Translation from English

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Demure Little Place-- Park Avenue Summer....

I was really delighted and amused to find this on my way over to Fifth Avenue from farther West on the Upper East Side...Park Avenue Summer.

I have rarely seen a place that was so just so elegantly understated, and, of course, broadcasting also that it was not exactly going to be an inexpensive experience..

But is it any good? We turn to Yelp, which thinks it is 

Park Avenue

4.0 star rating
516 reviews Rating Details
Category: American (New)  [Edit]
100 E 63rd St
New York, NY 10065
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 644-1900
Make a Reservation
Nearest Transit Station:
Lexington Av/63 St (F)
Lexington Av/59 St (N, Q, R)
59 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 3 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$$
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Dressy
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

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "The chocolate cube dessert HIGHLY recommend." In 53 reviews
  • "I can't wait to try Winter, Spring and Summer." In 148 reviews
  • "I can't wait to come back during autumn to try it again." In 80 reviews
Show more review highlights
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516 reviews in English

  • Review from

    7/22/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    I love this place. First, I really like how they decorate for each season.. it makes my appetite much higher till I wait my orders.
    I love their delicate breads selections and so nice how they present them (coming with all ingredients for every bread). We had Lobster Club and Grilled Chicken salad. Everything so tasty and so fresh! I could taste each ingredients nicely and freshly, and also great taste when those are melting together in my mouth!
    This is one of my favorite places. :)
  • Review from

    7/22/2013 1 check-in here
    Holy cow this place was amazing!  My cousin threw a party for their 1 year old daughter there yesterday and the food did not stop coming.  From shrimp to lobster roll, salmon tartar and little cheeseburgers it was hard to tell that there was a  real meal coming anytime soon.  Lunch itself was a three course meal.  I had a very tasty avocado wrapped tuna dish for an "appetizer" and for the meal I had ricotta pancakes with three tasty sides.  The portions were perfect (the salads were huge) and then there was the array of amazing desserts. I had the creme brule with pecan biscotti and my mom had the chocolate cube - I couldn't breathe after all this food.

    I would definitely come back here during Restaurant Week, when I can actually afford to eat here.
  • Review from

    • 30 friends
    • 175 reviews
    7/18/2013 2 photos 1 check-in here
    A hot and humid afternoon in the city had me searching for nearby eats.  From The Pierre Hotel, I walked over to Park Avenue Summer and decided I was going to either have a salad, a burger or something else...

    When I walked in, I was greeted by a smiling hostess who was kind enough to ask if I needed to check my bags.  She seated me, a table for one...but the table was set for 2.

    After several awkward minutes and seeing other tables receive service after my arrival, it prompted me to give a long stare to the hostess and 'gang' of waitstaff.  Immediately the hostess and a waiter came to my table, cleared the 2nd plate setting and asked if I'd care for water...which was much appreciated.

    After receiving the menu, I looked it over with much anticipation.  No doubt this place is pricey which isn't necessarily a 'norm' for me but it's also not that crazy expensive either (in comparison)...in short, I don't mind paying for quality and experience.  At $17, the Chicken and Waffle sandwich offer really peeked my interest.  I've seen the craze over chicken and waffles and I've always been a bit baffled...but I figured if I was gonna try it, why not here?

    I ordered. Within a minute a bread basket arrived which I have to say was truly the highlight of this lunch.  The Park Avenue Flat Bread, superb.  I mean seriously awesome.  The Summer Corn Roll, delicious.  The Warm Cheddar Biscuit reminded me of my years in the South.  It was absolutely perfect.

    When the Chicken and Waffle sandwich arrived, I immediately thought, "This would be so much better as an open face sandwich."  The accompanying salad had generous slices of tomatoes with sea salt and looked epic.  Unfortunately the greens were well over their serve date and should have never made it onto my plate.  I brought it to the waiters attention who immediately had the hostess bring me a fresh side of greens (and tomatoes) but explained they had to use the greens for other sandwiches since apparently all the greens used for my plate were not suitable for serving (or eating).

    I used a fork and knife for the sandwich.  The bottom waffle was greasy and waterlogged...so I found myself just eating the chicken instead.  The chicken itself wasn't cut evenly so you had a very thin cut turn into a larger cut and the texture was as if the chicken were cut 'against the grain' if that makes any sense.

    When the waiter brought the dessert menu, I wanted to try it only because it was by the same chef as the bread served earlier...but at a minimum of $14 each, I passed.

    In all, I spent under $20 for lunch.  Some would say that's a bargain in NYC.  In case you missed it, the bread was the saving grace (no pun intended).  Just bread and water please.  My hats off to the pastry chef.
    • Chicken Waffle Sandwich - Park Avenue Summer
    • Bread 'basket' - Park Avenue Summer
  • Review from

    7/17/2013
    I was so excited to come here after hearing they change the decor based off the season. In all honesty I wasn't really sure what the "summer" aspect of the restaurant was once we were seated.Maybe I need to go during another season to compare.

    I started off with the white sangria which was really great! You could taste the wine and it wasn't too sweet. This was a nice way to cool down.

    Moving on to apps I loved the gnocchi. It was really rich with the corn. The heirloom tomato salad was good although the cheese was a little too sharp for my taste. I picked around the cheese and stuck with tomatoes. The Cesar salad was pretty generic.

    As my main course I had the trout. This was based off a recommendation by the waitress. I've never had trout before so I trusted her and was so glad I did!! Delicious! It came with crispy kale and lemon aioli on the side. I didn't really like either which was a bummer but the trout for up for it :)

    My favorite part was dessert. As all other reviews say get the chocolate cube! It's their signature and really good! The strawberry shortcake box was also delicious and can easily be share by 4 people even though the menu says 2. If you're feeling adventurous try the sweet corn ice cream. Don't be afraid, just do it! It tasted similar to vanilla with a hint of corn. It's always nice to try something you wouldn't usually try!

    Our server was amazing! She was knowledgeable about the menu and every suggestion she gave she was right on! Really appreciate waitresses who try to make your experience amazing and she was one of them!

    Maybe I will go back during winter so I am really understand the seasons and decor.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 24 reviews
    7/12/2013
    First, the restaurant itself changes its decor and menu based on the season, which is charming.  I've eaten at both Park Avenue Spring and Park Avenue Summer, and thought both were excellent dining experiences.  Since the menu changes constantly, it's hard to recommend food.  I would suggest trying whatever steak option is available, the gazpacho, and/or seafood appetizers.  The deserts here are also good, but tend to be on the heavy side so make sure to eat a light entre if you intend to order desert.  This is one of the few restaurants in this area which offer strong appetizer and entree options, so I would definitely recommend ordering both courses.

    As I mentioned above, the décor of the restaurant changes by the season, but is always lovely and relaxing.  The flower arrangements are beautiful. Also, I've noticed that they adjust the lighting and temperature based on the weather outside.

    This is a great place to eat lunch with colleagues, a big group of friends or family.  I probably wouldn't come here on a date because most of the other diners are in big groups, so the setting isn't particularly intimate.  You can also reserve the basement area if your group is big enough, which is private and quite a pretty area.

    I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting New York, who likes high-quality food, especially steak and seafood!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 92 reviews
    7/6/2013
    Went here for lunch on their Summer menu.  Good stuff.

    Service was pretty good, and the space was pretty comfortable.  Nice and inviting bright, seasonal decor.  Good for groups, like families or business groups.

    If you can go this summer, do it.  They have sort of a greatest hits thing going on since they're moving to a new location (where, I don't know).

    For my entree I had the cured-lemon caesar salad.  It was very, very delicious.  The cured lemons were delicately sweet, and really went well with the lettuce and the anchovies.  The only complaint was the way it was served.  It was beautiful to look at, but it was a bit hard to eat since it was served as a stack of heart of romain.  Good salad, though.  Most of the people at the table got the yellowfin tuna, which was huge, and apparently pretty good.

    For lunch I had the open face lobster club.  It was excellent.  I would eat it again and again.  They forgot the bacon, though, so I had to send it back.  They just sorta haphazardly stuck a couple slices of (very excellent) bacon in there.  Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), bacon goes well with lobster!

    We skipped dessert.

    Good food, good service, and good atmosphere, with a little something for everyone.  Though if they skipped some of the cute plating, the food would be easier to eat . . .
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 29 reviews
    6/18/2013
    I went to Park Avenue this past weekend and wasn't sure what to expect. Upon my visit to Park Avenue, it left me wanting to go back to try more of their delicious food! With it being the Summer season at Park Avenue, the menu is comprised of some of their  favorites over the past few years and have to agree that they all looked amazing. Here is my breakdown of my experience at Park Avenue:

    Service (5 out of 5): We had a slightly larger party with 7 of us and they accommodated us wonderfully. The server was great and provided fantastic service all night! Drinks were never empty, plates were cleared quickly and was always around if we needed anything. The wine connoisseur was fantastic and was great about keeping the vino flowing.

    Food (5 out of 5): I am usually a bit more harsh when going to a finer restaurant just because I expect a lot when paying more. At Park Avenue, I don't think anyone could miss. Between the 7 of us at the table, we tried out quite a bit of the menu and there were zero complaints. I personally started with the Gazpacho and thought it to be very flavorful! I am not usually a big fan of Gazpacho since I do not like tomato juice; however, if I could clean the bowl of the Gazpacho at Park Avenue, then I have to say it was one of the best! For my entrée I had the scallops and they were cooked perfectly! As for dessert, you HAVE to try the Chocolate Cube! The presentation on all the dishes was beautiful and overall everything was fantastic!

    Décor (5 out of 5): The place transforms with each season! I went during the Summer season and found the décor to be light and breezy! I really enjoyed the colors and art work around the restaurant. I can't wait to see how it gets transformed with the other seasons!
 

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