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All Reader Reviews of...

Wallsé

344 W. 11th St., New York, NY, 10014
at Washington St.
212-352-2300

Avg. Rating

9
Food: 9
Service: 9
Décor: 9
"Highly Recommended"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

86% would go back.

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thank you!!

By Julia0712 on 11/18/2012

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 8
  • Service: 7
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

Hm.. just read through the other critics. I´m not sure to believe Alexandravonbary. If she´d really be Austrian I´m sure she´d know "Goulash" is written "Gulasch". And that you´d never ever write "knockerln" :D but: "Nockerl". And i think your english was good until you started excusing for being austrian. ;) Well, i´m viennese myself and had dinner there a couple of month ago. brought friends there. was really good!! Traditionally austrian but also nouvelle cuisine. :) thanks for this lovely evening!!

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12 out of 24 people found this review helpful.

Avoid!

By Perseus on 10/12/2012

  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 5
  • No, I would not go back!

I took my Godfather and his partner here for dinner. What could have been a really enjoyable evening was ruined by a totally incompetent, weak, ineffectual restaurant manger. Having eaten here before I thought I knew what to expect which was not a table of 8 people so LOUD that I was unable to have a conversation with anyone on my table without almost shouting (keep in mind they were 3 tables away!). I asked a waiter if he could ask the table to lower their voices a little and he said he had already done so but would ask again. I have never had reason to complain in a restaurant before, maybe I've been v lucky? The table quietened down for 2 minutes then resumed their deafening inane chatter, it would not have been so bad if their conversation had been remotely interesting or amusing, it was neither! Halfway through our main course the manager appeared after I had asked for him 20 mins earlier and rather that ask the group to to lower their voices to a normal pitch said he would move us to another table?!? He did nothing to apologise even though 3 of the waiting staff had apologised earlier and said they were sorry about such a loud table, the waiter taking our order could not hear what my Godfather was trying to order. Until this restaurant has a manger who can actually control the place in a civilised manner I would avoid it, for the price $400 for 2 courses for 3 people, we left after 2 courses as it was too bloody noisy the are far better, more civilised restaurants.

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9 out of 20 people found this review helpful.

Dissapointment

By AlexandravonBary on 1/27/2012

  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 6
  • Décor: 7
  • No, I would not go back!

It was a cold afternoon. Nothing more desirable than a good goulash, or gulyas if properly named.: We decided to try Wallse. Even in three star Michelin restaurants no one objects if you decide to keep your coat. It should be the customer's privilege to do so. Not here. In an autoritarian way we were told that "the owner does not like it" SO WHAT!? Quite impertinent. We had chestnut soup. It was nice not extraordinary. The salmon terrine was nothing special either. Then came the goulash.... A kind of diconstruction attempt made of oxtail off the bone with a briosh inside all made is a ball, some pieces of peppers on the plate, that were on the side of cold like the plate itself and a minimum amount of sace brought in separately. We eat half of it, for we did not have lunch that day. A frien had a schnitzel which was soggy with potatoes that were cold. Desert was knockerln and was nice... Slightly artificial due possibly to the use of stabilizers or powdered egg whites and stabilizers. The combination with the sauce was perfect. We paid more than two hundred dollars for this mediocre dinner. It was quite ridiculous. Excuse my not perfect English writting... I am Austrian.

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28 out of 52 people found this review helpful.

excellent!

By selfmademan on 8/7/2011

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

the food and service is the finest, the halibut was excellent. very clean a polished place. we eat there at least 2x a week.

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27 out of 52 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely perfect!

By Carlitony on 12/15/2010

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

The food was absolutely exquisite, the service was friendly and absolutely impeccable, the decor is very well thought out, the clientele was not loud (In NY this tends to be precious), yet very stylish and the bill was very reasonable. The most perfect restaurant experience i've had in a very long time. It was just "parfait", even a French man cannot pick on any small thing to criticize (and God knows how good we are at that). Just parfait! Definitely a 10 out of 10. PS: the NY Magazine rating makes no sense, someone from NYMag needs to eat there!

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29 out of 64 people found this review helpful.

Excellent food and service

By Keyes on 5/25/2009

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

Went to Wallse this weekend for the first time and had a phenomenal meal. We each devised our own 4 course tasting menu. Our waiter was spot-on; not too 'in your face' but very attentive. He took particular care to ask us if we wanted to slow the pace of dinner down; i.e. holding our menu orders from the kitchen so we could enjoy our cocktails, and our courses were evenly and leisurely paced, but not too slow. A highlight was their use of ramps (soups, garnish, veggie side) which I love. The proteins were all excellently cooked, sauces well seasoned and balanced and the menu choices seasonal and appropriate. Our waiter also chose some excellent wine pairings as well. The desserts were excellent. Of note was my quark panna cotta with vanilla rhubarb compote which the waiter paired with a lovely auslese. And to counter a previous poster, our waiter was very conscious of our comfort, he asked several times how the temperature was.

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102 out of 190 people found this review helpful.

Consistently Excellent

By mschmitt23 on 7/23/2007

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

I've dined at Wallse at least 10 times and each time was a terrific experience. The food is consistently excellent and authentic, and the staff is extremely courteous. My father is from Germany and is a stickler when it comes to american restaurants serving "german/austrian cuisine" and he loves both Wallse and Blaue Gans. Also, the cuisine at restaurants can tend to fall flat after its been around for a while - since many founding chefs go on to new endeavors to expand their culinary empire. 75% of the time I see Kurt Gutenbrunner at Wallse or Blaue Gans and I think that explains why the food has been consistently good over all these years. I've yet to have a meal here that wasn't simply delicious. Be sure to get the Nockerl for dessert!!!

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297 out of 549 people found this review helpful.

It's like Vienna, only lighter

By garbanzo on 10/11/2006

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

This is a dream neighborhood restaurant -- great food, lively but not too noisy, smart decor, good service, and intimate without being claustrophobic. Now if I could only afford the neighborhood. Oddly, the rest of Austria seems to be following its former countryman in emphasizing more delicate flavors in its traditionally heavy fare. This is my favorite of Chef Gutenbrunner's four -- er, three -- places. He stretches in a few dishes, but never too much. Reminds me of some of the best new Viennese restaurants (Walter Bauer comes to mind).

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383 out of 769 people found this review helpful.

Tasting Menu Terrific

By mjschulz on 11/4/2004

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

Got there early enough to have the chef agree to do an 8 course tasing menu. Added the wine flight. What a wonderful evening. Great flavors in both traditional and unique dishes, great wines with great explanations, great service.

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352 out of 724 people found this review helpful.

Contemporary Viennese at its best

By cyntseng on 8/7/2004

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

Exellent dining experience, food was light, not heavy. Chef did a 7 course tasting menu for us so we got to try everything. They will custom tailor the menu for you. All were superb but particularly noteworthy were the wiener schitzel and deep sea scallops. The duck was slightly on the tough side. Service was attentive and decor/atmostphere was comfortable and homey. Can't wait to return.

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345 out of 760 people found this review helpful.

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