Recipe

A great cozy ambiance with delicious food

The few things I’ve had here are good but not amazing and the portions are small so I always end up with a big bill and a hungry stomach. I prefer the opposite! Lol
I really don’t mind paying more for great food but this spot doesn’t have many good options for a vegetarian so ill be avoiding coming back. If you have a big wallet, are into duck, crab and a dim romantic atmosphere this is a better spot for you.

My husband and I came here for dinner and had a lovely time. It feels like a classy neighborhood joint, and its emphasis on local food adds to the appeal.
A little loud given that the tables are close together.
The duck was pretty good, though it was about heavy and could have used a side of some sort.
Dessert was lovely, but my husband later admitted that they had clearly forgotten it was my birthday even though he had called to remind them.
Romantic!

This is me giving it up for Recipe, a distinctive restaurant rare in my Manhattan dining experience.
Me and Peggy were walk-​ins for the bar. She had two glasses of Chardonnay ($ 11 each) and I choose the drink special of night, an Old Fashioned with some select bourbon ($ 12). The sweet bourbon and spicy bitters mixed nicely. We took an order of duck fat fries ($ 6) and two starters. We shared bitter-​sweet greens ($ 10), with grilled pancetta, walnuts, parmigiano-​reggiano, balsamic vinaigrette; coulda made it myself but it was still treat-​quality. The second starter was Sautéed Braised Octopus & Calamari ($ 13), which was extremely nice. The chili had a welcome kick. For a main, we shared the strip steak ($ 27), nicely cooked medium rare. It was enough (12 ounces) for us to share and be completely happy. The steak was just crusty and fatty enough to be interesting, if you like that sort of thing. Dessert was pan roasted figs with vanilla ice cream and some crunchy sprinklings on the plate with a streak of balsamic vinegar; fantastic. Total with tip $ 137.
TIP: If your party is three, or more, book ahead. This is a tiny place. It might seat 18 people. The bar is cozy, but not so much that the diners next to you can dominate your discussion (that’s a problem at Eatery on 9^th Avenue, I’m just saying). Also, the bar experience was cozy in a way that works for social types, like myself and Peggy. She mused about being a regular at Recipe.
TIP: The steak is a great value because it’s plenty for two, including brilliant sides on the plate of haricot verts and sliced fingerling potatoes with a nice brown finish (unlike the insanely dull potatoes at Pastis that sat next to my skate).
PROPS: To the bartender, who pitched 5 Leaves (Five Leaves?) in Greenpoint and its homemade ricotta. We took the pitch, and it was awesome.

Small, but classy spot, very quiet and laid back. I had the Pan Seared Salmon:
spinach, endive, radicchio, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, granny smith apples, red wine mignonette… Which was quite good. Was a bit on the pricey side, I guess it was worth it though. I may return again someday, if I’m in the area and hungry.

Came for Sunday brunch. Our party of 4 was among the crowd waiting for the 11 am opening. We were seated at the bar but happy to have earned a spot in the first round of patrons.
The restaurant, typical of many UWS joints, is narrow and quaint. Tasteful, rustic décor amongst the exposed brick. The quality of food is definitely superior to many of the overhyped brunch spots in the area.
The Foodnalysis:
— Vanilla Brioche French Toast — Rich, buttery brioche served with berries, smothered under mascarpone and caramel maple syrup. If you have a sweet tooth, go for it! My preferred brunch methodology is to order 1 sweet dish and 1 savory, then split half-​half with a friend. This proved a proper method at Recipe as the french toast was quite sweet and would have been overwhelming by itself (as many a french toast are).
— Poached Eggs over Short Ribs (daily special) — Excellently done, save for the small portion size (see picture). Served with potatoes and a simple salad.
The Bottom Line:
Nice stop for brunch, but beware of small portions. Would recommend ordering 1 sweet dish (try the french toast) and 1 savory, then splitting with a friend. Come about a half hour before opening to guarantee a seat.

Came here for an early dinner with my friend after a matinée at Lincoln Center. It’s a cute little place and the tables were all booked so we dined at the bar. The service was fine and the food was pretty good. I had the roasted whole Cornish hen and my friend had the pork chop. The servings were both quite generous but for cooking that isn’t really foodgasm inducing it was a little overpriced. If I lived in the neighborhood it would be a solid standby.

The food, atmosphere and experience were impeccable. I have been trying to make a reservation at Recipe for a long time and was thrilled when I finally succeeded in securing a table at the 23-​seat eatery.
I came with my mom. We both started with the fresh bread basket. Butter drizzled with honey and sea salt? OK, I’m in heaven. We then each had a nice pinot noir. I started with the soup of the day, leek and parsnip. It was so incredible, just what I love in a soup: creamy with fresh ingredients. My mom had the beets salad. She didn’t speak until the plate was clean so I assume she was pleased! For a main course, my mom had the steak and I had the salmon. The ingredients complimenting the fish were inventive yet blended perfectly. Apples, walnuts, minced red onions in a vinaigrette. My mom loved her steak and at first insisted she would need to wrap some up to go… but finished the whole thing. We ended by sharing the chocolate pignoli tart. It was rich, filled with caramel: sweet and salty. A perfect cap-​off to the meal.
Some have commented that they were disappointed by the portion size. I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. It’s true the water glasses are tiny, but they are frequently refilled. The food we got was perfectly sized and portioned. This is a chef’s table experience. This is not a restaurant with «super size me» options. The food is meant to be savored and enjoyed. It isn’t meant to stuff you to the point of unbuttoning your pants. Go to Cheesecake Factory for that.
The restaurant is small, so be sure to make a reservation. Also keep in mind, you will be sitting pretty close to other tables (we sat next to two women who were loudly gossiping about their divorces). The staff is attentive and helpful yet the environment doesn’t feel snobbish or uptight. As others have stated it’s a rustic, elegant and comfortable neighborhood spot. My style completely!

Although a little pricey, I had a good meal here. The menu seems seasonal so it wont be worth recommending specific dishes, but worth checking out. The portions are appropriately sized, not gargantuan. The bartender was great and made 2 delicious drinks off the menu.
Desserts were exceptional.

Hubby and I had a quiet Sunday dinner here. We walked in at 6:30 and were immediately seated at the bar. The space is very intimate and cozy. Neither of us was very hungry so we got 4 small dishes to share.
— Bread Basket (Grandaisy Bakery) with new york honey-​butter, sea salt. I liked the bread, but the fact that this had to be purchased for $ 3 was annoying
— Roasted Locally Grown Beets (goat cheese, green leaf lettuce, toasted pecans, banyuls vinaigrette) for $ 10. This was STELLAR.
— Braised Octopus & Calamari (green beans, olives, tomato confit, chili flakes, charred lemon) for $ 13. This was only ok. I wouldn’t order it again
Pork Belly with Ravioli (braising greens, pecorino romano, oregano, chorizo, cinnamon pork jus) for $ 12. Very fatty, but tasty.
A thoughtful, warm restaurant with modern American cuisine. I’d definitely come back. Only downside is they DON’T TAKE AMEX.

The show stopper tonight was the cast iron fired banana tarte tatin. Unless you have a violent banana allergy, you would be remiss if you did not seize the opportunity to enjoy this delightfully sweet combination of fruit and pastry.
The duck and foie gras terrine continued to deliver perfection and remain on my list of standing favourites, and the short ribs were marvelously tender and did not disappoint. However, the pineapple did not seem to factor into the flavour profile of the ribs themselves, but more so as a garnish amongst the greens and rabe. Regardless, the short ribs were still braised beautifully, tender to the fork and with every single bite.
Recipe, keep up the good work. Deliciousness with every bite!

Red Snapper on top of brocolli rabe was substantial and the tastiest part was the shittake mushroom reduction hiding on a thin layer at the bottom of the plate.
Called them for a reservation on a rainy night after the Black Eyed Peas concert in Central Park, they said it would take 2 hours. The Eat Here squad showed up at the door a few minutes later and the wait was cut to 20min. See, showing up is half the battle.

I was pleasantly surprised by this place… I hadn’t heard of it and just came across it while in the UWS.
The theme is different than most of the restaurants opening in NYC. It was contemporary and sleek, but also seemed to be just about the food.
The drinks were very good — if you like gin, definitely try the pear collins.
The food was also great — we had the mac and cheese to start — different than any other I’ve had in NYC, not so rich and thick, but still delicious. The lamb chops and duck were also great… You have to try the brussel sprouts!

Like: customer service, creative dishes, food quality
Dislike: no space between tables and very small table, food quantity
I came here with my hubby and a girl friend of mine for brunch, we had; egg Benedict salad, baked salmon, egg white omelet with salmon, poached egg, two portion of toasted bread as side dish and sorbet at the very end.
The quality of food is pretty good, and it might seem to be lots of dish for 3 people, but each dish is tiny and you have to pay for bread as well. I thought the price doesn’t totally justify itself.
But people there are very friendly and attentive, the restaurant is kind of cute as well. But would I go back there again… hmmm…not quite sure…

The only reservation available was for 9, and we were not willing to wait for dinner. We called and asked how busy they were, and this is how the conversation went:
Us: Hi. How busy are you tonight? How long is the wait?
Them: There are two seats at the bar right now.
Us: OK, we’re 10 minutes away, THANKS! *click*
The smart thing to do would have been to give them our names… instead, we pretty much ran to Recipe. It’s OK though — we got those last two seats at the bar.
Recipe is so cute. I love their place settings and the whole décor of the place in general.
And the food was delicious! We had the ravioli and pork belly as an appetizer, and lamb chops and the mac and cheese as our entrees. I was impressed by all of it. The service was great too.
I would definitely return, but I’ll make a reservation next time :)

It was a bridesmaid dress shopping Sunday morning in Manhattan. Thinking the sangria bar at Calle Ocho would be perfect, we headed over there to realize that it was closed. Okay, so we moved on to Sarabeth’s, where we were told there would be a 2 hour wait. We were hungry– not happening.
Ah, so then I relied on my trusty Unilocal app to lead me in a good direction.
Enter Recipe.
It’s a small place, reminded me a bit of of Egg in Williamsburg. The décor is simple with small wooden tables, and black chalkboards to tell you the specials for the day. Original? No. But it would do for our hungry foursome looking for something to munch on over girl talk and mimosas.
Our waitress recommended that we try the specials for the day– and I’m glad we did. The pineapple mango jam served with an assortment of freshly baked bread (brioche and others) did wonders of carboloading for our group. We were sad to see it finish! The jam was delightful– just sweet enough to get the pineapple taste without any over kill and was served with a side of (what tasted like) fresh semi sweet butter.
Two of us tried the sweet potato pancakes, served with sour cream and a sprinkling of bacon. It was like a giant latke, crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. I ate mine sans bacon, but my friend was pretty happy with hers. We also tried their heirloom tomato salad– which was so picture perfect, it made you not want to eat it. But we’re glad we did. The last of the group had the poached eggs with the roasted vegetable fricassee– tasty, but not nearly as memorable.
What’s cool about the place is the emphasis on local ingredients and the seasonal changes. The service is great, and I’m glad we listened to our waitress. Definitely a nice find while hungrily stumbling around the UWS. Those mimosas weren’t weak either!

4.5 stars for this matchbox café. There’re just a few tables along one wall of the restaurant, and the rest of the room is the narrow walkway from the front restaurant door to the back kitchen door. Time to get intimate at the dining table.
Recipe is ideal for a leisurely Saturday brunch, given that you’re at the door promptly 5 to 10 minutes before 11am and ready to enter the warmth of the place, single file. That’s precisely what we did.
I had the special of the day, which I highly recommend, the (jalapeño) johnny cakes. Johnny cakes are cornmeal based and with a grainy composition much like grits, only not as moist and more cohesive. It was somewhat like a flattened cornbread, not quite as dense but just as aromatic. Atop the cake are poached eggs, and above that, a layer of melted mozzarella cheese. The final touch was a sprinkle of crisp prosciutto. Lovely! Unfortunately there was no jalapeño flavor that I could detect (or any bits of jalapeño for that matter), so I do believe the dish name is a misnomer. The cake comes with a small (3 bites of) salad, which was refreshing but much too meager in size. Fried potatoes are also part of the deal, which were nothing short of delicious. Potatoes seem so generic as a breakfast food, but these were lovingly made. The skin wasn’t soggy but also wasn’t fried to a crisp, and struck a perfect balance. You can tell the potatoes themselves were at their prime when sliced as each biteful of potato showcased a loose and soft texture.
My friend ordered an omelette, which came with the same potatoes and salad.
Free refills of very strong coffee kept us wired throughout this entire dining experience. Our server was wonderful, a big reason for the 4.5 star rating. She was genuine, kind, and thoughtful, and was all ears when we asked for extra cream for our coffees or an extra fork when I had clumsily knocked it off our table.
Recipe is small in space, but big in heart.

Honestly, I have HAD IT with restaurants that get off on telling patrons that the wait is going to be 45 minutes to one hour, and then calling five minutes later to tell say that «no one was showing up» and that I could dine there. Well thank you, soooo appreciated!!! Even funnier was showing up, taking two seats, and having the three adjacent seats immediately open up. Really? One hour, eh???
I knew in advance that the restaurant was small, and was prepared for cramped bar seating. I was NOT prepared for the small portions, small wine pours, and large bill. Trendy or not, the food was simply not worth the hassle, lack of space, or the cost.

Recipe is mostly eye-​candy. Tight space, with a visually pleasing interior. Along those same lines, I’d say that the menu offers just enough, and not too much. So what makes it only 2 stars?
I had some sort of poached egg dish that came in a ramekin: beneath the egg and cheese were vegetables and even some raisins, making a sweet and tasty few bites: maybe about 5 bites. It came with a salad which would have helped round out the meal if the dressing were not inedibly salty. Too small of a salad to send back, so I tried to fill the rest of my stomach with the bread and honey-​butter (lit. butter with honey on it).
I let the barman know what wasn’t working and he said he’d tell the kitchen, which he did (audibly). «Is there anything else I can get for you?» Mmmmmaybe something to make me feel better about the fact that half of my meal was too salty to eat? That apparently wasn’t the name of the game — he thought I was just being altruistic by saying that the food was too salty. Maybe his serenade to the kitchen will help future customers, but none that I’d be sending because this place didn’t leave much more of an impression than the one I just wrote.
Recipe: you and your bartender look good, but food isn’t your main priority, and I noticed.

I wanted a tasty, American lunch and Unilocaled Recipe. Convinced that it would have be packed with a long wait, I called them up to ask if we could get a table within 30 minutes. They were in fact a full house, but she said she could get us a table if we made it ASAP. It was really nice of them to hold the table for us, as the space is small (fits 6 couples + bar seating)…so small that they have to pull out the table for you in order to be seated.
Recipe offers an $ 11.95 app+entrée or $ 10 app+sandwich option. This was a delicious deal! The appetizers were good, but not the best: Steamed mussels provencal were tasty with a slice of bread, and a bit too sour. The grilled calamari was slightly smoky with beans, which was more like a mayo dressing rather than a parsley-​garlic drizzle.
However, the duck confit was one of the best American entrees Ive ever had. The duck leg (so soft, juicy and succulent) was sitting on top of a bed of farro (brown and orange, some tasted like sweet potato), white asparagus, and green beans. Great portion for $ 11! The mac & cheese entrée was very silky and savory. It contained bacon and some wild mushrooms. For some reason I expected it to be baked in the cocotte with cheese, but it wasn’t. This was Just an upgrade to your average mac & cheese. Stick with the proteins.
Service wasn’t particularly awesome… I didn’t find them to be extremely happy or friendly, but the food was of great value and pretty tasty overall.