The Jist
Talk about a showstopper. Manhatta Restaurant in downtown New York pulls no punches. We were invited by close friends to go to dinner at Danny Meyer’s highest restaurant in the city and jumped at the chance. I’ve been dying to go to this restaurant since it opened so I definitely came in with high awareness and expectations. These were… exceeded, beyond my wildest dreams.
From the moment you ascend up the lightning fast elevator and are swept into some of the most glorious views of the city, you’re taken along for a ride while guided by the foremost experts in the field of hospitality. One thing about Danny Meyer restaurants is that the service will not be beat. He’s created a culture of care within his group that I’ve always envied as a restauranteur but certainly tried to emulate after reading his best seller Setting the Table.
Everything is soigné and accordingly everything is handled with care. Scroll down to dig into everything I loved about Manhatta (and even one rare miss),
The Food & Bev
The food was honestly priority number three when we chose to come to a restaurant like Manhatta but quickly became core memories for our group. The menu is fast and fun and stays true to its New York roots. Dishes like Jimmy Nardello peppers feel traditionally New York while the Foie Gras and Duck Pie with chanterelles and vin jaune feels ambitious and decadent. Two in our group opted for the Côte de Bœuf for two with caraflex cabbage and pommes aligot which was a dazzling display of service excellence and quality meats.
The only weak link for us was the beef tartare as it just felt like something was missing, some acid perhaps? Otherwise a complete knockout of a meal. The Apple Tatin with buckwheat and yuzu ice cream was an absolute treat and who doesn’t love some pyrotechnics to end their evening.
As far as drinks and cocktails go, I stuck to a crisp and mineral Gruner Veltliner (Malat, Kempstal, 2020) and loved the cap off of the Brooklyn cocktail, featuring my favorite Amaro. I feel like I need to keep going back just to wind my way through their cocktail menu, an ambitious reaching task I’m determined to take on.
The Service
Service and Danny Meyer are synonymous, and If you’ve been as lucky as I have been to spend some real time in Union Square Hospitality restaurants, you will have experienced this first hand. They just get it, and they thrive on it. Because service is baked into the core of this group, you get to watch this dance play out in real time over dinner. It’s a true team sport, but everyone’s a winner.
Restaurant Highlights
OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MANHATTA RESTAURANT
- WE LOVE: The Cocktails – An artfully curated list featuring neighborhood delights from around New York. I adored the Brooklyn cocktail.
- WE LOVE: The Views – I mean, obviously.
- WE LOVE: The Duck and Foie Gras Pie – It was one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted.
- WE LOVE: The Jimmy Nardello Peppers – I never knew I could love peppers this much.
- WE LOVE: The art in the room – Great curation and added so much to the space.
- WE LOVE: The service – expert as per usual for Union Square Hospitality. Knocked it out of the park again.
- NEEDS WORK: The Beef Tartare – It was the one dish that just didn’t sing, but was a mere footnote in an otherwise extraordinary meal.
MANHATTA RESTAURANT PAIRS WELL WITH…
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