Friday, July 26, 2013

The House-- Union Square/Gramercy Park area

Saw this place again today ( last time was some months ago) and despite construction next door, my first thought was "wow, that place is charming"...

I hope the reviews are as good as the place looks...well, of course a sour apple or two but people really like it...


The House

187 reviews Rating Details
Category: American (New)
121 E 17th St
(between E Union Sq & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Gramercy, Flatiron
(212) 353-2121
Make a Reservation
Photo by M T.
Side Dish of Ramps, Favas, Baby Fennel, Spring Garlic, and Beech Mushrooms
9 of 29
Nearest Transit Station:
14 St - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
14 St - Union Sq (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Union Sq - 14 St (L)
Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 11:30 pm
Tue-Fri 12 pm - 3:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
Sat-Sun 11 am - 3:30 pm
Parking:
Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$$
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
No
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
Free
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Romantic
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "So romantic, so warm and cozy, very delicious." In 29 reviews
  • "Then the Mac & Cheese w/truffle which was equally mind blowing." In 19 reviews
  • "Then came the lobster club sandwich - HELLO new love of my life." In 11 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Useful | Funny | Cool | Total Votes | Friends' | Elites'

187 reviews in English

  • Review from

    7/2/2013 1 check-in here
    Dinner Review:

    I was here a few months ago to celebrate a friend's birthday, and while I had a good time celebrating their birth, what I really need to do is to throw another party celebrating The House's roasted marrow. Holy Smokes was that stuff good.

    Their truffle mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy heaven and their Lobster Club is pretty much the best thing I've eaten in a long time.

    The space provides small, intimate dining areas and the food is pricey but defintely worth it.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find a napkin because I'm salivating at the thought of their roasted marrow....
  • Review from

    7/22/2013
    3.5***

    Finding small nooks in NYC is always difficult. My friend suggested this place and since it has been a while since I've been to NY, the space and quietness of the restaurant was just for catching up.

    We decided to share what we were getting because it all sounded so delicious. We ordered their egged Benedict brunch special and this multiple dip flatbread. I'd hope for an actual flat bread, but I enjoyed their olive hummus which made up for the small pieces of bread. Their eggs Benedict had an interesting lemony zest finish that we weren't sure if we enjoyed but we didnt hate it.

    Really really small, friendly staff, and not too busy. It's a nice find adjacent to the craziness that is union square, but for their small portions, I'd say that I could find an equally great place in the area and be a little bit more full.
  • Review from

    6/25/2013
    Been here twice and had a stellar experience each time.

    You cannot go wrong with the cheese plate. Tonight we had the Great Hill Blue, Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Grana Padano, paired with cherries in a deep dark garnet colored syrup, freshly sliced pears and orange clover honey. If that isn't what heaven tastes like, then it must be the devil. Either way, my soul is relinquished!

    My boyfriend had the burger. Insane. It had a gorgeous sunnyside-up egg on top and came on a perfect brioche with a side of fingerling potatoes and a jar of pickled vegetables. That was one classy burger. I had the roast chicken with sunchoke puree, braised kale and olorosso sherry. It was perfectly cooked, with the yummiest, crispiest skin, but I was still full from cheese and trying to save room for dessert, so I took it easy and didn't devour the whole thing. I was glad I saved room for the ginger creme brulee and the almond ice cream sundae. I don't even need to talk about either of those things. They are a part of me now and I truly think I am a better person than I was before I ate them. I'm going to call my therapist and tell her I no longer require her services. Who knew? All I needed was dessert at The House.
  • Review from

    • 38 friends
    • 17 reviews
    7/24/2013
    The House is THE PLACE for fine exotic dinning. The restaurant is quaint and intimate. The menu is full of great exotic pairing of foods and drinks. I would highly recommend the deviled eggs & the octopus for appetizers. The duck is fantastic and the lasagna is full and heavy.
    I would highly recommend this place and going a few times just to fully enjoy all the house has to offer.
  • Review from

    7/26/2013
    Visited The House while in NYC for a few days before leaving for our honeymoon. Picked it because it looked like a nice romantic place and it was. We were upstairs right infront of the window and it was really nice.

    Our appetizers were amazing, we had the quinoa salad and the hummus plate, while I really wouldn't have called it a hummus plate because most werent hummus it was still delicious none the less.

    Our main coarses were very good, I had the wild boar lasagna and my wife had a fish dish which I cant remember what it was but she really enjoyed it.

    Going back I would have loved to just ordered all the appetizers as they all sounded delicious and they were the best tasting part of our meal

    Our waiter was friendly, funny and attentive and help make our experience at The House very enjoyable.
  • Review from

    • 29 friends
    • 90 reviews
    7/20/2013 1 check-in here
    Did someone say Nebbiolo? I always like visiting The House.  The owner and staff are really sweet.  The ambiance is the main reason I like it there.  Don't get me wrong, the food is solid, and I really like their wine list.  It changes by season, which is nice.  The whole place was a carriage house, and still possesses it's 1850's charm in its current incarnation.  The bathrooms are adorable and the bars (one upstairs, one down) are both very comfortable and pretty.  I like to meet friends there for drinks on the early side--before 7, as it can get quite crowded, and then the music, other patrons, etc, can make holding a conversation tricky, so if you want to go and really enjoy yourself at this place, try to get there a little early.  You'll enjoy yourself in this swanky, low-key spot.  It's a well kept secret!
  • Review from

    7/18/2013
    Came here on a double date after reading about how good of a date spot it was. We got a table upstairs in the corner a few minutes after checking in. I won't bore you with too many details about ambiance etc but it lived up to the good date spot reviews.

    The four of us weren't shy with our selections, it seemed like we ordered 1 of everything on the menu and none of it disappointed. Truffle mac and cheese was great, the yellowfin tuna ceviche was delicious, the deviled egg tasting was surprising good and the LI Duck Breast was incredibly flavorful. The fingerlings and market fresh flatbread pizza were also some of the favorites of the night.

    Our group had a vegetarian and a dairy allergy neither of which were a problem for our server and the kitchen. Both were very accommodating to our needs.

    Friendly service, amazing food and great environment will definitely get me to come back here soon.
  • Review from

    • 46 friends
    • 238 reviews
    6/18/2013 1 check-in here
    Brunch review.

    I have had this cute little spot bookmarked for a couple of years now so I was so excited when my friend chose it for brunch.  The space is so adorable and reminds me of being in a london townhouse or pub - just so cozy!

    The food and service, however, were big misses!  The waiter never brought us water or bread even after asking a few times.  The eggs I ordered looked pitiful and were so lonely on my big plate (presentation people!), and when I asked again for ketchup that never came out either.  Maybe it was his first day.  The food options for breakfast were limited and looked pretty pitiful overall (my egg tasted a bit cold, now sure how).

    Go for a drink and sit upstairs, not downstairs.
  • Review from

    7/18/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    Aboslutely loved the quaint, intimate, yet posh ambiance. Must go back to try the truffle mac and cheese, as well as some other dinner items that looked appealing.  Great place for a meal when the parents are in town.
  • Review from

    5/14/2013 5 photos
    I was planning to dine at The House on Friday but had to shovel my schedule a bit so 2 of us came here on a Tuesday night instead. It was fairly quiet when we arrived at 6:30pm, I made a request via OpenTable to be seated upstairs but that didn't happen. I saw the hostess bringing people upstairs ~half hour later, so I was a little disappointed.  Oh wellz.

    The restaurant itself is cute, if there wasn't construction going on next door I think it'd look more like the picture on their website from the outside. They have a good selection on their menu but most items are typical ones you find in most American restaurants. We shared Market vegetable flatbread as appetizer, Scallops and chicken as entrees and Mille crepe and gelato for desserts. We were surprised with the chicken entrée, it wasn't dry and skin was crispy. We were actually very pleased with all the food.
    • Market vegetable flatbread
    • Oyster chowder
    • Chicken
    • Scallops
  • Review from

    7/10/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    me and my girlfriend went there for her birthday. I think the food was amazing i had  some steak, ohh i tell you it was good it was soo good my girlfriend kept reaching in into my plate to take a bite , our waiter
    nate i think his name was , was also great. the reason i am giving it a 4 out 5 is because everything in life need room to improve .but no complaints .
  • Review from

    5/20/2013
    Went on a Saturday night, with reservations, we were seated right away.

    The waiter was indifferent but quick. He was very aware of every table he was taking care of.

    The food was amazing. I had a duck salad app and then 'The House' burger. I am a big burger person and I can safely say this was the best burger I have ever had in my entire life. I would recommend this burger if you are a burger critic or a burger hater. It will change your outlook on what a good burger is. Enough about burgers.

    The drinks were average and we didn't do dessert. Overall a great time though.
  • Review from

    • 40 friends
    • 15 reviews
    2/23/2013 1 check-in here
    My friend wanted to come here, so I obliged and made reservations right here via Yelp for a Thursday night, 8pm. Got there at 7:55 pm and the seating hostess said it's always nice to have early arrivals for reservations. She offered coat check to us and said we had the best seat in the house.... cuddling is OK and keep the smooching within reason.

    Up the stairs we went, and we had the table right in the front by the large window. It was perfect! Very romantic and set the right mood without being too dark. We weren't terribly hungry at the time so we decided just to get a few drinks. We started out with two of the specialty cocktails, which were unique with the ingredients and surprisingly delicious. I moved on to an extra-dry martini to which I was given the option of garnish: olives or lemon peel. I said to surprise me and they chose the lemon peel. This was the best martini I've had in a very very long time. Well made and they didn't fill it to the rim with gallons of liquor.

    The waiter was on the ball and very friendly. He suggested two drinks to my friend, but it turned out it was the two that she was deliberating over anyway (so I got one, and she the other.)

    The place was busy and somehwat "tight" when walking around, but at the table it was just the two of us enjoying each others company. I almost forgot I was in Manhattan.

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