Delmonico’s

Classic American dining with fantastic and unpretentious staff. I always come here whenever my brother is in town because of the food quality and ambiance. I second what another Unilocaler said on here about not looking to be blown away by «amazing foodie cuisine.» It’s simple American food done very well. Had a delicious watermelon gazpacho to start. I usually order the Dry-​Aged Porterhouse for Two, which I’ve always believed the best cut on the menu (and enough for 3 – 4 people depending on sides).
This time, three of us split a special, a bone-​in 60 day dry aged Waygu cut. Was it expensive? Absolutely but quite possibly the best steak I’ve had in my life. It was the best of both steak worlds: incredibly tender texture of soft on the inside, crispy on the edges, combined with mouth-​watering flavor. We finished up with the Baked Alaska, which was not too big or not too sweet as you’ll see it in some places. Will always be coming back to Delmonico’s for special occasions.

In one word… OLD. This is a classic FiDi place. We’re into neighborhood and love a good steak, it was restaurant week, so why not? We were seated in a back room and forgotten a few times. Being away from the main dining room leaves you losing the experience. The bar had a good atmosphere. It the bartender couldn’t make a dark and stormy and tried twice. It was horrendous. The food was nothing to brag about. It’s hard to mess up a good steak, but it’s pricey. Expected more.

Great steakhouses, very warm atmosphere. Steaks and wine, was wonderful, love it. ONLY thing is that the waiter will look at you and treat you fun, if you’re not dressed formally. My family and I dropped in for dinner from a walk by water, so we where dress very casual. The waiter look at us and treat us like, why are you here, can you afford to eat here. As the dinner when, the mood changed. We still love the place.

Walked in on Monday during lunchtime. I was a little under-​dressed but they still seated me at the bar without any issue. It’s definitely a Wall Street crowd in there but I was pleasantly surprised to still get excellent service at the bar. The gal that works at the bar is very warm and inviting (which is usually been my experience in New York, despite the naysayers). I went into Delmonico’s specifically for their famous hamburger (handcrafted). I have to say the burger was excellent as are the fresh cut fries. My only minor complaint is the bun itself. It was a bit dry compared to what I was expecting. Really that’s the only complaint. Otherwise a great restaurant. I want to try it again before going to a 5-​star rating. I don’t know that I got a good enough feel for it with the quick trip for the burger.

Delmonico’s
NY: Manhattan: FiDi
9pm Thursday 19^th May 2016
Four Stars
I came here for a drink at the Bar with Mike. The bar itself was pretty filled but the periphery was pretty empty. The crowd was mainly post-​work businessmen in suits. The Bartenders were attractive and friendly. The drinks were decently expensive but not unexpected. The thick lowball glass, big pour, and customized cocktail napkins added value to the cost. The music was a hodgepodge but there was a person with a gigantic wine glass that could have easy fit 5 bottles inside of it.

Delmonico’s is one of the few places in the Financial District that’s close to 5-​Stars, primarily because of it’s rich history.
I mean, any restaurant that’s been around since 1837 and was a favorite of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, JP Morgan, Charles Dickens, Napoleon III and Mark Twain, has to be on that list.
I give Delmonico’s only 4-​Stars as the food is not up to 5-​Star quality, in my opinion. I wouldn’t come here just based on the food, as I think it’s good, but not necessarily great. But the history definitely is great. Here’s my breakdown:
History: 5.0-Stars
Ambiance: 4.0-Stars
Food: 3.5-Stars
Wine: 3.0-Stars
Price: 2.5-Stars
So, the question you’re probably asking, is, why would Elton be recommending this place so highly if the food is just ok? Well, here are a few facts about Delmonico’s that makes it more unique than any other restaurant in the United States, and a reason why I think it deserves at least one visit.
Delmonico’s Is The:
— First & Oldest Fine Dining Restaurant in the U.S., since 1837
— First to use the French word «Restaurant» to describe itself
— First Restaurant to use a Printed Menu
— First Restaurant to use Tablecloths & Silverware
— Restaurant with the Largest Wine Cellar in the U.S. at that time
In addition, Delmonico’s created/​invented these dishes, which are still popular almost 200 years later:
— Eggs Benedict
— Manhattan Clam Chowder
— Delmonico’s Steak
— Delmonico Potatoes
— Lobster Newburg
— Chicken A La King
— Baked Alaska
If you haven’t had any of these dishes, I highly recommend you try them as they’re all good, in my opinion. And if you get a chance to try them at Delmonico’s, even better. Although, to be honest, other places have perfected these dishes, so I’m not saying Delmonico’s is the best version, but it is the original.
Lastly, if you’re a «foodie» and looking to be blown away by amazing cuisine, then this is not the place for that and I can assure you that you’ll be disappointed. Yes, there are better steaks in the city, yes, there are better eggs benedict, chowder, etc. at other places, and yes, the ambiance is really old school and frankly, old. But, there’s no denying that Delmonico’s is what started the restaurant industry here in the United Stats, and for that, I think it’s worth a visit.

Came here on the weekend to start the night off for my friends bachelor party. We had reservations and was seated promptly. The service is first class and friendly.
For starters, we had the bacon, fries, and octopus. All were good. But when you come to a steak house, especially one with delmonicos history, you rate the restaurant by their steak.
I ordered the delmonicos signature cut steak medium rare. It came out slightly over cooked. One thing I noticed was how salty it was. They put way to much salt which was a tragedy. The other cut of steaks that my friends ordered weren’t as salty and more edible. Overall the steak I had was average due to its saltiness.
I’m glad that I was able to try delmonicos but for the high end steak price point, there are much better options in the city.

I’ve been enjoying the experience at Delmo’s for a few years now. And since they’ve added the Grille downtown, I’ve been able to enjoy that as well. And I give Delmos’s 5 stars.
The restaurant itself is quite large and can accommodate large groups. If you are with a large group you can get a ressy in the «board room». Which is a private dining room to account
Late is say at least 10 – 15 people comfortably. I have also been to functions here where the entire downstairs of the restaurant is rented which works well for 50 – 100 people I’d say.
The food — Whether in the grille or the restaurant — is phenomonal. If you are a steak fan and have not eaten here — I recommend the «Delmonico» steak. I’ve enjoyed the filet and the ribeye (bone-​in is worth the extra $ — isn’t it always!). I have not tried but I hear their fish is great too
The grille gives you additional options such as the double cheese burger or the cheesesteak (made with filet and pimento– not your average cheesesteak). The stuffed mozz appetizer is tasty, the cheese and the sauce with the prosciutto– mmmm mmm
One of the things I very much enjoy and appreciate is the service as well. If you have a question about anything — steaks, wine, etc — they are all very knowledgeable and well trained to go the extra step to ensure you enjoy your dining experience.
Great steaks, great service, 5 stars !

I don’t eat beef but I went here for a friends birthday and had the lobster. We had the mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, hash browns, and asparagus/​mushroom as our sides. The mashed potatoes were the favorite side. I really liked my lobster (2 lb — $ 59). I got the sauce on the side which ended up being too salty for my liking. I asked for plain butter instead. It doesn’t state on the menu but the lobster came with spinach and fingerling potatoes. I also got a martini which was excellent. Everyone in the group enjoyed their meals and the sides so I would definitely come back for another occasion. The staff were attentive and professional. The clientele were all finance types or people on dates.

Ignore everything on the menu and order the Delmonico’s Signature Cut steak for $ 51 bucks. I do not care what your steak preference is — it is worth it. My husband ordered the Signature Cut and I ordered the filet mignon (my usual go to). The Signature Cut was only about 100 times better.

I went here recently on a Saturday for a birthday dinner. The restaurant itself was nice and there is a complimentary coat check at the entrance and bar in the back where you can wait until your table is ready. The food however wasn’t that great and not at all worth the price. The Alaska Salmon is definitely not all that it’s cracked up to be (unless you just love a bunch of whipped cream and barely any cake). The best thing I had was the crabcake appetizer that came with bacon. Probably won’t be back here.

Old school Wall St. steakhouse. Expect to be surrounded by businessmen with corporate cards. Service is excellent and steak was too. Dress is a little more business than casual because of the clientele and area it’s in.
I wouldn’t go out of my way for this place but if you’re in the area you won’t be disappointed.

«Is this the building where they filmed the hotel scenes in ‘John Wick’ ???» was the initial inquiry of one in my dinner party upon arriving at Delmonico’s on the first Wednesday of February 2016. So, what is the answer to this query? Well, I’m happy to report that the façade of the Beaver Building was, in fact, used for the exterior shots of the infamous Continental Hotel in the hidden-​gem of an action flick that is «John Wick» (seriously, Keanu kicks ass and Alfie Allen plays a d-​bag, per usual, a la Theon Greyjoy).
And it’s not only the outside of the building that oozes the classic appeal of the Wall Street of old… but the inside celebrates itself with such pomp and circumstance that, upon stepping in, it wouldn’t be too far-​fetched a prospect if one were fooled into believing that he/​she had ventured back into an era where the pale majority relished in the subjugation of their minority counterparts… and where the blond bombshells of old were still hand-​over-​fist preferred over the beneficiaries of the fallout of the «yellow fever» (hint: definitely not the dudes… boohoo, wipes tears on c*ck shaped pillow).
All this isn’t to say that the downstairs seating area is equal to the haughty visage of the upstairs; as has been addressed in previous reviews, from a glance, I would be led to believe that the more elegant clientele were given priority seating in the more illustrious-​in-​appearance upstairs dining area… but I stopped to think for a second… this could not be the case, seeing as how (I) was not seated upstairs; logic would only follow that the downstairs was reserved for the brightest and best (this is all just speculation, who knows, perhaps the seating arrangement is completely arbitrary… or maybe I need to be taken down a peg or 7).
Our party of 7 was brought to a very handsome and comfortable booth in the wine cellar (downstairs), with easy access to the bathroom being an added bonus (for at least one in my party). As far as Restaurant Week menus were concerned, this may have been the second most impressive selection (compared to my earlier visit to MarkJoseph). I opted for the rock shrimp risotto, with most of my dinner companions choosing a salad dish (for want of the bacon bits, most likely). While the risotto had a creamier aroma than I would have preferred, it had a very pleasant taste and texture.
For the main course, the filet mignon was my choice (though I had a taste of the rib eye, which was superb). I should commend the chef, my filet was the closest to hitting my ideal level of rare as opposed to the other two steakhouses I would hit up during the run of my restaurant week (basically, the proverbial baby bear porridge, as opposed to mama and papa bear porridge… Goldilocks, look that sh*t up if you’re clueless). Despite my filet not being super pretty (as far as presentation was concerned), it was well seasoned and super tender… superb job on that end.
To finish things off, I felt obligated to order the Baked Alaska (despite the $ 6 supplementary fee). Easily one of the most picturesque dishes I’ve had the great pleasure of looking upon… despite some school’s of thought, I do subscribe to the philosophy that we do eat with our eyes as well. That being said… how did it taste??? Well, I’m not much of a dessert fan to begin with, so as fa as being a feast for the eyes, it scores a perfect 10. Everything else about it was tasty, albeit a bit heavy (dense cake, rich ice cream, puffy but thick meringue)… definitely an experience, but not a dish I have any dire need to revisit in the immediate future.
All in all, it was (restaurant week) money well spent at this joint. I’d like to come back and be seated in the upstairs area next time, and order a nice full Delmonico steak and pair it with a deep cabernet… before Keanu goes full «John Wick» on the place in the sequel.

A good all around meal. The service was excellent. However, for $ 115 for my share including tip I wasn’t wowed but left satisfied. I ordered the Lobster Newburg for an appetizer, steak Delmonico for main entrée, split a bottle of red wine with my friend and then chocolate mousse for dessert.
The appetizer was disappointing. I was expecting lobster and shrimp in the Newburg sauce to be incredible. Instead it was a bit bland and when I bit into a piece of the lobster meat they forgot to remove part of the shell.
The steak was outstanding. Perfectly seared and made to perfection for medium. The sides were cauliflower and potatoes. They were well done but nothing which wowed me. My only suggestion would be to add a few mushrooms and season the steak a tad more
The dessert was superb. The mousse even had a raspberry on top as well as a nice chocolate crunch. Additionally it wasn’t only a few bites.

Myself and 3 others had dinner at delmonicos tonight. Our reservation was at 9:15, however we were not seated until 9:40. It’s restaurant week so we ordered off that menu. After bringing our bottle of wine, we were not yet ready to place our order. Our waiter informed us that we would have to put in our order before 10 o’clock! Ridiculous. 20 min to decide on a 3 course meal plus a bottle of wine. There were more customers waiting to be sat in the lobby area so I know for sure the kitchen was not closing any time soon. The food was good. Service not so much. We felt rushed. Plus the fact that they sat us super late.

What a disappointing meal at Delmonico’s! I wasn’t expecting this at all. It was Restaurant Week and I was in New York’s oldest restaurant for lunch. The lunch started off fine with a very tasty iceberg wedge salad. Little did I know this would be the highlight of the meal. Perhaps I should have realized though when I asked for pepper for my salad and got a nano-​second half-​turn of the pepper mill that Delmonico’s might not be the great restaurant experience I was thinking it would be. The rolls were chewy in a way that suggested they were not fresh or had been sitting out for quite a while. Then came the classic Delmonico steak which I ordered medium well. To me this was a piece of meat that never should have left the kitchen of a reputable restaurant. It was small (at least in comparison to the tables right alongside me who had ordered the same thing) and it was fatty beyond being marbled … very fatty — like maybe 20% of it. And except for the outside, it was brilliant red on the inside — hardly medium well. The very few vegetables accompanying had a very thick sauce that had kind of congealed and was not even hot. I mentioned it to the waiter when one finally stopped by and he did admit that the steak was «kind of» on the red side. Anyway, I just told him to box it and I’ll take it with me and cook it later on which I did. The desert was a very small cheesecake — supposedly New York style but noticeably very much lighter than other famous New York style cheesecakes. The service of the busboys was excellent and water glasses were constantly kept filled and plates taken away when finished. Of course Delmonico’s looks nice and there is a lot of history. But a Restaurant Week lunch that costs a base price of 43 dollars not counting drinks, tax, and tip, one should expect more. I am so often asked to recommend restaurants to people visiting New York City. Sadly based on my experience, Delmonico’s will not be one of them!

My co-​worker and I went here for lunch during Restaurant Week Winter 2016. I have past this place several times and have heard great things about their food.
I started with the Roasted Beet & Feta Heirloom Apples & Oranges, toasted farro. Sweetness from the apples and oranges, and a little salt from the feta made this starter SOOO tasty!
My coworker started with the Rock Shrimp Risotto Cacio e pepe. Unlike me, she’s a slow eater, but she took even more time with this dish. It was definitely a hit with her.
We had the same entrée: 18 Hour Orange Chili Glazed Short Rib Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Winter Greens. My coworker didn’t enjoy the short ribs stating it was too stringy. (she left a good portion behind). Me, on the other hand, LOVED it. It was tender, juicy, and so flavorful. The hint of orange chili even in the mashed potatoes made this dish extra delicious! I took my time with this and enjoyed every. single. bite.
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake Hazelnut Praline Crunch. Decadent, rich, chocolaty, with some crunch. It didn’t get any better than that.
Overall: I will definitely go back for dinner. My coworker said that the started and dessert saved her from a disappointing experience.

**WINTER 2016 RESTAURANT WEEK REVIEW**
I made a terrible, terrible mistake. Don’t ask me why I did it because I’m not even sure I can explain it myself. I came to Delmonico’s for restaurant week and I ordered… FISH. [DUN, DUN, DUN!] I just wasn’t in the mood for steak that night so I veered off course. It was their fish of the day. I don’t even remember what fish he said it was but it just tasted like a low grade salmon. As soon as it arrived, I knew I had made the wrong choice. The edges of the fish looked dry. But looks were deceiving. In a bad way. It tasted a lot drier than it looked. And the dish overall just did not look too pleasing. It came with herbed spaetzle, butternut squash (literally about 5 tiny cubes), wild mushrooms, and spinach. Everything almost looked like it was haphazardly thrown on top of the fish. The spaetzle was pretty good, I’ll give them that. But the mushrooms were just way too salty and didn’t seem to go well with the fish. Good thing my boyfriend made the right choice by ordering the Delmonico Classic Steak. It was cooked perfectly (medium-​rare) so naturally, I just kept stealing bites of his food.
But let’s rewind a little, back to the appetizers. If I were rating the solely based on this, I probably would have given a 4. I order the rock shrimp risotto and it was excellent. It had the perfect amount of cheese and pepper in it. There wasn’t a whole lot of shrimp in there but the portion overall was a good size — unlike most other restaurant week appetizers. He had Delmonico’s blue crab cake, with thick-​cut bacon and maple-​mustard horseradish. The crab cake was great — didn’t taste breadcrumby or frozen. The thick-​cut bacon paired really well with it. It sounds like an odd combination but it wasn’t. It was a match-​made in heaven. Then again, let’s be serious — anything paired with bacon is a match-​made in heaven. The crab cake came on top of a salad so it gave the dish a good balance, and was nice and refreshing.
And now let’s fast forward to the dessert. I’m not really a huge fan of sweets so I can’t say I loved either of what we ordered, which was the New York Style cheesecake and the baked Alaska. The cheesecake just tasted like any other cheesecake. Nothing special. The meringue of the baked Alaska was perfectly browned, so it had that nice charred taste, but not overly so. The cake was too sweet for me though.
Service was prompt but our waiter did not look happy to be there. Either he hated his job, or he hated the fact that we only ordered off the restaurant week menu.
Another thing worth mentioning is that they a restaurant week special for wine. It’s $ 38/​bottle (or $ 10/​glass) and you have a choice between Delmonico’s red or white (forgot exactly what they were). We went with the red and weren’t disappointed with it.
I don’t know if I would dine here again, but it was a nice experience.
Fun fact — Delmonico’s is this year’s oldest participating restaurant. It opened in 1837.

When you want a quintessential New York City dining experience than look no further than Delmonicos! I had the pleasure to experience this gem during restaurant week which is a great way to get to as many NYC dining hotspots at a great price and then pick and choose your favorite to experiment further in dining. I went with my two girlfriends and had the pre fixed menu which was a great intro and each friend had a different order so we all got to try each other’s plates! I had their wedge salad with just enough of each ingredient to make it fab! the filet mignon cooked medium rare with roasted cauliflower and for dessert NYC cheesecake When there someone at your table must get the baked Alaska can be a shareable dessert as it was created at delmonicos what’s better than that?! Fluffy piped meringue torched to perfection with soft fluffy cake and ice cream hiding inside. Beautifully tucked inside side streets of NYC’s financial district it’s a place that’s on the must eat list the décor also transports you to the early 1900s with class and style!

I’d like to begin by saying we went for restaurant week, Friday night. We had 9:30 reservations, but were down the street having a drink with friends and I called to see if they could push our reservation to 10pm. The woman who answered said no, the kitchen was closing at 10pm. I have no idea how accurate that is or if that makes sense for a restaurant of such a prestigious rep, but whatever. That pissed me off.
Ambiance:
What you’d expect. Gorgeous, charming and stunning décor. Dimly lit creates a perfect tone for any occasion.
Food:
Next, our meal. We ordered off the restaurant week prix fixe menu.
I chose the rock shrimp risotto to start. Wonderful flavor, absolutely no shrimp. WOW what a disappointment to begin the meal.
Orange chili short ribs were pretty amazing. Definitely saved face during this course.
The baked Alaska dessert absolutely blew my mind. OMGGGGGGG was it good. Good isn’t the right word. Soft heavenly pillows of meringue on top beautifully torched, cool banana ice cream in the center and walnut cake at the bottom. I would eat that dish every single day and still be in love.
The chocolate mousse was quite an average chocolate mousse.
Service:
The waiter clearly realized that this young couple was here for the affordable restaurant week price and did not treat us with the same charm and hospitality as a larger table dropping big bucks next to us. I understand the game. The more money the table spends the bigger the tip, but our waiter was quiet, not paying attention to us when he spoke, he didn’t even make eye contact. Very rude and I didn’t appreciate the treatment. Severs should give each table the same courtesy and «Delmonicos» treatment no matter the check. One day when we make it big, we wont be coming here for our celebratory steak and champagne.

An absolute inspiration. Adult food for adults who know what to eat and when.
Great selection of traditional fare executed and delivered with outmost professionalism.
And, of course it costs, but it is an experience that someone, hopefully not you, will have to pay for.

Underwhelming. Shrimp tastes like bleach. Service awesome though. The wine list left a lot to be desired. I expected better from this place.

Food is awesome. What a great restaurant week option. This place is classy and beautiful. Their food is very tradition but it is super delicious.

Went here for Restaurant Week to try out the lunch menu with my co-​worker since we work in the neighborhood. Both of us have wanted to try this place for a while, and Restaurant Week is always a perfect excuse to trying out new places.
I ordered the beet, feta, & faro salad for an appetizer, the short ribs for entrée, and cheesecake for desert (as per Restaurant Week, it is $ 25 for a 3-​course lunch meal — great bargain, right?).
Each course was delicious! The salad had a wonderful layering of satisfying flavors. Tasted very fresh. The short rib melted in my mouth. It was so tender and the pureed sweet potatoes were a heavenly pairing. Lastly, the cheesecake was a perfect small portion (there’s no way I could have handled a huge chunk after all I ate — this was an ideal size) and it was so creamy. Completely satisfying meal across the board. Very impressed with the quality.
Also, the service was very attentive and friendly. Really wonderful staff. They made us feel warmly welcomed.
The ambiance is old fashioned, upper-​scale charm. The moment you step foot inside, you know you’ve walked into fine dining.
Overall this was a great dining experience, and I appreciate Delmonico’s for participating in Restaurant Week.

My rating is based on the food — the oysters, appetizers, side dishes and steak were fantastic. I would go back for any of those things again and that is why I give them 4 stars.
My opinion is that the service and atmosphere didn’t stand out. Our server had absolutely no personality, wasn’t friendly and seemed miffed that we were there despite our huge tab. He was on top of things but did not socialize, make suggestions on anything and in my opinion an amazing waiter would do that. His support team was on point and we never had an empty water glass.
The atmosphere was stuffy in the main dining room but it was eventually a packed house! I walked through the bar and I would sit in there next time as long as I could order from the same menu.
Meal and company was great… so the food was the standout for sure!

Five stars for fantastic food.
Ordered off the restaraunt week menu with my mom and we had:
— Beets and Feta /​Mushroom Risotto
— Classic Delmonico’s steak /​chicken «keene» (sp?)
— Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake /​Baked Alaska
The portions were more than generous and we left feeling stuffed af. Each course was absolutely delicious. Being my mother’s first time in NY we decided to get the steak and she loooooved it. But id have to say the scene stealer was the Baked Alaska. Every review extolled the virtues of the baked alaska and each one was so right. But the chocolate mousse was really good too, so definitely try both!

Found the overall dining experience nice. Loved the décor in the historic dining hall. Steak wise, it scores slightly above average among the famous joints in town. Had the Filet Mignon and Delmonico’s Steak Frites. Enjoyed the Filet Mignon — tender and juicy without too much extra seasoning. Didn’t experience the wow moment I anticipated from this A-​lister, however.

My table was reserved and seated without delay.
Nice wine list, our waiter was spot on, steak was done right, sides complimented well and were delicious.
A warm and classic fine dining restaurant tucked away in the financial district that stood the test of time.
If in the area and in the mood for steak give it a shot.

Very disappointing.
The house Delmonico was the fattiest steak I’ve ever been served in a high end steak house. Service was outstanding though as should be expected at these prices. Risotto was well prepared — shrimp was excellent. All in all a good bucket list check off — but won’t be back

We dined here on Christmas eve. An elegant dining room.
We ordered Filet mignon and 40 day aged bone in rib eye and swordfish.
The food tasted so good. The downfall was that both steaks were ordered
medium rare — they both came RARE. The swordfish on the other hand came
a little bit over cooked. We did not complain or mention this to anyone as we
loved the flavor of our food.
We did ask to take our left overs home and have them wrapped in foil.
When we got home we realized that we did not receive our half eaten swordfish. This was disappointing.
Service was excellent. Wine was good and reasonably priced. We tipped on the whole bill, which is sometimes an issue for us when we are buying high priced bottles of wine. Service deserved.

What I’ve tried: lobster newberg appetizer, filet mingon, baked Alaska
Tip: go during the next restaurant week for a delicious discounted meal!
Came here for restaurant week and was not disappointed. Some things on he restaurant week menu have an up charge but it’s worth it. The lobster newberg appetizer was delicious and had a LOT of lobster for an appetizer portion. The filet was perfectly cooked and the baked Alaska was just out of this world. Like amazing. We also had a couple of bottles of the house red (special price during restaurant week) and it was really nice. We were there for quite a while and the dining room really cleared out, but we never felt rushed. The wait staff was pleasant and attentive. I’ll be back!

I’d been to Delmonico’s Kitchen in Midtown before (worked in the same building) but never made it out to the historic original in FiDi. Well, estaurant Week provided the perfect excuse!
Their RW was pretty ridiculous, and not in a good way. Nearly everything had a supplementary cost, and if you wanted to stick to the $ 38 dinner, you only had a handful of choices. That said, they had a lot of their standards on the list, so it was still a decent way to try the bucket list items.
As an appetizer, we did the oysters, which were fine. We got the west coast selection, but they didn’t bother letting us know where they were from. Red flag? Maybe. But they were fresh enough.
For a starter, I had their famous lobster newberg (which was a $ 15 supplement). I have to say, it was a hefty portion of basically half a lobster. The sauce was creamy and rich, but sparse so it wasn’t overly heavy. Definitely worth trying as a starter, but I don’t know if I could handle a whole entrée of it.
For my main, I had the grilled filet mignon. It was okay, but I’ve had better cuts elsewhere (even in their Midtown location). No doubt they were saving some «choice cuts» for Restaurant Week. Either that, or it was just overrated.
Also tried the Chicken a la Keene, which is another signature dish of theirs, and that was highly disappointing. The chicken was way overcooked and dry as all hell. Maybe a bad example because they’re not used to cooking RW portions? Either that, or it just sucked.
For dessert, I had the dark chocolate mousse cake, which had a nice salted caramel sauce. Thought it was fine, but nothing extraordinary.
The baked Alaska, on the other hand, was both beautiful and so, so heavy. I get that baked Alaskas take some amount of work, but for a $ 6 supplement, they should’ve just made it smaller and more manageable. Two people could’ve shared it. Oh well, the walnut cake and banana gelato was tasty though.
They also had a house Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (my favorite red wine), which was surprisingly good for just $ 35 a bottle during RW. Yum.
One last thing — we had a reservation a few weeks in advance and were seated in the room downstairs (in the Dickens Alcove). I’m not saying they were seating all the minorities together, but… there were only two tables of white people downstairs (one of which was a large group), and upstairs was all white people. Maybe it’s a dress code thing, or maybe it’s because they didn’t want RW-​ers to take up valuable space upstairs, or maybe they just don’t like people who book on Open Table. I don’t know and I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, but when they start surrounding your table with Asian tourists, you get the hint.

Today was a special birthday celebration. This was our first experience eating at this historic restaurant. It certainly was a learning experience.
If you sit in the bar area the lunch menu is reasonable. You can order the smaller filet mignon and save room for desert!
They bring the bread basket and butter. Oh so delicious bread. Everything was fresh.
I had the club sandwich. Other than being on the salty side from the ham, it was delicious. It came with the fries or mashed potato. I had the fries and honestly believe they were the best fries I’ve ever eaten.
Since we were celebrating a birthday the waiters were so nice. They even put a candle in the Baked Alaska.
I would say this experience was really memorable. A lesson was learned to sit in the bar area for lunch if you want a standard lunch menu.
This is a special restaurant suitable for special occasions.

OH restaurant Week OH restaurant Week– To start I am not a big fan of restaurant week because I have been disappointed by it too many times in the past. This year, one of our coworker suggested that we try Delmonico for lunch, I am totally on board since 1. Delmonico has been on my bookmark for a while now, 2. Delmonico is a historic landmark I would love to see (especially the interior), 3. We work 3 minutes away from the restaurant, 4. It’s restaurant week, $ 25 bucks is well worth the risk and 5. to celebrate a coworker’s birthday!
Parking: Avoid driving in during weekday morning/​afternoon cause parking will prove to be impossible and even if you did find a spot, you’ll pay a small fortune for parking. Your chances greatly increase during week nights and weekends.
Our party of 3 got to the restaurant around 12:30pm and the place was pretty empty and we were seated right away.
Décor and ambiance: first impression– WOW this place is gorgeous, every piece of furniture, décor speaks fine dining and comfort (also means that this is not a casual jean sneaker kind of place– dress to impress people) — from the pattern of the wallpaper, heavy wooden chairs to the gold laced plates, mini table lamp, finely polished utensils (ones that you can check yourself like a mirror). There’s also a giant wooden glass shelf displaying the history of restaurant– how fascinating!
Service: 1 reason why I’m not a fan of restaurant week is because of the service some waiters and waitresses tend to give during this time. They know you are paying less for a meal so therefore they feel that they can give you a little less service (if you know what I mean). I’m Happy to say I DO NOT FEEL THIS WAY AT DELMONICO– We were served by an older gentleman, he was very pleasant and polite even after we order from the restaurant week menu! He came to check up on us and replenish our water throughout the meal. Very professional!
For the restaurant week menu, we all started with the Wild Boar Cavatelli. First thing that stood out was WOW this is a good size portion for an appetizer, in fact we almost felt it was too much (but no one is complaining here since my coworkers and I cleared our plates) — the dish was just delicious, the cavatelli– al dente, chewy yet soft, the wild boar tasted great with a lot of flavor and sauce perfectly blends the meat and the carbs together and didn’t overpower the dish. Excellent!
For main course– two of us went for the 18 Hour Boneless Short Rib (Braised Red Cabbage, Horseradish, Whipped Potato, Wild Mushroom Bordelaise) and the other went for the Wild Striped Bass (Toasted Farro, Butternut Squash and wild mushroom)
Again the portion on the Boneless Short Rib was very good! two good size pieces over a bed of cabbage and whipped potato, the taste was even better. The Short Rib was melts in your mouth good and it had a good amount of fat/​meat ratio so every bite was tender, juicy and flavorful. The potato was on point, nice and fluffy and went perfectly with the red cabbage which was soft, with a hint of wine flavor. The perfect bite was when you combine the three together, dip it in the bordelaise… just heavenly!
Finally for dessert– My coworker said she don’t even need to look and went straight for Baked Alaska (Walnut Cake, Apricot Jam, Banana Gelato, Meringue), she said the Baked Alaska started at Delmonico and proceeded to give us a little background of this dessert, it was cool to learn that the dessert was created by Delmonico Chef Charles Ranhofer in 1876 to celebrate the US purchase of Alaska from Russia. Just for that fact alone made this a MUST GET!
My other coworker and I went for the Chocolate Mousse Cake (Cherry Compote) and New York Style Cheesecake (Blood Orange, Caramel).
The Famous Baked Alaska did NOT disappoint, it was a $ 6 supplement but well worth every penny. It’s a full size dessert and the presentation was just drop dead gorgeous! The meringue was perfectly browned and it created this meringue shell that’s crunchy on the outside and soft/​chewy on the inside. The meringue underneath the shell was soft and fluffy (like jet-​puffed but 100x better) yet not overly sweet. But as you dig deeper into the meringue, you realize that was just icing on the cake (pun intended), hidden inside is the soft/​spongy walnut cake filled with small pieces of walnuts awaiting to be marinated by the banana gelato that sat on top. The gelato had a strong banana flavor and was very rich and smooth. Talking about texture and flavor overload– this dessert is perfect for sharing and it’s definitely a MUST GET!
Overall: What a great restaurant week experience we had at Delmonico! Actually we were all so impressed by Delmonico that we are looking forward to their summer/​fall restaurant week! Delmonico, thank you for restoring my faith in restaurant week and I can’t wait to pay another visit soon!