Crown

After spending the entire day at the Metropolitan Museum we wanted to have a nice dinner and found Crown. Unassuming on the outside, upscale and nice on the inside. Service was fantastic and the food was great too. It is not a cheap place and with dinner and drinks be prepared to spend at least 2 bills.
The specialty drinks are amazing and worth the splurge. Appetizer was delicious but over priced. you are better getting a second dinner of scallops rather than the app, they are same price!!! Easy walking distance from MET and central park. Enjoy lightening your wallet. totally worth it if that is the kind of experience you are looking for.

No longer a jewel. The setting is beautiful, still. The whole staff has turned over, and not for the better. Though are waiter was very sweet, he just didn’t have the polish that the former staff had. Tacky coat check woman and bartender (and hey, get a coat rack long enough so my coat is not dragging on the floor); food flavorless, though I was offered another entrée that came out so fast the speed was suspicious; tacky music throughout dinner. We have been there many times and we will not go back. Oh, and the loss of the parmesan crackers was the beginning of the end. Should have known then!

Absolutely love this spot, perfect for any occasion but be prepared to spend some $. Well worth the money. I’ve been here for brunch and dinner, both were excellent. The waitstaff is top notch.

While wandering the streets of Upper East Side for some happy hour options, me and my friend stumbled upon Crown. A restaurant with a bar upstairs located in a seemingly residential area, we carefully wandered in a side door to find a bar with romantic lighting and beautiful wooden interiors. While I can’t speak for their food, which seems to have mixed reviews, I can say that their bar service was delightful. Online, reviewers have said that they have a happy hour, but as of September 2014, this was not true. This left me and my friend conflicted since we both obviously were intrigued by this place, but we didn’t have many afternoons to happy hour away in New York!
The guy at the front politely went to the back to ask if they had happy hour, and the bartender’s apparent response was «We don’t have happy hour but we can give you a happy hour.» We obviously decided to stay, and each had a drink. My friend had the Watermelon Gimlet (12), which she enjoyed (especially the cracked pepper), and I had the Star Anise Negroni (12). While I was hesitant on the star anise at first, Mariano, our bartender, convinced me otherwise. I was pleasantly surprised, and even prefer this version to many regular negronis I’ve had! The cocktails were made with care, and were graciously complimented with some bread and olive oil. The drinks were strong, otherwise we would’ve gone for a second round, and we definitely would have stayed for another drink if we weren’t on a tight schedule. Oh, and Mariano did end up giving us a happy hour!
Crown is definitely a gem in the city away from the bustle of the city, and I would return next time I’m in New York! While I really can’t speak for their food, I can say that the presentation of their food had me eyeing others’ dishes while there.

Crown has lost a few jewels from its diadem. Really now 2.5 stars. The staff – coat check, waitress/​runner/​busgirl (the last three, all the same person) with one exception at the front desk – not nearly as professional, assured, trained, or appropriate as had been my experience on numerous occasions.
While the former sommelier was not know for her charm, the guy doing the job tonight seemed a little downmarket. Also missing — the wonderful parmesan crisps that came with the bread basket. When I asked the waitress/​busgirl/​runner/​she had no idea what I was even talking about, but a staffer I spoke to elsewhere knew exactly what I was talking about, and hung his head in regret.
The menu has changed somewhat, and not all for the better. Milk-​poached cod tasteless and tough.
Bar had a low-​rent crowd and music to match on the way out.
Crown has a beautiful space, some great things on its menu, and a few people on staff who still get it. This new idea of trying to be Au Bar is a mistake. Go back to what was working… and rehire the staff who made it work.

Here’s the thing… if you are looking for a classic upper east side experience, this is (almost) the place. Located inside of a stellar townhouse on a beautiful block, yeah, it could be fabulous. But it most definitely is not.
I have frequented Crown before, probably two years ago, and everything was good, romantic even. But this past Saturday night, even with a reservation, it took forever to get seated and then an exorbitant amount of time to be served. The staff seemed to be trying in earnest; it was almost as if the stuffy higher-​ups were holding them back.
Food was decent, but was much better the first time. Bread was yum… but for the wait, I’d faster have gotten a day old bagel.

Good food, luxurious ambiance, disorganized staff… that would be this place in summery.
For the long story, here goes: Took the fiancée out for his 30^th birthday to Crown after he requested a nice contemporary American restaurant. The ambience was impressive to be sure and one that put me in the mood to play the role of a seductress. The wine was delicious and my watermelon gimlet was perfection. The baked artichokes were tender, crispy, and tasted like a signature dish. My lamb was generous and fell away from the bone with little coaxing from my fork, however, the fiancée’s scallops although tasty, need two more on the plate. They were rather small (could it be because they were locally sourced off the coast of Long Island according to the menu?).
Now, let’s talk staffing as this seems to be an area of contention for this restaurant. Staff was friendly and attentive overall, however the food runners kept on delivering food that was not ours several times. Small appetizer plates were mistakenly placed on the table and then promptly taken off a few minutes later once the folly had been realized. I found this quite jarring and put a dent in my seductress game I had going on. Otherwise food was delivered on time and finished plates/​glasses removed promptly.
My only other complaints were the music. Apparently it was 70’s funk night at Crown. I wish I was kidding. They played that song from the Jay and Silent Bob movie and «Play That Funky Music, White Boy». Really? REALLY? Not the thing I had in mind during my $ 200 meal. Between that and the stuffy, hot temperature, that was never addressed, we were itching to jet. Not the last impression I wanted to have of this place.
We came, we saw, we ate, but I’d be hesitant to return.

The reservations were set for 8:45 and confirmed the day before. At 9:45, when asking the maitre d’, he rudely responded that he couldn’t give an estimate on how much longer it would take to wait for our reserved table. We had our heart set on this place so decided to withstand the wait.
At 10:15 PM when we were finally seated, we were ready to enjoy the meal. The ordered appetizer was out of stock. The food itslef had some great components and other dishes were just too salty, too creamy and not spectacular warrenting such a snobbish attitude and long wait.
At close to midnight we received our bill which errounously included drinks that were not ours ammounting to $ 100. It took an additional 20 minutes to resolve the discrepency.
Definitely not worth it but did enjoy our hot waiter.

AVERAGE FOOD. SLOW SERVICE. Honestly I cannot believe I wasted over $$$$$ to come here for dinner. The ambience was STUFFY and the AC was broken. We were sweating — could this have been a trick to encourage guests to spend more $$$ on drinks? If you are a foodie I would skip this spot. You are paying for a headache here. This is NYC and there are SO MANY GREAT spots.

Great upper east side spot! The décor is something you never seen before especially in this neighborhood! Harp and cello, playing some jazz music to complement your meal.
The food is really good! Fries, salmon, pastry basket; everything was noteworthy.
Definitely recommend it!

Great atmoshpere really good food. A little over priced. The dessert was unique

Owners of The Lion have revamped this former 90s faux euro club into a sleek townhouse restaurant. Love the greige (grey + beige) color scheme accented with large french style floral arrangements. Being that its located on UES, the clientele is definitely older, but everyone is high polish. Power players and some celebs also sighted here — Jerry Springer, Al Roker… Great for business dinners since it’s on the pricey side. Service is well trained and polished. Lamb chops, foie gras, tuna tartare among the best items on the menu. Pasta (signature handkerchief white bolognese) was gloppy on one occasion, sublime the next.
Great addition to the upper east side which is definitely lacking in quality restaurants in the mid level price point. Would recommend more for business entertaining given the location. There’s a fun little private bar behind the bookshelf downstairs for after dinner drinks as well.

It’s quite a feat for a moodily lit UES French restaurant full of tuxedos and with a wine list requiring a second mortgage (and, accordingly, a highly attentive sommelier) to feel casual and fun, but Crown pulled it off the night of the Apollo Circle and then some.
Start with the not-​at-​all-​fishy oysters and champagne. Then move on to the scallops and octopus. Finally surrender at the hands of the giant rib-​eye, even if not quite on par with the flawless one at SW at the Wynn.

LOVE Crown. Such a wonderful experience… from beginning to end. Truly a classic NY atmosphere, the décor and greeting at the door make you feel welcome. The cocktails at the bar were really great… I had a Lemon Drop Martini that was just about perfect. The food choices were innovative and smart. I enjoyed the Butternut Squash soup as a starter, yummy! The service here is what really makes the difference for me. So very attentive and gracious. Try this place out!

A one star review for brunch only.
I came here with a reservation at noon on a Sunday to a relatively empty place. We were seated immediately. The space is really beautiful on the first floor of a very fancy UES building. It Filled up by the time we were eating.
Let me start of by saying, this is not a review because this place is pricey and I am
Angry because I am paying $ 20 for
Bellini’s.
The first signs of things not going well were when we ordered two, $ 19 bellinis, that took almost 15minutes to be served to us. Fine. We let it slide.
The next problem, we ordered a garden salad and tuna tartar for appetizer. When they came out, I noticed the tuna is rather red and dark. When I try it, I immediately know it’s beef, not tuna. My bf and I tell the waiter, & he had the nerve to insist that it is in fact tuna. It’s not. I do not like when people try to insult My intelligence and tell me I am wrong, when I am clearly right. He goes back to the kitchen to check and finds out that it was beef, and that the tuna tartar that is on the menu was replaced with steak. Shouldn’t they let the customers know. What if I didn’t eat red meat for some reason or another? Horrible, horrible mistake. We sent it back and had it taken off the bill.
My bf and I wanted a buzz so we ordered two more bellinis, that came out considerably faster, but were warm. How do you serve a $ 19 cocktail, that should be ice cold, warm?!
Next issue, I ordered the ricotta pancakes, which were delicious. My bf ordered the lobster frittata, stay away! It’s a rip off there is no lobster in it. The table next to us had the same issue, they actually sent theirs back, but still complained of no lobster. My bf also ordered seven grain toast, which is on the menu, guess what they serve us, white bread, no butter, no jam… Terrible.
At this point we were so fed up we just wanted the check to get the hell out
Of there. Of course, we were left waiting at the table for fifteen minutes after we were done eating.
Just don’t, at least not for brunch. So over priced for mediocre food and terrible service… Never again!

Our 6:30 reservation afforded us a private tour of this romantic and beautiful townhouse as my friend and I were the first to arrive. Scott, the manager, proudly allowed us to see both the first and second floor. After the viewing Scott ushered us to our table with the best view in the house. After drinks we shared both the Artichoke Vinaigrette and Tuna tartar. Both fantastic. For dinner we went with Scotts suggestions, Silk Handkerchief Pasta and Sheep Milk Ricotta Gnudi. I highly reccommend you Unilocalers order the Silk Handkerchief Pasta. This dish is creative bursting with flavors that was killer! We finished with the delicious Chocolate Soufflé’. The service was exceptional and the staff allow you to dine as long as you wish. My girlfriend and I were there for 3 hours and felt no pressure to leave.
I would have given a 5^th star but there was a complication with the bill that was a bit uncomfortable. When we arrived we confirmed with the hostess that our reservation reflected the Savored discount. She confirmed. We again confirmed with our server before we ordered drinks and he too was aware. When the bill arrived we checked for the discount and it was not applied. We then looked closer at the bill and noted that we were charged $ 36.00 for a pasta entrée’ that was $ 26.00. There are ONLY 4 pasta dishes ranging from $ 19-​$ 28. Scott was very apologetic and made the necessary adjustments. Who knows what happend but I wanted to explain why I didn’t give 5 stars. I will certainly go back for a special occasion!!!

Finally! A worthy restaurant in the Met museum vicinity worth frequenting. Fans of Waverly Inn and the Lion will not be disappointed by the Crown. Mood immediately upon entrance is a gracious townhouse with all the niceties of service, beautiful décor and a fantastic menu.
We requested and got a corner seat in the main dining room. The seats were super comfy, tables well spaced out, such that the noise level never became an issue. The service was as slow or as speedy as you wanted it. Waiters were extremely attentive at refilling and checked in regularly. The maitre d stopped by at least twice to make sure everything was ok.
And the food… Martha Stewart scored major points in my book for flagging the silk hankie pasta. I would not leave here without trying this dish. Hands down the best pasta I’ve tasted in a long time. Burger was also yummy (brioche bun especially). Only sad that we didn’t have room for dessert, but there will definitely be a next time!

Overall, I love Crown. The ambiance cannot be beat-​the perfect mix of Upper East Side poshness with an artsy flair (black and white sketches all over the wall-​an upper crust version of The Lion).
The food is DIVINE and the chef is very gracious when sharing– splitting nearly all the plates for you before they come to the table. The appetizers I tried were the grilled octopus and the sea scallops with butternut squash purée. Both were amazing, but if I had to choose-​go for the sea scallops.
The pasta is not entrée-​sized; it is a middle course. The ravioli was delicious (though you only get 1 ravioli). The orange chicken was mixed with Thai green curry flavors– also amazing. The service was excellent.
My only complaint is the water. When you go they will ask you if you want still or sparkling. We asked for «still, NY tap water.» They brought the still water over in a generic bottle-​tooked like tap water. The wait staff also generously filled the water over and over, refilling the bottle without asking. You can imagine my surprise when the bill came and we were charged for 3 bottles at $ 23. Surely this was tap water, and if it wasn’t, they should ask if you want another bottle before pouring and charging for it (as one would do with a cocktail, wine, or soda).
My fiancé complained (and we never complain), though we did also explain that everything else was exceptional at the restaurant. Hopefully they are open about their water policy now, but it is a definite «know before you go.»

I have to say that this review began as a home run, a 5 all the way, a smashing success, for when we walked through the door of the quaint and charming townhouse and saw the sultry, sexy bar that led the way to an expansive and majestic dining room, I thought to myself, «Need I go any further… its a 5!» Helas, go further we did, and although I desperately wanted to crown Crown with a 5, it simply fell short.
We met Chris at the bar where he was enjoying a Beaujolais, and as soon as our party arrived, we were seated at a lovely table by the faux fireplace. We ordered drinks from the enticing cocktail menu, and although I was not drinking that night, my sip of Maha’s Mexican Mule ALMOST overwhelmed my physician’s sensibilities and compelled me to mix pain meds with liquor.
We admired the crowd, which consisted mostly of older folk, elegantly dressed, and I found myself daydreaming about how I would be one of them 40 years down the line-​penthouse on Park Avenue, a butler, and someone I would hire just to pet Fox. I digress…
The menu was well balanced, with a selection of fresh seafood, pastas, meaty main dishes, as well as a few sides to round out the deal. I started with the warm mushroom salad, while the trout tartare, seafood salad, and fois gras were sampled by our party. The mushroom salad was hearty and well seasoned while the trout tartare was delightfully fresh. The fois gras was creamy, and once spread on the warm, sweet brioche, became a morsel of heaven.
For mains, 4 of us followed the way of the culinary goddess Martha Stewart and ordered the handkerchief pasta, while George had the lamb and Dominique ordered the halibut. The best dish, by far, was the lamb. The complexity of the ruby red sauce paired with the grilled chops, and the lamb shoulder in a baby dutch oven, was sublime. I myself was woefully disappointed, for the ratio of white bolognese to pasta was lacking, leaving a pile of incredibly salty sauce with no pasta to save it. The black truffles and hazelnuts were a brilliant touch, and with some tweaking this dish has the makings of true genius.
For dessert we had the milk chocolate soufflé, the fig cake and the apple degustation. The apple dessert was an abject failure, being dry and uninspired. The fig cake spoke to my love of rich desserts and autumn fruit, while the soufflé was a cloud of yummy warm goodness.
One may ask, wait, this review sounds like a 4, Lama, or maybe even a 5? What is wrong with you? Well, yes… until I tell you about the service. Empty plates remained on the table for several minutes before anyone even thought of removing them. We asked for more brioche with the fois gras and waited for ten minutes before the waiter remembered to tell the bus boy to get us some. We were told there were no more souffles when we ordered them at 815 pm, which seemed ludicrous, and were told 5 minutes later that they were in fact available.
There was also the embarassing mess with the bill, where the waiter counted each of the pasta dishes as two entrees, charging us $ 42 each for a plate of pasta that really could have been dinner for a 3 year old, as although it is rich, it is «petit plat portioned.»
When we asked for an explanation, he stated that «since you ordered it as your main dish, this is actually double the size of what we offer as an appetizer. I guess i should have told you the price on the menu is for an appetizer, which would have been smaller.» (SMALLER THAN THAT? REALLY???) I will not bore you with a long winded rant about the innate absurdity of the whole conversation, but needless to say, 20 minutes later we got a proper bill.
Because of the delays in service and the incident with the bill, dinner was overdrawn and by the time we left at 11 pm, we had been there for almost 4 hours.
I enjoyed meeting John DeLucie, who himself is kind and charming, but I do not think I would venture up to the UES again with this kind of patchy service.
Maybe with some diligent training for the wait staff, this could be a repeat in a few months.

Well, well, that was about time, the UES was looking for a new neighborhood place… we waited for a long time BUT it was definitely worth it !
Let’s talk about the bar, a fantastic team serving mexican Mule in Copper goblet, Mint Julep in a silver cup with a silver straw, and the cigar and citrus marinated La Perruche sugar served for my favorite cocktail. The Champagne Cocktail !
Not so good part, well it’s downstairs: The non-​gender separated bathroom, sounds like cool, but definitely not a good idea (can tell you why upon request). The soap is way to watery and no hand lotion.