The small, tastefully appointed room here is conducive to all sorts of intimacies. A variety of sweet champagne-based cocktails are available at the bar, along with a selection of wines by female vintners. No wonder certain women I know consider Annisa to be a restaurant calibrated almost exactly to their tastes. It helps that the Asian-fusion menu, produced by co-owner and chef Anita Lo, contains some of the most consistently interesting food in the city, including soup dumplings stuffed, in high New York style, with foie gras. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld
Recommended Dishes
Seared foie gras with soup dumplings, $18; miso-marinated sable with tofu and bonito broth, $28
Service and presentation were good and our waiter was helpful and enthusiastic, but the food was flat. Were early and had a glass of champagne at the bar. The service was great and the bay windows very cozy. Dinner menu was creative, but everything I ordered was boring, over salted, or just WRONG. My Herb Salad was wilted, and too salty with no flavor. My fish entree was so blah that I don't even remember it. The Hazelnut Tart dessert was the worst offense of all. The texture is like pancake batter with sand. It was way too sweet with no interesting flavor. After one bite, we set it aside. Our friends got the apple tart, which looked much better.
Although my questions about Annisa have been answered, the $500 tab was a hefty price to pay. There are so many amazing restaurants in Manhattan. The competition is fierce, and they really need to step up the game in their kitchen. Based on older reviews, this restaurant seems to have done well when they first opened years ago, but a revival is necessary unless they want to disappear into the fold. We will not be returning.