Square Meal

Officially closed

First of all, I have to start by saying that this spot is adorable! So cute inside, perfect for a girly brunch (or hey a guy’s brunch too I don’t judge). It kind of feels like you’re in someone’s home out in the countryside, super homey.
My entrée was the apple, leek, and cheddar omelet which came with toasted cornbread and twice-​baked potatoes. I think the omelet, while good, sounded a lot better to me on the menu than it turned out to be. The apple flavor was just a bit too strong for me, overpowering the other flavors in the omelet and making the entire thing pretty sweet. It was still tasty though, but not what I had expected. If you order this, make sure you really want a strong apple flavor!
Free scones for the table (both regular and blueberry flavors) with jam. Super yummy! I kept munching on these =).
No need for a reservation for this spot.

Made a 12:30 Sunday reservation on Saturday morning.
Got there at 12:30, no problems.
Sit down, 3 complimentary scones, 2 plain 1 blueberry.
Cup of coffee, not too strong, but good.
Daily Omelet, Leaks with apple and cheddar.
Far too sweet and all I could taste was apple.
Would have really benefited from some savory.
Got a side of chicken and apple sausage.
Very good, nice and savory.
My Bf got the eggs Benedict,
Thought it was average.
Used a house made english muffin loaf, instead of a regular english muffin.
Found the load to be too crispy, too stiff, didn’t absorb the Hollandaise sauce as much as a muffin would.
I’d go again, but not for a couple months.
Maybe dinner is different, or a better balance of flavors.

Came here for brunch on Sunday. We had made reservations, but you could have walked in and been seated right away. I liked that there was a nice, large waiting area with wooden benches. Much more civilized way of waiting than standing outside places like Sarabeth’s or Good Enough to Eat. Lovely green wall color and sweet country decorative style.
I had the spinach-​potato hash with poached eggs. It came with 4 triangles of beautifully and perfectly toasted and buttered toast. Service was very attentive and not rushed. I got 3 refills on my cup of tea! The blueberry and corn (?) scones and jam were great too and we got seconds on that.
Can’t wait to come back again for brunch or to try dinner!

This place is SUPER cute. It has a nice homey feel when you first walk in, complete with flowers and two bowls of scones sitting on the counter. The scones are really good! Our table asked for 2nds they were so good (they are also sold in bigger form at Yura on Madison which is right next door).
The actual brunch food itself was ok. 3 of us ordered a roasted apple, leek and cheese omelette. It was good but very apple-​y and in my opinion was a little weird with the cheese, but still good. Would have been better I think with ketchup but the restaurant doesn’t have any! The omelette also comes with a twice baked potato which was DELICIOUS. That was my favorite part (other than the scones). And then to finish the meal off, 2 orange slices. My other friend ordered the poached eggs and hash — the eggs came runny, just how she likes them and I had a bite of her potatoes and those were good as well.
Very good, cute place. I might give it 3.5 stars for the food, but because it’s so cute and the service was good, it gets rounded up to 4!

BEST FRENCH TOAST EVER. It’s almost like bread pudding, it’s so custardy and soft.
Raisin and chocolate scones for appetizers = frosting on the cake.
Lovely lovely brunch place, tucked away in the upper east side. I have no idea why Sarabeth’s across the street always has a line outside — this place is much better.

Super super cosy little spot for brunch! My boyfriend and I happened to come across the place while waiting for Sarabeth’s, but so happy we came here instead. I like the quaint atmosphere, makes you feel at home.
I love that they have freshly baked scones with jam! Which goes perfectly with their coffee. We tried the porcini mushroom soup to share, belgium waffles, poached eggs with spinach potato hash, bacon, and apple sausage. The soup was really good and not too overwhelming with small pieces of the mushroom. I liked that it didn’t taste like it came out from a can. The waffles were just right! Not too crispy or hard. The sweet from the maple syrup went well with salty of the apple sausage. I think they should pair those together since the sweet & savory compliment each other. The poached eggs dish came with pieces of buttered toast that was perfect with the eggs for dipping. We definitely left the restaurant quite full and happy.
There’s something about this restaurant that has a charm. It’s simple, homey and not too pricey. Definitely my local UES go to place for brunch.

What a great brunch we had at Square Meal. We picked it because of the positive Unilocal reviews, and now want to add our voice to the chorus. We arrived at around 12:30 on a sunday, and were seating immediately. The restaurant is very nicely appointed, simple, soothing, casual. We were greeted immediately by our server, who brought us a nice selection of scones with some jam. Service was prompt and friendly through the entire meal.
We ordered the crab cakes, which were prepared that day on a bed of lightly marinated greens with a corn and tomato relish. They were outstanding, pretty much all lump crab, a nice kick to them, and the relish and greens all combined perfectly. I’d highly recommend that dish if it is available when you go. According to their website the menu changes daily.
We ordered the BLT Bites, two good sized blt’s on rolls, with really good bacon and greens, and a side salad, they were great. We also got the poached eggs with hollandaise on a spinach and potato hash. The eggs were maybe the most perfectly cooked poached eggs I have ever had, and the hollandaise was clearly made from scratch as well. The combination off all those ingredients was like a marriage made in heaven.
A couple other folks commented on the prices, but we didn’t find it to be «pricey», especially for the quality of the meals, you get what you pay for, and in this case you get amazing food.
We’ll definitely be back for dinner the next time we are in NYC.

Very fresh and tasty food — we had the mushroom ravioli, pear and goat cheese salad (very good), crabcakes (very large lumps of crab), and duck with chipotle and raspberry sauce (also very good). The atmosphere was nice and it was overall a very enjoyable experience. Also, a good amount of food — would buy fewer plates if we went again.

Square Meal is a quaint little restaurant that provided me and my friend with a great brunch. Although the menu may be limited, it does have the common brunch items. I had their classic eggs benedict which consisted of two halves of toasted pieces of their house-​made English muffin loaf topped with poached eggs, Canadian bacon, hollandaise sauce, and garnished with tiny chunks of tomatoes and chopped chives. It came with a small amount of mashed potatoes that complemented the dish. One of the pieces of English muffin loaf was on the cusp of being burnt on the edges which made it harder to chew, but overall it was a very enjoyable savory dish.
I also enjoyed their complimentary scones; there were three small scones, two plain and one blueberry. The plain scones were more flaky and crumbled when I tried breaking one apart, while the blueberry was more tender. The service was friendly but we had to ask twice to get our water refilled even though it wasn’t very crowded.

Square Meal is a great brunch option in Carnegie Hill. It’s located right around the corner from Yura, down a few steps into a small seating area that looks like someone’s dining room.
Their eggs and pastries were very good, as was the oatmeal. The menu is pretty limited, at least for brunch, and it’s a little on the higher side in terms of price. However, it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a nice sit-​down breakfast.

We discovered Square Meal after a visit to the Whiney Museum a few years ago, and did not hesitate to make a dinner reservation on our last trip to NYC.
The service is prompt and cordial, and the food is fantastic. I had the crab crakes and my wife had the pork chop. We split the chocolate mousse with salted caramel whip cream for dessert, and it was awesome.
We’ll definitely be back the next time we are in town.

Pro:
The place reminds me of a charming country house. Very good food and service.
Con:
Bloody Mary should be on the menu for brunch, maybe?

Loved the spinach hash, great quiet little spot for brunch. Really like the setup too, the pastel wallpaper and the furniture makes it feel like a friend’s livingroom. French toast is good too.

Absolutely delightful meal. Comfortable, elegant, and inviting atmosphere. Welcoming, attentive and good humored service. Very much a local, older-​ish crowd. As others have noted, the menu is small — maybe six entrees. In my opinion, that is the mark of a serious chef committed to creating a few brilliant offerings a la minute rather than trying to please the masses. And I like the fact that the chef will not cater to the «sauce on the side» crowd. Why should he/​she compromise his vision for the evening’s meal?
The details: All three of us started with the Boston ‘n buttermilk salad — a large plate holding a whole head of tender Boston lettuce sprinkled with bacon and garlic croutons and drizzled with buttermilk dressing. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, just the right amount of bacon and croutons, all precisely seasoned. Our entrees were the scallops, duck and crab cakes. The portion size was perfect for all three of us and everyone agreed the preparation was outstanding. We split a butterscotch pie which was tender inside, lightly crunch outside.
The wine list is very small but the few offerings are excellent, reasonably priced selections, all avialable by the glass. They do welcome BYOB with a corkage fee that goes to charity.
All in all, we look forward returning often.

Disappointing.
I went for brunch today and was looking forward to tasting the spinach/​potato hash with eggs and hollandaise sauce. The hash looked burnt, and it was. It was kind of bitter and sad. The eggs were cooked well and the scones at the beginning of the meal were nice.
My companion for the day said her omelet was «good but nothing spectacular.»
Oh well.

The apple-​green interior may lull you into thinking this is a Sarabeth’s wannabe. There are similarities: Carnegie Hill location, known for brunch, comfort food, somewhat expensive.
That’s where the similarities end. Square Meal is tiny, un-​fussy, and most assuredly not catering to tourists. (And it’s apparently not catering to anyone else: no menus posted on its web site, no strollers allowed, no OpenTable listing.)
No matter. It’s always full of folks from the immediate neighborhood: half low-​key, old-​money pearl-​wearers and half low-​key, WASPy intellectuals. If you’re an anthropologist studying Carnegie Hill, start your research here.
Looking for something on the light-​ish to start, we shared the pear/​ricotta/​almond app. The contrasts – ripe fruit, creamy cheese, crunchy nuts – made this way greater than the sum of its parts. And I don’t even like pears.
Enough with «light-​ish.» The duck with fig/​balsamic sauce was out of this world. An enormous portion, crazily tasty, with just the right amount of intense sweetness. There may have been some nutritious vegetables on the the side (kale? parsnips? something like that), but I was distracted by the bird.
My friend was nice enough to give me a taste of her eggplant and tomato bake. No bitterness at all, just a fantastic mélange of veggies, whose roasting really heightened their flavor.
She couldn’t handle dessert (something about needing to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress), so we skipped it. But we made up the calories with a nice Malbec and those buttery, triangular biscuits that start you off (the extras of which I stole and smuggled home. No shame.). The wine list is small, and Hoegaarden is one of only two beers.
The service is sweet and accommodating. The host is super-​polite, and you can often find Yura, the owner, sitting and chatting with him and other guests near the front. She is local royalty.
It can get loud. (Those WASPy intellectuals are plenty boisterous, although tastefully so, needless to say.) In nice weather, there’s a garden area in the back that is a lot quieter.
I hear it’s not child-​friendly, but I often see kids there (yes, mostly older and well-​behaved). Despite the cute interior, this is not a good fit for little ones who need the freedom to run around between courses, to say nothing of stroller storage. To be honest, as a mom, I would rather be told straight out that this restaurant is not trying to be all things to all people. «No strollers» does that loud and clear.
Ditto with the food allergies (my family deals with those too). If the kitchen doesn’t feel comfortable serving someone with life-​threatening food allergies, it’s to everyone’s benefit to be honest about that. The neighborhood has no shortage of alternatives. And, despite its limitations, Square Meal is obviously not hurting for business.

Had a delicious dinner here with friends on Friday night. First off, the cheddar/​Rosemary biscuits they give you are sensational. Ate way too many of those. They have a nice small wine list, and we split a tasty bottle of Chardonnay.
All the food we had was excellent. They have a seasonal menu with cute twists on comfort foods. My partner and I split the honeycrisp apple and endive salad, which was delightful (I think I’ll try making it home)! Then I had the bass with sweet corn polenta and roasted tomatoes, and Joel had the chicken. Both were excellent; my fish was perfectly cooked. Split the apple and pear crisp for dessert and that was that.
All in all, a delightful meal in a warm space. Worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood, I think.

My experience is with speaking with a staff member, while he was nice enough, it made me never want to eat there. I called on behalf of my employer who has several severe food allergies, asking for a past menu so she could decide if this is a place she would like to try for an upcoming dinner and they said, «we do not distribute any menus» and «we will not make accommodations for people with food allergies.» Right. Okay, I get it. But, you just dissuaded me, and my employer, from giving you business because you will not accommodate for life threatening food allergies?! WTF. I’d rather go to a nearby restaurant which shall remain nameless that I loathe rather than this place based on the conversation.
If you do happen to go, and have food allergies, and ask for a plain salad with a piece of grilled chicken because nothing on the menu would be okay to eat as described, I was told that they would not make that for you. This irritates me so much. I have no food allergies, but I know what it is like to cook for people with them and understand that it is a huge issue and think that a restaurant should be as accommodating as possible (especially in their price point.)
I usually do not write reviews based on the one experience, but felt that the way the staff handled it was well below par.

Slowly becoming one of our favorite brunch places and when summer comes, will also be visited a lot for dinner. This restaurant is classy and charming – feels like it would be a restaurant in the Hamptons with the décor of a small cottage and clientele from UES Carnegie Hill. Great for dinner for 2 or 4, but brunch there is my favorite. The menu is not listed on the web as they say it chnges. However, regular dishes include their crabcakes with corn & fresh greens salad, and mushroom hash with poached eggs. always a treat! As is the french toast bread pudding.
Very good service and the managers managers make you feel at home. We’ll be back again soon! *Note-​because of SQMeal’s size and layout, it is NOT equipped for baby strollers, and they have a sign up saying so. So if you come with a baby & stroller, you’ll have a lousy experience. Leave the babies at home.