Manhatta Awards

Manhatta Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: The first thing you’ll notice about Manhatta, a restaurant from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, is the sweeping views from sixty stories up. It faces north and east towards Brooklyn, and skyscrapers, bridges and the East River create a striking backdrop for a meal. Décor, in soothing navy leather and dark wood, is refined and staid.

Likes: Breathtaking view; foie gras; bavette steak; cocktails.
Dislikes: Lobster quenelle; food can feel slightly dated.

Food & Drinks: The menu is a New York City take on French flavors. Lobster quenelle is disappointingly bland, but hearty house bread is first-rate with a dip in the creamy sauce beneath. Instead, opt for the foie gras, presented between layers of tête de veau (calf’s head) and Armagnac-infused chicken fat. It’s both elegant and totally indulgent. Trout with cauliflower, lentils and pine nuts is ideally cooked and flavorful. Wagyu bavette steak arrives with a rich beef jus. For dessert, there’s a towering vanilla soufflé which deflates when topped with warm butterscotch. Date cake is served with a scoop of crème fraîche ice cream and not-too-sweet whiskey sauce. Classic cocktails, including a mean daiquiri, are on offer, and a serious wine list highlights bottles from Burgundy.