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All Reader Reviews of...
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St., New York, NY, 10012
at Minetta Ln.
212-475-3850
| 6.4 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Nice Addition
RandlePinkFloyd from 10014 | Posted on 11/21/09
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It was a bit of a stretch to get in but everyone enjoyed their food... Choices were unique and the decor was retro chic. My burger was damn tasty and I would recommend it as one of the best in the WV.
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unbelievably poor PR
tornadocat from 10024 | Posted on 10/27/09
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Made a res 1 mo. ago. Showed up tonight w/ husband and were told we weren't on the list. I made the hostess look through her list and found my name on the "unconfirmed list." I got a new phone # 3 days ago and therefore did not receive that call. There was NO mention that there would be a conf. when I made the res. I know that for a fact b/c I am anal and write everything down - would've made note of that. Hostess said "no tables, wait 30 min." OK, wait 30 min, still no table. Asked for manager & woman whom I thought was hostess claimed to be the maitre'd and said "physically there are no tables. We will call you as soon as something comes up. maybe 30 min" We left. Guess what? It's 7:40 and I have not received that "call." Furious. Husband and I worked our schedules around for this. Then read this article: http://ny.eater.com/archives/2009/07/the_gatekeepers_minetta_tavern.php about how no one is ever turned down. Too bad McNally wasn't there himself.
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Great Food, Service, Setting & Value
gomolon from 10463 | Posted on 9/22/09
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We arrived at 5:30pm without a reservation on a Thursday night. We were warmly greeted and seated at a table in the bar, which was not as tight as dining areas in other bar settings. Our waiter was courteous, attentive, efficient, etc. We ordered the mesculun salad to share, the red snapper, the trout and finished with coffee and desert. My meal was accompanied by a glass of excellent wine, and he had a cocktail. The food was really excellent...as was the wine and cocktail. Although the bar and restaurant filled up quickly, we had no difficulty hearing each other. Overall, I was extremely pleased with Minetta Tavern and have recommended it to all my friends and colleagues.
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One Tough Steak!
my10 from 10007 | Posted on 7/31/09
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The meal started fine. The Mussel soup was very good even though the bread was a bit soggy. But we came here for the steak! What a disappointment. After reading Adam Platt's glowing review as well as Frank Bruni's in the NY Times we really expected more. To compare this restaurant to the other steak houses in New York is a big stretch and I mean a really big stretch. Maybe Platt and Bruni need to go back to some of the steak houses to remind themselves what a real aged steak tastes like. What is really disappointing is how often reviewers like Platt and Bruni get it so wrong.
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Hands Down Best Steak in NYC
CarlLamari from 10038 | Posted on 7/31/09
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I have lived in NYC for over 20 years, been to almost every steak house in the city and never experience anything like the Rib Eye for 2 at Minetta Tavern. It was Cooked Perfectly, Seasoned to Perfection and tender as butter. I'll be going back next time i need my meat fix!
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Appalling treatment
galehat from 10013 | Posted on 6/7/09
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I have had dinner at Minetta several times at the bar and it was always a great experience. The decor is beautiful, The food is superb. I especially praise the bartenders. However my last visit was quite Kafka-esque and dated - as in back to the civil rights era. We were two "women of a certain age" having a few drinks and dinner at the bar early in the evening. After the third drink, we ordered another and waited ...a very long time. Then the bartender informed us that we were "cut off". Apparently, the source was the two managers. My companion questioned both and was not given a reason. She the asked to speak to Keith McNally. He came out of the restaurant, already fuming and shouted that it was his restaurant and he could decide that 3 drinks was enough. I can only assume that had we been young model type females or men of our age or black, this would not have happened. It's shameful in this age.
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Great food, great service! My new favorite restaurant!
neophilenyc from 10012 | Posted on 5/19/09
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I have been here a few times with my husband and also a group of friends. Each time has been exceptional. Mr. McNally really has it down, and his staff are top-notch. You can tell a restaurant has a good front of house when you arrive for your reservation and you do not have to wait for your table very long, even though the restaurant is packed with people. The place is buzzing with energy, and the small space and vintage photos on the walls give it a neighborhood speakeasy feel. On a recent night there, we sat next to Candace Bergen at one table and Jimmy Fallon at another. The food is solidly good and dare I say even better than the food at Balthazar (which is a favorite haunt of mine also). I had the rack of pork special which is roasted on the bone and then sliced to order. It was simply delicious. The chocolate souffle is not to be missed, so save room for dessert! I cannot say enough about what a wonderful experience dining it is. I can honestly say, it is not just hype!
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Overrated, Doesn't deserve Michelin Star
ellenchains from 10011 | Posted on 5/9/09
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We felt our server discriminated against us. She treated expensively-clad clients with enthusiasm, but was rather aloof with us. Now the food. If you don't like fat, skip the $90 dry-aged steak. It was one third fat, ENORMOUS slabs of FAT. Someone should have told us when we ordered. We don't know where those rave reviews and the Michelin star came from, but we're not going back.
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Excellent Meal
rohinh from 10013 | Posted on 3/24/09
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Came here for dinner a few days ago - The food was excellent and the service too was very attentive and professional. The interior of the restaurant is a cute and cozy restoration invoking long the history of the place prior to Mr. McNally's purchase. I had the tartare appetizer (excellent!) and the Special Hamburger - with aged beef - which was absolutely phenomenal. They recommend it without cheese and I fully understand why. To bury the delicious of the beef should be a crime! Pricy but worth it! My wife had the dorade which too was excellent. Highly recommend this place - As with Mr. McNally's other new addition Morandi, this place is only going to get harder and harder to get into! Get in while you can - you will not regret it!! :) A++
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A Promising Start
MaryHelen from 10014 | Posted on 3/18/09
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While I normally wait weeks before testing a new ‘hot’ restaurant, the 530pm booking last Sunday (it was that or 1030pm for the next two weeks) was too hard to resist. Buzzing like a Saturday night, McNally’s winning formula of vintage surrounds and French bistro fare strikes again. For such early days, standards were high. Service was smooth and aside from a few spots of underseasoning, the kitchen was clearly on the right track. Best starters: an expertly dressed mesclun salad with goat cheese and the ‘tartare goutez’, an elegant trio of traditional beef, fragrant lamb but predictably bland veal quenelles. A work in progress, woefully undergrilled, underseasoned marrow bones (rock salt please!) lacked the crunchy texture and flavour needed to lift the mouthfuls of rich, gelatinous fat. As for the much-hyped $26 Black Label Burger? The burger addicts among us absolutely rated it, those who ordered the $16 Minetta version regretted it. Other standouts: delicate cod with clams and decadent, duck-fat roasted “punched” potatoes. To finish, the picture-perfect Grand Marnier souffle fell somewhat flat on flavour (more booze needed) but should be fine by the time we can get a sensible dinnertime slot.
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