Skip to content, or skip to search.
Skip to content, or skip to search.
Home > Restaurants >
All Reader Reviews of...
David Burke Townhouse
133 E. 61st St., New York, NY, 10021
nr. Lexington Ave.
212-813-2121
| 7.5 | "Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Made to please
jessicahartley from 10016 | Posted on 5/14/09
|
|
Tuesday night I attended a Foodbuzz event hosted at David Burke's Townhouse and it was wonderful. The plentiful array of foods seemed endless and each small bite bursted with flavor. David was there to greet dozens of food bloggers who were all equally satisfied with David's delectable hors d'ouvres. My favorites were the sliders, tuna tar tar, and the butterscotch panna cotta, yum! For more information on the Foodbuzz event at David Burke's Townhouse visit: http://hartleyconfections.com
Did you find this review helpful? 
Give me those Lollipops ANYDAY!
Truffle17 from 10021 | Posted on 1/31/09
|
|
This was fantastic! Loved the place -- the lobster, the lollipops! The back dining room is definitely better than being up front as everyone walks through -- but we went as a large group for a combined birthday celebration and it was simply remarkable! The lollipops are now available commercially so you don't have to go to the restaurant, but we would definitely spare the grocery store and make the trip here -- we saw some great pictures of the chihulis on www.travelsintaste.com. There are also some great pics on their website www.davidburketownhouse.com!
Did you find this review helpful?
Prix-fixe mishaps
Marshallbux from 10023 | Posted on 12/11/08
|
|
Recently tried the lunch special with a friend. started with the tomato soup which was basic and he started with the calamari which he enjoyed. Then we moved onto the entrees, I had the veal saltimbuca and my friend has the pasta.The veal was over salted and overcooked, unoriginal and uninspired. The pasta was good in concept but the chickpeas and peas were overcooked and the pancetta was grainy. Overall both dishes were pedestrian and I could have cooked it better. The deserts however were delicious I had the panna cotta and he had the ice cream assortment. It may have made up for the entree's but upon finding that the two bottles of fiji water which they BROUGHT to us without asking cost us 18 dollars. Overall we felt robbed and upset.
Did you find this review helpful?
Lunch
AliciaMoore from 00775 | Posted on 12/3/08
|
|
My husband, mother and me had lunch on Tuesday (Dec. 2) and had mixed reviews. Overall the experience was pleasant but not up to the standard that I expected. It took too long for the waiter to take our order and my husband had to send his hamburger back- he asked for it medium rare and it arrived medium well - not acceptable in a restaurant of this caliber. My dish was the saltimbocca - my father's is better and he is not a chef ! My mothers dish, however, was one of their signature dishes (lobster "steak") and it was delicious. The price was right especially seeing as the portions are huge - don't know if I will be returning but glad we tried it.
Did you find this review helpful?
Make DB&D your first choice
George_from_NY from 10003 | Posted on 12/26/07
|
|
Judging from some of the earlier reviews, a good experience at Davidburke & Donatella appears hit or miss. We hit them on a good night, and had a meal that ranks among the best of New York. I can certainly sympathize with those that rate them poorly. The restaurant seats 110, but only by shoehorning tables into every available nook and cranny. This includes the hallway leading to the main dinning room. Its easy to see how comfort and service can suffer on busy nights. We arrived on a quiet Sunday evening when fewer than 10 tables were seated. The service was impeccable and the food near perfect. The pretzel crusted crab cake was an excellent appetizer. Although the Lobster & Sea Urchin BLT tasted good, the portion size was disappointingly small. Do consider the Lobster Steak as your main course. Its a unique dish with a combination of flavors that work very well together. The Ham & Cheese Whipped Potato was a good side dish. The Tomato Gratin wasnt the best choice; an all too watery tomato washed out the flavor. For dessert, the Coconut Layer Cake, Butterscotch Panna Cotta, and Cheese Cake Lollipop Tree were all good choices.
Did you find this review helpful?
Un-friggin-believable!
dwallack79 from 11106 | Posted on 10/19/07
|
|
I've been to DBD twice...the more notable of the two was the night of my engagement. So perhaps that renders this review useless...but I'm going to give one anyway. The entire staff is friendly and attentive from the second you walk in the door. The decor is surreal and elegant all at once. We decided on the chef's tasting menu, and since we were still buzzing off the engagement telling anyone who would listen...we were presented an autographed copy of the menu as a souvenir. Every dish they brought out was better and more interesting than the one that preceded it. The meal was completed with a obscene assortment of deserts, including the cheescake lollipop tree....which is worth going to the restaurant for alone. Overall - make it your business to eat here if you live in or visit New York.
Did you find this review helpful?
Dined twice and it was wonderful both times
garlandcompany from 77023 | Posted on 1/5/07
|
|
To preface this, both times I ate at db&d, it was for lunch during a recent trip to New York. The first time was without a reservation and the host was charming and readily seated us--even though the restaurant was almost full. The second time we had a reservation and as soon as we walked in the door he remembered us from our previous visit. The food was wonderful, the service, while a little slow at times, was always charming. This will become a regular for us everytime we visit New York.
Did you find this review helpful?
how can they treat patrons like this?
pdtrshn | Posted on 4/17/05
|
|
There appears to be a trend from the reviews of this restaurant- they do not care about honoring reservations. We made a reservation for 9:30 on a Friday night, arrived promptly, and were told "15 more minutes" at least 3 times. A party that arrived after us was seated and I was told that they had 9:00 reservations- not true. After no attempt to offer anything in compensation for the unreasonable wait we left at 10:15 and had a very good meal at Circus across the street. This is not the way a first-class restaurant (and we have been to many in Manhattan) will survive by treating its patrons with such disrespect.
Did you find this review helpful?
over-hyped wannabe!
stellaparone | Posted on 3/19/05
|
|
i went in expecting great food, decor, and service because of the great things i've heard about the place. service is confused and sloppy. the decor tries way too hard to be sexy, but fails miserably. the food is WAY overpriced and fell flat. the only good dish was the "crisp & angry lobster cocktail" appetizer. the rest of the entrees were ridiculously small and forgettable. overall the place is way overrated- i have no idea how it got such great reviews. don't waste your time- much better food & service to be found in manhattan.
Did you find this review helpful?
good,but expected better
NICKY | Posted on 3/7/05
|
|
I had very high expectations for this restaurant.As far as the service,i found it to be excellent.The hostess(a very beautiful woman),bartender,waiters,and busboys were very gracious and helpful.I was slightly disappointed in the food though.The scallop appetizer was excellent,but the tuna sashimi appetizer was kind of salty(probably because it was served on top of a salt rock.The angry lobster(which i had heard good things about )was very spicy and didnt have much edible meat.I love spicy food,but it just didnt seem to be right for lobster.The canneloni with braised rib had the potential to be delicious.The meat was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth,but it was just too salty.We tried the cheesecake lollipops for dessert.They didnt really taste like cheesecake and were very sweet.I would try this restaurant again,hopefully i will enjoy the food better next time.By the way,David Burke made an appearance in the dining room,chatting with some of the customers.I personally thought he looked a little like Chris Farley,the late comedian.
Did you find this review helpful?
Advertising
Latest News
Latest News Near
Popular Restaurant Guides
-
Where to Eat
Adam Platt picks 2009’s top dining destinations,
including Dovetail, Momofuku Ko, and Corton. -
Best of New York Food
The best that the city’s restaurants have to offer:
paella, coffee, grilled cheese, ramen, and more. -
The Cheap List
We live in a city full of small cheap-eats miracles,
including $1 foods, Korean fried chicken, and burgers.
The Transformation of TV Into an Art Form
The Draw of Dream Worlds in Film
Gosselin, Prince of the Professional Nobodies
A Decade of Defining Moments in Pop-Culture
The Invention of New York's Local Cuisine 
Thirty-Five Short-Lived Looks of the Decade
Two Views of a Swath of the Upper West Side
An Older Generation Moves Into Williamsburg
Ten Years That Changed Everything
A Generation of Overparenting
The Sports Rivalry of the Decade
What Is the Point of the United States Senate? 
