Eighty One

I unfortunately just found out this restaurant closed. I had been twice and it was amazing. I hope it re-​opens.

Do go before this restaurant closes :(

Eighty One, situated on the UWS, boasts one Michelin star. We decided to try it not for dinner, but rather brunch. I was curious if visiting the restaurant at an off-​peak time when key kitchen staff might not be available would make a difference. Let me just say, I had an amazingly good brunch here. I can only assume that their dinner service is comparably good which must make this restaurant outstanding. I’m impressed.
Service began with a plate of 4 rolls accompanied by butter and apricot jam. The cornbread was fairly good and the scone was enjoyable. For my entrée, I had the skate po’ boy. What a remarkably delicious sandwich! Large in portion, I loved how the bun was lightly toasted. The skate was fresh and lightly fried and seasoned. It was further enhanced by a spicy remoulade sauce and the inclusion of arugula. The balance of flavors was just right. I found myself consciously taking bites and savoring the taste. I did not want my sandwich to finish. Like I wrote, remarkable. Additionally, we shared two side dishes: bacon and fries. I love how special effort was made to make these items stand out from the usual pedestrian fare. The bacon was served as three large, gorgeous looking, thick slabs. It tasted as good as it looks. The fries were especially good. They are flavored with piment d’espelette and the oil content was low. Addictive and delicious. The service was fairly good and attentive as well.
In general, I was really surprised by the quality of everything I ate. No detail was overlooked, and never was a compromise made for the sake of expediency. Lovely flavor profiles all around. Highly recommend for brunch and recommend for dinner.

Michelin Madness carries on as we hit up our first brunch at a Michelin star rated restaurant. I think some of these reviews are real suspect. I can’t imagine how people could have had a horrible time here. I mean, we really enjoyed our dining experience here. I made reservations through Open Table, but it wasn’t really necessary at the time we were going. Their brunch service takes place in Grill 81, not the restaurant section. It’s kind of a small dining area adjacent to the Excelsior Hotel where you can actually walk through the hotel and get to the café part of Eighty One.
Anyway, when we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly French Maitre’d. We were seated and were quickly served ice water and a basket of bread/​scones, mini corn muffins and jam. I went with the burger and added cheddar to it. I also got the seasoned french fries.
The burger was thick and juicy. Sort of hard to eat, but delicious and the meat was of high quality. The french fries were amazing and didn’t even need ketchup. I could not finish the burger and only got through half of it. Their homemade pickles that were atop the burger were really good, but I wish they had put more on it. I love burgers! The lettuce was iceberg though, which was disappointing. It was also white and not green :(But, really, it was about the burger and that was fantastic. Everything went well together. I even stole a piece of bacon from Jim and put it on my burger and that made it even better. The bacon is the thick cut type, fresh and just amazing!
I think this is a great brunch spot and definitely deserves their Michelin star. I would go back again and try their dinner menu. Prices are extremely reasonable, especially for the caliber of this restaurant. I’d recommend it.

Don’t step out into traffic without looking both ways. Don’t leave your kids with strangers. Don’t piss on the electric fence. Don’t go to a one Star place for brunch.
I can vouch for the second and fourth; one of which got me some prison time (guess; you’re probably not right).
I knew it. I just knew going here for brunch was a mistake. You’ll get the D-​staff, you’ll get the food they had delivered on Friday morning that didn’t sell Friday and Saturday night, and you’ll have to move two times, dodging other patrons, chairs, and the messy food.
The wife and I decided to finally hit this place because, like you, we saw that they (inexplicably) have a Star. It’s 6 blocks from our apt and we felt like we wanted to do lunch/​brunch in the hood today. Got on OpenTable and got the res about an hour before our seating. Put on clothes we normally wouldn’t wear to lunch on a Sunday (it has a Star for deity-of-your-choice’s sake!) and walked over.
First we tried to get into the restaurant, which is locked, and were told that brunch is served in the Grill area (which is nothing more than the hotel restaurant for the Excelsior Hotel). Finding the right door, we were immediately worried about the fact that there’s no host stand. I don’t know why, but I can’t stand going in to a «nice» restaurant and having to stand there like a redneck trying to figure out how we get from the door to our table; possibly with a detour to the coat check. A busboy came out and asked us if he could help (A: No. It turned out.) and then we finally caught the attention of a waiter/​host/​manager/​bagel runner/​shortstop who asked if we had a reservation. We do, I said. How about this awful table here? In front of the door? With the seats half on hardwood, half on carpet so you’re sitting at an odd wobbly angle? In the sun?
Do you have anything else by chance? If not, that’s cool, this will work.
Amazingly, it was it all they had.
For this, I got a res?
Moved the table (move #1) so that my wife wasn’t sitting on mixed media flooring and could enjoy the meal. It was instantly apparent that the staff was outclassed, over matched, and not playing the same game. No one knew which table was whose. The manager (who looked 21 at best) was not confident. The busboys appeared to be in on the joke. We sat there, in our next-​to-​the-​door table, and watched as reservation after reservation walked in and was told they would have to wait 45 min to an hour. Not walk-​ins. Reservations. A table of 12 came in and threw the entire place from «bad joke» to «Fawlty Towers.» Wait, you need 12 chairs for a table of 12? You think I’m kidding. It took a solid 10 minutes to figure out where the other chair would come from and then where they would actually put it. Move #2 occurs so they can add a table to the res of 12 three feet behind my chair.
The food was fine, but considering I was a little worried (rightfully) that I’d be hit in the face at any minute by a chair, fellow diner, or busboy, I’m not sure I even remember what I ordered.
As we paid, the waiter (sensing our total lack of joy) came over and apologized (sort of) with a «we don’t really DO brunch.» I laughed and told him I believed him.
I’m positive dinner is fantastic and much better than what we just encountered, but I’ll never know. I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d ever go back here again.

Tiny portions. Expensive drinks. Lame and expensive new years at 165.00 per person. Did not get entrée until after midnight! No drinks included. Don’t go here. Not worth the money. I felt taken advantage of.

Great Place and great food! Food and ingredients combination was delicate and well balanced. Everything from started to dessert was delicious!
Interior is elegant, quiet and perfect for a date.
The wine list is exceptional and/​but very expensive. Unfortunately, my sommelier was an incompetent and I ended up having a wrong wine for my dinner so, make sure you know what wine to order and choose it yourself!

Came here for brunch with foodie friend who just had to get a taste of the Michelin star.
Walked in at around 11:30am with reservations which seemed quite unnecessary since the business was sort of slow, and were seated at a comfortable little table in front of the big screen tv.
Ambiance: the placement of the tables seemed a little crowded, even though they were mostly empty (imagine when it’s packed). the décor is nice with all the books on the shelves, but wouldn’t that suck for a book to not be flipped through for the rest of its existence?
Service: attentive waiters, a given since business was very slow.
Food: we had coffee, which i found quite interesting since they served their coffee in the little french press, though the coffee itself wasn’t very impressive. we ordered the salmon and scrambled eggs (which has a fancier name that i cannot remember), and the pancakes. the first was alright, quite, just, alright; and the latter i found to be one of the best pancakes i’ve eaten in my lifetime (not too long and not too obsessed with pancakes so i don’t usually get them). the two next to one another seemed quite unbalanced in proportion, but we shared our food. the bacon that comes with the pancakes i found a little too sweet for the already sweetened pancake and then more syrup you pour on top.
price: meh.
Will I revisit?
I think I’ll stick to downtown for brunches?
(that means no)

One of the most awkward dining experiences I’ve ever had. I, for probably the first time in my life, sent back a meal. And I’m not a picky eater. I’d been given a DRY filet mignon that was cooked to the right temperature, but just didn’t do well otherwise. They provided a new filet with adequate moisture, but it was overcooked. Sigh.
It was unfortunate, as all of the other food we had during the evening (sunchoke soup, rainbow trout, risotto) was all very, very good. The trout was, by far, some of the best I’ve ever had. Flaky, tender, moist, and absolutely infused with the flavors of the dish.
Desserts were fair. After the filet debacle, they tried to buy our love with extra desserts, but I’d almost prefer being asked before they take this step… we weren’t really feeling all that dessert-​y.
Service was unusually and unexpectedly slow — our server seemed to realize it, but I don’t think she felt like there was a way she could make up for it — her lack of confidence was too palpable. Sommelier seemed uncomfortable talking to us and took herself too seriously. But the WINE — oh dear god, the WINE. Amazing.
With such inconsistencies, I am not sure I need to revisit 81. The room is really lovely, and even though we had some lovely dishes, the bad moments were somehow magnified by the staff’s actions around them. Alas.

Ate at the Eighty-​One grill room to see some of the Yankee game. At least the food was the star of the show compared to the Yankees performance that afternoon.
The GF and I enjoyed the generous portion of fries, the burger with cheese and the soft shell poboy. We also had a cocktail and a glass of Rioja. The fries were again… an enormous portion and seasoned with a smoky paprika type of flavor. The burger was served on an ‘everything’ roll with great flavor, a nice sauce, was seasoned really well and cooked to runon sentence perfection. The lettuce and tomato were the standard accompaniments but the house made pickle was a nice touch. The best item was the tempura fried soft shell crab poboy with lettuce and remoulade sauce on the perfectly grilled roll. Just tasty perfection. The bitter sweet chocolate dessert with the peanutbutter crème and chocolate stoudt ice cream was delicious but also pretty rich.
The West Side Gimlet was a great summery drink of Hangar One (Favorite Vodka brand) Buddah’s Hand Citrus vodka with lemonade basically… but served up in a martini glass. The wine selection is the same as the restaurant. They also have the full menu available in the grill room.
It was a nice and comfy place to see a game with way better bar food (Even have buffalo wings) and upscale options. Looking forward to revisiting for a nicer upscale full meal.

My mother always says restaurants with one Michelin star are a good bet because they are striving for that second star and promise to deliver a good all around experience. This is so at EightyOne.
The place is very large, but divided into separate rooms so that it does not feel cavernous. Table spacing is generous and velvet banquettes abound. The dark red velvet is a little stuffy and old fashioned in an unhip 60s way, but it does keep the sound level comfortable.
Because it was late May I started with the asparagus and morels with a Hen’s egg. Perfectly cooked, with a clarity of flavor & technique that is very French. Ed Brown’s experience at Lucas Carton in Paris is evident, but with a unfussy, more American directness. Since Brown had been at Ocean Grill for 16 years, I knew it had to be fish, and when I saw that the cod came with favas, it was an easy decision. Delicate, spring appropriate and green market savvy, but uptown.
Unfortunately there was not a lot of variety in ordering at my table, so it is hard to comment on the range of dishes. one person had the snapper with morels and gnocchi, which was more assertively flavored than the cod. Desserts are along the line of caramel or pear 3 ways, lots of fun. The food overall was impeccable.
Some issues with the service and the wines. We ordered a bottle of rose champagne instead of cocktails and it took a little too long to arrive, and when it did it was not adequately chilled. Then the waiter asked us 3 times whether we were ready to order when it seemed like we had just sat down. The riesling for the main course was also too warm. Other than that the service was amiable and attentive.
I was surprised at the prices, in a good way. No entrees over $ 40, yay. They also offer a 2 course prix-​fixe at $ 31, and will prepare a more elaborate tasting menu (designed individually). They are flexible and accommodating. Still I would consider this a special occasion or business place, rather than a neighborhood joint like Ouest. Well, on 2^nd thought, it is half a block from Central Park West, so it depends how you define neighborhood joint.
An altogether wonderful dining experience and a true destination restaurant on the upper west side.

Great service, and they were aware that we were heading to the opera so everything was perfectly timed. As my old roommate used to say, «A gentleman doesn’t need a watch because his people will get him where he needs to be, on time.»
Nice innovative menu with a solid wine selection. You can choose between the regular menu or the eco (nomy) prix fixe, or mix and match. They use top-​notch ingredients here, and make sure you go with the steak because they do it to perfection. We had the scallop starter and the tuna belly tartare starter, both of which we loved.
Had a great time, would definitely go again.

We’ve lived a block away from this place since it opened and we only just went yesterday.
The salad was good, as was the tuna tartare, altho the egg on top of the tuna was totally overpowering. I had the boneless rack of lamb, which was really perfectly prepared, and the fiancée had the duck — really well done. One guest is allergic to gluten, and the chef was really accommodating. They also had a bay scallop special on the menu that was delish. The desserts didn’t disappoint, either — meyer lemon pistachio tart thing was awesome. The warm chocolate bread pudding was OK, but I’m not a huge fan of bread pudding, so don’t go by this review if you’re a die hard.
I also loved the warmth in the restaurant — it was buzzing without feeling busy, and the service was top notch. I think it might be a little too pricey, but overall it was a lovely meal and I’ll go back.

This place stands out for its service, really above and beyond, so I’m surprised by the other comments on here about service. Like, beck and call and anticipating your every need kind of service.
But the menu is fairly boring and typical and the place is stuffy. If you need to go out with a client on the Upper West Side this might be a good choice but I’m not sure why anyone would go there otherwise.

Extremely slow and at times rude service, way overpriced, obnoxious menu, food was bad. This was one of those times that you pay a hundred bucks a head and feel swindled. Gets a second star because if the food was free, I would have been fine with it. This is the kind of place where you are paying for the privilege of ordering dishes with ‘foam’.

Three word: FOIE GRAS RAVIOLI. These babies really are the stuff of dreams — gorgeous creations surrounded by this insanely ethereal foam. I can’t get enough of the stuff and had to order it as my starter the two times I’ve been here. The rest of the menu is what I would describe as pretty solid: the lamb three ways comes to mind as an entrée I enjoyed. That being said, the prices at Eightyone are bordering on almost outrageous (this coming from someone willing to drop cash on pretty much anything food-​related in Manhattan) and the atmosphere is pretty stiff.

Delicious salmon pasta, filet mignon, and cheese dish paired with wine

Good for a special occassion, especially with older peeps.
The bar décor is very pretty.
The staff is attentive and the food is really good.

If you are having an affair or considering having an affair this place should be at the top of your list. Dark. Wood paneled. Discreet. Older crowd. Strong drinks. Disinterested verging on obnoxious bartender. Tasty on the bar Parmesan bread sticks. Feels more winter then summer. More dull then exciting. Place where deals are sealed. And again where secrets can surely be unveiled.

I had the pleasure of experiencing Eighty One last night and it was a perfect end to my week. It open recently so I think the word is still getting out because when I called around 3pm to make reservations for the same evening, I got right in.
When we arrived it was lively at the bar, but not as busy in the restaurant area. We didn’t mind, because we were able to have wonderful conversation while being pampered by the wait staff. When you enter, it seems like your smallish NY restaurant but the dining room is actually quite spacious.
Eighty One is all about ingredients and they were all wonderful! We tried a couple of cocktails — down with brown (bourbon, ginger, key lime) and the 81 (Campari, Punt e Mes, muscat, grapefruit). Very good Although many things from the appetizer and tasting collection menus looked fabulous, we decided to save room for dessert instead. After we placed our order, we were given tiny glasses of deliciously rich lobster and chestnut bisque. The bread had olives inside and the sweet cream butter (!) was served properly at room temperature.
I ordered the dry aged sirloin served atop a bed of shredded short rib and olive marmalade (so awesome!) and my husband ordered the lamb three ways (loin, rack and shoulder). Perfect portions and very beautiful flavors.
For dessert, we ordered the bourbon banana bread pudding and butternut squash crème brûlée that came with a mini vanilla milkshake. Both were fantastic and we cleaned our plates! We were also presented with an adorable plate of confections. I think it consisted of: chocolate raspberry ganache, truffle rolled in chickory, marshmallow, almond tea cake, and fruit gelee.
Great addition to the UWS! I’m looking forward to going back and attacking that appetizer and tasting collection menu!
P. S. I put some pics on flickr. Search the tag «eightyone nyc.»