Theo’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Went to Theo’s with a friend just a couple of nights ago for the first time. The food was great. Tuna tartar is a must have! The space is beautiful and service was incredibly friendly too. Can’t wait to go back.

Theo’s is located on the ground floor of Trump Plaza. My visit to Theo’s was the first time I set foot in or on a Trump property. I realize Theo’s is a retail tenant of Mr. Trump; still given his micro-​management style, I didn’t know what to expect – bombast, put downs, catch phrases, the hard sell, fraud, red hats, flying hair, orange complexions, the absence of minorities, off color remarks, a wall between the kitchen and the dining area that Mexico paid for? Let’s put it this way – my expectations were not yuge.
Not to worry. Theo’s – and this review is for the bar only – was swell. There was a warm greeting from the hosts and kind people made way for us at the comfortable bar. The bartender took our order and made our martinis exactly as we ordered them, garnished with star fruit. Delish. And healthy (the star fruit). Soon we received a plate of delicious olives, cheeses and toasts. The price point was about right for the UES of Manhattan. Although it was relatively early for dinner in New York, the restaurant was packed with what looked like successful people. Bottom line, I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Theo’s for cocktails or dinner. I am sure Theo’s will be around long after Mr. Trump’s candidacy is just a sad comic footnote in history.

I was looking forward to a much-​needed good seafood restaurant in the neighborhood. Sorry to say that Theo’s is not it. Our biggest complaint was the service. Our waiter was plain awful We were a party of five and appetizers were not brought together. Someone inquired about my fried calamari (the last to arrive) and the manager came. He said they had to do them again as «they were not up to their standard.» Wonder what their standard is because they were awful. Thick batter falling off in chunks. NOT recommended. I found the menu quite limited with a lot of fish with «price per pound.» You know what that means. Ka-​khing. The other’s dinners were sort-​of-​happy with their meals but no raves. Lamb chops were good.
At the end, the manager brought us a complimentary dessert, but that did not sweeten the evening. What Theo’s sorely needs is good server training.

The food was beyond amazing. The interior was beautiful and sophisticated. The service was impeccable. Thank you chef Nicholas for a great meal!!!

I never write reviews but i feel as if I would be doing my fellow Unilocalers a disservice if I didn’t tell you how awful my experience was. Our waiter was named Michael or Mitchell I believe and i truly have never had a worse experience with a server. He was standing maybe 5 feet from our table 80 percent of the time (because my party of 7 was basically the only table in the restaurant) glaring over and listening into our conversations. He was aggressive and rude at times. An example would be when i asked if there was a lot of bone in my 40 dollar branzino. He responded with «don’t you know anything about fish» well sir i do know quite a bit about service because I go out to eat ¾ times a week and you are truly one of the worst waiters I’ve ever had. I still gave him a 15 percent tip because i didn’t care to be the only one who left him little to no tip. Plus this place will be closed down in less then a year so i felt bad.
Michael/​mitchell or whatever your name was. You truly made this experience forgettable. You should probably look for a new «profession»

This review is for the bar only!
We were on our way to a local restaurant for dinner and realized that we were too early for our reservation. The beautiful bar located in Theo’s caught my eye, so we decided to pop in for a drink.
The restaurant is beautiful and I will definitely come back another night for dinner. The bartenders were very nice and bar is stocked with top drawer liquor.
We had:
— Picarita — a jalapeño based drink with spices around the rim. I really liked it
— Old Fashioned — the hubby didn’t love it. The chamomile in the drink didn’t really work with the other flavors.
That being said, we will be coming back for dinner.

Zero Stars … What a waste of money. Nothing that we had was even close to tasty. Food is super bland, service was slow. We had the Oysters that were tasteless, either super large or mini. The Tuna Tartare was bland, the chicken was bland. Super disappointing. What a gorgeous décor and disappointing experience. Had high hopes for this place but I am sure I will never step foot in here again.

Great restaurant with delicious food and very nice staff. I am going back for sure. Give it a try you won’t regret it!!!

Three of us were 20 min early for 630 res. Got seated in 5 min. Server J’on was great. Knew the menu, made excellent recommendations. Lobster was grilled perfectly. Parents had the turbot. Chef came out to serve them. Nice action. Chef gifted me the 18k gold chocolate soufflé cake for my birthday. Great touch. Staff was professional, yet warm and kind. Phenomenal food and ambiance. A must go

Where to begin… I had dinner here a few nights ago and what a disappointment.
They serve you what they call popovers but they’re not it’s just bread and mine were so burnt they disintegrated when I tried to cut them.
My entrée was the fettuccine with seafood which was $ 38. For that you’d expect a decent portion but all it had was one shrimp, one scallop and two clams. And they had clearly been frozen. They didn’t taste remotely fresh. Total rip off.
I emailed the restaurant the next day to express my disappointment I never heard back. Thanks management.
Don’t waste your time or your money. There are plenty of other restaurants in the area, go anywhere else but here.

Okay for starters, the décor is beautiful. It’s modern and elegant and just what the neighborhood needs. There aren’t many restaurants on the upper east side that hit the mid-​market (not Daniel Michelin-​starred but not Tony’s Di Napoli casual Italian). Theo’s is right in the middle.
My girlfriend and I came here for dinner as we’ve walked by the place 100 times and always wanted to check it out. The hostess was so friendly and welcoming. She asked if we lived in the area, etc. It was really pleasant as I don’t typically encounter that type of enthusiasm.
+ Lobster salad — Holy crap. This was sooooo good. Seriously. Definitely order! It has different citrus fruits and avocado and everything just blends together wonderfully.
+ Beet salad (sans goat cheese) — Very refreshing (this was described to me by my friend who only eats veggies so trust me, she knows what’s up)
+ Mushrooms (side) — Must order!
+ Asparagus (side) — So tasty (but then again it’s kind of hard to mess asparagus up)
I will have to come back and try some more food! Everything that we had was excellent.
— The only thing I would suggest is for the staff to have a deeper understanding of food allergies. The waiter didn’t know what vegan was. My girlfriend said she is vegan and gluten free and soy free and he then asked if she was lactose intolerant. I understand that people make jokes about people who say they are gluten free and have food allergies but my friend is one of those rare people that actually DOES have food allergies. It is actually common that I encounter waitstaff who don’t know what vegan is (Zuma and Bar Italia are both guilty as well) but it would be nice if they did!
All & all, the food was excellent, wait staff was very friendly, and décor = amazing. I will definitely be returning on a regular basis!

I think someone without tastebuds may have rated this place earlier, or perhaps they were 95 and they lost most of their cognition.
Much of the fish was unsalted, unflavored, and frozen-​tasting and it’s unfortunate that a seafood restaurant would advertise without this disclaimer.

Actually quite terrible. Flavorless entrees, hastily replaced with other flavorless entrees by the chef.
Overall, skip it.
If you end up here… Get good west coast oysters, tuna tartare (beware it’s obviously frozen and icy crisp), and house cocktails.
If they cook it, they ruin it. Overall – move on.

The setting is a delightful marriage of classic and modern luxuries. Sitting in any table, you have view outside and of the kitchen where you can see the chefs working.
The menu offers a wide variety. We had the beet salad, tuna tartar, sea bass and burger sliders. They were all exquisite. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked.
Thankfully the owner, a young charming man, is always around willing to exchange some kind words with all.

Theo’s is a wonderful restaurant on the UES that specializes in a seafood-​focused menu. The tuna tartare is possibly some of the best in the city. The street view of this joint gives a feel like it’s in a hotel, but it stands alone. The interior is chic and high class — it’s a great spot for a date or a night out with the parents.

I love this place! They have only been open for a short time and I’ve already been here at least once a week. Every time I’ve been here I’ve tried something new. Everything is delicious! The staff is amazing and always make sure I’m well taken care of.
Reserve your spot at the chefs table. You get to watch them prepare the food. Really cool experience.

Really great environment, the oysters are good and interesting.
The food was really good, it was complex without trying too hard.
The oysters were the standout.
I also love the way they decorated the inside. The only downside to me was price. It felt expensive but almost justified expensive.
It just means that I likely won’t be going back as frequently as I would like to.

Had a wonderful time here last night! The food was heavenly, totally recommend the Tuna Tartar, the Citrus Lobster salad, and omg the Spaetzle with white truffles… That dish was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. I woke up thinking about this dish, no joke. The dessert of the day was a Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, which was also mouth-​watering. But oh man there were so many other dishes I wanted to try…
The décor is really sleek and modern, and the ambiance is warm — the waiters were super friendly. I LOVE the fact the kitchen was completely open. Will definitely have to come back :)

Great atmosphere
Modern yet elegant
Must try tuna tartar great fusion of flavors Roasted baby carrots were tender nicely spiced
Will go back ;) to get the lobster citrus salad my friend had

Great space and location. One block up from Bloomingdales. Corner location with abundant light and view of Third Avenue. A plus is that there is a view from the bar. Overall, the décor is minimalist pleasing. The kitchen is open. The food is fresh, but there are no «aha» moments. It’s safe but uninspired. This is a good business lunch restaurant, not a culinary destination. The cocktails are below NYC cocktail standards. The wine list is approachable, if not sophisticated. This is a restaurant with an identity crisis. It needs to step up its game in terms of culinary sophistication or just be a convenient meal after shopping.