Insider Pages Reviews for Kion Dining Lounge

1 Stars: Great decoration (by tetero)

tetero — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:00:00 GMT

We came in with a group of 20ish people, they gave us a fix menu for everyone with a fix price that everyone will have to pay ($30/each) and one of the owners guaranteed us we'd be full.

Well, food came and we were expecting to receive one individual plate for each person but instead they brought us couple of plates with serving for 1 person and we all had to share. From there, every single dish according to the fix menu was coming the same exact way. So, we basically were paying $30 each for appetizers because we had to share all the dishes. Plus we waited about 30+ minutes for each dish to arrive and it did not come in all at once, it would come in for half of our table first and then later for the other half.

After the "dinner" we noticed there was still some dishes that were in the fix menu that did not make it to the table.

This is by far the worst service I have ever received in any restaurant in NYC, so think twice before going there.

5 Stars: best food ever! AMAZING!!! (by karlos29)

karlos29 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I had a great dining experience last Saturday; I had to book a party for my sisters 26th birthday last minute since the other restaurant cancelled my rsvp. Anyways, we arrived a few minutes earlier and we seated at the bar. The pisco sours are incredible....then when were seated at this amazing table in the downstairs area. We since we had 14 people in the party we order family style and share some delicious tapas and ceviches. at the end the waiter brought us a round of shots on the house. he also helped us with the selection of dishes for the table.

i would recommend arriving earlier so that u can experience the way we did. i had a great dining experience last saturday, i had to book a party for my sisters 26th birthday last minute since the other restaurant cancelled my rsvp. Anyways, we arrived a few minutes earlier and we seated at the bar. the pisco sours are incredible....then when were seated at this amazing table in the downstairs area. we since we had 14 people in the party we order family style and share some delicious tapas and ceviches. at the end the waiter brought us a round of shots on the house. he also helped us with the selection of dishes for the table.

I would recommend arriving earlier so that u can experience the way we did.

1 Stars: promising food, terrible service (by bme5u)

bme5u — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:00:00 GMT

I had guests in town and based on the recent positive reviews here selected Kion as our dinner destination on a Saturday night. While most of the food was delicious, part of our dishes were lukewarm to outright cold and the service was absolutely disastrous with over an hour+ wait just for the appetizers followed by another 30 - 45 minutes for the main entrees.

When our food finally did come out, half of our table was served while the rest of our table had to wait another 15 minutes to receive their orders (and this happened with both our appetizers AND the entrees). While initially most of us agreed that the food we did get served was delicious, we then discovered that parts of our dishes were lukewarm to almost half cold with one dish being nowhere near as warm as it should have been given that it was one of the delayed dishes (the servers kept telling us that the service delay was due to our food "just being cooked and being plated"...).

We would have expressed our dissatisfaction to our waitress but she disappeared towards the end of our dinner (the servers then tried to rush us out despite our interest in ordering more drinks). Maybe it was an extremely one, off night for the restaurant but it was definitely a disappointment for our one visit to Kion and we will not be returning.

5 Stars: Amazing Food in the East Village (by DB29DB)

DB29DB — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:00:00 GMT

While walking down E. 6th Street around 8 PM on a Friday night, my friend and I noticed a busy scene in Kion. We went in and in about 10 minutes we got a seat at the bar, ordered drinks and reviewed the menu.We decided to have an assortment of "small plates". We ordered the mixed cerviche, the mussels, some type of tempura, and an Argentinian steak. We were promptly served and gleefully smacked our lips on some of the freshest tasting seafood anywhere. The steak was tasty but a bit chewy (they did warn it was Argentinian ) .
Having seen the poor reviews from some posters, I cannot wonder what happened to them but it seems that most of them were large parties. The service at the bar was prompt. My only misgiving was that the happy hour that we missed, offered 50% off for the dishes we had ordered and the drinks had been 2 for 1.
I am a "foodie", eating out half of my lunches and about 4 dinners a week. I am also member of the James Beard Foundation, so I think I know something about good food. Its too bad there were so many complaints about service. But I suggest that to taste incredibly great food at great prices, sit at the bar for the happy hour and you should not be disappointed, in fact your palate will be rewarded.

5 Stars: Amazing sevice (by Courtsy)

Courtsy — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

I had a huge party for my boyfriend?s bday with 14 ppl. When we first arrived our table was set up for 10 ppl but the owner quickly came over, told us not to worry and reassured us that he was going to take care of it. He was right. He quickly set up another table big enough to accommodate us, which was in a private room down stairs. The table was an authentic Japanese table where you sit on the floor :). The waitress was always available, we got our food super fast, the drinks and food were delicious and the prices were perfect!!!! As the dinner was ending the waitress told us the owner, Patrick, bought everyone in our party a glass of champagne. What a nice touch to a perfect evening.

I would 100% recommend Kion for a night of fun at great ambiance reasonable prices!!!

4 Stars: Love! Love! kion. (by vivian75)

vivian75 — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Okkkyy, my first time in Kion was in '07 with some friends and since then.... it's been Kion, Kion, Kion. The service is great, food is good, atmosphere is relaxing, and price, moderate. I don't know if am ever going to get tired of it because i've been there so many times that my husband is tired of the name but guess what, am bringing him tomorrow nite! All i can say is i love Kion:).

5 Stars: Perfect Fusion, Amazing Food, Great Service, Incredible Ambience! Summed up as FAB!!!! (by Keisha109)

Keisha109 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:00:00 GMT

My cousins and I went to Kion for the first time a few weeks ago for a girls night out birthday dinner. Kion was our first stop and it set the pace for a wonderful night. It is the perfect combination of lax and glam. Kion is perfect and gorgeous inside. The food is to die for, simply AMAZING great proportions, wonderful presentation, packed with flavor. The service was good, we were seated promptly. The menu is fab, I wanted everything on the menu. Not a familiar sushi eater, our questions were answered in detail. Pricing is fair. HIghly Recommended. Definitely going back!!!!!!! Kion will become your favorite!

4 Stars: yyuummyyyy (by jfava)

jfava — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Food is to die for and the service is impeccable!!......EVERYTHING is just super delicious!!! It won't be much longer til I head back there again for dinner! To think I was just there two nights ago! :) YUUUUUUMMMMYYYY!!! Love the place! The food! The drinks! :) VERY HAPPY:)

5 Stars: Phenomenal place!! Truly awesome!! (by cher2d)

cher2d — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT

A few friends and i went to Kion last Friday night and it is the coolest place i have ever been, and my friends would agree!! This place was just absolutely gorgeous and super hip. It really feels like a true hip underground NYC lounge. The lighting is crazy fun and you can telll that so much attention is paid to detail in this place! We didnt actually order food but did see the menu, which had sushi rolls, tapas and peruvian entrees. Looked like a great menu....but we were just there for the drinks, which were fantastic!! The customer service was impeccable! We were all truly impressed with how well they were taking care of us!! The new owner even stopped by to check on us twice!! That is pretty nice. We will definitely be visiting Kion again soon! This place is FABULOUS!!! oh...and there are gorgeous people everywhere, which is always fun!

4 Stars: Asian Peruvian Fushion Delight (by Fanny K.)

Fanny K. — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Fusion Asian, Peruvian food, sushi, tapas and more in a beautifully decorated restaurant. Everyone at our table was smiling as they tasted their appetizers and the smiles got broader as the entrees arrived. Yes, it is pricey, and the service is incredibly bad for such an expensive restaurant, but if you can get past that and just concentrate on the food, you will be happy dining here.

5 Stars: Exceptional Food and Service!! (by setab724)

setab724 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT

A couple girlfriends and I went to Kion last weekend and we had a FABULOUS time!! We went for dinner but ended up hanging out there all night!!! Our food was delicious. We ordered a few tapas--one was zucchini filled with crab and cheese to die for--and we also ordered a few rolls for the table..one was called crouching tiger, i believe. It was so much fun having sushi and tapas together...plus they have the most interesting other fusion dishes!! But that was only the beginning of a spectacular evening! The people were beautiful, which is always nice, and the place is ridiculously cool with low fluorescent colored lights everywhere. This place is exactly what you would think a hip NYC lounge should be! And the new owner was around all evening checking on everybody to make sure they were having a great time!! We are going again tomorrow night!!

5 Stars: amazing food and decor!! (by markky)

markky — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:00:00 GMT

kion was a delight!!
food is simply amazing!!
decor is out of this world!
a first on peruvian cuisine...had only heard about the food being great and was not dissapionted at all.
service was also up to par even though restaurant was extremely busy.
great atmosphrere!!

1 Stars: BAD SERVICE (by noop88)

noop88 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:00:00 GMT

I have been to KION twice because I really like the rice chowder but I have to say service is quite BAD. The hostess & waiter were both very rude, I never saw a smile on their faces. We waited for 15 mins for our check. Sushi rolls are mediocre, not as good as other sushi places I have been to.

4 Stars: Great Food, Beautiful Ambiance, Bad Service, Weird Atmosphere when it becomes Club (by desieclipse)

desieclipse — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion for a group dinner this weekend and I must say the food was fabulous. I tried a variety of things - some sushi rolls, eel nigiri, Coco Tuna Ceviche and a cilantro based seafood soup. Everything was good, but the Cilantro based Seafood Soup was amazing! They did not skimp on the seafood at all - it was full of octopus, squid, mussels, clams - and the flavor was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed my food! The service is really bad (they took forever and they kept getting our drink orders wrong; they were also very surly), but I would overlook that to enjoy the delicious food and the fun atmosphere there. The ambiance was gorgeous - for a large group, try to get the table where you can sit on the floor. Beware, after hours it becomes a club and they charge cover. On Saturday - at around 10:30/11pm the music was very electro/techno and it was populated by a lot of super Goth types so if that's not your season, wrap up your dinner by then.

5 Stars: my boyfriend birthday - ;) (by lokita)

lokita — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion last week for my boyfriend birthday party and I have to tell you it was perfect. Even though the place was very crowd and busy my friends and I were treated great! Not only food we ordered was delicious, very tasty but everything we asked for including drinks arrived to our table very quick. At the end of our dinner after our desert we were surprised with round of amazing shots which were sent to us by the manager. We had a very amazing time! We tried ceviche testing - WOW, zapallitos, ostras and couple of rolls. Just perfect! For a main course I recommend rib eye with gratin and sea bass. That's what I and my boyfriend had. He was very happy having his birthday celebrated over there. We stayed for couple of drinks after dinner and had great time! If you want to have a good time and drink in a classy environment, go to Kion!

5 Stars: Great (by yeashxp)

yeashxp — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

went there for my sis' birthday~we made reservation so the tables and everything was already set up...it was a big group so they sat us at tataki room or something?! so it was cool...only our crew were there. there was a band or sth-great atmosphere...the foods are above great!! esp Spicy tuna tatare..the OYSTERS!! and the steak~~~the service was good too..100% will go back there again its a fun place!!

2 Stars: DO NOT ORDER A MIXED DRINK (by liteskin)

liteskin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

nice decor, good food, friendly bartenders but i will NEVER order a mixed drink , our table was not ready so we decided to grab a drink at the bar while we were waiting and we saw the bartender pouring house vodka into a bottle of grey goose, it makes you wonder whats in all the other top shelf bottles especially if you are paying 10 to 12 dollars a drink so if you decide to go there stick with beer

5 Stars: great time in alphabet city (by rodrimix)

rodrimix — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

As i saw some of the negative reviews i was compelled to write one myself. i was very impressed with this restaurant lounge in the east village
they combine latin and asian fusion...food is amazanly delicious
service was also very good and the place was very very cozy.
we arrived around 630pm and we were a group of eight, the place was just getting busy...hostess was helpful and sat us promptly...around 9pm the place really filled in and as we were on dessert ...we were offered a bottle of champagne so the next table good be sat promptly and on time...not bad huh? waitstaff and mgnt really looked out...thank you guys

2 Stars: Service is horrible. Drinks are tasty. (by beanlundoe)

beanlundoe — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Atmosphere is trendy and fun. Drinks are tasty. Food was Ehhh (boring and not very tasty)... Service is horrible. It took us over 10 minutes to get a glass of water. Then we had to wave someone down to take our orders. It then took over 30 minutes for us to get our real drinks and appetizers. Then over 1 hour to get our Entrees. On top of that, They forgot to make an entree for one of us. Then the waiter started to argue with the busboy in front of us at our table about the missing dish. I can't even remember how long it took for us to get our check. It seemed as though there was only one waiter and possibly he was even cooking our food at the same time. On a slow Wed night. Good Luck if you plan on eating there. You'd be better off just hanging out by the bar for drinks.

2 Stars: Cool decor, rude service, average food (by dr378)

dr378 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:00:00 GMT

This place is probably fun as a bar/lounge after hours, but the restaurant was a disappointment. Our waitress was rude and unattentive. The food is interesting and tasted fine, but nothing exceptional. At this price range, I expected better. Would have been a better experience if the service was up to par. I may stop by Kion again for a drink because at least their lounge area and cocktail list is great. They should really hire friendlier servers though.

3 Stars: Rude Owner (by belot)

belot — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:00:00 GMT

So I live around the corner from this place, and I loved it until I met one of the co-owners. This was the place I always took friends & visitors...it combines my two favorite cuisines, latin & japanese. Anytime I've been, the food has been good...the female bartenders have attitudes, but the rest of the staff has been great. The last time I went, a friend and I ordered plenty of drinks and food. We paid the bill but were finishing up our drinks...within ten minutes, this man asks us to leave our table because "we didn't originally have a reservation, and so we had to get up because someone with a reservation was waiting for the table". He wasn't apologetic about it, he wasn't nice about it. Very matter of fact he pretty much said "get up". I've been there many times, spent a lot of money there, and that is the type of treatment you'll get if you don't have a reservation. I haven't been back since...and don't plan on going back.

5 Stars: Good Time (by lolaooolala)

lolaooolala — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I ate here on my bday with about 5 friends. The food was great (13 diff ceviches), drinks were good, and music was nice. We were looking over the large room and the area looked really pretty and had its own bar with cool lights. I left a fan and all of my friends kept asking how did I find this place.

3 Stars: Big Let Down (by slvly00)

slvly00 — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I found the food at Kion to be quite delicious, but I was turned off by the service! There only seemed to be one waiter in the restaurant and he was pulling double duty as a host and waiter. He was very abrupt and never checked on my friend and I even once to see how we liked our meal. The busboys were way friendlier and more helpful than our so called waiter. The place is also out of the way if like me, you don't live in LES. There are nicer places in NYC that combine quality food with great service! Kion's not worth the commute!

5 Stars: Great Peruvian Sushi, Tapas and Drinks! (by corinnehicks)

corinnehicks — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I have been going to Kion for years now and am never disappointed. The drinks are amazing, the fish is fresh and the entire menu is inventive and delicious. Most people are confused when they see "Peruvian Sushi" but they have the classic maki(rolls) and sashimi along with great twists like adding things like pears and goat cheese to the maki. With so many restaurants in the EV it sometimes hard to choose but Kion is always at the top of my list. Enjoy!

3 Stars: Looking for Hot Food and Cold Drinks (by raghie)

raghie — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:00:00 GMT

A group of us recently went to Kion for dinner and drinks. The entrees were tasty but just warm and the appetizers were interesting but you were lucky or unlucky with them. The drinks were not good at all. The drink menu looked great so we tried several drinks but for the most part they arrived warm. A friend ordered the same drink twice, the first time she got the drink it was great, the second time she got the drink it was horrible. In my opinion Kion didn't handle the large group well. It kind of ruins the night when your drink is warm and it just doesn't taste right and your food arrives and it is just only warm. Ice cold great tasting drinks and hot food usually makes for a great night.

2 Stars: DO NOT PLAN A PARTY HERE!!!!!! (by rosemaryortiz)

rosemaryortiz — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:00:00 GMT

I chose KION to celebrate my husband's "Surprise 40th Bday" Dinner. There were 14 of us. Everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong. Let me first preface by saying that I met with the, "Event Coordinator" for about an hour going over all the details of my party the week before and we spoke several times after that by phone. I was told that the price I was paying per person included all drinks on their cocktail menu, NOT TRUE, we could not have ANY TOP SHELF LIQUOR. I was told the area where my guests and I were going to be seated was ours "exclusively", NOT TRUE. We were literally squished into 2 tables. I was told that there were going to hire more staff so that my guests would be well taken care of, NOT TRUE. We had to wait too long for drinks. Many of my guests ordered the skirt steak and some complained that the steak was either, too over cooked, too under cooked, not edible! By the way, this is the first time I ever reviewed a restaurant. I couldn't wait to share my experience with everyone!

5 Stars: Awesome Food (by greggweiner)

greggweiner — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:00:00 GMT

The food here is really tasty and fun - a great combination of asian and latin dishes. The portions are just right and the flavors do not dissapoint. This place is a great value and I think they even have a "happy hour" deal earlier in the evening which we missed out on. The space is not what I typical enjoy in restaurants, but we had a great time anyway.

5 Stars: Small Intimate place (by nki65)

nki65 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:00:00 GMT

I have my fair share of ceviches and other Asian fusion food, I LOVED this place. went there with my friends for a birthday dinner. We had a great time. The drinks kept coming and the food was really good. WE had several rolls that were do good, the paella was amazing. Its better to share a bunch of tapas than the whole individual meal. Really cute ambiance and really nice servers. The service is abit slow. but it was really busy on Saturday night so I dont blame them. And the food was well worth the wait so I didnt mind the wait.

5 Stars: Overall, great experience (by juliench1)

juliench1 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I really enjoyed this restaurant and actuall felt desmayed to read some of these horrendous reviews. The service is about as good as can be expected for NYC, honestly. I mean if you think about it, all the waiters and waitresses don't want to flippin' be there anyway, so frankly i NEVER expect picture perfect customer service with a smile. I just kind of expect for them to get my order right. so, on that count, task completed kion. At any rate, the food makes you forget any bad service you may have encountered. It's lovely to look at, even better to taste, and to me, rather generous in portion size comparable to price. I went twice, and both times i really enjoyed my meal, without feeling like i'd ingested a mack truck afterward. I think, however, that the restaurant turns into a completely different animal at night. My friends and I left at the end of a long leisurely meal, and without our noticing it, the restaurant began to fill up with hipsters and trendy NYU folk. If the bar gets as crowded as they say, then service cannot help but suffer, so if you go to kion, go in the early evening between 5pm and 8pm. Also, don't order the gimlet, its grossly too sweet. Can't wait to go back and have a caiprhinna or however the hell you spell that thing...

4 Stars: Great food, friendly staff (by stefsu79)

stefsu79 — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Atmoshere was very futuristic and trendy. Great place for people wanting to try something a little more than typical Japanese/sushi.
We had a party of 5 and the waiter didn't mind splittling the check for us. Friendly staff, very helpful with the menu.
We all left stuffed! There entree's are gigantic!
Lots of funny, a little noisy.
Definitely would recommend!

4 Stars: Best Ceviche, Hand's Down. (by leface)

leface — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I went here for my birthday on a tuesday, early in the evening. The service is slow, so if you want an in-out experience, this is not the place, but if you want to sit and enjoy a delicious meal and good drinks this is a great place to do it. The ceviche is outstanding, try the the coco loco, it's fantastic. the Roll we had was great too, and the filet mingon was also really really good. To be fair, the waitress knew we were not in a hurry so she gave us plenty of time, and my drink was never empty before she came to get me a new one. Also if you let them know you're in a rush i'm sure they would oblidge. Point is, I wanted good Ceviche for my birthday and this place delivered above and beyond.

1 Stars: Rip-off left, right and center (by arbys)

arbys — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:00:00 GMT

We organized a party for 20 people on a Saturday night. We were promised an upstairs private area with a private waitress who would tend to our friends. When we arrived, the manager said there was a change of plans and now we would have the downstairs area--intermixed with another prior party! Additionally, the bartender for that area would not be there until midnight. This for a party advertised to start at 10pm. After a number of friends arrived around 11pm, the manager sent a waiter our way who took drink orders individually, but would not allow for individual payment. Hence, when I paid with credit card at the end, it was not made clear to me that there was already a 20% tip added to the subtotal. When I asked if tip was included, I got an indication of no from the waiter. I added 20% on top of the grand total and only realized when I got home what had happened. Of course, when I called the manager, he completely blamed me. He didn't apologize for changing the agenda on us, and would not reverse the charge. Complete rip-off. On top of this, we had to mix our party with the others in the area--not what we were promised ahead of time. We also ate dinner there, and the food was just average at best. (Of course, that bill had an "error" on it too. ) I just can't stand when bars try to take advantage of people in dimly-lit areas who have had a few drinks. Eat and drink there at your own risk.

4 Stars: awesome food, great ambience (by tncnyc)

tncnyc — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I was drawn to the fusion cuisine and loungey photo so I went with a couple of girlfriends one Tuesday night. It wasn't crowded at all but there were enough people to not feel like we were the only people on the planet. the food was really good - we started with a couple sushi rolls and then got entrees. The place is super cute and the bar is pretty big so it doesn't look like you'd be crammed in if there's a wait. I would like to go back on a night when there might be more 'action' but since some of the reviews say it's too busy and the service can be slow when it's crowded, maybe it's best to go on a less popular night. either way, will definitely come back.

5 Stars: truly an absolute gem (by camilo007)

camilo007 — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:00:00 GMT

this week i ended up in trying two of the peruvian restaurants in the city.
the food here is incredible
never eaten so good.
must try the infused rolls and the variation of tapas
very impressed by the large selection.

3 Stars: Just an observation (by zip26)

zip26 — Tue, 22 May 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to note that right after a negative review, there were a number of perfect reviews that immediately followed. All of these reviews were created on the same day or within a day or two, all of them were written by people with usernames that were constructed similarly (i.e. all contained a common first name in the username), and none of the users had previously (or since) written a single other restaurant review. I was trying to figure whether or not to come here when I noticed this pattern, which seemed a little suspect on the surface. I have never been to this restaurant, so I cannot offer any positive or negative commentary on the food, but I thought I would point it out to other readers.

3 Stars: cool and tasty (by augustin77)

augustin77 — Wed, 16 May 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I went there last weekend and I have to tell you that it's a very cool place. Food taste very special and unforgettable . You can enjoy japanese cousine simplicity with peruvian 'caliente' touch. Frienly crew will make you feel special that you are going to come back for sure! . I definitely will. And don't forget to try their coctails;-))). Highly recomended.

5 Stars: my spot in nyc (by sweet_kitty)

sweet_kitty — Wed, 16 May 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Great, fresh food, south american rythms and various mojitos - that's my favorite spot in the village. Stop by with your friends and try, you will get addicted like me!!!

5 Stars: favorite ceviche in ny (by serviceindustryslave)

serviceindustryslave — Tue, 15 May 2007 02:00:00 GMT

wow. the ceviche here is fresh and exciting and beautiful and delicious.....i'd recommend this to any true ceviche lover. lots of traditional ceviches but some original things and great japanese fusion items.....i gotta mention the coco tuna for its taste and presentation. the service isn't what you come to this place for....its the food.

1 Stars: sickening (by diningdarling)

diningdarling — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I went to kion after reading a good review about it awhile back and it was a terrible mistake. Of our group of 5, 4 of us got sick, and we all ordered different dishes. Really, a terrible way to spend the weekend

5 Stars: GREAT SPOT IN THE VILLAGE (by valerin)

valerin — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion few times and I really love this place. The Sushi rolls and martinis are to die for! Great choices of drinks. I have been there few times and I was always treated very well. The hostess in the weekends is very cute and smiley, which makes us always feel good from the start. Prompt service and not long waiting for the food, even when it's crowded. You can create your dinner out of appetizers or tapas although main courses are very tasty as well. Going back this weekend with my friends again!

5 Stars: Pisco Sours, Pisco Shots and Ceviche what a perfect mix. (by nate_olson)

nate_olson — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

What a tremendous time I had the other Saturday night @ Kion. This little hotspot was recommended by a friend and it lived up to expectations. The drinks were mixed to perfection, and the food left me wanting more. I will definitely return to this hot spot again and again.

3 Stars: best ceviche and piscosours in town (by gatogordo)

gatogordo — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

kion has the best ceviches in new york, the tapas are great also. the piscosour is made with high quality peruvian pisco ,and for a moment i felt like i was back in peru. The place is beatiful and the service was great.

5 Stars: Unforgettable night ;-) (by kathy78)

kathy78 — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

We went there last weekend for a dinner. with my 3 girlfriends. Wow what a mix! Japanese food with a touch of peruvian cusine. Perfect combination followed with a few pisco sours or mojitos ;-))) Excellent food good service.

5 Stars: GREAT CEVICHERIA (by maggie79)

maggie79 — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

THEY ARE SERVING THE BEST CEVICHES IN THE CITY! AND THEIR CRISPY OYSTERS ....HMMMMM... WE LOVE IT! DEFINITELY WILL COME BACK ;-)

5 Stars: outstanding (by alexb25)

alexb25 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

better than sushi samba,
didnt think that was possible but was wrong
food is great,
place is beautiful

1 Stars: NOT a Happy Birthday-worst experience!! (by cckinthecity)

cckinthecity — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Funny when you read these reviews while they are interesting you still don't listen and decide you would like to try the place just to make sure. Well we should have listened to the overwhelming reviews about worst experience ever. Last night a group of 10 of us tried to celebrate our friends birthday at Kion. What a nightmare. We were seated in our own little room which was fine except that it was so dark they had a "black light spotlight" shining on our table for us to see. After waiting for OVER 30 minutes for water we finally received our martinis and mojitos which were pure sugar with not much alcohol at all. It took extremely long to get our food and when it arrived, half of our group didnt get what they ordered and there was no dressing on salad- which we asked for 6 times. Bottom line- this place is unorganized, distasteful, staff could care less about our dining experience or our friend's Birthday. NO happy in this birthday!

5 Stars: What a night. (by da_gr8_1)

da_gr8_1 — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Attended a business event at Kion last weekend, the service, food and ambiance was outstanding. I would highly recommend this little hot spot to my business associates and friends. To be quite honest, the best part of the night was when I ventured to the main bar. What a beautiful crowd. I will definitely come back, especially for the ceviche tasting grande.

5 Stars: very pleasent experience!!! (by paul4576)

paul4576 — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

to get to the point
the place is beautiful, the food is delicious and the service was great
our server really went out of his way recommending to us certain dishes.
ceviche was the best i have ever eaten.
the tuna steak was a little on the unseasoned side but the rice and beans it came with was spectacular.
reccomend you give this restaurant a try.

1 Stars: Top 5 Worst Dining Experiences (by oswaldja)

oswaldja — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I would not recommend this restaurant to an enemy. My family and I went here for dinner. Our 8:30 diner reservation turned into a three and a half hour dining nightmare. The service was horrific. Our first course took over and hour to receive. The server stopped coming to our table so we were ordering our drinks from the hostess. The food was worse than the service. Of the five of use, two people did not eat their meal because of the poor quality. The manager attempted to remedy the situation with desserts "on the house." You can imagine our surprise when the desserts "on the house" appeared on our bill.

5 Stars: great food and great service (by angelica11)

angelica11 — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 01:00:00 GMT

i'm from brazil ..
first time in n.y. we went in kion lounge it's was amazing beautifull people nice brazilian music
the staff was happy
i honestly fell in love with the food and the over all space.

5 Stars: great east village experience (by jm376)

jm376 — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

we were reccommended this restaurant by friends who have had a party there.
didnt know what to expect but everything turned out amazing.
as we arrived we speculated because it definetly looked more like a crowded bar then restaurant,since the hostess area is at the end of the bar.
food is very appetizing and drinks are just right.
great space ...really a great find in the east village

2 Stars: A nightmarish experience! (by hotchutney)

hotchutney — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

First of all the place looks cheap, everything is like falling apart, we waited at the bar and the chairs are barely holding together, I was ignored constantly on my request for a table, they seem friendly but to their friends, and pretty girls, me and my friends were very offended, when we finally got our table, it took forever to get service and then finally got some drinks no one had the patience to explain the drinks or the food to us. The drinks were too sweet, and the food nothing out of the ordinary, too expensive for what they offered, I would never go back, one of my friends told me about this place, maybe as a pub it's ok, but no for a restaurant, the manager is a very very curious individual that seems to have a high libido and seems to high on something horible!

5 Stars: great experience ...spectaular food with bar scene (by tim1954)

tim1954 — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

such a great time
we were a party of 12 ...had to wait about 20 minutes for a table even though we had reservations...we were a little late though.... food was delicious, great atmosphere.... very crowed ...great bar scene.

will recommend it to everyone planning a party !!
we never tried peruvian japanese fusion cuisine and were taken by surprise on have spectacular the food was....will be back really soon

2 Stars: Really missed the mark (by evillagedweller)

evillagedweller — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

After much anticipation, we finally got to this much buzzed about restaurant, only 2 blocks from our apartment. We arrived to the clubby and cool spot right on time, and were promptly seated...only to be moved moments later because "the table was taken". We were moved to the "loser table". You know, the table they leave for people who don't know better. We, however, are not a couple duds. We'd rather leave than be stuck in the table right next to the bar, eating 20 dollar cervice off of someone else's butt 2 inches from our face. So we decided to leave. As neighbors, we were a bit insulted at their readiness to stick us at the sucka table. After being bribed with free drinks, we decided to stay. Note to everyone...if you are ready to leave, leave. Don't let them convince you to stay...So we stay only to be served "sucka food." You know, the food they give to people who they think don't know better. Bad tapas, in which the menu said "crabmeat" which was clearly "fake crab meat". Then our food came...A 2 oz. piece of Chilean sea bass and a piece of raw meat...Sucka food. So we got the sucka table, sucka food, and then had to pay. As I paid my bill, they actually took my chair away from me! Before I left, they took my chair! I can't believe I paid at all...guess I am a sucka. Stay away. The Mermaid Inn is still the absolute best retaurant in the E. Village.

5 Stars: Will be going back for more.. (by kzp315)

kzp315 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

I've been to Kion twice this month and will be back for more! I recommend this place to anyone who enjoys great fusion cuisine and drinks! Clever food presentation and decent service. (May need to chase them for more water etc..but hey its NYC) So far I've enjoyed the "Godzilla" BBQ eel roll, the Spider Soft shell crab roll (great for goat cheese lovers!), and the Ceviche Mixto. Oh and the Mojitos were just right!

There is a cool somewhat private dining area room downstairs (reservation only) and it appears there is the occasional DJ and lounge on weekends. (Someone please report back on that scene)-Enjoy!

3 Stars: Great Find in the East village (by vcanta)

vcanta — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

My wife took me there for my bday and it was amazing. The service and the food was outstanding. Best mix of fusion i ever tasted. The Sea Bass was out of this world and the rolls were excellent. Presentation of the dishes was very impressive.

5 Stars: Sushi and Tapas are outstanding! (by mine12)

mine12 — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion with a group last Tuesday...such a hip place and the atmosphere was amazing for dinner! I have to say I absolutely loved everything we ordered...really impressed with their sushi and innovative tapas. Everyone was very happy with Kion...and you know how hard it can be to please an entire group...especially in New York's over saturated market of trendy dinner spots! This one is surely here to stay!

5 Stars: best east village restaurant by far (by jonross23)

jonross23 — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

decided to dine at kion after a friend recommended the restaurant.
definetly make a reservation on the weekends.
we ended up there on a friday nite with no reservation, onced sat we quickly ordered cocktails after waiting 20 min for a table.
great food,
there were three of us for dinner. we had some sushi and tapas which were outstanding,
sushi was very fresh and appetizing and
service was good eventhough restaurant was extremely busy.
place is definetly worth the time and money.

1 Stars: would not recomend (by galego)

galego — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

food ok, service slow and crowded space, rudeness is abundant; everyone is rude from hostess to waiters to anyone representing the restaurant.

5 Stars: overwhelmed, food is incredibly delicious (by marina67)

marina67 — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

i was complelled to write a review after searching the top restarants in new york citysearch and noticing that everyone tends to criticize ...for example tao which is the #1 most requested restaurant on open table has the worst reviews and tends to be a great restaurant.
kion also has some bad reviews but i was overwhelmed with my experinence.
great food, great party space, not one negative thing to say

5 Stars: Repeat spot (by jwalkabout)

jwalkabout — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Went on a recent Saturday with a date for a late dinner. Very nice spot from a layout perspective. West side $ investment with a LES funky feel. Ceviche was okay but not outstanding. Seemed the chef was a little too adventourous with the fusion style ceviche but I appreciate the effort. Presentation was excellent. Music was mixed genre loud enough to feel but not loud enough to dissuade conversation. Drinks were very reasonable. Crowd was chill and the vibe was about having a good time. The only minus was the staff which was on the inexperienced "this is a part time job for me" tip. They were not horrible but they lacked "this is a customer service biz" mentality. Give the front line staff a little more polish and u will have a spot that will be a permanent standard. Would definitely go back because the place is an excellent value.

2 Stars: DISSAPOINTING EXPERIENCE- TRY CANDELA OR SUSHI SAMBA INSTEAD (by enihsnus7965)

enihsnus7965 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I agree with another posting that mentions, that most of the good reviews are probably written by the restaurant staff. I was at Kion about a week ago. I looked it up on line, checked contradictory reviews, and I figured I should go check it out for myself. I am also Peruvian, and the Japanese- Peruvian fusion just sounded fenomenal. However, the experience was not quite amazing as I have experienced with other restaurants. The service is pretty bad, including a waiter, the hostess and even the manager. I have had better experiences in dinners, than in Kion. We were a group of 5, from different nationalities, and we were also pretty dissapointed at the service. THe East Village is one of my favorites dining areas, but this I would not recommend the restaurant to anyone. Peruvian food may be one of the tasties ones, but there are other places, one can find Peruvian food and a great service, with no attitudes. Sushi- Samba is a great example of what I am referring to. And, Candela, even though is no Peruvian, serves great food, with a great fusion of flavors, and excellent service, from hostesses, barteners to the servers.

3 Stars: too crowded (by bk_chic)

bk_chic — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 01:00:00 GMT

went recently on a saturday night. the ambience is very nice, but it becomes waaay to crowded here after midnight. you have to literally push & shove just to get to the bar. and forget using the bathroom! there is only one unisex stall in the entire place - ridiculous. the music was random, but at one point some fabulous bellydancers showed up to perform, which was the highlight of the evening.

5 Stars: Best Place in the East Village (by les78)

les78 — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:00:00 GMT

This is definitely my favorite spot in the East Village! I came back for dinner with my boyfriend and we had a wonderful time. The food was great and the service was wonderful....when we were finished with dinner we hung out at the bar til 2. See you soon...Thanks again!!

1 Stars: HORRIFIC NIGHT (by ddsnyc)

ddsnyc — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I was there for a friend's party, which was supposed to be an amazing night. Our group sat there for close to two hours without one dish coming to our table. After an hour when we asked the manager where our food was she just looked at us with no response. Finally when the food started to come out two hours after our reservation, everything was mixed up to the point where the waiters were yelling at us saying it was our fault that everything was a mess. Then when we asked if we could just pay for what we had, the managers threatened to call the cops on us. We are a group where many of us work in the food service and never in a million years would we have done the same if the situation was reversed. It started to feel as though we were trapped in this hell and the managers were keeping us hostage. If you want to be treated like dirt, yelled at by both the waiters and the managers and have to wait two hours for food that you can get at sushi samba, then this is your place!

5 Stars: great experience in east village (by jperez321)

jperez321 — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

we were 25 for dinner ...did a pre fixe menu for the occasion, everything was perfect had a great time ..staff was very accommadating ...food and space spectaculer, reccommend highly
zappalittos and ceviches are a must try...pisco sours are amazing.
atmosphere is out of this world.
no problems....just pure heaven...must try!

5 Stars: great customer service breathtaking experience (by nickychula)

nickychula — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

party of 8 got there 25 minutes late, hostess told us that since we were late we needed to wait a bit for seating, so she escorted us to bar area,which was very crowded.we waited around 20 min before sitting. drinks were good food was excellent. definetly worth the wait.

1 Stars: WORST experience in manhattan! (by j56)

j56 — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

We were a group of 14 people for my fiances birthday. The reservation was for 9:15pm, we did not recieve one appetizer until 11pm. We sat there with empty stomachs with no explaination of WHY the food was not coming. We watched as food by the trayful was brought to other tables. We asked for the manager Mario and he started to yell at US! We ended up leaving and just paying for the few sushi rolls and drinks that we had recieved. The management did nothing to accomadate us, they took what was suppose to be a fun birthdat party and made it the WORST experience in manhattan.

4 Stars: Vive la vida loca!!! (by plancha7)

plancha7 — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I was eating last saturday with 3 friends..our reservation was at 11pm but we did not sit till 11:30....the place was packed!!always go for my Ceviche Mixto and Fried Oysters I love them.. perfect combo! they were having this latin music live ...loved the vibe this time!!! food was better than ever!my friends were so happy with the entrees...we got lamb shanks ,duck and Parihuela soup perfect with jazmine rice on the side...the chef sent a conch fritter ceviche special for us!! so fresh crispy and tender..picante and limey with this hucatay mayo!!! owesome!!

5 Stars: great space!! damn good food!! (by moe351)

moe351 — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

just thought id write that i had a great time at kion last weekend!!
great food ....very crowded on weekends i was told sometimes two crowed like this past saturday.
had to wait 25 minutes for my table ...was told the reason for this is because thier diners seem too arrive late and that they would fix this problem as soon as possible....decided to hang by bar area...beautiful space i thought
hostess was very warm and pleasant. kept checking on us by bar area....when we were sat pure delight. food is amazing...we definetly were overwhelmed .
as the night progressed the place was definetly over croweded... we had a blast. live brazilian band on one level... drum and bass on the other

1 Stars: WORSE EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE AND HOSTESSES WERE VERY RUDE!!! (by mindi_k)

mindi_k — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I'm convinced that some of the reviews here are written by the staffs themselves b/c the couple of "bad reviews" on here is exactly the same reason why I would NOT recommed this place to anybody. First of all, this place is really small as a restaurant, so they can't accompany too many medium size party (5-7). So they're screwing themselves by advertising as if they do. They give you 2 hours to eat before they try to kick you out. After I arrived, 20 min. later while waiting for my friends to get there, one of hostesses told me that either my friends would have to come soon or she will have to move me to a "worse table" b/c they're expecting a group at 10pm. She said, "I don't mean to be rude but..." I was shocked b/c I just told her that I'm throwing a surprise dinner party for my best friend and he was sitting right in front of me!! Around 10pm, she comes again and says "sorry but there's another group coming." We were just done w/ dinner and ordered some desserts and told her that. Then a different hostess, more aggressive & hostile, comes and says, "we need this table." We told her that we just ordered dessert and drinks. The dessert wouldn't come out for 30 minutes!! After asking out waiter for the 4th time where's our dessert, we knew that it wouldn't. I complained to the manager that you're not servicing us, then came out the dessert that looked like someone sat on it and was of obviously poorer quality before we complained. Our receipts came out and they added 20% gratuity for a party of 5!! I complained to the overall manager this time and he said that they weren't suppose to do that. After I complained to the manager, one of the hostesses heard me and started arguing with me, asking when did I do this and that? I never went to any restaurants in NYC where they kick you out right after dinner and were so rude from the beginning.

1 Stars: Slow & Nightmarish Service (by wes1984)

wes1984 — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Not worth going. It's way overrated. Took 40 min. for the food to come out. Decor was kinda tacky and wanna-be-hip but sadly not. Service was terrible- I get better service when I go to a 3rd-world country. Stayed after dinner to checkout the lounge downstairs but that was way too crowded with only a handful of people in there, so I gladly left. Two things that I remember about this place is the incredibly rude service and how slow the food came out. Food was okay but it not worth the hassle.

5 Stars: Gem of a Place! (by bessdevenow)

bessdevenow — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Had eaten here once before and was very impressed with the food and decor and more private "basement room" for large groups and decided to throw a friend's 30th birthday dinner there last night...

Needless to say, we were all blown away by the food, decor and service. Staff here really goes out of their way to make your night memorable...they accidentally sat us at the wrong table, but then compensated by bringing us 2 bottles of champagne on the house. We also got 2 complimentary dessert samplers, one of which had a candle for my friend:)

Food and cocktails are innovative, REASONABLY PRICED and amazing...highly recommend the ceviche sampler, salmon and tuna entrees, as well as the flirtini cocktail and sushi rolls.

Something to please every palette and an aesthetically pleasing setting:)

4 Stars: Good Sushi (by lavend)

lavend — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I took my fiancé here for his 30th birthday dinner. It was one of the few nicer sushi restaurants that were actually open on a Sunday night. I would rank the sushi comparable to other well-known sushi establishments. However, we also tried the tapas and cevichi, which I would not recommend. They were not my favorite! There was also a mysterious alien -like fly on the wall. It took us all through dinner to figure out that it was real and not plastic. Nevertheless, the ambiance was romantic and trendy. The only reason I would return to this restaurant would be for the sushi and cocktails.

5 Stars: Synergistic Peruvian and Japanese fusion (by firestarryl)

firestarryl — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Kion is one of my favorite restaurants that I like to take out of towners to. It has innovative food that is delicious and eclectic modern latin decor, loud and colorful but stylish. I used the downstairs metal tatami room for my birthday and everyone had a blast. The food was great and all the drinks were great. Especially the Pisco Sour. The waiters were very attentive even for a Friday night. Definitely order the Ceviche tasting plates and the dessert tasting plates. The prices are medium range but the drinks are a great value, around $8 or so. The sushi rolls were good and I love the tuna tartare. Everyone had a great time and several people said they are going to use it for their events as well.

4 Stars: Gorgeous Ambiance / Terrible Service (by b00pi3flak3s)

b00pi3flak3s — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Its pretty and the food is tasty. It gets high marks for its presentation and fusion quality menu. The service is a bit spotty at times and can really use some work. Ambiance, like the food is trendy and pleasing to look at.

5 Stars: Amazing!!! (by melmal286)

melmal286 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Kion is an experience no one should pass up! The atmosphere is very relaxed and trendy (but not pretentious), and it turns into a great hang out spot after you've finished your DELICIOUS meal! It's very rare to find a place in the city where you love to hang out and also love the food. Every dish I've tried is extremely tasty and they put just the right mix of Japanese and Peruvian flavor into each meal. The music is great, the lighting and overall design is fabulous and to top it off, the Pisco tastes like it's straight from Peru (trust me, I've been)! If you haven't been, hurry up and go, you won't be disappointed!

2 Stars: Disappointing (by nerbit)

nerbit — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I really wanted to like this restaurant - I love sushi, ceviche and tapas, so how wrong could you go with a fusion of all three? Well, start with messing up the reservation ("yes, we have your reservation, but we don't have anywhere to seat you"). Had to sit at the bar, where half the seats were broken and uncomfortable to sit on. They were out of some of the menu items, and the ones that were available were a mixed bag: some were very good, some were merely OK. Service was patchy, too: some staff members were great, others were indifferent bordering on hostile. Not one to rush back to.

5 Stars: A Perfect Birthday Party! (by sts2008)

sts2008 — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Found out about this restaurant on Zagat by searching for places that could handle groups - picked it because of the diverse menu and because of the tatami room downstairs. We got there at 8 on a Wednesday, when the restaurant was pretty empty, which was great because our waiter gave us his full attention for seating, moving around, etc. All the employees were extremely nice and helpful, from the bartender to the bussers/food runners that were helping our waiter. I cannot stress enough how great the setting was for a birthday dinner! The lighting was fun, the size of the tatami room really encouraged conversation between all the guests (we had 13, and everyone had plenty of room), and there was a variety of drinks and food to please everyone's different tastes. I asked our waiter to pick a selection of tapas and ceviche, and he did a great job - all the appetizers came out staggered so we got to nibble with our drinks and get into the party spirit. I love ceviche and the selection of ceviches was delicious and creative. The entrees were satisfying (I had the sea bass, which was perfectly cooked) and the servers were wonderfully attentive and accomodating. At the end of the meal I had brought a cake which they served to us on a pretty platter, with the candles even arranged and lit as I had asked... the birthday guest said it was "a perfect evening," and several people said they'd like to return to the restaurant on their own to explore the menu more. In all, it was a great experience and I'm glad I chose this place for our party.

5 Stars: Best peruvian restaurant (by sol1959)

sol1959 — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

This place is with a great vibe .I love the ceviche and my pisco drink,is really authenthic peruvian cuisine

5 Stars: best group party space (by dabloom)

dabloom — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Last Friday night, i celebrated my birthday with a group of 35 friends! I was really happy to be able to find a place that could actually host so many peoplewith out being in someones home.
We made the reservation 5 days before, and were hosted in the downstairs banquet room.
We had the whole place for ourselves, with 2 waiters for us. they were great and were able to handle all the orders perfectly. when the food came out, it was very well presented and tasted delicious. We had everything from sushi to tapas to cevich to deserts. I highly recomend it for any party you may want to do. Oh by the way after midnight they moved the tables and we danced all night long, it was just perfect.

5 Stars: best lighting and best ceviche tasting (by kurtland)

kurtland — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Hi went last night to kion with 4 friends, we are all designers and were recomended to check out the lighting design at kion. it was really cool, we had never seen anything like it, not in clubs and certanly not in restaurants. Aside the lights, i really recomend their ceviche tasting,
you get 5 or 7 types of ceviches and all are great. we also tried the tuna tartar and the argentinean skirt steaks, all were good. my friend was vegetarian and was happy with the
vegetable stir fried. The service was good, but could be better, the bartenders were really cute and knew what they were doing, i recomend their fruit martinis. I recomend to anyone to try this place.

5 Stars: BEST SERVICE (by tessa101)

tessa101 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

When i mean best service, i mean best service. I arrived with a group of 9 girlfriends to celebrate my bachelorette party. We had just gone to another place and did not like it, so my friend recomended Kion. We got there afraid we would not be seated and were greeted like queens by one of the owners. inmediatly we were scorted to a private tatami room downstairs, and with our menus were given glasses of champagne to each of us. What else can i say, from that moment on, everything was magical. I highly recomend it to anyone looking for something special or for any event. PS: you must try the gozzila roll and the crispy oysters.

5 Stars: best environmet - food combo (by markbest)

markbest — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Hi, I was at Kion on Saturday and was surprised that the place being so full, I was able to get my reserved table within 15 minutes. The environment was fantastic, my girlfriend and I were
drinking the best pisco cocktail while enjoying ceviche and sushi, which were great. The service was ok, not the best in the world, but everything else made it up for it. For main course i had a
Sea Bass and was to die for, and my girlfriend had the fillet mignon which was also very good.
Overall, where else can you have raw fish and a great steak with amazing decor and great music!!!!!!!!!!

2 Stars: worst service! (by tiny022)

tiny022 — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion on a Sat night with my boyfriend and another couple and we had the worst service! the food was decent at best, ive had much better. I would not tell anyone to come here.you will wait hours for your food (raw food too!)

1 Stars: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! (by hoff313)

hoff313 — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

This was, hands down, the worst dining experience I have ever had in NYC, and I go out all the time. The staff literally had no idea what was going on. We were a group of 8, and from the second we sat down, nothing went right. Our reservation was at 8pm; forget appetizers, our drinks didn't even get to the table until almost 9pm! We didn't get our dinner until 10pm, and once they brought it out, it was literally all wrong. Some dishes were incorrect, one never even came out...we had three people caring to the table and no one knew what was going on. When we complained, first to the manager, then to the owner, we were told we "don't know good restaurants, and we are rude people." What restaurant in NY responds like this?? The food was mediocre and not something worth returning for, even if the service had been fabulous. And as for the owner who turned a deaf ear to our complaints (which were so valid) and sided with his staff, if his temper and demeanor are what he deems appropriate, then the restaurant won't need this review to turn away customers; he'll achieve that all by himself.

5 Stars: best ceviche in new york (by tingle342)

tingle342 — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

peruvian and japanese gotta love it!!!
food excellent
sevice was overall good even though they were super crowded...what to expect on a saturday night
i love the decor ....futuristic definetly....recommend it highly to any one looking for something different but very relaxing

3 Stars: Good Food, Horrible Service. (by timothy_olson)

timothy_olson — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I will first admit that the food was good overall. Appetizers were small, but the entrees made up for it. (my tuna actually had too many sauces, which overpowered the taste of the tuna). My one friend ordered a glass of white wine, which came out warm. This was comped. My other friend ordered a mojito. was served in a small glass filled with ice and limes...only about 2 sips of actual drink. i had the smallest martini, which the waiter spilled part of. After waiting 45 minutes for our appetizers, we finally had to ask for them as 2 tables sat after us received their food before us. We had also received someone else's apps on accident. The light behind where we were sitting kept flashing. Had to ask the host to fix it. Also had to ask the host for our apps becasue our waiter was never around. He also left our table before we were finished requesting things. Almost forgot to mention that the manager almost pushed me down the stairs as he flew past me...no appology. Overall, food was good, but the service was horrible. Do not recommend to anyone! (FYI - this is my first posting. felt compelled to offset the great reviews this place has received).

5 Stars: Savior (by aznvubr)

aznvubr — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I had to find last-minute restaurant for my girlfriend's birthday and I'm so glad I was able to find Kion. It was a nice change from the typical asian, american, and italian meals we typically have for celebrations. I was able to make a reservation for 17 people three days before her birthday and the best part was I wasn't forced to having a pre-fixe dinner like some of the other restaurants had wanted.

The place was certainly trendy and the service was very pleasant and accomodating. They made up for the missed Happy Birthday candle I requested for our desserts by bringing over candles in another dessert without me asking. The food was delicious and presented very well, I especially liked how the Godzilla roll was presented. The meals were certainly adequate as it satisfied my hunger and over some pretty good music.

The only thing I would suggest against is having this be a first-date restaurant. The music was way too loud that at times we couldn't hear the waiter and we had to repeat our orders a couple of times. But aside from that I would certainly return and have some of the other dishes especially since it was affordable. Actually, I had anticipated a much larger bill at the end but was happily surprised to see what it came out to be.

5 Stars: Excellent service, excellent food, amazing ceviche (by citylover76)

citylover76 — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I recently had my birthday dinner at Kion Dining Lounge and had a wonderful experience. The service was amazing and the food was wonderful. The ceviche is amazing. They took such good care of my friends and I...we all had a wonderful time. They gave us a long table downstairs and allowed us to take our time. I would recommend this place to anyone, whether it's for a large group or a romantic dinner for two. We all absolutely loved it!

5 Stars: Great Meal and Service!!! (by candy1281)

candy1281 — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Went to Kion last night for a friends b-day and what a great time we had. We were expecting a large party, so they seated us in the blue room downstairs, where you sit on pillows on the floor. When half of our party failed to show up, the waiter, Christian, was not at all rude nor did he try to rush us out from our large table. He was also very helpful when it came to ordering different things on the menu. We had a great time and the food was excellent! If you have a large group (8 or more) make sure to reserve the blue room downstairs!

5 Stars: great atmosphere (by bostero)

bostero — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 02:00:00 GMT

the water bar is only the begining.the sushi beyond fresh.the interior design fabulous.the music mind altering.

4 Stars: Not a Sushi Eater?? (by mdj2104)

mdj2104 — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I chose Kion's because of it's great reviews and I must say they were right!
My friends love sushi however I don't. Kion's has a great selection of entrees in addition to its sushi. So even if you're not a "Sushi eater" you'll still enjoy yourself. I ordered the Stewed Lamb........By far the best Lamb I've ever tasted!! I will definitely be going back!!

5 Stars: Wonderful Food and Atmosphere (by rocket376)

rocket376 — Wed, 31 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I went to Kion with a group of friends a few Saturday's ago, and the place was so good I felt compelled to write my first review! First, the food was excellent: interesting presentations and unique dishes. Second, the value was great; after ordering a ton of food and several drinks, the bill still came to less than $40 a person (though I suspect that the nice manager might have given us a few freebees!). Third, the atosphere -- especially the blue-light-lit downstairs (which has communal tables and a DJ spinning) was very cool. The place was not crowded, though not empty either. It's a perfect place to start a night out with friends or a date. Just an undiscovered gem all around.

5 Stars: International Sophistication (by cvillavicencio)

cvillavicencio — Mon, 22 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I started going to Kion just a few months ago, originally for drinks and later for dinner and now I can say that I am a regular. The atmosphere is unique and the food is excellent (I love the parijuela I am not sure if that is how it is spelled). I have taken both friends and clients and both groups were impressed with the decor, the food and the drinks. A few weeks ago I took about 10 Chinese clients who usually tend to be very picky about what they eat (non Chinese food) and they loved it. By the way one of the unique characteristics of the place is that it is a very international crowd and changes dramatically every time I have gone there, but always very sophisticated. I recommend it to all my friends, however it is not the kind of place you take grandma.

5 Stars: amazing place in nyc (by percyb75j)

percyb75j — Tue, 16 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

at the moment you get in everything changes ,
spectacular decoration , two ambience in one , two bars one at the first floor and another one a the lower level , i went with seven friends , attention was good we placed our orders and took around 20 minutes , while waiting we had some drinks , pisco sour ,mojito , margaritas. they were great .Food was something out of this world , I tried the tiradito and it was amazing my friends had some tapas , fried succhine , dragon roll, grill salmon ..
after dinner we went downstairs atmosphere was completely different , nice crowd , we stayed there more time than expected.
something else , next time i will go with my girlfriend , they have these candles on the wall at the first floor that gives a section of the restaurant a romantic atmosphere .

5 Stars: wow (by johs)

johs — Tue, 16 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

great autentic peruvian cuisine with a twist
delicious!!
awsome space bueatiful decor
must see !!

4 Stars: interesting concept! (by abox)

abox — Tue, 16 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

We had a lovely dinner Monday night! This was my 3rd time dining with friends at Kion and as always we had a great time. Weekdays are less crowded, which I prefer. I recommend the lychee martini and any of the ceviches - definitely the best ceviche I've ever had (try crispy oysters!). The prices are fair for manhattan and the service is better than most in the east village.

4 Stars: i like and like this place more and more (by suede0777)

suede0777 — Tue, 16 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

went a couple of times, during the week i had no problem...and i would be one to complain if that wasnt the case
On the weekend i did wait a bit to be sitted but when a place is happening, thats what you get. i should had made a reservation...
love the music layout lights people and yes FOOD...sushi - ceviche great mix
try the tuna steak

5 Stars: wow ..new peruvian restaurant! amazing ceviches (by plancha)

plancha — Mon, 15 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

came here with 10 friends on friday night
everything was perfect... food is heaven
we were greeted by the hostess and sat down immediatly
the space was very crowded and and we decided to order drinks promptly
food can wait....we thought
drinks were great and they kept coming
great ambiance and very cool crowd
seems like everyone was having one big party
service was very good and our waiter was very helpful and charming
everyone should give this restaurant a chance you definetly wont regret it

1 Stars: the worst of the worst- move on... (by localeats)

localeats — Fri, 12 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I had a group of 10 people in from out of town.45 minutes to get our first drink. waiter didn't even come over we had to go and ask him. not only could we not hear him from the speaker blarring music into our ears when we asked if he could maybe just turn it down "that is not up to you that is up to the manager" we ordered about 20 dishes, maybe got 12 of them (almost 2 hours later, had to go to the bar and get drinks)(they didn't even bother to let us know) they just brought us other stuff and said "sorry, try this". the table next to us had the same situation. what a waste of a dinner and money. trust me there are soooooo many better places that are worth while and know how to take care of guest.

1 Stars: Worst place to go with a big crowd (by bugs)

bugs — Thu, 11 May 2006 02:00:00 GMT

The food was medicore, definately not worth the price, small portions! We waited 2 hrs for our food to come! and the seats were quite uncomfortable! We had 13 people & some of us got their food while most didn't. The waiter came over & told us that our food didnt come b/c they usually bring out the appetizers first. That's a lie b/c some already ate their steaks, and I didnt even get my appetizer! Then they said the kitchen forgot our orders. We didnt get to leave that place until 3 hrs after, even though they offered us drinks on the house, it does not help that we missed our event that cost us a bundle more. He also offered us free desserts but we didnt want to stick around for another hour for that to come. It was the WORST service I've ever experienced.

5 Stars: great time great food (by spinett007)

spinett007 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 02:00:00 GMT

awsome just awsome!!!
food is spectacular..they added some more decor to the space along the bar which called my attention as soon as i walked in.
the food is the best in the city...nothing to envy big restaurants such as nobu or sushi samba
highly recommend it ....
sorry the other reviewer had a bad experince...it happens

5 Stars: very nice time (by lulubelle)

lulubelle — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 01:00:00 GMT

party of 8 for dinner-birthday celebration, we had reservations for 8:30...we weren't seated until 9:10. We ordered cocktails such as pisco sour, margarita, mojito, martini & it took 25 minutes for drinks to come to the table...."new bartender" our waitress explained...to compensate for the mishap they gave our table champagne with dessert...we had tapas shrimp w/garlic sauce, dragon roll, fried zucchini, & blue potatoes w/feta cream and all were good..entrees also...grilled chicken & mash chimichurri, grilled salmon, ceviche sampler, skirt steak chimichurri was overdone, we had a great waitress but she seemed to be overwhelmed.

afterwards you simply walk downstairs...no cover & dance the night away....the atmosphere and design is high tech cool, impressive...the crowd in the club was a bit wierd....the music was really great brazilian groovy but it was a bit of a freak show but entertaining watching lots of gringos try to get their latin groove on....

2 Stars: A little disappointed... (by nyc_gal_123)

nyc_gal_123 — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 01:00:00 GMT

The good -
Sushi roll is very fresh, and the ceviche dishes are big. We ordered 4 ceviche dishes & 2 rolls for 2 people, and it's one dish too many. Service was attentive, but then there was only 3-4 tables filled on a Sat night.

The bad -
Drinks are horrible. Saketini is by far the worst I had in town. Expensive dishes for what they are. Entree lists just don't match the cuisine (pork chop in a Japanese fushion place?). Avacado in almost everything. The decor was just OK, a little chessy. I would come here for drinks next time, and stick to wine / sake instead of cocktail. $120 for 2, and it's just not worth the price, esp in this neighborhood.

3 Stars: Just OK (by nicolanyc)

nicolanyc — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Went to Kion for Valentines; was very excited to try a new restaurant in the area, only to find that we'd been before when it was Industry! We ordered several of the tapas dishes to share but they all arrived at once though and wouldn't even all fit on the table! I really wish they would have staggered the dishes because by the time we got around to eating the steak it was cold. The rest of the tapas was OK, nothing too special but no complaints. The whole thing was over in 45 minutes until we ordered more cocktails to try to make the experience there longer as the place is quite cool inside. Overall I can't say I would rush back as there are plenty of places like this in NYC for less money.

5 Stars: I loved this place (by cleanup04)

cleanup04 — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I'm a big fan of lychee martinis and Kion outdid themselves by adding Chambord to the recipe. I went on a Wednesday night and the place wasn't packed at all. The service was great and the food was oustanding. Try the Kion salmon. The best thing of all is the ambience. The set up is great ... the lighting works ... and the place seems to give off good energy.

5 Stars: Great new place!!! (by jabla21)

jabla21 — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I didn't know what to expect from a dining lounge, but I was happily surprised. The decor is really well done - stylish, modern, comfortable. The food was really good and didn't break the bank. I was there on Saturday night and they played brazilian music to the wee hours. Will be going back to Kion for sure.

1 Stars: you can find better (by jrolph)

jrolph — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 01:00:00 GMT

We give Kion Dining Lounge low ratings. The food was a low mediocre, not great. The sushi was better than the entrees but definitely not some of the best in town. The service was poor - we ordered a pork tenderloin which came as a pork chop. When we asked the waitress if the wrong dish had been delivered she asked us "what's the difference?". We think they put tenderloin on the menu and served chops. The atmosphere is cool (but the tables where you sit on the floor are not very comfortable). Definitely try other places before this one.

5 Stars: Amazing new place (by modelizer)

modelizer — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 01:00:00 GMT

I just hope this place doesnt change once more people find out about it. The Zapallitos Picante is to DIE for as well as their decadent dessert. I had the Passion Flamenco cocktails which was perfect. the decor is sexy, and intimate. Great place for a first date or a dinner party with friends. The manager Marrio is Super cool too. I decided to book the VIP room for my best friends birthday party and he offered us free wine with our meal!! Amazing place!!

5 Stars: An East Village Treat (by chuckmccoy)

chuckmccoy — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:00:00 GMT

Great food, fun drinks and an ecltic crowd make this palce a real find in the east village.