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Home > Restaurants > 15 East

15 East

Critic's Pick Critics' Pick

15 E. 15th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. Union Sq. West  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-647-0015 Send to Phone

    Reserve a Table

  • Price Range: $$$$

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
    • Almost Perfect
    • Exceptional
    • Generally Excellent
    • Very Good
    • Good
    Cheap Eats
    • Best in Category
    • Excellent
    • Delicious
    • Very Good
    • Noteworthy
    • Very Expensive
    • Expensive
    • Moderate
    • Cheap
  • Critics' Rating: **

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
    • Almost Perfect
    • Exceptional
    • Generally Excellent
    • Very Good
    • Good
    Cheap Eats
    • Best in Category
    • Excellent
    • Delicious
    • Very Good
    • Noteworthy
    • Very Expensive
    • Expensive
    • Moderate
    • Cheap
  • Reader Rating:

    6.2 out of 10

      |  

    7 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
View Slide Show
Photo by RJ Mickelson

Official Website

15eastrestaurant.com

Hours

Mon-Fri, noon-2pm and 6pm-10:30pm; Sat, 6pm-10:30pm; Sun, closed

Nearby Subway Stops

4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W at 14th St.-Union Sq.

Prices

$26-$120

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Notable Chef
  • Open Kitchens / Watch the Chef
  • Prix-Fixe
  • Special Occasion
  • Online Reservation

Alcohol

  • Sake and Sojou
  • Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Profile

With its modest size and stark décor, 15 East feels like that rare and exotic thing: a traditional Japanese-run restaurant. The proprietor, Marco Moreira, owner of the nearby Tocqueville, had the good sense to hire Masato Shimizu, a talented young sushi chef who formerly worked at Jewel Bako. Shimizu is a purist who cures his own gari (ginger) and produces high-class, no-frills sushi in the classic style. There are no tricked-out maki rolls on his menu, and no newfangled sushi items containing seared foie gras or Kobe beef. You can get seven varieties of silver fish on the à la carte menu, however, and an impeccable example of sayori (needlefish) with scallion. The anago (poached sea eel) is another specialty, and if you’re feeling flush, order the $75 “tuna flight,” consisting of five different cuts and grades of fresh bluefin, which the gregarious Shimizu will illustrate for you with a special tuna chart. — Adam Platt

Prix-Fixe

Omakase, $75; seven-course tasting menu, $120

Ideal Meal

“Spaghettini” of yamaimo, kakiage, sushi omakase.

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

Featured In

6.2 "Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
42% Would you go back?
28% Would you take a date?
0% Would you take kids?
57% Would you go on business?
42% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 8.8
Service: 4.7
Décor: 6.3
Value: 6.2

Too little food for too much money

KiraNYC from 10003 | Posted on 9/17/09

Overall Rating: 6 (Mixed Reviews)
Food: (NA)
Service: (NA)
Décor: (NA)
Value: (NA)

My husband and I ordered two appetizers and two main courses, which is normally enough for us, and a bottle of wine. The bill was $160 + tip. The amount itself was not a problem for us, but the problem was for that price we expected to be full! The food was good but the portions were miniscule, it was a joke. The main courses should be labeled as "tapas" instead. We felt it was a rip off. After we left the restaurant, we went for pizza to satisfy our hunger.

Amazing fish, service stinks

Sueco from 10022 | Posted on 2/2/09

Overall Rating: (NA) (Not Rated)
Food: 10
Service: 2
Décor: 5
Value: 6

Perhaps one of the best sashimi meals I've ever eaten, but the attitude of the head waiter was unpleasant and frankly obnoxious. He repeatedly asked why we - a party of twelve - chose to eat at 15 East, implying that we were unable to appreciate the "traditional Japanese" style 15 East represents. He made everything - from ordering wine to asking that they fix the incorrect orders that showed up - feel like we were an inconvenience for him personally. At those prices I expect better service (and that's not even mentioning the slow service ...) That said, the meal IS different than what you might expect at a place like Nobu (which is more fusion oriented) - excellent pieces of fish. If it hadn't been for the waiter we'd likely come back, but as it stands there are enough high-end sushi restaurants in NYC that I'll go someplace else first.

Read All 7 Reviews >>

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