Cloudy 53°
You are not logged in

New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Home > Restaurants > The Modern

All Reader Reviews of...

The Modern

9 W. 53rd St., New York, NY, 10019
nr. Fifth Ave.
212-333-1220

7.3 "Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
57% Would you go back?
68% Would you take a date?
0% Would you take kids?
52% Would you go on business?
52% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 7.6
Service: 6.5
Décor: 7.6
Value: 6.3
  • Write a Review
  • Showing reviews 1 through 10 of 19

good food

angryserver from 11415 | Posted on 2/12/09

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 8
Service: 6
Décor: 6
Value: 8

i went there for my wife's birthday the food was good but i expected a little more the appetizers and desserts the best part, service not so great , i loved the poached egg w/ sea urchin butter ..rich but delicious ..the foie gras was ok, the decor is just too modern for me but in general was a good dinner and not so expensive.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Good food, good service but...

wanderkinder from 11910 | Posted on 6/30/08

Overall Rating: 7 (Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 7
Service: 7
Décor: 7
Value: 6

Tables were fitted into the dining area very close to one another so that everyone's chairs kept hitting one another whenever someone got up. The proximity of tables also made it very loud so that it was impossible to talk at a normal level. The dining rooms partitioned by glass did little to filter the noise. As we had to strain to hear one another, we wound up focusing more on the food - good food, including a mix of continental treats, but nothing stunning and priced a bit more for the crowd that has more money than experience (you won't get your bang for the buck here).

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

11 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

and the winner is . . .

KCosta from 92103 | Posted on 5/30/08

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 9
Value: 8

I have been to The Modern for lunch on 3 occasions and dinner once. During my evening meal (April 2008), the waiter (Louis) provided excellent service and the food flavors were nothing less than superb. He recommended the steak, which was American raised, but reminiscent of Kobe beef. The meat and its rich flavors literally melted onto my palate like warmed butter-it was amazing! I'm comparing this particular meal to two other dinners, which I had that weekend. One was at Craftsteak and the other at wd-50. These restaurants were both excellent, but The Modern was overall the best of the three. I enjoyed the experience so much that I have booked another trip to Manhattan in September (27th) just to celebrate my birthday. We will be dinning at The Modern once again. You must try this restaurant--bon appetit!

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

11 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

If you are local, go elsewhere

JenMon from 10023 | Posted on 2/23/08

Overall Rating: 5 (Mixed Reviews)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 5
Service: 5
Décor: 7
Value: 2

It is quite beautiful, but the food is mediocre, the staff is OK and the prices are HELLO! -- very high. You can get better elsewhere for the price. However, if you are a tourist, it is worth the visit if you are going to the museum. If you are not a tourist --- just keep moving.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

47 out of 88 people found this review helpful.

Good food, good service, long wait

omeko3 from 10590 | Posted on 6/19/07

Overall Rating: 7 (Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 7
Service: 4
Décor: 7
Value: 7

The food was pretty good, the service was very attentive, but we had to wait over an hour to be seated. The drinks in the bar area were great, but having to wait an hour just to sit down wasn't. Once we sat down it was a different story, the waiters and sommelier were quite attentive and the food was great. I had the lobster salad which was pretty good, and my girlfriend had the seared foie gras which was a very small portion but very good. She had the filet which was good but nothing special and I had the duck which was quite good as well. Overall it was great but dinner ended right around 12 because of the wait.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

280 out of 556 people found this review helpful.

Much ado about nothing

johnnykluv from 97212 | Posted on 3/26/07

Overall Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 6
Service: 2
Décor: 1
Value: 2

Someone wrote you can't eat decor but even that is not special. The view of the old statue garden is nice. I had so many servers and one actually discussed the food with me. The rest spent all their time talking among themselves far from my table. They told me after I finished the more expensive seasonal tasting menu that they all preferred the regular menu for that is what "he likes to make." The portions are tinier than most tasting menus and the taste varied from the riduculous to the sublime. At least I spent two hours at MOMA beforehand.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

365 out of 730 people found this review helpful.

Very Solid

brestes from 95742 | Posted on 1/4/07

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 8
Service: 7
Décor: 8
Value: 7

Overall, very solid. Good wine list. Very good tuna. Sirloin was a little tough. Tartare was decent. Gnocci was excellent. Service was very solid.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

297 out of 590 people found this review helpful.

good but

big_pickle | Posted on 1/27/06

Overall Rating: 7 (Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 8
Service: 7
Décor: 7
Value: 5

At night the restuarant even feels cozy and romantic. The ample noise resulting from the bare walls and furniture helps create a sense of privacy. The food is very good. However if you are a small/medium framed male looking at dinner, nothing less than a 3-course meal could possibly begin to satiate your appetite. "Ice cream" serving size is approximately a table spoon full. At approx $12 to $20/course, it can get expensive quickly.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

367 out of 739 people found this review helpful.

A Triumph!!!!

LeslieW123 | Posted on 1/17/06

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 10
Value: 10

Outstanding food, excellent service and a space that confirms that you really are hip just for being there.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

261 out of 589 people found this review helpful.

Good Food is not enough

npd | Posted on 12/14/05

Overall Rating: 5 (Mixed Reviews)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 8
Service: 2
Décor: 5
Value: 4

The food is good, though not special. The portions are perfect, the quality of the ingredients is good and the preparation is correct. The cheese course is a strong point. The dining room is terrible - at least in winter. It was cold and draughty. And the noise from the bar was unpleasant and intrusive. All those hard 1950's modern surfaces deaden no sound. The service was atrocious. We had to ask about cocktails. The server then tried to take the dinner order without taking the cocktail order. That set the pattern. A second server showed up midway throught the meal and we were no longer even certain who was taking care of the table. Don't bother.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Request Removal

357 out of 743 people found this review helpful.

Advertising

Latest News Near

Advertising
Advertising