They serve burgers here but then so did (notoriously) the famous "21"
Pumpkin Pie Soup? That sounds interesting
I noticed as I got into this that are a TON of reviews for this place and most of them are pretty good...this may come out a little unbalanced with too much attention to sour apples but I have to cut off these reviews because they go on forever
Harding's
Categories:
American (New),
Cocktail Bars
32 E 21st St(between Broadway & Park Ave S)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Flatiron
(212) 600-2105
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
23 St. (4, 6, 6X)23 St. (N, R)14 St. - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 12 pm - 12 amFri 12 pm - 1 amSat 11 am - 1 amSun 11 am - 3:30 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
47 reviews for Harding's
Review Highlights What's this?
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"Must have: toast, pumpkin pie soup, short ribs, burger, chicken." In 4 reviews -
"Yes, the fig toast is still really yummy." In 4 reviews -
"The braised short ribs were the best I've ever had." In 7 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
47 reviews in English
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Review from Miguel M.
Manhattan, NYHarding's,
Need I say more? One would relish the thought and compare the name with elegance, style, and grace! Prior to my attendance of Harding's, I have had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful and amiable owners who have delighted me with their acquaintances. Insofar, that all I could ever think of was having the opportunity to dine at Harding's. At last, my moment of patience has prevailed!
A friend of mine was in town, and she requested to have dinner. I was more than happy to take her to Harding's; since it was all I have discussed upon her arrival. She agreed and off we went.
I was greeted by a lovely host and seated near the back left of the luxurious restaurant. A captivating waitress supplied us with menus and was most cordial. When reviewing the menu, my friend and I were excited of the variety of delicious foods. We decided to have the Half Dozen Oysters On A Half Shell: Sparkling wine, pear & shallot mignonette! This 'Starter' was an understatement! We could not stop raving of how exquisite the meal was! However, with consideration of the magnificent Oysters, we ordered salads.
The salad of choice was, Warm Octopus & Potato Salad: Grilled octopus, baby new potatoes, hard-boiled egg, and sherry caper vinaigrette. Now, I'm, at times, reluctant to order octopus; however, when trying this glorious meal, I was in for a treat! I couldn't believe how refine the food tasted. From then on, I order such a salad of that nature or do not bother to order at all (a bit extreme, yet, please do give it a try and you will see what I am speaking of).
For the main course, Shortribs: Braised country beef ribs, cabernet, grilled turnips, celery root & potato purée. This dinner my friend was the cherry on top! There are not enough words (although, I am a poet) to explain how remarkably pleasant it was! If you are in town, and enjoy tender ribs, please order such a delicate dish.
Of course, we ended our night with coffee, desserts and had splendid conversations with the waitress. All in all, it was not just a night to remember or some repeated cliché, it felt like Home.
Sincerely, -
Review from Bryan C.
Manhattan, NYThis place is going for the old americana look right down to the civil war news on the walls though the menu wanders off a bit. I do not think too much smoked salmon was being served in either the north or south during the civil war.
The food was just okay as liked the smoke salmon though hard to screw that up and it is one of my girlfriends favorites. Both our entrees were fine but nothing to write home or on Yelp about. I cannot even remember what I ate and just had it four days ago.
Service was good though not surprising as only customer being served by waitress as there was only 7 total people eating there on a Friday night though being over 4th of July weekend that is not surprising.
This place goes into the meh catergory for the most part but the nice open space and good service bring it up to okay. -
Review from Jacqueline L.
New Hope, PAI visited Hardings last Friday night with a group of 7. We had a nice big table at the back of the restaurant with a view of the whole place. The high ceilings and dark decor meshed well with the Civil War vibe they were trying to give off.
I enjoyed my whisky sour (I always do) and the fact that they added egg whites just added to my delight.
We had a large assortment of apps and entrees. I personally went for the fig toast as an app. and the grilled romaine salad for my entree. Both were simple but not lacking in flavor. I love figs in general, so the mix of fig with goat cheese and a little honey on crusty bread were perfect to start. The grilled romaine had a Caesar salad feel to it, but the grilling addition really made it much better.
For dessert, we were given the flapjacks on the house, so that just made everything better. I would have never thought pancakes as dessert would be so tasty, but the pancake was mixed with ice cream and syrup, so it was the perfect bit of sweet that the table shared.
Definitely a fun place to try for simple American food done nicely in my opinion. -
Review from Katie M.
Brooklyn, NYReally loved the food, ambiance, and energy here. Hardings is a classy place for a date or a small group. I'd give this place 5 stars if it weren't for the fact that our water glasses were left a bit high and dry and the waitress kept trying to upsell us their most expensive items on the menu. I can't blame her for doing her job, but it seemed a bit insincere. I'll definitely come back. The meat (pork loin & ribeye) was fantastic. -
Review from John M.
Manhattan, NYPumpkin pie soup?? Pretty much as delicious as you would expect, with an amazing warm whipped cream in the middle.
Split two entrees - the short ribs and the meatballs, both of which were delicious. The portions were perfectly sized as we both had clean plates by the time we polished off the wine.
Service was also spot-on, not too rushed and always timely with the refills.
Having walked by this place for a year now, I'm glad I finally stopped to go inside and enjoy this really cool space with the good food and wine.
Will definitely be making this a neighborhood regular. -
Review from Matt R.
New York, NYI went for brunch with 6 people and the food was fantastic. To start, their coffee drinks are unbelievably good -- they use excellent beans and clearly know what they are doing. The rest of the food was all around excellent with the French toast and the griddle cake being huge hits. Their egg dishes were similarly excellent and it tasted like very fresh eggs. Overall I would say all the ingredients were top-notch and it certainly showed.
I was definitely one of the better brunches I've been to in a while. And to top it all off they put us in our own private room that was awesomely decorated with old timey photographs, worn down wax candlesticks, etc. Definitely a great find. -
Review from Alexandra W.
Manhattan, NYI never write reviews and am very easy to please. I was excited to come here but was very disappointed. The restaurant is very nice, warm, cozy decor. Had a 7:15 res for 2. Despite 75% empty rest, hostess attempted to seat us up front by the bar, but I preferred to sit in the dining room. She said that "we have to seat our earlier reservations up there" and so I offered to wait. She said it would be after 8pm. Miraculously five min later she was able to take apart a 4 top into two 2s and we were seated. Waiter was terrible-hardly said hello to us. 20 min into sitting I finally got to tell him I was ready to order and he walked away for another five- ten min. The food was very good-everything tasted great. The portions were inadequate. I'm not a big eater and I was not full. I think for 27 dollars with mediocre service I could get something on the side with the 3 nice scallops aside from 2 Brussel sprouts. Having to order sides makes this restaurant overpriced. Ended up getting full on dessert, which was excellent, but didn't come there looking to fill up on dessert. I noticed most people around us made reservations through Savored. I use that all the time but didn't think to look this place up on there. Pretty upsetting. I don't think I would have minded if this whole eXperience cost maybe $100, but for $200 I am pretty upset. Feel pretty ripped off. Place is nice, food is good, won't go back. -
Review from Lama B.
For brunch Nelly, Jad, Dana and Marve went to Harding's. We stayed for 3 hours. Yes, I kid you not, 3 hours. After a few of the Farmer's Daughter (I think that was the cocktail), coffees, two burgers, two smoked salmon platters, a chicken and grilled romaine salad, lots of oysters, heirloom tomatoes, and of course, french toast for dessert, we left extremely satisfied. The space is simply stunning-gorgeous chandeliers, high ceilings, charming tables and chairs, and it is sooo spacious. Their one free cocktail with brunch hits the spot too. I will soo be back. Try it you'll love it. -
Review from Rubia M.
Brooklyn, NYI cannot emphasize enough how gracious and friendly the staff is!
I was greeted by a warm smile and chatted with the host and then was pleasantly surprised by the bartender's craftsmanship at the beautiful, generously proportioned bar.
Will be back soon! -
Review from Captain G.
New York, NYFriendly bartenders. Great selections of wine & cocktails. Good food options. I've been here 2x and only hug out at the bar. No complaints. Will definitely return. As for dinner, I've heard from a friend that it's pretty good too. Will have to try next time. -
Review from Nicole R.
Came here on a Friday night with a group of 4 after making a reservation on OpenTable. Your experience will definitely depend on where you're seated due to the relatively loud music/large bar at the entrance. Luckily we were seated towards the back left in a little nook and had a great dinner. The restaurant space is pretty big with high ceilings, yet there is a still an intimate and fun atmosphere. We started off with some cocktails as it seemed like the way to go, and I really enjoyed my Tom Collins which had just the right ratio of tart and sweet.
They had just switched to the Spring menu so our waiter hadn't had a chance to try all of the new dishes yet, but he was able to recommend a few "must try". We started off sharing a few apps, including the salmon and stuffed peppers. Our table really enjoyed the short ribs, as well as the pork belly and fish combo, although while both were delicious it didn't seem like a pairing that seemed to go very well together. Fries were a great side to share.
The highlight of the meal was definitely the dessert. The griddle cakes were out of this world. We literally were amazed how delicious they were and so happy we ordered it. Would definitely be back, if only for the griddle cakes, and I am not even a dessert person. -
Review from Mary F.
New York, NYDee-lish! A bit noisy on the night we where there (party going on in the front bar), but the food and service was very good. Loved the menu choices and can't wait to go back and try more! -
Review from Chris M.
I had dinner at Harding's on a Thursday evening, but this review is about the space/atmosphere, not the food.
I LOVE that there's room to move around at Harding's, it's not claustrophobic like so many spots in Manhattan. The ceiling is high, the bar large and decor is industrial Americana. I think Harding's has done a great job at being a massive restaurant (by NYC standards) that's cozy.
If you're interested in hosting a private event there's a small den in the back as well as a mezzanine space.
The only thing I didn't love abut the atmosphere was the volume of the music. It was a little loud for my liking. -
Review from Brenda M.
Astoria, NYI absolutely love love loved this place.
The staff was friendly and as attentive as they could be even though they were super busy.
The food was EXCELLENT. I went for a bourbon and burger event and I have to say, that was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had (and burgers are kiiiinda my thing).
Also really loved the decor, exposed brick, cool furniture, lovely bar area. My only complaint (minor but worth mentioning) is that the dinner portion of the even was held in a private room upstairs that overlooked the downstairs dining room. It was pretty loud up there (all the chatter from downstairs seemed to echo). That wasn't the case downstairs. -
Review from Jim B.
If I tried more of the menu, maybe I could go four stars, but based on a burger and a beer, I can only go three
It's a nice place but just a little awkward. Best area is the formal dining area in the back. Linens. Also some seats in the mezzanine - which could be iffy. The centrally located bar is nicely done. Seating near the door looks odd to me - three or four hightops with linens to match the formal dining area in the back. Next to the row of hightops there is a small lounge area with over-stuffed chairs. Maybe they are using the linens on the hightops to hide the view :( If it was up to me I would add more hightops (no linens) and get rid of the chairs.
Decor sets this place apart. To me it seemed to have a Civil War era theme. Old time photos on one wall. Draped American flag on the opposite wall. Old style brass candlesticks on the tables.
By contrast the music is modern and loud. Some New Orleans up tempo stuff, some stuff which sounded Indy, some Pop. I was not listening closely.
Ten beers on tap. If I recall correctly there were eight craft beers plus Bud and Bud Light. I had a Greenport which was pretty good.
Getting back to the food, they make a good burger but the bun was greasy. I mentioned it to the bartender - he told me that the kitchen does it to get grill marks .Not such a good idea. Fries were good. I want to go back and try more of the menu. -
Review from Daniel C.
Midtown East, Manhattan, NYDecent meal. I got the burger, but the bun was disgusting. It was soaking wet with butter. The apps were better than the mains. -
Review from Jessica H.
Manhattan, NYSince I live practically next door, I've been wanting to try out this restaurant since it opened. The decor is really vintage and AWESOME. The place is so open and the bar in the middle is great. Would be a great place for an event. Came here for lunch but definitely want to try dinner at some point.
What we got:
Grilled Toast with Goat Cheese & Figs - This was DELICIOUS
Our Burger - GREAT burger and fries; Seasoned mayo was a great addition
Giving Thanks - Good sandwich
Lobster Roll - This was more of a lobster salad sandwich with very little lobster
Service:
Given that we were maybe one of three parties at lunch, there was a lag between appetizers and entrees but it didn't really bother us since we were catching up. Great wait service - friendly, attentive but not intrusive/aggressive. -
Review from Jon A.
New York, NYAte here on a thursday night. Great crowd, good service, AWESOME food. I had the squid appetizer and scallops, my friend had the tomato soup and homemade pasta. nom nom. Only feedback is that it was kind hard to find the place from 21st St. -
Review from Harue J.
Manhattan, NYWhy do restaurants play music SO LOUD?!?
There's a pretty big bar in the front side of open space and the dining tables are in the back. There's NO separation, so ppl around the bar are standing or roaming around getting drunk and, therefore, louder and louder.
We got to talk to the co-owner. i was too polite to tell him the noise was rather annoying because the food was good. Turns out 3 other friends at my table felt the same way. I don't mind some good background music, but this place is one of the worst and that's all i remember now. -
Review from Jerome Y.
New York, NYNew, friendly bar tenders. Closes kind of early.
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