Swifty’s

They owe their caterers money.

Definitely appears Closed. Too bad. Loved this little gem. Been coming here for decades. Wish them well in whatever is happening.

Classy upper east side restaurant! fair priced and good food.
Todd

My wife and I have been Swifty’s devotees since they opened. It is warm, intimate and very ‘Special’! I have read some of the recent reviews on Unilocal and am amused that people are so critical and intimidated by their preconceived ideas of old school, fine dining and a septuagenarian clientele. In fact, Swifty’s is about much more than being hip, it about ‘Comfort’. The ambiance, food, service, lighting and special attention from Robert and Steven the owners give its customers a feeling that they are dining in a ‘Club’. If this is old fashioned to some then they should only frequent noisy, crowded badly lit spots where they think that they are being ‘really cool’.

We had the restaurant week menu. I started with oysters which were GREAT, my husband had the artichoke with the vinaigrette, meh. Then we had the cheese soufflé, which looked amazing and tasted ok. he had the burgers, which… had no bun!!! fries were great, but that was not burgers, those were meatballs! dessert was the best, we both had the chocolate volcano, bitter and liquid enough inside. the dessert was definitely worth it.

I came here for restaurant week (7÷23÷15) and was so excited for my experience. I had read about this spot in Joan Rivers’ book however I had a horrific experience. The first red flag was that the restaurant was empty. The table was wobbly, the glasses were dirty, and worst of all there was a hair in my food. They made me a new plate but they did not comp anything or make an effort to restore my faith in their food. The menu mentioned a kale salad, however when I got my salad it was spinach. Other than that, the food wasn’t anything special and we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. So much so that we took our dessert to go. I wish there was an option for zero stars…

I truly wanted to hate Swifty’s for its snooty rep and astronomical prices. But I had the most extraordinary dinner and I can’t but rave. (And if you read my reviews you know that rarely happens).
The foie gras with apricots and toasted brioche although an appetizer served as my dinner entrée. My ‘real’ appetizer was the acclaimed corn fritters with salmon roe and crème freche. Paired those with a dry rose and I was happy as a clam. Nuff said?

Had brunch and soup good portion and quite tasty corn chowder the endive salad grilled cheese and burger were all very good. Space inviting respite in busy neighborhood Price for brunch for 3 was reasonable $ 70 with tax tip but no alcohol. Probably add small fries to their regular burger to cater more to younger crowd
May try it for dinner

The Scottish Salmon was bad quality fish. For $ 29, one would expect better ingredients. The quality was on par with a cheap diner.

Just enjoyed a truly magnificent lunch with friends at Swifty’s. This is an amazing spot for a stylish, low-​key brunch and lunch (where the food is consistent and wonderfully-​prepared).
People on Unilocal have been unkind about the «scene» at Swifty’s — but I think the «scene» makes for fantastic people watching and the staff are always extremely polite and welcoming! It’s a very elegant, upper east side establishment but is also very friendly.
Our food was superb. We tried the Corn Fritters with Alaskan salmon roe (a Swifty’s specialty the waiter told us) which was just delightful — and my friend had the pea risotto which was also very well executed. The cheese soufflé was light, puffy and so enjoyable to eat on a cold winter day. The service was excellent and the restaurant was buzzy and atmospheric.
There is something very special about this place! Will be back for sure. Thank you Swifty’s…

We live in the neighborhood (68^th & 5^th) and Swifty’s is not part of our rotation, but we do go every now and again. The onion soup is one of the best you can find and the Steak Frites is good for what it is, Steak Frities. Some of the food can be quite bland, Halibut with cauliflower purée and the bread can be old at times, but this is part of the experience. You will never see a better display of the almost extinct WASP. I love the people watching in this place. You get that old world charm and impeccable manners with the well dressed older crowd. Wish the food was slightly better, but the experience overall is good. Not for tourists, very neighborhood-​y place.

The worst service in the planet. There is an expected level of arrogance when dining in a place full of Europeans but this place give a new meaning to the word arrogant. It is extremely narrow, dark and uncomfortable. The food took an hour to come out and was overcooked and bland. $ 45 for a soft-​shelled crab is a racket. literally one crab. I had to go get dinner elsewhere afterwards. They gave us pan grease in a dish to dip our fries in? I’ve never seen that one. We asked how our food was several time throughout the hour wait period and were told that we will be next a dozen times and watched dish after dish exit the kitchen. The manager rolled his eyes at my 84 yeaorold grandmother when she nicely asked where the food was. No one ever came back and asked if the food was good or apologized, no comped desert… nothing…just arrogance and a poor effort. New york has the best restaurants in the world. There is no reason to roll the dice here.

I came here for lunch today because I read about Swiftys in Food & Wine. It sounded like a fun upper east side experience — good food, interesting people watching and a stodgy wait staff. Fun to read about, not to experience! I tried the grilled chicken coated in pesto with creamy Swiftys slaw and spicy ginger carrot soup. Loved it. Warm apple tart with ice cream for dessert — divine. People watching — cool! Stodgy wait staff — not so fun. They tried to convince us that a tiny table in the corner, near the door on a freezing cold day was «cozy.» Refused to seat us in any of the empty tables further towards the back (where the regular clientele sits) saying it was «drafty.» Did not acknowledge us when we got up to leave, did not tell us where they hung the coats they took from us upon arrival and offered no assistance when we wandered around to look for them. Loved the food, but was reminded why I would rather dine in the bustling tourist-​friendly midtown. The elderly clientele are welcome to keep this snobby little joint to themselves. Sorry to intrude!

I was at Swifty’s for lunch recently, and I had a really disappointing experience.
This was my first time there, and I was looking forward to solid meal at a classic UES restaurant. Bummer. These kinds of places make NYC unique, and the current owners/​managers of Swifty’s are going to drive it out of business once their current very-​elderly clientele is no more.
PROS (and why 2 stars vs. just 1 star):
The place certainly has the patina of a classic NYC spot.
The clientele is central-​casting UES ladies-who-lunch…amusing for an NYC anthropologist.
CONS:
Service was terrible. They must have had 3 of 5 waiters call in sick, or some other staffing catastrophe. It was almost a complete meltdown in the dining room, with diners anxiously trying to get the attention of any passing waiter, busboy, manager, or anyone who would take an order, clear the table, bring the check. It took forever.
Food was terrible. I was delivered a horribly overcooked burger with cold, lifeless fries. (But soup was good!). I made the huge mistake of ordering coffee after the meal: totally over-​warmed/​charred and lukewarm. In any normal situation, I would have sent both back and/​or expected for them to be removed from the bill, but the service breakdown made it not worth the additionally wait.

Delightful restaurant with great food and impeccable service. ’twas as much fun to observe the other patrons as to eat the delicious food. Highly recommend.

I recently returned to New York after living abroad for six months and went to
dinner at Swiftys.
Granted Swiftys has always been a favorite haunt of mine, but it was especially comforting to return to this charming restaurant to see that it has still intact its warm and inviting interior, lovely unobtrusive staff and excellent wine list, delicious entrees and delightful desserts. It is truly American Bistro-​Fare at its very best!
The dimly lit interior with intimate seating and of course glamorous clientele makes you feel special to be a part of and happy to be in such a «Bijoux» place!
I look forward to returning again to my favorite spot on the UES.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Bradford-​Davis
Interior Designer Extraordinaire of the Islands of Mustique, Manhattan and London

Joan Rivers is a national treasure. She’s inspired me in so many ways. She’s whip smart, hilarious and just keeps going and going. Unstoppable. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since her comedy album «What Becomes a Semi-​Legend Most» landed in my adolescent hands back when I was a kid. (Most of the jokes went over my head, but I played that cassette tape whenever I was certain an adult couldn’t hear what I was listening to. It was my comedyporn, basically.)
Ms. Rivers is the reason I made a reservation at Swifty’s for my birthday dinner last week. I’ve been wanting to go ever since Joan said it was her favorite place to dine in all of NYC some years back.
I had heard what all of you have heard and written (the aged clientele, the pricey prices) but I would not be deterred. Joan said it was fabulous, thus, it must be fabulous. And, wasn’t it prominently featured on The Real Housewives of NY once? It was a sure thing.
When I walked into Swifty’s, I did it with gusto. «This is probably how the Countess felt in Season One,» I wondered as I stepped into the doorway. «I have arrived.»
I turned the corner to find … visual disappointment. Swifty’s looks like what my grandmother’s house would’ve looked like in the early-70’s, if she had been single. Dusty, brown and gold wallpaper, tiny chairs and tables, ‘artwork’ that Antiques Roadshow would take one look at and say, «Nah, we’re all set.» It just dowdy. Dour. A bit depressing, truly.
Sure, I had high expectations. Yes, I did. At these prices points ($ 30 for a cheeseburger), I’m allowed to. Was it too much to think that I was walking into a High Society situation? This cannot be how big money rolls. It’s can’t be.
My hubz and I sat down in the tight, tiny venue, in our tight tiny chairs. We looked like giant people crammed into this place. My partner also had to turn sideways to use the restroom. It’s a very tight, small space overall. The clientele is older (and seem prone to wearing full-​length fur coats), but that’s irrelevant.
The service was just average. When asked about a particular dish on the menu, our waiter cited word-​for-​word what the menu said. No other input. Sans personality. I ordered an Old-​Fashioned, which was only okay, and tasted heavy on the cherries.
On to the food. Wouldn’t you know it? The food was great!
We had …
French Onion Soup
The previously-​mentioned cheeseburger
The calves liver
The honey crisp apple tart
The chocolate mouse
Each bite was delicious. The tart is a MUST for dessert. It’s rather big and you truly taste every component in the dish. The french onion soup was –in all honesty– one of the best I’ve ever had.
Ultimately, it’s a mixed-​bag for me. Swifty’s did not live up to my expectations, but that may say more about me, than them (although they are ‘Jacket Recommended’). I cannot, however, encourage people to drop big bucks in places who’s quality only seems to go on to your plate. Ah, well.

Brunch Cobb salad should have been from McDonalds. The coffee wasn’t hot or good and the servers switched shifts while we were eating so we waited 30 mins for our check. Bummed I spent $ 18 on that Cobb Salad and $ 4.50 on an Iced tea that was mostly ice. Overall No good.

Swifty’s is an Upper East Side institution, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to dine there thanks to a Gilt City voucher. I was aware of Swifty’s reputation for being a country club, but if they were offering $ 60 prix fixe dinner menus for two, they’re obviously trying to drum up business or expand their clientele, right?
Wrong.
While I have absolutely no truck with the delicious food at Swifty’s, I do take umbrage at being treated as a persona non grata while the host fawns over literally everyone else to walk in or out of the door. Maybe it’s because my husband and I – who took special care to play the part of yuppie Ivy grads that evening – had prepaid for our meals, or maybe it’s because we were a full four decades younger than everyone else in the restaurant, but we were universally treated as if we were either invisible or had never been inside a restaurant before.
When I mentioned to my husband that I’d make a note of the service on Unilocal,he responded, «Why bother? The diners at Swifty’s are not reading Unilocal.» Point taken, but I’m writing to prevent Unilocalers from dining at Swifty’s – at least until you’re in your sweet sexagenarian years.

Stogy and a bit of a scene, Swifty’s is an Upper East Side icon. The food is really good though, and the service is great.
A little pretentious but always a favorite because the food really is good.
FYI this place is under-​reviewed because the crowd is mostly 70+