The Writing Room

Big fan – happy to have another unique dining option on the UES.
The food was wonderful, the crowd lively, and the staff was professional albeit under staffed. This caused a few waits here and there, but that is to be expected on a Friday night. The bar tender also gave me some great tips on the menu as well…
I will definitely be going back and taking friends.

Guess what, they got a new chef and this is when the famous Fried chicken went downhill.
1– one of the legs was red inside (disgusting) clearly you can fry the chicken but seriously … we send it back
2– beans is the new side (it has no taste)
3– that famous cornbread is now a biscuit so small you know I just think they got a Popeyes biscuit to replace it
4– the chicken is dry and does not taste like how it used to taste .
The rest of the meal
we had bone marrow, short ribs, martinis, desserts.
we were talking about Per se how the New York Times went in and gave them a 2 star ouch so I told my guest (on purpose drop your napkin and fork and let see who picks it up) guess one no one did!!!
vomatrocious!
and this was even in the study room (rolls eyes)
sorry writing room but you have lost your charm and you better do something about this.

Very nice atmosphere with friendly and attentive service. My salad with salmon was good. I am not sure the prices are worth the quality of food and overall experience.

The Writing Room is good. Service is hit or miss, either very attentive or totally absent minded. The food is solid and slightly elevated bar food and the prices are solid and slightly elevated bar prices.
I think I would go more often if there was more variety on their menu, but if I go once a week I am pretty bored of the place within a month. That’s ok though, some time will pass and I will look forward to it again.
Pro Tip: They have a bread basket as a brunch entrée (or at least did, not sure if they still do). You want one of these on your table aside from whatever you order.

I really enjoyed my dinner at this spot. I had been trying to get there for. Couple of days but it was just to cold to walk 4 blocks but it was worth the wait. The bartenders were very entertaining and the atmosphere was great.
I ordered the rotisserie chicken which was delicious. It came out lukewarm and I requested that they heat it up a bit and it was done with no problems. Once my plate returned I was delivered a second entrée, the short rib! I was told it was compliments of the chef to make up for the lukewarm chicken and waiting for it to be reheated! WOW now this is a place that understands good customer service! So I had lunch and dinner for the next day. I really like this place and will certainly go back. I highly recommend.

Stay away from the oysters-​I always get oysters and these are the worst I have had. The service was great, the atmosphere wonderful, just too bad the food was not great at all:(

The Philip Roth book placed in the men’s bathroom didn’t make up for a terrible dinner. The food would’ve been bad for half the price. They did not shuck the oysters to order and they tasted terrible. We ordered 2 halibut specials and fried chicken which came to our table in 5 minutes. Obviously this place is par cooking the food which is what they do at McDonald’s. The fireplace and the historical presence of Woody Allen don’t make up for the worst food in the city.

This place is excellent. The food is absolutely delicious and the staff is exceptional — every time! A must go to in the UES!

Great spot for brunch in Yorkville.
I came here this past weekend with a group after seeing positive reviews on Unilocal.Thanks for the advice, everyone! We thoroughly enjoyed our brunch.
It was Sunday afternoon so the restaurant was pretty crowded. We were told there would be a short wait to eat in the main dining area; however, we opted to sit in the bar section. We were happily surprised with the size and orientation of our table, as it was very large and faced the bar’s televisions (note — clutch for catching a sporting event). Our waiter was beyond friendly and gave helpful tips regarding the menu.
I really liked the brunch menu. They have a prix fixe, which includes a cocktail and entrée for $ 20 — that is good deal in my opinion. I went with the fried chicken & waffle and a mimosa. The chicken was awesome! The waffles and mimosa were tasty as well. I also snagged a bite of my girlfriend’s French toast, and it was delicious.
I will definitely come back here for another meal — check it out sometime!

One of my favorite brunch spots on the Upper East Side. Clean, classy, and fun décor inside. The service is always great and friendly.
The sat/​sun brunch wave (12 – 2) is always really packed, but if you go earlier/​later, you won’t have any trouble getting a table without a reservation.
I’ve never had a meal that wasn’t great here. Chicken and waffles are my favorite! But everything is super good. My roommate is a big fan of their eggs benedict. Really, really good coffee.
The brunch prix fixe is $ 20 for a drink/​select entrees. Can’t go wrong.

Went to dinner on a Monday around 8:30pm with two friends. The host was pleasant and was able to get us a table without a wait. We were at a table in the middle of the restaurant, which I usually don’t like, but the way the dining area is laid out, we were not near anyone and had our own space.
On Mondays, they offer a $ 40 Prix Fixe menu where you can choose three of the following: glass of wine/​beer, starter, entrée, or dessert. The entire menu is available, which I was very surprised to see. Certain items have a $ 5 up charge (steak, etc), but overall it was a great deal.
I started with a glass of Montepulciano which was very good. They offer multiple choices of red/​white wine for the Prix Fixe option, which is a nice touch. For my starter, I had cavatelli bolognese with a dollup of mint crème freche on top– it was delicious. My friends had the fried calamari and the burrata, both of which were excellent. For mains, I had the sauteed salmon which was perfectly cooked with braised leeks. My only (minor) issue was the menu said it came with fingerling potatoes, which were missing. My friends had the rotisserie chicken and the fried chicken, and both were great. Also, they have housemade challah garlic bread which was incredible.
The waitress was attentive and friendly. The service overall was great. The space is really cute and upscale, without being pretentious. It was lively for a Monday night, but still quiet enough to enjoy conversation with your table. In conclusion, this was a fantastic dinner for a Monday night with the $ 40 Prix Fixe option. Seriously one of the best dinner deals I have seen around. I will definitely be back to try brunch. Thank you!

I don’t even know where to start but I guess I’ll start with my favorite part of the experience… Which was our bartender/​server Prem. She was attentive and polite, extremely sweet and accommodating not to mention very well versed in the menu and helpful with selections! My friend and I met up after a long day of work and as teachers a glass of wine was definitely needed I had the Federalists California Cabarnet Sauvignon and she had the Malbec from Argentina can’t Remember the brand though. We instantly got the complimentary garlic buttered challah bread that Prem told us were made in house. They had a crispy crust and a soft moist center. We shared the garlic potato soup that was incredibly delightful due to the crème fraîche that was dolloped at the top with little pieces of bacon and made a perfect dip for the bread. We shared more bread that Prem nicely asked if we wanted more of (yes please!) and got our salmon tartare. I’m not a fan of raw salmon but definitely loved the plantain chips which was a good compliment to the dish to offset the fishy taste. Finally our crispy sweet potato which was charred to a delicious crisp and was paired with a spicy dip that made my mouth orgasm with each bite. The prosciutto and mozzarella charcuterie came with pickled peppers I thoroughly enjoyed. The calamari was crispy and I wish I could have stocked up on the jalapeño sauce! I couldn’t get enough. Needless to say I was sad I didn’t have any room for dessert. I longed for the apple pie with caramel sauce or the pumpkin pie bread pudding! The only thing I did not like was how the hostess treated us when we first came in, she made it seem as though she didn’t want us there since we didn’t have «reservations». I’m glad we got to sit at the bar and experience Prem’s excellent customer service! Although pricey (17 for the charcuterie board and 12 for the soup seems steep to me?) it was totally worth it and a transcendent food experience!

I had brunch at The Writing Room a few days ago in their library. It’s a warmly lit room tucked near the back of the restaurant and lined with countless (not literally) books and tomes. It somehow felt both spacious and cozy. The main room is a more open and traditional space, although it still retains the place’s classic charm. The wait staff was refreshingly friendly and courteous. That’s something that should be standard in restaurants like this but, sadly, isn’t.
The brunch menu was your standard fare, eggs benedict, waffles, pancakes, with soups, salads and burgers from the lunch menu. The standout had to have been the fried chicken and waffles, although I unfortunately did not get to enjoy that day.
I had the buttermilk waffles with fresh strawberries and vanilla whipped cream, a side of breakfast sausages, and shared a little in the eggs benedict. Nothing disappointed. The big surprise was the eggs benedict which was served on what seemed to be a monster of an English muffin. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it done that way, but it was good if a bit of a mouthful.
Although brunch was adequate, enjoyable at best, The Writing Room gave off a great first impression and I’d love to come back another time for dinner. Good food, a bottle of wine, and an atmosphere that makes me feel like a 60s movie star? Yes please!

The ambiance at Writing Room was nice, but unfortunately the service was very poor. Our waiter took our order and never checked in again. It took him a long time to give us our menus. After finishing our entrees, he never even came by to offer the dessert menu — eventually the busser came by to give it to us. We spent the majority of our dinner with empty cocktail glasses. The waiter never even checked in to see if we’d like another round. Definitely not the kind of service you’d expect at a higher end restaurant.
The food was mediocre. We had the fried chicken and the short rib entrees. The fried chicken was ok — probably the only thing keeping this restaurant afloat given that it seems like it’s the only dish that gets good reviews. The short rib entrée was very dry and the rice was bland and boring. Can’t offer any opinion on dessert because it was never really offered to us!
2 stars for bad service and mediocre food.

Here for dinner with my gf. Greeted by a server who didn’t mention his name til we asked, Boyon is his name. Ordered apps– the mussels were a small portion and too salty for my taste. Ordered the burger med well– received it dry and well done. When the waiter finally came by– he had the balls to say it’s their version of medium well. I wasn’t amused. The rotisserie chicken was tasty, also a small portion. The salmon tar tar was very very good. Wouldn’t come back overall. Looked short staffed as the waiters ran around. Poor follow up/​touch back on tables.

Have been meaning to stop in this place for a very long time, and finally had the chance for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Came in at about 1:30 — 2:00pm on a Sunday, and the restaurant was pretty empty as was the bar area. We opted for seats at the bar, which was filled with natural light from the big windows, and the bar area itself was crisp, clean, and modern with some very comfortable bar stools. The brunch menu looked amazing, with plenty of options to choose from.
I opted for the prix fixe option, which was a brunch entrée with a cocktail for $ 20, which is a pretty decent deal considering that this place is considered a «fine dining» establishment. I chose the burger, which came topped with cheese and served with fries, two large onion rings, bacon jam, and special sauce. Overall, the burger was great: cooked a perfect medium, with a great toasted bun, and perfectly cooked fries and rings. The lager beer I had was good, after a recommendation from the bartender. We also ordered from the a la carte menu, and was a bit disappointed with the chicken wrap: the wrap was too big for the serving size, and contained too much cheese. We thought the salsa (which was delicious) would be inside the wrap, but it was served on the side. Coffee was served in a pretty cool looking stainless steal mug.
Overall, a good, solid brunch option for the UES, and with the $ 20 prix fixe menu option, it’s a good choice.

Schönes Restaurant, das Essen war ganz gut, aber unsere Kellnerin war total komisch. Die Hostess war aber sehr nett. Das Brot ist echt lecker, und wir haben beide die Lachs Caesar Salat genommen und waren damit sehr zufrieden.

Very very good service and lovely décor.
Complimentary bread is warm and buttery and salty and amazing. The 2 of us got the $ 38pp dinner prix fixe. Clam chowder and ricotta cheese are both amazing appetizers. The chowder has a very smoky bacon flavor and the oyster crackers are very smart. People complain about the burnt toast that comes with ricotta but in my opinion the toast is crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside, and the honey drizzle cancels out the bitterness of the slight burn. For main we tried both the rotisserie chicken and the fried chicken. I must say I am not a fan of the fried chicken here — it is too oily and not well seasoned. I definitely wish the crust had more flavor. The rotisserie chicken was lovely, moist and tender and came with some lovely roasted vegetables. For dessert we had the cheesecake and rocky road brownie and both were very good but the latter is definitely more satisfying.

Another day, another brunch.
I expected the place to be packed on Saturday after New Years, and of course I had a reservation, but it was surprisingly empty.
As for the food, we started with the cornbread, yummm! I normally don’t do sweets for breakfast, but the buttermilk waffle was calling out to me. I had read that the chicken and waffles were killer, but I just wasn’t in the mood for fried chicken, so I went for the buttermilk waffle solo. Thankfully, I told our table about it and someone ordered it! The waffle was good, nothing to go bananas over, and the presentation was boring with sparse amounts of strawberries and little whipped cream.
One of my friends ordered the eggs benedict, but had the eggs scrambled instead. It was massive and sat on top of a delicious biscuit. I was told the bacon was overcooked.
The winner of course goes to the chicken and waffles. The chicken was crispy and moist and yes, I had a bite (or two). It came with 3 very generous pieces of chicken and a half of a buttermilk waffle.
We all did the prix-​fixe which was a good deal that included a beverage. Our service was fantastic, our waitress was very attentive and our water glasses were constantly refilled as well.
I’d like to come back for dinner to try it again.

High 4 stars!
The proof: I ate here two nights in a row.
There is nothing I don’t love about this place, a nostalgia trip for me less because of Elaine’s – where I ate only once – but because I lived in the Leighton House on weekends for a year in college (1992-​193), the fancy high-​rise a block away on 1^st, because my dorm was a closet and Dad’s colleague let me stay in large duplex to write papers in peace and take a break from 4^th floor walkup single.
1. Service: Outstanding and friendly. I’d be a regular if I lived in the 80s rather than the low 60s when in the city, and even still, I plan to hit the Writing Room for the Farmers Salad (13) once more before I leave for So Cal on the 19^th of December.
Nancy was my server the second night. She’s from Milton, MA, the same town as my family friend with whom I stayed in the early 1990s and in whose 4^th floor walkup rental I now live 3 months a year. She is excellent and fun to talk to (Milton MA is upscale Boston enclave, mostly Catholic, so she knew all the Catholic schools my friend attended). The hosts and hostesses are all friendly, as is the bartender.
2. Great décor: Cozy but elegant. I wanted to eat in the main room the first night but didn’t have a reservation. They host suggested a corner table in the bar by the window with comfy high chairs and that worked just fine.
3. Farmer’s salad: 13 and heaven. I’m not usually a fan of hearts of palms but they don’t dominate the dish and with all the other stuff going on, it’s a nice complement. I loved the Green Goddess, which I don’t see a lot in restaurants much these days but loved as a child.
4. Riccotta with chili and mint: perfection. I’ve had it twice. Once the toast was burnt but I didn’t care because the bread they give you to start is doughy, hot yumminess with butter. I’d rather just eat the cheese straight and enjoy the decadent, addictive bread they bring when you sit down.
5. The specialty cocktails: Yummy but too small (too much ice). I tried the Book End and the Russian Maid. They were good but small for the money, which is my objection generally to specialty cocktails. Still, unlike most specialty cocktails I try beyond the classics, I enjoyed both. Ketel One Martini with twist was strong, big and excellent.
6. I tried a red wine I want to find by the bottle but I lost the piece of paper, which is another good reason to pay the Writing Room a visit before I head back to LA for Christmas holiday.

My first 5 star in a long time ! The bf and I have recently had 2 excellent meals here. Two weeks ago we had dinner up at the bar which was very comfortable with two large TVs. The staff are incredibly friendly I hope this isn’t just because they are new because it was really refreshing. Megan was working when we were there for brunch and was so nice and kept checking in with us and gave us great recommendations.
For dinner we had the pastrami coated chicken. Wings which were so amazing. An unbelievable flavor with crunchy exterior and moist juicy meat inside. Absolutely loved them ! I would’ve tried the fried chickeb I mean it’s what they are known for brined for over 24 hours but we were going for southern food the next day. instead I chose the cavatelli with artichoke hearts which was delightful !
For breakfast, it was equally as good. The fact that they serve legit maple syrup instead of the fake stuff just really won me over. The hot cinnamon buns — OMG gooey and delicious and gone in seconds! Absolutely will be back! Great addition to the UES!