One if by Land, Two if by Sea

I love this place! I first came here for a restaurant week deal. I felt this was the best deal out of the restaurant week special. The ambiance was great. the service was good. It was so romantic, I wish I was there with a boyfriend or husband. I want to always go back and try their pre-fixe menu for $78 per person.

Pros: If you want to propose, this is the place

Cons: A little pricey

Went on a monday night and had the tasting menu. It's true, you shouldn't order fish on a monday (at least at One if by Land) first course; hamachi, fishy, slimy, overly salty and otherwise inedible. Next was a dorado, fishy, uninspired. So far off to a bad, if not nauseating start. Fois Gras, hard to mess this one up.. it was pleasant and as expected. Main course; beef wellington, probably the most popular dish here, it was all over the menu, it was adequate, if under-flavored. Dessert was a strawberry rhubarb concoction that was over-complicated, with such fresh seasonal ingredients, why try so hard? The dessert was the only part of the meal that I could describe as "fresh". The room is beautiful (think Sign of the Dove) but the food was mostly a disaster, service was acceptable. Not recommended.

Pros: ran into Patrick Bateman

Cons: food, present

When my boyfriend and I stepped into this restaurant, we immediately felt transported into a different, romantic, old world era. What was previously a stable for horses has since been transformed into a most beautiful dining room complete with crackling fire place and baby grand piano. Amidst the tuxedoed servers, we felt like characters straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.
The service was highly attentive without being intrusive. The food was truly unforgettable. Get the beef wellington, the buttery texture simply melts in your mouth. Desserts were divine as well. Really liked the sweet and salty combination of the Rocky Road Fondant. Though there was some lag between the appetizers and entrees, they more than made up for it by giving us a free bottle of wine as well as free appetizers, whilst we waited. Looking forward to my next visit there!

Pros: Great food, amazing atmosphere, very attentive service

Cons: pricey ( but worth every penny)

I had originally made a Saturday reservation for two for my wife's birthday. However, an emergency came up and we had to reschedule our dinner. The restaurant was very accomodating and was able to give us a reservation two days in advance. Although we arrived an hour early, they were able to seat us right away anyway! The decor is very lovely, and adds a classic appeal to its ambiance. We ordered scallops for our appetizer, and the duck and beef wellingtons for our entrees. The scallops and ducks were FANTASTIC! Although my beef wellington was a bit on the salty side. They remembered to put a birthday candle in my wife's dessert without my reminding them, which was a nice touch. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I would definitely come back again!

Pros: attentive staff, friendly service, yummy food

Cons: a little tight on space

We went here for our engagement dinner, and it was perfect. The place was crowded (which I equate with good food), but it wasn't very loud. We were seated in the room that leads to the balcony, and the christmas lights were lit. That, the candles, and the flowers on the table, set the perfect romantic mood. The restaurant only offers prix fixe (at least when we went), and I don't remember exactly what we got, but it was very, very good. All in all, a perfect night and I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

Pros: Great food, very romantic ambience

Cons: A bit pricey (2 dinners, 1 glass of wine = $250)

Romantic---yes. But so is Central Park on a perfect spring day. The difference is, you don't expect an edible meal in Central Park. Terribly disappointing.

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: the food

I used to dream about going to One if by Land, Two if by Sea and then, when I finally did get to go , I understood that some dreams can come true. A subdued atmosphere doesn't take away from the excellent service, presentation and overall dining experience at what is surely one of New York's top five restaurants.

Pros: food,service

Its a great resturant. Dim lights, very romantic. Food was excellent, very fresh. Waiter was very knowledgable and attentive, but not overbearing. The place was hidden, hard to find, almost secluded. Didnt even look like a resturant from the front. Resturant staff = excellent. Overall experience = excellent
I went there for resturant week. I been to other places for resturant week and quite frankly the service sucked. i dont know if it was because we was there for resturanrt week and not the regular menu. But here, I was treated like royalty. Just go. Dont bother reading about other reviews.. with some guy complaining about his drink tasting like kiwi.. lol.

Pros: Food, service, romantic, definitely will impress your date

Cons: Location hard to find, bring big bucks lol

Ok- I like gin... I like Kiwi...Not necessarily a taste explosion when paired together! It actually looks like lizard puke...the smell, not too far off?!? How exactly does their cocktail list go with the romantic-upscale food! I love the food! I would love a great drink to go with it!?!
Never again!
Decent wine selection-but it could be updated and the waiter didn't really know the wine list? I had to go with what I knew. This place always impresses my dates, and it always works...but I just wish they had something better to drink.
I will come back for the food!
Service needs improvement-especailly regarding the "cocktail list"-YUCK

I surprised my fiance by taking him to One if by Land for dinner while were in New York celebrating the anniversary of our engagement last week. The menu was great - we both selected a steak entree - and I ordered a bottle of wine. The ambiance, the food and the service were all great. There was only one disappointment - but a big one. Shortly after our wine was poured - a large party of 12 was seated adjacent to us - in the dining room upstairs. What I had expected to be a quiet, romantic, celebration dinner quickly turned into dinner in a bar - or so it seemed. The large party seated near us - had no respect for the atmosphere in the dining room - nor for us or the other 3 couples seated upstairs. They were obviously having a business dinner and were very rowdy. We thought about requesting to be re-seated downstairs, but did not want to make a fuss. We endured the rowdy party and made it through dinner. I was very saddened though - that my romantic dinner wasn't that at all. I would go back - but I would ask the hostess seating us - if we could avoid this again.

Pros: Very dark, quiet place for a nice candle lit romantic dinner

Cons: Make sure that it remains that for the length of your dinner

I went there on Tuesday 7/29./08 for Restaurant Week, with my wife and another couple. We haven't been there in years but have heard great things about the new chef, Craig Hopson, who comes from Picholine. What an amazing experience --- to die for ! ! . The food wasn't your standard restaurant week fare --, steak, shrimp, pork, fish -- and it didn't disappoint. Simply excellent, innovative, and top notch. The place is beautiful and subdued with wonderful life piano music. The wait staff was courteous, efficient and knoweldgeable. The hostess and I found out later, the owner, Colleen was charming. She alone is reason to re-visit this gem. I can't wait to come back and savour the menu.

I always sort of avoided this place. I've lived here 10yrs and found that institutions like this rely more on their ambience and history as a romantic draw and don't focus on their food as much as I'd like. But I figured I'd give it a shot anyway, and I was instantly and consistently impressed from start to finish. My girlfriend and I tried the buffalo ribeye and gnocchi apps, then the beef wellington and rosemary crusted rabbit. They take some pieces of classic cuisine and really alter them in a new and genuine way, twisting just enough to make it exciting while holding true to the aspects that have made them so prevalent. Our server, (John?), couldn't have been more professional and his service was well-timed and his manner extremely authentic and concientious. He exhibited exactly what I try to instill in my staff ( I've been in this business for years), and it's a rare treat to find a combination of innovation, old-school quality and truly pleasant front-of-the-house demeanor that appeals to young (like me), and old. He definitely "crafted" a great evening for us, and there wasn't a tinge of disappointment throughout, in any area. Perhaps that doesn't sound like a compliment, but it's just about the most valuable sentiment I can give to any restaurant, definitely a great experience and I'll return often.

Pros: The food, service

A superb experience. A truly elegant, relaxed, delicious affair. With so many poor quality establishments at every turn in this city - it's nice to know that some restaurateurs still care to please the customer on every level - food, service, decor, ambiance - these are rare qualities in today's dining out world, which makes One If By Land such a dining delight!

I went here for my fathers birthday and it wasn't at all what i expected. Everything was great except for the food. The bar was well stocked and they can def make some good drinks. The food overall was rather bland. The best part was my 1st course, (mushroom and parm crumble) it was superb if a little rich. My second course was blah (i cant think of any other way to describe it) dessert was the same. The spring veggies had been overcooked so much that they had shrunk to a quarter their size and become brown, the gravy on top of the beef was partially congealed and cold. The beef had no flavor and the pastry around it was a lump of mush. The others had fish which was tender, but again unflavored. My sister tried the foie gras which had more oil on it than all the oil wells in the country. I have had good foie and this was def not it. The sauteed shrimp was overdone. This establishment has withstood the test of time, but its not as good as it was. The crowd was a mixture, but the majority was made of oldies sipping drinks and reminiscing. Overall, One if by Land was blah...

Pros: Ambience, Service, Drinks

Cons: FOOD!!!

This place is everything it claims to be and more. I've been here a few times and have never had a less than perfect experience. The food is absolutely delicious, my favorite is the monkfish. The desserts are to die for so be sure to leave room! They have an exquisite wine list, however if you're unsure, the waiters are great in making recommendations. The service is impeccable, I took my mother once for her birthday and without any request at all from me our waiter brought a lovely dessert out with "Happy Birthday" around it in chocolate syrup. There is a romantic, relaxing ambiance with fresh flowers everywhere and a garden outside while the pianist plays in the background. If you know the history of the building it adds some extra intrigue. I could go on and on about One if By Land, but it still would not do it justice- you really should just go.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Plan ahead with reservations

My wife and I revisited the place where I asked her to marry me 15 years ago. You can sense the ambience as soon as you enter. The lighting, decor, fresh roses and music set the romantic mood that you look for in a restaurant but rarely find. The staff were very accomodative by moving us nearer to the courtyard windows on the first floor. The wine selection has recently been modified. Although they did not have the bottle I selected they quickly offered an upgrade blend at no additional charge. The waitstaff is attentive but not overbearing. Their Beef Wellington is the best I've ever tasted. It is a fantastic restaurant that lives up to it's billing and provided us with some more great memories.

Pros: Ambience, Serice, Food, Wine List

I have wanted to go to this restaurant for a while, and I decided I would make reservations for our first wedding anniversary. We loved the atmosphere! We had an awesome table on the first floor by a window looking into the courtyard, and were not bothered by other tables? conversations. We deiced to do the tasting menu along with the wine pairing. This was a great choice! The wine pours were very generous! What is so funny is that I HATE fois gras, but I ate it as part of our appetizers and I did not even know what it was. I was telling my husband I loved whatever I just ate, and he laughed, and called the waiter over to confirm what I had just eaten. For my main course I did get the Beef Wellington and to be honest this dish has never blown me away. For some reason I associate it with Vegas Buffets, but WOW it was awesome. Every part of it was great!! My husband did get the lamb and that was also good. Our waiter was so great! We were not rushed and were there for hours. They brought our dessert course out with a candle and had written ?Happy 1st Anniversary? in chocolate around the plate. What a great ending to a wonderful night. I really think this was one of the best NYC overall dining experiences I have ever had. Everything was good from the atmosphere to the food and the staff! I was scared this was going to be one of those over hyped Manhattan restaurants that do not have actual substance, but everything about it was wonderful. For sure we will be going back!!

Pros: Great Service!

Cons: Hard to get reservations!

I went to this restaurant for the first time at the beginning of restaurant week. The portions were certainly scaled down in size, but they were excellent. The scallops were WAY too scaled down (you only got 2), but my hangar steak was a good portion. The citrus baba was fabulous, and the appetizers were very good. The waiter was excellent - the best service I've had in the city. They let us sit for 30 minutes and finish our bottle of wine between the main course and dessert - there was absolutely no rush and our waiter was very attentive at bringing out food or the check when we requested in. We sat upstairs which was not as quaint as the main rooms below, but it was still a very romantic setting.

Pros: Service, Ambience, Location, Wine List

I recently tried this restaurant twice after reading Frank Bruni's review in the New York Times.

I agree with him that while the ambience was always very romantic there seemed to be a none too exciting approach to the food.

I went there twice. What a pleasant surprise! The decor, while still formal, is not as heavy as it was before. And I do like their booths located around the restaurant.

I could not believe what I saw on the menu. I just never expected this (previously staid) restaurant to show such interesting food. The gnocci with Burgundian snails is awesome! I loved the venison and the partridge too. Even the desserts, which I always found a little boring are far more exciting. I loved the kumquat dessert.

I am glad that the restaurant took on Craig Hopson from Picholine. Even more I am glad that they really are making something for themselves and not resting on their laurels. While the service was good, it was not exemplary (but that is something very hard to find in New York).

I really look forward to going back again!!!!

Last night I was beyond excited to get the chance to visit this raved about restaurant. To my dismay, the food was sub par. I took advantage of the restaurant week, prix fix menu. The pasta just didn't taste good, and the salmon as a main course was just a little too undercooked for my liking. Overall the food was bland. The chocolate souffle dessert was great, but I also feel like I would have gotten that anywhere. The idea behind the restaurant was great, very enchanting decor. I was extremely disappointed. At least I tried it, but I wouldn't go back.

Pros: Ambience.

Cons: Food.

Very nice ambiance. Food ok. More of an experience. We went for our 2 year anniversary and were very satisfied. The desserts came decorated with candles and "happy anniversary" written on the plates: incredibly nice touch.
I would recommend it to any couples seeking romance and ambiance. Candles, roses, dark lit, live piano playing etc.
The only thing I disliked was that our hispanic waiter was slightly annoyed and not really soft or sophisticated. He was speaking spanish very loudly with a couple sitting behind us. He brought down the athmosphere a little bit but not too much.

Pros: Ambience.

Cons: Food not too impressive.

I've lived in the city for years and have always heard what a fantastically romantic restaurant this was so I thought I'd finally check it out and take my boyfriend for his birthday.

I didn't expect the food to be stellar, I was really more interested in going someplace where the atmosphere was cozy and romantic.

It was disappointing from the moment we walked in the door which was like walking into a loud bustling train station. Nothing special or romantic about the piano music -- I think I heard the theme from Cheers. We were seated upstairs in a small room that was unnotable for anything.

Both the wine and the champagne we ordered were not chilled properly and the waiters kept trying to fill our glasses to the brim -- probably to make up for the fact that they knew they were busy and would forget to stop by.

We both had the 6 course tasting menu which was SO SO awful we didn't finish a single dish. I didn't want to embarrass him or I would have spoken with a manager because I can't imagine how any restaurant could have achieved even a single star with the horrible food that we were served. The service was not at all attentive... leaving us wondering most of the time if they had forgotten about us or the food which was served barely warm each time (except one of the desserts which was seved as a pool of liquid -- it was ice cream).

With so many wonderful restaurants in this city, you are not missing a thing if you never step foot in this place!!!

Cons: Bad Service, Atrocious Food

My fiance and I arrived to the restaurant for our 'annual Christmas dinner' and were greeted by an unwelcoming hostess who made us feel like we had to 'prove' our reservation. Once seated at our table I found myself looking around for something to support this restaurant's rating as most romantic of 2007. But never saw anything to make me want to come back or recommend this place. The appetizers we had (ham consomme and quail) were interesting but not delicious. The venison I had was delicious but the beef wellington was so so, as the meat looked gray and was smothered in liver. Desserts were okay. Overall atmosphere (waitress/service, food) was snooty. My money would be better spent at a nice, warm romantic steakhouse than here at this pretencious, snooty place which lacks the romantic ambiance associated with it.

Pros: In the village, lots of hype

Cons: Snooty atmosphere, Expensive, Average atmosphere, Hoity Toity menu

Romantic ? I would say not.
How could a place that has a nast Hostess with rude people working there as well as a high priced clip joint be romantic ?
I have been here 3 times, And i ahve to say it was 2times to many
But I won't be back again.

Pros: Great Looking at first

Cons: Rude staff, Much to highly priced

We had dinner here the night we were engaged!! - not a single complaint! - we were seated promptly, the service was excellent and the food was AMAZING! - very tasty, and many good choices for the prix fixed option!, the place is very romantic, nicely decorated, and quiet!, which we really appreciated compared to so many of the very noisy restaurants - will definetly return!!

Pros: Great food, very romantic

Cons: pricey, but it's fine dining, so to be expected

i ate dinner @ oibl tibs lastnight on halloween it was mediocre. Nice ambiance nice wine good service very romantic. I love food i love to eat> i ordered the foie gras for my appetizer it was salty but still tasty. We asked them immdeiately to hold off on our entrees for a few minutes so we could digest ,drink a little wine and enjoy conversation> but when my entree did come ,i got the lamb, it tasted salty and like it had been microwaved or something> i understand we asked them to hold off on our entrees but we gave them ample time before we were even done with our appetizers to do so. someone who i was with got the same thing and she agreed that it tasted like catering hall food. So we asked to have our desserts wrapped up since they came with our meal and they were very nice about telling us what travels well and what does not. Instead we ordered the cheeze platter for dessert > it was great! the best part of the whole meal. maybe i should have ordered cheeze as my entree..haha...bill came we paid it but when i woke up this morning i was not satisfied with the experience they gave us for well over 500 dollars not including tip.

Pros: good ambiance

Cons: not worth the money

I had dinner there last night with a friend and was surprised to see how many poor reviews were posted here.

We arrived and were seated promptly for our 6:30 reservation.
I had the Gruyere Gnocchi and the Wellington. My friend had the mushroom tart and the Wellington.

I thought the appetizer was wonderful and the Wellington was great; melt-in your mouth. We weren't rushed and in general were both very pleased. The Prixe fixe with $6 supplement for the Wellington, and a glass of wine ran about $120 for each of us including tax, tip, and coatcheck.

The ONLY minor complaint was the bread/rolls weren't warm. At this price point I would have expected that.

I don't know why this place suppose to be a romantic dining.

I went there with my boy friend, he didn't like the food at all. I thought the food was ok, but he kept saying it was too salty and drank water. It was an expensive prixe-fixe dinner, compared to the taste of food.

I liked the live piano music.

Pros: live piano music

Cons: food

Their claim to fame is beef Wellington. Here is my recent experience:
A generous chock of meat floating in a pool of coagulated ?wine? sauce landed with a thud in front of me. I was informed it was my beef Wellington. I was intrigued: last time anyone had beef Wellington in my family, President Roosevelt was in office. That?s Theodore. The beef was rubbery and tasteless. I scraped the whole wretched garnish to one side. Bordelaise sauce appropriated its name fraudulently, it?s more like a gravy.
I couldn't help but think at this price I could be dining at the Little Owl. Or Spotted Pig.

Pros: Beautiful setting

Cons: Mediocre food and service

We ordered Beef Wellington from the fix menu and it was amazing!. The waiter was attentive and ambiance was very romantic. The Heirloom tomato salad was fresh and flavorful. We could go and on but it you want a true and romantic place just go there. But make reservations. We were so impressed we purchased a $200 gift certificate for our good friend. We loved it!

Pros: Gives you everthing you can imagine

Cons: Location was a little difficult to find, but worth the search.

This place was excellent. The food the service is Highly Reccommended by me. The staff was organized and professional. The food was excellent. We went during restaurant week and the menu was perfect. The gentleman on the piano music was so soothing. I would definitely go here again.

Pros: food, service, decor

Cons: a little pricey. Go during restaurant week.

Of five years of living and dining in NYC, this is by far my most favorite place I have ever been. The service was the best around, and our meal was great. Hint - they run the restuarant week deal for dinner all summer long. When I heard there was live piano music, I thought that might make it a little stuffy for my liking. But it wasn't put-you-to-sleep piano music, he played Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen for example, but he played it softly so that it wasn't overpowering. The music made the atmosphere perfectly romantic, and not over the top. If I don't go back for dinner right away I will certainly go in for a drink at the bar to listen to the piano guy.

Pros: Piano player, friendly service

Cons: Expensive outside of Restaurant Week

My girlfriend and I went here two weeks ago and it made our trip. We stayed at the Ritz, went to a Yankees game (box seats), but I will tell you this was the best part of our trip! The restaurant?s GM Rosanne Martino is a billboard of a quality leader. This restaurant is run better than most military commands. The food was excellent, service was superb and the setting was definitely romantic. Waiter was very knowledgeable of both food and wine and helped us with directions to the Comedy Club. I grew up fine dining and I can tell you this was one of the best. A must go place in NYC. Thanks Rosanne!

Thomas Vasko

Pros: Service, food, setting.

Cons: Hard to get up and leave.

Eating at this restaurant is always an experience. The decor is so lush that I feel pampered just being in the building. The food is well prepared and interesting. The service is fantastic and the waiters are all exceptionally well trained. I recommended the beef wellington, the souflee, and the gnocci. They were all delicious. I figured that a place with such a romantic reputation would be a bit corny, but that is not true at all. I found it to be very civilized. And best of all, the $75 prix fixe is a great bargain considering the type of food you are eating.

Pros: Delicious Food, Outstanding Service, Beautiful Decor, Fair Pricing

Cons: The Piano Can Get Annoying

This is a beautiful and romantic place. The food is fantastic and the service is great. Its a bit on the expensive side but it is well worth the money. Go there!

Pros: Food, ambiance and service

Cons: None

We've been here 3 times - twice for restaurant week and once for the regular menu. The most recent restaurant week menu was generous and well thought out - they definitely want to make you happy with scallops, shrimp, pork, steak, etc. No corners cut anywhere, lots of choices. We started out at the bar with lovely cocktails and a very nice bartender. The decor is all it's cracked up to be, it's very cozy, romantic, lovely. The bar is small and gets a little crowded but it's still quiet and relaxing. Dinner was upstairs, with nice views of the downstairs dining room. Service is professional yet relaxed, not stuffy at all. Our guy was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the food tremendously - scallop carpaccio was amazing as was the hangar steak, pork tenderloin. If you've never been here just go and you'll love it. Who can resist the old world charm, the delicious menu, and the great service. Put something nice on before you go - it's definitely a dress up place.

Pros: Ambience, food, service

Cons: None really

My boyfriend took me here on Wednesday for our one-year anniversary. I had assumed since this restaurant is so nice that the staff would be pretentious, but I cannot explain how nice the bartender and our waiter were. The waiter even stayed with us for a few minutes to give us tips on tasting and finding good bottles of wine. We also explained to the waiter that we had theater tickets, so the restaurant made sure we were finished in time but that we did not feel rushed at all. We ordered the tasting menu and opted to get the wine pairings. All of the dishes were amazing and, even though they were small, we left feeling full and satisfied. My favorite dish was the monkfish and fettucine, which sounded like an odd pairing at first, but was beautifully done. I ordered the chocolate trio dessert, and felt that violating my diet for the night was definitely worth it. Two of the dishes were molten chocolate cake and a white chocolate ice cream dish. I get molten chocolate cake all the time, but this was definitely the best one I've ever had. The atmosphere was also great - I am very interested in history so I was excited to eat in Aaron Burr's old house. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone celebrating a special occassion (unfortunately, since I'm only in my mid-20's, I can't afford to eat here all the time).

Pros: Service, food, excellent wine selections, atmosphere

Cons: None

I am writing to tell you about an amazing evening my fiancee and I spent at One if By Land. Although we were not celebrating anything special, it was the most special evening. From the time we walked into the restaurant, to the music of an incredible pianist, until the time we were leaving and stopped by the fireplace for an after dinner drink, everything about the night was superb.

We heard this is the most romantic restaurant in New York, and it surely is, along with impeccable service, delicious food and beautiful ambiance.

Went here for my anniversary with my boyfriend. nice place, very quaint, very romantic with the fireplaces and nice flowers, but very old and stuffy, everyone was 50+ (considering I am 25... this was a negative). but it was a nice quiet evening. some of the food on the menu was unavailable which was disappointing and my monkfish lacked flavor. overall, the ambiance is ok, but the price was way too high ($300/2 ppl) for food that was pretty bland.

Walking down the street with friends and saw a guy playing the piano in the window. It was snowing and we weren't dressed up so weren't sure if they'd let us in. The hostess said they didn't have a dress code so we sat by a fireplace and listened to music, had some drinks and food in the bar and had a great time. My friends and I are mid-20's, most of the people were older but not much (30's). The music was great and the ambience was wonderful, so was the food although we didn't have dinner, just appetizers and desserts.

Pros: live piano music, great bar

Sounds like this place was the place to be during restaurant week. My wife and I couldn't get in - so we decided to go early on a Sunday (too bad they aren't open for Sunday brunch cause it's a great setting). It was quiet and charming and we had a really nice time. The menu was expensive - I see why there was such a frenzy to get in there for only $35 - but not as expensive as some other restaurants I have been to. And it's well worth it. The food is amazing. The wine list is extensive and fairly priced. I don't claim to be a "foodie" or nearly as bitter as some of the other people who have posted reviews here. This is an old-fashioned, charming, New York institution with great food, a helpful and adept staff and we had a great time. What's all the complaining about? What, are people looking for life-altering experiences? It's just dinner.

Pros: excellent everything

Wow. This place was crammed! I had to beg and plead to get a reservation during restaurant week and am sooooooooo glad I did! Sure, we had to wait for a table - but the bar is gorgeous! The warmth of the fireplace and the lilting piano music kept my girfriend and I in the perfect mood. (Not to mention the great Cosmo!!) We were seated in a smaller dining room that I thought was kinda off the beaten path ... but it turned out to be much quieter than the hustle and bustle of the Main room. Our waiter (Curt? Kirk?) was excellent. He advised us on a great bottle of wine that wasn't too expensive. And the food was phenominal. My one complaint is the crowds ... but we knew this would happen during Restaurant Week. We will definitely be back - I want to bring my family here when they visit New York. A real uniquelly New york experience. Thanks One if by Land TIBS.

Pros: great staff

Cons: large crowds

Went there this week for Restaurant Week. One in our party had their regular menu and the rest of had the restaurant week menu. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. We were seated right away even though it was extremely busy. The restaurant is beautiful and the food was wonderful. I'm surprised about some of the comments I've been reading here. People saying it's a bargain for $35 but wouldn't pay full price at other times. My understanding is the restaurant week menu is different than what you would get for $75. The other menu was offered to us and as I said one in our party chose that because he wanted lobster. We all felt we got excellent value for our money. There's something to be said about a place that has live piano music, beautiful flowers, crystal, china, linens etc. You get what you pay for in my estimation. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and will come back and try their regular menu.

Pros: beautiful space, historic, elegant dining

Went to OIBL for Restuarant Week since the place is historic. Had to wait about 25 mins for our table with reservations since it was packed on a Wed. night (mostly middle aged couples and groups). Our table upstairs was nice; the place was glowing w/ candlelight which made for pleasant ambiance. Our server was professional and attentive. The menu offered nice choices for prix fixe (gnocchi was delicious, honey sauce for smoked pork was a great match, and the choc. fondant was warm and good). We opted to add on a cheese course and the cheeses (plenty for 2) were well worth the value (6 cheeses with pairings of olives, honey, fig paste, and grapes=$17). Though we enjoyed our meal, there was nothing special that we would come back for at full price (maybe wine and the cheese course if offered a la carte). However, it was a decidedly good bargain for Rest. week.

Pros: a piece of history, cheese plate

Cons: outdated carpet

Made a reservation for restaurant week. It was really busy, but I only waited 10 minutes for a table. We were treated really well. The food was way better than I expected. Great deals on the wine list and the service was excellent. It was a bit noisy but what can you expect when everyone is there for a "deal" during restaurant week. I would definitely recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

My boyfriend surprised me with a romantic dinner for our anniversary on Sunday. The restaurant is beautiful. Service is warm and comfortable. We had tasting menus with wines. It was a dreamy night. Will definitely be back.

Pros: beautiful dining room, great food and service

Cons: always booked on Saturday nights

It amazes us that this restaurant is able to maintain a reputation as "one of the most romantic restaurants in New York". Interior is dated and lighting is off. Restaurant is noisy and not conducive to a romantic evening out. Despite reservations, we waited a half hour wait and then waited an additional 20 minutes before we were even provided a menu. Service was haphazard - rushed at times and incredibly slow at other points during the meal. While waiters and staff were polite, it felt like service and attention was an afterthought at this restaurant. Food was average at best and not worth the wait or cost. There are far better places in New York to spend your time and money.

Cons: Ambience, Service