Saturday, September 28, 2013

Marcony Restaurant- Murray Hill

Had to get this photo off the internet as photos I took did not come out ( some really weird problem with sun glare).

This place seems familiar to me and pardon me if I have posted on it before-- I looked back and didn't see it anywhere but I may have overlooked the posting somehow.

OK, on to the reviews--OK, decidedly mixed, with some of the more negative ones coming earlier on here and the better ones later ( the good ones are pretty current , though, when Yelp posts these reviews they do not have them in exact chronological order of when they were written).


Marcony

3.0 star rating
60 reviews Rating Details
Category: Italian  [Edit]
184 Lexington Ave
(between 31st St & 32nd St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill, Kips Bay
(646) 837-6020
Make a Reservation
Nearest Transit Station:
33 St. (4, 6, 6X)
28 St. (4, 6, 6X)
28 St. (N, R)
Good for Groups:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$$
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Classy
Has TV:
No
Caters:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
About This Business:
Serving simple and flavorful Italian-American food

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60 reviews in English

  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 82 reviews
    Riverdale, Bronx, NY
    6/7/2013
    Mangia Supreme! These pisans know what the hell they are doing in the cucina y'all!

    This place is just so good I can't even stand it!

    Marco of Marcony was personable and hospitable; he made us feel like family. All three of our servers were uber attentive but not in an annoying "back the hell up" sorta way.

    The place was quaint yet refined, I did not feel claustrophobic. I liked the layout.

    But the food was the star at this place:
    My octopus had a savory bacon-y finish that made me wanna sing a rendition of "Under the Sea" with Sebastian. The Salmon was so good (and not everyone can do salmon justice but Marcony sang a symphony with this Salmon all the way down my esophagus). My Chicken Rollatina was exquisite; I didn't know chicken could taste so good! And the vegetables were orgasmic too, I really wanted to lick the plates after every course (but since I had company with me, I didn't wanna be gauche; I was all kinds of gauche in my mind though; I never wanted to lick a plate so bad in my life).

    The only drawback was dessert: Our apple crumble was not as stellar as the rest of the meal; I wish it were a pie or a flaky pastry instead. The meal overall was so great, I can forgive that crumble (especially since the ice cream/gelato on it was good).
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    9/15/2013
    Ok. I've been here many times. Food is good most of the time. The pasta is delicious, any pasta you order will be your best bet. The few times I've strayed from that i was sorely disappointed. The fish (salmon, snapper) tasted old, like it was a few days past the sell by date. Salads? The beets in the beet salad comes buried underneath a huge mound of arugula. There may have been four small pieces of beet in it. Same for the artichoke salad. Prices? Dramatically overpriced specials. You've been warned.

    The owner is gracious bordering on ingratiating. There s a fine line and he steps over it most of the time. Just stop it.  Waitstaff are attentive and available.

    There are too many other better Italian restaurants in the city to justify coming here.
  • Review from

    • 23 friends
    • 26 reviews
    Kips Bay, Manhattan, NY
    9/12/2013 1 check-in here
    Service was so weird.

    I got a groupon for this brunch place, only to find that I lived down the street from it (win, win, win!) My friends didn't show, so it was just two of us having brunch. It was 2:00pm on a Saturday, and I was surprised how empty it was.

    Our groupon included 4 Mimosas (although I only remember receiving 2), a coffee/tea and two entrees.

    The food was fine, typical brunch food. I got the Salmon eggs Benedict variation of some sort, and my co-diner got the nutella french toast. My dish was a hair on the salty side, and the french toast was good.

    I say that the service was weird because the server was kinda rude, and only checked on us maybe once. Which is fine, as long as we didn't need anything. But we had to hail him down to get the check. With a groupon, since you've already purchased the food, you still have to pay for tip and tax.

    There were two of us, and they charged us gratuity, which was so weird. And the bill was $18. I tried to do the math, and I just don't know how the number came up, including gratuity. Of course, they also had a rule that I can't pay by card with a bill under $20. Frustrating.

    I wouldn't be so annoyed if the food was better, or the bill was itemized, or we got the 3rd and 4th mimosas, or they just took my card for the $18 bill.
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    8/19/2013 3 photos 1 check-in here
    I can see why there are so many disgruntled customers from Groupon.

    When we arrived 2pm on a Saturday to the empty restaurant, there was a party of 2 in front of us that told the host that they had a groupon deal, the host looked at us and asked if we were also with a groupon deal. we told them yes, we were seated outside. We had OJ with a splash of sparkling wine and water ... that smelled like an aquarium... I thought I was crazy so I had my brunch date smell it as well. She agreed.

    The server who was also the host asked us if we wanted to do the $20 unlimited drinks special and we politely declined (so glad because he only came to check up on us one other time) we ordered the nutella toast and the salmon pesto benedict, which was actually pretty decent. I would give the food 3.5 out of 5.

    When the server asked us "do you want anything else" - I just said coffee, which was surprisingly really good. When we got the check he also hovered over to make sure we didn't take much time looking at it - shady... then told us we couldn't use credit card... wtf?

    I'm sure this was a mandatory over 20% tip but I had no time to calculate it. It didn't matter, we just wanted to pay it and walk away from this place forever. It's a shame this place was such a disappointment because it's so close to my apartment.

    TL;DR: Rude service, mandatory over 20% tip, dirty drinking water, good coffee.
    • salmon pesto benedict
    • nutella french toast
    • rude service because of mandatory tip
  • Review from

    • 11 friends
    • 11 reviews
    Edgewater, NJ
    8/13/2013
    Just like Kimberlee V stated, we had a very similar (poor) experience.

    The restaurant itself is nice - and would probably be a nice date night place -- if you want terrible service.  We were treated like second class citizens.

    We went with a groupon - 2 mimosas, 2 coffees and 2 brunch entrees.  Our groupon menu was decent.

    The moment we sat down, the waiter came over with 2 mimosas (heavy on the OJ) and wanted to take our order immediately.  He kept coming over to try to take our order to rush us out -- even though there were barely any tables taken and certainly there was no line out the door.

    I had to ask for the coffee because I don't think we would have ever received it.  Our food came out so fast I am pretty sure they gave whatever some "paying" customer ordered to us - it was the correct order though.  The food was OK, I had an omelet that I could have made a lot better at home.

    After we were done, they gave us the check - treated themselves to some fees that were not explained and in code on the check.  Then the waiter tried to grab the bill from under my husbands arm - he had to tell the waiter to go away and that we weren't ready.

    never ever ever will we go back.  terrible place.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review
    Murray Hill, Manhattan, NY
    9/21/2013
    Rip Off!!! They read a long list of specials which all turned out to be double the price. They dont give you a desert menu and they turn out to be $20 each. After being ripped off $150 for 2 people with no drinks, the food sucked and the waiter was creepy.
  • Review from

    • 17 friends
    • 25 reviews
    New York, NY
    6/1/2013 1 photo
    Went with a friend for brunch after purchasing a Groupon. The restaurant is nice and clean but definitely more of a nighttime restaurant. We had to make reservations but when we arrived at 1 o'clock on a Saturday there were only 2 tables full. The person who sat us asked if we had a Groupon and we said yes so he showed us the "groupon" menu but then asked my friend if she wanted a bloody mary or mimosa. She ordered a bloddy mary then another person came to our table with 2 mimosas (one for me, one for her I'm guessing) and when she asked about her bloody mary he responded "that's not part of the groupon deal" - then why did the other guy ask her?!

    I ordered Nutella French toast which was good but rather empty of a plate. Supposedly the original cost of our brunch would have been $68 - I would never pay that much to go to this place. The food was good but definitely not worth that hefty price tag.

    Then the check came and they treated themselves to a 21% tip, which I didn't appreciate. Let us tip you however much we feel is appropriate. Then after my friend and I split the bill we were chatting and the guy reached over in front of my friend's face to pick up the check. He couldn't ask "are you all done?" or "can I grab that?" like just helped himself which I thought was the rudest thing.
    • Nutella French toast
  • Review from

    Queens, NY
    5/5/2013 4 photos 1 check-in here
    Marcony had a packed house on the Saturday afternoon we chose to dine on. But apparently our timing was good since we didn't have to wait for a table. The decor certainly tries to create an upscale and classy atmosphere. There are chandeliers, artsy light fixtures, and walls of bottles of wine. With a livingsocial deal, we got a taste of what an Italian take on brunch was like.

    Uova alla benedettina con salmone marinato ($15.00) - Marcony's version of an egg benedict. But instead of an English muffin, they used toasted Italian bread. And instead of hollandaise sauce, they used pesto sauce. This was kind of bland from the salmon to the egg. The sauce didn't help in adding any flavors either. Also one of my poached egg's yoke was completely solid and overdone which is a big no no. A big component of egg benedicts is the runny yoke. (6.5/10)
    http://www.yelp.com/biz_…

    Panino con pollo ($13.00) - A grilled chicken sandwich load with cheese and peppers. The chicken was flavorful and manged to trap its juices in the meat. The bread was a bit rough and thick though so scratching of the mouth is expected. (7/10)
    http://www.yelp.com/biz_…

    Sure they messed up my egg and the food was average but Marcony is a really nice place for brunch. There was nice soothing music and you were in no way rushed. Though not full, I was certainly relaxed.
    • Uova alla benedettina con salmone marinato ($15.00)
  • Review from

    • 13 friends
    • 24 reviews
    New York, NY
    6/30/2013
    This restaurant has decent food but the waiter (we had Dedo) was a thief. We ordered one bottle of wine...he opened two. We ordered 4 appetizers...he brought 8. If you are coming here be careful of being ripped off.  Despite the reasonably good food I left with a bad taste in my mouth.
  • Review from

    • 17 friends
    • 87 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    5/15/2013
    My in-laws wanted to enjoy "authentic Italian meal" while visitng NYC.  We made a reservation for a Saturday evening at MarcoNY and they were very happy with the selection.

    Ambiance: The restaurant is really lovely.  Although it's two stories with upper and lower seating, and the place was packed on the Saturday night we were there, it wasn't terribly loud which made for nice dinner conversation.  The blue glass chandelier and the bottles of wine create a very nice cozy ambiance.  The wait staff was excellent.  My water glass never got less than halfway full before they were refilling it.

    Appetizers: We had the Carpaccio di Manzo which was described as "paper thin" rare beef slices. They were right - the beef was so tender and thin that it fell apart while trying to pick it up off the plate.  I usually don't like red meat, but this was delicious.  The server said the Polipo alla Griglia (octopus) was the best appetizer on the menu, so we also had that and it was very good.

    Entrees: It's nice that they have a GF and WW option for pasta.  My husband had the GF mezzanelli which was pretty straightforward, but overall very good.  It didn't even taste GF.  I had the potato-crusted red snapper and it was pretty good.  The fish was a little bit tougher than I expected (had almost a meaty sword fish consistency).

    Dessert: We enjoyed the tiramisu and the cheesecake though they were nothing special.  The cheesecake was served with two chocolate soaked cherries which were better than the cheesecake.

    Wine List: They have an extensive wine and cocktail menu at pretty reasonable prices.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    2/18/2013 1 check-in here
    My boyfriend and I came here with a Livingsocial deal for brunch, which included an entree, 2 coffees and 2 drinks (mimosas or bloody Marys). We arrived around 1pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant was practically empty. Before we were seated, one of the owners? of the restaurant yelled out at us, if we were there for the livingsocial deal. I guess we don't look like a couple that would normally frequent the establishment...

    Once we were seated, I was able to take in the decor. The restaurant does look very nice, with a glass sculpture light figure in the center of the ceiling. There seems to be more seating upstairs, in a sort of balcony area. We were the only couple in the restaurant at the time, so I felt as if everyone there was watching us. We were given the menus, and asked if we wanted to start off with our coffees. I was surprised, because doesn't coffee usually come at the end of a meal, and not at the beginning?

    I ordered the grilled chicken panini, and my boyfriend had the salmon eggs Benedict. My sandwich was OK, the bread was really hard, and came with a side salad. There was nothing special about the food, but my boyfriend enjoyed his meal. Later in the day, I felt as if the roof of my mouth was raw, and I definitely blame the bread of the sandwich.

    So, why the 2 stars? It was a forgettable meal. We were also most put off by the fact that not once were we offered the 2 mimosas that came with the livingsocial deal. As more couples trickled in, we overheard the waiter asking if they would like to start off with their mimosa, but where was our offer? I chalked it up to us being Asians, and I suppose I should relish being thought of as underage, especially as my 25th birthday is around the corner, but it came off as extremely rude and off-putting. We had to flag down a waiter to inquire about our drinks, and he carded us. I didn't see any of the other younger looking couples being carded. The waiter had the gall to look a bit annoyed at us requesting our drinks, even though it should come with the meal. I don't like being judged while trying to enjoy a bad meal.

    As a result of our sub par experience here, we will never come back. Rude service and a bit offensive to me as well. This place tries too hard to seem really fancy, but they just come off as pretentious.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 20 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    7/20/2013
    The food is excellent and the service is great. The ambience is not exactly italian, but it is worth going
  • Review from

    • 8 friends
    • 21 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    2/18/2013
    Friend and I came on a LivingSocial deal for brunch. My friend ordered the poached eggs with marinated salmon and pesto sauce while I had the eggs benedict with the hollandaise sauce and Canadian bacon.

    PROS:
    1. Decor and ambiance is perfect. The noise level is ideal for an intimate brunch or a catch-up session with a friend.
    2. Service was quick. Our food came within about five minutes of us ordering.
    3. The price we paid for brunch (~$40 for brunch for two with tax/tips) was an excellent deal considering that we also each had a drink and coffee.

    CONS:
    1. Food was not memorable. I can't remember how anything really tasted besides the fact that the salmon had a bit of a fishy taste. Nothing stuck out as bad to me.
    2. Portions are on the smaller side. One of the few times I actually indulged in the bread basket to fill myself up (at least the bread was good!).

    VERDICT: will probably be back if there was another livingsocial/groupon deal.
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    3/10/2013 1 check-in here
    Was a tiny bit worried when I walked in and it was completely empty.  We were warmly greeted and seated.  The inside was beautiful and I agree that the atmosphere and the prices were a little out of place in Murray Hill.  I could see this place on the UES.

    I ordered the french toast with berries and I thought it was very good.  the berries were fresh and the nutella filled toast was a sweet tooth delight.

    My boyfriend ordered the prosciutto sandwich which was super yummy!   I was happy he took the other half home so I could munch on it later.

    I used the living social deal but I did notice they have a $20 unlimited drinks option.

    Some things need to be improved.  The way the front entrance is set up makes the restaurant appear closed.  This certainly would confuse potential customers considered I was walking out and told another couple; "yes, go in it's a nice place."  I would also recommend fine tuning the brunch menu a bit to make it their own.  I get the Italian brunch but I think it could be a bit more unique.

    I would certainly recommend this place.  I am not rushing to come back, but I would consider this restaurant for a classier brunch option in the future.
  • Review from

    • 52 friends
    • 34 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    6/16/2013 1 check-in here
    I bought the $29 Groupon for brunch for 2. Comes with 2 entrees, 2 coffees, and 2 mimosas. I will start with the drinks -- Coffee was a little bland for my taste and frankly a tad watery; Mimosas were simply delicious and not too alcoholic in taste. I had the smoked salmon benedict while my friend had the normal eggs benedict, and I think we enjoyed our plates just as much as the other Yelpers for dinner and lunch did. Will definitely come back for dinner and drinks next time. Till the next update!

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