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ABC Kitchen
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
35 E 18th St(between Broadway & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Flatiron
(212) 475-5829
- Nearest Transit:
-
14 St - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
14 St - Union Sq (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Union Sq - 14 St (L)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
649 reviews for ABC Kitchen
Review Highlights
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"Let's not forget the roasted carrot and avocado salad." In 47 reviews -
"How could you not love all of Jean Georges' restaurants." In 48 reviews -
"I ordered the chili-herbed black sea bass." In 17 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
649 reviews in English
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Review from Elisa R.
New York, NY
5/23/2012
I loved this restaurant so much I wanted to go back the very next weekend.
Everything was perfect, but the ambiance is great. They have the details just right--down to the lighting, photographs on the wall and the vintage dishes (from ABC home).
The entrees were great--especially the suckling pig and the roast chicken. Drinks were delicious and creative. Service phenomenal. My mouth still waters when I think of the caramel popcorn sundae we had for dessert.
Oh and it didn't hurt that Steven Spielberg was sitting behind us and Uma Thurman walked in after... clearly they have good taste ;) -
Review from Monica H.
Manhattan, NY
5/23/2012
In my mind, this is quintessential New York dining - from the food to the atmosphere, this place services the after-work crowd of New York's trendiest (and hungriest). Upon walking in, you're greeted with smartly-dressed patrons who are gathering with friends for a drink at the bar and surrounded by a warm glow emitted by gorgeous chandeliers, simple white tables in the main dining area, and wonderfully kitschy, elevated wooden tables that resemble a slice of tree trunks toward the bar area. I was concerned that it might be on the pretentious side but was immediately put at ease when a male bartender sprung to our attention with a warm smile.
Since we had no reservations, we waited at the bar for about an hour for a table for 3. We did enjoy ourselves at the bar and the bartender was friendly and surprisingly attentive for such a busy night. They were also very accommodating - since I had no particular hankering for anything on their drink menu, I decided to make my own by asking the bartender to add vodka to their homemade Cherry Citrus soda - delightful.
For our little party of three, we started with the cured meats and local cheeses plate then had the mushroom pizza, black sea bass and roasted suckling pig. For dessert we had salted caramel sundae and the slice of birthday cake. The service was good - water glasses and bread basket were never empty.
The local cheese platter was delicious and was a great starter. The sea bass was flaky, tender and mild and wasn't too heavy which made it great for balancing out the roasted suckling pig. As the name implies, it was quite heavy but delicious and no knife required! But the star of the show was definitely the mushroom pizza. Unassuming and simple in appearance, but it was by far one of the highest quality and best-tasting pizzas I've had. I don't say that lightly, but the crispiness of the crust, the rich, musky fragrance of the mushrooms all topped off with creamy egg yolk was the trifecta of a perfect pizza. Of course, this is not your usual NY slice, but as far as gourmet pizzas go, this takes the cake. Speaking of cake... the birthday cake was dense, moist, and nostalgic and the sundae was unique and decorated with caramel popcorn instead of the usual sundae fare which was just a perfect end to the meal. -
Review from Jenna C.
This place definitely deserves five stars for the decor. SO IMPRESSIVE! A combination of cute, romantic, and rustic. If I could design a house, I would want the kitchen and living room to have similar decor inspiration. Love.
More importantly, the food. My bf and I decided to share a pizza and an omelet. The pizza was very flavorful. I believe it had spinach, goat cheese, and bacon. The omelet was not quite as impressive. Very standard omelet, with a little too much egg and not enough fillings. The potatoes that came with the omelet however, were amazing. They must've been deep fried, because they were so deliciously crunchy on the outside, and soft and creamy on the inside. With plenty of salt. I love salt.
I did try some bites of my friends' dishes. The crab toast was amazing! I think I would just get that with a side salad next time... if I didn't want to worry about butter and carb intake (which I wouldn't worry about, the crab toast is worth it). Also, the pizza with mushroom and egg on it was also amazing! I love mushrooms, but this was not an ordinary mushroom pizza. I think I preferred the crab toast and mushroom pizza to the two dishes my bf and I shared.
The service was good. They were attentive with refilling water and coffee, and they were perfectly friendly throughout our brunch. I'd highly recommend this place for brunch! -
Review from Lindy G.
Manhattan, NY
5/19/2012
The food wasn't bad. The atmosphere wasn't bad. The service wasn't bad. But nor were they very good.
Food: 3 stars.
blood orange bellini, rhubarb cosmopolitan, and wine list (5 stars). The drinks and bar area were absolutely fabulous. By far some of the my favorite cocktails in the city, and I spend a lot of time drinking cocktails.
ramp and goat cheese toast (3.5 stars). The goat cheese had great flavor and texture. It was smooth and melted in the mouth. However, all that I could taste was the goat cheese as it overpowered the rest of the dish. There was also a (tasty) mystery green puree on the toast - I had to google after the meal to be sure that it was actually a ramp pesto, as it was hard to catch our waitress for more than 30 seconds.
kasha and bow-tie pasta, veal meatballs (2 stars). The sauce was boring. It tasted like a reduced veal-beef broth with a mild olive oil with semi-caramelized onion. They tried to increase the acidity with lemon, but the dish need something more hearty - like tomato. The meatballs were overcooked, and the rosemary element of meat ball did not fit the dish's palate. The pasta was also too dense. But the kasha added a wonderful crunch. I will definitely be adding kasha to my own cooking in the future.
swiss chard side (4 stars). It wasn't the freshest or best chard, but it was really quite good. Although not amazing, it was very enjoyable.
black sea bass with chilies and herbs (3 stars). My sea bass was overcooked. (My friends was slightly less overcooked, but still overcooked.) And I couldn't really taste the chilies or herbs. But in some ways this was the most interesting (and promising) dish. The broth that the sea bass was served in was divine, and the crunch on the outside of the sea bass was utterly satisfying. Note that we didn't finish this dish. I'm pretty sure that our waitress assumed that we didn't like it, and it was not included on our bill, which was quite nice of the restaurant.
soft shell crab (5 stars). Our waitress suggested a soft shell crab with a spicy sauce (off of the specials menu.) It was wonderful. The crunch of the crab legs. The spiciness of the chili sauce. The freshness of the accompanying greens. All of the flavors and textures blended perfectly to make a wonderful dish.
Ambience: 2 stars. Yes, it is hip. Yes, you might see someone famous. But, oh my, did that place hurt my aesthetic sensibilities. The art work (creepy glossy prints/paintings of birds and bare trees), the lighting (an odd assortment of mismatching white chandeliers), and the chairs and tables (cheap, plastic-looking, but I'm guessing sustainable) were hideous on their own and even worse in combination. They completely clashed with one another and with the farm to table theme of the restaurant. The music choices were also quite strange - pop-y in all of the bad ways.
Service: 3 stars. I must take the blame for arriving late to our reservation. We (a party of 2) were 10 minutes late for a 10 pm reservation. When I arrive late to a reservation, I acknowledge that I might have to wait a bit for my table...but there is waiting, and there is waiting. We weren't seated until 10:35 (give or take a few minutes,) and despite our 25 minute wait, nobody checked in to apologize for the delay. At a place like ABC, I expect the hostess to check back in with us with updates. It is important to note that (about 20 minutes into the meal) they comped 2 cocktails for us as an apology for the wait.
Additionally, our waitress (while extremely nice) seemed to always be in a hurry, and when our dishes were dropped off, they were not "introduced." I generally believe that nicer restaurants should describe the dishes as they serve them to you. (There were quite a few dishes where I was wondering what exactly the accompanying elements were.) Despite the lack of attention, everyone was very nice, and the restaurant was very generous with our bill. -
Review from Pamela S.
Charlotte, NC
5/18/2012
I went to ABC Kitchen last Monday with my parents and we had a GREAT meal! We are big fans of Jean George and also ate at the Mark restaurant the day before and have been to many of his other restaurants but ABC Kitchen will have to be my favorite. It is definitely a trendy restaurant and you will notice that right away - the crowd is young and hip (Simon Cowell, Britney, and Demi Lovato were there the same night as us!). I love the style and decoration of the restaurant - picture the trendiest most beautiful farm ever. For me, the restaurant lived up to the hype - food was VERY VERY good. I will list everything I tried
- Blood Orange Bellini - SO GOOD! I love blood orange drinks and this did not disappoint
- Marinated olives - really nice array of olives!
- Cured Meats and local cheeses - these were really nice, all were super yummy!
- Beets with housemade yogurt - LOVE!! my favorite beet dish I have ever tasted - def get these!
- Organic Crispy Chicken - absolutely DIVINE!!!!
- Swiss Chard - amazing, it was cooked in balsamic, such a great taste
- We also had a pasta that was a special I think and it was spaghetti and veggies but I remember it had so much olive oil or butter or whatever in it - did not love
I also forget which wines we ordered since my dad did the ordering but it was great!
The reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is the service. I understand the NYC mentality that everyone is in a rush and people are generally rude but I will never understand why some restaurants do not stress the importance of great service! We are in the restaurant business and that is why I know how important service is. Our waitress was not terrible but definitely not good hence the 4 stars.
I definitely recommend this restaurant to any foodies out there, it was so yummy! -
Review from Lauren L.
Manhattan, NY
5/8/2012
AMAZING. I think this has to be my favorite restaurant in the world. I've been here three times now, and every time is a unique and incredible experience. You walk in the nondescript entryway and the understated, rustic, and chic decor blows you away. It's a room you just want to linger in and dream to decorate your house like that one day.
Both the menu staples as well as the seasonal dishes are outstanding.
Based on my past visits, I think the must try dishes are:
-a seasonal drink - loved the rhubarb mimosa when it was in season
-some of the seasonal toasts (squash in winter, ramp and goat cheese in spring, and crab anytime are incredible)
-one of the seafood appetizers - loved the scallops and tuna especially, calamari was nothing special
-one or more of the salads, carrot avocado is always a great one
-another veggie either from the appetizer or side section - if the asparagus and egg is on the menu, you must get this
-pizza or pasta to share - they're all great, so go with whatever sounds best to you or ask your waiter for a recommendation
-salted caramel sundae + another dessert to try - the sundae is super rich but something everyone should try, the rhubarb linzer torte was delicious, donuts and chocolate cake i can do without
While the entrees are great, I think the market table, apps, and desserts are what is truly unique here and if given the choice, would much rather fill up on those. No matter what you decide on, you'll want to come back over and over to experience this amazing place. Though they make it seem impossible to get reservations, they have a fairly large bar that accepts walk ins and if you know the date you want a reservation you just have to make it on open table exactly 30 days in advance at 9am.
Would give 10 stars if I could.Listed in: Adam Platt's 101
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Review from Yosh H.
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic eats! I've been here once as a guest and I cannot be more thrilled to say this was a great experience. The Crab toast with lemon aioli, Ramp and goat cheese toast, Wood oven roasted fiddlehead fern and Jersey tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil pizza were to die for! And to finish a meal with impeccable desserts!
~ Sundae (salted caramel ice cream, candied peanuts & popcorn, whipped cream, chocolate sauce)
~ Market Strawberries and Juice (mint, lime, meringue, sour cream-poppy seed sorbet)
~ Rhubarb Almond Crumble Tart (with rhubarb whipped cream)
I still think about this meal. -
Review from Vy N.
Manhattan, NY
Came back for a third time and was really disappointed. Just didn't order the right things, I guess.
I started off with the chicken liver toast. I absolutely love pate, but I really didn't like the tangy vinegar in this dish.
I also tried the famous mushroom and farm egg pizza, and it was terrible. The whites of the egg were still raw and runny, and the pizza soaked it all up and became incredibly soggy. The mushroom flavor was overwhelming, and it was just too difficult to eat this pizza.
I actually only ate 1/4 of my meal and looked longingly at my friend's french toast (which is to die for).
Next time, I'm sticking to the french toast, eggs benny or smoked salmon (my fav). The crab toast is way better than the chicken liver toast. The calamari is also good but not rock-my-world good.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/15/2012
Amazing. One of the best brunches I've had in NY. I had to treat myself to something delicious after… Read more »
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Review from Tiffany Y.
New York, NY
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for brunch with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. The first thing that caught my eye was how unique the ambiance was of this restaurant. Could have just been the time of day, but it felt like there was a lot of natural light coming in that was really nice.
We ordered the pretzel calamari to share and I think I ordered eggs benedict. Our server noted that brunch wasn't really ABC Kitchen's classic specialty, but I want to come back for lunch/dinner to get the full "ABC Kitchen" experience. -
Review from Jeff S.
Updated - 4/19/2012
My love-hate relationship with ABC Kitchen continues.
We showed up at 5:30pm, with a totally empty main dining room in front of us. After a few minutes, the hostess informed us that we had to sit in the 'cafe' (i.e. the hallway) just outside ABC itself because of other reservations. She said she didn't want to make us feel bad, but a lot of people were due to arrive at any minute.
If this was my first time at ABC Kitchen, I wouldn't even notice. And, truth be told, I don't even care where I sit. But these people at the door deal the same lie every single time and they never ever fill up. Even after being told they were getting the bum rush, they still had at least 12 tables free (yes, I'm an ass, I counted) in the main room when we left.
Being treated like a second class customer when I pay a $150 check leaves me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Some douchy hostess wants to hold tables for phantom superstars who never materialize? Oh, Justin Beiber may show up? This shitty attitude really makes me not want to eat here.
I've never ever been treated like this at any other Jean Georges establishment, so I am sure it's the manager that's responsible for letting this kind of behavior exist. To the manager: F U buddy! I hope you're fired for sanctioning this kind of unprofessional behavior.
That unpleasantness aside. AMAZING food. The suckling pig with smoked bacon marmalade was absolute paradise. The tuna tartare, with its vibrant ginger chili marinade, was excellent as usual.
If you don't mind snobby hostesses who insist on talking to you like you're an infant and insulting seating and reservation practices, you should stop by here because the food is seriously good and worth every penny they charge.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/18/2010
Yes, something is rotten in Denmark.
On two occasions in the past few weeks we tried to stop by for… Read more »
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Review from Evelyn S.
New York, NY
Fantastic.
Great service, delicious food and yummy drinks.
Had the rhubarb mimosa and blood orange bellini - both teriffic.
Also would recommend the mushroom pizza. Everything was great and the space is beautiful and airy.
Would go back in a heartbeat. -
Review from Olena P.
4/27/2012
Wow came her for lunch the other day... and i must say it was probably some of the best stuff Ive eaten in a while. Ordered the crab toast, pretzel crusted calamari, and a pizza with ricotta asparagus.. OMG the crab toast was amazing.... the calamari was fantastic. the pizza was good, could of used more ricotta cheese... but that crab toast...... ive been dreaming about it...
Ill tell you it is expensive.. but worth it... BTW i even saw some celebrities dinning -
Review from Amanda w.
Anacortes, WA
5/7/2012
We were out on our date night and time slipped away from us and by the time we were hungry it was 10:30pm. We were seated at two other restaurants and after looking over the menu, they told us their kitchen just closed. We didn't have much hope when we stumbled into ABC Kitchen but the three girls at the hostess stand were ready to seat us for FOOD! We snatched a seat at the bar and quickly ordered a few appetizers.
The beet and goat cheese salad was delicious! Also, the raw scallops, if you like seafood, were the way to go! The bartender, Rebbecca, was super nice and she was really attentive. Finished off our late night fare with the doughnuts.....heavenly. Great meal and great staff! -
Review from Rosalyn C.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2012
I was originally skeptical, do I really need to eat at a farm-to-table restaurant in NYC when I live in SF, the capital of the slow food movement?? Boy, I am sooo glad I did!
The shabby chic/farmhouse decor is charming and appropriate as it is accessible thru ABC carpet. However, the star here is definitely the food. This is one of the most satisfying meal in the past year. The server recommended skate wings, I'm not a fan and am skeptical, but wow, Jean George made a fan out of me! At the end of my meal I was on cloud 9 and thinking about why the meal was so perfect - every dish was fresh, intentional, delicate and perfectly balanced in flavor & texture.
The prefix lunch menu is an amazing deal at $32 for three courses including the famous caramel sundae as a dessert option. ABC Kitchen is not to be missed, definitely make a reservation to avoid a very long wait. -
Review from Navid T.
Manhattan, NY
I am in love with the place. Everything from the decor to the service to the food is on another level. We had a short wait, but that's expected at such a great restaurant.
We went for lunch and got the kale salad, roasted carrot salad, pea soup, mushroom egg pizza, asparagus pizza, burger, vege-burger, chocolate sundae. One of the best meals of my life. Even though we ordered a lot, we finished it all and didn't feel heavy after because everything is organic and light. The mushroom/egg pizza and the vege-burger were my favorites, definitely check them out. I can't wait to go back! Oh, and get the lemon thyme drink--delicious!! -
Review from Lavell D.
Far Rockaway, NY
Great pizza
I had a very delicious mushroom pizza topped off with a raw farm egg. The raw egg was a lil intimidating but believe me its good. Break off a piece of crust an dip it in, you won't regret it. -
Review from Brenda P.
This, by far, is my favorite NYC restaurant from my last visit.
Let me put that into perspective for you as to why that's a big deal. After reading Adam Platt's 101 best NYC restaurant listings in New York magazine I decided to make my week long trip into a culinary adventure of sorts. ABC is at the 16th spot by the magazine. I secured reservations at four of the top 5 restaurants and then several others like ABC. Just with the top three alone ABC was in good company. I was not expecting the heights of Eleven Madison, Per Se or Le Bernadin but I just could not help fall in love with ABC over them all. More on my entire trip at the end of this review.
After briefly getting lost trying to find it (it's NOT inside the store as I had read- duh!) we found it. All annoyances melted away the second I stepped foot inside. This is my kind of place. Gorgeous decor, lively music playing, wait staff rushing from here to there and just an overall happy vibe. Did I mention it was a Monday night but it felt like a Saturday?
We got seated right away and given our menus as we took it all in. So much going on around us but yet not overdone. Kudos to the designers.
We chose our wine (yet another wine list without too many west coast selections which seems to be a NYC theme) and appetizers. We went with the olives and the cured meats/local cheeses plate. This time around when I asked for the cheeses in writing, they brought it over right away. Everything was very enjoyable.
Our entrees were the bow tie pasta & veal meatballs and the suckling pig. Portions were just right. Holy goodness! The pig was served over a delicate mashed potatoes mix and IT WAS PHE-NO-ME-NAL! Best pork I have ever had. And I am Cuban! Cubans eat a lot of pork! WOW! The hubby kept trying to steal bites off mine (although his was delicious too) and he's JEWISH! He's not even supposed to eat pork. What was going on here?
I have to say that a lot of things on the menu looked great. I wish we lived closer to be able to enjoy it all.
For dessert we had the sundae and the cookie plate. Sigh. Way too much food and such a shame because we wanted to finish it all so badly but just could not. The caramel ice cream in the sundae is pretty much perfection. Everything else just plays a supporting role and the ice cream is the main star! Everything on the cookie plate was awesome too but we were just very distracted by the allure of the ice cream. Ended this wonderful meal with a macchiato and a cappuccino. Both nicely done!
The service was great and other than the entrees taking a little long, they did a great job plating, serving, refilling out glasses and all that jazz.
I had been bummed that we could not fit in the Jean Georges namesake restaurant during our culinary trip but ecstatic that we got to try this one instead. Sounds like a good problem to have to me!
Back to our culinary trip. How did I rate the other restaurants on the New York magazine list? Well, if you want to read further, here is my list of the ones visited and I will add all the links as I complete the reviews.(The number on the left is the New York Magazine rating out of 101 restaurants listed)
1 Eleven Madison- ta da! I agree!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
2 Le Bernadin
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
3 Per Se- Should have been # 2
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
5 Craft
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
11 Marea
16 ABC Kitchen *****
22 The Modern
40 Eataly
More review links coming soon! -
Review from a r.
Des Moines, IA
4/21/2012
Food : No complaints. But the food wasn't mind blowing. Appetizers included Kale salad and some carrot salad. The Kale was ok but the one at Family Recipe downtown is the standard in Kale based salads. The carrot salad was interesting - hard to make a carrot taste that good. The suckling pig entree was ok. The bacon marmalade was tasty but hard to make anything with bacon bad ! The suckling pig was tender but not as tasty as pork should be (or maybe I dont like roast pork). The sundae desert is really good - nice combination of multiple flavors and a large enough helping to share among 2-3 people.
Drinks : The basil lime non alcoholic soda was good. The wine I had was not a good - somewhat spoilt.. So stick to the cocktails here.
Decor : Seems spacious. Nice crowd. Walked in on a weekend around 8 and had a 45 min wait. Pleasant enough wait an not as cramped around the bar like some other places.
Service : Nice. No issues at all. -
Review from james c.
Manhattan, NY
4/25/2012
Overall I was impressed by the restaurant as a executed concept rather than the food for the price. This is was probably one of the most expensive brunches that I've had. The food was fresh, refreshing overall good, but what you're really paying for is the service, location and the execution.
Had the Crab toast, Roasted carrot and avocado salad, and some chicken salad, a juice drink and a cocktail and a citrus almond tart. Overall came to over $120.
What I was most delighted by was probably the almond citrus tart, it was light, flaky, warm, not too sweet and the citrus was pure enought to cut through the cream.
Overall, it was a nice experience, not something I will be frequenting on a regular basis. You certainly do pay an arm and a leg for healthy farm fresh foods. -
Review from Valerie G.
New York, NY
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I made ressies long in advance for a dinner at Jean Georges' acclaimed new resto - ABC Kitchen! The moment I stepped in I fell in love with the ambiance and atmosphere. The decor was definitely organic and at one with nature. I almost felt like it was a very upscale farm ;)
We started off with the carrot & avocado salad and peeky toe crab toast, per Yelp reccos and were not disappointed! You could truly discern the fresh ingredients in the salad and the peeky toe crab was just divine. There was a generous amount of crab atop the crostini as well.
For entrees, we went with the mushroom, parmesan, oregano, and farm egg pizza ($18) and the organic crispy chicken ($26). I thought the pizza was just mediocre and the crust became quite soggy as the night went on. My dining companion enjoyed his chicken - I had a bite and it was nice and succulent with perfect fried skin.
We finished off our meal with the salted caramel sundae ($12), which was very good and justified for the price tag.
I must say though, my favorite part of ABC Kitchen are their cute bathrooms! Love the speckled gray design on their mirrors; I had quite a good time taking photos in there ;)Listed in: Conquering the Platt
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Review from Vinotaine e.
Greenwich, CT
4/23/2012
While the lunch prix-fixe for $32 was a good deal, once you've added the juice & wine, it's about $75 after taxes & tips.
The spiciness on the tuna sashimi was overpowering & very forefront. If I want spicy food, I'll go get Indian & pay half as much. I see no reason why I should pay more to get disappointed.
Veggie burger was good, but it was deep fried. So it's hard not to like anything fried.
Overall, it's not exactly a bargain. Not impressed. -
Review from Joseph S.
New York, NY
4/7/2012
Stop what you're doing and get thee to ABC. Yes, even if you're saving a child from a burning building or preventing a nuclear disaster.
This place is devoted to placing quality ingredients in the hands of skilled chefs that clearly understand flavor profiles. Meat lover? Order what may be the best burger in NYC, topped with a jalapeno condiment that is pure genius. Veggie hugger? There are almost too many options but any of the squash dishes will blow your palette away. Dessert? Go with the donuts. In fact, considering that you may have just let a helpless child die or insured the end of a decent part of humanity, get one order to go as well. Eating your regrets never tasted so good. -
Review from Jade W.
Manhattan, NY
4/5/2012
Dear God in Heaven,
Thank you for the Raw Diver Scallops and the Salted caramel ice cream sundae.
My life has been renewed. -
Review from larry r.
Milwaukee, WI
5/17/2012
Not Jean Georges best.
Too loud, poor service, and very over priced.
Go to Perry Street for a spectacular JG experience -
Review from Everett S.
Portland, OR
5/16/2012
This is what it's all about.
This was my first NYC dining experience and probably my best. I started with the Tuna Sashimi, which was as good as what I get at home in the NW. For my main I had the slow roasted suckling pig. It was like a pulled pork steak full of flavor. FANTASTIC!
Definitely try to get in if you are in the City. -
Review from Dave W.
4/12/2012
I have heard many good things about ABC and had the opportunity to join my nephew and his wife to celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary.
All I can say is "go here NOW". The food is wonderful, inspired and is absolute top quality. Not a whole lot for my wife (Gluten free) but the menu is great. My nephew and I shared the chicken liver on toast and it was incredible. We also ordered the calamari, which was very good. I'm trying to figure out how to manage to make this (the chicken liver pate') an entree'. We then ordered the burger with cheese, arugula and pickled jalapeno peppers. Accompanied by really good, crisp fries, these burgers were awesome and cooked perfectly.
My wife had the Carrot and Avocado salad, minus the croutons, which she enjoyed. The other entree's were the Ravioli (which absolutely melted in your mouth) and a pizza which was also quite good.
They have a fair selection of bottled beers and we thought the IPAs were a little lacking.
Dessert was the Salted Caramel Sundae - ice cream, salted caramel popcorn and chocolate sauce - outstanding! We wanted to order the donuts but they are only available during brunch and dinner.
Not a cheap meal by any stretch, but worth every cent and also requires a return trip - just make sure to make reservations. -
Review from J R.
New York, NY
Updated - 5/15/2012
Fantastic food, service and ambiance--and Brittany Spears a few tables away.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/11/2011
Went the other night after a lapse of several months. If anything, the food has gotten even better.… Read more »
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Review from rebecca d.
New York, NY
3/26/2012
Won't echo too much of what's been said 597 times (as of this minute), but:
gorgeous atmosphere/decor
very friendly service - although drinks took a very long time to be served
super tasty food, highlights of which included the kabocha squash toast, the roast chicken special, the asparagus/fried egg special, the gnocchi with ruby red shrimp, and the (duh) salted caramel sundae
I know that the issue of kids in fine dining establishments is a perennially prickly one, but when we entered ABC Kitchen (for Sunday dinner, not brunch, mind you - at least I've learned to expect these antics with brunch crowds), there was a young child on a scooter by the hostess station scooting around the front restaurant area! He was running wildly through the dining room throughout our meal and definitely detracted from our experience. I'd love to see restaurants like ABC Kitchen draw a hard line on such antics - "no scooting in the restaurant" doesn't seem too controversial to me. -
Review from Layla C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/3/2012
This is a very lovely restaurant, the ambiance and decor is warm yet grand with a touch of industrial and modern vibes. Fresh, sophisticated with great lighting.
I've had lunch and dinner as well as cocktails at the bar. Both times, I've been very impressed with how the dishes show off the fresh and natural flavors. Really effortless flavors that come alive. I have to say the appetizers were more impressive than the entrees, so I'd recommend those over the entrees.
The menu changes seasonally, but I have fond memories of the Still Warm Mozzarella and Portobello mushroom dishes.
Go ahead and treat yourself to something nice today :) -
Review from Pamela T.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2012
This place lived up to my expectations. It took a month to get a reservation at prime time on a Sunday night. I came here with 3 friends so it was great that we got to try a bunch of appetizers.
Goat cheese toast and crab toast were the best!
For entrees we ordered:
Suckling pig
Monk fish
Main lobster
Crispy chicken
Crispy chicken was the winner but they were all yummy!
Waiters and waitresses were all VERY attentive. I love the decor and enjoyed the evening! -
Review from Michelle C.
Oak Park, IL
4/5/2012
Let me start by saying that the service here is A+! Between our attentive waitress and informative staff, the service alone made up for the hefty prices!
My friend and I met here after work one evening when I was in town and truth be told, we only chose this spot because we'd been told it was a celebrity hangout. Before I even arrived, my friend text me saying what an adorable place it was and once I got there - ugh, fell in love.
The ambiance is awesome, makes you feel like you're in a friend's kitchy house. I loved the people who crowded the restaurant as we sat enjoying our meal as well. Everyone seemed so..."New York".
My friend ordered a pizza while I splurged (on the company dime, of course!) on lobster. I liked the lobster but with I'd ordered something else. My friend did, however, really enjoy the pizza! We had too many glasses of wine to stop ourselves from ordering the sweet dessert (some amazing pear concoction) and scarfed it down like it was our last meal.
The bill was well over $100 for the two of us, but to be expected for the food, service and general ambiance. I would return again in a heartbeat and recommend to friends. Although it would be a super cute place for a date, it's 100% the perfect place to catch up with friends!
P.S. We later found out that Katie Holmes and Suri were noshing at ABC Kitchen while we were there too! Although we didn't see them, we felt like pseudo-celebs for being there when they were there! : ) -
Review from Audrey K.
3/22/2012
This place is what the inside of my brain looks like. I want to live here, wed here, and die here. The little details really make ABC Kitchen a very special place.
The mismatching dishes, tiny vases of real flower buds and the delicate flavors and sights make it an experience, not just a meal.
I will say that it is so girly, and dainty, so I don't know how great it'd go over with a group of dudes on any given Wednesday (as opposed to an occasion) but it is the perrrfect place for a girls date. The back room has a gorgeous chandelier, a view of the kitchen, I prefer it a lot to the larger main room.
The food is also so delicately prepared, the lemon aioli crab toast is delicious and perfect - you will for sure want to pop your pinky. The herby pizza has a hearty amount of sea salt on it, but there is a great bitterness from the herbs that goes perfect with the chewy bread.
Definitely don't be scared to experiment, their menu seems to be practiced and perfected. I think the coffee was a thumbs down, and took quite a while - though I was warned that the barista was very busy.
Something I also appreciated a lot: while waiting for a table, you can SEE all the delicious looking food being served, but you cannot/will not smell it! How the ventilation is set up in this place, I am not sure - but it preserves the whole feel of the place. It would not be as perfectly packaged if garlic, pizza and other smells were bombarding your senses.
Can't wait to go back, will definitely look into how to hold an event here, am already preparing to replicate little details for my home!Listed in: The best of the best
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Review from Jennifer S.
Manhattan, NY
3/19/2012
Everything about this place is amazing. As you walk in you can't help but notice the unique detail. From the look of the chairs, to tables, bar area, plates and more - there is not a thing that wasn't taken into consideration and/or acknowledged in the design and development of this restaurant. The lighting it dim and romantic, the cocktails are tasty and the food decadent.
Ordered the ginger martini, the beat dish and sea bass. Split a bottle of a red wine and had the sundae for dessert. It was like heaven in my mouth. Both the beat dish and sea bass were so rich in flavor and not like anything i've ever had before. The sea bass was about 25 bucks and the beat dish was maybe 12. Def not the priciest, but sure, not the cheapest. Still you get more than what you pay for, in my opinion.
I HIGHLY recommend coming here. You won't be disappointed, but DO make reservations, bc otherwise it's doubtful you'll get in. This place is a number of lists from best new restaurant in NYC, to top restaurants in the US and it's def worth all the hype! -
Review from David H.
Boston College, MA
3/23/2012
Great atmosphere, great people watching, good bar for drinks and appetizers. I prefer coming here for drinks, conversation and the crab toast.
Very good for groups and a private event; casual and comfortable. Serious dinner or intimate diiners are more suitable at Nougartine, Perry Street. -
Review from Amora S.
Manhattan, NY
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
if jean george had a back yard, and served you a home cooked meal made from goodies he hand picked himself, this would be it. oh and try the ravioli.
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Review from Kim N.
3/27/2012
A M A Z I N G!!!! It was such a noisy little place but what do you expect in new York??? I can't even start describing how my taste buds felt after dinner.
I had ginger margarita, tasted the Bellini, sake and wines. All wonderful. Sorry, I'm going to be using my mini dictionary of awesome descriptions to write this.
For appetizers, we had several items, my favorite, the mushroom toasted bursts with flavor, totally yummy. We has some salad and a few other items I can't quite remember bc the chef lady sent out so much. For my meal, I kept reading roasted duck but it was roasted pig suckling??? Yea didn't make much sense, but the server said it was cooked in duck fat so that was good enough for me. Oooo it was so soft and tender and flavorful. I ate everything of my plate and if there was garnish, I ate that too.
Two margaritas later, I was cutboff since tequila makes me a but crazy so I went with tea for dessert.
Ooooo. And the chef sent out all kinda of donuts and desserts and ice-cream that I completely devoured. Lol lucky for us, my boyfriends sister has awesome friends.
My mouth was in a flavor coma, apparently they go through great lengths to make sure everything is fresh and beautifully delicious. Of my entire trip and the hundreds of places I have ever dined, I would have to say the uncountable blasts of flavors from this place makes it a must visit if you hit up new York!! -
Review from Melanie T.
Manhattan, NY
4/21/2012
I had a wonderful experience here. I came here with my parents for my birthday and it was a truly extraordinary night. Upon walking into ABC Kitchen one is presented with a cozy upscale barn interior replete with cool lighting and mod white tables.
Food: We each ordered an appetizer. I ordered the Chicken Liver Toast, which I highly recommend. What distinguishes good chicken liver from bad is taste. Bad chicken liver has a terrible bitter metallic taste to it. This one has a whipped mouse-like consistency, smooth and creamy. The flavor was slightly sweet, yet it had a bright acidity. The toast was thick with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. The bottom of the toast was brushed with fruity olive oil. My father ordered the Housemade Ricotta with Grilled Bread. The ricotta was amazingly creamy and smooth. There was some tangy tomatoey sauce and olive oil drizzled around as well that nicely cut the richness of the cheese. The grilled bread was fluffy and lightly charred. My mother ordered the Butter Salad, which was composed of fresh lettuce, pistachios, and other things as well. I tried some and all of the greens were fresh and crisp.
For my main course I ordered the Oven Roasted Lobster. This dish consisted of a whole lobster split and seasoned with oregano and red pepper flakes. The lobster was sweet and tender. The seasoning kicked up the flavor without overpowering the natural taste of the lobster. My mother ordered the Crispy Chicken. The chicken was moist and flavorful, while the skin was perfectly crisp, for lack of a better word. My father ordered the Roast Suckling Pig, which was wonderful as well. The pork was juicy and flavorful, perfectly seasoned. The crispy skin was so crisp that it was hard to cut. Everyone enjoyed their meals.
Then for dessert I was presented with mini chocolate cupcake topped with crunchy chocolate beads. The cupcake was super moist and deeply chocolatey. It was fantastic and I'm not even a big fan of chocolate cupcakes. The frosting was wonderful as well, not too sweet due to the slight bitterness of the chocolate. I also loved how thick the frosting was. The chocolate beads added a nice textural contrast as well. Then we also ordered the Salted Caramel Sundae with Caramel Corn. The ice cream was not so thick that it bloated you, but it was actually surprisingly light. The caramel corn gave the sundae a great textural component, as did the caramel peanuts, way better than Cracker Jack. All in all, a wonderful meal and evening. -
Review from M H.
4/1/2012
Let's just get the most important things out of the way first - the food is excellent. The pizza that we started with were just divine. My regret when visiting here is that I was not that hungry.
We continued with the ricotta ravioli and the veal meatballs with kasha and bow-tie pasta. The pasta was also made to perfection. The wine we paired with it also went excellent with the food. We went on with the organic chicken and roast suckling pig.
Unfortunately we were so stuffed that we could not have any dessert will have to be next time. The service was always very quick and good but when we received the bill they forgot to add any of the wine to it - pointed it out and they did then apologize and said they would of course not charge us for it. More generous than they had to be but very nice of them.
Will be back to try more dishes as I really loved the food. -
Review from John C.
Poughkeepsie, NY
5/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Worth a trip
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Review from Emily R.
3/11/2012
At long last, I made it to ABC Kitchen! It's just as beautiful as everyone describes - the decor is delicate, light, and unique - and without a hint of stuffiness. We were brought to a beautiful table, exactly on time, and our party of 3 was immediately greeted by the extremely enthused waiter.
The menu itself was a hit parade - I could absolutely have filled up ordering from the stellar appetizers and market table options alone. We shared pretzel-coated calamari (with a great spicy cocktail and horseradish sauce,); the squash toast, which was sweet and indulgent on buttery, crisp bread, a huge dollop of warm mozzarella cheese swimming in olive oil, and my favorite: the crab toast. It's like a fresh, smashed crabcake on the same grilled fresh bread as the squash, with a light dressing of lemon and green onion kick. I could eat this every single day.
Onto the entrees, which I was barely hungry for after annihilating our appetizer smorgasboard: the sea bass, beautifully cooked with crispy skin and spicy wild ginger on top. The scallops, which were anything but boring - cooked in olives, spinach, and white beans. The farm pizza - pillowy bread with mushrooms, a whole egg, and truffle. And finally, for dessert - the salted caramel ice cream in hot fudge with peanuts, whipped cream, and popcorn. I was in so much pain after eating, but can not stop thinking about that fantastic dessert!
If you ever need a spot to bring family, this is my most enthusiastic recommendation - it's the best of NYC cuisine, farm-to-table and in an idyllic atmosphere.
