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Uptown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6)
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
Downtown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6, B, D, F, V)
Mon-Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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We went to Double Crown for my birthday, and none of us had been for food before. The 4 of use were seated in a booth, and we started off with a lovely bottle of white wine. We liked it so much, we ended up ordering a 2nd bottle later. Our waiter was excellent at describing the dishes and answering questions about both food and wine. Everything we ordered was wonderful. The laksa was spicy and warm, perfect for a cold winter day (not sure of the authenticity, but it was delicious, so I am a fan!), crispy tofu and snapper (YUM), my friend had the coconut chicken, which she enjoyed, butternut squash curry was awesome, steamed snapper was moist and delicious, and fried brussels sprouts, well, if you're already a fan of the little green guys, you can only imagine what frying them will do for your taste buds. We finished with a couple of desserts, which I now can't remember the names, but one had a house-made marshmallow. Fun and tasty!
We had other friends joining us in the other bar (Madam Geneva) after dinner, and the hostess reserved a spot for us back there! Overall a great experience in food and service. I'd go back more often if it wasn't so pricey!
I was wavering between 3 or 4 stars and decided to round up and this is why:
1) It was a quiet Saturday early afternoon when we arrived, so we were seated promptly. However, as the afternoon wore on the place began to buzz and yet they didn't change the tempo of their service. Easy going and unobtrusive.
2) The prix fixe brunch is pretty darn tasty - I had the English breakfast with poached eggs and my eggs were poached the way I like 'em - not too runny, but still yolky enough to dip my brioche toast points into them. AND when I told them no bacon in my beans, they supplemented sauteed mushrooms and lovely grilled plum tomatoes. My little pot of Earl Grey tea rounded off the meal with a delightful sense of tip topness.
3) The decor was open, airy, and while I saw the Indo-Brit colonial theme running through the space, they didn't hit you over the head with it.
I definitely would come back to Double Crown for brunch or lunch or maybe even dinner.
Am a fan!
So having been serial restaurant hopper in NYC for nearly 5 years now, I have become kind of a cynic with the whole "fusion" thing - yea yea, I get it, Chinese food is good and French food is good, so why not mix them together?? Unfortunately, most of the time with those experiments, the sum is not greater than it's parts, and you realize that these cuisines have enough of an identity all on their own to not need to be fused with anything.
So, after that little rant, what about Double Crown? I'd say this is one of the few places I've been to where "fusion" or at least "semi-fusion" is pulled off well. Everything on the menu is imaginative, unusual and rather unique - and this includes cocktails, appetizers, entrees and deserts. Whereas a lot of places do unusual for the sake of unusual, the kitchen here seems to have put real thought into how flavors and textures complement each other, and the resulting menu is really quite good. It's one of those places where you have a hard time picking what you want because there are 5 things you want to try, and you attempt to make a mental note of everything you're tasting so you can remember what to get next time you come back (in my book, when a restaurant has you doing that mid-meal, they have done a great job).
The atmosphere is lively, fun and loud - which is totally fine by me. Don't come here if you're expecting a quiet, romantic, intimate night out. This is a place to go to for a fun, lively date or a group dinner - start with some cocktails, move on to dinner and then revisit the bar after desert to get wound up for the evening out - you absolutely won't be disappointed.
We started the evening at the restaurant's bar next door, connected by secret passageway. We hung out there, and enjoyed the vibe and an unusual cocktail. When our table was ready, we were taken through the secret door into the main restaurant. I loved the Scooby Doo factor.
Meal was not revolutionary, but very enjoyable. Good food. Interesting menu. Eclectic atmosphere. Good service.
A solid, high quality evening can be enjoyed here.
There were two dishes I really wanted when I checked out Double Crowns menu online. The Bangers and Mash and the Elk Wellington. That's right Lisa A, I said Elk.
Bring on the sausagey potatoey elky goodness, I say. Sadly though, to John N's chagrin, both items had been removed from the menu (note to Double Crown: update your damn website!). Now what?
I ordered a beautiful bowl of fat, plump, and delicious mussels (not on the online menu) followed by an amazing piece of steamed snapper served with a prawn dumpling, sesame broth and bok choy. Mmm mmm mmm. I highly recommend both. I also took some nibbles off of everyone else's (elses, elses', whatever) plate. Here's what I thought: the vegetarian butternut squash curry, yay I'm a fan, the twice cooked chicken, a-ok, the new york strip steak, meh I've had better.
Double Crown also has a super secret, impossible to find, hidden behind a secret panel, bar in the back of the joint that only us and the other one million people that were in it seemed to know about. Still, worth checking out for a drink.
We were 30 minutes late to our dinner with a certain poet/madman/sorcerer/prophet and his fiance. They didn't mind but Double Crown sure did. They basically made us wait at the bar for almost an hour. I wasn't upset because I basically tasted each of their delicious cocktails off their menu.
The ambiance and decor is really the selling point of this restaurant. There is a bar in the front, bar in the basement, and a lounge called Madam Geneva located behind a panel in the back of the restaurant. The AvroKO design firm from Public must have known that alcohol and secret entrances makes me a happy camper.
The restaurant features an "British-Indio-Asian" fusion menu that actually works even though it may not be diplomatically correct. We started with a order of the mussels, oysters, and duck buns which were all delicious. I wanted their Bangers and Mash but that wasn't on the menu so I went with the Butternut Squash Curry and a side of Daikon fries which was good. I got a chance to try the New York Strip Steak, Snapper, and the twice cooked Chicken. The Snapper is the only dish that I would order if I came back for dinner.
I had a great time that evening because of the good company and the interesting cocktail list. They serve unlimited Bloody Marys for brunch so I'm sure that I'll be back just not soon.
*3.5 stars*
Proprietor/Chef: AvroKo, partner Dan Rafalin/Brad Farmerie
Aside from the obvious "scene" here, Double Crown is an odd love affair, where extremes should never cross boundaries. The not so obvious will eventually manifest itself, marking the paths to cross inevitable. I encountered British meets Indian/SE Asian cuisine for the very first time... so cheers to my first take on the mix.
First, I'll say that they are very innovative on the mixed drinks here. I had a gin concoction, which was thick, spicy and mildly sweet with just a tint of lemon tart. It was weird, but sensational. We ordered three appetizers which were solid but nothing more. I do remember taking an extra piece of yellowtail, which will either account for my love of the sashimi, or extra compliments to the dish. For my entree, I tried the steamed snapper. Fish was cooked nicely, but overall the dish was a bit on the saltier side for me. We ordered a few sides as well.. again, nothing beyond the solid mark. Ended with two nice desserts, my pick of a chocolate cake of some sort... which was OK. Still-- made for an overall, very enjoyable meal.
I"m still kind of confused by its food categorization... my take is that it definitely had lots of Asian accents to the food...but the British was left undetected. Forgive me for being ignorant, but what the hell is British food anyways, aside from chips & fish???
I give it 3.5 stars. The food was good. We had the bone marrow and quail to start and then I had the elk which was very good.
The space kind of reminds me of a nightclub but it's cute if you are in a booth with some friends.
I remember coming here the week the opened a year or so ago - had some amazing food with friends. Not sure why I have not come back...
Did a little hopping between BondSt (yum) and Sala (good) and stopped by Double Crown for a glass of wine and some apps. The tandoor foie gras tarchon is amazing - I love pates (they really are my favorite things ever) and this one did not disappoint. It is delicious. The spicy beef salad was very good and so were the steamed duck buns.
Definitely putting this back on my list of places to come to more often.
Rarely...rarely am I as impressed and surprised as I was on my trip to Double Crown last night. Everything just came together and was the perfect way to end the day.
After working on what was supposed to be my day off...while I was sick...on my birthday, I was surprised by a good friend of mine who treated me to a birthday dinner.
We started the evening with a Champagne toast, then were sent the Seared Yellowtail, which was a nice palette cleanser, although something I was happy to have received compliments. We then moved on to the Miso Glazed Bone Marrow and Tandori Foie Gras with Earl Grey Prunes. I'm a sucker for unctuous, fatty foods; so I really liked the bone marrow and the sweetness of the prunes offset the richness of the Foie, without overpowering it. And the glasses of sherry we were sent paired well with both.
For our mains, my friend enjoyed the Singapore Laksa, although she said she's had better at some place in Queens (?) as well as when she was actually living in Singapore, but c'mon. I got the Pork Belly, which when it arrived seemed like a small portion, but was pretty close to perfect, with a great ratio of meat to fat and amazingly crispy skin on top.
The bottle of 2004 Henschke we had tied everything together and when it fully opened up, it smacked me in the mouth with tons of fruit and multiple layers of complexity that made me smile.
Dessert was okay, a chocolate tea cake with a peanut butter & chili ganache; but honestly the meal wasn't about dessert and it would've been tough for anything to have competed with our food.
In short, everything came together perfectly for me. Dinner with a beautiful woman, a great meal with fantastic wine, a friendly server and a knowledgeable wine director. I can't say it would happen again, but it happened last night and it was awesome.
I am uncertain whether it is the candles or the leather booths that give Double Crown the ambiance of an underground bar of the side streets of Montparnasse ( Paris, 15th arrondissement). The DJ's music selection got loud at times, though the quality of the tracks made it worthwhile (and enabled me to swiftly get closer to my date). The rustic decor was cozy, the bartenders were courteous. There isn't much more one could ask for.
Eclectic, Fusion, AvroKO, interesting menu and Brad Farmerie are ingredients for a true top ten in my list. And so, being totally ignorant of all this elements I couldn't other than mentally update my bookmarks list based only in what I saw when I first crossed Double Crown through Madame Geneva.
Interesting things about Double Crown is the Indian-British dual nature reflected either in the menu and the deco, being this one able to take your words away. I didn't expected less from AvroKO my friends. As I said, Double Crown is the container of Madam Geneva, part of the speakeasies, popular for their Gin-Jam cocktails and as many others, hidden behind a secret door, a swivel wall at the main dinning room this time, that unfortunately was a little disappointed as well. Double crown is for me, in parallel with Public which guess who is the designer team, one of the most gorgeous places in the city. Described by many others as British Imperialism style I can't be more agree. There is 3 mandatory visits inside Double Crown; a dinning room right after the main door, where brunch, cocktails and Tea service are served, modern and with Indian deities ornaments; the main dinning room, where the British imperialism style is showed to maximum level and the downstairs bathroom, mandatory itself but where AvroKO team show all their talent; I'm still dreaming with the font filled with petals and the sweet scents that evolve you while you are in your way.
More interesting things as I said is their Indian-British fusion menu. A Sunday brunch was the idea that I had on mind since I went to madame Geneva but they offer British Style Afternoon Tea Service, not that common and that we decided to try first . This service is available from 3:30 - 5:30 during the weekends. Presentation wise is beautiful. Flavor and ingredients combination is amazing as well, but they didn't reach the expected level according the general style. Being a tea service I was expecting more variety. Just 5-6 to choose is pretty poor. We choose the Tea Sandwiches service and we received 3 micro-sandwiches pieces: Smoked salmon, Chicken and Cured Ham coming along with other surprising ingredients that certainly improve the flavor. Very well designed, nice combination and unexpectedly disappointed. The selected bread was good as well, white or with grains but it wasn't tender, it was really dry and the sandwiches was served too cold. Enough to ruin the whole thing, seriously. It was $16. We also order the 3 cheese plate with raising bread. You already know how was the bread. Nothing change; and it was $12 for 3 micro-slices of cheese, being not so exceptional.
I have to say that I liked the warm coffee cocktails that we order. It was strong and revitalizing for that cold Sunday afternoon. The Lychee Bellini (with Lychee juice and Lindauer Brut, a sparkling fruity wine from New Zealand) and the cucumber, apple and Elderflowe Tall spin in my head every time I read the drinks menu.
As you can appreciate in the shoots everything looks perfect; but it wasn't. In fact, it was far away from perfection. And reading others reviews about dinner and brunch I start to wonder if Double Crown is all about how it looks like other than how is inside which is the matter at the end. I also wonder how Brad Farmerie can be doing so well at Public and it doesn't happen the same at Double Crown. I haven't discard the idea of dinner or brunch here yet.... the menu is so attractive to my eyes and ahhhhh the place is so beautiful... but I'm feeling it less and less exciting and maybe I just keep Double Crown as a destination for wine or a cocktail early at night.
3.5 stars is what I'd give this place.
I ordered a chicken salad, which was $13. A bit on the pricey end, but nonetheless decent. The atmosphere was perfect (and actually pretty packed) for my co-workers birthday drinks on a Wednesday night. We sat at the bar and had seats for 4 of us.
The Australian bartender is cute (my co-worker had her eye on him the whole night!)
The usher need to loosen up a little bit. But once you are beyond her, you are up for a nice evening. The place is amazing and so is the drinks collection. The beer and wine list is good. Try the chocolate stout.
great ambience once they open up the main doors.
Haven't tried the food yet. Next time.
I give this place a 4.
The elk I ordered was really good and the atmosphere was phenomenal. I also tried some of their tea from Tavalon, which was quite exceptional. I definitely recommend trying it out.
I just like how they pay so much attention to everything.I had a wonderful experience.
I was in NY a few months back, and was excited to eat some of Brad Farmerie's food finally. The front of house, the service, and decor (the bathrooms are AMAZINGLY fixed up to match with the restaurant's New World/British Empire theme) , were all incredible. The front of house can really go a long way, and I was reminded of that here. The dude knew my name, knew that I was coming from the bay area, took our jackets, etc etc. It was like they were excited to have us there, and that's definitely starting off the night on the right foot.
The *idea* of Double Crown---cuisine that evolved from the British Empire's forays into India and Southeast Asia--is an intriguing one. But at the end of the day, I think that Double Crown suffers because while the concept is daring and unique, I went in more excited about said concept, but left not really sure I would order anything that we ate that night again.
We ordered:
- the Duck Steam Buns appetizer--good but not really anything elevated above normal good dim sum.
- Crispy Drunken Quail appetizer--very solid, and the cinnamon tamarind sauce was the best flavor of the night, playing well with the quail.
- the Braised Pork Belly entree--now, the belly itself was quality and quite rich, but the lychee-ginger dressing and the red lentil puree... just a lot going on, and it didn't seem like they all made sense together. Overload kinda.
- The New York Strip Steak entree--again the meat itself was good, but the pickled lime butter gave the overall flavor an odd aftertaste reminiscent of Indian cuisine. And while that's one of the things that Double Crown is going for, I'm not convinced it was actually a good thing in this instance.
- The Chocolate Fudge Torte dessert--another meal highlight. Delicious vanilla bean ice cream, yummy cherries. Unlike the entrees, it flowed well.
- Various cocktails + coffee were had as well.
It was a good night at Double Crown for sure, I just really wished it had rocked my world like I thought it would. There's other stuff on the menu I would have ordered if I would have went with a more adventurous eater (Tandoori Foie Gras, Crispy Tofu + Snapper, Miso-Glazed Bow Marrow, Spicy Pork Stuffed Lychees, etc.), and perhaps I would have had a different experience if I did.
But based on this experience, the verdict is still out.
I'm not sure how this place is categorized as British and Indian; I'd say it's more like Asian/New American fusion.
Regardless, the food is good. We had the braised pork belly, seared yellowtail, crispy tofu and snapper.. and something else that I can't remember. We also had tons of wine. The service was good, very attentive even though we didn't order a lot of food.
The highlight of the evening, however, was the "secret" bar in the back. It's not really a secret, there's a big door with no sign but people will be walking in and out. The space is limited inside, but the crowd was pretty good - almost no b&t's, hipsters, or students - and there were a number of good looking guys who all looked like they had real jobs.
Can you please pass the jelly?
I've found my new favorite cocktail last night...peach tea, vodka and peach preserves! $13. Oh and the ice is a nice blend of small and crushed cubes. I wish I had one right now.
The back lounge had a great vibe and the pork belly ($7) and diakon "fries" ($6) were both perfectly seasoned and cooked. As with most places, service is a little slow, but they are super friendly and accomodating. Trying to plan my next visit now...
I went here for brunch today. I came hungry and left hungry.
My date asked about the portions, and the waitress replied that they are 'average.' Average really meant minuscule as my prawns and eggs brunch dish consisted of three prawns, one sad scrambled egg, and a tomato and avocado 'salad' spilled on top. The eggs florentine were very similar.
Further, these two small dishes took forever to be delivered to our table. I guess the kitchen was on island time?
If it weren't for the great company, I would have thought that the afternoon was a waste.
I came here for a client dinner on a Thursday night with a group of 10 people. The drink menu is awesome, and every drink i had was delicious and had a nice bite to it. The food menu appears to be exotic (fried prawn heads, venison, etc) but the food is delicious.
After dinner, we checked out the secret bar in the back (the wall opens up in the main dining room to a hallway that opens up to a bar with cool music.
The interior is cool and the service was just above average. I recommend double for dinner, but i heard its great for brunch as well.
Been here twice: once for drinks and the other for dinner. And you know how some places specialize in one or the other? Well, this place is mediocre in both. The drinks are nothing to get drunk over, and the food is nothing to celebrate.
I took the advice of fellow yelpers in ordering the Twice Cooked Chicken, which turned out good. The serving size was a thigh and a drumstick? It's fine if you go in with a full stomach, I guess.
As for the other stuff:
Drunken Quail- you really have to be drunk to think this was even worth putting in your mouth. But too bad their drinks suck.
Crispy Tofu & Snapper- 50% crispy, and just a mishmosh of confusing flavors; and I've learned not to like pickled anything. "That's what she said." ~ HIMYM
Red Tea Panna Cotta- not a fan.
The only accurate review I've found on this place is "the bar is always in full swing." This is true. And that is it.
Terrible acoustics
I wanted to love Double Crown because its heightened sense of kitsch appealed to my better (worse?) nature. There is something so charming about the way in which the British appropriated Indian food and culture...overlooking the inherent devastation of colonialism. And their website is pretty. And I spotted grilled sambal prawns with scrambled eggs on the menu online, which I dutifully noted in my bookmark so that I would never, never forget it.
But, when all was said and done, Double Crown was just pleasant. I liked my prawns, coffee was good, the sun was shining and we were sitting under their awning on the sidewalk, watching the passersby as our china rattled on the uneven tabletop in the breeze. Everything seems like it ought to have been just right. My gentleman friend, as I recall, had the endive and stilton salad, which was remarkable. But the whole experience was relatively unmemorable, even though it looked so good on paper.
Perhaps dinner is where they really shine and I should give it a try? I'd have brunch here again if I got hungry while walking past it, but I wouldn't make it a destination again.
(Also I would like to redesign the interior. Its not bad, but it did not meet my expectations for British/Indian fusion...its more Thai chain meets German biergarten than English parlour meets Indian palace.)
Went for dinner on a Friday night. Found the host every accommodating. All tables full, but he got us a couple seats at the very small communal table thing by the bar. The bartendar was very attentive. The food was fantastic. Had the twice cooked chicken in some yummy broth. Loved the rustic, Indian decor, okay noise level, and prices not obscene. A winner.
I am a little biased ... my girlfriend tends the bar here although this is not going to sway me in the least bit. This place has delicious cocktails. I tried many varieties when I was there. The food is good too although I was here to hang out more so than eat. The inside is very warm and inviting. Everyone is really friendly. It's not an uptight place in the least bit. You'll enjoy yourself when you stop by Double Crown! Say "hi!" to my sassy blonde friend when you're there too!
made reservations (for 4) here for 9:30pm last saturday. we checked in 15 minutes early, since we're proactive like that! sadly, we didn't sit down until 10pm. the poor service was just beginning, since the waiter didn't address our table for another 15mins. we kept cracking jokes at his expense, so we didn't just sit there angry or anything. pretty sure he wasn't smart enough to be working at a busy place on a saturday night. we struggled with the service all night, including the waiter billing our credit cards to the wrong table's bill. it's too bad i'll probably never go back here, since the braised short rib was really tasty.
A really swanky place with nice decor, good crowd, and delicious appetizers/drinks. Very much enjoyed sitting around the table chatting with friends.
Had the coconut chicken salad appetizer with friends and I couldn't stop munching it down. I'm not even a huge fan of coconut! Also, had a glass of the portugal red wine on the list and it wasn't bad for $9.
After we finished our food and drinks we headed through the hideaway door to the speakeasy towards the back which I thought was very cool. I tried their raspberry and peach tea over vodka which seems to be one of their specialty drinks --I've never seen any other place serve jam in their alcoholic drinks! Make sure you stir the jelly as best as you could to really get that great raspberry taste.
I would definitely bring my out-of-town friends to this place next time.
Hadn't been to NYC for 15 years until this summer (2009) ... and, I must admit, this was my FAVORITE restaurant as I reflect on EATING my way around the city from day well into the night. This was a great atmosphere, superior service and the drinks were also quite memorable.
I had the pear and lemongrass martini ... which I am still dreaming about to this day. The duck and watermelon salad was simply devine ... the butternut squash curry is not-to-be-missed ... and the twice-cooked chicken will have you sucking those bones for every last remnant of flavor-filled flesh or every last drop of those savory and succulent juices.
HEAVEN for your tastebuds ... that's really all the more I have to say.
Fusion can be hit or complete miss for me and for me it was a miss as some dishes lacked fusion, ingredients and focus, while the stars were the most simple of offerings. I enjoyed my time here and equate lounging here with coctails and a few small plates rather than a full dining experience.
I love this comment by Frank Bruni of the NY Times: " Double Crown, which dabbles in what might be considered diplomatically incorrect cuisine. Its take on British imperialism goes something like this: Sure, foreign lands were plundered and indigenous peoples oppressed, but think of the snacks! "
AvroKo's far east market decor was well thought out; with multiple seating areas (back room, downstairs, booths, communal and wonderful outdoor patio offer a welcomed chill environment for many varied tastes.
The front of the house was well managed, our hostess was accommodating and servers were paced for a leisurely sitting.
I found several of the cocktails intriguing and interesting, although it's been some time since I've partaken, so I can't remember specifics. I do recall that the wine list is expensive and extremely stingy. Several by the glass wine pours seemed to be barely over 6 oz and certainly not worth the $14 minimum charge.
The kitchen, however, was the miss for me but maybe I just hit all the wrong notes on the menu - still... We had all our dishes, even the mains served as they were cooked in a tapas style for sharing with the group. We were looking forward to enjoying the watermelon rind salad on this hot evening however, found there wasn't much rind and the dish needed more cilantro and salt.
The diakon lop cheang was good with it's crispy texture but not great. The beef salad had no salad (no lettuce) and the mint/cilantro greens just over powered the dish, however, the beef on its own was tasty. The Singapore laksa was over stocked with the cheapest ingredients; namely the bean sprouts and lacked any sittings of crab, but worse for me was missing the typical heat I expect from Laksa and therefore didn't have much favor. The calamari was the best dish we had, coming off the non-fusion British side of the menu but it was not fantastic and the Elk Wellington just didn't work for me.
Overall I've enjoyed the lounge side of this joint, and would come again for just that, however, not so much on the food. For those that want to just focus on cocktails, the bar works but the 2-4-1 additional establishment in the back carries it's own name: Madam Geneva and is reviewed separately with higher appreciation.
Great atmosphere, tasty food, and a good place to bring a group of friends. The service is much to be desired (they should be refilling your wine glass with the 2 bottles of wine you just ordered instead of you asking to be refilled) and the wait for a table was long even with a reservation, although Madam Geneva next door helped ease the pain - still, could ya seem at least a little sorry for making us wait?
The food was good - particularly the marrow appetizer and bar snacks like the salt and pepper sepia with squid ink sauce and the shrimp and the pint of shrimp including fried shrimp heads. But it was a mixed bag. The duck buns were tiny and much to be desired, the pork lychee mini wraps were a little odd, and the pork belly was just ok.
But dining at Double Crown isn't just about the food - it's also about the atmosphere which is relaxing but upbeat and great for a dinner with a group of friends. So dining destination it is not, but is it a good place for decent dinner with friends? Probably.
Yummers!!
At first I was a bit wary of the selling point for this being "colonial" food... basically food from British former colonies in Asia. But there's no condescension or commentary -- it's basically the closest narrative you can get to the kind of fusion food served here. The decor was also, though not anything awesome, not an ethnographic exhibition, which I appreciated.
But hey, we're here for the food, right? Yum! My friends and I had the pork buns to share as an app, delicious indeed. I also had the laksa soup as I'm fighting a cold. It was good, but needed way fewer beansprouts and more of the good stuff -- that is, noodles and crab.
I really really liked my main, which was the seared yellowfin tuna. They were not stingy with the slices, and the melange of herbs and whatever it was to accompany it was a unique complement. Badly handled, seared tuna can be dull, but that's not the case here.... who knew it tasted so good with a mint leaf? My friends were happy with their dishes too... the twice cooked chicken kicked twice the amount of ass a simple chicken dish would, the braised ribs were HUGE and yummy (be warned), and the pork belly was melt in your mouth good.
The host was not a very nice person (why keep us waiting despite our reservation, the obviously empty tables, and our entire party being there??), but the service was otherwise kind. One of our party even left a bag there, and the staff called the phone number on file for the table to let us know. Points for that.
Conclusion basically? Go. It's yummy.
PS: cocktails are limited, but lovely. The elderflower, cucumber gin concoction was the best of all.
We had a very enjoyable dinner here over the weekend. Between eight people, we had quite a sampling from the menu. I can personally speak to the Singapore Laksa, the Twice-Cooked Chicken, the Lap Cheong Daikon Fries and the Rice Pudding Samosa. All in all, a very good meal. I would have liked the twice-cooked chicken to have a little more meat on it -- It really ended up being maybe five bites of chicken, but tasty they were. The laksa was delicious coconut-y, crab goodness. The fries were extremely good, and balanced the flavors of my meal very well. Topping off the meal, the samosas were excellent, and highly recommended!
This would also be a good spot to stop for a cocktail -- they have a very inventive cocktail menu, and a great bar staff.
Ate a very enjoyable (if quick) dinner here. The menu isn't huge, so it didn't take long to pick what we wanted and the service moved quickly (but we didn't feel rushed).
I had a very good (they call it Perfect) Gimlet. My wife had a blood orange martini, also good. She is a sucker for a drink made w/ blood orange. The drink here, and another one she had at Perilla were both excellent, so maybe she is on to something.
Started with duck steamed buns, which were so tasty and the pork belly, also good. They are both small portions, which worked out fine for the two of us.
For the mains, I had my eye on the short ribs on the online menu, but no such luck when I got there, :-( I went with the grilled tuna and my wife had the bangers & mash. Her dish had a great sauce and the bangers were very good. My tuna dish was really good. The waiter recommended I get a starch side, so I got the steamed rice, which comes with scallions and all sorts of spices, which was so tasty! Who knew some steamed rice would be so good? Reminded me of the Singaporean style chicken rice.
Excellent meal and I will be back (brunch menu looks pretty good).
A nice spot to have a drink and barfood when in the area but I wouldn't go here for a "dinner dinner". While the cocktails are interesting they aren't that tasty- would especially not recommend. Indian Blood Orange Martini. Asian Pear martini was ok.
The duck cakes were only two bite size pieces, not a real appetizer IMO and the bangers and mash had a distinct and obstrusive flavor; the mash tasted like it was store made.
I would be interested in trying this place again for brunch but don't recommend it for dinner.
You know what sucks, I had sorta mediocre hopes for this place. Public was pretty cool, the food was really original and after looking at DC's menu online, I figured it had to somewhat deliver.
I mean it's not like anything was terrible or inedible- but this is New York after all. We are spoiled and have high expectations...especially if you want to turn us into repeat customers. The decor, like the menu, felt like it couldn't commit to any one thing, was it Indian, was it Chinese, was it British? DC is clearly a place trying to be all things to all people and failing to deliver on any one of them.
I like to say at least one nice thing so I will say the hostess was gorgeous and kind, and held our table for 20 mins as we were running late.
The Brussels Sprouts were good, the seared beef salad was okay, the chicken was okay, the bartender supplied me with a very weak pour of wine which was annoying. The duck buns were all bun and no duck. I had a sip of a blood orange martini, again just fine.
I feel bad writing this mediocre review but, DC, you earned it.
If my entree was not fantastic, I'd have to stick Double Crown with a one star. Redemption came in the form of their venison wellington, a flawlessly cooked rare cut of meat lightly embraced by a thin crusty pastry.
We had a reservation for 9:30, but didn't get seated until after 10. Our entrees were ordered soon after, but didn't hit the table until 11:30. No apologies were made for blowing the reservation or the stomach-painfully slow kitchen.
The space is beautiful, the crowd incredibly so (missed connection: to the model sitting directly across from me, you know who you are. Stay lovely, xoxo Jeremy).
I'd definitely go back for the food, but be prepared to dedicate your whole night to the experience (and not voluntarily).
I wanted to go to Public (Double Crown's sister restaurant) but there was an hour wait so they told us to try DC. Its a nice space, but the food leaves something to be desired. It felt as if they were trying to make their food more gourmet and avant-garde than the chef was capable of executing. There were some nice ideas, but something seemed to just be kinda 'off' on the dishes that I tried. I would go somewhere else. The $30 prix-fixe brunch includes bottomless bloody marys, which is nice.
I learned the hard way many years ago that I am undeniably a savory bruncher. It used to happen to me that I'd walk into brunch, see someone with a heaping stack of blueberry pancakes or french toast and think "Oh, DEFINITELY," but then as soon as I got my food I'd have two bites and then be annoyed that I hadn't ordered eggs. What a sad, sad Sunday it is when you are unhappy with your brunch decisions, no? I now know that no matter how good the sweet dishes look or sound, I am under no uncertain circumstances to order them.
With a menu item called "Whiskey French Toast" Double Crown ALMOST got the better of me, but I stopped myself. Instead, I convinced my friend to order it so I could have a couple of bites (this, dear savory brunchers, is the KEY to the perfect brunch--be sure to dine with a willing sweet-bruncher, and then you effectively get free dessert!). The WFT did not disappoint--crispy edges, soft inside, and a hint of whiskey throughout.
My dish was a nice twist on eggs Florentine--perfectly poached eggs with sauteed spinach, crispy bacon and a surprisingly good curried hollandaise. Unfortunately, the english muffin that all of that tastiness sat upon was not OK. It was tough, it was tasteless, it did not deserve to be there. And another thing--the coffee, while fresh and strong, $3.50? I'm sorry, but no. Drip coffee is $1.50, $2 tops.
Despite these shortcomings (as well as a pesky fly that seemed positively smitten with us), brunch today was very pleasant. There was no wait, service was attentive and friendly, and the restaurant itself is gorgeous. Now, I'm unabashedly a bit of an AvroKO groupie; someone could open a restaurant specializing only in tripe and toenails and if AvroKO designed the space, I'd probably eat there just to surround myself with all that beauty and attention to detail.
Now, as Audra M points out, the British colonization of India isn't all that cool in *actual* concept, but the British colonization of India in food and design concept? Very cool.
Good food and drinks. Creative asian fusion dishes. Did not like sitting at the communal table next to the bar because I was too close to all the cougars sitting at the bar trying to pounce on the waiters.
I just came back from this new restaurant in Bowery called Double Crown. The Bowery is an up and coming area and in my opinion, has true potential for becoming the next Meatpacking District and this is the Bowery's first start. Brad Farmerie is the executive chef and prepares British/Pan-Asian cuisine. First off, DO NOT go any earlier than 7:30 PM for dinner, if you do you will walk into a nearly empty restaurant and will not get the full effect. From 7:30 and later, you will realize why I said Double Crown belongs in the Meatpacking District. Designed by the firm AvroKo (also the designers of The Stanton Social, Omido and European Union), the restaurant is gorgeous (well, not Buddakan gorgeous, but definitely up there). There are 3 dining rooms and one bar area. The first dining room is next to the bar and is more for friends and social outings. The next dining room is more quiet and elegant as the classical white walls set the mood for relaxing and wholesome conversation. Then downstairs is essentially a quieter version of upstairs. Two of the dining rooms contain a communal table (which in my opinion, is unnecessary for the upstairs space as it takes room away from the bar area). Now for the food. To be blunt, Double Crown has good food. It is intriguing and you can definitely taste the Asian influences in most dishes. The sharing snacks are very small and are not to be confused for appetizers. The duck steam buns are quite tasty as well as the braised pork belly. For appetizers, the crispy drunken quail (essentially fried chicken, but with quail) was a good choice. The yellowtail sashimi is good, but small portioned. For entrees, the short ribs are just the opposite of that. They aren't short ribs, but instead you get one giant rib with meat so tender it falls of the bone. The elk wellington tasted good but was tough, but then again what do you expect of elk meat? As for desert, the bitter chocolate trifle is a winner. The Double Crown chocolate plate is way too small for $12 and the cheese plate, while good, can easily be purchased at Dean & Deluca for the same price, and you'd get at least triple the portion. The service was impeccable. The staff is very kind and attentive and knows what they're talking about. Also, they were quite attentive to my peanut allergy which has been a big issues at other restaurants (such as China Fun), but our waitress as well as the rest of the staff, told me what was in each dish and what I could and couldn't eat. All and all Double Crown was a good experience and if you happen to be in the Manhattan area, should definitely try it out!
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