The Carlyle

I love this place, I visit this place often so if you really wanna enjoy nice live jazz band and have a great conversation with friends will having a bite this is the place … Great vibe and service is amazing

We came January 20^th for my husband’s birthday — partly for the Carlyle experience but also to hear Tommy Tune perform. We were not disappointed at all. Upon walking in, we really felt what makes this place so special — the welcome at the door, the seating, and the attentiveness by all of the staff. Yes — this is a very expensive evening — and we loved every minute of it. We shared an appetizer — the Hamachi Tartare. OMG — so good — and they served it on two plates. Even split for two persons, it was a generous serving. I had the Bobby Short Chicken Hash (delicious) and my husband had the Steak et Pomes Frites (12 oz. Rib-​eye) with Chimichurri Sauce. More than he could eat after the appetizer. The negative: yes — the tables are very close together — and we sat next to another group celebrating a birthday. To our surprise, they ordered a cheesecake for my husband’s birthday! What an evening.

Extremely disappointing. My friends and I got together for the holidays for afternoon tea, and the service was awful. It took them over half hour to even greet the table, let alone take our order, the order was incorrect, and both the waiters and the managers were rude when we asked to have it corrected. The food was decent but not worth what we paid for it. As a New Yorker, I have rarely had such an awful restaurant experience. Save your money and go elsewhere.

Service was outstanding, captain was talkative and attentive, waiters were always within a glance and very accessible. Drinks were delicious, entrée was great. Ambiance was probably the best of any restaurant that I’ve been. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Lapin and I came here to celebrate a milestone. We made reservations almost a month ahead but when we arrived the place was empty. We were seated right near the entrance way but was okay because it gave us the prime spot to people watch. While I was dressed nicely, Lapin just wore a button down and fancy pants/​shoes. We read that he needed a jacket but didn’t remember the day of. However, the host just waved us in and said it was okay and not to worry. Perhaps, they assumed the worst of us that day but Lapin was just happy he didn’t have to wear a jacket in the heat. Although, there was a private party in one of the adjacent room and there were teenagers wearing hoodies, sneakers and clearly clothes meant for the club/​streetwear along with men who just wore polo t-​shirts. To be honest, we felt a bit out of place it was mostly older couples, people who look loaded (anyone single? :P), and some of the people gave a pretentious air about them.
Lapin ordered the Cured Foie Gras Torchon ($ 28). He never had foies gras and was excited to try it and it turns out he isn’t much of a fan. He also ordered the Escargots à la Bourguignonne ($ 25). It was a decently sized portion but he liked the escargots at Deux Amis the best. I ordered the Brown Butter Crusted Halibut ($ 39), which was decently sized and tasted okay. It need a bit more salt and flavor but the sauce it was served with made the halibut taste a bit better. Lapin got the Roasted Filet Mignon (8 oz. — $ 54). He said it was okay but he could make better at home. I find that hard to believe that he can make anything… let alone better than a restaurant. Either way though, he said he didn’t enjoy his steak for the price and wished he ordered something else. For dessert, I ordered the Cheesecake ($ 17) and the Chocolate Mousse Tower ($ 16). Both were delicious, decently sized, and beautifully displayed. Sadly though they were not exceptionally noteworthy which I would have expected from this restaurant. We also ordered two glasses of Prosecco, which was good. Lapin finished his shortly after we ordered it and received it.
They charged us an automatic 20% (15% for the wait staff and 5% for the service captain — I didn’t see a captain?!). The service was absolutely impeccable. They checked in every couple of minutes, refill our glasses without asking, and also let us sit back and talk after the meal without rushing us (most of the tables were empty, but still nice not to be rushed). While the service is impeccable, I just wished the food was more on point especially for the price.

In it’s stately, and somehow between-​the-​wars way, this may be the most elegant restaurant space in New York. The center flower arrangement is worth the price of admission, which, indeed, is considerable.
Trained and highly professional European captains lead a skilled team; the service is personable, pleasant, and highly correct.
The kitchen absolutely holds its own. Some dishes (lobster bisque, steak tartare) are true classics, and a mistake is hard to find. The wine list is glorious (though even at this level, over-​priced).
I have been here many, many times on occasions of every sort. I have always left with a warm heart – and a somewhat lighter wallet.

Wow what a disappointment. The service is non existent. The wine finally came, but only after asking three staff where it was, they apologized, they found it had been poured and forgotten to be delivered to the table. The brusselsprouts were good, but weren’t brought to the table until we had nearly finished the entrée. Venison very good
Makes you miss the old Carlyle, when they knew what service meant

I bought the TravelZoo deal for dinner for two at the Carlye complete with drinks at Bemelmans Bar. This deal included 2 glasses of prosecco with dinner as well as a three course meal. Then after dinner we went to Bemelmans for our 2 cocktails (see my other review there). (All in the deal was $ 185 so not bad — but it doesn’t include tax/​tip.)
I knew going into this hotel/​restaurant that it had a reputation for being very fancy — for men jackets are required in the dining room. The old world luxury feel just exuded from the walls and the polished marble floors as we entered. We were greeted at the restaurant entrance pleasantly by the captain, «Chucky», who took good care of us for most of the evening. He first showed us to the bar so we knew what to anticipate for later. Both he and a waiter suggested we hold off on our cocktails until later in the evening since that was when the bar was more «exciting».
With their advice, we sat for our meal first. Chucky gave us our pick of tables — and since I was dining with a friend, not a romantic interest, we selected one that gave us comfortable seats and a view of the dining room so as to people watch. What did we expect? Who knows. Definitely old world money types, hushed conversation, a few groups with two generations at the table. But mostly older couples quietly dining in the extravagant setting.
My friend started with the lobster bisque and I had the wagyu beef carpaccio. We followed that with having the beef tenderloin and the lobster thermidor. In addition to our prix fix meal, we added a side of wild mushrooms (from PA) and each had a glass of wine. For dessert we received a plate of complimentary sweets — cookies and crisps — as well as the crème brûlée (made in house) and coconut sorbet.
Chucky was thorough in his explanation of the menu and in his guidance when we were wavering between options. I appreciate a captain/​server with conviction. We had a few people check on us throughout the course of the meal which was nice. I will say, we were warned about just how rich and decadent the lobster entrée was (I read in a separate review that someone was taken aback by its preparation), but this preparation seemed so classic and fancy that I couldn’t resist. Who knows when the next time is I will see it on the menu! But it is intense — I only managed to eat half of it, if that. It is a 1.25lb lobster cooked and then removed from its shell (so you don’t have to get messy while trying to stay classy) and topped with butter, mushrooms and hollandaise and then re-​cooked for a bit to have all of that soak in. Way over the top — but again — we were well aware of what was about to be presented. My friend’s tenderloin was properly cooked and also rich — but such is the case with prime meats. Her lobster bisque was amazing and my wagyu beef was quite tasty — the toasted capers a nice touch. Dessert was fine — nothing earth shattering. The crème brûlée had the proper coolness underneath a freshly harded melted sugar shell and was topped with berries. I didn’t try the sorbet, but my friend’s portion was generous at 3 sizable scoops.
All in all it was a fun experience. I am glad we had the deal to get us to go. I really liked the bar and will definitely go back there. As for the main restaurant — it’s unlikely I go there mainly because for the regular price, I would prefer to dine in a more vibrant, younger setting, but the food was good and the service top notch. Just beware for any future TravelZoo deal purchasers — the tax and tip were not included and that adds up pretty quickly.

Definitely coming back.
We ordered the Lobster Bisque, Water Prawns, Lobster Thermidor, Duck Breast, Crème Brulee and NY Cheesecake. Amazing.
Lobster Bisque and Water Prawns came out first as our appetizer. The captain was very helpful in helping us choose our dishes and the servers were also nice. The servers poured out the lobster bisque and the prawns were presented well. The captain also came to check in on us like a million times, which was nice of him.
The thermidor was definitely the dish of the night. The duck breast, not so much. I probably could’ve had better duck in Chinatown to be honest. But yeah definitely the Lobster thermidor is what you should get if you’re ever there. Cooked very well and surprisingly the sauce and butter did not overpower it. It was seasoned well.
Desserts are desserts but the presentation of it by far exceeded my expectation.
On top of all of this great food, the service was absolutely amazing. Servers were refilling my water in cognito. Captain checking in on us every 20 minutes.
Check this place out when you’re in the upper east side — hidden gem, but worth it.

After 1.5 months, I finally decided to cash in my birthday present: a Travelzoo voucher for dinner at The Carlyle. My boyfriend and I knew we had to look fairly nice but forgot to check that this is one of the few places that requires men to wear a jacket. Fortunately they assume people don’t remember so they had jackets for him to borrow.
We were sat at a corner table and given our glasses of Prosecco and the menus. As part of the voucher, we can order an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I ordered Panko Crusted Crab Cake, Maine Lobster Thermidor and Flourless Chocolate Cake, which came with real whipped cream. My boyfriend had the Roasted Fresh Water Prawns, Prosciutto Wrapped Monk Fish, and the Chocolate Mousse Tower. I could go into details about every single dish but suffice to say it was all incredibly delicious. After the first bit of each of our course, the first thing out of our mouths was «mmmm.» What I loved was that the portions were manageable so there was definitely room for a bottle of wine and dessert.
I had this notion of The Carlyle being very high brow, especially coming in with a Travelzoo voucher, but everyone was unbelievably nice. Despite the jacket faux pas, no one made us feel out of place. In fact, they were very attentive and answered many questions regarding items on the menu with lots of enthusiasm.
The reason for not giving it a full 5 star is because it is quite expensive. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great (we felt like we were in the 20s!) but due to the price range, I doubt I will go back… unless there is another Travelzoo deal.

I might even go 2.5 stars. Just wasn’t impressed. Wasn’t awful, just wasn’t worth it.
Décor — I thought it was wierd. Kinda like they were going for zen or something. I wanted crystal chandeliers, but got huge bamboo. Orchids were pretty, though. Not as elegant as I was expecting.
Service — Very efficient, but cold.
Food — okay. Lobster bisque was lukewarm and had maybe one miniscule piece of lobster (I think, couldn’t tell). Tasted like cream and sherry. Shrimp were well cooked and the green goddess was good. Scallops were cooked perfectly but underseasoned and there were only three medium sized ones. Fillet was a problem. Came out well done instead of medium rare and didn’t come back until I had finished my scallops. The meat was maybe one inch thick or less and was serveral pieces together with connective tissue. Not like a real fillet. Peppercorn sauce was okay but looked wierd. Dessert, okay sorbet, nothing special. Lemon tart had that look (like a skin?) like it was not very fresh, doubt it was
was good and appreciated the little cookies served at the end of the meal.
Wine list was redic. marked up.
In the end, hugely expensive for a mediocre experience.
PS — spent two lovely hours before in Bemmelman’s Bar in the hotel (been several times) and tons of money on the excellent drinks. The atmostphere, service, bar snacks and piano player are always excellent and totally worth the money (I would never want to pay the after 9 p.m.cover charge though).

This place is incredibly overpriced and completely not worth it. The prefixe dinner for Christmas was 4 courses, and it was just so not tasty it made me incredibly angry for how expensive it was. I ordered the oyster tart, which was very dry and tasted like it had been frozen and then thawed for that day. I then had the onion soup which was OK but it was puréed rather than traditional onion soup you get at a french restaurant. Finally I had the seafood boullabese for my third course and it was simply awful! The broth had absolutely no taste and the seafood itself had a gross fishy smell. Overall I’m extremely appalled at how much money this restaurant charged for such a low quality and not tasty meal. I do not recommend this place to anyone who has any taste.

The Christmas lunch was a big disappointment. At $ 180 per person plus plus we expected better. The service was slow. The front staff tried but if the kitchen is in chaos what can they do. It took 45 minutes to get our soup. The lobster main course was nothing special. In past years they had carol singers in costume. Gone this year. The décor was not very festive. I understand they have new owners. It shows.
We won’t return.

I came here for restaurant week during lunch. Got the salad (tasted fresh, liked the almonds), hanger steak frites (ok meat, good fries, ok kale) and chocolate mousse w/​brulee bananas (I preferred my friend’s red plum melba (although the name threw us off guard).
An ok spot, really. I did like the bread they gave us, though!

I was so impressed with my visit to the Carlyle last night. My friend used Travelzoo to treat me to a birthday dinner and drinks at Bemelmans. I sometimes hate the way you are treated when you use a coupon, like you are low class. The staff at the Carlyle we the complete opposite. We were seated in a lovely banquet seat. The staff we practically tripping over each other to serve us. The main waiter was professional but not snobby and actually quite funny.
The food was delicious. I had the crab cake which was full of chunks of crab in a scrumptious sauce. My friend had a very nice arugula salad. As the main dish, I had heard the steak was good but my friend wanted that so I ordered the duck and we both shared. We also decided to add creamed spinach and onion rings. They were both the best I have ever tried. he duck I was less inspired by. It was a very large breast and also they had two servings of pâté in a crust. That was a bit soggy. But it was still good, the Kobe steak was better though. We ordered it medium rare and it was the most beautiful cut of steak. A very large serving along with potatoes and mushrooms. The steak was done perfectly, red on the inside and crusty on the outside with not a drop of fat.
For dessert, even though I could barely add anything to my stomach, we ordered the crème brûlée and the passion fruit baked Alaska. Both were also incredibly delicious. My crème brûlée was perfectly crisp in the top and creamy inside and topped with a delicious assortment of fresh fruit. The baked Alaska was beautiful and they poured an heavy hand of rum and set it ablaze at the table. The ice cream was light and heavenly but we could not finish it.
Again, I could not say enough of the service and even though the tip was included I added an extra twenty as a thank you.
We then went into the Bemelman’s bar to listen to some standards by a wonderful jazz trio. It is very cozy and dimly lit. I doubt I would go another time to the bar though because the prices were outrageous and that is on top of a cover charge is not worth it. There are thousands of bar in New York to try.

Though not the best meal I have had in New York the place was amazing. I liked old hotels because of the elegance of them. Service was impeccable which is not always case when come on a deal coupon as some places seem to treat you as a second class citizen maybe because they know they will get an automatic tip or feel you will not order much beyond the deal.
This place serves traditional European food with appetizers like escargot and desserts that included baked alaska and a soufflé. My Kobe beef was ordered medium rare though served rare but since such a good cut of steak i did not mind. Escargot was already out of the shells and served in a nice sauce. Shrimp Cocktail was nothing amazing though how much can be done with that.
Nice wine list though expect to pay atleast 60 though markup is reasonable as chardonnay I had likely would cost 24 or so at a store and they charged 65.
Only downside I had was not with the restaurant but the fact if you decide you want to go to the bar after you finish eating that Bemmelmans usually has a cover charge since they have live music.
Live in UWS so likely will not come here often but glad I came and feel people should go atleast once.

I went there for lunch for restaurant week.
The décor and ambiance were magical, very old New York and elegant, a nice treat to yourself once in a while. It was probably my favorite part of the experience.
Everyone was very courteous and the service was good but not without blemish. One would expect perfection at such an establishment. We ordered coffee with our desserts but the coffee did not arrive until we had finished the dessert. Also the bill did not come with a pen.
Now about the food. It was good, but not amazing.
Appetizer: Hearty Bitter Greens Salad. Fresh, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Main course: Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs. Not very memorable, the meat was even a tad bit dry.
Dessert: Probably the best crème brûlée I’ve had. Apple tart pretty good.
Overall I enjoyed myself, more for the ambiance and experience than for the food. Maybe their regular menu is better.

Nice ambiance, maybe a little too old fashioned. The service is very nice and courteous. Food was incredible. The arugula salad was very good. The Cod was perfect, the consistency and flavors were incredible. I was happy already, but decided to try the Chocolate Tasting dessert. Delicious, but too much for me, next time I’ll share. It was a great dining experience.

One of the most perfect dining experiences I’ve ever had. The service was impeccable and everything you’d expect from an establishment such as The Carlyle. I had steak and asked for it medium rare. The preparation and seasoning was spot on. Sides were green vegetables and also potatoes. I was stuffed after the steak, but powered through and went for dessert like a champ. The crème brûlée was delicious and rich and light all at the same time.
I probably put on 5lbs from that meal but it was worth every single calorie :)

Elegant atmosphere coupled with delightful food and top notch service. The Carlyle deserves a five star rating.
I enjoyed the sirloin which was a high quality cut and perfectly cooked to taste. I also ordered sauteed broccoli rabe and truffled potatoes which were divine. One of the better meals I’ve had in recent memory. Recommended.