Pier 9

Before catching a show some friends and I were trying to hunt down a restaurant. The first restaurant we tried was completely booked (even though they had half the restaurant empty) we ended up at Pier 9. Pier 9 as the name would imply is a seafood restaurant. Not really in the mood for seafood that night, I did the unthinkable. I ordered… the Pier 9 burger which also included crab. The burger that arrived was enormous, so large that I could barely stuff it in my mouth. It was cooked medium well like I asked, incredibly juicy, and overall a decent burger although I’m not sure the crab really added anything to the meal.

My mother and I went here for a night out and it was definitely a fun night!
They served a jalapeño, corn bread that was delicious. It came out warm, was light, fluffy, and melted in your mouth. I am not one for spicy things, but this corn bread had a tiny kick to it, but not overwhelming by any means.
For appetizers, we had lobster mac n’ cheese and Shitake Arancini. The lobster mac n’ cheese is not your typical mac n’ cheese. This mac n’ cheese is made with Calamarata pasta (kind of looks like calamari, a short wide tube), stuffed with a cheese fondue, topped with pieces of lobster, and smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce. The Arancini is kind of like a croquette, a creamy, cheesy rice and mushroom ball that’s lightly breaded and fried served with a spicy aoili sauce. Both appetizers were delicious and we wished that we had more!
For entrees, we both ordered one of the pasta special of the night. It was homemade squid ink linguini with cherry tomatoes, clams, shrimp, and very tender octopus served in a white wine sauce. The pasta was a little over cooked for my mom but perfect for me! We also ordered brussels sprouts, which were ok, but I tend to like my brussels sprouts roasted/​cooked for a very long time.
The ambiance was nice. It was on the darker side, but not too dark where you knock into things. There’s some music (top 40s) playing in the background and they have an area towards the back that looked like it was great for groups while there were high and normal ²⁄₄ person tables for couples towards the front.
The service was great! BUT we also ate on a Tuesday night when there were 3 maybe 4 parties there in total, so it’s hard to gauge how attentive the staff is when it’s busier.
Overall Food: A
Ambiance: A
Service: A

Eating out pre-​theater can often be a hassle. While there is a huge selection of excellent restaurants especially 9^th Avenue, they are often overcrowded and overpriced between the hours of 6−8pm. So imagine my delight when I found a rather large restaurant with an affordable and variable menu (not to mention a $ 25 prix fixe with a glass of wine) right on 9^th Ave and 54^th Street.
Pier 9 Restaurant specializes in both American and Mediterannean cuisines, boasting especially fresh fish and innovative flavor combinations. I was invited with a friend to try out their restaurant last week and we were thoroughly impressed.
We each started with a glass of wine ($ 10), although I was very tempted by some of their unique cocktails. For bread, we were brought a very hot iron pan of cornbread. Honestly, I could subsist on good cornbread, and this stuff was delicious! It was lighter than your average recipe, but that just made me feel like I could eat more of it… teehehe!
For appetizers, we tried the Shitake Arancini ($ 12), risotto balls stuffed with shitake mushrooms and mozzarella cheese with spicy tartar sauce, and the Spicy Roasted Mussels ($ 12), mussels in a lemon, chili oil, garlic, white wine and crispy basil broth. The arancini were heavenly and one of my favorite parts of the meal — perfectly cheesy and crispy, yet not oily. The shitakes really added a nice earthy flavor as well. As for the mussels, these were some of the most giant mussels I’ve ever seen in my life! Good thing they were also perfectly cooked and pretty tasty. Ten extra points for grilled bread to sop up the broth once the mussels were gone.
For entrees, we both took our waiter’s suggestion and ordered fish. I had the Big Eye Tuna Au Poivre ($ 28), sushi grade tuna seared to perfection served with spinach purée of roasted onion, carrots and au poivre sauce, and my friend had the Horse Radish Crusted Scottish Salmon ($ 22), golden crusted horse radish salmon served with melted «holland» leeks, black lentils and finish with ver jus. Both dishes were great, if not rather large (though is that really a problem?). Mine was served with sauteed spinach and I loved the sauce. The baby carrots were a little weird for me, but only because cooked baby carrots are weird for me in general. I absolutely loved the salmon as well. I was thinking of ordering it but was turned off by the thought of something covered in horseradish. It is in no way overdone, and the horseradish actually makes the fish pretty dynamic.
You would think we were too full for dessert, but good thing we left plenty of time for digesting. We ended up ordering the Caramel Rice Crispy Treat ($ 7) layered with chocolate mousse and mascarpone and served with maple ice cream and papaya. The papaya was a little out of place, but I just got back from Hawaii so it worked on my palate.
Now more about that prix fixe… from 6 – 8 you can get a 3-​course meal with a glass of wine for only $ 25. That is an especially great deal since the salmon alone costs $ 22 and that is one of the options on the deal. If you don’t feel like eating that much food, I also noted that Pier 9 is on Scoutmob with a 50% deal, so you should definitely check that out. Pier 9 is definitely a solid option for a good meal, and they are constantly running specials (like their upcoming $ 60 themed Valentine’s Day dinner that comes with a cocktail and live music).

I thought I wrote a review for this place?
It’s one of those place where you just happen to remember to write a review only because the SERVICE is the best here. Their servers are a classy bunch. Sometimes you think they’re just as drunk as you for brunch, and that’s really OK because they probably do caffeine pills or E on the side. I’m serious though, it’s almost over-​attentive. Especially if they think you look sexy.
Definitely only been here for brunch, and will say the lunchy options are very true to the restaurant’s nautical style. It’s stuff you imagine could be served on a yacht in the galley, if only you’d been on one before and seen how small a galley really is. What I mean, is, that you’re not going to get stuff made with sous vide machines, fancy ice cream makers, foamers, torches, smokers…
I’m not reminded of anything nautical or whatever here. It’s just relaxed, good coffee, and shareable sized portions.

Hell’s Kitchen rarely disappoints with a plethora of restaurants to choose from so I bought a Living Social Deal for Pier 9 after reading decent reviews on Unilocal.With its nautical themed décor and a wide variety of dishes to choose from, it really put me in the mood to try a little bit of everything.
I ordered the Lobster Mac n Cheese, which many fellow Unilocalers recommended. Though the portion was small, it was a satisfying appetizer. I shared the Pork Chop and Black Linguini Pasta with a friend. The pasta was light and deliciously paired with tomatoes and cucumbers — this was my favorite dish of the meal. The pork chop came with an arugula salad on top with olives and cranberries. It reminded me of the Japanese style pork cutlet, katsu.
Overall, a great place to try some seafood/​pasta dishes if you are in the area. Great service and convenient location.

My husband and I went to Pier 9 with a Groupon, and have been back several times since. Anna and the rest of the waitstaff give the best service I have ever had in the New York City area, and their food is consistently delicious (not to mention their cocktails).
I only wish I had decided to go in sooner than this year.

Mystic blue nautical style
Don’t need the water to find the nautical mile
Yacht shaped bar not made of wood but of tile
Very cool space to eat, drink and chill for a while
Mediterranean food eclectic enough, there’s no denial
Spunky bubbly service, she’s bouncing up & down the aisle
DJ hit the turntables spinning, turn up the dial
Bubbly spunky girl hits the beats, DJ give her a trial
Really enjoyed Pier 9, I’ll be back with a smile

I have been to Pier 9 twice now, once on a Saturday for a friend’s birthday brunch, and then most recently for dinner on a Friday night. This place has a great bottomless brunch on the weekends — it is a little pricey compared to some other unlimited brunches in the area, but the food here is pretty good (where some other places I have gone for boozy brunch it hasn’t been) and also I love the feel of this place for brunch and the fact that it is bright and light and you don’t feel like you are holed up in a dark bar even though it is day time.
Dinner here was ok — I had purchased a Groupon, so that was a primary reason for coming here, and also we had been trolling the area for a spot to eat and didn’t have a reso and there wasn’t a wait at Pier 9. I was pleasantly surprised by the live jazz band playing (not sure if this is a regular dinner/​Friday night thing?). We ordered a pitcher of a tequila cocktail for the three of us to split for our drinks which was pretty boozy and tasty — I wasn’t disappointed.
For my main I got a seafood stew which was one of the specials they were offering that evening and was perfect for that kind of night when it is just starting to get cold and you are craving some comfort food. My main was good — nothing to call home about but I was satisfied. There was a nice variety of fish in it and they didn’t skimp out on the portion.
Overall, this place has good service, good food and good drinks. I think there are a lot of really great restaurants in this area at a similar price point, so that is why it is just a 3 for me.

Dinner + jazz + good company? YES.
I came here for a late dinner and it was nice that they had a pretty good jazz band playing. We sat outdoors because it was nice out. The table was really near the entrance which was not convenient but our waiter helped us move our table elsewhere where there was less human traffic.
We started off with a pitcher of Fresamente which is made of vodka, muddled strawberry, mint, club soda. It was delicious! Its $ 38 though, which is not cheap. Our waiter then brought us corn bread, which was delicious as well.
I had the roasted free range chicken which came with carrots and broccoli rabe. The broccoli was slightly overcooked. The chicken was good, I just wish it didn’t come with bones. When you are pretty drunk, its hard to «navigate» your chicken properly with your fork and knife… remove the skin… remove the bones… urm no. I need something easier to eat, where no brain power is involved… like chicken tenders or sashimi. My friend had the burger but only ate half of it so I assume it was average.
We had the flourless chocolate cake for desert. It tasted more like coffee cake with pistachio ice cream.
They could do a better job with their food, but I’m giving it 4 stars because the good jazz music and great cocktails make this place awesome.

I LOVE THIS PLACE… and let me tell you why.
In my opinion it’s the best brunch in Hell’s Kitchen. The options are delicious and filling (which is hard to find both in HK) AND reasonably priced. Couple that with a $ 20 all you can drink (for an hour and a half… it should be 2 hours) and you’re set. The only gripe with brunch is they need to get their frozen machine working again because their frozen sangria is unreal.
Lunch and dinner — this is a seriously good choice of venue for atmosphere and FOOD. It can be summed up with one phrase: Lobster Mac and Cheese. Beyond.
The atmosphere is great, the staff is attentive and friendly, and the food is stellar for a great price. One of the best places in Hell’s Kitchen to eat, hands down.

I should have let my New York friends pick a spot for dinner since I was just a tourist. but I didn’t.woomp woomp!
Do yourself a favor and get there for happy hour! You can’t go wrong with dollar oysters and half priced drinks. I wouldn’t recommend going when it’s not H. H…the food is def. not worth the price.
The service is not up to par; double check your bill for errors.
As far as the food goes… it looks better than it tastes.
I ordered the seafood risotto (picture included). 21 bucks worth… meeh I think not. Ordered a drink… but could barely taste the liquor… that’s a strike in my book. :X
After that you can make your way over to 1,2,3 Burger Shot and enjoy cheap liquor!
ehhhh so-​so on the ¡ Muy delicioso !

3.5
Really liked this place. Doesn’t get too crazy busy and the niceness is a little off compared to its 9^th ave neighbors, but both the food and décor were memorable and really great. High quality menu and presentation, and great variety of seafood to choose from. If this place was downtown, it would definitely be more popular. Especially liked the watermelon tuna app, and the mussels.

I’ve been to Aqua Dolce several times and went to PIER 9 for the first time since its changed hands.
I have to say I was very impressed with what they have done there.
The food was very good, presentation great and service amazing. I went there around 3pm which they happen to have a happy hour/​brunch menu that really impressed me. I had a dozen oysters a, buck a piece, lobster mac n’ cheese which was amazing $ 10 dollars, mussels for $ 8 dollars plus the ½ off drink list and or $ 20 dollar bottomless drink list.
All in all it was a great experience (happy hour or not) I will definitely make this place my new hang. NICE JOB!!!

MANAGEMENT
Arrived early. Told seating had to wait until the entire party arrived otherwise it will disrupt the flow of the restaurant (huh?) Our waitress was friendly and attentive — however, the older guy that was the host this past Sunday, (I suppose the manager) was rude and made no sense when giving the reason for the wait. Will not be returning.
FOOD
The menu posted on their website was not the same once we arrived at the restaurant, so that was disappointing. We made our reservations based on the menu and items we wanted to try.
MUSIC
The lady gaga track blared in the background the entire time our group was there, making it hard to talk at times. Do you even have another CD?
SPACE
The furniture, fixtures, and deco was mostly left over from Agua Dulce… besides the large panels with nautical blocks and numbers, it was basically the same restaurant.
Thumbs down.

I don’t think I will come back. Although the people were really nice, and the mini ice cream dessert was really nice and tasty, my one dish was a very, very strange experience. I ordered the salmon salad… the salmon was warm, and it was resting on top of mixed greens that had become warm due to a soupy broth in the bowl. So it was like a soupy-​esque, salmony warm salad — NOT what I was expecting. Reading the menu, there are so many things that sound awesome. But the reality didn’t make me happy.
The group I was with, however, seemed content with their lunch selections, including the Cobb salad and the Lobster Roll. I looked at those dishes longingly as I slopped my way through my salad-​soup.

I came here with my wife and I do not eat seafood, so my review is a bit skewed.
We entered this seafood restaurant that used to be Agua Dulce and were greeted by a friendly staff. Our server was very nice and attentive. We started things off with 2 glasses of rose champagne. The wife had seared scallops over a bed of raisins and pine nuts with some kind of foam/​sauce over the top. She also got the mussels and some other stuff as well.
The food was very good over all and the the service was excellent.

Not bad, but not the greatest — the white frozen sangria was probably the highlight of my meal, which probably doesn’t say too much about the food at the restaurant. I thought the restaurant had several dishes that were almost there, and perhaps with a bit of tweaking, could be really good.
Pork belly buns — not too bad, but certainly not even close to being as good as the ones at Momofuku Noodle Bar. These were more of a seared pork belly, paired with some kimchi and what I thought was spicy mayo. Overall, not bad, but the pork belly could have been either braised or fried better.
Scallops entrée — for some reason, very different sized scallops from larger to small. Not exactly the best plating. Scallops were fresh though but cooked a bit inconsistently.
French fries here were pretty good, so that was a bright spot for the meal.

I’ve been here 3 times now.
once when it first opened for dinner with a friend. Once for their happy hour special and once for dinner recently.
The food is pretty good overall. I’d recommend the lobster mac and cheese, the lobster roll and the tuna au poivre.
The oysters /​raw bar and chowder were only ok.
The drinks are pretty good — I like the dark and stormy — a hard find in NYC. They also have a house made olive infused ketel one martinit which was very good — think dirty martini, no vermouth and gotta love the blue cheese stuffed olives.
Our waiter was great — very knowledgable — knew the menu in and out.
Biggest complaint — the $ 10 bottle of Saratoga sparklin water showed up warmer than room temperature… «It was fetched from the basement.» why would they even serve it?

I had lunch today with my friend. We sat outside patio. She had a Grilled Maine Lobster with verjus emulsion and I had a Grilled Whole Branzino with baby bok choy and lemon caper sauce. We finished it off with their home made sorbet. The food was fresh, light and delicious! The service was very friendly. With the special $ 1 oysters and half off drinks for happy hour, I am sure to be there this summer!
More details on my blog.

I finally got the chance to revisit Pier 9. I mean, come on, it’s directly across the street from where I live — I had to give it another go. It appears that they’ve ironed out a lot of the kinks.
We started with a couple of the grilled skewers. The octopus was delish! As was the scallops and the salmon. We also got the lobster mac and cheese. Luckily for me (and unluckily for my friend) my friend was having boy problems so her appetite was non existent. I ended up eating almost the entire helping of the mac and cheese. Sooo yummy and creative.
For our entrees, my friend and I tried the lobster rolls again. Less mayo: check. Weird flavoring removed: check.
We also tried the rice crispy dessert. Absolutely amazing! Much much better than the donut dessert.
All and all, we definitely enjoyed the second go’ around. And, I’m sure I’ll be back for a 3^rd visit soon!