The Milling Room

Tuesday night, full house! Why? The food is excellent, fabulous wine list, the ambiance is terrific, the noise level is extremely low for a large space, and the service was superb! The only problem I had was an annoying couple — you know the kind: bitching wife, husband spent the whole time trying to placate her — who were regulars sat next to us. I have requested that I am NOT seated next to them when I return tomorrow…

Nice place. Food was delicious. Squid ink pasta great. Chicken really good. Service very attentive. White asparagus alson yummy

This was the perfect place for celebratory drinks and desserts. My friends and I sat in the front bar area, which is more casual than the back room. The menu up there is nicely limited and totally complimentary. We each got a different pairing of dessert and cocktail, and they were all really excellent. It’s hard to go wrong. Personally I went with a hot buttered rum and a raspberry tart. Can’t say enough about the rum. The winner of the night though was probably the dark chocolate lava cake. So rich.

Finally! A great restaurant in the Upper West. We moved here a few months ago and we’ve been around but most other restaurants have come up short. This was amazing. Had the duck pappardelle and the Swiss chard and ricotta ravioli. Definitely going to be a staple.

Food is exceptional… cocktails innovative… this is a definite BE-​BACK!

Return? Definitely. Want to check it out for dinner
Atmosphere (4) Great bar up front, big seating space in back
Food (4) — Only had beet salad which was very good
Service (4) Very friendly
Cost = Total tab before tax/​tip was $ 34 w/​a wine and cocktail

Came here for my birthday dinner midweek since it was close and my gf wanted something intimate and unique. I specifically requested a seat in the banquet near the fireplace and was told 3 days before by the hostess that «that’s no problem». We arrived to find that the place was half empty (Wed at 8pm) and that the fireplace was not even on. Not only was the fireplace not burning but the place was freezing… It was a chilly January night so I’m assuming the large glass atrium overhead didn’t provide the proper insulation, but they should’ve jacked up the heat– even our waitress agreed that it was cold. I asked why the fireplace was not on and she said it was not operational. Ok… so what’s the point of requesting to sit next to a large brick hole in the wall? There were clearly 2 fake logs with unlit candles in them and I mentioned to her that they should at least light the candles to make it cozier… No can do, guess it was too much work or we weren’t special enough for them. This really ticked me off because the whole point of going here was for the ambiance. I don’t even recall hearing music, but that would’ve also helped liven the place up. All of the other diners were 1 foot into a nursing home…
For the price point, the food was decent, but nothing extraordinary– I had the flank steak with potato purée and glazed carrots and she had the swiss chard ravioli.
Dessert was the chocolate cake– again nothing to write home about and the pastry chef couldn’t even scribble a «Happy Birthday» in chocolate sauce on the plate instead opting for a candle poked in the center of the cake.
Really wanted to like this place since I’m an Upper West Sider always looking for decent neighborhood spots. It’s a solid 3 stars which = Might give it another shot. Might not.

Honestly, amongst the, most of the time, disappointing/​boring restaurant offer in the UWS, this one looks like a gem! Very cool atmosphere at the bar and even better in the dining room with the heigh ceiling and the industrial touch. I was not overwhelmed by my cocktail but the wine was good. 5 stars are going toward the great & kind service and above all the delicious braised duck pappardelle!

This was truly a five star experience. The space is gorgeous, the service is attentive and accommodating, and the food is absolutely delicious. I had the beet salad and the chicken. I’ve never had such tasty chicken in a restaurant. Others in my group had the cod and the duck. Everyone loved their meals and commented on the beautiful space. The volume of the place was reasonable and made it easy to converse. And there was space between the tables which is so rare in NYC. I would highly recommend this place for a special dinner out.

I will preface this review saying I love this space. Before as Calle Ocho and now as the Milling Room the open space, well managed noise levels make for a pleasant dining experience. I would say our waiter was moderately attentive, with a few large gaps of time that would have been better served with attention.
The octopus appetizer was tender and tangy and quite enjoyable. Others enjoyed their appetizers as well.
For a main course, I enjoyed a duck papardelle, al dente with a rich but not too heavy sauce.
To order dessert, the waiter had disappeared and the manager was flagged by one of our party to order an extra coffee. We were told that all dessert orders had to go in together. Not cool.
Overall, excellent food, great atmosphere with definite room for improvement on the service.

The Milling Room’s space is is impressive to say the least. The restaurant aesthetic feels somewhere between post-​industrial, farm-​to-​table, and Upper West Side chic. The host was nice and actually struck up a conversation with me as he walked me to our table — that’s not something I normally experience in NYC.
To start, my hamachi tartare fantastically blended the subtly of the hamachi with the silky richness of the avocado purée. For my main course I went with the braised duck pappardelle. While the dish only had a minimal amount of duck it was nonetheless delicious. The pappardelle was itself the highlight of my meal. The fresh fruit financier off of the desert menu was decent, but nothing memorable.
Service was perfectly adequate, albeit a little slow. Overall, my experience was good, but I don’t feel the need to return. For the cost of the meal, I think the food is on point, but there are many more interesting restaurants in the area that I enjoyed more.

Had dinner at the Milling Room last night (my 4^th time there) and I continue to enjoy it. Very good food, friendly service, zero corkage on Tuesdays, and a large comfortable space. Last night I had the Rib Eye steak special for two. It was very tasty. I’ll be back.

Of all the good attributes of the meal at The Milling Room, the dining room was perhaps the most impressive. Not that there was anything wrong with the other parts, but the extremely high ceiling with its long cylindrical outline was unique to see. It was also fairly spacious inside, and felt upscale yet still cozy, with a fireplace only a few feet from our table.
The food itself was well grounded and quite solid. For appetizers we had the hamachi tartare and grilled octopus. Their was a bit too much arugula covering the octopus for my visual palate, but the octopus itself was very good. Entrees were skirt steak and duck pappardelle. Both of them felt like comfort food and were very satisfying.
Pacing during the meal was, however, uncomfortably rapid. We went through pre-​dinner drinks, appetizers, entrees, and dessert in 45 minutes. We dined on a Sunday evening, and the restaurant was fairly empty, which might explain how the kitchen was able to produce so much in so little time. It would have been a much better experience if it has been slowed down by a factor of two, however. Despite this, the waiter was very pleasant and helpful.
As far as restrooms go, theirs is top notch. Stalls have walls that reach to the ceiling. It was exceptionally clean. The sink was trough style with river rocks tastefully covering the bottom of it. Dear Rosemary by The Foo Fighters was playing in the background. Malin + Goetz soap was also an excellent finishing touch.

Scott Bryan makes fine dining accessible and delicious at The Milling Room. We had a reservation, but for a Sunday night in November, this didn’t seem to be necessary. Our server, Israel, was very attentive at just the right moments!
The grilled octopus appetizer was fresh and tender without being chewy. The duck with barley risotto was cooked perfectly and tasted just like a choice cut of beef but much milder. Our orzo mac and cheese had at least three different kinds of cheese. These weren’t listed on the menu, and I forgot to ask what cheeses were present. Lastly, the apple tarte tatin featured a tart apple reduction with fluffy puff pastry and brûlée ice cream. Very lovely!

Awful experience. Party of six with reservation for 7pm. I arrived late at 7:30 and while my group was on 2^nd round of drinks the General Manager Victor had already insulted my friend’s wife and notified us the table needed to be vacated by 9pm. We had not even been given menus! I went to speak to the GM to calm things down but his smugness and condescending attitude made it worse. He showed no remorse or regard. The waiter was very apologetic but we paid for our drinks and left before eating dinner. The GM hid until we were gone. Will never go back. The hostess apologized and clearly gave us the impression that this was not the first time customers had a problem with that GM.
Certainly not the way you want to be treated on a night out.

My husband and I agreed that this was our favorite dining experience while we were in NYC for the long weekend. It was the only restaurant in UWS where we didn’t have to shout at each other. The tables are spread apart comfortably so you can have some privacy without anyone listening to your conversations. It was also aesthetically beautiful!
In regards to the food, big applause to the chef! Everything that came out from the kitchen were thoroughly enjoyed by us. We started out by sharing a couple of appetizers: Hamachi Tartare and Grilled Octopus. It was the most tender octopus we’ve ever had in our lives. We really savored each bite because it was so delicious! I had a tough time choosing my entrée because everything on the menu sounded really good. Our waiter suggested I try the Roast Farm Chicken because its the dish the owners usually order. I decided to go with that and LOVED every bite of it. My husband had Squid Ink Spaghetti with gulf shrimp. I nabbed one of the shrimp and I can tell you that is one truly amazing dish!
Well there is one word that keeps coming to mind when I think back about our dining experience here. That word is Unique. It’s their unique way of preparing the food that makes every dish tastes the way it should be. They use seasonings and cooking techniques that allows the actual flavors of the main dish to come out. Take, for instance, that octopus. I love octopus, but they’re usually chewy. The octopus we had here was so unbelievably tender. And also unique in their architectural design and furnishing.
Service was wonderful! Our waiter was professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. The manager came to our table for a little visit, which exceeded our expectations in this bustling city. We really look forward to dining here again. This is truly a gem.

My boyfriend took me out for a surprise birthday dinner tonight and I am very impressed by his choice. We arrived slightly after 7PM for our reservation at 7:15PM. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the outside because there were some construction throughout the block. But this just reminds me once again to not judge a book by its cover, because the inside is breathtaking. If anyone has been to Devocion in Williamsburg, it’s like that feeling when you walk in and you see the high ceilings with the sky light, but ten times better because of all the candles they have around the room. Our hostess was very friendly and gave us suggestions as we walked into the dining area. We were seated by the bookshelves in the corner, with candles on each shelf. The ambiance of this place is amazing although it can get a little dark. It wasn’t crowded at all probably because it was a Thursday night and everyone had their own area. I did not have to talk loudly at all or listen to someone else’s conversation. The whole dining experience was very intimate and romantic.
Our waiter, Pedro, was so friendly and attentive. He came by with the menus immediately as we were seated. We ordered a glass of wine (Il Ros di Casanova $ 14) and one of their seasonal cocktails (The Waterloo $ 13) to start. For appetizer, we got the Hamachi Tartar ($ 16) to share. For entrees, I got the Rabbit Pappardelle ($ 23) and my boyfriend got the Grilled Berkshire Pork Chop ($ 31). The service is exceptional as well!
The Hamachi Tartar is so fresh and is a perfect start to our meal. We loved the creaminess of the avocado and texture of the cucumber slices on the bottom. The Rabbit Pappardelle is such a well-​balanced and well-​seasoned pasta dish that isn’t heavy at all mainly because of the aromatic vegetables. My boyfriend was pleased with his Grilled Berkshire Pork Chop. Pedro let us know that the pork is recommended to be cooked to medium. I had a bite of the pork and the meat was was crispy on the outside but very tender in the middle. However, my boyfriend said he would prefer it to be medium well if he were to have it again (warning to anyone who is concerned with raw meat)
Lastly, we ordered the peach tarte tartin (basically an upside down pastry), which was probably my favorite dish of the night. Pedro caught a glimpse of my birthday card and even added a little candle on the side. Dessert wise, I definitely recommend the tarte. We didn’t expect much since we were both very full from the food we had. But we gobbled down the rest of the tarte after our first bite. The contrast between the warm peaches and the cold cream fraiche ice cream was very exciting. The puff pastry was also very flaky and light. And not to mention the caramel sauce on the bottom. This $ 10 dessert was well worth its price.
I can’t wait until the next time I come here for dinner. It was an amazing experience thanks to Pedro and I recommend anyone to come here for a romantic and delicious dinner.

The dinning experience was enchanting. Beautiful décor and the lighting is romantic, to say least.
The escarole salad was delicious. The wine, happy hour prices are inviting.
Every staff was impressively friendly and conducted themselves graciously. I enjoyed watching Guillermo the mixologist, prepare drinks with such ease and uniqueness. He appeared to me, as the emiphany of a well rounded bar-​tender.
I cannot wait to go back! Hopefully this time I will be offered some complementary bread.

Super impressed. My friend brought me here on a Friday night. We sat at the bar. Dont let the outside fool you cause the inside is amazing, just really stunning décor and large but comfortable at the same time. We talked and chatted with the bartender, none of the cocktails were saying much to me so I asked him to make a Sazerac, and I told him he had free range on the liquor.
So he made it with cognac, which I have never had a sazerac with that, and it was delicious, like a smoldering fruity punch. IT was delicious. WE got some good that are good to share, the rabbit in the pappardelle was was great, the past was little rough. The Croquette were amazing but small.
They had verdicchio by the glass which made me so so happy. I love that wine. The bartender was great and super talented. I will go back. Was a good time. (even the hostess was funny and nice, thats even a huge plus!)

I was blown away by dinner at The Milling Room. Having grown up on the UWS, I am always excited and eager to try new restaurants opening up there. Well, this one is an incredible new addition. My family is picky… like really picky… and the five of us enjoyed this meal without a single complaint.
For appetizers, five of us shared three plates: the grilled octopus, the crispy sweetbreads, and the escarole salad. The sweetbreads were a favorite — perfectly cooked and the sauce was to die for. We kept asking the waiter for more bread to sop up all the sauces cause each one was so delicious. Even the salad, a very simple dish, was perfect with crisp lettuce, sourdough croutons, Parmesan, and a tangy anchovy dressing.
Onto the entrees: we tried the skate, the steak, the salmon and the rabbit pappardelle. Every single one was worthy of five stars. Truly not a single dish was dull in any way.
The salmon was my favorite. It was perfectly seared medium raw and came with caramelized endive, a creamy white port sauce and trout roe. Just wow. The rabbit pasta dish was also unbelievably good and was flavored with the rich taste of porcini.
Dessert was sublime. The passion fruit panna cotta was creamy and tart. The apple tarte had a sugary burnt taste that was just wonderful.
The service was excellent and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. Do yourself a favor and try the Milling Room as soon as possible. I can’t rave about it enough!