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Categories: Indian, Latin American
Neighborhood: Midtown EastGrand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
"Pretty darn good Indian food. I had the chicken tikka masala, samosas, chicken vindaloo, vegetable korma, palak paneer, and garlic naan.…" read more »
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My friend and I treated ourselves to a Restaurant Week dinner at At Vermilion and we were not at all disappointed!
The drinks were fantastic (I had a pear cardamom martini and my friend had a fresh lime pear and green chili cocktail that she absolutely adored).
Every morsel of food was incredibly yummy. We particularly liked the artichoke-paneer paella, the mango flan, the rice pudding and the artichoke pakora. Though I momentarily sacrificed my general veganism here (by eating paneer and rice pudding), it was also really exciting to find such a vegetarian-friendly Restaurant Week menu that was still worth every penny (no boring salads or grilled veggies for me!)
The restaurant is very nice, but not in a stuffy, uptight way.
The service was friendly and extremely informative.
The portions were surprisingly large (if this is true for the regular menu as well, I will definitely come back on a regular night for a special occasion).
The food was delicious and creative.
All in all, I was extremely impressed!
This place was on my restaurant week list; and the food was amazing. Possibly the best scallops i've ever had (and those weren't even on the restaurant week menu). My main was a paneer paella which in itself was so good. Dessert was somewhat of a disappontment- I had the rice pudding with the espresso ganache, which in theory, sounded good. The rice pudding was not at all well cooked (however I had a friend who went a few day later and loved it, so I may have had a bad batch as she and I have similar tastes in food).
The service was really good, albeit being a bit slow. If you are not a rush then it's totally fine. I do want to come back here to check out some of their other dishes (and have those scallops again).
Lets just say that this restaurant was full of surprises!!!
The ambiance of the place is great... the first floor is a huge and open bar area. I don't know if it was because of a week early dinner or it is the norm, but the bar was completely empty except for the host. However, the bar is very nicely decorated and stocked and it could be a great hang out place. One wall is glass which gives everyone a great view of the outside weather and makes it nice and cozy while watching the snow fall...
Heading upstairs, there is a water fountain that flows from the ceiling. Very modern decor and accessories adorn the place which was quite interesting. The place was a little cold for my liking, temperature wise, but being from a hot island could make a little dent of my temperature feeling....
The menu arrived and it is quite intriguing. It was as much fun as reading it as trying to figure out what it is... Indian-Latin fusion is quite something I've never heard of before and I was totally mesmerized by the descriptions of the menu items. It was three of us and we asked our always changing servers (one guy, then a girl, then another guy, then the same girl....) if we could do a "tasting" thing and they were happy to help.
We started with three apetizers: (1) duck vindaloo arepa brushed pomegranate molasses, curry leaf mango ($12.00), (2) artichoke pakoras spain's thistle in indian fritters + eggplant chili coconut sauce $10.00, and (3) the special fo the day. Not knowing what ot expect of this eclectic combo of flavors, the servers were happy to help us decide and we were not disapointed with our choices. Nothing was left on any dish.
Then for the main course we ordered: (1) chimichurri new york strip red mexican arbol - kashmiri mirch chimichurri, "kadai" sweet potato ($32.00), (2) chicken kabab in a makhani base ($20.00) and (3) Special fish of the day. This was something my paled was not ready for... the combo of flavors was exquisite and every dish and every bite brought many "ooohhhs" and "aaahhhs" from our table along with the bottle of red wine we ordered which was quite nice.
The portions were quite big which did not allow us to leave for any room for dessert. The coffee was quite nice, hot and rich in flavor. Bathrooms were nice and clean... the trip to it is like being of a trip of its own with bright red walls and lighting which makes you feel like traveling in a tunnel of... something....
The Final Verdict:
Restaurant Ambiance/Decor: 4.5 out of 5.0
Staff Service/friendliness : 4.5 out of 5.0
Seating Arrangement/Layout: 4.5 out of 5.0
Seating Comfort: 4.0 out of 5.0
Food Quality/Flavor: 5.0 out of 5.0
Wine/Alcohol Selection: 5.0 out of 5.0
Price Value: 4.5 out of 5.0
Bathrooms Cleanliness: 4.5 out of 5.0
Final Score: 36.5 out of 40 (92 out of 100% or A- grade)
Final Comment: This is a place I do highly recommend for someone who wants to try something new, different and unique to any other restaurant in New York. Of the beaten touristic path, I do hope this place is here to stay for many more times for me to visit and enjoy.
The food was incredible, the indian/latin fusion dishes were immaculately executed, the portions were perfect and I completed the night with a drink downstairs...I will be returning as soon as possible.
We went here for Restaurant Week in order to try a the unique blend of latin and indian cuisine. Unfortunately, the restaurant week menu didn't really grant the opportunity to get a true flavor of the possibilities. When we looked at the regular menu, we saw that they had either indian food or latin/indian fusion but no dishes of just latin food. Overall, the food was good but nothing really stood out as exceptional.
The decor was modern and slick but what I like most about the ambiance was that it was open and quiet, I could actually hear what the rest of the people were saying without straining. Very nice.
*I am a vegetarian*
I went here with my bf for New Years eve dinner and am definitely looking forward to going again.
The food is a fusion of Latin and Indian food, with more of an indian emphasis.
We had the vegetarian tasting menu. (Something that is a huge plus in my book, considering the lack of veg. tasting menus at many places.) Because it was NY eve, the jacked the price up to $85/person instead of the normal $65 (I think) that they charge. I agree with previous posters that the portions are small, but I didn't really leave hungry. We also got a bottle of wine.
The Service was excellent and regardless of party size they automatically add 20% gratuity to the check. For some this might be problematic, but it turned out that the service was good. Our waiter was helpful when we needed him and disappeared when we did not want to be bothered.
Decor is very minimalist.
New Years Eve - they had a NY eve party going on which included a buffet, drinks and music for $125. For those who had the seated dinner (tasting menu only $85/person), they could join the party for an additional $20. We chose the seated option only.
Overall, I would go back.
service to this place is excellent! staff is very attentive which is great and they know who to talk to to sell their concept.
our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and had much opinion on what was "good" which was very appreciated by indecisive people like me!
so i ordered the following
- pani puri drink - words cannot describe what this tastes like... i've never tasted an alcoholic drink like this! drinking this definitely makes me think Indian... just order it and u will see... think chutney?
appetizers
- mint naan - really nothing special bout this... i thought it would taste way diff from reg naan but honestly it didn't
- duck arepa - arepa too small to really appreciate, duck and its flavors overpowered the arepa... loved the blue cheese and spicy sauce contrast though to eat with this
- scallops - my fav of the appetizers - cooked just right and plump... simple and loved the corn that goes with it!
main dishes -
- lobster - again seafood seems to be their strength here... comes with shell presentation but already deshelled for u... must have it with the rice where you pour coconut over it... just fabulous!
- ribs - huge portion great to share... nothing specially diff it really didn't display indian cuisine much but it was still great!
dessert - disappointment for the table...
- mango thingy - interesting combination of flavor... i'd have to say that was my fav... but it was too small to share really... combo of tapioca balls with mango and saltiness was great for those that don't like super sweet desserts
- some sorta pistachio thingy - i liked that too
- chocolate cake - dry for me... others couldn't tell cuz they paired it with the ice cream
overall not bad... restaurant week menu wasn't necessary for this place... i think we had a better experience and spent bout the same by ordering from the regular menu and sharing!
Good food, but very small portions, especially for Thanksgiving. No danger of overeating here. I was expecting a feast for the five course Thanksgiving dinner, but would have had to go to McDonald's afterwards had my friend not ordered a regular entrée that she shared with me.
Long wait for a table and had to remind them we were waiting even though they were busy but not extremely so.
Talking to some of the waitstaff was similar to talking to a call center in India and they were just as clueless.
Still the quality of the food was good and the dessert (an assortment) was very good. The modern decor is very attractive, but not very intimate.
I went here on Thanksgiving evening for an untraditional meal. Completely different food than anything I've ever tasted before! The menu was unique and creative. The appetizers were delicious (we ordered the ceviche and a sampler platter). The entrees were great as well, except for the spicy fish. All of the fish dishes are steamed, which is great for the health concious but a little bit of the flavor is sacrificed along the way. The wait for all of the entrees was also excrutiating, but as the waiter explained, there was a backup in the kitchen from the special Thanksgiving meals. They even offered a bottle of wine as an apology, which was a nice touch. We spent about 3 hours there from the time we sat down to the time we left (mostly waiting for the food).
Regardless, this place is great. The restaurant is two levels and is beautiful. The decor is clean and white and completely modern looking. Perfect for a romantic evening.
I was there a few days ago, shared small plates. We ordered:
1. Fish tikkas from tandoori section - was delicious - they were salmon cubes marinated and cooked with spices, and served with traiditional green chutney - I do this a lot at home myself, loved it there.
2. Pani Puris - they were really well made, a little low on salt, but we added it on our own.
3. Scallops - the black pepper gave a certain kick to them.
4. Mussels in coconut chilli sauce - think these were my favs! Will be trying them at home for sure.
Dessert - the Rabri cake combo - was very impressed given that rabri is not even a common indian dessert found !!
I loved the ambiance and the service was very good!!!
Mother of God! What an amazing menu, beautiful space, and fantastic service. All of the stars aligned and we had an awesome night. I went out on a limb and invited some of senior executives to this place, after hearing about it and reading about it, and after having many previous meals at Django - which was under totally different management.
In our group we had a gluten-free, spice sensitive friend, my boss who has lived in asia for 20+ years, and everyone in between.
ALL of us were thrilled by the food. I was SO relieved to bring the co-workers together and to take such a gamble with tastes, and for it to end up so wonderfully. Some of our favorites... the chef's choice kebobs, wild boar with plantains (wow), the scallops, and the ribs. Oh, and the naan and the dahl. The wine list is really nice and the whites were nicely chilled for a really hot night.
This place really knows what they're doing. The food was out of this world, the space is gorgeous, and the Stacy, the waitress, treated us like gold.
I will go back here again and again. I was blown away by how great it was. And all was vindicated when I saw the same co-workers the next morning in the hallway at work and hearing them talk about how much they loved At Vermillion. God, I hope this place survives - everyone deserves a beautiful night at this temple of beautiful and delicious food and experiences.
At Vermilion is not afraid of spice, and that's why I love it so. It is my favorite restaurant in Chicago and I had talked it up so much to my coworkers that they couldn't wait to try it. Our intent was to have a couple of cocktails (I LOVE the fresh lime pear and green chili) and then head out to dinner...we ended up staying for 3 hours.
I love the cocktail menu and how they mix unexpected ingredients to make the perfect beverage. This time around, they were offering a watermelon cilantro cocktail that I couldn't resist. I love cilantro and the combination with the watermelon and a hint of balsamic vinegar was fantastic. After that, I pretty much did a tour of the cocktail menu. I reverted to my favorite lime pear and green chili for round two. So delicious and the kick from the chilis was amazing. Just be careful eating that chili garnish. Those suckers are HOT. Next was the pani puri margarita. It had a strong pani puri flavor and was very good. My last drink was the blueberry cardamom fizz, which was much like a kir royale. My favorite is still the lime pear and green chili. So good.
After a couple of rounds, we decided to order some food. We started out with the appetizer sampler, which is the chef's choice of 4 of their tapas. We ended up with the duck vindaloo arepa, cilantro tamarind shrimp, artichoke pakoras and the juhu ki pani puri. The dish came out beautifully presented and with 3 of each so that the three of us could each have one. This was a nice touch, since I'm pretty sure they usually do only two of each.
All of the tapas were so delicious and a delightful combination of flavors. I was thrilled when my friend who hates spicy food said, "that was great, can we stay for dinner?" Why yes we can!
I personally feel that the only way to experience At Vermilion is to go with a tasting menu. We asked to share the meat tasting menu, some blue corn crusted scallops and some mint ginger naan. Our server and the chef were wonderful about accommodating our request and we were very appreciative.
The tasting menu included pretty much every meat from the usual menu, and in very healthy portions. I was surprised that we ended up with what looked like full sized entrees on our tasting. I will spare you the play by play, mostly because there's no way I can possibly describe the incredible melange of spices and flavors that we experienced. Everything was perfectly spicy and delicious. I love the risks that the chef takes and that she doesn't hold back.
To top off our meal, we had a taste of three different desserts, the dark chocolate molten cake, the warm plantain cake, and mango, olive shrikhand & port tapioca. All of the desserts were great, but the mango dessert was outstanding. So creamy and delicious. I seriously want one right now. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The food was amazing, but I also have to say that our seats on the spacious patio definitely added to the experience. It was a beautiful evening and good for our tourist selves with a great view of the Chrysler building right in front of us. The service was also very friendly and attentive. They took excellent care of us and I would go back any day, in a heartbeat.
Love this place. Even the traditional dishes have very unique flavors to them. Drinks are incredible (including pani puri margarita). Service is very good also.
Really enjoyed a night out with the ladies in June for a bachelorette party. It was a great experience overall, especially since they let us bring a "special" cake (for a small fee) and the restaurant was fairly empty. We loved the pani puri margarita and the eclectic food and ambiance. It was a great choice for our friend's last single night out, and there were options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. It pleased all palattes!
Looking for upscale Indian fare, with hints of Spanish and Latin influences, reasonably priced, beautifully prepped, and served by competent, friendly, attentive waitstaff in a nice open space? Then you should stop by "At Vermilion".
We went on a Saturday night, which is a relatively "off night" for most midtown restaurants, so the place was unfortunately pretty empty. However, it serves some of the best Indian-oriented cuisine I have eaten in the city, in terms of food quality, taste, and prep. The "base" Indian food style is nicely complemented by subtle touches of elements from Spanish and Latin cuisine used in garnishes and sauces.
They have a separate vegetarian menu and most of our choices came from there (sorry, don't have the actual dish names, and veggie menu is not available online): an Eggplant dish in a spicy sauce, Cauliflower in a savory and unique "curry" paste, Paneer with Quinoa, and a Lentil with Avocado dish, all accented with great sauces and mini-sides. The lone meat-eater in the group had the Wild Boar appetizer and the Lamb shank, and was equally pleased with his choices.
The service was excellent, and though the space was very empty for its size, the physical space, decor and the lighting gave it a comfortable, pleasant, and relaxed feel. Attention to interior details follows through to the restrooms, which were clean and well done. Pricing was well within reason for the caliber of food, ambiance, and service offered.
This is a great option for midtown dining, which is pretty bereft of UES or west village quality restaurants. "Curry" on over...
My family and I went here for my 21st birthday and the experience was incredible! We went there because I love indian food and they have exotic cocktails. We got almost everything on the menu, avocado fritters, artichoke hearts, every kind of nan, curry duck, and tandoori steak. The service was amazingly friendly and helpful. This restaurant deserves five stars for sure!
Child-friendliness review - not so much.
the food here is spicy! and thus it was difficult to find anything my 2.5 y/o would eat. thus ruining the whole experience pretty much.
they already pre-marinaded the meat so couldn't get the spices out of that.
the ribs were yummy and who can go wrong with Naan
on a monday night, totally empty
and the waitress was so desperate that she kept pushing drinks on us. a little too pushy.
very cool decor
OMG, can we say DEAD, empty, SAD?
We went for drinks, and their pani puri margarita, which is what 6 people ordered was HORRIBLE.. at 12 bucks a pop, it was a bit ridiculous!
We left quickly.. 2 people entered and left, because they saw how dead it was...
UGH!
I am impressed!
I went there with my family and had the prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner and loved my meal! The fact that it was well-executed is a testament to the chef, as it was a once-per-year menu served on the 2nd week of service. I find myself craving the corn soup from that menu right now; I hope it's a frequent special or eventually makes it to the regular menu.
The artichoke pakoras were moist in the middle and quite flavorful. I've enjoyed pani puri many times, but there was something about the juhu ki pani puri that made it stand out. As a 3rd appetizer for the table, we had a side some sort of onion rings that was lightly battered and well spiced.
The deserts that I tasted were bold, but good. The cumin ice cream definitely has cumin in it, but it works. The only person at the table who didn't seem to like it expected it to be more sweet like vanilla ice cream.
Though a bit on the pricy side, I found the overall experience to be well worth it.
This restaurant is the brainchild of Rohini Dey, a former McKinsey management consultant, economist and doctor of management science. She's the ideas person, clearly, and opening the first Vermilion in Chicago in 2004 seems to have been a good idea, judging by its exhaustive presence in best new restaurant lists in the year of its founding. The food person is Maneet Chauhan, chef at the Chicago original and now cooking in New York (at least, she was running the kitchen the night I dined there). The Vermilion proffer, which is unashamedly based on a fusion concept, is Latin American cuisine kicked up with Indian spicing, plus a more mainstream Indian menu based around the tandoor. Tapas are also mentioned in passing, as is "untamed spice." It's a publicist and/or entrepreneur's dream, and the glamorous opening party, featuring Ms Dey in a sparkling sari, got plenty of attention.
But what's in it for someone just looking for a nice dinner? That was my project, in any case, and it was a lonely one as I traversed the cavernous downstairs bar (where nobody was drinking), carefully negotiated an almost concealed step which precedes the staircase, then climbed to find and almost deserted dining room. Peak-time on a good night, so not an encouraging start, although a few tables gradually filled.
Formerly Django, the re-decoration features big, sexy, black and white icons created by Indian fashion photographer Farrokh Chothia, a man who has taken more snapshots of Padma Lakshmi and Aishwarya Rai than you or I. The so-called tapas section of the menu offered dishes which turned out to be suitable for sharing (parties of four or more can probably get the best out of this restaurant).
Alcachofas - artichoke fritters - are a staple tapa in Spanish bars staple. Here they received Indian accents from a chili-coconut sauce. Some pieces of eggplant too. Pleasant, although much better shared than taken as an individual dish, unless you really crave seven artichoke fritters.
Octopus escabeche was alighter option, scented with cardamom, and decorated with chardonnay caviar (or jelly, really). The octopus was cool and tender. I tried one dish from the "signature" list and one from a selection entitled "heat" - the distinction seems to be that the former exhibit more fusion features. The crab "Konkani", for example, featured jumbo crab, shredded (the "jumbo" appellation thus rendered speculative), and wrapped in a crêpe flavored - or at least muddily colored - with huitlacoche, the truffly Mexican corn fungus. If the crab was "Konkani" (a language spoken in Goa, as far as I know), the crepa swore loyalty to Oaxaca. For all the fanfare, though, this was essentially a spicy crab wrap with a sweetish yellow sauce. The neat cube of red quinoa (which saluted the Incas) was very pretty.
Even prettier, the Portuguese lobster with its "untamed spice" and its own cube of coconut rice. Pretty, at least, until you remove the shell and uncover the lobster meat stewed in Goan gravy - essentially a brown curry, and looking very much like any brown curry. The lobster was not as tender as it should be, and although the saucing was rich, and - yes - spicy, it would be a much less glamorous dish (and look less like a $34 entrée), if the rice lay flat on the plate with the brown curry spooned over it. Chef Chauhan has a painterly eye, but dishes generally were over-reliant on visual merit. Take another example: sheets of mango forming little triangular ravioli containing shrikhand - a sort of yoghurt pudding, a sliver of olive for contrast, garnished with tapioca steeped in port, and finished with a fennel-mango chutney. I loved the chutney; the olive added a nice touch; but the little packages themselves were curiously gummy.
Back to the Caribbean with little plantain cakes, served warm with a banana ice cream and topped with star anise-flavored molasses. There's some sugar scattered on the plate which had been colored with turmeric; more of the shrikhand pudding, and something, well, green. Again, quite a thoroughly imagined dish, but plantains don't make the most exciting cakes.
I drank a light cocktail heated with green chili, then shared a bottle of Pinotage, which I expected to have the warmth and simple fruit to withstand the spices. Wines here are inexpensive, with a good selection of whites from around the world. There are Indian wines too, for anyone who knows anything about them. A party, sharing judiciously, could eat relatively inexpensively for midtown Manhattan: appetizers are low teens and most mains in the twenties.
So far, At Vermilion is advancing an intricate idea of what it is - or what it wants to be. It reads like an interesting restaurant, but it's not yet quite performing as performing as a satisfying restaurant. Early days.
Want to start by saying that overall, this place is great, especially if you have a large party.
I went for my birthday because I loveee Indian-Latin fusion, and had heard about Vermilion's opening. I had a group of 12, and we were promptly seated. The hostesses are very polite and nice.
To start off, the ambiance is beautiful. There are sexy pictures of Indian chicks on the wall, it's all very white, very clean. Also comfortable. What I liked the most was that tables were very spaced out so the other parties were not all up in your business, and the acoustics were great. The space itself is also huge, with high ceilings.
Drinks are OK. They sound very impressive..with names like "blueberry cardamon" and "tamarind margarita." I got both of these. The first, which I had high expectations of, tasted like little more than a glorified mimosa. The flavors -especially of an intense spice like cardamon-should definitely have shown through better. The margarita was pretty simple, tasted much like any "spicier" margarita. A few of my friends got drinks-beware, the "girlie" ones are VERY sweet (although I don't recall exactly which ones they got).
The food was a big PLUS. I had the Indian sampler platter. Great Indian flavors tempered slightly by the Latin influence. All of my friends (including 2 Indians) were very pleased. Presentation is also GORGEOUS, minimalist, and clean. Very pretty.
The only negative criticism I have is perhaps one that you can attribute to most newly opened, "baby" restaurants. It still needs a LOT of experience for the service to get better. Our food took at least 50 minutes to an hour to arrive, and the waiter's excuse was that we had "gotten there at the same time as a few other large parties." While that is somewhat understandable, the difference should be maybe 10 minutes, not 30! And that's just not a cool excuse for a waiter to give. The waiter himself also seemed really dazed and confused, and kept coming and going without asking what we wanted. It was really strange. I also told him that we would go ahead and order and he said he couldn't take the order because one of my friends wasn't ready yet (she arrived late). Even after I insisted he refused to take it. He also had to run into the kitchen 3 times to ask questions about the food from the chef.
Overall--great place. Just maybe give it a month or two before you go!
We went with two friends for my birthday dinner. I had eaten at the one in Chicago a few days earlier and love it and was very excited to try the one in New York. We went early, so the place was relatively empty. Our waitress was incredibly gracious, friendly and knowledgeable. Three of us are vegetarians and they have an entire menu of veggie options...perfect for us.
We ordered several things to share...5 appetizers and 2 main courses. The artichoke fritters were perfect. We also had the scallops, blackened shrimp and a special chat prepared by the chef (Indian street food.) The two main courses were the blackened eggplant and an Indian cheese smothered in a tika massala type sauce. Everything was fantastic. The combination of flavors was spectacular. For dessert, we had the flour-less chocolate torte that was covered in a liquid chocolate sauce flavored with Cumin. On the side, blackberry and cardamon sorbet with mandarin oranges dipped in cayenne.
Sadly, even when we left around 8:30, the place wasn't that busy. I think the location is going to make it hard for this place to catch on. Hopefully the food will get people in the door!
I went here on xmas day with 3 friends--I felt really bad because it was my suggestion...totally trumping my friends suggestion of Brasserie [since it was staple for us]...
I like the layout of the spot...all white...reminds me of my studio...so much so that i almost tripped going up the stairs just like i do at home when trying to ascend my loft [just thought to mention it since i'm not the only yelper that tripped]
Back to the food: we had--the cilantro tamarind shrimp--3.5*; duck vindaloo arepa --3*;blackened tamarind ribs-3*;tandoori skirt steak-4*; sri lankan whole fish-2*; Sangria-1*. I think that should average at about 2.5+...
Service-4*: The food presentation + service was GREAT...but I dont eat "presentation" unfortunately so that didnt really help the taste of the food which was at best bland.
I should mention also that if the presentation+service wasnt so good and the food was kick ass..i'll come back with a thick skin and an empty stomach....but not the case here.
I'll be back though but I'll stay away from the food and from the stairs--has a very nice ambience for afterwork drinks.
End of day 4pple= $400 or so...and my friend still had to get a large size hotdog [yes, gross] at the movie theater to quench the hunger.
I am really impressed by this lavish, upscale restaurant in midtown east. I went on a Wednesday evening to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. The hostess took us upstairs and sat us next to the window. There were maybe 5 or 6 other parties during the time that we dined there. Our waiter was very professional giving us a lot of insight into the food. He recommended that we try the more exotic dishes, the ones that blend Indian and Latin foods. We had the cilantro tamarind shrimp for the tapas and that was superb. Only 4 pieces of shrimp though so it was a very light appetizer. I had the lobster portuguese which was excellent. The goan curry made all the difference and I was able to savor it with the delicious ginger mint naan and some coconut rice that came with it. My boyfriend had the tandoori skirt steak, which was recommended over the chimichurri ny strip steak, as it had more Indian flavoring. I also ordered the ginger promegranate martini which I enjoyed immensely as the ginger gave it a nice kick. Since we enjoy variety, we ordered the vermilion immoderation for dessert. We were surprised that it consisted mainly of Indian desserts, which was just a small sampling but still very good. My boyfriend is Indian and he said it was excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant and hope to return. I think it's fairly empty most evenings as it's in midtown east and not much happening off of Lexington that time of night. Nevertheless, I'd still make an effort to come out to this restaurant as the food and decor are splendid.
I went here for dinner with two friends, Friday 8-10 pm. Food was really good. Desert was not that good. The theme is the food is essential Indian spices mixed into non-Indian based dishes. I had a couple Tapas dishes; both were delicious. The decor/setup is really nice here, both upstairs in the restaurant and downstairs in the bar. Due to its location though (in the heart of midtown), the bar is pretty much dead. It's great for a after work drinks with one or two people, or early or dinner 6-10, but then go out somewhere else after.
We had a fabulous dinner for 25 people on January 14th. The restaurant was very flexible in the planning of this annual dinner party. We had the mezzanine to ourselves, which was the perfect space for our group. I had pre-ordered appetizers, which were expertly served shortly after guests began to arrive. The service over all was outstanding! Staff were courteous and attentive without being intrusive. We began with cocktails and I strongly recommend sampling their house specialties. I had a gin martini with cilantro and grapefruit, tart and slightly sweet, it was the perfect beginning. Everyone was unanimous that the food was excellent and beautifully presented. I had the signature skirt steak. The meat was perfectly cooked to medium rare, per my request, and the seasoning was delicious. Portions were ample. Every one of our 25 guests thoroughly enjoyed their dinner. I know times are tough for new restaurants, but I am truly hoping At Vermilion will make it so we can have our annual dinner there again next year.
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