The Water Table

The boat was 30 mins late… with no heads up other than one of the waiters on the dock letting us know. We get on the boat and the generator dies as soon as we part… so no music, no lights –anywhere. Yep no lights in the bathroom nor kitchen.
Despite all that went wrong we had a fun time. Drinks were good and food was delicious. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

I proposed to my fiancée on the boat. The planning part went smoothly in terms of contacting the ship’s captain about the possibility of this happening — but when I asked if I could play «our song» during or after the proposal they said it wouldn’t work. I also asked if a staff member could take our picture while I proposed… again, it wouldn’t work out bc of the limited amount of hands on staff. These little touches that were denied make for a more memorable experience– even an announcement that we just got engaged is a little touch that makes a more memorable occasion– it didn’t happen. They did give us a little champagne to toast ourselves which was nice– but the experience wasn’t one I would like to come back to as I felt like we were not celebrated. We had an awesome server who was congratulatory (hooked us up w the champagne) but the other staff/​captain didn’t say boo– after I had many interactions w her about planning the whole thing! The experience was for sure, memorable mainly bc of the setting (proposed right under the bridge) but the somewhat unfriendly feeling isn’t one I need to recreate year after year– which is sad bc i would’ve loved to!:/

Spectacular views! We had a very memorable and romantic birthday dinner experience at The Water Table. Great music, great food and views that cannot be beat. My only complaint was waiting 15 minutes for my cocktail, especially when my boyfriend was served his a good 10 minutes before I received mine. Lesson learned, next time I’ll opt for a bottle of wine over cocktails. Huge portions too, come hungry!

I love this boat! It feels like an adventure, like stepping out of the urban grit of NYC and into a wooden New England pub somewhere up in the woods of Maine. The music is rocking, the staff are fun and kind, and you will not see a better view of the Statue of Liberty anywhere. If you are up for a rustic, authentic experience, if you love lobster and craft beer and Fleetwood Mac, you’ll want to check out this floating tavern.

I’m saddened to be writing this review, I had a 730 reservation on sat, and as excited as I was for the evening. I was very disappointed in how difficult it was to even reach someone via phone. I was running roughly 10mins late and in 100 attempts to reach someone to not leave me, it was a complete fail. I reached the dock and watched the boat sail off at exactly 7:42. It was quite heartbreaking but some kind of notice should be placed on the website stating what time you should be there, Ect. Ny is a town known for its tremendous amount of traffic so I’m sure I’m not the only one this happened to. But although I have a bad taste in my mouth over this, maybe I’ll try again one day.

Went last night with a group of 7. Our son had planned the night for ourselves and 4 others who were visiting from out of town. We were seated in the middle of the boat at a table that accommodated us all. The lights were a little too bright in the beginning. Dimming them would make the view much better– which they eventually did.
It was a chilly, windy October evening. We waited in a small shelter to board the boat. We had arrived by ferry, which is quite convenient, but we were there 20 minutes early. It would have been nice to be able to board soon after arrival to avoid the cold air. Instead, we were a few minutes late getting boarded.
Menu was ok for a limited space. Although, I’m thinking it was probably prepared elsewhere and transported on board for final plating. There was a choice of lobster corn chowder. I had a taste of my husband’s, it was good. Certainly not a large portion. It was served in a ball type jar wth a lid. I ordered the salad. It was fine. Lots of radicchio for color, white beans and. .. ?? I don’t recall what else was in it. The dressing was not memorable as well. The cheese plate was the third option. One in our party ordered it. It looked good, but I did t hear him remark either way.
Cocktails, wine, beer or soft drinks were available. Cocktails were pricey, but they are everywhere in the city,.
The main corse was choice seafood bisque or chicken. The seafood was served in a large cereal type bowl. It was a tomato based dish that didn’t appear to have a huge amount of filling ingredients. No one raved. I wasn’t intrigued enough to ask for a taste. I ordered the chicken. It was a bit dry, but tasted fine. There was a large pile of arugula on my plate with a small amount of something drizzled over it. In addition, we were each served two moon pies.
If had come on the cruise just for the food.. . I would have been disappointed. The real draw for the evening are the fantastic views. We enjoyed much of it from the inside of the cabin. Our group braved the cold more than most of the other guests. We took some great pictures of the NYC skyline and Miss Liberty. Close up and personal with Liberty Island. That alone was worth the trip. Just wish it had been a little warmer. Of course, that is just the luck of the draw. Had we gone a couple days earlier, it had been really warm.
All in all it was a fun night. We all enjoyed it very much. I rated a 3 of 5 simply because of the food. Had it been a boat tour of the city, then it would be a 5. I totally understand constraints of a kitchen on a boat, but things could have been done better. Figure out what can be served easily and is equally as tasty. A little thought and a good chef could prepare a meal that is worthy of such a worthy venue. A few small changes could make this one of the most sought after tables in the city!

This was such a wonderful and unique experience– Kelli and her crew did a great job making our anniversary a special evening. Do not write off this experience as the weather cools down. Taking an early fall trip was fantastic– the brisk night air as we sipped on our drinks and waited in between courses on the upper deck was exciting! The seating arrangements really make for great views for just about every seat in the house, and our food was delicious. The lobster bisque and the Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew hit the spot! This was a great date night, and I could see this being a really fun group outing for more people.

We had a private party here last Friday and I cannot speak highly enough about the experience. The food was absolutely fantastic, the boat was sooooo cute and the drinks were delicious. All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful and I recommend this for any occasion!

I was so excited for this. A friend recommended it to me and I thought it would be the perfect way to spend my 30^th birthday. My husband made reservations for us. We were seated right by the bar and we were as happy as any other guest on the cruise, until we watched as the waitress skipped us and went down the line taking drink orders and bringing them out. We tried to get her attention but she didn’t look at us. Finally the waitress from the other side came to us. Confusing, but okay. By the time we got our drinks everyone else was upstairs. We went up and the views were lovely. Weather perfect. Drinks delicious. The cruise was so nice. Then came dinner. The people seated next to us ordered the same thing and easily had twice the amount of food on their plates than we did. They didn’t even finish their plates. My lobster mac n cheese had ONE tiny piece of lobster. I’m from Massachusetts and Maine. I cannot tell you how upset I was about this. I was looking forward to lobster! Then finally, after coming back downstairs to settle the bill and get our whoopie pies, we had again been neglected. They had been set out at all the other seats but ours. Our waitress was right next to us writing up checks. She brought us our checks and we had to ask for our dessert! Forgotten again, but not the bill! And she never even smiled at us. The bartender was a nice guy but the waitresses were cold. Why were we treated like we were invisible? Why were our dinner portions so small in comparison to other guests? We went home still hungry. I am so disappointed and worst of all this will be how I get to remember my 30^th birthday. I have never been so excited for something only to be so sorely let down.

I took the boyfriend for a dinner ride for his birthday last Friday and we had a wonderful time! The weather was just perfect — obviously not something they could control, but it made for an incredible evening and beautiful scenery and photos.
The staff was very welcoming and speedy. They had probably 3 – 4 servers for no more than 30 guests, so drinks came out very quickly. Most of the guests enjoyed pre-​dinner drinks on the upper level, taking in all the sites, and the waitresses somehow managed to bring drink after drink up the narrow stairs on a rocking boat without spilling!
I honestly wasn’t expecting much of the food, because the real point was the boat ride, but we were pleasantly surprised. The kale salad and crostini appetizers were very nice. The chicken entrée was delicious; the lobster role not so much, but not bad. Loved the whoopie pie dessert and they even put a paper «candle» in his to wish him a happy birthday (couldn’t be a real candle because they can’t light a fire on the boat), which was really sweet.
This is definitely not your tourist, cheeseball dinner cruise you see leaving from Chelsea Piers. It’s very laid back and friendly, while still being intimate.
Would recommend to all!

My boyfriend took me on The Water Table’s Sunday Supper cruise to wrap-​up my birthday weekend and it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had in New York in eight years. It’s a really fun cruise that feels like you’re on a friend’s boat in Cape Cod, complete with an epic music playlist that ranges from The Rolling Stones to Beyonce to Feist.
My bf tried their dark ‘n stormy equivalent while I stuck with wine, and it was really nice to be able to bring our drinks up on deck to get a close look at Lady Liberty. After a brief sun shower, the sky even gave us a rainbow. Magic. Also, it was both impressive and entertaining to watch their bartender stir up drinks like a BOSS and to make friends with our neighbors while humorously zipping up the windows during a few minutes of stormy waters.
Reading some of the other feedback here, I definitely recommend the Sunday lobster mac n’ cheese & whoopie pie option. It was delicious & I found the portions to be pretty generous. Our experience was a well spent $ 50 (plus extra for drinks) and I already want to go back.

If you expect a fancy cruise liner type of vessel, you’re in for a surprise! You hop on board a little grey «fishing boat» exterior type of boat that Is a Cozy and intimate ride along the Hudson, with mesmerizing views of lower side manhattan, and a little but of Brooklyn.
It takes you up all the way to the lady herself, up close and personal, which I found very entertaining.
The only down side wold be the lack of food options and a bit pricey.
Crew are lovely though.

This is a really unique experience and very different from all the other dinner cruises in NYC!
First of all, it’s really intimate and you feel like you’re on a friend’s boat (although I don’t know anyone that would have an awesome boat like that, it’s not small!) It’s more like a hipster café in brooklyn than a garish white table clothed booze cruise vessel.
The boat is lovely and has lot’s of wood detailing, I felt like I was transported to New England or Cape Cod. The menu is very curated and well done, and the drinks are good too but I stuck with beer to save a little dough. I had the Lobster Mac and cheese, it did not disappoint!
By the end of the night I gained a new perspective on NYC and realized how important the water and rivers are to this city. Because the Water Table is small and really relaxed, you can experience the river more intimately, it sort of celebrates the heritage of the water.
Everything was really well done and the actual cruise itself was fun. I did wish it was longer, I could stay on that boat for 3 or 4 hours easily.
One caveat, if you have a big appetite then don’t go super hungry b/​c the portions are not huge! Satisfying but not enormous.

Went for a special celebration. While the view was spectacular and the venue, unique, it was not enough to ever go back.
The website emphasizes that the boat sails promptly at 7:30, so we got there early. We didn’t board until at least 7:45, and launched even later. My husband ordered a drink off the menu, and the waitress got it wrong. Other drinks took forever to get to the table or weren’t brought at all.
The appetizers were a mixed bag. The salad and bisque were tasty, but the crostini was bland. Main courses were mediocre, at best. The seafood in the soup was fresh, but the broth was dishwatery and tasteless. The chicken was dry and inconsistently seasoned. Dessert was two Whoopi Pies, and they were better than average.
Probably because the galley is tiny, there are no extras at all. If anyone in your party gets seasick, bring your own saltines. There is no coffee or tea after the meal.
The boat itself is cool and obviously well-​loved. Not good for wheelchairs or walkers, but those with only slight mobility impairment can manage. The piloting was acceptable, although it took far too long to cast off and tie on given fairly calm boating conditions.
We selected The Water Table as an alternative to the sleek but impersonal dinner cruises around the harbor. On that front, it scored. And the staff helped us with our celebration by putting the champagne we brought ($ 20 corkage fee) on ice and storing and serving the cake we brought. It was fun and casual. But given the price and the quality of the food, I wouldn’t go again.

Tonight, I got my official birthday gift: a dinner cruise! We went to Greenpoint and boarded the Revolution, a Navy vessel from 1944 that was used for training. We had a three-​course meal while riding out under the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges to the Statue of Liberty and back. It was cold, so the cabin was zipped up and heated, but still we ate looking out at the water. We also went outside on the upper deck to see the sights… it was really great. If anyone in the area is looking for a nice evening, check out The Water Table​. The price includes the dinner and two-​and-​a-​half hours on the water. Expect to add on any drinks, tax and 18 percent tip (they automatically charge gratuity). The staff is super nice and answers all your questions (’cause I asked about 17,000). Oh! and they play THE BEST music: Animal Collective, Lana del Rey, George Michael, Richard Marx. Looks like it seats about 30 — our waters were a bit choppy, so don’t go if you: 1) tend to get seasick, 2) hate New England-​y food, 3) suck.
The menu is limited, but they do everything really well. It isn’t five-​star French cuisine. They say it’s a floating New England pub right up front. The food was good though. If you told me I could have the dinner without the boat, I’d say, «Why don’t we eat somewhere else,» but that’s only because the food wasn’t SPECTACULAR (I’m a cook-​it-​in-​wine-​and-​rub-​it-​in-​garlic kinda gal). The BF had the crostini app and I had a great kale salad. The BF had the seafood stew for dinner and I had the dry rubbed chicken. The dish was simple, but good. Boneless chicken breast with a bit of spice, potato chips that were surprisingly really good and a baby spinach salad. Enjoyable. I did run out on the deck twice during dinner, but that’s because I get excited like a little kid and wanted to see the views better and take some pics. Dessert was two whoopie pies… one was snickerdoodle-​y and the other was chocolate. DE-​LISH. And they came in a paper bag, so if you wanted to take them home, you could. Food portions were boat-​appropriate. (No one wants to eat a huge steak, drink booze and sit in a rocking boat… you’d fall asleep). The BF had a bottle of beer ($ 9). I had a glass of wine ($ 11). I forget how much after dinner drinks were.
Still worth it. It’s like living in the heart of Manhattan. You’re paying for the sights and experiences. (We think of our NYC rent as a «cover charge.») You’re paying for the boat and the views and the nice evening on the water… the food is a bonus, but a bonus that I can’t complain about and that left me satiated.
Everything is clean. The bathroom was clean. Two-​thumbs up for that!
Wear jeans and flat shoes. It’s not fancy. I wore a dress, but I get dressed up for anything birthday related. I saw one Unilocaler described it as «down-​to-​earth.» That it is. No one is rushing around. The meal is paced perfectly.
I would give four stars, since I don’t have any other dinner cruise to compare it to, but I seriously have zero complaints. Zero. I loved it.

The food and wine are a big disappointment, good idea poor execution for the price.

This was by far the best and most intimate dinner cruise we’ve ever been on! The boat is unique, classy, and so not touristy/​commercial! The staff is warm and welcoming and the views were phenomenal!
My husband and I went on this dinner cruise as a gift from our kids for our 30^th Anniversary, and we were welcomed onboard by smiles and hot buttered rum drinks (that our kids had pre ordered for us). Seriously, the night couldn’t have been any nicer!
What a great way to relax and enjoy the sites of NYC!

We had a spectacular night on the Water Table. When you arrive at the dock you see long lines — loads of polyester-​wearing party boat crowds putting on extra layers of lip gloss for an evening of buffet-​style dinner and drinking. Thankfully, you can walk right on past all of that to wait in the short queue for the captain of the smaller, classy vintage boat to greet you and invite everyone on board.
The music playlist was awesome, the crew was attentive, friendly, and incredibly accommodating, even the bartender offered me a sample when I was curiously watching him make a unique Bloody Mary for another guest. The food was simple and fresh and unpretentious and perfectly tasty. The wine and beer list was well-​curated and you can take your drink right on up to the deck to enjoy the breeze between courses, or you can stay put as the benches inside the boat face the windows for great views all around. For the price, you honestly cannot beat this full experience anywhere else in Manhattan. It was not too much, not too little, just perfect.

I’ve been on a bunch of NYC boat cruises and this one by far tops them all! Most NYC dinner cruises feel very commercial and not unique. The Water Table was like being at a quaint Brooklyn restaurant but on water, with amazing views of the city. The laid back atmosphere added to this charm. After we placed our food order and ordered a delicious cocktail (the Crownimal is the BEST!) we were free to roam the boat as we wish, so we headed to the roof deck to take in the scenery.
The staff was very friendly — the Captain went out of her way to come and greet us before entering the boat which was very sweet and personable. I thought the food was great — my husband and I shared the lobster roll and chicken… both delicious, and we loved the little sides of cole slaw and pickled vegetables. Oh and I cannot forget to mention dessert — Ice Cream float with BK Chocolate Stout (one of my favorite beers) — YUM!
Overall the Water Table makes for a memorable night in NYC and I definitely recommend it for someone looking for a unique dining experience. We’re already planning a second night on the boat to bring our family!

If you want to see amazing views of the city and feel like you are on a friend’s boat rather than one of the huge NYC tourist liners than this is for you!
Staff was super friendly and the playlist was awesome. Nice mix of old school and indie stuff.
The boat itself only seats about 20 – 25 and it’s really great. An old patrol boat from 1944 with a lot of cool pictures and decorations. The dining area is comfortable and the roof deck offers some nice breezy views.
My girlfriend and I went on a Saturday clear evening and had such a good time. The route we took was from 23^rd street up to the top of Roosevelt Island and then back. I was a little disappointed we didn’t go south to catch some views of the Brooklyn Bridge or Statue of Liberty but the skyline was still amazing.
Food was good. Not great, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Awesome night, worth the price of admission IMHO.