BKB

Incredible seafood restaurant, a great addition to the upper east side with wonderful warm contemporary décor, great service and excellent food.
The décor:
Warm contemporary décor with a lot of interesting thought and details throughout. Flavored bottles at the bar for the mixologist, a number of gold pineapples (not sure their purpose but they looked very cool), an area/​rectangular square part of the floor where you can see thru/​below to the wine cellar. Artwork and some plants, small candles, balance the contemporary feel and give it warmth that was not evident from the pictures they posted on Unilocal of their other Hamptons location — the dining area at this location and in person are much cooler and more inviting.
The kitchen downstairs is also very clean, contemporary looking.
Service:
Eric’s– both of them were fantastic. The bartender serving us made incredible drinks and was extremely attentive.
Drinks:
They have an extensive, interesting cocktail list. I ordered the Beatrix Kiddo, a smoky fruity drink with Mezcel and blackberry Brandy … Excellent!
The food:
Everything was wonderfully presented.
— We were there during oyster happy hour– we had a dozen oysters and clams first — then ordered more oysters — so good. They usually have blue point, my fave, but this time had another east coast.
— Brioche. Wow, bread heaven. The softest lightest I’ve had. Served with marinara and a goat cheese, as well as a dish of dipping oil, incredible.
— tuna tar tar was perfect. Big chunks of tuna as well as sizable chunks of avocado. Served with A creamy sweet sauce paired perfectly.
— spaghetti with seafood– including calamari, shrimp– excellent. The seafood was fresh and cooked perfectly.
Highly recommend as a restaurant to come with family, friends or a date.

This place was amazing! I live in the area and had been meaning to stop by for a while, we had dinner on a Friday night… the service, food and ambience were all great. We shared the baby beet salad to start, great portion size and very fresh… then I had the halibut special, which was delicious! My husband had the seafood spaghetti which was amazing… they also give you a yummy loaf of bread with a tomato dip/​sauce to start. For dessert we shared the berry crumble Mmmmmm will def be returning!

What a gorgeous space, atmosphere and amazing food! The cocktails are especially fantastic and the wait staff were super nice! Looking forward to going back!

Before I rave about their food, let me just say their service was fantastic. There is a separate space for reservations that we didn’t initially know about; upon our request they happily and willingly seated us at a table we wanted in the main dining area. The server also went the extra mile to make sure we got the happy hour oysters — I really wish I caught her name!
We tried the oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster; all came out in a timely manner and were very fresh.
I ordered the scallops for my main dish; the presentation and flavor were both lovely. My boyfriend ordered their lobster roll and he enjoyed it thoroughly– which is saying something considering he grew up spending his summers in Maine with their famous lobster rolls.
It’s a bit quieter inside on a Saturday night, but I liked that I was able to have an intimate conversation over dinner with our friend I hadn’t seen in two years. It would definitely make a great date spot.

My experience was similar to Andrew S. below. New York is a competitive arena for restaurants, and you must stand out to survive. My experience was mostly marred by our apathetic waiter, who at once boasted of his razor sharp memory and wrote nothing down. At the end of the night, he disappeared for an eternity, while he tried to work with others on the bill. He returned to our table to try and confirm our order, and admitted at that time his memory was not so good. (Good God man, then write down people’s orders!) Instead of apologizing, he just shrugged and sauntered off. We were left until midnight, after all the other patrons had left. Even when we confirmed our order, he still messed up the bill and by this time, we were too tired to try and correct it.
Overall, the food is okay, but probably a bit overpriced. I had friends in from out of town, so I was embarrassed to have taken them here; we all left disappointed, with leaner wallets, and an unsatisfactory experience.
I would recommend going elsewhere. There are plenty of other better options in Manhattan.

Really wanted to try the Oyster Happy Hour here, but came actually just for drinks. The place is small, but the ambience is nice. It was pretty empty, but it was also a Monday night.
The drinks are large and strong, but pretty pricy at $ 15 – 20 per drink. The drink menu is extensive. The bread with marinara sauce is pretty amazing, even though it’s basic. It goes perfectly with drinks.

So disappointing! Such wonderful ambience yet service and food did not deliver! Our waiter clearly didn’t want to serve our reserved dinner table of six; getting 2 of our orders messed up; and when I glanced, he was ‘napping’ at the bar! Onto the food, the east coast raw oysters served were delicious but as to the entrees, one of my guest’s fish was raw & my lobster roll looked great but the lobster was overcooked therefore rubbery when I bit into it! With all the choices in NYC, this is not one I’ll come back to nor recommend!

Very classy but mildly pretentious atmosphere. Wine is outrageously priced ($ 15 for a tiny glass of Malbec!) Sliders, although pricey, were delicious.

Amazing food, guys: seafood pasta, seabass, and scallops! Even burger! However, your service was awful. Not only did our waiter forget about our drinks but also seemed so annoyed by serving us. We tried hard to get his attention even when he was taking our order. We may come and give it another try, but not very soon.

I am baffled by the overall rating of this place, but the several one– to two-​star comments really resonated with my experience. I am lazy and rarely comment on Unilocal (thanks to all those who do). But BKB proudly provided the worst dining experience I have ever had. I enjoy a wide spectrum of cuisines and dining settings ranging from Michelin three stars in NYC and Paris to street food in China. BKB is the worst no matter whom you compare it to. It was so bad that for the first time in my life I tipped $ 0. Without getting too deep into the subjective part, here is what happened. It’s long but you don’t want to miss it, especially #7:
1. Appetizers and entrees came out like buses in London — they either didn’t come for a long time or came in bunches. We probably waited 40 min between appetizers and entrees, and I received side eyes from my girlfriend because I was checking my phone during the long wait.
2. No one brought us any bread until I asked for it after finishing appetizers and while waiting for entrees. The waiter blamed it on the kitchen. Seriously?
3. My beverage also didn’t come until I asked about it as my entrees were arriving.
4. Our waiter tried to serve salads ordered by the next table to me — excuse me but I’m a non-​practicing vegetarian.
5. My girlfriend ordered seafood spaghetti but was served orecchiette. When we flagged the waiter, he didn’t apologize but told us he would bring out the spaghetti (you’d better) and the orecchiette was on the house as if he were doing us a favor.
6. When they brought in my girlfriend’s spaghetti, they went to the next table first.
7. At the end, I felt I couldn’t leave this place fast enough so I handed my credit card directly to our waiter without asking for the check first. What a mistake! Two minutes after my credit card and I parted ways, I was presented with someone else’s check and my credit card was nowhere to be found. After some back and forth, my card was back. HOWEVER, they ran someone else’s check on my card. The waiter apologized only because he had to and told us he took an appetizer off our check. Listen, son, you should have at least taken my girlfriend’s spaghetti off. You didn’t but instead begged for no tips.
8. After all the shenanigans, I decided to tell their owner about it. He also apologized because he had to — it seems everyone at the restaurant went through some intense training on the worst ways to apologize. The only remediation he offered was for us to come back so he could earn our trust. LOL. Funny man. Oh by the way, he also casually mentioned he owns the only michelin-​starred restaurant on Long Island. First, that’s not true. Second, don’t use that to try scaring me away. Chances are I’m more decorated with Michelin stars than you. Third, stop insulting Michelin connoisseurs.
Here’s the subjective part:
1. The crowd is a bunch of baby boomers who have obviously made a few plastic surgeons rich. Not a scene this millennial enjoys.
2. Food was awful. I’d rather eat some delicious Indian food and get a diarrhea. Shrimp cocktail was the only at par item. But if you know a genius who can mess that up, I’d like to meet him/​her. Skip the marinated section of the menu (actually, skip the restaurant) — you are better off eating canned fruit from Walmart. My tagliatelle was way too sweet and salty, the two tastes that most of the time tame each other. My girlfriend’s seafood spaghetti was probably made with frozen seafood.
3. I’m seriously thinking the waiter was on drugs.
4. I initially wanted to give a $ 0.01 tip as a nicer way to say F you but decided even that was too much.

Still your best bet for a good seafood meal north of Le Bernardin. It is an elegant space – unique really– with consistently fresh and well prepared fruit of the sea. The cocktails are innovative and wine list reasonably priced. Service is professional. They honor special dietary requests. I’ve never had a bad meal here.

Really loving this restaurant.
So yes, it attracts an older crowd. But I like that about this place. It’s not noisy like a fratty spot would be. It’s just chill & comfortable.
I’ve had some amazing conversations with other patrons and with the waitstaff here. People come to the place to unwind and just have a good time.
People dress appropriately & you can hear yourself talk.
The menus here are great. They serve salmon, steak, chicken, etc.
The cocktails are on par with the likes of Le Bernardin. Heavy, complex, & full of flavor.
The wine menu is good, extensive enough & not overwhelming.
The desserts are rich & flavorful.
I’ve come quite a few times and tried so many things, so this review would be way too long trying to explain away the things I’ve had here.
You should really go.
It’s delightful.

My partner and I came here after we ate some Ramen. We wanted crème brûlée! We were in France a couple of months ago and we totally missed our opportunity to grab some across the pond, so we opted for the next best place, NYC.
We found this cute little place on the Upper East Side (UPS). We told the host that we wanted to order from the dessert menu. They were very accommodating to our WANTS! :)
They came out with 3-​mini crème brûlée — espresso, macha, and some other one I can’t remember. Regardless, it was beautifully made and presented. I wouldn’t mind coming back here for the food, but I doubt I could afford it, but the dessert on the other hand, I’ll come back daily for the sugary sweets!

Very overpriced if you are not there for the happy hour. Ambiance seemed strained, older crowd with lots of plastic surgery (seemed really odd, but maybe because it was a monday?) Shared a lobster roll, tuna tar tar, butternut squash soup and fish n chip slider. Food did not warrant the high price, but it was okay.

Yes, we went when it was Hospoda, which I really liked. I think this newest incarnation serves our purposes better.
We came for happy hour oysters. They only have Blue Point (for East Coast) but on a Saturday, dollar oysters are a bit harder to find. They tasted very fresh. Anyway, we also had some small bites and admired their extensive drink selection so much we came back later in the evening and sat at the bar.
They were out of the corn chowder (we got there when they opened) so I had the fisherman’s soup, which was very good. My bf had the chocolate bomb dessert. His only complaint was that it was too small.
Overall, a nice vibe to the place. We were welcomed back at the bar later with enthusiasm and even though I thought some of the entrees were a bit over priced, I“m glad this place is walkable because I intend to not go very far this winter.

My fiancé and I went here tonight on an impromptu date night. We had such a wonderful experience, I reactivated my Unilocal account to write a review. We were seated immediately upon arrival. I appreciated that the tables were not too close together to where we could have our own private conversation. The waiter was charming and attentive, as was the other staff that ensured our finished plates were cleared and glasses full.
As for the food: it was excellent! $ 1 oysters after 9 (even on a Saturday) started the meal off fabulously. The lobster slider was so interesting (sort of like a crab cake) and delicious. I got the scallops, which were cooked perfectly, and came with an orzo/​arugula salad, which worked very well with the lime-​ish sauce. My fiancé got the special red snapper. He said it was the best seafood dish he ever had. The skin was crispy, the fish soft and flakey, and the artichoke and olive couscous was a nice flavorful accompaniment. We got the key lime tart for dessert. The passion fruit sorbet was bursting with flavor, and the tartness of the key lime was balanced by the meringue and strawberry sauce.
I cannot wait to come back and try other dishes. A truly wonderful dining experience!

Stopped in after work yesterday. We were early and it was quite. By the time we left much livelier and could tell it was going to be busy. Atmosphere is very Hamptonesk. Light, easy and breezy. Everyone of the waitstaff and the bar back were gracious and informative. It was our first time there so we had lots of questions.
Oysters are $ 1 during happy hour. We had 2 dozen. They were plump and briny. Really fresh from the sea. Had the lobster roll with a salad to share Excellent ! Crab cakes were really tasty. Had the beet vodka cocktail (don’t remember it’s name). It was very good! Refreshing tasty and perfect for a Summer evening. We finished our feast with a trio of crime brûlée. I highly recommend it.
Very happy to add BNB to my list of go to places! Welcome to the neighborhood.

I walked past the restaurant when I was trying to look for it. On a quiet street, the outside façade of the restaurant is very unassuming. Inside, it is similar — the dining room is simply decorated with a blue curtain running along the walls, large windows on one side, a few circular mirrors, and wooden chairs and tables, giving the place the Hampton-​y feel (and yes, the original restaurant is from the Hamptons). There is a lot of open space in the dining room and I hear that it’s a great space for events and company lunches/​dinners.
The bar, on the other hand, has that rustic, old-​school whiskey bar feel with its low, glowing yellow lighting yet gives off a modern vibe with its metallic counter. I was waiting for my other guest so I ordered a cocktail, the Dime-​Store Diplomat. If you are a fan of whiskey/​bourbon and don’t particularly enjoy the heavier, smokier mixes whiskey often becomes, this is the perfect drink for you. It has a nice, refreshing citrus taste that made it go down easy (but still plenty of alcohol inside). My girlfriend who arrived later ordered the Italian-​American, which is another whiskey drink, but much darker in flavor and color. Also a very delicious choice.
We started the meal with some bread and hummus with olive oil. Normally I won’t waste time talking bread at a restaurant, but this bread had a nice, thick crust and a soft, pillowy inside. The hummus worked perfectly and started the meal with a light, airy feel (giving us the Mediterranean/​dockside vibe). The appetizer course was an order of the short rib. It is a snack-​sized portion, so don’t expect anything huge, but I definitely recommend ordering this dish for its sweet cherry sauce and the delightful Czech dumpling that the meat sits on. To be honest, I felt the dumpling was the most delicious part of the dish and would order it again just for that.
For our mains, I ordered the roast duck and my gf the scallops. And my god, the portions were HUGE! Usually with duck, you expect maybe 5 – 6 small slivers of breast meat and tons of veggies. The dish was probably an entire half duck, perfectly cooked. The skin was crispy and the layer of duck fat just underneath made the meal a delight. The simple, fried potatoes that it came with helped to balance out the complexity of the duck. My gf’s scallop portion was also quite large, with 5 juicy pieces surrounding a pyramid of grains (?). The scallop was perfect and my gf, who is a food Instagram blogger, declared it as the best she had ever tried.
Throughout the meal, I saw Rachel (one of the managers, I believe), walk around and talk with all of the patrons. This is always a good sign at a restaurant! She gave us both a hug before we left and thanked us for coming by. I definitely recommend checking this place out. If the Upper East Side is out of the way for you, cut out some time from your busy New York schedule and have a relaxing, delightful meal at BKB.
EDIT: I looked through the reviews and was surprised to see a 1-​star review. If Peter D. went in on ⁶⁄₃₀ when he wrote his review, then we were there on the same day. The host was seating people right away and I didn’t see a single person who had to eat at the bar and we left around 7:30. Not sure what he’s talking about…

The upper east side has a great new kid in town. This spot is deliciously heavy on the seafood but don’t skip the meat dishes here. Marinated Atlantic Black Sea bass followed with the braised Angus short rib are the way to start here. Throw a lobster roll on the table and pair that with their sirloin burger w/​melted cheddar and you have yourself a great meal.

E-​Scale: ⁹⁄₁₀
This place just reopened yesterday under a new company. I love it a lot more than when it was the Czech restaurant. First, there is a cocktail bar and cocktail menu. Which means I am not stuck with just beer and Czech liquors! I ordered a Cosmo which was a tad too sour the first time around but perfect the second time.
The cuisine is seafood and 5−6pm is $ 1 oysters. They are fresh, not fishy, and I inhaled mine in under a minute. Yup, 24 in under a minute.
The lobster roll is amazing. I wasn’t a fan of the salad but I liked the tomatoes and dressing.
The crème brûlée in 3 flavors was great (lemon, vanilla, and espresso). Its like 3 desserts in one!
Service was fantastic and everyone was friendly. Since I live 20 steps from this place, I will definitely be back for oysters and cocktails later on!