Cousins NYC

So… this new place opens down the block from us and from the signage appears like a diner or chain of some kind. Prices seemed moderate to high for that type of establishment. My girlfriend and I really had no interest in this place. However, one night we decided to stop by for a drink. As we entered we were warmly greeted by the owner George. To our surprise the décor was very chic and conveyed an upscale feel, contrary to the outside. We had a few glasses of wine which were very good and even indulged in an appetizer… a veggie fritter dish. Presentation and taste were on point. We sat and drank and had a great time. We will definitely go back for dinner. One piece of advice for George… CHANGE YOUR SIGNAGE.

So excited to have a new restaurant in the neighborhood. The food is excellent — I had the salmon and my husband had the branzino. Both were perfect. The selection of wine by the glass is limited, but also excellent. The service was very good, and the staff is friendly and welcoming.

Overall, a welcomed addition to Yorkville.
Note: This is a review for brunch on 2÷6÷16.
My girlfriend and I were very excited to see the opening of Cousins in January 2016. I use to live on the corner of 80^th Street and 1^st Avenue for several years so it was nice to see a business take over what was an unoccupied space for quite some time. As a result, we decided to check out the new scene for brunch on a weekend afternoon.
The restaurant itself is nice. Management did a good job of converting the space into two functional areas, including a bar with high top tables in the front and a separate dining area with standard table settings towards the back. The brunch menu had a good variety of options, and pricing was fairly reasonable. Management’s efforts seemed to be paying off, as there was a large and diverse (young, old, and family customers alike) crowd when we showed up. Luckily, there was a table available in the dining area.
My girlfriend ordered the eggs benedict, while I tried the burger. The eggs and burger were cooked well, and the portions were satisfying. While we enjoyed the food, our service could have been better. Examples include asking for milk with our coffee on multiple occasions, not receiving cheese on my burger as ordered, and receiving mixed greens with the burger despite the menu stating it came with hand cut fries. Our waiter seemed stressed throughout our meal, which was understandable given the large amount of customers.
The restaurant seemed to be dealing with some «growing pains» based on my experience, and I found this to be normal given their recent opening. I recommend trying it given the quality of food and atmosphere. I will be back to give it another try.

Veggie omelet to die for! Homemade desserts … Melt in your mouth. Sunday comfort food warmed my tummy! Highly recommended!!!

I had the chance to have a late dinner last night at Cousin’s. As usual, the owners were there to direct me on what to eat. The wedge salad was great but the seafood paella stole the show. The mussels, shrimp and lobster were fantastic! I hope they have it on the menu again in the future.
I tried not to have dessert but I love their coconut raspberry layer cake.
I can’t wait to go back.

I have been to cousins at least six times and have made it my favorite place in the neighborhood. I have had both brunch and dinner there and everything we order is great. the prices are very reasonable. I especially love the crab cake the lamb and the sliders. George is a gracious host and owner who constantly makes sure each diners needs are met. My girlfriends and I enjoy the bartenders Nick and Ryan who are very sweet funny and great to look at. I will definitely be back this week

Was recently at cousins for the first time for a last minute dinner. The food and ambiance was excellent. The service was also great! Just hoping they get their liquor license soon which I’m sure will help draw a bigger crowd. The only point of feedback is that at first I was a little hesitant to go to cousins because of the signage. It appeared misleading, and without looking at the menu I assumed it was a diner. However, it was not a diner and the food was anything but that.
Looking forward to my next trip to cousins!

Great food and awsome service .I came for brunch with my girlfriend’s had the eggs Benedict with the ham on the side and the mimosas kept coming .I don’t know how long we were in there, time flew because we were having fun. We are going to make this a girl’s brunch regular here also because we live down the block and Nick the bartender is funny and owner is so attendive to all his customers. Great service! !!!

Tried this new restaurant, wanted C
to like it ! They need a better quality of coffee, the orange juice should be fresh squeezed not from a carton l, they took so long to get our meal to us only to find out the chef messed up our order of scrambled eggs and a chicken salad. Is this such a complicated order? Lastly, my friend asked for rye toast and got challah bread, it would have been nice to be informed so he could have chosen a different bread that he actually wanted, instead of having to the waitress what kind of bread we were served. Then the toast was ice cold. When asked for new warm toast we got lukewarm toast so had to ask a second time for warm or hot toast, only to get a dirty look, is it me? Shouldn’t toast be warm or hot? Perhaps these are kinks that need to worked out, would try again in a few months to see if they have improved !!

We had been wondering what this place was all about. It took so long to open and there is no menu in the window. So we finally broke down and decided to give it a try. First off it is very expensive but we thought well maybe it is very special.
We went for lunch and it was an expensive lunch. We waited an incredibly long time for food. It was an hour before we were served our food and my husbands pasta arrived cold. My hamburger arrived raw. I asked for medium rare so I sent it back to be cooked a little more. They prepared both dishes again. Pasta arrived OK but it was $ 20 for Pasta. My hamburger then arrived well done and the fries were cold. So if you order a burger it is either raw or well done. And be prepared to wait. This is not the place you want to go if you are in a hurry.
All in all we spend and hour and forty five minutes there.
So there are $ 18 salads and $ 12 soups. Asked about some of the salads and what makes them so expensive and their explanation sounded just like any other salad or soup. Something that would not justify such high prices.
Maybe others will have better luck than we did but my opinion is skip the aggravation and go someplace else.

i really wanted to love this place. i wanted to give them 4 stars. but they really really didn’t want me to. It isn’t the food, the food was good — a few hiccups here and there (the beet salad tasted like mostly jarred ingredients, the hamburger bun was a little too flimsy for the burger, etc) but nothing critical or fatal.
The issues were ones of customer service. now i know this is a new place and it takes time to work out the kinks, and I’m willing to forgive, but the kinks kept adding up.
the wait staff does not seem we’ll trained. when we asked our waiter what he recommended, he banged our table shaking it hard with every recommendation.
we ordered 2 glasses of wine. waiter said, if you are going to order 2 glasses you might as well order a bottle. now i understand the upsell is part of the business, but no. 2 glasses is not like 5 glasses.
butter came. 5 minutes later the bread arrived. The bread is delicious, they have 3 different types of crusty rolls. an onion, an herb, and an olive. They don’t mention this, they just randomly give you one, without asking if you have a preference. we ended up with 3 different rolls on our table. the people to the side of us both got the same type of roll. no communication with the customers as to preferences at all.
Oysters came, we never got oyster forks. the people with the mussels at the next table got little forks, they just forgot to give us any. not a big deal, but moving on.
the escargot were lovely. the wedge salad was decent enough. the beet salad did not taste homemade from the ingredients down to the dressing.
the time between the apps and the mains was a little long, and not just at out table. we saw on table where one person got they app and main at the same time, while their companion didn’t get anything for a while. i think they thought those were both apps, and the other dish was a main — but if a table of 2 is ordering 3 dishes, don’t you think they’d clarify?
mains finally came, the burger was decent, the salmon was nice, though it would be nice if i didn’t have to ask for a piece of lemon, and the lobster «risotto» came in a cast iron pan. ok, that’s weird. but it was ok, except for a few of the pieces of lobster being cold. but it was ok.
when the waiter cleared the plates between courses he actually turned one plate sideways spilling crumbs and orts across the table.
and now for the real kicker — we paid, left, and walked home. as I’m getting into my building, my phone rings. it’s the restaurant, they cannot find the signed credit card slip, and ask me if i took it accidentally. i know i didn’t but stranger things have happened so i checked my pockets. nope, don’t have it. i clearly recall putting it in the sleeve, and the waiter taking the sleeve, but ok. so we get into the apartment and i call them back — i don’t have to do this, but i try to be nice. so i call back, say i rechecked my pockets and don’t have it, but i wanted to see if they found it, and if we could work it out. she puts me on hold, says she needs to check with manager. leaves me on hold for over 6 minutes, when i finally hung up. ok, annoying right? not as annoying as when, while my family was already all asleep, except for me, the phone rings at 11:20 at night. Its the restaurant. calling me. at almost 11:30. WTF? they never found the slip and they want to close out. i got pretty livid at that point — if their waiter has f’ed up, that is not my business anymore, in any other restaurant, they eat that loss, but that’s neither here nor there. to call me that late at night is bad business for a business based on customer service. i told her that their books are not my concern, and this could’ve waited until the next day at a reasonable hour. but being nice i gave them my info, told them how much my 23% tip was. she apologized started to make some half-​assed offer to give us something at a discount next time we came in. but for fuck’s sake.
in my mind, while i was there i was thinking ok we need to come back and give these guys another chance, because they are new. at 11:30 at night, that was not what i was thinking anymore.
the food was probably 3.5−4 stars. the service was 2 – 3 stars, and the customer relations were 0 stars. usually i round up my ratings. not today.

Wow I was blown away on how much this place surprised me ! I was expecting a diner and what I got was something that would have fit in wonderfully in the Village 1995 — cool clean and polished —
The hot fresh baked bread starter was such a nice surprise ! Served with real butter not in a plastic thingy — I hate that !!!
Lati our waiter was a charming professional and recommended the special — mussels in a white wine sauce — yum the broth was so good we asked for more bread — surprise surprise it was another type of hot bread —
We had the airline chicken and pork chop entrees which was all cooked to perfection —
My wife asked for salt and pepper and as it should be she did not use either — the seasoning of everything was excelsior.
We highly recommend the Brussels Sprouts in maple & bacon — the bacon was served crispy which elevated this side dish to legendary status instantly !
The dessert was as good as the starter hot yummy and delicious — you really can taste the care and love that went into this meal.
This new UES place should be here for a long time !!
Bravo everyone !!

Not what I expected on this corner. First look it seemed an upscale casual dining place. But then I took a look at the menu and realized this was something different and welcome in the neighborhood
Want very hungry so I didn’t partake of the mains and they seemed a bit pricey for the location and ambience. So I had a glass of Granacha and the lamb chop small plate. Phenomenal! So I ordered a second serving of both. Meat was perfectly cooked and beautifully seasoned. Wine was lovely and a decent if not generous pour
Baby arugula salad which accompanies the lamb is excellent but the tiny fingerling potatoes were a bit oily and on the second serving, a bit undercooked. But the flavor was excellent.
Not sure if the chef is part of the family but he/​she can certainly cook
I really liked the boss’s nova music playing below the conversation level. I a so fed up with having to shout over background music in most restaurants
Service was very good, friendly and not intrusive. Might want to coord the butter/​bread delivery better but that is a nitpick.
All in all, I highly recommend Cousins for locals looking for an upscale eating experience on the UES

Since I live in the area, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of Cousins. My boyfriend and I went there for Sunday dinner and we were not disappointed! This is definitely going to be a hit in the neighborhood. We shared the New Zealand Lamb Chops (which were the best lamb chops I’ve ever had) and he ate the Waogu Sliders and I enjoyed the Lobster Risotto and for dessert they had a taster plate of 3 choices. The food was spectacular. Right now they have a condensed menu for the opening, but soon they said they’ll be adding more options to the menu, so I can’t wait to see what they add!
The meal was delicious, the service was amazing (the owner even helped me into my coat when I was leaving), the ambience was gorgeous, and the décor was incredibly sophisticated.
These owners sure know what they’re doing with restaurants, because this is now my new favorite dining place!

New restaurant that hasn’t even had their grand opening yet but is already doing pretty good business it seems.
We were walking after dinner, saw the bright signs where the older diner used to be and actually thought it was going to be another diner. We decided to peek in.
The inside décor is contemporary clean and a pleasant nicer surprise from the casual, super bright diner-​like signage outside — it’s actually nicer and a little more more formal than the name and signage suggest.
The bar area was nice and inviting.
We had a glass of wine. The bartender and manager /​owner were extremely friendly and attentive, letting me sample wines from amazing, large fishbowl type wine glasses to decide on a wine. I decided on a Grenache which was wonderful.
The menu has a fab looking selection of appetizers and entrees including steak and Lobster options. I’m looking forward to trying dinner there.

When I first heard about Cousins, I though it would be just a casual place to go and grab a bite to eat. Then, My boyfriend and I came in. It was a pleasant surprise to find not only a cozy yet upscale atmosphere, great music selection and beautiful décor. But also friendly and attentive staff, and of course amazing food!!! The New Zealand Baby Lamb Chops are to die for, so tender and tasty. The Beat salad is a vacation for my taste buds. The Lobster Risotto is AMAZING! I could have eaten one more but I was saving room for dessert. My boyfriend had the Osso Bucco and my my my! It was amazing, tender and comes out right off the bone. We actually took some home, too good to waste it. I love Tres Leches Cake so I order it whenever I go to a place and some of them are not what I hoped for. That is, until I tried the Tres Leches at Cousins. It’s reach, moist and delicious. It was a great experience and I will be back for more and bring more friends with me. Can’t wait to see what the brunch menu will be like! If I could give it six stars, I would. So, here is one more *

I Ate dinner with two of my friends at this restaurant last night. The food is very tasty. We shared the escargot, Mediterranean salad and pastitiso. The apps were are good, specifically the pastitsio as this was a first time dish for me. It was cream and creative, highly recommend. For dinner, we shared the lobster risotto. I found this risotto above average, very well made. As recommended by our waitress, we had the tres leches cake. Overall, the food is memorable and I would recommend it.
I would have given this restaurant 5 stars had it not been for the service. I understand this is a new establishment but my friends and I were constantly interrupted by the waitress, bus boy or the hostess. Every 2 – 4 minutes, someone was were asking to take our plates away or hovering over us to ask if we needed anything. It was as though the staff did not communicate with each other. I understand it is better to give attention rather than ignore customers but there is a level where it becomes overbearing.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Cousins NYC which I stare at everyday as I wait for the M79. I was expecting more of a casual/​diner atmosphere based on what I read online about the owners and the fact a diner used to be in this spot, but it was definitely on the upscale side. Went for opening night tonight and everything was excellent. In fact, you would never know they just opened because everything was so seamless. Our server Stephanie was very efficient and friendly. We got mostly small plates — sliders, zucchini fritters, pasticchio and a Mediterranean salad. All were excellent, the salad was a standout. Our favorite of the night was the lemon curd butter pie for desert. It was to die for. I will definitely be back to try some of the mains as they all looked excellent — although much pricier than I anticipated ($ 25-​$ 40). After liking everything we ordered it definitely seems worth it though. Welcome to the neighborhood.

I went for the grand opening of Cousins… everything from the atmosphere to the food to the staff was amazing. The owners were walking around making us feel welcome and like family. We had Kobe sliders, escargot and pastitsio for appetizers and none of it disappointed. The veal osso buco was moist, tender, and very well seasoned. The steak was well seasoned, juicy, tender, and cooked perfectly. We tried the desserts on the menu and they were so decedent and flavorful. They are all made by one of the owners. It’s clear all the food is made on site. It was a wonderful experience I can’t wait to return.

After months of waiting, Cousins is finally open! My girlfriend and I went for dinner on opening night (glad we got a reservation), and we tried some of the small plates. We had the Pork Belly, Wagu Sliders, and the Tuna Tartare. Each one of them was absolutely delicious, the Pork Belly with cornbread especially so. The tuna tartare was very good with a delicious topping, but there wasn’t quite enough tuna to make it stand on its own, even as an appetizer.
Overall, the atmosphere, food, and service were all top-​notch, and we will definitely come here again. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because most of the main dishes struck me as a bit too pricey, although to be completely fair I didn’t try them, and they very well might be worth it!
Also, the owners were all mingling with the diners, and we felt very welcome. I would say it was a very successful opening, and I just hope they decide to start doing brunch!