landmark..........but beyond all that, its JUST PLAIN OLD HYPE. The first time I went there Iwas expecting a magical experience, I was met with a near claustophbic attack due to bottleneck congestion in the foyer, andso so food, a huge frozen hot chocolate that frankly I could easily make at homeand a bill for 78.00. Was it a repeat? NO. Will I go there again? YES, because of course any visiting friends or relatives who know of it absolutely insist on having their own Serendipity experience!! So........off we will go and my feelings will not change. But its one of NYC's faces that people love to glorify because its such a NYC thing. So, go if you must, but don't set the bar too high.

Posted 09/18/04

Perhaps I will move back to NYC someday, where I spent a wonderful 3 years, but one location holds a special place in my heart...and belly - Serendipity 3. This eclectic Upper East Side restaurant is an absolute "must visit" for chocolate lovers (like ME). Very few desserts can hit the spot quite as well as a frozen hot chocolate. And, although the food may seem overpriced to some, the portions are large and the food is very tasty. Yes, the "wait" to get in sounds/looks horrific, but it's not. And...it's always worth it. You must realize that going to Serendipity is more than going out to get dessert - it really is a special event. I now live 11,000 miles away, but I will return to NYC again and again...at least for a frozen hot chocolate.

Pros: Frozen Hot Chocolate, Service, Food Quality/Portions

Cons: , Crowded

Posted 09/17/04

Originally, we went with the intent of eating and then having dessert...this is not possible so we went back and just got dessert. The first time, I had the steak char char. It was possibly the best steak I have ever had. Comes with a delicious salsa. The second time, I had strawberry fields which was delicious. I also tryed my families pink lemonade ice and signature hot chocolate which were both devine! If we had been in NYC any longer, we probably would have went back again. There always seems to be a wait but the host is kind enough to take your name and tell you to check back in in 30 minutes. Bloomies is close by so you can shop while you wait! Very crowded entry way.

Pros: great ambiance, excellent variety, desserts..desserts!

Posted 09/01/04

I have been to Serendipity's more than a couple of times, and no matter how many chances I give the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, I simply cannot and do not understand the hype surrounding it. Try the Pink Ice instead, which is surprisingly refreshing. The Dark Double Devil Mousse is rich and satisfying. But skip the overpriced entrees and appetizers; the dessert portions are gigantic and filling. Get there early to minimize the wait, or make a reservation. It is crowded even during lunch on Wednesdays. The service is friendly and generally helpful, although a little slow at times.

Pros: dessert, service

Posted 07/07/04

After reading some of the reviews, I was a little nervous about taking my visiting family to Serendipity, but thought it might be fun for the kids. We had a reservation for Monday lunch and were seated promptly, which was a pleasant surprise. It did, however, take 30 minutes for our waiter to take our order, but he was pleasant enough and the food was good and not terribly expensive. Skip the Frrrozen hot chocolate and try the Humble Pie or the Broadway Sundae. It was overall a good experience although I doubt I'll go back unless I have out-of-towners who want to go.

Pros: good food, great dessert

Cons: , reservations a must

Posted 03/16/04

It's a very cutsie, novelty place that you might want to check out once if you are in the area and have nothing better to do. I wouldn't make a special trip to go there, unless you are taking people from out of town. Ffffrozen Hot Chocolate was good. It tasted like a few packages of Ghiradelli cocoa, crushed ice and melted double chocolate ice cream. (that's probably the recipe, so if you can't make the trip to Serendipity, try whipping that up in a blender) Service was excellent though. Very friendly host and very attentive and patient waiter. (Even though I was only there for dessert) Lovely decor inside. It's cute for a date if you are under 18, but It's not a sophisticated place. It's ok. It's like what you would imagine.

Pros: Cute, Nice Staff, Varity on Menu

Cons: , Novelty

Posted 02/25/04

It took me 4 times before I was able to get into the restaurant. The other 3 times, it was too long a wait. I travel from Long Island and I wish they would take reservations on the weekend. The frozen hot chocolate is not to be missed!!!!

Pros: Frozen Hot Chocolate, Pleasant atmosphere, Good service

Cons: , Away from theater, Not large enough

Posted 02/05/04

You know what so funny about this terrible dessert place? It's in Manhattan and there are about another 200 in this great city that are so unbelievably better, including Pattsy's which is right across the street. The host was the rudest person I have met in all my life. He was so pretentious and obnoxious. The wait staff as a whole had the mentality that they worked at a truly reputable and important place in Manhattan, when in reality Serendipity couldn't be farther away from a true Manhattan dessert place. It is such a tourist trap. Anyone who is from NYC should know never to go here. My ice cream was melted and the waiter couldn't care less about fixing it. He forgot that he makes minimum wage at a lousy ice cream shop.

Cons: Rude wait staff, mediocre food, limited menu

Posted 06/08/03

Whilst on holiday from England I visited this restaurant and was taken aback with how amazing the service was.Our tall good looking Argentinian waiter treated us like Royalty and my first taste of Fffrozen hot chocolate was not a disappointment!! The place was busy with a great atmosphere and yes we did have to wait for a table but then lets face it there is a reason you have to wait.......its a wonderful place and everyone wants to go!!(Those who dont like waiting should go somewhere less nice.........your choice!)

Pros: Great atmosphere, Wonderful food, Great service

Cons: Waiting(see review)

Posted 05/02/03

I always wanted to go to this place after seeing the movie. It was a disappoinment. The service was slow, the food so-so. The frozen hot chocolate was good but pricey. The chocolate shavings on the top were very stale.
I would not go a second time. Once was enough.

Pros: vast menu, fancy decoration

Cons: long wait for food, mediocre food

Posted 04/22/03

The famous "frozen hot chocolate" tasted like melted ice cream, that's all. Had an omelette, wasn't bad. Server was a nice guy, no complaints. Decor was kitschy (had the honor or smashing my head on a low hanging Tiffany lamp), but all the kids and tourists were annoying. Definitely hated the vibe. There were children everywhere, the restaurant is terribly crowded with loud, subtly obnoxious people, and finally, not all that cheap considering what you were getting. Serendipity is very much like a diner marked up an extra 100%.

Posted 03/23/03

The desserts were fabulous! I went there with three friends, and we managed to obliterate two sundaes. My guy friend and I shared the Can't Say No Sundae (a rich concoction of peanutbutter pie, ice cream, hotfudge and whipped cream) and it was fabulous! The other two in our group shared the Strawberry Cheesecake sundae, which was equally satisfying. I can't speak on behalf of Serendipity's "real" food, as we are all dessert afficiandos, with little desire to waste our appetites on anything remotely healthy.

Be sure to go early to put your name on the list- and be prepared to wait an hour or so.

Pros: Desserts!, Fun kitchy-ness

Cons: Impolite service, long waits

Posted 03/20/03

Going to this restaurant was #1 on my daughter's list of places she wanted to go in NYC. We went yesterday on 03/16/03. This place has a reputation for their desserts, so we ate a small but overprices lunch to save room for the desserts. The dessert menu was actually very small. There were no mouth watering displays of delicious dessert. For the 4 of us, we had 2 ice cream sundaes and one apple pie. The apple pie was terrible. More like a coffee cake. The ice cream was good, but the fudge sauce did not taste homemade. My sister-in-laws is 100 times better. The restaurant was cramped and the service was slow.

Pros: fresh salad, generous pot of tea

Cons: desserts, price, fudge sauce

Posted 03/16/03

We finally went here after hearing about the wonderful desserts. I had the chocolate blackout cake. It was ok I guess. nothing spectacular. She had apple pie ala mode, again, nothing spectacular. Maybe we werent in the mood for dessert or who knows, but it just wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

Posted 03/05/03

There is just something about this restaurant & I hadn't even seen the movie when I went there! I had the BEST sundae ever- chocolate and peanut butter- it was so good I'm planning my next trip to NYC now!

Posted 02/27/03

great nyc dessert joint, strictly, be prepared to wait about an hour and a half for a table, don't be roped in to buying overpriced tourist trinkets or the mediocre diner food, eat dinner at another place, make a trip here, stick to the abundant spectacular sweets and u won't be dissapointed.

Pros: large desserts, creative variety, worth the wait

Cons: wait time, checking on wait time, crowded

Posted 02/21/03

The wait was really long, like an hour on a thursday. We had the famous frozen hot chocolate. It was different but nothing worth waiting for.

Pros: nice lamps, good decorations

Cons: crowded

Posted 02/20/03

Only good for visiting just for one time! Waiters are always rude, with no MANNERS to customers. Not only poor services, but their tastes are so ordinary. Ican't understand their overprice for every basic manues. Burger is ok, but you will find at least this taste in any other burger places. Deserts are affordable, but only for few menues.

Posted 02/09/03

I tried to get into serendipity on two weekday nights, only to wait over 45 minutes each time. The first time, we left, but the second time, we hung around. It seemed cramped with little room to breathe, like they were trying to pack in the customers. The service was ok, despite fouling up my order. The prices were outrageous, especially for the frrozen hot chocolate, which seemed like something i could make at home. I wouldn't go back again.

Pros: lots of choices

Cons: crowded, not worth the price

Posted 01/24/03

It's more than serendipity to find such a charming place like this in the city. I had a lazy lunch on a weekday with my sister and there was no need for reservations as we got seated right away in a booth. My turkey and Brie on a baguette with sprouts was a nice light fare because I'm saving room for the notoriously famous Frozen Hot Chocolate. The moment of truth comes and I was reduced to a satiated puddle of bliss on first sip. Chocolatey nirvana in a considerably large cup. You can share one serving or if you're too greedy, bare your fangs if an extra straw is dunking in without your permission.

Pros: Tasty Treats, Kitschy Ambiance

Cons: Cramped Seating

Posted 01/01/03

Over priced, poor quality ice cream but veddy, veddy yuppy.

Posted 12/23/02

I am from the west coast and first saw Serendipity 3 on the movie Serendipity. Ever since then I knew I would just have to go there when I finally made it to New York. It is a very unique spot, and although somewhat isolated, VERY busy. Expect to wait if you are unable to get a reservation, and if you can... Keep It! That's a pretty rare thing according to our hotels concierge. Overall, the food was good, and the environment is very cute, and one of a kind. I love Serendipty 3, it is a great place for a GREAT dessert!

Pros: GREAT Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Not Fancy

Cons: Crowded, Hard to Get Reserv., Sometimes Long Wait

Posted 12/18/02

This is an unique place to visit, but the food is nothing special. Great service though.

Posted 12/18/02

I dont know who said the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate taste like Ovaltine. The need their taste buds examined. I dream about their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate! Excellent place. The long line isn't fun, but stick it out.

Posted 11/22/02

I must admit that this place has one of my very favorite desserts and it is called the Forbiden Broadway Sundae, but it is hard to take the attitude that comes with it. The wait is always horrible unless you go on a weeknight and the service is usually below par. The food is way overpriced and not good, but the desserts are to die for and this is why this place is still going strong. Everyone should go once esp if you have a sweet tooth!

Pros: Dessert

Cons: Expensive, Crowded, Attitude

Posted 11/07/02

It has great frozen Hot Chocolateand other desserts. It's worth the long wait.

Posted 11/07/02

Went for the frozen hot chocolate. It was just ok...tasted like a chocolate milkshake. There are better places in NYC.

Posted 10/27/02

The main course food was not very good. However; all desserts are amazing with huge portions. One shoudl be prepared for at least a 30-60 minute wait between the hours of 6 - 10pm.

Posted 10/17/02

I just moved to New York from Texas about three months ago, and of all the great places I've experienced in the city, Serendipity is my FAVORITE!!
I love it!! The atmosphere and desserts are to die for!!
This is a great, romantic place for a date too!!
The frozen hot chocolate is their signature, but their sundaes are also AMAZING!

Pros: inexpensive, charming, delicious desserts

Cons: long waits

Posted 10/10/02

This place is a MUST for dessert lovers - the prices are cheap but the portions are fairly large - most desserts can be split amongst 2 people, but be ware that there is a $5 min. charge per person. The host is not very friendly, and be prepared to wait if you do not have a reservation (I recommend making one if possible). The place is semi romantic, and attracts a lot of tourist on weekends. NYers should go there during the weekday to avoid the crowds.

Posted 10/06/02

Best ice cream sundae's ever! Skip the popular 'frozen hot chocolate' and go straight for a hot fudge sundae with peanut butter on it and you won't be sorry. Great place to bring visitors or kids. Wait can be loooong though.

Posted 10/03/02

You may have to wait for a while to get a table, but it's worth it, even if you're just there for dessert. And if you're there for a whole meal, be sure to save room for ice cream.

Posted 10/02/02

I have three words... "FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE."-Enough said... It's not a dinner place, I'll tell you that... go for DESSERT AND DESSERT ONLY!

Pros: FROZEN HOT CHOCO, CUTE ATMOSPHERE, PARKING WAS EASY

Cons: LOUD, LONG WAITS, PRICY FOOD

Posted 09/17/02

Since this place is so famous, I decided to try it out, there's so many people, and we had to wait 1 and 1/2 hour. When we finally seated, we have to wait again for another 20 min until the waiter come, he was not a very pleasant waiter, didnt smile, was just doing his job writing food and very snobby. The food was good, I ordered omelette, it was huge, I ordered frozen hot chocolate. I didnt understand why everyone is talking about this chocolate thingy since the taste is like ovaltine mixed with ice, some milk or some cream, with a whipped cream in the middle. That's about it. Btw, the price is ridiculous, what kind of an ice cream would be prized at 10 dollar??!!

Posted 09/17/02

If you want a cold, and sweet treat, then this is the place to go. Famous for the frozen hot chocolate. The Sundays are built for a crowd or a voracious appetite.

Pros: huge portions, great frozen treats

Cons: huge portions, may have to wait

Posted 09/10/02

They told us it was a ten minute wait, one hour later we were seated. We ordered one hamburger and one hot dog and one desert to split between us. Thirty minutes later they brought our dessert which tasted like Ovaltine or Alba 77 blended with ice. Fifteen minutes later I asked for the check and was given a shocked look and asked "don't you want your meal?" I replied no and about ten minutes later they brought my meal but no check. It is amazing to me that this place thrives if this is the way they do business. I reas about this place on your web site before I left San Diego. I warn others this place is not worth it. If you do decide to brave it stay away from the waiter with the mohawk. He should be behind a desk crunching numbers, far from the public.

Cons: crowded, bad service, don't care

Posted 09/03/02

We went to Serendipity on Labor Day and it was packed so we had to wait. I did not have a problem with this what I had a problem with was the horrible attitude from the staff at the hostess station. There were four or five different people working the station and everyone was more obnoxious than the next. I understand that this place is popular but it was apparent that they did not care if you stayed or not. We did stay and the desserts were to die for. I recommend the frozen hot chocolate, but big enough to share. Great for kids, but make reservations well in advance!

Pros: Great Dessert

Cons: Slow Service, Crowded, Terrible Hostess Staf

Posted 09/03/02

We visited this "famous" place on our last trip to NY. We tried to get a reservation, but were denied. After standing in line for about 45 minutes, we got a table. There were 3 empty tables around us for the first 40 minutes, so I'm not sure why we were refused a reservation. The service was horrible, the food was just average, but the desserts were good. The famous frozen hot chocolate is too big for one person, I suggest sharing. They also charge a minimum per person, but it's reasonable.

Posted 08/21/02

This must be what a dessert-loving chocoholic with a sweet-tooth must envision when they think of heaven. The servings are enormous and they will satisfy your craving for something sweet, guaranteed.

Posted 08/18/02

Desserts and floats are extraordinary! This place is not where you would want to go to for food. There just isn't enough room for food after the dessert! Order dessert first.

Pros: dessert

Cons: food, long wait

Posted 08/15/02

I've been here several times and everytime the food was great! I usually go for their infamous Frooozen Hot Chocolates. Only downside is that you may be waiting on line for awhile to get seats if you don't make reservations ahead of time.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Gift Shop

Cons: Long wait

Posted 08/13/02

AS a chocolate lover, I thought this place was one of the best I've been in the city so far. They have something for every dessert lover and awesome hot fudge! Plus it's very cozy and charming inside. Great way to spend a sunday afternoon.

Pros: Awesome dessert, cute atmosphere, friendly service

Cons: Long wait

Posted 08/13/02

One simple word, amazing. What a great experience Serendipity is. So good in face a movie was created around the small shop nestled snug in the big apple. You can ask anyone on the street where to get ice cream and they'll have 11 words for you- Serendipity. Oh and be sure to get the frozen hot chocolate. Frozen hot chocolate. Where else but Serendipity? Exactly.

Pros: Inexpensive, Unique atmosphere, Quiet location

Posted 08/12/02

This is one of the best places to eat at in NY. The frozen hot choclate is to die for and the choclate cake is also great. It is such a cute place that you don't mind waiting. We just moved to CA from NY and this is one of the places we miss the most. You know this will be one of our first stops when we return to NY in October

Posted 08/11/02

Me and my friends go here all the time, we love it. I recommend this place and the wait is worth it.

Pros: good food, full

Cons: wait

Posted 08/05/02

Good place to take visiting relatives. Obviously the frozen hot chocolate is amazing, but the rest of the food is tasty, but overpriced. A must after spending too much money at Bloomingdales

Posted 08/04/02

after reading the review and seeing the movie about 5 million times we decided we had to visit serendipity. anywayz the wait was about an hour but overall it was well worth it the frozen hot chocolate was chocolicious and the broadway sunday tickled my taste buds my only suggustion is the dessert is a the size of a three course meal in it self so go with an empty stomach the service and atmosphere was alright but the quality of the food made up for everything on a scale of 1-10 serendipity gets a 29

Pros: dessert, dessert, dessert

Posted 08/03/02

Definately the place to go for ice cream. I can't comment on the rest of the menu because all I got was desert. The wait is long and it's usually very crowded. I would suggest putting your name down, eating someplace else, then coming back for desert, depending on how long the wait. The portions are huge! Perfect for sharing with someone. The Frozen Hot Chocolate is a must as is the Sunday with Hot Fudge.

Pros: Good Ice Cream, Huge Portions, Atmosphere

Cons: Long Wait, Small, Crowded

Posted 07/30/02

Frozen hot chocolate. Divine. Chili is fabulous as well... Long wait for tables, but worth it in the end!

Posted 07/29/02