Butter

Why go somewhere nice if the service makes it a low-class establishment? The service was so out of line in many ways: picking on my friends for not being in their "class" and/or PHYSICALLY FIGHTING with them for absolutely NO REASON! DO NOT GO TO BUTTER! TERRIBLE! BAD!!!! BOOO! If you have morals, values, and are a good person with a heart: DO NOT GO HERE!

Posted 11/09/09

With a small group of 3, we had dinner during restaurant week and left disappointed. Butter had been well publicized in the media, so we thought we would give it a try. Walking in, the decor is quite lovely (modern, clean lines, candles everywhere) and the dining room was a good large size... but when it came to purpose of a restaurant - eating - the food was bland and blegh. While the wine list was vast and service decent, the portion sizes and quality of food was subpar. There was no flavoring in any of our small sized entrees and the desserts were just okay. Butter has a lot of hype, but not much else.

Pros: Cool Decor, Good wine list

Cons: Bland, Subpar Food

Posted 10/01/09

Our experience at Butter was extremely uneven and, on balance, disappointing. The food was generally terrific, but overshadowed by bad and slow service, unfortunately located table and noise.
My husband and I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while and came on a Wednesday night during restaurant week. The d?cor was lovely, although a bit run-down in places upon closer look. At 8:30 pm, the restaurant was full. We were seated promptly at a table toward the back of the room on the first floor, where six tables were placed together in the middle of the room at an extremely uncomfortable distance of maybe 3 inches from each other, in a space that should not have been occupied by more than four tables. We were the unlucky couple seated at a middle table, with two other parties about 3 inches to our right and our left. In addition to having other diners so close to us, the dinning room was tunnel-shaped, with a vaulted ceiling, and the acoustics were terribly bad: the sound seemed to rise up, and it was not loud exactly, but somehow incredibly noisy.
Although the restaurant week menu was displayed by the restaurant?s entrance, the waiter did not bring it to the table, and we had to ask for it. Once he learned that we would be ordering from that menu, he took our order and did not speak to us again. For the remainder of the evening, we were taken care of by the other servers, who, I at first thought, were also badly trained and inattentive (my water glass went completely empty for a while) and seemed rushed. However, as the evening went on and the restaurant started emptying, the servers became friendlier and more attentive, which made me think that the restaurant was simply understaffed.
The couple at a table next to us ordered from a regular menu, and it was interesting to observe the differences in service. For instance, they received a small amuse-bouches from the chef, while we did not. I found it not offensive so much, as laughable: really, an incremental cost of an amuse-bouches was worth to this restaurant alienating potential patrons who came to try its restaurant week menu? Another difference was that the regular-menu table was offered some bread while they were waiting for their meal, while we were not. To which I say again: really?
Our appetizers took a while to arrive, but when they did, both the shrimp with sweetbreads and the charcuterie plate were excellent. Then came the 45-minute wait for the main course. After about 35 minutes, one of the servers ran by to tell us that our entrees were coming out shortly, and about 10 minutes later, indeed they did.
My duck confit was terrific, but barely warm. It sat outside in the kitchen somewhere for so long that a thin, dry film formed over the jus, and the top of the meat became sticky and hard. At that point I was famished and dared not send the dish back for the fear of another long wait. Even cold, I could tell how well-prepared it was. My husband?s salmon was nothing short of phenomenal.
After the main course, the dessert came fairly quickly. The raspberry beignets (really, jelly doughnuts) were lovely. The one culinary disappointment of the evening was the sour cream-based chocolate cake. I do not know whether it was intended to be served warm, but it arrived room temperature, was a bit hard and simply unimpressive. We were not asked whether we wanted any coffee or tea with our dessert, which, in the end, was for the best, because we could not wait to leave.
Despite outstanding food, this was an uncomfortable and disappointing dining experience (and I am willing put up with A LOT for good food). We will not be going back to Butter and I would not recommend this restaurant to others.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Poor service, noise, location of some tables

Posted 08/28/09

Butter was FABULOUS!!

I went here after seeing it on Gossip Girl. It's very trendy and upscale. Food was great and drinks were just as good. Our server was amazing, very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I LOVED the ambience and decor. You must visit the bathrooms. They are fabulous and each one is different (I checked them all out!).

I HIGHLY recommend Butter. It was a great experience. I felt like a celebrity!

Pros: Food, drinks, ambience, service, decor.

Cons: Expensive (but worth it).

Posted 07/20/09

The atmosphere is a story on its own. Very classy and trendy place. The food was delicious with perfect portion sizes. Exceptional place for a night out. Service was friendly and attentive.

Pros: Classy, great food and drinks

Posted 06/09/09

I never write reviews, but was compelled to do so in this case. We had planned my friend's 40th birthday party at Butter last Saturday. We had people flying in from the west coast and had spoken with Alex, the chef and William, the Manager on several occasions about the menu, etc.

When we arrived on Saturday, the host was extremely unfriendly and rude. We ended up having 10 people instead of 15, and within 30 minutes of our reservation time, everyone was there. I went to let the host know, and he rudely said "Why dont you go back and count your guests?". I did and told him we would be 10 for the night. I then saw them give away our table in front of my eyes and we were told it would be 20 minutes before we could get our table.

2 hours later we were seated. I wish they had just told us to leave - it would have been better. By the time we ate, no one was hungry, people had been drinking for 2 hours, and other guests had arrived and been downstairs on their own for at least 1 hour.

It completely ruined my friend's birthday. It was incredibly upsetting, especially when the Manager offered us shots as compensation for waiting for the table.

By the time we finished dinner, the music downstairs was winding down, so we had to leave and in the process half the group dispersed.

I have never had such appalling treatment by any restaurant. I would never recommend this place to anyone. In this economy, they are sadly mistaken if they think they can treat people like this.

I have since spoken with the chef and manager and they have apologized, but its too little, too late. They still insist that it was our fault for reducing our party and assembling them 30 minutes late. Even so, for a special occasion such as this, and spending well over $2000 at their restaurant, they should have treated us better.

Dont go here.

Pros: Chef

Cons: Service, rudeness

Posted 05/06/09

The drinks are yummy, Bar is cool, saw several model-est looking people hanging out and the restaurant does have lots of fun funky looking people dining there but at its core the space is only a little better than average, the food is average, not worth the price. But I recommend for drinks

Posted 02/24/09

Overall one of our most interactive dining experiences. The food was amazing, portion size was a bit small but reasonable. The waitress was very attentive when present. It was required that we order our appetizer with the entrees. A DJ in a restaurant is a very different concept but the music was surprisingly good and contemporary but a bit too loud. Very hip ambiance with a very native feel. We felt like we were in a giant Mayan hut with a cool DJ. We recommend that when in NY you give this place a try. It a good idea to call for reservations.

Pros: Great ambiance, good music, good food

Cons: service a bit slow

Posted 02/20/09

We attended dinner at Butter on Feb 12. We had Butter's Charcoutrie plate as an appetizer, mushroom ravioli entre and the seared beef entre. The seared beef was delicious but the others were lackluster at best. Butter's service was the real killer. Our server "J...." waited on us like second-hand diners. Among his notable transgressions: forgot to check in when the main course was served; failed to refill our drinks; lost track of our progress (didn?t know if were at dinner or dessert); forgot to take our dessert order. Ultimately, we became so disenchanted with the egregious wait for our server, we skipped out on dessert. It would be easy to dismiss these problems if it was just because our server was overworked but ours was observably TOO busy sucking up to big-ticket tables. It amazes me that service like this can survive in the current economy. I certainly won't support it again

Pros: seared beef

Cons: poor service, loud and clamourous, tightly seated

Posted 02/19/09

I visited Butter Friday January 29, to experiment their restaurant week menu. From the very start i was greeted by a lovely hostess. We decided to seat at the bar and check out their cocktails and wine list, and I was welcomed by a beautiful brunette friendly bartender, who explained their cocktails and was able to explain the wines in great detail.(SO HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS) Our table took a little while so we decided to eat at the bar, it was the best decision the dishes were amazing, and the bottle of wine the bartender sugested was a great pick. Overall the staff was very friendly, the service at the bar was great and the diversity in the dishes offered for restaurant week would definitely make want to come back.

Pros: Great service and amazing dishes!!!

Cons: a bit pricey

Posted 02/01/09

So after reading all of these mixed reviews I decided to try Butter out for myself and to my surprise it did not live up to the hype.
Upon arrival I was greeted by a lovely hostess that quickly jumped up from her seat to check us in.
Who sits down at the host stand? ( I want that job)
She quickly made up for it with her lovely smile and demeanor.
After I was sat I took a gaze around and I must say that the decor is very beautiful.
I must say that the bartendar was really good looking however it seems as though he was a little distracted by what seemed to be the manager who was sitting at the bar in jeans and some form of snow shoes at 8:00pm.
The waiter took our order and knew the menu very well. The food was great and came out a little later than it should have but we were enjoying our bottle of nice wine, however they forgot to bring out the bread. ( I hate when I have to ask for bread at a restaurant)
They have a steller wine selection which is a big plus for us.
As the time went on the place got busier and the music got louder.
The waiter seemed a little frazled with the amount of tables that were there and yet that female manger was still at the bar on her cell phone.
I wonder if the owners of Butter are aware that his or her restaurant is being run sooooo poorly.

I have gone to many restaurants in the city and I have never had such a poor experience.

Maybe it was an off night perhaps but Butter is a place that I would not reccomend not return to!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: Decor

Cons: Staff

Posted 01/22/09

Had a great night here - great food, great atmosphere!
The waiters were attentive but not too overbearing. The dining room was great and spactious. Will return next time i'm in NY.

Pros: Great vibey place

Cons: The waiting list!

Posted 12/04/08

This "restaurant" is run SO poorly I can not fathom how it is still open. I tried to give it another shot as my first visit was deplorable, And now I marvel at who they pay off to stay open. The GM? pressured us into a bottle of wine and when poured the description was completely wrong- AND was 30 dollars more then the wine we had wanted. His response was the server was an "idiot" and did not allow it to breath. Then to make it up to us he told us to go downstairs to the "private party". How sweet, until the doorman informed us "you will never go down your whole party is ugly" And to top the evening off when we went to find the GM to ask him why he would have led us to believe we were being treated somewhat special, He told us to please leave him alone as he was having a terrible night. Never again. I wonder how no one asks about the intense smell of smoking coming from the downstairs? Is that why we are not allowed to use the restrooms? The food was pleasing if tiny portions, everything else was poor and misleading.

Pros: Made to feel like cattle

Cons: Pushed into spending more money then wanted

Posted 08/10/08

We went for restaurant week. We had been meaning to try this place forever. It is hard to find and very inconspicuous from the street. The entrance was quiet and mostly empty on a Wednesday night. We checked in early for an 8:30 res and went to the bar for a drink. The cocktail list is nice and I had an awesome blackberry margarita. Slightly depressed bartender. The decor is cool and interesting, sort of like an underground space age ski lodge. Noise level and the almost empty bar was perfect, but upon entering the dining room the drone of loud techno music is quite striking. You will be yelling or speaking very loudly for your entire meal. Lighting is subdued and nice. Table spacing not too generous but I've seen worse. For reasons unknown to me the restaurant was filled with about 90% young women traveling in groups of about 4-5. Our server was friendly but not terribly knowledgable. She got the job done pretty efficiently but lacked critical info about the menu and food. The food was excellent - cavatappi pasta with lamb sausage, grilled pork tenderloin over smashed potatoes with "house made" pancetta - which I only wish there were a lot more of - and some nice green veg underneath it all. Green veg is definitely lacking from restaurant week menus! Dessert was to die for - some kind of sandwich of rich chocolate cake and creme fraiche and a salted caramel sauce - YUM in the extreme. My dining companion had braised short ribs with some kind of squash puree which was really great but it came with some stringy nasty green veg thing that was inedible. I could not idefntify it and it was like a long piece of yarn that never ended. They offered some specially priced wines for the event ($33) which was nice, I always appreciate that. There are the requisite weirdo bathrooms - unisex, dark, can't tell if people can see you peeing through the frosted glass doors. I'm getting sick of those! Overall I would return again for dinner.

Pros: Food, drinks, decor

Cons: Loud music, strange bathrooms

Posted 07/31/08

My girlfriends and I really enjoyed this place. From start to finish it was a great trendy New York fine dining experience. We made reservations at peak time so we did have to wait a few minutes at the bar which was actually quite fun because we loved our bartender. The specialty cocktails are pricey but very seasonal and tasty. The hosts were helpful in making suggestions as to where we should sit to make the best out of our night. They were right about us liking the downstairs more for this occasion. Girls night out was perfect with a perky male server and a great DJ. The downstairs definitely has a more casual relaxed feel. The food was delicious and portions much bigger than we had expected. Must haves: steak tartare, squid appetizer, filet, and the breaded veal. We were too full to order dessert but really liked that they give you miniature chocolates when delivering the hefty bill that is well worth it.

Pros: Ambiance, Service, FOOD

Posted 07/10/08

I have been looking forward to go to butter for a long time. When i called i asked a table for 11 they said they can only do 10.30 because it was PACKED. When i got there they made us wait 30min FOR A TABLE I RESERVED!. Then the hostess kept feeding me lies " the people are paying the bill" first of all the table should be cleaned out and ready by 10.30. Then they placed us in the lamest spot downstairs , well that doesn't go by me. I demanded a table upstairs and a decent spot. The hostess gave me a rude look and looked me up and down , realizing I'm wearing labels and diamonds she smiled and said it will be done. I found that very disgusting . Then we ordered a round of drinks and the waiter forgot what the drinks were that we wanted. After he brought a wrong drink for my friend . The food is not bad but not amazing. My duck was OK. The salmon is juts not what i like but my friend enjoyed it. The funny part was that we had to wait 50min for our food after the appetizers. Oh and one more thing at 11 half of the restaurant was empty!.

Pros: decor

Cons: service!!

Posted 07/05/08

It is inexplicable how this place is still in business, bad food, bad service, high prices. NY is filled with beautifull restaurants. Dont waist your time here.

Posted 04/06/08

I went to this restaurant with a friend for his birthday. The food was great .. I personally loved the Duck..

The food was pricey.. save this place for a special evening you can spend $400 on a meal easily.

The service was good.. the only thing I did not like is that the waiter kept asking people if they wanted Tap water or Sparkling water loudly, I personally don't think that someone should be asked this question constantly.

Pros: Food

Cons: Price and Being asked constantly do you want Tap water

Posted 03/26/08

Usually I don't knock a restaurant for service if the food is good- any server can have an off-night. And the food here is good, even if not quite worth the inflated prices. For $21, the foie gras should not be so mushy as to be indistinguishable from the bread and fruit compote served with it.

But the food and service are not the problems here; it is the management. The downstairs at Butter becomes a "club" at night, which is fine. But the downstairs is also where most of the restrooms are, and after spending over $200 on dinner for 2, I was not allowed down to the restrooms. There is a handicapped restroom near the front door, but it was swarmed by people waiting to be allowed into the "club" who were not customers, and obviously a long wait.

Well-managed restaurants allow their paying customers to use their restrooms, plain and simple. They do not put customers spending $200-$300 in a position of negotiating with a 300-lb bouncer to use a restroom. I would recommend this place only to those who:

-Are insecure and lack self-respect to a sufficient degree where being treated like this is just fine
-Are naive enough to think this shoddy treatment indicates "eliteness" (B&T anyone?)
-Have never been to a real restaurant (again, B&T)

It is too bad- the food really is good, but this city is full of good restaurants who treat their customers well.

Pros: Decent food, nice decor

Cons: Treated like garbage after spending over $200

Posted 03/17/08

A bunch of my friends and I went to butter last night and we were very dissapointed. The staff was rude, especially the bartenders. The food is sub-par - it really was not impressive at all. My chicken dish was super salty and dry and the fish was dry as well. The waitress was not very nice either and did not serve us well. For all the hype this place IS not great. The decorations are plain, and the restaurant itself is quite small. Dont expect to see any celebrities either..they usually close the downstairs area if there is a VIP guest.

Also,the staff is unprofessional... The crowd is mostly older 30's or 40's stuck up people who watch other people.
All in all, I do not recommend this place to anyone. But, Its your choice. Try it out for yourself and dont be surprised if you are dissapointed.

Pros: If you're old there are other old people there

Cons: Food, Service, Ambience

Posted 02/22/08

Martini "up" charge? I have no problems paying $12 or $14 for a martini but to get a separate $2 charge for serving it "up" (how else would a martini be served?) was annoying enough for us never to go back...

Posted 01/03/08

My wife and I had dinner a few weeks back here and I can tell you its not worth the hype. Staff tried there best and the food was okay for the price but watching the owner and managers go around and breath down there customers necks was painful. I saw a customer complain and the manager told him if he had a problem with the dish that maybe he should leave. They then started to rush us out of the restrauant as they had VIPs coming so we were no longer required for there business which is very sad. HOSPITALITY look at this word and learn it!!!!!!

Pros: Nice place

Cons: Management and the snobs

Posted 11/30/07

My wife and I had dinner at Butter for her birthday. It was a weekday (wednesday, november 28th) and the place was packed. However we were seated promptly. It was extremely noisy and we had a hard time chatting without raising our voices too much.

We ordered the salmon tartare and the foie gras as appetizers. We were served the appetizers 20mn after we placed our order. Salmon tartare consisted of 3 extra thin slices of salmon (cost over $20) and the foie gras was made of FAT (we're not talking duck liver here, it was a block of pure jiggly white FAT).

We waited 50mn (yes you read well, FIFTY minutes) AFTER the appetizers before the entrees were served. I asked twice the waitress if there was any problem with our order and she kept telling me we'd be served in a few minutes. I had the colorado lamb (it was fine but nothing exciting for a $35 dish) and my wife had the pork tenderloin that she liked.

Needless to say we didn't order any dessert. It was our first and last time at Butter.

Cons: bad service, food below average for what it costs

Posted 11/28/07

I read the other reviews which stated that this place was unpretentious and not snobby, but my party was treated like trash because we were not any sort of celebrity. We were all nicely dressed new yorkers who were looking for a nice night out, but were treated like dirt! Please do not visit this restaurant!!!!

Pros: none

Cons: absolute snobs

Posted 11/26/07

Very Pretty, Steak is to die for and the drinks are nice. A bit expensive, skip the Kobe and go for the Filet, a much better and cheaper choice. The Maitre' D welcomed me twice as I returned from the bathroom and asked if he could re seat me???? Odd? And our waiter was a bit rush rush at the start of the meal and a tad snooty. But life ain't perfect.

Pros: Great Steak

Cons: Expensive

Posted 11/26/07

I was at Butter a few weeks ago, with my business associates for a company dinner. It was a Tuesday night, so I was quite surprised when we were seated at how busy the restaurant was. There were only two servers on the floor. The servers were quite busy trying to accomodate all the people, and the support staff was also busy dropping off food and clearing the tables. While I was waiting to place my order, I took a moment to check out the scene. That's when I noticed an attractive female and an older man watching from the service area at how busy everything was. Were they the owners? If so, wouldn't they be happy that their restaurant was busy versus empty? Most owners are. At that point the woman, took a walk around the dining room with this fierce look on her face checking out everything. I was promptly distracted by my delicious appetizer of scallops and my wine. My entire meal was excellent and my server, although busy was abe to focus and guide my dinner party through some wonderful food selections. She recommended the Venision which was out of this world! Later I asked my server who was the scowling older man and she informed me he was indeed the owner. He had spent the whole time I was eating there with an ugly look on his face from the service area. I feel empathy for the staff at Butter.

Posted 11/19/07

This "restaurant" is run SO poorly I can not fathom how it is still open. I tried to give it another shot as my first visit was deplorable, And now I marvel at who they pay off to stay open. The GM? pressured us into a bottle of wine and when poured the description was completely wrong- AND was 30 dollars more then the wine we had wanted. His response was the server was an "idiot" and did not allow it to breath. Then to make it up to us he told us to go downstairs to the "private party". How sweet, until the doorman informed us "you will never go down your whole party is ugly" And to top the evening off when we went to find the GM to ask him why he would have led us to believe we were being treated somewhat special, He told us to please leave him alone as he was having a terrible night. Never again. I wonder how no one asks about the intense smell of smoking coming from the downstairs? Is that why we are not allowed to use the restrooms? The food was pleasing if tiny portions, everything else was poor and misleading.

Pros: Made to feel like cattle

Cons: Pushed into spending more money then wanted

Posted 11/05/07

Butter is a high end place with a somewhat unique decor. You notice the arched ceilings as you walk to your seat - but then all the trees decorating the place gives it a natural feel. The staff was very friendly - with one of the hosts stopping by to give us his picks from the menu. The food was good - I had venison - cooked just like I ordered it - medium-rare. It was tender and a good cut of meat (I would have preferred more spice, though). We also had the foie gras - I am new to this - but I loved it.

Overall - I'd say this was a pretty good place - but didn't quite get to the 'great' level.

Pros: Amience/decor

Posted 11/05/07

Butter is the kind of spot that everyone should go at least once. If you go once you will be hooked. They have great food and a hip atmosphere! It's great for any occasion.

Pros: Food!

Cons: None!

Posted 10/29/07

The food was sub-par and during the entree a waiter spilled a full glass of wine on me and also the guy sitting at the table next to me (the waiter spilled the glass pretty hard).

The manager and waitress quickly came over and apologized and the said ?Don?t worry we are going to take care of this.? Thinking that I would get a free desert or more I said that it was ok and that didn?t really worry about it because it was a simple mistake.

At the end of the meal I got my bill and was outraged that the not only was I paying full price for whole meal but they also charged me for the glass of wine that their waiter spilled! (They also didn?t comp anything to the guy at the table next to us who got wine spilled on his shirt.) I was so angry that I paid the bill and said something to the manager on my way out about having to pay for the glass of wine that they spilled.

She said she was sorry and that the waitress was supposed to take the glass off our bill and that I should send her my email address so that she could send me a gift certificate. I emailed her two times and only got an apology.

BUTTER ? For NY city the place has tacky decor (look at the ceiling), terrible desserts but pretty good appetizers and entrees. When you add the wait staff?s nasty attitude into the meal I wouldn?t even think about going back to this place. STAY AWAY!

Pros: Good appetizers and entrees

Cons: Terrible service and bad attitude.

Posted 10/25/07

There is a man that owns Butter named Simone Akiva who will do everything and anything to make his guests happy. Butter is a very warm, the food is spectacular and Simone is the Best! Me and the girls will surely be back Simone....

Pros: Service and Food Quality

Cons: Bar Stools

Posted 10/19/07

I have never been greeted or served by a more accomodating staff, ever! Quality food and drinks are standard among nyc restaurants BUT I find most servers to be just "blah".... uninterested, no motivation and concerned about how much money I spend, not my dining experience. Butter consistently excels at hospitality, way above my expectations!....and I have dined there since they opened in 2001.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Hard to find, not enough bar stools

Posted 10/19/07

I love the duck egg pasta that I had the other night. I can taste that the Union Square ingredients in the dishes. I was amazed that they have a really great wine list with some good stuff. I was seated on time and treated with respect. The air conditioning could have been stronger. It was a tad warm (I wonder if they were trying to get me to buy more drinks...) The music needs a little help too...All in all a great experience in an area where there aren't many good restaurants.

Pros: food, service

Cons: air conditioning

Posted 10/04/07

Went to Butter on Monday evening and was gravely disappointed. Had an 8pm reservation and was not seated till 9pm. Hostess was very rude and did not even offer us a drink for our troubles. The menu featured typical american fare and was not worth the price of admission. One thing worth noting that it was definetely a place to be seen and people watch!

Pros: Ambiance

Cons: Attitude the minute you walk in the door, mediocre food, service was sub-par

Posted 08/04/07

After hearing all the buzz and reading the great reviews, my friend and I couldn't wait to try this celebrity haunt. We got there 15 minutes early for our noon reservation. The restrooms hadn't been cleaned from the night before and paper was scarce. Our waitress was very cordial, and attended to us throughout the meal. We chose selections from the prixe fix menu that sounded appetizing, but lacked any taste appeal. The lobster ravioli was generously filled, but the sweet roasted pepper sauce did not enhance the flavor, and seemed like it was out of a bottle. The gorgonzola cheese tart was actually flatbread drenched in rich gorgonzola cream, with a sprinkle of tasteless pesto, and lackluster mushrooms on top. It was rich, yet lacked the sinful taste of great gorgonzola. The dessert, marscapone slathered between chocolate cake, was average. The marscapone filling picked up an unappealing aftertaste from whatever was in the storage case along with it, which was a turnoff. The decor was a modern log-cabin effect with domed wooden ceilings and firewood partitions. A very cheesy lighted forest tree mutal was the focal point of the dining room. Great service, average food, not worth the price. There are way better people watching restaurants in NYC with much better food.

Pros: Service

Cons: High Price for Average Cusine, Decor, Filthy Bathrooms

Posted 07/30/07

i made reservations for monday july 30th because when i called a couple of weeks ago, they said the restaurant week promotion was extended until the end of the month. however, when we showed up for dinner tonight, we were told by the waiter that the week was over. the waiter then asked the manager who said the promotion was only going on tuesday and wednesday of this week... random! so not only did they lie to me over the phone, but they were extremely unapologetic about it when i called them out on it. also, when we were there at 8 pm the restaurant was completely empty! so when i asked to be seated in the much nicer upstairs area, i didn't think it would be a problem but i was totally shut down by the hostess. apparently they were only seating people downstairs at the time because later there would be a private party downstairs and they wouldn't be able to sit anyone there anymore, how does that even make any sense!? the downstairs was dark and dingy and had an unpleasant stale odor. plus the cushions seemed really dirty. needless to say, we lost our appetites and left without even ordering. this was the most disappointing restaurant experience i have ever had, hands down!

Posted 07/29/07

Went to Butter for dinner after a show at The Public down the block. Had the strawberry and arugula salad and the duck. Really fresh. really seasonal. Dessert was just as good. Really surprising find. The waiter was funny and smart. Even more surprising. Unpretentious. Would definitely go back for some more good eats.

Pros: food

Posted 07/10/07

What a disappointment. With all the hype surrounding this place, you would think the food would be at least good.

I got the sense that the manager is extremely profit focused and pushes all the wait staff to focus hard on the bottom line. They were constantly trying to push me to ?plus up? my order. If I didn?t get dessert, they were disappointed. Lame and too transparent. Also a lot of cutting corners. The food is expensive, but the dishes are small. A calamari dish is packed with pinto beans as fillers. The ?bottled water? is unlabeled and suspiciously packaged in reusable bottles. And $4.50 for an espresso? Come on.

I will say the butter was good thought. Just wish the food and service were as well.
Two visits was enough for me to write this place off forever.

Pros: Bread and butter is tasty

Cons: Overpriced; wait staff is focused on profit vs. service and overall experience. Food is decent (at best)

Posted 06/25/07

We had heard and read positive things about Butter and decided to give it a try. First impression was poor as the bartender was slow and she had a bad attiude. The host saved us and offered a new cocktail after he observed her behavior. Our waiter Jesse was great. He offered a variety of suggestions and our meal beat expectations. The crispy duck and aragula salad was the better choice of our two salads and would be ordered again. Our entrees were the Seared Bass and Hudson Valley Duck which were outstanding. Bass slightly better. Our waiter suggested the Chocolate Seimfreddo and I believe it was the best dessert that I've ever enjoyed and this closed the dining experience on a high note. Also, the people dining in the restaurant all seemed to be enjoying themselves which made the ambiance even better.

Posted 06/24/07

According to the editor, "Butter's dining room is beautiful and airy, with high arched ceilings and a giant back-lit photo of a birch forest. Though sentinels guard the door, the decor is almost enough to reassure you that this is a serious restaurant. Service is warm and knowledgeable, if at times forgetful". I concur.

Pros: yes

Cons: no

Posted 06/20/07

Seriously though, Butter is the genuine article. I had a terrific steak and my wife had the shrimp salad. THe well-heeled crowd did a good job of making pretty scenery for us while we ate.

Pros: true

Cons: false

Posted 06/20/07

Go to butter. Trust me, after all it's Your Pal Al, and remember, I may not be the best driver in the world but I'd never steer you wrong...mmmm steer.

Pros: The take reservations

Cons: They lost my reservation

Posted 06/20/07

After hearing Paris Hilton rave about Butter, I thought I would book reservations and give it a try. I booked reservations a month in advance, and while the restaurant was fairly empty at 8pm, by 11 the restaurant was hopping!

There was a clear woodsy ambiance through the restaurant that kept it homey but still very chic. I loved the blend of upscale dining but remaining a caual essence. No one here was stuck up or snobby. Our waitress was happy to help us pick the better of two dishes when we were stuck, and I enjoyed having an actual opinion rather than a liberal waitress. I knew she was telling the truth when she chose the less expensive dish as well.

I had the feature sirlion which was a Kobe Steak with fries, for $75 dollars. Sure it is expensive compared to the specialty cut at Applebee's but this was good steak! We also had Foie Gras, Salad, Lamb, and Salmon. Our bill was around $400 dollars for three people after wine and desserts, and tip. I litereally said "Oh My God" after every bite I took at this restaurant from appetizer, to dessert. Everything was beyond exceptional. This isn't just a trendy restaurant that has peaked and is on the downward. Butter is quality and I know it will be around a long time.

The atmosphere is very cool. There are large trees illuminated with back lights, unique chopped wood arrangements, and birch photography. We were treated to an assortment of butters allong with our pre dinner bread, which was a nice added touch. The seasalt butter was a favourite of mine. Compliments of the chef we also recieved a tasting of a new curry dish wich was interesting, I had never had Indian food before.

Overall I thought Butter was worth every penny, we will most certainly be back for more!

Pros: Delicious food, Ambience, Alluring music, Great service, Fantastic Setting. (The washrooms are cool too!)

Cons: Difficult to find after dusk, Cab driver may need intersection.

Posted 06/19/07

i was with a group last year for xmas and we werent looking for butter in particular but we found it and i dont regret it,we had a great time,the music was great althought the bathrooms werent that clean and the club closed too soon but i would go again,it was cool.

Pros: great place

Cons: bathrooms werent that clean,it closed too early.

Posted 05/25/07

I love Butter! Food and cocktails are delicous and always GREAT service. I've been here with my mom several times and also with my girlfriends. Downstairs is a ton of fun and the DJ is great! Love it!

Pros: Great Atmosphere, Great Crowd, Great Food, Great Service

Cons: A little pricy but isn't everywhere in NYC?

Posted 04/15/07

I dropped in on Butter for the first time last night. I found it a little strange there is no signage outside and it makes the restaurant a little difficult to see but I was drawn to the wooden facade. The place is beautiful inside and unique. The food was really solid. I had a Cavatappi appetizer and the Hawaiian fish special. I shared some sides and desserts with my colleague and, from start to finish, I found the food to be very tasty and prepared with surprising care. Our server seemed to know about the food and wine--that's refreshing because a lot of times the wait staff has to check with the kitchen ten times or ask the bartender about the wine before providing answers. Overall a great dining experience.

Pros: food

Cons: a little hard to find

Posted 04/11/07

I visited Butter for dessert very recently, and there is no doubt that it is not a very beautiful and romantic ambiance. Although I did not eat dinner there, I did have every single one of the desserts on the menu. They are all innovative, generally very tasty (although each can appeal to a different kind of taste), all paired with very good balances of textures and ice cream/sorbets. Our server Gretchen was very knowledgeable on the menu, chef's inspirations behind dishes, wine, etc. I'd recommend taking your date here if you want to impress them with the restaurants trendy and dimly-lighted appeal. And apparently, it's popular with quite a few celebritity sightings. Very unique bathrooms, too.

Posted 04/07/07

The place is gorgeous!! I wasn't a big fan of the food though (porterhouse pork chop) - especially for the price.

Pros: ambiance, drink selection

Cons: food, pricey

Posted 04/05/07

I went to a media party recently at Butter for a UrbanEye, and it was really fun! Honestly, I don't go to many media parties anymore- UNLESS they actually go through the trouble of having it somewhere cool and trendy. I think the inside of Butter is very cool; it has this vibe that is somewhat organic...maybe it was the huge tree photograph, but there's also a lot of wood throughout. I haven't had the food there; although the appetizers they were serving were AMAZING, so I can only imagine that the food is equally good. I never saw the downstairs, but apparently its darker and doesn't have the same look and feel as the upstairs area. I personally thought the bathrooms were pretty cool- a little dimly lit, which I guess could irritate those chicks that like to primp in restaurant mirrors ;-) The bartenders weren't terribly friendly, but then again, working a party is never fun for them, since people aren't likely to tip at an open bar sometimes.

Pros: Cool unusual atmosphere, funky bathroom, GREAT appetizers

Cons: Its a little on the small side

Posted 03/22/07