Salmon River

I give salmon river the best mid town recommendation and the best thing affordable...:)

Posted 06/30/09

i work in the area and come here quite frequently for lunch. It is an attractive restaurant, good for a business lunch or dinner. Ht the bar when you are by yourself..as I often do...excellent & interesting sandwiches & burgers.

This place is much better than the Oyster Bar at Grand Central and MUCH cheaper!!

Pros: creative, varied & surprisingly reasonably priced food

Cons: bar can be noisy

Posted 05/14/09

Salmon is a very special fish which deserves respect in preparation and cooking. An hastily and careless prepared salmon looses all his great nutrients. This respect is guaranteed at Salmon River. I had the planched salmon. Great food, correct prices and nice staff. Go there if you can.

Pros: Lounge with that delicate bit of flair

Cons: No rawbacks, perfecrt experience

Posted 05/13/09

...mostly seafood, of course. extensive salmon selections but also many other fish and meat choices. the chef is CLEVER, CLEVER, CLEVER!!

Asian, American, Cajun, Southwestern...lots of assertively seasoned, tasty food. Order a bunch of appetizers and share. Place is understated but quite attractive...prices pretty reasonable for a fish house.

Pros: CLEVER MENU WITH LOTS OF CHOICES

Cons: CAN'T ALWAYS GET IN

Posted 04/16/09

delicious fun plates. i love waiting for my food and then it comes and what an experience.
I have been there twice and it makes me happy. Go hungry Salmon River.
see you soon!

Pros: everything

Posted 10/13/08

The butterfish....salmon... and scallops. Each a piece of velvety dream that soothes your entire being. The tiny size of the place only adds to its allure. It feels exclusive
Note: save it for friends, or someone special. Don't let bad dates taint your experience. It's too delicious for that. ;)

Posted 08/10/08

after a friend suggested it to me, i decide to give Salmon River a try. I went on a thursday night and the place was pact from the bar down to the main dining room, you think they where giving stuff away. the where two of us and we had a nice corner table, the restaurant was a bit noisy but not to bad, I started with a delicious steamed fish dumplings, and for my main course I choose the cedar planked salmon, which was out of this world and for $21.50 is hard to beat. Wine selection by the glass was nice and the best part is the wine is served in mini pitchers so for $8 you get more than a glass. After the meal i realize why the place was so busy, good and inexpensive food, friendly and professional service, I am going back to Salmon River.

Pros: value, service and ambience

Cons: none

Posted 03/19/08

It was the best dining experience I have had in a long time. The price was great and the food was excellent. I was at the restaurant on 2/2/08. The staff was lovely. My wine glass never was empty. I ordered the Cedar Planked Salmon, I thought I was going to jump out of my seat when I tasted it. It melted in my mouth. So as the night goes on, I was too stuffed to order a dessert of my own, so I nibbled on my now "fiancee's" dessert. While doing this the waiter comes over with a tray and says, "I have a special dessert for you". Of course I am trying to convince him to take it back to the kitchen. But he graciously uncovers the platter and staring at me was this beautiful ring. I broke out into hysterics. They did it so well. My fiancee tells me it was the eye contact because neither one of us left the table the entire meal. I was so happy that I am planning on returning real soon. No changes need to be made they are top.

Posted 02/19/08

I was curious about this place because of a friend's recommendation. This very attractive restaurant has a bunch of very creative & tasty salmon preparations...and not very expensive. (maybe $21 or in that range.) Try the Hibachi Salmon or the Cedar Plank Salmon. Both are unbelievable. As for appetizers...The fried calamari & the salmon rolls rocked.

Pros: excellent food & value

Cons: busy

Posted 02/17/08

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to tell you about nice experience we had this evening at the "Salmon River" Restaurant. The menu seemed interesting, the prices were reasonable for Times Square location, so we walked in. We were greeted by friendly smile of Gabriel, Restaurant's manager. He gently seated us at nice table and helped with our coats. It was really nice and cozy inside, the warm colors of the walls, little Christmas lights, and tiny waterfalls made us feel warm and comfortable. We stopped our choice at the Price-Fixed Menu, which is $24 only. As we are big lovers of salmon, we decided to try their Pan Seared Salmon, which is served with mashed potatoes and green beans and Hibachi Salmon, which is served over eggplant and seaweed. The service didn't make us wait at all. As soon as we set down, the busperson brought us fresh and soft bread and poured water, then out waiter Roberto took a drink order and was right back with out drinks. He worked very professional. As an appetizer my friend had Creamy Califlower Soup and it was really good! My salad of greens was fresh and marinated tomatoes on the side had surprizing taste. Then the main course came in. The salmon smelled so good! It was a nice combination of well balanced tastes: salmon, eggplant and seaweed. Really brave creation. My friend was also happy with his choice of Pan Seared Salmon, it wasn't dry, wasn't undercooked, it was cooked just right, perfectly juicy, exactly the way he likes it. For the Prix-Fixe Dinner portion size pieces of salmon were pretty big. As a dessert, Roberto brought us sweet strawberries with cream. It was nice ending of beautiful and surprizing meal. We were leaving Restaurant with pleasant feeling, our dinner was great!

Pros: Service,Food

Posted 01/04/08

I came for the pre-theater, prix-fixe menu for $24. A mini (half?) carafe of house Pinot Grigio was $8 and was easily enough for 3 glasses, an excellent deal for a decent wine. The meal started with a chicken-bacon-vegetable soup that had good body with a nice chicken flavor to the stock. Dinner was a Japanese-inspired salmon dish -- I asked for the salmon to be as rare as possible and that's what I got -- on a very flavorful eggplant/hijiki seaweed/shallots/enoki bed. The salmon's flavor itself was very light, with hints of soy and garlic... very fitting the Japanese aesthetic of the dish. The fish was rare like I asked for and did not have that "fishy" smell/taste that would indicate unfresh fish -- if you have eaten bad sushi/sashimi you'll know what I mean. Dessert was a cappuccino cake, basically a tiramisu with no alcohol. I received complementary coffee and tea to top it off. Overall, a really good deal for everything I got... $24 for the meal, $8 for the 3 glasses of wine. I enjoyed my meal and recommend this restaurant.

Pros: Great deal for the money, good food, wine for the price

Cons: If you don't like fish, you won't like this place.

Posted 11/15/07

I was dragged here last night under false pretenses - not until the check came did my friend reveal a $20 coupon (which he used for his half of the bill...some friend). As soon as I looked at the menu online, I could tell it was a hotel restaurant. "Pan-seared" "Sauteed..." "encrusted" - all those worthless terms that don't usually add up to much flavor.

When we showed up, the place looked pleasant enough, but mostly empty on a Thursday night. Prices are manageable, but high relative to the lack of flavor in the food. The dumpling and potsticker appetizers were pretty good. The $25 Snapper was decently prepared, but very bland. Portion sizes were reasonable.

Basically, there are lots of better restaurants around with better seafood and far more flavor. If you've ever eaten a hotel meal on an expense account in St. Louis or Wisconsin or anywhere, you've already been here.

Pros: good appetizers, decent service

Cons: bland food, place is empty

Posted 01/25/07

This is kind of a late review but better late then never. I went here with my parents for T-giving. It was a prefix menu so not too many choices, but all for $35 (I think). My parents had the turkey and potatoes and they loved it. Especially the stuffing and gravy. I had the filet mignon. It was scrumptios. We did have to wait for a table and we had 2pm reservations. But during our wait they bought us a drink, so we were happy. They tried to rush us out but it was T-giving so pretty understandable. I had an overall good time. Friendly waiters offered to take our picture.

Pros: Food

Cons: the wait

Posted 01/23/07

I went to Salmon River last night (12/20/06) after reading the many wonderful reviews on Citysearch. Immediately upon reaching the restaurant I was disappointed. There was no one around to seat us! After finally finding someone, who I assumed was the busboy, we were seated. Well, the same guy who was our busboy gave us our menus and took our drink order. Not once, did he introduce himself. I have no idea what his name was. The bread finally arrived at our table and was hard as rocks. I asked the "waiter" if the bread was typically like this and he replied yes. He then went to "reheat" the bread. Of course, it was even harder. I finally just said forget it to the bread. We then had another waiter come take our order. He never gave us the specials, didn't introduce himself, nothing. When our meal finally arrived no one came back to check on us through the entire meal. We were then rushed out of the restaurant around 9:50 because they closed at 10pm. Most places allow you to finish your meal uninterrupted. The whole experience was horrible and I would not recommend it to ANYONE. A friend said that maybe we had a bad night. Whatever the reason, I hope no one else goes on a "bad night." An 8.8 rating is just tooooo high for this establishment.

Posted 12/20/06

I was in the area and went for quick bite between meetings and I fell in love with this place! The beautiful yet cosy dining room and the friendly and competent service made me feel so welcomed! And the food....o my God! Whatever you order, you will not go wrong, everything looks delcious! However I recommend the clam chouder(just hevanly) and the Himachi salmon(the best)! The cute pitchers used for wine service are such a nice touch. And list, but not last- the prices are more than reasonable. Two tumbs up, guys! I will def. be back!

Posted 11/15/06

once again, I had a wonderful meal at the beautiful salmon river restaurant. This is one of those rare places where you feel so welcome and special. Its elegant and comfortable and the prices are so reasonable, you are just happy to be there. Then there is the food. , flavors jump off the plate! I love the asian dumplings, i love the spicy marinated hanger steak and arugala salad, and of course nobody does roasted salimon as good as as Salmon River, moist, fresh ,yummy! I could go on and on, do yourself a favor and hurry to this gem of a restaurant, join the many regulars who love this place as much as I do!

Pros: food, price ambience, customer service

Posted 11/15/06

Been there both for lunch and dinner and each time was amazed that they were still in bizness. The food is bland and uninspired... i left feeling ike i wasted money and worse the calories. The location is good though for the price which is why i went back but it's unlikely that i will again.

Pros: location, price

Cons: food

Posted 11/13/06

there was not 1 smile to be seen on any staff member. felt like a funeral. food was good but for the money i'd like to have a friendly waiter and bartender. both acted like we annoyed them by being there.

Posted 08/15/06

Based on reviews read online we decided to try this restaurant while in NYC to see the Color Purple. We made reservations on line got a comfirmation# by email, but when we arrived they couldn't find our reservation however, we were seated right away but the wait staff didn't seem to pleased. They were not rude they were just not friendly but we were determined that nothing would ruin our night out in NYC. We were not disappointed the food was very good and the desserts are incredible especially the double fudge brownie w/ vanilla gelato was excellent.

Pros: quiet, good location

Cons: unfriendly staff, pricey wine list

Posted 05/20/06

My family and I had ate at Salomon River before a show for the holidays. It is in a great area of the city for shopping and seeing a showThe place is in salomon pink with tasteful pictures and plants, very cosy. You can also have a drink at the bar and starters in the waiting area. The food had a great presentation and the taste was different with each dish. The fish was cooked to perfection. The only dish that I wouldn't recommend was the salomon with potatoes. It was just as discribed a basic dish and you'll miss out on the chief talents of mixing asian flavors with his dishes. The dessert and prices were good.The sevice was ok, the manager was very nice and available for any needs you might have. We all are going back.

Pros: food, good value, good location

Cons: wait staff, ok

Posted 01/01/06

Food- nothing to write to mom about. My daughetr's burger was good, the bacon needed to be crisper. The fries, excellent! The carafe of house Chardonnay, at $7.50 was an excellent value and quite tasty.My salmon was slightly overcooked, but not too dry. Overall it wasa good meal..but the service was mediocre.No one really seemed happy we dropprd in, just doing their jobs. One waiter and a ton of people to pour water and grind pepper.The host had to help him because as it got busier the service declined.The waterfall was pretty, but don't sit in front of it, it does splash. However, if you like the Zen Garden effect, go for it. Okay experience, but I would not go back. Too many restaurants in the city to do this one twice. Good luck if you venture.

Pros: lighting, ambiance, house wine carafe

Cons: uninteresting waiter, limited menu, didn't feel welcome

Posted 12/29/05

went here for dinner the other day. i had the yellowfin tuna w/asian noodles which was very good. the staff is nice, but they seem a bit confused. we saw orders going to wrong tables a couple times throughout the evening. i would recommend it for the food.

Pros: good food

Cons: confused staff

Posted 12/14/05

I was in the city last Saturday night with my wife and decide to pay a visit to Salmon River.
I was in the mood for salmon, so I started with the FireCracker Salmon Rolls with some kind of asian sauce they where great, and for my main course I decide to try one of the night specials, Copper River Sockeye Salmon, the dish was fantastic beside the salmon been cooked perfect he came with chantarelle mushrooms, bacon, some kind of rice crisp and lemon herb sauce, my wife had the Tandoori Salmon with basmati rice and pear coconut sauce which was amazing, the whole experience was great, the service was excellent and the best part was that after all this our check was under $100. " I'll be Back"

Pros: Best Salmon in Midtown

Cons: I wish the was a Salmon River in my Town

Posted 09/26/05

The service in this restaurant was unimpressive. On a weeknight in March, with only a few tables filled, our waiter was barely cordial. He seemed to be rushing us out as if it was closing time, but it was about 6:30. I guess he had something better to do. Food was okay, porbably wouldn't go back.

Pros: no wait

Cons: service

Posted 08/07/05

A great midtown stop for lunch...business lunch or in-between window shopping. Very "budget friendly" with some of the freshest seafood at half the price (compare to The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station). Can get a little noisy some days at lunch...lots of businesses take clients here...but the waitstaff is very attentive, the ambience is more than decent..and the value is superb.

Pros: Fresh seafood, Service, Value

Posted 07/17/04

Went with my husband on a Saturday evening during the prix fix hours of 5-7. We both had the salad which had a very flavorful dressing. I opted for the beef tenderloin which was an extra $5 but so worth it. It melted in my mouth and the sauce and side of scallion mashed potatoes and asparagus was delicious! My husband had the herbed chicken with mushroom risotto and he liked it too. For dessert we had the cappucino cake which was really tiramisu. The coffee needed some help but can't complain since it's included in the prix fix price which is an amazing deal! Highly recommended!

Posted 07/12/04

I went to Salmon River with my family last Tuesday for a late lunch to celebrate my graduation from college. I had the Wild King Salmon which was amazing, and the Chilean Sea Bass and the Black Sea Bass also got rave reviews. The service was fantastic, our waiter was attentive and prompt. I had a nice glass of pinot grigio with my dinner. For dessert the Capuccino Cake was excellent. I definitely recommend this restaurant, great value, great food.

Pros: food, service, value

Posted 06/01/04

A friend and I recently had dinner at Salmon River while visiting New York. It was a Wednesday evening and only moderately crowded. The room is quite small, but we had a nice corner table and lots of privacy. The service is fair - not quite attentive enough - but not bad. The food was good - bassil chicken for me, salmon for him. Reasonably priced - one appetizer (good calamari) with plenty to share, two entrees and wine for a little more than $50.00.

Pros: good food, good value

Posted 04/27/04

we went for the prix fixe 3 course menu. the ambience is very elegant and the food was really tasty. all for 20$, this is a fantastic value.

Pros: comfort food, attentive

Posted 02/17/04

Went there for a romantic dinner for my girlfriend's birthday - both of us could not have been more pleased. She had the sea bass special, I had the halibut, both tremendously delicious. The ambiance is fantastic, the service exceptional. I will definitely go back for more nights to remember!

Pros: Food, Decor, Service

Posted 11/24/03

I went b/c my boyfriend and I had a coupon for a free bottle of wine... I'll go back because of how amazing it was. We went on a Saturday night, and had NO trouble getting a table as their busy time is during the week. Waiter was attentive, we had the corner booth that was wonderful, and great food. Cute space, good food, great value... I'll be back!

Pros: Service, Value, Food

Cons: Not crowded enough, on Saturdays!

Posted 08/24/03

This would be the best fish restaurant in some (small, landlocked) places, but not in the big city. The fish itself was good, but sides and apps ranged from fair to downright terrible. The service was amateurish and inattentive. The room is nice enough, but if you don't like cigarette smoke, wait for the ban.

Pros: fish, easy to get in

Cons: other food, smoky, lousy service

Posted 03/05/03

Upon arrival we were stuck for 10 minutes behind a large group of 17 with no host/hostess in site. We sat 15 minutes before someone took our drink order. When our white wine arrived, it was warm, and badly presented. The waiter actually seemed annoyed when asked to put it on ice. The smoke from the bar infiltrated the restaurant area and made it an unpleasant dining experience. It's a pity when a place that has decent food gets everything else wrong.

Pros: Decent Food

Cons: Warm Wine, Awful Service; Smokey, Mushy butter

Posted 02/07/03

My wife and I just stumbled on to this place and now we are regulars. Great fresh seafood, reasonable prices and friendly, efficient service. Lots of choices on the menu is lots of price ranges. You can celebrate important occasions here or just grab a salmon burger at lunch. I love this place.

Pros: fresh seafood, great service, good value

Posted 11/16/02

I was entertaining clients in midtown the other day and I would not consider going anywhere else for seafood. Everyone else in my office feels the same way. The bar is really cool. The food at salmon river blows away tbig name competitor like Docks an the Oyster Bar and the prices are much lower.
This is going to be a very successful Restaurant

Pros: fantastic food, lower prices, excellent service

Posted 11/14/02

I must tell you that Salmon River has exceeded my expectations. We were recommended the restaurant by some friends who frequent it. But, they did not effectively let me know why they go back there so often. The fish was of utmost quality, fresh and pristine. I'd say it could easily pass for a three or four star caliber meal. I had some pink snapper from Hawaii that was superb. My friend had the atlantic cod and she said the flavors exploded in her mouth. And we did not wait to sit down either. What a relief. Not a pretentious place at all.

Pros: choice of fish, the waterfall, unhurried

Cons: small room, bar a little noisy

Posted 10/24/02

Was in the area the other day and needed a place to stop in and grab a quick bite. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar, ordered two glasses of wine, and split a burger. Both the food and service were outstanding, and the price was exceptionally reasonable. Our burger was cooked exactly how we asked and the meat was fresh and of high quality. As scary as it is, $10 is a great deal these days for a good burger at a nice restaurant. The rest of the items on the menu looked very tempting, and the ambiance was nice, so we will be heading back for a real dinner in the near future! I have a very good vibe from this place.

Pros: Tasty food, Nice ambiance, great price

Posted 10/24/02

from the moment I entered i knew I was in for something special. what a soothing and comfortable place to be.I was greated by a friendly waiter, and ordered a delicious glass of chardonay andstarted to look over the wonderful menu. I decided on asian seafood dumplings and a terrific sounding fresh grilled salmon with whipped potatoes and asparagus. It was great, eveything tasted perfect. When the bill came, I couldnt believe I had such an amazing meal for such a reasonable price. I cant wait to go back.

Pros: great food, lovely atmosphere, great value

Posted 10/24/02

Heard many goods things about Salmon River and they were all true. A truly great find. Great selection of interesting fish varieties from all over prepared in interesting ways. I definitely recommend this place. Very reasonably priced seafood, too.

Pros: value, tasty food, great atmosphere

Posted 10/24/02

I don't understand what the hype is about this restaurant. It was my night to choose a new restaurant in which to dine with my friends, and so I picked Salmon River. The menu loked good and it sounded like a great place. However, I was highly dissappointed at my actual experience. The food was very plain and bland. The service was the absolute worst I've ever had. Don't go to Salmon River! You will regret it!

Pros: nice art work on wall

Cons: bad service, bland food, over-priced

Posted 10/10/02

Food: Bland and unoriginal, despite the creative writing in their menu.

Service: Need new management...was out of water for 1/2 the meal, salad was never delivered, waitress never came by to see how our party was doing.

Ambience: Cheezy lite-jazz playing, gnats on walls and mirror, dirty floor and baseboards..makes me wonder what's behind the kitchen door...
Overall: Will never set foot in there again!

Pros: no wait...wonder why

Cons: just about everything

Posted 10/07/02

This place was excellent in every way - from the appetizers to dessert. I can't find anything to complain about. The crab cakes were really good. The salmon and cod entrees were flavorful. The warm pear tart was heavenly. The service was prompt. Cool decor...I loved the water fountain..it was great to hear the water run in the background. This is definitely a "go-backer".

Pros: creative menu, ambience, good service

Posted 09/24/02

Had dinner here this past Friday night with some friends and Salmon River definitely did not disappointment. We heard a lot of hype about this place (all good) and after trying it for ourselves, we all agreed.

I had the salmon as did two of my buddies, another had the halibut and the odd man out tried the filet mignon. We were all pleased and would definitely venture here again. The portions are good, the prices fair and the service was attentive - this is just what midtown needed!

Posted 08/09/02