Brasserie 8 1/2
9 W. 57th St. (Fifth & Sixth Aves.) 
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New York, NY 10019
212-829-0812 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sat.-Sun.Features
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Casual
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 On what has become a boulevard of chain stores and theme restaurants, Brasserie 81/2 is a welcome addition to 57th Street for its ambitious food and grown-up setting. Though the name conjures images of Felliniesque dreamscapes, it is an allusion to the restaurant's location, slightly below street level in the famous 9 Building. The design---of special note is the glass Leger mural covering one wall and velvet on other walls---is quite daring, but it can't quite conceal that you are dining in a lobby. Chef Julian Alonzo, formerly of Café Centro, does an admirable job of convincing diners that they are, in fact, in a real restaurant. The food is Americanized brasserie, which means the menu can include everything from traditional onion soup to tuna tartare with wasabi. The oxtail ravioli is excellent, as are other adventurous dishes, but the standard brasserie fare like steak frites (as well as most of the desserts) is ordinary. The expansive bar area with a dramatic staircase leading down to it, cream-colored swivel bar stools, comfortable dark leather sofas, oversized cocktails and vivacious vibe make it a great place for a drink after shopping or with a group of friends.
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