East of Eighth
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Chelsea254 W 23rd St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011 (212) 352-0075
- Nearest Transit:
23rd St-8th Ave (C, E)
23rd St-7th Ave (1)
23rd Street (PATH)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
20 Reviews for East of Eighth
While waiting for a friend to go see the Hulk I looked for a place to eat dinner with my wife. I choose this place because it said garden dining available and the menu had a bunch of different dishes to choose from. The garden was smallish but was nice to sit outside. The menu had too many things for me to choose from. I decided on the shrimp and chorizo quesadilla and my wife had a shrimp dish as well. They brought out a basket with bread and corn bread which was tasty. My qusadilla was very good and surprisingly filling. My wife wasn't thrilled with her dish because it didn't come prepared the way it was said to on the menu. It tasted good but wasn't what she expected. If I end up going to the movies over there again I would stop in to try other dishes on their menu.
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We love to stop here for a beer (Hoegaarden on tap, Stella too...) or a cocktail in the afternoon before dinner.
As previously mentioned, the people watching is five star.
As for the food, I can not comment. We don't eat. We just sit at the tiny bar downstairs and chill
It's a decent place. From the outside I didn't expect the lovely atmosphere inside. The music, staff, and customers are hip. The food is OK. Nothing to rave about and not really worth the price to me. Perhaps I'll try their desserts next time.
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Christina A. said that they had Mo shu duck and Paella here. People should know better. You do not order that stuff at a restaurant known for meat loaf , pork chops and rack of lamb. I found just about everything was good. And their fruit crisps for desert are wonderful. Hot and topped with whipped cream.
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They advertise big time to land catering gigs and bring parties into their space but can't seem to handle them. I've been to one event on site and they catered my office party last night. Both were a mess of cold, bland food.
I much prefer going in, as I enjoy that this place is mobbed with old gays. I must show my love for the old gays. Heart.
The back garden area is nice, but isn't set up well for groups. The decor and resulting ambiance are the selling points. And I'm not sure that's quite enough to justify selling me bland, deeply mehhh food, even though they do have a fair amount of vegetarian options.
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best martinis in town
good people watching
very attractive people at the bar
good place for a date
i got lucky there twice
If they knew what they were doing, the back garden would be great for groups.
Unfortunately they seemed ill-prepared to handle the wedding brunch of 25-30 folks that had been planned in advance. I'm sure somebody knew we were coming - just not the kitchen or waiter.
The party was to be from 12-2pm. Folks arrived at 12. Orders were taken over an hour later. Food arrived around 1:45. Fortunately they didn't try to kick us out at 2 or we'd have set the place on fire.
The "medium" burgers were heat-lamped to death, presumably as they waited for the omelets and Benedicts to come out. On the bright side, water was refilled punctually so no one died of dehydration. Other than that - not particularly impressed.
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I tried this place due to the reviews of the other yelpers, but I have to say...I thought this place was awful. The decor and atmosphere was hip and cool, but the food was just disgusting. The citrus calamari had the weirdest funky aftertaste. My friend and I had 2 bites and couldn't stomach the rest. I ordered the moo shu duck which was absolutely awful. It wouldn't have been bad if they didn't drench it in the sauce. The sauce was tooo salty and rich. I was gagging as I tried to eat it (I didn't want to waste my money). My friend ordered the paella which he said was just ok I don't know...it seems like a lot of people like this place which makes me think that maybe I went on a night where the cook was hungover or something, but because of this horrible experience I will never go back.
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I love this place! The food is delicious, the service is great and the atmosphere is just what it tries to be - a place to meet with friends and enjoy your time together. I love the garden in the back - had a goodbye brunch with 10 friends there last June and they accomodated us with no problem! It's so cute, close to home and great for people watching :)
Brunch is great, the menu is a little all over the place, but that really just means that there is something for everyone.
Hungry early? They've got a great 3 course prix fixe meal from 4:30pm to 6:45pm every night. The restaurant is almost empty, but you can definitely get your favorite seat and you're not going to beat this deal! If you've got to eat in this window, this is the best deal in town!
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I have been for both brunch and dinner and both are consistently great. Sam P. said it right.
The only thing I have to add is get the Thai chicken with soba noodles next time you go--it is delicious. I've had it the past two times I've been and will get it next time assuming they still have it.
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I really love this place. Sometimes I forget how much I love it - which is probably why I haven't reviewed it yet. What more can you ask for, really? True, down home, Chelsea charm - i.e., not trendy, over-the-top, or over-decorated (unlike some...well... many Chelsea eateries). A wonderful menu, a gorgeous dining room, a lovely garden terrace, great service, a charming and gracious staff, a fantastic wine list, delicious food, not too pricey - I mean, I could go on, but just go and see for yourself. I've been for dates, for friendly dinners, for family dinners, a quick drink, or a long night of drunkeness, you name it, it's a safe bet. I heart East of Eighth. Go give it the love it deserves.
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The bar rocks!
Mostly because it was full of Yelp's Elite!
I never made it past the bar, no surprise there. I did order the chicken satay and it was great.
The bartender was a stand-in for the night but he made some wicked shots and kept us entertained!
I could see hanging out here more often....especially if those two roller-chicks show up again.
I know where to find Sam now!
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Even though the front room seemed crazy busy, we were escorted to the back garden and found it to be wonderfully peaceful and relaxing. Despite the heat, sitting next to the koi pond (with the cutest little Buddha statue!) somehow made the evening seem tolerable. The host was quite nice, and our waiter was incredibly nice and sweet...but more on him later.
East of Eighth has an eclectic menu--some seafood here, some pasta dishes there, with a whole page of tapas to completely befuddle your label maker. My friend (a man with a bottomless stomach) and I decided to have a go at the tapas, while our two meal mates ordered entrees.
As I mentioned, my tapas friend can eat and eat--he's usually the person all of the girls push their half-full plates to at the end of the meal. So we decided to order 6 plates of tapas, knowing that tapas are usually about three bites big. Not here!! Of what we ordered the crab cakes (2 pieces) were the only thing remotely representing the usual tapas size. Everything else--the calamari, Oaxacan guacamole, lamb chops, and pecan-crusted shrimp (6 large shrimp) were definitely appetizer-sized! A great deal too, with each plate costing between $6-$8. And the food...quite good!
The calamari was pretty typical, but the dipping sauce was a great blend of smoky and spicy. The guacamole and blue corn chips (what made it Oaxacan, I'm not sure) was similarly good, albeit typical. The shrimp was fantastic--the pecan crusting definitely complimented the shrimp and it was cooked just right (don't you hate overcooked shrimp?). My friend had to warm up to the lamb, but he got to liking it. The crab was the only thing I didn't care for--the crab meat wasn't stellar and it was way too breaded.
I also had the walnut arugula salad with Gorgonzola--that was incredible! The salad was just the right size with the right blend of walnuts, apple, and arugula. And the Gorgonzola "garlic bread" was heavenly.
The server was so considerate too. The table was a bit small for all the food, but he made sure that everything was made and delivered to the table in a staggered manner, so we were never long without fresh "tapas" (I should call them tapatizers!). He was definitely one of the better servers I've had in a while. The 4 of us had a lovely summer garden dinner! I would definitely return--but this time get *way* fewer tapas! Even my bottomless-stomached friend was overstuffed when we were done!
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Ended up here last night for a post-dinner drink. My friend and I had split a bottle of wine over dinner in the area and were just looking to pop in somewhere for a quick beer before grabbing the subway home. To make a long story short, we stayed for a couple of hours. I can't attest to the restaurant or the terrace, but the bar was a great time. The drinks were reasonable, and the bartender was very funny and a genuinely great guy to chat with.
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As the other reviewers noted, the garden is absolutely charming. It was a bit sparsely lit but our server brought us some extra candles. The calamari was good as well as the steak dinner and wine, and all very reasonably priced. Unfortunately the wait staff here were rude and inattentive. One of our entrees was brought late (~15 minutes) and when we asked about the delay the waiter was confrontational and offered no reconciliation. He also managed to stretch what should have been a 45 minute dinner into a two hour ordeal by ignoring our table and chatting with the other wait staff. Waiter gripes aside, I liked this place. Also my date mentioned that they have drag shows here but I've never been.
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1 star for them being totally accommodating when I changed my reservation size like three times.
2 star for nice ambiance (it really was quiet enough to have a nice chat) and spacious dining area without the typical New York style cram as many tables into the space as you can scenario.
3 star for our really sweet Waiter.
That being said this place falls firmly into the "don't go back" category. Our food just wasn't good enough to justify a return trip when there are so many other NYC restaurants to try.
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Went with a party of 12, they accommodated us with out any problems (considering we were late). The server was excellent but a little on the quite side. All of our meals were excellent and very well priced. I look forward to my next meal at this restaurant!
I was with a group of 10 guys that came here after cocktails around 11p.m. on a Friday night. We arrived in 2 groups of 5 and the staff was very accomodating to our large party- pushing tables together, Etc. The first group already had ordered, so when we arrived 10 minutes later the waiter managed to instruct the kitchen that everything needed to come out at the same time. They pulled it off!! Everyone was happy! The food was hot, delicious, and plentiful. My belly was full of liquid( wink wink) so I only had a dessert so I can't comment on the food but everyone said their meals were good. I can say something about my dessert though. I ordered the Tartuffo, which was vanilla and chocolate ice cream( scoop of each) covered in a chocolate shell served with whipped cream and a strawberry rose garnish. It was sooooo good and for only $4.50!! I love Ice Cream. I will definitely go back for a meal as everything looked delicious!!
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had dinner here saturday night. service was very warm and attentive. we liked the mesclun salad, tortellini, and penne. i didn't really like the crusted shrimp, or the vegetables they were served on.
definitely coming back here.
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service is great...food is better.. the ambiance is the best
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