Saturday, November 2, 2013

Craft - Flatiron

Another one of those places that looks like it is trying to hide but is too big and you can look in the windows to see it looks very classy

To check Yelp 
 It looks like just about everybody who did a Yelp review is falling over him or herself to tell you how good it is

Except one person who found "everything greasy," and some others who feel it is way too expensive to start with as far as they are concerned

Craft

4.0 star rating
580 reviews Rating Details
43 E 19th St
(between Broadway & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Flatiron
(212) 780-0880
Make a Reservation
Nearest Transit Station:
23 St. (4, 6, 6X)
14 St. - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
23 St. (N, R)
Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Attire:
Dressy
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Price Range:
$$$$
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
No
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Classy, Upscale
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
About This Business:
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578 reviews in English

  • Review from

    Philadelphia, PA
    11/1/2013
    Best meal I've had in a while. I tried the oysters from BC, lobster, shortribs, pork ravioli, pumpkin ravioli, the risotto, and gnocchi. Apart from the gnocchi, everything i tried was exquisite. I cannot wait to come back for more.

    We also got a tour of the kitchen which was pretty cool.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    10/26/2013 1 check-in here
    5 years ago, we came here for my birthday dinner. I remembered food was very good (it was my bf and I, our first fine dining experience together), and great ambiance. (oops not yelper then)

    5 years later, it's just as good as I remembered it! This time around, we had the wagyu carpaccio, pork ravioli, braised lobster (YUMMY) and American Wagyu Collutte plus potato puree and hen of the woods mushroom. EVERYTHING was as good as we remembered it! This is what I call consistency! The side dishes were amazingly good and I have to say, you never go wrong with Tom Collichio! We been to Craft, Craft steak (now Collichio and sons) and Riverpark! He never fails us!

    Lastly we also ordered chocolate souffle (we did order this last time around as well) and it's still amazing! Our waitress were very friendly and interactive. It has been a pleasure, and maybe we won't wait another 5 years to come back.
  • Review from

    • 24 friends
    • 25 reviews
    New York, NY
    10/12/2013
    I really appreciate the minimalism of Craft -- both in terms of decor and plating. Your food is served under-dressed but perfect as perfect can be.

    This is easily among my top two Colicchio favorites, and also among my top ten restaurants in the city.
  • Review from

    • 31 friends
    • 33 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    10/7/2013
    3.5 STARS: There were a few memorable dishes like the risotto with bacon and pork trotter with farm egg appetizers. The remaining dishes were all quite decent. The only reasons Craft missed the mark for me are that (1) the food was served lukewarm/cool as though it had been sitting for awhile, and that (2) our server provided sub-service in a weird way - she was polite and was around but her attitude was brisk and she took too long for various items like providing menus, taking away menus, taking the order, giving us the check, etc. which caused my post-dinner bday plans to delay by an hour. I love Top Chef, Tom C., and comfort food. That's why I picked Craft for my bday. But I doubt that even he could rave about lukewarm food.

    Other useful facts: Restaurant was very quiet; They "recommend" that each person pick an appetizer, dinner entree, and a side, which means you are spending arounde ~$100/p. But then, you're to share it family style. It confused our group as to how much to order. The server said she would tell us when it's too much. She didn't. We thought we underordered. Instead, we left several plates behind. Also, not all the food was shareable, which is a weird way to serve "family style" food.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    10/29/2013
    Beyond a pleasure of a dining experience.

    After making reservations for our wedding anniversary we were presented with a menu with "Happy Anniversary" with our names on it, which was wrapped up for us to take home.

    Not only was the food absolutely delicious, the service was impeccable (Kim was fantastic.) We had two fish dishes, three sides, one appetizer and dessert and it was all incredibly delicious. Even though we over ordered, we finished it all.

    On the way out they gave us apple cider muffins to eat for breakfast the next day.

    The whole evening was wonderful and we cannot wait to eat at Craft again.
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    10/5/2013 1 check-in here
    Such a quiet place to dine at!

    I got the:
    American Wagyu Culotte:  tasty meat!
    Hen of the Woods Mushrooms:  such an assortment-they were a bit big, but good!
    Corn & Bacon Risotto:  yummmy!
    Zucchini:  I liked how tiny they were :P

    As for drinks, the Basilico (with fresh strawberries) was super tasty!

    My boo got a complimentary chocolate dessert for his bday, and they printed out his name on the menu :P  Also on the way out, we all got apple cider muffins!  Yumm!
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    9/19/2013
    Craft gets a very solid four stars.  It's an impressive restaurant, and there is a reason it has stood the test of time in New York when many other restaurants can't.  The experience is a great mix of uptown fine dining and downtown cool.  Everything is very high quality, but not to the point of being stuffy.  The interiors are spacious but not massive, and every table is well spaced out so that the restaurant still has a bustle but you can easy hear your own conversation.

    The cocktail menu was great and everyone enjoyed their drinks.  The food menu is unique in that everything is driven by one ingredient, and served very simply.  They also encourage you to order family style, so you sort of piece together a meal with your table and end up having a complete mix of foods, but they are all ordered separately.  You can really appreciate the high quality of ingredients that Craft is using because they allow most things to stand on their own with little seasoning and it is still delicious.

    We tried two salads, beets and heirloom tomatoes, and both were great - summery and simple.  The pastas were one of the highlights, though they venture a bit from the rest of the menu as they come with a few different ingredients and are more of a complete dish.  The corn ravioli was especially delicious.  The main dishes were well prepared, but because of the simplicity they were more forgettable.  The vegetables were probably my favorite section of the menu.  They have a huge selection to choose from, and we loved the mushroom assortment and cipollini onions.  The desserts were really interesting, which again ventured from the simple approach, but were fun to try - especially the unique ice cream flavors.

    My one complaint is with the waiter. Our waiter seemed completely scattered all night, and went missing for the entire dessert/check portion of our meal.  For a restaurant that is often reserved for special occasions, I would've liked to be treated a little better and had a waiter that was more involved. Everyone else on the waitstaff was very helpful, though.

    Overall I really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I would rank it as highly as Adam Platt did on his list of top 101 NYC restaurants.
  • Review from

    • 43 friends
    • 56 reviews
    New York, NY
    8/30/2013 1 check-in here
    Craft is phenomenal. I went here on a business dinner and everyone bonded over food and booze - you can't ask for more in life, right?

    For appetizers, we ordered oysters, braised octopus (sooo good), the corn pasta and the pork belly bacon (melts in your mouth). I would come back here just for the pork belly bacon. The middle was succulent and juicy, while the too layer was crispy and bacon-y (for lack of a better word). I highly recommend this.

    For entrees I ordered the American wagyu, which is just like Kobe beef. This was cooked perfectly! I also tried some of the braised short ribs, which I thought was even more delicious. The scallop entree was really fresh and great. However, only there are only three scallops and that wouldn't hold me over for a whole meal!

    All in all, this place is scrumptious and it's a must try!
  • Review from

    • 18 friends
    • 49 reviews
    New York, NY
    8/25/2013
    Where to begin?

    My boyfriend and I know two of the chefs at Craft and visited the restaurant for our first time tonight. We were lucky enough to be given a tour of the immaculate kitchen as well as truly superb service and some complementary dishes / glasses of wine. All in all I believe it was one of the most exceptional meals I've ever had. We both ordered the tasting menu and spent 4 hours in the restaurant almost dumbfounded at the choice of flavors and ingredients utilized in each dish, along with the brilliantly paired wines that complemented every course.

    It was a pleasure to meet all of the staff. The service was impeccable and we could not have had a more wonderful time enjoying some of the best food I've ever had in New York.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    7/23/2013 7 photos 1 check-in here
    Piggy alert!  Oink, oink, oink.  I don't know where to begin, because just like the name suggests, Craft really does craft the most ah-mah-zing dishes.

    We had the tasting menu + wine pairing, and every dish outdid the last dish.  It was like bites of heaven, white clouds of deliciousness, morsels of mouth-watering goodness.   By the time the meal ended, my tummy was out to Timbuktu.

    The service was impeccable, they made sure you're very taken care of.  Every time you get up to use the restroom, they fold your napkin.  They constantly fill your water, they check in on you and ask if everything is alright.  Our waiter, Cesar, was truly exceptional-- I hope his manager is reading this, because, he rocked our socks, off!

    One of the dishes contained cheese in it, so they made sure to do my dish without.  Love that kind of attention to detail.

    In all my fine dining experiences, hands down, one of my favorites/pleasurable.  I highly recommend this place, the food is beyond, the atmosphere is perfect, the staff- top notch, and really, I couldn't have asked for a better meal.

    Thank you, Craft.  *thumbs way up*
  • Review from

    • 5 friends
    • 4 reviews
    Corona, NY
    8/24/2013
    Decor, eclectic. Ambience, beautiful. Service, stellar... And the most important... Food, which reminded me of what the simplistic combinations of ingredients can take your mouth to mouthwatering ride of pleasure.

    I took my wife there for her birthday and she was very pleased. I told one of the servers about it being my wife's birthday. I asked them to keep it quiet and that it was a surprise. They silently came to our table with a personal chocolate mousse cake with a single candle (delicious). The manager personally came to greet and thank us for the visit.
  • Review from

    • 17 friends
    • 22 reviews
    Arlington, VA
    8/18/2013
    Maybe this place deserves two stars, but  when my Fiance keeps commenting about how unhappy I look during dinner it's one star for you.

    I've been to Craftbar and Colicchio and Sons and quite liked them.  I'm not just trying to assassinate the top chef judge.  Honestly this place sucked though.

    Everything I had (except desert) was greasy.  Even the beans were covered in Sofrito and other assorted crap.  Maybe it was my ordering, but the problem is that nothing on the menu has a description.  Sure the wait staff is happy to describe anything, but how long am I going to sit there.

    On top of that, this restaurant is expensive.  20+ appetizers, 30-40 main courses and the main courses have no side dishes so you are in for an extra 10 a person for side dishes.

    The ice cream and doughnuts were quite good for desert and the tables are spacious.
  • Review from

    Huntington Station, NY
    6/21/2013
    Accessible. This was the first word that came to my mind when I entered the restaurant, and then sat down. Yeah, it's an expensive restaurant, and yeah the people next to us where talking about their 40 yacht and their plans for the summer...but it felt like we were just another couple going for a nice dinner out. Now, this was a first date, so it was definitely to impress, but I could easily see this being a few friends going to enjoy a great meal too.

    Now to start, we had a reservation made earlier in the week through Opentable, and they promptly called to confirm it and ask if there was any special occasion. Then followed up with emails etc. After finally locating the place day of (it doesn't really have good signage...and we entered not 1, not 2, but 3 other establishments along the way to ask for directions), we were promptly escorted to our seats and given yummy bread.

    Now, for the meal. I ordered the Rabbit medallions stuffed with spinach (I think), because I'd never had it before. I was a little underwhelmed to be honest, and it also felt a bit cool on the inside...so I wasn't to excited. But the polenta, was delicious and creamy. The gnocchi were TO.DIE.FOR! So soft and pillowy, and not thick and dense...not too much of a cream sauce. Ugh, I could eat those all day. Now, my friend got the Braised short rib and wowowowow that was melt in your mouth delicious. I mean, there was a nice crispy top and the meat just flaked away. Perfect. Kinda wish I had have ordered that actually....

    Anyway, now for the wine. We didn't know what to get other than we wanted a Syrah, so we asked our waiter. He made a great suggestion of a Syrah (crap can't remember the name, but at $95 it better be good!). It was like a never ending bottle of deliciousness! I mean, seriously...a half bottle probably would have been a better idea, but it was so dang good.

    Anyway, dessert. Not that we weren't full or anything, but we had to try something. Now, we had ordered the Brioche Pain Perdu and the Cherry-lime sorbet. We got the Brioche, but our cherry-lime sorbet never came...but we DID get the donuts and a little amouse bouche. I don't know what happened to the sorbet...we were to full to really bother asking. But the brioche was delicious and not too sweet, while the ice cream and the marmalade were perfect complements. Now, the donuts themselves weren't super special, nor was the raspberry sauce, but the chocolate sauce was amazing. Again, not too sweet, but I don't know what chocolate they used, but it was awesome. My friend mentioned that a nice spice like chipotle..some heat, would have been nice, but it was still pretty awesome.

    Finally, we were one of the last couples to leave, given that we had had a 10pm seating, so it was nice and quiet. On the way out, we were also given some delicious chocolate banana bread which made a nice breakfast the next morning.

    I know that this is a super long review...but I really was impressed. Yeah, the food was great. Yeah, the decor was amazing and chill...but the music was awesome. Like, not muzak, not classical...just nice subdued hipster/indie/mellow tunes that worked well to again make the place more accessible. Now, with tip the damage was $300...but without the bottle of wine it would have been somewhat more manageable. Still, not an everyday kinda thing, and would definitely be for a special occasion, but I would happily go there for the service received and the quality of the food. I've been to other highly acclaimed restaurants that did not live up to the hype...so i'm glad that this did! Thanks Tom Colicchio!

    PS. Also, there was a girl that got up onto a table at the end of the night to celebrate something....I mean, come on, the place can't be that bad if they let you do that!!!
  • Review from

    • 26 friends
    • 9 reviews
    New York, NY
    9/27/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    One of my favorite in NYC, for a special occasion!
  • Review from

    • 15 friends
    • 15 reviews
    Lincolnwood, IL
    9/22/2013
    I was extremely underwhelmed by the food at this restaurant. While I enjoyed the decor, service and extra little touches, I would definitely not return.  The scallops dish was three large bay scallops for around $40. They were seared and seasoned well, but that's it.  I really didn't understand how it warranted that price tag.  The salads and sides are intended to be shared, but they are incredibly small portions which felt too small for myself and one friend. It was around $20 for a small plate of green beans which were literally blanched and tossed in a bit of butter.  I will say that the wine list was incredible, the service was good, and the amuse-bouche and muffin they sent us home with were nice.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 11 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    8/11/2013
    Visited Craft last Wednesday. The experience was great. I love the atmosphere, the decoration, the large table, and the space between the tables that everyone has privacy in a busy restaurant. The decorated incandescent lights created a warm, cozy environment without blinding anyone.

    The food was delicious, and unexpected. The marinated squid was unexpectedly tender. Often I found that I love the side dishes more than the main course. The roasted squash was another surprise. It was small squash roasted then lighted sauté with tomato and basil sauce. It was full of fresh Summer flavor.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review
    East Brunswick, NJ
    8/10/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    Went here in June for my brothers birthday. When they called to confirm the reservation they ask if it's for a special occasion that they need to make a note of which was very nice of them.

    When we got there they were pretty busy and we sat at the bar for a few minutes until our table was ready.

    The menu looked good and we ended up ordering the oysters, foie gras, coulotte, rabbit, halibut,scallop and three sides. I must say, everything was absolutely delicious! Afterwards, we did order dessert and they even bought out a little cake with a candle as well as an extra dessert on the house. It was an expensive meal but well worth it.
    Great service, excellent food.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 24 reviews
    Holmdel, NJ
    7/22/2013
    I don't understand why no one has ordered the suckling pig for two- it was like having 6 different entrees at once.

    I had the bee sting cocktail at the bar which I loved. We ordered the seared foie with pickled strawberries (perfect combination), the suckling pig for two (6 entrees in one), the corn and bacon risotto (rich and sweet), and the brioche for dessert. We chose one bottle of wine based on the sommelier's recommendation - and he was spot-on. The ambiance is perfect, the tables aren't too close together and the music is the perfect volume. I couldn't have asked for anything more. This is what food is meant to be - the best ingredients, simply well-prepared.

    Wonderful.
  • Review from

    • 37 friends
    • 61 reviews
    Grand Prairie, TX
    7/9/2013 1 check-in here
    We went to Craft as the last destination after visiting about 8 other restaurants that day. We got the trotter and foie gras with strawberries as appetizers. The foie gras was especially good (it usually is). I ordered the braised lobster with smoked butter for my main, which was probably the best entrée that I tasted that night. My brother and his girlfriend ordered dry aged ribeye for two, and my girlfriend ordered the wagyu with bone marrow. Both were delicious, but nothing different than what you expect from a steak. My sister got a pasta, which was probably the weakest of all our dishes. The sides we shared were the hen of the woods mushrooms, roasted shishitos, and the potatoes gratin. All were very well cooked and tasted great.

    Outside of the tasting menu, nothing looked very creative. However, everything we did order was executed flawlessly, and the flavors were spot on. What Craft seems to lack in originality, they more than make up in perfect preparation.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 67 reviews
    Opelika, AL
    9/13/2013
    Visited Craft in DEC 2012.....everything was top notch from the service to the food.   Was it expensive?  You bet but it was worth every penny.

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