Tastings Social Presents Mountain Bird

We live around the corner and finally made it toMountain Bird. Really a very great meal for a great price. The pumpernickel bread was served straight out of the oven and so delicious with the liver mousse. The appetizer sampler was so inventive. We ordered the duck and the cassoulet and both were perfectly executed. The toffee dessert is as good as other reviewers have intimated. The staff is absolutely lovely and a reason to keep coming back. We want to be regulars!

My favorite meal for quite some time. This restaurant is a great breath of fresh air in comparison to the impersonal corporate fine dining establishments downtown, with their ever-​changing concepts and formats. Mountain Bird has a lovely cozy atmosphere, warm and efficient service including friendly attention from the owner, and great, great food. We loved every dish that we had here – the truffled chicken wings, the duck, and the coq au vin. All were delicious. None of the dishes was «show-​offy» and you never felt like the chef was trying too hard. Rather, all the meat and all the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and sauces were rich, subtle and satisfying. The only thing we didn’t like was the vanilla butter served with the excellent pumpernickel baguette. We thought it needed a savory butter flavor, not a sweet one. Finally, for dessert the sticky toffee fig cake was incredible – there was a perfect combination of warm toffee goodness, balanced with sour cream and some crunchy toppings. The prices are quite reasonable given how good the food is and in comparison to restaurants below 96^th Street. The night we dined there the crowd looked like a lot of Columbia academics — I have a hunch that Mountain Bird developed a loyal clientele in their previous West Harlem location that has followed them east. Anyway we are excited to come back and try more menu items, and probably a double order of the sticky toffee fig cake.

Very nice and cozy restaurant! The food is so good and so unusual!
I came a Tuesday night, there were plenty of room and i could sit by the bar :) the space is very charming
I started with the discovery set (head to toe), which was really worth it! We tried the scallops. I took the ostrich steak: it was perfectly cooked and tasty
For the dessert, we shared the fig cake

This is a absolutely awesome place. First, I was surprised there was a nice and cute restaurant in east harlem. My favorite food is Black truffle wing. It is so tasty! I am a big fun of this place and use it a lot. It is worth to come up to this restaurant.

KenScale: 8.5÷10
One of my saddest moments this year was when Mountain Bird in Harlem decided to close the shop due to rent hike. A casual French restaurant from a Japanese couple, this relatively modest operation really won my heart with a lot of poultry-​centered dishes that just make your heart warm. I was so glad to hear when the couple decided to re-​appear via a pop-​up at Tastings Social. On a recent weekend night, I had another stellar dinner.
The menus at Mountain Bird haven’t changed much, perhaps a little more variety than Mountain Bird 1.0. The cute head to toe sampler (consisting of four cute bite-​size pieces of cock’s combs cutlet, liver mousse, chicken heart and wing lollipop) was still a nice start to the meal. Foie gras dumpling consommé was still as soothing as I had remembered. Black truffle wings, which I don’t remember the previous restaurant had, wasn’t quite impressive as I had hoped it would be despite the use of black truffle balsamic reduction, but I very much enjoyed ostrich steak tartare (despite my initial trepidation, it had a very nice, tender texture, perhaps a little meaty than beef). The main courses were all great as well. Chicken duo at the original location was replaced with moulard duck duo with vegetables, creamed spinach and cherry brandy sauce, and was just as good with rich flavor. Cassoulet consisting of duck leg and gizzard confit, chicken and turkey sausage, carrot, onion and white bean was just as good as I had remembered as well. The highlight of the night, however, belonged to simple chicken schnitzel that we had with potato salad. I don’t know if a lot of restaurant in the city can top this simple thin chicken breast cutlet that was just absolutely perfectly cooked and didn’t have any rubbery texture to it. Seared sea scallops were also delicious. For dessert, sticky toffee fig cake was pure decadence, while apple tart with vanilla ice cream was also a pleasant dish.
Getting a reservation wasn’t particularly difficult, and the restaurant wasn’t as nearly packed as I had thought it would be (by this time, I would’ve thought this place would be a neighborhood favorite, which it deserves to be with not just the awesome food but also the cozy vibe that makes a dinner here on any given night a charming affair). I guess going to a restaurant in East Harlem has less of a crowd issue, which I’m not complaining. The restaurant has a full bar with some nice wine selections. I’m so glad that Mountain Bird is back and I hope it sticks around longer this time. I rarely venture out to Harlem area, but it is one thing that could possibly make me keep coming from time to time.

Very overpriced and very unimpressive. I’ve only been once — maybe one day I’ll give it another try.

Charming, lovely restaurant run by husband and wife team. It seems to be a neighborhood favorite because it was teeming.
The food was extremely well executed and was just delicious. You could tell that the chef had worked in very good kitchens prior to opening up this place. Best chicken liver mousse that I have ever had. My whole party of four loved their meal.
The wine list is inexpensive and for the price, well chosen.
The service is a little rough around the edges.

it’s still fantastic and brunch is killer — the menu is balanced with a slight focus on chicken /​bird. The veggies are all amazing, their quinoa is not just a healthy option but is something to seek out. The staff are all great and super friendly, probably the best restaurant pound for pound in NYC

It’s safe to say, this is the best restaurant in the area… maybe in the city! The service is EXCELLENT! Everyone in the place really gets it, and knows what running a restaurant is all about. Our first trip there, I had foie gras dumplings for an appetizer, and duck for an entrée… incredible! Dessert, coffee and fig something or other with sour cream. It was soooooo good, that it would been worth for the dessert alone. Get this dessert!!! Anyway, second trip… just as good! Hit this place before it vanishes! You will not regret it! Did I mention the excellent service?!

Phenomenal is just the beginning of an attempt to describe the food here. French food cooked by a Japanese chef is the best of both worlds. The duck confit and waffles, sausage and scrambled eggs, the panko breaded fried chicken… The stuff of a gourmand’s dreams. The green margarita was impeccable and, fun fact, pairs amazingly with the banana bread. Brunch here ASAP and ruin yourself for all other NYC brunches.

Tastings Social is my favorite addition to East Harlem in the past year! The food and the ambiance are great.

It was ok. Everything was ok.
The service was good. Attentive.
Food came out very late which was my concern.
Cassoulet was unique.
I was told there was no more duck for the night.

Best meal I’ve had dining in New York. I went to 11 Madison Park, a 4 Michelin Star, the other night and it was far less satisfying. Really puts things into perspective.
The prices are higher than I’d prefer, but that comes with what they’re offering. Elegant in an unpretentious way. High attention to detail. From the cocktails to the starters to the mains to the service — everything was on point. Not in your face, not leaving you hanging, friendly but in a genuine way, really terrific. The décor, ambiance, and general aesthetic is gorgeous. They’ve thought it out. Couldn’t endorse more.
I liked everything, but I’ll recommend what we loved:
— Triple Red Margarita
— Cheese Board
— Mountain Bird Cassoulet
— Chicken Schnitzel
— Tasty Bite Size Sampler
— Sticky Toffee Pudding

I love this place and I haven’t even tried the food yet! The drinks are so good so if that is an indication of the food… I can only imagine.
The service is great and the location is perfect. It is on a quiet side street in East Harlem with outdoor seating to enjoy the nice summer nights.
I really like low key spots like this! So my flavor!

Delicious and unexpected gem in the middle of East Harlem. The food is outstanding and the service is professional. The duck is just delicious and when we were here we had the Maine crab and cold corn soup. I highly recommend this — the venue is charming too. They have a decent wine selection and a great cocktail list. The owners obviously care a lot about the quality of the food and that shows through.

What a germ in the neighborhood! My husband and I could not be happier for this new restaurant just a block from where we live. It is well decorated, and charming. The staff was very nice, (thanks Chris for a wonderful service this evening!), and the food… DELICIOUS. The dishes were creative, refine, very fresh, nutritious, very tasty, and very well presented. I am personally vegetarian and I was nicely surprised to find some wonderful vegetarian options which is hard to find in the neighborhood. The desserts are sublime as well :)
We can’t wait to go back! Thanks Mountain Bird! :)

It’s cute. You’re looking out at el barrio which is a gentrified treat in itself.
We didn’t have much. The white wine was good.
The wing balls weren’t my fave. I’m a fan of all things «truffled» but personally didn’t like the way it went with the balsamic reduction.
Didn’t enjoy the shrimp mac & cheese either. The consistency was too soupy. They did say it was in a bisque.
I’d return to try something new because I’m persistent like that but nothing that I ordered before.

GREAT RESTAURANT ! The food is AMAZING, extra tasty, so fresh and delicious ! Being French, i find it tough sometimes to get French food taste like home, and this restaurant is THE perfect mix between French traditional cuisine and American cuisine.
The staff is great, helpful and very nice, the surroundings and the atmosphere feel like you’re not even in East Harlem but in your cousin’s cabin.
May I add that the cocktails are HEAVEN and the wine selection DREAMY ?
In one word: EXCELLENCE.

Over the moon that I found my favorite dining experience is now at Tastings Social. Cool and brilliant concept made superb by Mountain Bird’s Keiko and Ken who embrace you with great service and delight your palette with extraordinary flavors. Check out the Gizzard Confit with Quail Egg.

This venue is a MOST welcome addition to Spanish Harlem. The neighborhood was very much in need of a place like Mountain Bird. I’m so glad it’s here.
My wife and I had dinner here last week Friday, and it exceeded all of our expectations. First, the décor of the venue is stunning. When the opaque glass doors are shut, you cannot see inside, and so the exterior is very unassuming. I think that gives it a strong exclusivity factor. But then you walk in, you see classy wooden beams in the ceiling and you immediately feel as though you’ve been transported to a restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or even in wine country Oregon. It’s perfect.
We began the night with cocktails. If you’re a whiskey or bourbon drinker, I highly recommend the whiskey cocktail (Rye Whiskey, Cherry Herring, Grand Mariner, Angostura). It’s excellent and super strong (hope you’re not driving). The lavender cosmopolitan is also excellent. The bartender, who is super friendly by the way, is a true artist at choosing just the right balances of each ingredient to make the perfect cocktail.
For starters, we had the lobster mac & cheese and the crab salad. Both are divine. Highly recommend. For our mains we had the chicken duo and chicken schnitzel. Pure delight. Also highly recommend. We washed down our delicious food with glasses of the Château La Gordonne red wine. The wine selection is the opposite of extensive here, but it doesn’t matter, because I think they chose just the right wines to pair with the food selection. So trust in that.
For desert we had the sticky toffee fig cake which basically got us high because it was so delicious and sweet. A must try :-)
Bottom line: if you’re in Spanish Harlem and you don’t try this venue at least once, you have chosen to miss out on one of the best dining experiences both in this neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods as well. Yes, it’s that good.