Narcissa

Came here with a small group of friends and def will return. The food was fresh and tasty filled with good solid service. Great ambience as well.

Solid brunch, but nothing to write home about.
We shared the carrot fries to start which were tasty (especially the jalapeño dip) but the size was disappointing (only 4 fries). I had the egg white omelette, which was good but nothing extraordinary. My friends had the kale scramble and the eggs Benedict. Both were satisfied but not blown away.
The standout part of the meal was the cocktails. I had the «hot ginger» (hot bourbon with cinnamon, ginger and cayenne) and my friends had the peanut bluster dessert cocktail and the mescal/​pomegranate cocktail (I forget the name). They were excellent.
Service was unbelievably slow.
I don’t know that I’d recommend it for brunch, but I would suggest going for drinks.

Came to Narcissa for lunch for Restaurant Week and I have no regrets.
It definitely lived up to being a top farm to table restaurant. The food was tasty, fresh, filling and hearty and the service was on the ball. I got a really good sense of what to except for the full menu.
The meatballs for my entrée was amazingly flavorful. We also tried the carrot fries compliments of the chef and it lived up to the hype — one of the best things on the menu.

Such a lovely farm-​to-​table restaurant in NYC! The whole experience is amazing and hearty. (Easily one of best duck I had).
The visit being so unique is because their whole idea of farm-​to-​table, nature and balance is expressed in every way from all the decoration serials, to the tasty seasonal menu, to the lovely outdoor garden, to the friendly staff…
We ordered Branzino and the famous duck as main dishes, carrot fries as side, and choco smore as dessert. We found a lot of carrots on their menu, so we decided to go with carrot fries. I am big fan of sweet potato fries. These carrot fries even beat my expectation on good sweet potato fries! They are healthier, also crispy, sweet but tastier with the seasonings added to the flour coat. Now, I get to talk about the duck! Crispy outside, tender and juicy inside! Together with the little sour sauce and radish side, it’s not overwhelming as duck always comes with a lot of fat under the skin nor the dry meat because of the need to heat the fat out from the skin. Branzino is also well flavored and taken out of the bones. We also enjoyed the warm choco smore.
Overall, it was a great experience not limited to food itself (every dish was tasty, healthy and thoughtfully balanced), but also the life-​style concept. Bring your close friend and have a good time enjoying life with them here!
John Fraser and Narcissa staff well done!

The place can get loud but i still love the ambience. Pretty nice, sleek spot and the organic food’s really good, too. For the duck breast, i thought it was a bit under-​cooked but according to my beau, duck can be this raw even in France. Still, i had it sent back to cook a bit longer, i’m used to pink/​medium. Totally recommend!

Brunch at Narcissa ranks up there as one of the best brunches I’ve had in NYC! It is owned by André Balazs and Michelin-​starred chef John Fraser. The interior environment of the restaurant was amiable and inviting (even during this wintry month!) with warm wood and sunlit interiors thanks to the large windows overlooking the restaurant’s private garden. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would dine again!

Summary:
Nestled into the Standard in the east village, this place packs in amazing flavor into every bite with their creative dishes. Several dining spaces and a clean open feel make this restaurant a great spot for a dinner with friends or a cute date.
Food:
My friend and I split the roast chicken special. This thing was advertised as being for 2 but we couldn’t finish it (two dudes). I never order chicken at restaurants but this one just melts in your mouth. We also got the carrot fries (AWESOME).
Service:
We arrived separately but each of my friends were treated very well with seamless bar-​to-​table bill transfer. Actually being late, I was worried we would lose the table as it was a very crowded night but they were very courteous when I called ahead. The server also made a fantastic recommendation of the roast chicken for two.
Atmosphere:
Very open and modern. The bathrooms are pretty cool but somewhat confusing, you’ll see what I mean when you go.
Recommendation:
Good spot for a date or dinner with friends. I recommend anything with roast chicken because it was just phenomenal. It is slightly above average pricing, be forewarned.

Great food, right portions. Very friendly service, but it could be more detail oriented. (e.g. little bit of food from the main course dropped on the table, that should be cleaned up before serving desert or immediately after the main course) Otherwise, a good place with good food. I will go back.

Pretty place + good food = awesome evening
We shared the Duck Liver Mousse as a starter which was delicious and a really sizable portion. The color was very pink which was a bit disturbing but didn’t stop us from polishing off the entire plate.
Carrot Fries weren’t my jam but I guess the idea is kinda cool.
I had the day boat scallops with cauliflower as my main course which were plump and delicious and the husband had the braised short rib with parsnip apple purée and cranberries which was also really good. Prices are on the higher side (both mains were $ 34) but it’s not terrible if you want to spend a special evening.
We had the deconstructed cheesecake for dessert and I really liked it. We usually go for something chocolaty but they didn’t have anything that seem to fit the bill.
Service was good albeit a bit spotty at times. At one point my husband gave me a card (it was my bday) and as I was unfolding it the manager placed a pen in front of me saying that it looked like I needed one. This would have been a smooth move if I had actually needed a pen, in this situation it was just kinda weird…
Also, I almost got lost on my way back from the bathroom but maybe that’s just me. Pro tip: They have a photo machine down there for a fun memento.

This review is for their restaurant week menu.
My friend and I went to Narcissa for lunch during restaurant week and the place was bustling. Thank goodness we made reservations because if we didn’t, I do not think that we would have gotten seats. We were seated almost immediately after we checked in with the hostess (yay!) and they offered us coat check-​ins.
We ordered the Tuscan vegetable soup & narcissa salad for appetizer, rotisserie crisped beets & pork and beef meatballs for our entrees, and the celery root cake & warm chocolate mousse for our desserts. Oh, and we also ordered their infamous carrot fries. All in all, the meal was really good and was really delicious. There was obvious highlights
Carrot fries: Was not on the restaurant week menu but was really good. The carrot was soft in the inside and the corresponding sauce had a really nice kick to it (jalapeño tofu dip)
Rotisserie crisped beets: Okay, not what I was expecting because the beets were not «crisped.» Nevertheless, it tasted hearty and meaty (like a rotisserie chicken). The salad on the bottom was more like a dip and its creamy texture was a good pairing with the beets.
Celery root cake: a light dessert to end the meal. Great flavors and would reorder again.
I noticed that they had an open kitchen on the other side of the restaurant from where I was sitting and hopefully on my next visit, I would get to sit there. I definitely see myself coming back here to try their other innovative creations (carrot wellington?). I definitely recommend this place if you want to try new dishes with familiar produce.

This meal started off promising and declined slightly towards the end.
My wife and I walked in at 2 pm on a Sunday and were promptly seated. I was craving either some pancakes or steak and eggs. I went with the latter, and my wife and I were pleasantly surprised with a selection of either French Toast bites for $ 7, an assortment of doughnuts for $ 10, or Iced Cinnamon Buns for $ 10. We went with the buns.
The cinnamon buns were great, and even better paired with my coffee. We ate half and I looked forward to taking the other half home to enjoy at a later time.
The steak and eggs came out and looked really promising. The texture, cut and tenderness of the steak was perfect. However, after my first bite, I slowly realized that it was the saltiest bite of steak I had ever eaten. I don’t know what or why, but not only was there a massive amount of oil and seasoning on it, they had also seared the edge with something salty (I’m guessing salt). I ended up trying to press the steak against my plate to squeeze out some of the oil, but each bite got increasingly salty. The texture and taste of the steak was amazing, but that saltiness was too much. I’ve never left a steak I’ve ordered uneaten, but I couldn’t finish the last bite of steak, even though I was still hungry. I must have downed 4 glasses of water before I called it quits. Coffee couldn’t cut through that salt either.
At the end of our meal, we asked the waiter to box up our cinnamon buns to go, and he came back with a coat check ticket saying we could pick up our cinnamon buns at the front before we left. The service was friendly, and we paid and left. Yes we left. Sadly, forgetting that I had my delicious cinnamon buns waiting for me at coat check. As we got off the subway on our way home, my wife remembered the buns, and I stood there for a second, wondering if I should make the 15 minute trek back on the subway to get half of a $ 10 iced cinnamon buns. It was so sad. I didn’t go back. After lamenting the fact that they didn’t give us a doggy bag at the table, we spent the next 20 minutes talking about how good the buns would have been at home. Never ever forget your buns.

What a beautiful restaurant! It’s the gems like these that truly make you appreciate the food and environment of New York. Beautiful interior, love the open kitchen and the front patio, and obsessed with the adorable alleyway-​style entrance. The location is also prime since it is not an area you’ll get pummeled over in a crowd of tourists, but still feel the presence of New York all around.
Food: I got the duck breast and was surprised twice. One, by the size of the portion, and two, by the tenderness of the whole thing. Usually duck breast portions are not very large, but not here! Also, the meat was so tender and not as fatty as you would imagine with the portion. I was so satisfied with this dish. I would want to come back just for this entrée.
Cocktails; all the cocktails I tried here was great. The one I got was the hot ginger drink (too lazy to look up the name). It was amazing. I love hot cocktails because you get to sip on it for a longer time, and the intense ginger taste kind of forced you to take it slow too.
Service: thank you for taking reservations. Really. And thank you for coat check too. Really friendly waiters and waitresses, but maybe, just maybe a little TOO eager to help? This is what I mean. I love listening to specials and food descriptions, but there is a line of what is too much. We had two different waiters come and explain same items on the menu, saying the same jokes about how taco is the name of the farm, etc. we obviously didn’t interrupt the second waitress that started saying the same things since that seemed rude, but you could see the smiles in our table dwindle and hands fidgeting around our sleeves since these descriptions were soooo longggggg. I really don’t think it is necessary to explain at least 2 items in appetizers, entrees, desserts, EACH. also, our table was laughing and enjoying our drinks, fully absorbed into our conversations, and the waitress literally interrupts and describes the desserts, ingredients, presentation, and the inventor of the desserts, and etc on and on. Kind of killed the mood.
All in all, great vibe, great food, but a little too eager to impress with the service.

My friend took me here for birthday dinner and it was so lovely! Service was on point– we were given a corner table (I love corner tables, if you couldn’t tell from my previous posts lol) and exceptional servers who knew we were celebrating a special occasion. It was quite apparent that they went out of their way to make sure everything ran smoothly! No pretentiousness.
We started off with the Fluke and Gnocci– both are seriously great choices. Believe the hype and get the carrot fries too! Strong start to our meal.
I ordered the Scallops, and he had the Duck Breast. Both were great. Highly recommend if you’re sharing to opt for a light entrée and a heavier entrée.
Dessert was a bit underwhelming though: We shared the broken cheesecake but I found it too sweet and overly citrusy.
I’ll be back for their appetizers and entrees. (and def for their carrot fries! lol) Perhaps I’ll give their dessert another shot or head somewhere else after our meal.
Bathroom past the back door on the right– down a hall and past another door. It seems like Narcissa shares their bathrooms with another establishment next door.

We came here after a 3 hour lunch at Casa Mono, and we really only wanted dessert. But of course being the bon vivants we are, we ended up having a full meal:
The dining room is really beautiful. Just large enough so that tables are spaced appropriately apart but also small enough that you won’t feel like you’re in a huge banquet hall. Service here is wonderful, too. You’ll never catch staff running around or cutting guests off (my pet peeve). Smiles everywhere. Those green dresses that female servers wear are super cute and I would definitely wear them to work… The maitre d is super classy (and a hot piece!) but not snobby at all (which can sometimes happen in stores of this level). He didn’t have a table for us at the time since we walked in, but graciously gave us two seats at the pastry bar which was great since my friend and I both worked in the industry and got to chat about techniques and ingredients with one of the pastry cooks.
The wine list is interesting enough to satisfy adventurous drinkers but also familiar enough to keep those who just want a safe bottle to enjoy with dinner. I wish there were just a few more wine by the glass options but in being a restaurant famous for seasonality I’m sure these change often as well.
The carrots Wellington truly are a highlight here, probably why it’s been a mainstay on their menu! The pastry is perfectly flaky and crisp and the carrots buttery. Really satisfying dish that also happens to be veg friendly! Unless you’ve had it before you’re doing yourselves no favors by skipping it.
Bread service is also quite good. No soft Parker rolls or store-​bought crackers here– just crusty rolls that are perfect for scooping up the last dribbles of sauce and scraps of meat and fat on your plate.
Ahh.
A good place to break the news to the fam that you are now engaged, pregnant or the victor of some lofty humanitarian award. Enjoy!
(But you really should make a reservation!!)

There are a lot of vegetable-​forward restaurants in NYC now and, with almost 2 years under its belt, I can safely say this is truly one of the best.
Narcissa was so trendy in 2014 and now, in the first moments of winter 2015, it is just a straight up established restaurant that everybody in the scene really respects and admires.
Dishes like the carrots wellington, branzino, carrot fries, and various sundaes are beloved NYC dishes now and you still get a crazy number of carnivores coming here for really elegant meat preparations (lamb/​pork).
I don’t really know why I am giving 4 stars. Some elements are just a little rich and off the deep end for me, as if Fraser knows the food is largely vegetarian and wants to apologize for it. This means the barley rissotto is a little too cheesy/​buttery, the sizable smores tart has a solid inch of chocolate ganache at its center and way too much meringue.
But whatever, the service here is absolutely outstanding (special props to the amazing bartenders) and dishes like the branzino and carrots wellington are showstoppers. So yeah, while maybe not the best farm-​to-​table meal in the entire city hands down, Narcissa really is some of the best vegetable-​forward food in NYC.

I really like the garden setting and its farm-​to-​table concept of this place. The food was very fresh and tasted great, my favorites were:
carrot fries
egg white omelet
pina piñata (we ordered a pitcher for two people to share, great decision)
Only downside is that the bathroom is inside in the basement level. So be careful when you are walking downstairs after a few cups of cocktails. But there’s a photo booth next to the bathroom — I guess that makes the bathroom run a little bit more fun. Anyhoo, I’d totally come back here again!

I had a wonderful dinner here last night with my girlfriends for my early birthday celebration !
Our reservation was for 6:30pm and a few of them were running late but the host was super accommodating and let us get seated first. Everyone was present by 6:50 with a glass of refreshing Summer in the City in hand.
Narcissa is absolutely gorgeous, so modern and sleek. The lighting is soft and warm, perfect ambiance for any special occasion and great for food photos, heh. There are two separate dining areas but we were seated in a booth close to the open kitchen.
Tonight we started with the barley risotto, charred octopus and potato gnocchi. The highlight for me was definitely the barley risotto. We almost didn’t order this but so glad we decided to add it. Perfectly cooked pearls of tender, carby goodness. Who knew barley could taste so good? There was so much flavor from the clams and leeks. The charred octopus and potato gnocchi was not as memorable. The octopus was a bit overcooked but the accompanying eggplant zaalouk and chickpeas was delicious. The potato gnocchi didn’t hold it’s form too well. It was too mushy and bland.
For entrees, our amazing waiter sold us on the rotisserie chicken special for two, mentioning that it has been a special for about 6 months due to it’s popularity. We also had the seed crusted skate and taco farm pig (pork chop). All the entrees were outstanding and showcased such clean flavors. At $ 72, that chicken was the most expensive I’ve ever had but it was damn good! Incredibly tender and juicy, just like the pork chop, and both were accompanied with the most delightful veggies right from the farm of one of the owners. You can definitely taste the difference.
It was my first time trying skate but I am a total fan. The breading on the fillets were perfectly seasoned and light and the fish itself was moist and succulent.
We ended our dinner with the sake poached white peach. Such a pretty looking dessert but not as tasty as I’d hoped. The peach wasn’t as sweet as I’d liked but poached perfectly and not bad with the fresh cream. I enjoyed the accompanying nutty, crunchy sesame nougatine.
4 stars for food and ambiance and 5 stars for service. Our waiter was one of the best, ever. Overall, it was an excellent meal in great company and I would totally return.

Had a delicious dinner here, was very impressed. The restaurant itself is really beautiful, two separate rooms with different sectors both equally stunning as well as a beautiful outdoor space with lanterns.
Started out with a delicious loaf of bread and butter.
As an appetizer I had the gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms and it was really delicious. The other people within my group had the tuna which was very fresh and had a kick to it. Also the charred octopus which I was fortunate enough to try and was delicious. As my main dish I had the duck which was really flavorful and the skin perfectly crisped. My hubby had the short rib which he really enjoyed, our friends had the carrots Wellington which they loved. For sides we shared the carrot fries which were scrumptious and the potatoes which were really flavorful. Service was very pleasant! Will be back!

I’ve admired Chef John Fraser’s creative work before at his pop up What Happens When. I’ve also visited Dovetail in the UWS and while the food was very good it lacked the creativity he demonstrated at What Happens When. So when Narcissa opened I was naturally curious to see how well it would be received. Then the accolades came pouring in and I knew I had to pay it a visit. After I was unable to get dinner reservations for a family dinner I was thrilled to hear the restaurant was participating in Restaurant Week and I booked lunch reservations right away.
First, a quick word on the space. It’s beautiful and a world away from the drab interior of Dovetail. The high ceilings and long windows allow plenty of light in and at day the dining room almost feels as if you’re in an atrium. At night the warm lights give the restaurant a cozy yet lively atmosphere.
Now let’s talk of the food. We ordered the Narcissa salad, a kabocha squash soup and the roasted beets. The beets! Oh wow! I’m personally not a huge fan of beets. I detest borscht and when I was a kid my mom’s attempt at cooking beets made it one of only 2 vegetables that I generally avoided. But after hearing that the beets at Narcissa will make you want to return I had to try it. Sure enough, I was floored. I simply have never tasted beets like these before. They were sweet and complex and together with the bulgur salad and horseradish cream the dish was splendid! When our entrees arrived it became clear that vegetables took center stage at Narcissa. The vegetable lasagna won over the fish. For desserts we had a sundae and a panna cotta. Both were quite good. But really the most memorable dish were the beets and I would love to come back again for those.
My boyfriend and I agreed this was the best restaurant week meal we’ve had in recent memory. And we definitely would love to come back for dinner. Hope to be back soon!

I recently had BRUNCH reservations for Narcissa about two weekends ago. Overall I would say that my experience was pleasant. The place is pretty well lit on Sunday morning if you happen to sit on the same side as the open kitchen. Service was prompt and professional, prices were decent for New York.
I had ordered the Poached Eggs and Avocado Toast, my other half their Egg White Frittata, and a side order of bacon to share. To drink we had coffee and a orange & ginger seltzer por moi. The bacon was super thick and crunchy. My eggs were perfect, as were the avocado spread on my toast. If you happen to like pesto sauce, I would highly recommend the Egg White Frittata. For dessert, we had shared their delicious Gingerbread cake dessert. The kumquats in contrast with the ice cream and cake were quite lovely.
Our visit was pretty conservative, but if you’re looking to go in on Sunday brunch, I would get that side biscuit with lavender butter and order of donuts for the table. They looked SOO GOOD. You can’t believe how many times I wanted to reach over to the table next to me and take a bite out of their carb-​ful treats. It would have went down like a puppy and throw pillow.