The Inn LW12

My friends took me here for my bday and we had a great time!!! The food was awesome as were the drinks. And they were nice to allow my friends to bring a box of cupcakes for me and they didnt charge us! I’m coming back… very trendy and I believe there is a lounge downstairs… overall great experience!

I love this little place! If you get lucky and come here on a night when its not completely packed you can have a really great evening. The waiters and bartenders are really attentive and they mix up some good strong drinks. The food here is also phenomenal — especially as far as gastropubs go. I especially recommend the grilled cheese sandwiches and the calamari! Yummity!

Met up with friends to grab some dinner… two words for you… Lamb Burger. OMG! I have never had such a tender and juicy burger — it was delicious! This night I was also introduced to The Inn’s version of french fries by the owner… they were served in a tiny cast iron skillet and topped with this incredible gravy and ooey-​gooey-​delicious-​melted-​cheese… heaven, pure-​blissful-​culinary heaven.

Don’t know about other nights, but Thursdays at The Inn have been stellar. First, the music — the DJ plays a mix of indie dance tunes (you’re more likely to hear in the LES), sprinkled with a healthy dose of current hip-​hop, classics, and the occasional 80s/​90s guilty pleasure. Second, the crowd is diverse, and changes frequently throughout the night. You’re just as likely to see hipsters and fashionistas as you are frat boys and the jersey girls that love ‘em — but everyone plays nice. Third, the bartenders are all friendly… a rare treat.
UPDATE: downgrading to 4-​stars since drinks are expensive.
HINT: if you’re nice to the bartenders, they’re generous with buybacks

Went to the lounge upstairs on a Tuesday night and loved the atmosphere. The place is tiny and intimate with cute wood paneled décor and the music was well mixed and fun. The service is extremely friendly. I would definitely consider throwing a small private gathering in the upstairs sometime. Great place to go when you’re not digging the attitude at other places.
It’s tiny so it will get grossly crowded if there are too many people, so I’m not sure what happens on weekends when there are more people.

The upstairs area is perfect for having a drink and actually being able to talk to your friends. There are sofas, wood walls, antiqued mirror cielings, and crazy old-​fashioned landscapes hung all over the walls.
The food is great too — particularly the calamari, some of the best I’ve had in New York.

I only went to the bar for a drink cuz my friends and I had time to kill before going over to Cielo.
Good drinks, nice bartenders and a nice bouncer. The bouncer tried to convince us to stay because a DJ was coming later but we wanted to go dancing so we left.

For being in the Meatpacking district this place does a pretty good job of attracting a good-​looking crowd and seems to keep away the B&T kids.
This «Inn» reminds me of a restaurant in Silverton, Colorado near where I grew up, and that’s a good thing. I like the beautiful ceilings, sparkling bar and nice bathroom. The wood-​block prints on the walls are interesting too, if spartan. Drinks are expensive but served with a smile and the enormous windows make for nice people watching out on the cobblestone streets.

The Inn is a little treasure located on 7 9^th ave & little west 12^th st. in the heart of the meatpacking district. I went there for brunch for the little known baked eggs (mostly over easy) brunch dish with button buttered mushrooms & spinach. It may sound plain compared to their flagship hearty poutine dish or lamb burger-​but delicious nonetheless. The wait staff is amazing as well as the manager to patiently help you explain the dishes. The «spiced-​just-​right» bloody mary accompanied my meal to a tee and found The Inn a great place to spend a leisure Saturday brunch with the semi-​pretentious crowd. (see why I subtracted the one star) — but shouldn’t let that get to you. Try it!
*UPDATE* As of 1÷17÷2008, this restaurant is only open for private parties and special events.

On my recent visit to New York, it was arranged that I’d meet up with my colleagues Russ W. and Sam P. for a bite to eat on a Wednesday night. Russ made arrangements for us at The Inn at LW12, as it is something of a regular spot on his local rounds, and we met up just before 10:00 PM for dinner.
Even at 10 on a Wednesday, this place was full, but the wait at the bar was made easy from attentive and friendly care of Amy the barkeep and the management staff who attempted to shoo away the folks who lingered a bit too long after their dessert.
Summer in the city (New York City, not Redwood City you silly) is really quite nice, and I was struck by the European feel of the Meatpacking District with lots of dining al freco and plenty of people watching to boot.
The food. Yum. I had the tuna carpaccio salad which was simple and tasty, if somewhat unremarkable. The lamb burger, with the accompanying fried polenta sticks, was out of this world, and just a total winner. The lamb had some sort of cheese and sundried tomatoes (I think) filling the center of the meat patty, and it was really delicious.
Great atmosphere, friendly service, delicious food.
The Inn LW12 on a temperate summer weekday night? Good call!!!

After a former co-​worker hang at Half King on 23^rd street I ambled down here with one of my friends for some food. Generally you wouldn’t find me within a 20 block radius of this location on a weekend night (or even a weekday) but I was catching up and feeling so hungry after a few beers that I decided to hang in there.
We were denied an outside spot for a party of three but were welcome to sit inside despite the couple in front of us getting turned down for having no reservations. I ordered a tasty grenache and the lamb burger with chick pea fries on the side. For $ 18 I was really hoping that this burger was cooked to spec and actually going to fill my belly. Though I did see the poutine on the menu I was quite skeptical of quebecois comfort food in New York and wasn’t actually going for something that greasy. So I can’t say.
The lamb burger was actually really tasty and cooked to perfection. The chick pea fries were also amazing with the spicy mayonaisse accompaniment. And the service was, dare I say, pleasant? So I’m giving it 3.5 stars but it actually might deserve a 4 for the area. I can’t believe I’m writing so favorably given my track record with the meat-​packing district. You’re still paying for locale. That’s for sure.

Given the mediocre reviews here, I really didn’t know what to expect. But my man Russ W swears by it, so I knew it couldn’t be too bad. I have to agree with Anni B’s assertion that far too many a mediocre restaurant is made popular by its location in this «fabulous» neighborhood, but I think it was fair to say the inn more than exceeded my expectations — it was actually quite delicious! French candian food — who knew?
We got prime seating outside to enjoy the breezy September night. I had a delicious, spicy rioja and the fish and chips — which came more like a fishcake than a slab of fried cod. Either way, it was quite yummy. Both my dining companions had the lamb burger which looked damn yummy. I think it’s best to come on a weeknight to avoid the madness of the MePa on Friday or Saturday night — I’ll probably be back to try the Poutine — sounds like it’s the thing to order!

The Meat Packing District is crazy on weekend nights, and we found ourselves right in the middle of it all. If you can stand the noise and the masses, it sure makes for some interesting people watching!
We had a 9:30 res at The Inn LW12, and they were ready with a table upstairs, but since summer seemed to have returned, we opted to wait for an outside table. We stayed upstairs for a drink though, as the bar was quieter and more relaxed than downstairs. Cocktails were good, if a little pricey.
Once we were seated outside (in the heart of all the chaos and foot traffic that is this neighborhood on a Friday night!), everything was good. Our waiter was attentive and informative, despite having just returned from vacation. I had 2 starters for my dinner: the beets and endive salad, which was lightly dressed, with crumbles of tangy blue cheese and pecans — delicious, and the spinach ravioli, a nice sized portion (not to much, not too little), which were simple and tasty. A good meal for me. Others in my party had the beefsteak tomato salad, the pasta bake (also a starter), and the striped bass dinner. Everyone seemed satisfied with there food.
The Inn LW12 is a fun place to go if you don’t mind the crowded sidewalks and noise that come with an overly trendy neighborhood. My evening was made better with great company and hilarious people watcing (including a Rick Fox sighting). But if you’re looking for a quiet, romantic spot, this probably isn’t your cup of tea.

I believe the premise is supposed to be a Canadian gastropub. Looks very old and homey inside. Two floors — quite a big space, actually.
Great drinks, if you don’t mind spending $ 16 on a cocktail. Extremely friendly bartender.
Great service, and very well informed about the wine selection — we went with the cote du rhone, which was excellently delicious. And expensive.
Wasn’t all that hungry, so just ordered an appetizer — the tuna carpaccio. Found it to be bland and uninspired, and buried in a pile of cheese. For $ 14, I was not impressed.
My friend’s fries were very very good. As was the dessert, the warm sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. That was the highlight for me.
Sitting outside was lovely. I just don’t see what the fuss is all about this neighborhood. I feel like if this restaurant was in any other location, it wouldn’t do much business at all, due to the high prices and mediocrity. But stick it in the meatpacking district and people will go. It’s weird.

Poutine, French Canadian lingo for disco fries is the main item that distinguishes this box in the center of the meatpacking district. Alongside thin canadian brews, the place works well only after significant intoxication and deterioration of good sense.

When the poutine arrives, clear the deck. The Inn at LW12 (short for Little West 12^th St., in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District) trundles out four versions of the infamous Qubcois comfort food, which builds on a sturdy base of crisp fries and cheese curds. The classic poutine wets it all down with gravy; for a few dollars more, my choice ($ 17) substituted the drippings of lightly spiced pork belly, piled on in slabs, shreds, and gobs.
Though the fries themselves were unexceptional, they remained crisp enough, at least until I reached the bottom-​dwellers that were awash in porky juices. By that time, so was I. Though the poutine with pork belly can be put away singlehandedly, better to tag-​team it over a drink or two.

Probably 3.5 stars but I’m rounding down due to the location of The Inn at LW12… I’m simply turned off by the ever worsening scene that is the Meatpacking, esp on wknd nights when the worst of the worst seem to come out in hoards and take over the entire area. However, it does make for some really interesting people watching, esp from the central location of The Inn. On a Sat night as we sat outside for dinner here, we found it difficult to focus on our food and company as we got distracted by all the «interesting» people walking around… people of all sizes, colors, age, etc… all trying to look their coolest to get into one of the clubs /​bars in this ‘hood.
Alright, this is not a review for Meatpacking so let me get back to the restaurant. The restaurant has about the same number of seats inside and outside. Inside is dominated by the bar and has a decent upscale pub-​style atmosphere… casual with a bit of a trying-​to-​be-​cool vibe. Outside seating is entertaining but be aware that street traffic might get annoying and if you have folks smoking at the table next to you (as we did throughout our entire meal), might not be an ideal spot (i don’t mind smoke when i’m drinking but not while i’m eating). We split a bunch of dishes and for the most part, it wasn’t bad but I wasn’t impressed by any except for the dessert (more on that later).
For starters, we had the poutine classic, which is nothing more than crispy greasy fries with big chunks of melted cheese on top… for a price that is not worth it. I love fries and I love cheese but for some reason, this didn’t quite work. We also had the crispy pig’s trotters (pretty good) and the Grilled Asparagus with fig, parmesan, parma ham, and lemon dressing (good combo of ingredients but not the right balance). On to the main dishes: roast organic chicken (not bad… for chicken), berkshire pork chop (great corn sauce, which probably helped to soften up the dry, overcooked pork), and a nice crispy dorade (bland though the fish itself was good).
The saving grace in all this was the dessert… the sticky toffee pudding. Delicious! Flavored with dates and dark chocolate… this was very yummy, esp w/​the toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. If I’m ever here again (not by my own choice), I’d skip straight to the dessert.
Service was somewhat haphazard and the busboys are annoyingly always trying to clear your table when we were clearly not done. Drinks were pretty good (esp the Ginger Rogers cocktail) but at $ 16 per pop, too pricey for me. Actually, the whole place is probably overpriced, esp for mediocre food. If you want to eat in this area, I’d recommend Macelleria, Ono, or Nero… or even Spice Market over this joint.

Met a friend here for a long-​coming catch-​up dinner. We made a reservation for 7 p.m., and when we got there the bar was full, but the tables were empty. They tried to seat us upstairs, but we wanted to sit downstairs by the window.
Whatever you do, if they make a four top into a two top right in the middle of the windows, at the pillar, don’t take it. We were bumped back and forth all night by people at the bar — and a group going to the corner. Eventually, we moved to the table one over, closer to the door. Muuuch better.
By the time we left, the place was packed, and it was nigh impossible to wend your way to the restroom. I pushed my way back and then left by the rear service entrance — after asking if going out the side entrance would set off an alarm. Yes, it will.
Back in the day, before there was a lot in the Meat Packing District, the spot’s previous occupant, Rio Mar, was the only game in town. They were a slightly cramped, paint-​peeling Mexican joint that sported a jukebox just inside the entrance and a Mariachi band upstairs. (This is all heresay; I only go to places once they’ve been gentrified, it seems!)
So how’s the food? Good. They have an extensive wine list, but they sell little by the glass, and they had no merlot in stock. So my friend got a Ginger Rogers. To their credit, they have an entirely separate vegetarian menu that includes some meat-​free options from the main menu, as well as some totally original veggie dishes. Props!
I got the cod and smoked trout entrée. It came served with small, small potatoes and little else. That said, the give and take of the two kinds of fish was utterly wonderful, and the smoked trout made an awesome counterpoint to the cod. Both were cooked well.
My friend got a salad with what I’d call citrus-​pickled vegetables. They’re not pickled, but they’re soaked in a citrus base and have a pickle-​like consistency. Truth be told, I don’t know whether she liked it, but it seemed delicious. We also got a dish of poutine with tomatoes and curd — the stilton, not the cheddar. They can mix it up, if you ask.
We enjoyed our food. We enjoyed our conversation. But the place? We sat in the wrong spot, and I felt somewhat high maintenance, albeit totally reasonable. When we left, the joint was jammed, and I’d recommend you go early. Not late. Because late, I’m not sure it’s worth it.
Early, when the evening light is on the buildings and the pretty people are out, it’s darling.
P. S. The staff is a mixed bag. Our waiter was awesome. The guy in training was clearly in training. And the maitre d’, while helpful when we wanted to move, was a bit of a pill. You’d think they’d know and understand about sitting by the pillar in the window.

I have to agree with the below reviewer. Go, just to see what the fuss is all about, but it sort of is lacking a soul. It’s not really old, and also doesn’t do a good job of trying to look old.
Super friendly bartender, good drinks.
But more of a place you’ll go once, check out and not likely return.

This place is like many others. Different in as it has been classified as Canadian Cuisine, but always remember — buyer beware.
This place has a cool motif, and I would suggest a trip to all. However, having said that, and having gone there once, I realize one thing — — I don’t need to go back. For all its good looks — and yes — good food — it is missing a soul. Perhaps one day it will find one, but today it doesn’t.
Go and you won’t be disappointed, but I don’t know if you will need to go back.