One if by Land, Two if by Sea

went Sat for the first time via surprise from my wife on my birthday. food was exceptionally good and quite reasonable. the place is beautiful and quite romantic. one caution "upstairs is Siberia" i.e., no view, no ambiance, slow service.

Pros: romantic, good value, fine dining

Posted 01/14/03

Sorry folks but this is strictly for those who travel into Manhattan for special occasions. If you are under 24 this might seem to be a great place in the big city but for the rest of us it's just a liitle too chheesy and the food is under par for the price.

Posted 01/13/03

This used to be a good, romantic restaurant. The menu, service and atmosphere are outdated, boring and the food has gone steadily downhill. The 60's are over, guys.

Posted 01/11/03

This is the first time I went to this restaurant, we were seated upstairs where I think is not as romantic as downstairs. So next time you may wanna request for a table downstairs. The place is nicely decorated and romantic. Service is not exceptionally good but decent. We had a 5 course tasting menu and all of them were great. I wouldn't say that the place is really the "most" romantic restaurant in nyc, but it is definitely worth a visit if you've never been there. The price is reasonable with all the great things. My girlfriend loved the place. The only cons is that the tables are located too closely, like the other person said, you could seat closer to someone you don't know than your lover.

Pros: Romantic, Good food, Famous

Cons: Bit crowded

Posted 01/11/03

We got there a bit earlier than our reservation time. They seated us right away. We spent lovey 3 hours of fine dinning at the most romantic table. Yes, it is true not all the tables are in romantic setting.... Beef Wellington was superb.
Chocolate souffle is divine. Creme Brule was Orgasmic
Highly highly recommanded...

Pros: Romantic

Posted 01/11/03

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at One if By Land, Two if By Sea. Everyone was extremely pleasant, accomodating, and helpful. It was a very romantic and cozy atmosphere - each table has roses, and a tall tapered candle which sets the mood, and many of the tables for two have seats next to each other rather than across. The service was prompt and knowledgable, but not overpowering. All of the food was fabulous, especially the desserts. Overall, it was a teriffic experience - we were made to feel very special, which makes it a great choice for special occasions. It was a rather expensive dinner, but it was worth every penny. I would recommend it to anyone!

Pros: excellent food, very romantic, great service

Cons: expensive

Posted 01/05/03

The problem with this restaurant is that there are only about 6 "romantic" tables. Every other 2 person table is right next to another table. I was closer to the guy next to me than to my wife across the table. If you are from out of town insist on a window seat. We were seated well beyond our reservation time, and ignored for 15 minutes after we sat. The food was okay.

Pros: Piano Player

Cons: slow service, tables too close!

Posted 01/01/03

To be able to visit this resturant for my 40th was indeed a treat. It was exceptionally busy, (the friday before christmas) but the food and service was excellent. We were in a side room, as the main dining area, appeared to be Black tie only. The venison truly melted in the mouth, the only service error was made with the supply of the wines, but was promptly corrected by the head waiter who supplied a complimentary wine with our main course. Excellent value - Well worth a return trip !!!

Posted 01/01/03

Been to One If By Land... several times now and each time it gets better and better. Ambiance is very good and while other reviews claim its "romantic" feel, it is a little bit crowded for romance. But I've never had better food - - from the beef wellington to the duck to the shrimp. The prix fix menu offers plenty of variety and while not cheap, provides great food for the price.

Pros: Fabulous Food, Nicely decorated, Gwich Vil. location

Cons: Price, Resrv far in advance

Posted 01/01/03

I took my fiancee to the restaurant, the food and service were outstanding.....The meal ended up costing about $400, but I would say it was well worthwhile

Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance

Cons: Cost

Posted 12/31/02

too expensive for little food, snotty service. i made reservations for my anniversary and was seating near a kitchen half an hour late. bus boys spoke no english and created a scene when we did not want to mix dairy and meat. bill was humongous, we were still hungry and went to figaros instead and had a great tiramisu

Posted 12/29/02

The food is rich but not outstanding. The menu is somewhat dated. The winelist is outrageously expensive. And if you aren't getting engaged here you are out of place. OIBLTIBS is basing its success on its longstanding reputation as a romantic restaurant. Its day has come and gone. It is cliched now.

Pros: Great Service, Quiet

Cons: Overpriced

Posted 12/12/02

This gorgeous fully restored historic brownstone is one of our favorite places to celebrate a quiet romantic evening.
Their signature Beef Wellington is fantastic, the ambience is unparalleled, and the roaring fire can't be beat!

Pros: Excellent food, Not wildly expensive, Discreet service

Posted 12/12/02

I brought my boyfriend there for dinner for his birthday. We got a beautiful table in a quiet room with fireplaces. Our dinner was delicious. We had tasting menus (I think there were about 8 courses) and they paired wine with every course. At the end of the meal they brought the dessert out & my boyfriend's plate was decorated for his birthday. I had just casually mentioned that to the reservationist and I guess she noted it and the staff followed through. Great service. Beautiful ambience. I would definitely recommend it.

Pros: Beautiful Ambience, Great Food, Friendly Staff

Posted 12/11/02

My Wife & I had the most pleasureable eating experience while dining at One If by Land Two If by Sea. From the very moment you enter through the Oak Door a new experience awaits you as you hear the lovely music of the piano playing soft melodies and are greeted by the Maitre d' . As he asked us our preference as to which table would we perfer we choose one near the window facing the fireplace. Our waiter Michael was very attentive to our needs throughout the evening and his recommendations of the fine selections of dishes on the menu made it an enjoyable culinary delight.
The dessert menu made the evening complete as we both had the Creme brulee. We will surely be back to this fine establishment in the future and would recommend it highly to our friends and anyone that enjoys one of life's pleasures.

Pros: Food, Decor, Service

Posted 12/11/02

Tasting menu with wines is the best. Very intimate setting. We got engaged right after dinner.

Posted 12/10/02

This might be the worst restaurant experience I had in the three years I lived in New York. We were seated upstairs, which has significatly less ambience than downstairs, under a wildly blowing air conditioner, with a massive oversized fake floral arrangement poking us in the heads. The waiter was nervous and barely competent. The food was obscenely overpriced even for NYC (though some of it was tasty). The outer bourough couple next to us left their table between each cours for smoke breaks and the heavily made up woman bitched at the waiter for 10 minutes for forgetting to put a candle in her husband's desert. The piano player was pure cheese (he played "Misty"). It was July and the fake fire place was blazing. The whole experience was horrifyingly awful.

Cons: pure cheese, overpriced, terrible service

Posted 11/26/02

I felt like an old Hollywood star having drinks here. I spent hours talking with one of the regulars and listented to him tell me stories about this old haunt. The drinks were fine, but the bartender was very snobby.

Pros: Regulars, Ambience, Piano Music

Cons: Service, Drinks

Posted 11/24/02

My future husband proposed to me here. He called them in advance and once he proposed, they were ready so they brought champaigne. they were very attentive, but on the other hand didnt bother us too much. We were seating by the fireplace and it was very romantic.Definately would recommend for a special occasion, but beware-a bit too expensive for small portions.

Pros: romantic,cozy, good service, good food

Cons: a bit too expensive

Posted 11/21/02

Most romantic restaurant in NYC? Geesh I don't know abut that. Tremendous service, good but over priced food and a slightly gaudy, antiquey vibe does not make for such a mind blowingly romantic ambience from my and my girlfriend's point of view.

Posted 11/13/02

If you go to this restauraunt I recommend getting the tasting menu, its a great way to sample many of the delicious items on the menu.

Cons: bathroom was shabby, $$$$

Posted 11/06/02

Sure the place is somewhat romantic, but larger than one would expect and if you're not an aged "playa", they'll seat you in the attic. The service adequately mimics upscale, but the "executive chef" fare is just that, an academic display of culinary knowledge. "Huate brown suace" if you will, liberally slathered around. Reserve early and grease whomever you have to to get seated down in the main room where you can hear the piano. 60 bucks a head for bleacher seats and monotone entrees hinges on atmoshpere to exact a positive experience.

Pros: Atmoshpere, Pianist, A bar

Cons: Atmoshpere, too much space, A bar

Posted 10/21/02

This place is so romantic! Definitely one of the places in the city where many marriage proposals have happened! In a way I don't even want to go back because I don't want to spoil such a momentous memery...

Posted 10/13/02

Yes, the ambiance is elegant but my idea of intimate isn't sitting on top of the couple dining next to me. The beef wellington is good, but doesn't warrant the price. Add in the fact that the place is tucked away in a seedy section of the village and you get a disappointing, overpriced, overrated experience. You can find much better for your money.

Pros: ambiance

Cons: price, location, dining area upstairs

Posted 10/07/02

One of the most superb dinners I've had in New York. I recommend the taste menu. The service was excellent. Waiters weren't pretentious. The ambiance was very romantic and cozy which made the entire dinning experience more enjoyable. Perfect place to bring someone special. Highly recommend it.

Pros: prix fix, easy to find, good wine

Posted 10/07/02

We dined here on a Wednes. night and the restaurant was 1/2 full. The pianist was playing the theme song from "Ghost." Other tunes to follow were "Hill Street Blues" and "The Godfather." Equally painful, our waiter kept saying "I'll leave you two alone now," (w/ a wink) which got increasingly annoying since we weren't getting engaged. Menu was either $65/person for the prix fixe or $75/person for the tasting menu. Monkfish and the steak were subpar. Dessert was a joke - chocolate souffle sank when the waiter cut into it! The staff was courteous but trying to push the romance card a bit far and VERY cheesy. In all, this was by far the cheesiest, unjustifiably expensive place we've been to after 3 yrs. in NYC. I wouldn't recommend the place unless you're looking to re-live a dining experience from your high school prom (yes, it's that bad, folks).

Pros: Courteous Service, Easy Reservations

Cons: Painful music ..., EXPENSIVE bad food

Posted 10/06/02

Great food and ambianice! I dined there when I was married and loved it so much that even the memory of eating there with my ex won't stop me from returning as often as possible. Here's to old flames and bright beacons!

Posted 10/03/02

I had a very memorable night. The service, the elegance, the food. The intimate setting. It was a perfect evening and to top it I got engaged there.
Truly a complete romantic package.

Pros: Intimate setting, Food, Service

Posted 10/02/02

The place is very romantic. Not flashy or gaudy, just simple elegance. It seems like every little detail has been seen to, From the lavish floral arrangements to great red wine glasses.The food? FORGETABOUTIT.. The gnocchi my wife had on or last visit were the softest things I have ever ate. She loved the Free Range Chicken, and I always get the Beef Wellington. That stuff is like a religious experience. So flavorful and cooked to perfection. I will be making the 3 hour trip to NY on our 30th anniversary in June for dinner at my favorite restaurant ONE IF BY LAND TWO IF BY SEA....

Posted 10/02/02

Very nice ambience and delicious tasting menu.
Good for special occassion like birthday, anniversary..

Posted 10/01/02

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who's in the mood for a beautiful candle lit dinner! It gets better & better every time I go! Truely one of the most romantic places I have ever eaten in.. The chocolate soufflat is to die for!!

Posted 09/26/02

Yes! A very exciting, romantic, cozy, beautiful affair.... We have committed ourselves to having our wedding ceremony and reception at One If By Land. We are so excited. We met with the event planner, Brian Sempel, and he is very pleasant. He seems to understand all our needs and desires for this very important day and will accomodate us in every which way he can. Again, we are excited to have our ceremony and reception at One If By Land. We celebrated my 27th birthday at the restaurant and we enjoyed every minute that evening in this beautiful, elegant restaurant which is most a very elegant, picturesque, romantic dining experience.
We will update our review after our wedding day. Look for us!

Pros: Elegant, Cozy, Romantic

Cons: Costly-average indiv

Posted 09/23/02

Service was wonderful. Food was excellent with the perfect proportions. My reservation was for 6:30pm on Saturday evening and was never rushed at any point even though we were there for 3 hours. A perfect, romantic setup for an engagement proposal later in the evening.

Posted 09/18/02

This incredible restaurant is one of those places that, well, "ain't easy to find." Generally, I hear you need reservations weeks in advance, but I have had no problem just wandering in and getting a seat. The food is absolutely amazing and the service is impecable. While this Manhattan, candle-lit eatery is rather large for a West Village locale, each table will make you feel like you are alone.

Pros: Great Food, Romantic Ambience, Excellent Sommalier

Cons: Expensive, Reservations

Posted 09/08/02

An excellent restaurant with excellent service. The staff is friendly and the food delicious. This would make for a good dining experience, but add the romantic atmosphere, flowers, candles, etc... you can't lose!

Pros: Romantic Setting, Food, Service

Posted 09/03/02

OIBL / TIBS has a beautiful room and ambiance BUT the food, service, and prices are below average despite the reputation. It does not live up to its reputation. Take your $100 per head and go anywhere else.

Cons: Stale, lazy menu, Diner srvc in a tux, Undeserved Prices

Posted 09/02/02

Just fantastic! Reliable service, great food and the ambience is just right if you like the feel of an old rustic, colonial type place. Nothing but the best since it opened and still not too expensive. Maybe a few glithches but nothing to keep me going back again each month. The perfect romantic spot with a piano bar at night and winter fireplace.

Pros: very good service, fantastic,varied food, great ambience

Cons: don't know of any

Posted 09/01/02

etta james sung it one if by land land lives it. you can't go wrong here. even if you tried. food atmosphere the place you want to enjoy food and the company you keep.

Posted 08/28/02

It is refreshing to go to a place where they don't rush you out the door. The staff treated everyone with respect and gave us a fine presentation of food.

Posted 08/27/02

After our engagemnt early in the day. It was important to the how do I Love thee part. This resturant did all that I expected & more. The encouraging atmotsphere to be commited to wed, the pleasent service, the food it was the iceing on the cake.

Pros: the attmosphere, the service, the fresh flowers

Cons: small, not full chamber mu, varity of food choice

Posted 08/26/02

The song from South Pacific (Some enchanged evening) Summed up my dining experience there. Everyting about the place leads to a special a evening. The food, the service,the most romantic restuarant I have ever seen. I recommend it highly to all who want to experience what New York is all about.

Pros: Beautiful Bar, Magnificent Paintings, Various dining rooms

Cons: Music could be better

Posted 08/26/02

My wife and I recently were in NY and dined at One if by Land. The appetizer was incredible, the desert second to none (I am still dreaming about it) but my main course of lamb was not that great. The waiter was incredible and the atmosphere was everything people say it is-great.

Posted 08/19/02

Definitely a place to pop the question - or rekindle the romance. You will see a lot of kissing there :)

Posted 08/15/02

Romantic, peaceful and wonderful food tucked into the village! Great when the fire is lit.

Posted 08/12/02

incredibly romantic and great food. it's expensive but worth the price for a special occasion

Pros: quiet, great food

Cons: expensive

Posted 08/12/02

One if by Land has absolutely wonderful ambience, especially during the cooler months when the fireplaces are blazing. My fiancee brought me here for my birthday the first year we dated and we have been back for several special occasions since. So romantic, and the food is very well executed. It's not the best food in the city, but the overall experience makes it worth a visit.

Pros: Amazing setting

Cons: Reserve early

Posted 08/10/02

From beautiful roses, twinkle candlelight to attentive hostess, it's everything one would expect on a romantic dinner, and more. If that doesn't melt her heart, I don't know what will :-) Frankly, the food is not on our mind, and probably not the most distinctive in NYC. Tips for first timer: Reserve your table a week ahead of time. $75 chef menu and $55 prix-fix per person is hardly expensive. Pay for parking if you drive, or else $110 ticket.

Pros: Romantic, Romantic, What else, Romantic!

Posted 08/10/02

Simply one of the best in food, ambience and service! Worth every penny.

Posted 08/09/02

I love this place - a well-kept secret for many many years. I got engaged here and have celebrated almost every anniversary here. The staff is always polite and accommodating, the food has gotten better and better each time we come, and the ambience can't be beat in New York. Simple, old-world charm. I love the piano playing and the candles - the whole thing is just so special. For anyone who wants a special treat - go there! Or if you wnat great food in an extraordinary place - go!

Pros: Decor, Staff, Food

Posted 08/08/02

Have been there twice for dinner this year. If you're looking for an impressive place with great food and atmosphere, this is it. A bit pricey, but I've spent more for less.

Posted 08/07/02