A LOT more "serendipity" here for some than for others...
"Not a place for kids" says one person, and others have different complaints..especially about wait times
Some decent and good reviews though....
Serendipity 3
Categories:
Desserts,
American (New)
225 E 60th St(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 838-3531
- Nearest Transit Station:
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Lexington Ave./59 St. (N, Q, R)59 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)Lexington Ave./63 St. (F)
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 12 amFri-Sat 11:30 am - 1 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
- $$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
1947 reviews for Serendipity 3
Review Highlights What's this?
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"LOVE LOVE LOVE the frozen hot chocolate." In 1208 reviews
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"The decor is very eclectic menu had so many different sundae." In 396 reviews
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"Their ice cream is delicious and the whipped cream is so fresh." In 169 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
1945 reviews in English
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Review from Kevin S.
I can't help it.. I love Kate Beckinsale (as do most blokes anyway!)... This woman does things to me I swear so, from the moment, I saw her in Serendipity .... Remember that scene where she's having a frozen hot chocolate with John Cusack?... Well, I said to myself, I'll go to NYC one day and I'll have one of them...
Well, I finally did it! We went for lunch there and it was really busy. They're busy everytime anyways I think and we had to wait about 20 mins to be seated. Luckily, it was a beautiful sunny arvo so it was a nice wait outside on the sidewalk.
I had the Madame Butterfly pasta, which was quite nice but the highlight was definitely the frozen hot chocolate.. It was so good! Rightly so, everyone else was having one as well.
The staff were very nice, the decor is really nice, cosy and quite cute.. I will definitely return during my next visit..-
#yelpingusa
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#yelpingusa
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#yelpingusa
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Review from Jes S.
Newtown, CTFull disclosure: I only went to this place because it was mentioned in Gossip Girl. We arrived at 11 a.m. on a Sunday (half an hour before opening) and waiting in a fairly lengthy line to make a reservation. We were told our wait would be about 1.5 hours so we killed time down the street with a few mimosas. When we arrived back at the restaurant it was chaos. I could not believe how many people were in line. As much chaos as there was outside, there was even more inside, but not necessarily in a bad way.
We were a party of seven and the extremely chipper host sat us on the first floor. The place is very very very crowded, with tables practically on top of each other and a heap of random kitschy things adorning the walls. Despite the cramped quarters, it had a fun, playful, touristy vibe that is enjoyable if you're looking for that type of experience. We ordered one Frrrozen Hot Chocolate to share (because Oprah likes them), which was more than enough for everyone. While the famed icy beverage was definitely tasty, it wasn't some that I couldn't get at a similar restaurant/cafe. We also ordered a variety of lunches, which were all good.
I had the Catcher in The Rye sandwich (chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and Russian dressing on rye bread). It was enjoyable, flavorful, and a hefty portion.
Although the food and dessert were satisfactory, I'm not sure I'd go through the hassle of waiting in line and dining in such a cramped place to return to Serendipity. I think it's one of those NYC bucket list things that you do once to say you did it. Overall, it was a fun, memorable experience and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a whimsical dining experience who doesn't mind waiting in line. -
Review from James J.
Fort Lee, NJCalled to make a reservation at 7:00 PM and was told they could only do 6:30 PM, which was fine. I get there and the place is half empty and the hostess seats us without even asking if we had a reservation. What was the point of making us come 30 minutes earlier?
The food was nothing special.. I ordered the spicy and sweet chicken wings, which were very small and soggy. For my entree I ordered the seafood fettuccine, which only had 2 pieces of shrimp and small bits of scallops. My wife ordered a hamburger and wanted it cooked medium well but came out well done.
Definitely an overhyped tourist trap. -
Review from Myle S.
San Francisco, CAWe tried the frozen hot chocolate which was likely 10,000 calories but totally worth it! Wish someone would've told us that you can't bring strollers into the restaurant. We had to "park" it at a parking garage across the street. Well at least there was that option! -
Review from Shing Yiing O.
Manhattan, NYI was hesitating on writing a review.. since Serendipity is on my bookmark list for a long time.. I finally get to come here to enjoy with one of the other yelpers Nikki..
Waited for an hour.. which was not too bad.. we both went to shop at bloomingdales.. They told us the wait is 1.5 hours and check back in an hour.. we did and got seated immediately..
I was super excited the so call "frozen HOT chocolate".. How can frozen be hot??? So I thought it was something like Fried Ice-cream!! Fried dough wrapping a scoop of ice-cream.. My imagination went "maybe it was ice wrapping some hot chocolate".. I know weird imagination.. But when they served the frozen hot chocolate.. it tasted to me.. like MacDonald Ice-cream blended with ice.. I order the peanut butter frozen hot chocolate.. I like the peanut butter more because I LOVE peanut butter..
Other than that, the food are overpriced.. I personally won't come here and wait for another hour for their dessert.. there are many other dessert/hot chocolate place that's worth the wait more...-
Peanut butter frozen hot chocolate
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Review from Cristyn T.
Kaneohe, HIMost definitely a tourist trap. Serendipity was the only place on my list of restaurants to visit in NYC before I started doing real research. We definitely had to try it, just for the frozen hot chocolate.
Unfortunately, there is a $8 (I think) minimum per person to prevent people like us going in to share a frozen hot chocolate. I ordered the original ($10) and my fiance opted for the salted carmel version ($11). I really liked my original, but the salted carmel was a little too rich and salty to enjoy. We both only finished half of our drinks so we definitely could've shared had it not been for the minimum.
I enjoyed the whimsical decor and had a pleasant experience. I noticed most parties were only ordering dessert here. It was a once in a lifetime experience, but I probably will not be back. Just not worth it for me. -
Review from Gideon A.
Seattle, WAI was here in August 29 of this year. I Love the restaurant, the customer service was exceptional, but they lied to me saying the frozen hot chocolate was the best dessert they have. It was like slurping in a sugar jar. It was not pleasant.
2 stars because the seafood pasta entree was good. -
Review from Antony P.
Flushing, NYThis place is amazing ! First off there ice cream is great ! If you want to spend 30$ exactly with someone take them in and order an outrageous banana smoothie. Its 22$ i believe but needless to say it will fill both you and your guest. Not only that but people sort of root you to finish it since no joke the ice cream amount is ridiculous.! But its 22$ and with water and a tip a good 30$ takes care of both of you. -
Review from Ritu D.
We made reservations for Serendipity while we were in town this past weekend mainly because of the movie/hype and to try the Frozen Hot Chocolate. You can't make reservations if you're only getting dessert, so ensure our short trip wasn't shortened even more by a loooong wait, we made reservations and just were sure to order an appetizer. We arrived around 2:45 and were told they'd call us when the table was available (res was at 3) and we were called in right around 3, so we were definitely glad we had a reservation. The inside is adorable, but pretty cramped! We were seated upstairs - the tables were all really close together - but it's NYC, I kind of expected that.
We ordered the Chicken Nachos as our appetizer. Between the 5 of us, we got 3 frozen hot chocolates - which was WAY more than enough. These are HUGE and more than likely you won't need 1 per person. We got the mint chocolate, peanut butter, and originals. They were all delicious. Another friend got the peppermint tea which he enjoyed as well.
Overall, the service was pretty good. Our waiter was friendly and so was the guy who kept filling up our water.
I would definitely go back for the hot chocolate, I just don't know if I'd be willing to wait 2 hours for it if I wasn't planning on eating a non-dessert item there. But, if you're intrigued from the movie and the menu, it's worth the trip :) just order a little food with it so you can make a reservation!-
Mint chocolate frozen hot chocolate
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Review from Joice Z.
New York, NYThe desserts are famous and delicious！ I like the soup very much！It was yummy and creamy.
However， we also ordered the salmon， which was not as good as I thought. The bread in the steak is too hard， and the steak is not so tasty， which is little bit disappoint. Overall , it is a good place for friends together to have dessert and sweets. -
Review from Sam C.
Edison, NJDefinitely overrated. Had higher expectations for presentation, food, etc. Walked in and saw what seemed to be tons of random trinkets & stuff all over the place. There's no flow or theme at all to the restaurant, and there's random decorations everywhere. Tables, chairs, floors, stairs, bathroom, everything is old.
Food was definitely .5/10. Ordered a burger & fries thinking how could I go wrong, but was proved wrong. Burger was greasy and couldn't even eat it with my hands and fries were so fried it hurt to bite them. Girlfriend got pasta and literally drank the "sauce"; was so watery that it literally looked like water. Waited 25 minutes for their infamous frozen hot chocolate aka bowl of sugar.
DEFINITELY overrated and very disappointing. Would not come back again and would not suggest anyone wait for more than 5/10 minutes!! -
Review from Romeo H.
Corona, NYLove this place! Have been coming here even before i discovered Yelp! I will definetly continue to come here. -
Review from Vanity B.
Manhattan, NYI don't do lines. Being born to a very famous wealthy Father I always get what I want. ALWAYS!!!!! I skipped the line and said I want Chocolate and I want it NOW! The minimum wage bitchy queen said WAIT YOUR TURN!.....I almost fainted. I called my publicist and told her what happened. She said she would make a call. I then called one of my therapists who relaxed me by telling me to count from 20 and remember how everyone is jealous of my life. It worked. My publicist spoke to the owner who quickly apologized for the rude minimum wage man and I was seated and given Chocolate!! Stay Away! -
Review from Josh M.
West Palm Beach, FLFood is fairly good, but the dessert is what is really what you should go for. We had the frozen hot chocolate, and we were not disappointed.-
Summer Bries Sandwich
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Review from Bernie D.
Vancouver, CanadaOrange floats- very good
Frozen hot chocolate- Amazing
Sitting at the same table in the movie serendipity 3- Priceless!
Nuf said. -
Review from Ben H L.
I'll just say this up front...I had no idea about the $8.50 minimum per person to sit in their dining room. If I did, then I wouldn't have ventured all the way here. Their retail section in the front is kind of cool for gimmicky humorous souvenir purchases but my main goal was just to get the frozen hot chocolate and go. A frozen hot chocolate is $9 and it's about the size of a Starbuck Treinta 32 ounce cup.
We managed to persuade the host and manager to allow us to buy a couple of them without my entire group sitting down. They usually don't sell anything off their menu to-go except the frozen hot chocolate. Thankfully, they did let us order it but seriously, how can you not accommodate to-go orders? I can understand how you don't want to have people occupying time at your tables not ordering anything but all I wanted to do is order food and take it with me! How is that an inconvenience? I'm a busy tourist...I got places to go and people to see. By not allowing me to order and take with me, you're saying that you don't need my business. How can that be a sound business strategy?
If I ever do go back to a Serendipity, then it'll be at the Las Vegas location where they should have the good sense to allow me to let me take my drink with me without imposing a per-person minimum.-
Some frozen hot chocolate thingie
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Review from Ro C.
New York, NYI JUST DON'T GET IT.
I went with a friend who lives abroad and who had been dying to visit this place for a while now. It's probably important to note that she had seen and loved the movie but I had never heard of it before so I had no expectations and romantic fantasies about it.
The seating was tight and uncomfortable.
Also, only 1 bathroom for this whole place???
Service was extremely slow and the food took forever to come out. No joke, it took almost an hour after ordering for us to finally get our entrees.
To my complete horror they don't serve alcohol. NOOOOOOO. How do they expect me to wait this long and this patiently for my food when there is no EtOH?!?!
The food finally came and it was extremely bland and horrible. After that really long wait only to be served such awful food, I almost wanted to lead an uprising against the chefs. You'd think after almost an hour that even sub-par food would taste decent, but this wasn't the case. My seafood crepe was memorable only because I had never had such bland, half-assed food before.
Even the frozen hot chocolate (what everyone seems to rave about) was nothing special. They were like big bowls of Dunkin Donuts chocolate blast with a gigantic dollop of whipped cream in the middle. My friend and I barely finished half of our frozen hot chocolates (I really don't know why I even tried to swallow any more after the first sip).
To top it off, at the table right next to us were two women who were talking loudly about their bill and calculating how much each would pay over and over (including how much their tip would be) for like 15 minutes. Ugh. -
Review from Dana A.
Queens, NYAfter hearing and reading numerous reviews and raves about Serendipity 3, I knew it was time to give a try. Especially since they carry the tastiest oxymoron around, the famous "Frrrozen Hot Chocolate."
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you make a reservation for this restaurant. Being that it is in the media so much, it will obviously be busy. I thankfully did so, fellow customers who did not. Weeell, their wait was about 2 hours. Yup.
Atmosphere was lovely. I personally like cute themed restaurants such as this location. They just have cute wallpaper and an old school ice cream parlor feel to it. It's a pretty squeezed place, but does have two floors which is where we were
On to the food. I personally wouldn't go back for their food. Maybe it's because I ordered a cheeseburger, and you can get a burger any where. Buuut, the frrrozen hot choc was delicious! Definitely lives up to the buzz. Its chocolately, frothy and just perfect. I wanted another. Unfortunately the whipped cream is really dense and not very flavorful. I just scooped it out. Overall it was an amazing dessert
I definitely plan on returning to try some more of their desserts. Which is more so what theyre known for.
Overall, great experience!-
Frrrrozen hot chocolate deliciousness
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The storybook-like menu
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Review from Mindy T.
Frozen hot chocolate!! Other than that.. not really worth coming here.
Our server checked on us a couple times.. but ran off right after he asked us before we could even answer him! -
Review from Caroliine W.
New York, NYOK first off let me just say that I live in Brooklyn and have lived in NY for like 8 years and I finally went here. My friend from Europe was visiting and she had been wanting to go. When you first get there you are bombarded with clutter. The place has a store in the front that sells everything under the sun. I think it would be better if they got rid of all that plastic junk and just sold serendipity related items. The menu is huge and the seating is messy and sporadic. We ordered the frozen hot chocolate in Original and Mint and they were both good, but I honestly preferred the original. The prices are good but the drinks are huge and if they charged more per drink, you would avoid making people have to buy two each. I liked it but would probably never go back as once was quite enough to last me a lifetime. -
Review from Marcia M.
Portland, ORFelt like a tourist trap.
I had planned to go back in May with a group that includes young girls. I refuse to take children there after having visited once. It is impossible to avoid the"adult" gift items in the entry making it NO PLACE FOR KIDS. Until they clean up this tacky act I will not be frequenting Serendipity.
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