Craft

Fantastic American classics at premium prices in a very classy Flatiron space. For full disclosure: I used to live in a loft upstairs in same building, and ate here a LOT : )5 star food: all these years, Craft has been a NY fixture for a reason: Tom Collichio's food is very VERY good. If you think "well, meat and potatoes is just meat and potatoes?" Eat here it'll change you to "wow how DID they do THAT with just meat and potatoes?"5 star ambience: it's so beautiful inside that they film aLot of movies inside when the script calls for it"classy Manhattan upscale restaurant"5 star service: staffers ten to work here for years, and it shows in professionalism, serviceAnd courtesy One of my favorite restaurants in NY, and lived there 3 decades with maybe 50 consistently great visits to Craft

I brought my gf here for a belated birthday dinner. This is definitely a gem, bestowed upon us by none other than Tom Calicchio. I made reservations and informed the restaurant that it was a special occasion. They reached out to ask the name of the VIP and unbeknownst to me, printed out her name and salutations on our menus. They print their dining menus every night, so that is just a taste of intentional service that you experience.When we arrived, we were shown a cozy table in their bustling dining room, adorned with beautiful wall art and Edison bulbs. The vibe is sexy and sultry. The cuisine is American fine dining, meant to be enjoyed family-style, and the diners, themselves, design their own dishes.Our server, Ed, introduced himself and proceeded to take our drink orders. He is so on point and if you dine here, you definitely want to sit at one of his tables. Lady and Cesar were also very helpful throughout the night. Cheron, the beverage director, presented us with our half bottle of a nice white bordeaux that I ordered, as I have not had a proper glass of wine in some time.As we ordered our feast, Ed had to calm me down, and gave me direction so that I did not over-order (I do that ALL the time). The portions are on the larger side, as they are meant to be shared, so order appropriately. All of the food was amazing. The way our meal was presented to the table was done so to allow all parties equal access to the dishes. We were so full by the time dessert came. During our meal, we received extra treats from the kitchen.First Course:Amuse-bouche - we received a palate cleansing watermelon gazpacho with parsley oil that was refreshing. Oysters - we had a half dozen kumamotos and they were extremely fresh and sweet. They are perfect on their own but were also served with a complimentary mignonette.Burrata - this was served uncased and creamy, with plums, figs and toasted hazelnuts. This dish was so fresh and full of depth.Grilled Octopus - we had this served with butter beans, capers and Calabrian chili. The flavor was wonderful, however my portion of the protein was slightly tougher than I prefer. I like my grilled octopus very tender.Main Course:Bacon-Wrapped Rabbit - I have been craving rabbit for some time now and I have to say theirs is a nice take. The sauce was silky and rich. However, the dish was not served as warm want as I would have liked. Braised Beef Short Ribs - the meat slid right off the bone. The ribs were so good. We devoured them.Potato Purèe - the potato was so smooth. I initially wanted gnocchi but they ran out. Ed suggested the purèe and it did not disappoint.Hen of the Woods - the mushrooms were cooked well but they were not served hot which was disappointing.Dessert - we shared a chocolate soufflé that was served with vanilla ice cream. The kitchen also sent out a chocolate ice cream and coconut marshmallows with a passionfruit purèe. All of the desserts were great.We had a late seating and by the time we finished our meal, the restaurant was pretty much empty. Cesar took over for the latter part of our meal and presented us with complimentary coffee cake muffins as we left.For the most part, our night was a thoughtful experience. I was not prepared for receiving cold dishes but happily ate all of the flavorful food. I wish it was all perfect but alas, life does not work in this way. I will take 80% perfection any day. Maybe an earlier sitting would have resulted in warmer food. The most important thing is that my gf thoroughly enjoyed herself and I was happy to give her a special night because she definitely deserves it.

Craft in New York--where do I start? Walking into a Tom Colicchio restaurant, the bar is set high. But this time, things didn't quite hit the mark. Service was late to the shift, and the ambiance? It fell a bit flat, lacking the energy and warmth you expect from a place with this kind of reputation.As for the food, it was just okay, which is disappointing at this level. The steak was done well, but that's table stakes for a Colicchio kitchen. What it lacked was the depth and complexity that should define a meal here. In the end, it was a passable experience, but when you're dining at Craft, you're looking for something more than just passable. Unfortunately, this visit didn't deliver.

Craft was a great experience. I can see why the restaurant is highly regarded. Being solo I tried a variety of dishes! I started out with a crudo I was really excited because I love a crudo. It was so colorful and beautiful. After taking a bite I did have to stop. So I wasn't asked about dietary restrictions (not a requirement) on the menu the crudo did not specify grapefruit - if it was on there I wouldn't have ordered it. However the staff was really accommodating and brought an arugula salad as an alternative. The scallops were really my favorite. So fresh, and scallops had this wonderful vermouth butter. The potatoes were whipped and creamy. They were a great add to the scallops. The pasta was really good. Borderline salty, but still delicious the crab and the nduja was delicious. The portions were great and the quality was good. Overall a recommend.

Well this was a bucket list restaurant. Yes I learned about this restaurant from watching top chef. To be fair I learned a ton about the culinary world from top chef. I started watching episode one of season one in 2006 crazy to think about how long it's been. Well needless to say the restaurant was amazing from start to finish. The host, service and everything to do with the from of house was great and set the tone the food and cocktails matched the front of the house. We wanted to do the tasting menu but had a show to go to. The server asked the kitchen if they could do it in the allotted time and they said yes. Everything was amazing and right before we left they asked if we would like to check out the kitchen which was awesome to see! Before leaving they left us with a complimentary muffin and a signed menu from Tom! Truly unforgettable experience. I don't even remember the show but will always remember this dinner.

We came here for a family occasion to celebrate a couple grads, and honestly most of us said we would rate this between 3-4 stars. The service was incredible. They were very friendly and accommodating. There is also an extensive wine list. It was moreso the food and the ambiance that we didn't love. This wouldn't be among the first fine dining restaurants I would recommend. First, for dinner, this is a pretty dark and cold restaurant. It would be nice for date night in my opinion. But also since it was cold, that meant our dishes got cold faster. Onto the food. Now, we ordered a lot of food, but only a few dishes were memorable. We got:- Grilled Octopus (5/5)- Roasted Beets (3/5)- Risotto (5/5)- Spaghetti (4/5)- Green Circle Chicken (3/5)- Rohan Duck (4/5)- 36oz Porterhouse Steak (1/5) This was so fatty. Could not eat this. - Grilled Asparagus (4/5)- Assorted Mushrooms (5/5)- Chocolate Passion Fruit Tart (4/5)- 1 scoop of Chocolate Stracciatella (5/5)- 1 scoop of Earl Grey (5/5)- 1 scoop of Thyme Basil sorbet (2/5)

I wasn't overly excited when my wife told me we were going to Craft for one of our 2 dinners in NYC. Sure, we're big Top Chef fans, but the menu wasn't super-exciting and with all the options in the city, I didn't want to burn a dinner in a lackluster celebrity chef experience. I couldn't have been more wrong. This food was unbelievable. Highlights were the duck and venison (pictured). The venison loin was absolutely perfect. And just a word about duck...perfectly cooked duck is my white whale - so hard to find. I have had duck breast in many different establishments in many different countries searching for the perfect cook, and I can finally stop looking. The skin was nicely seasoned and perfectly rendered, with none of the chewy white fat remaining below the crispy, potato chip-like texture. The meat was a perfect medium rare and tender. I dream of this duck.

I wish I could give this place a 4.5! We enjoyed a great birthday dinner for a friend here on a Saturday night. They printed customized happy birthday menus which such a lovely touch. The restaurant was extremely accommodating for gluten allergies - all of the mains were gluten free and they even served gluten free bread. The food was delicious - our favorite dishes were the scallops and the steak. We also loved the mushroom side and the braised short rib. We also had the crudo, the risotto and the brocoli (which was more like brocolini). The only issue we had was with our drinks as there were quite a few mix ups on what we had ordered. The staff was great and didn't rush us out. Great experience.

I don't know how I haven't reviewed this before. It's one of my favorite places, but it's definitely a special occasion place because of the price, and because I would not walk in wearing jeans. It's one of those places that you immediatey think, "why are ALL restaurants not this great?!" the service is impeccable. The staff is wonderful. The food is perfect. The bathroom is great. The whole experience is what a real restaurant should be. And that makes it worth the price. But not so often, for me. You get an amuse. You sometimes get a little gift to-go. You don't need to flag down staff, because they're nearby without hovering. And I'd recommend most things. Especially, if you're gluten free or have other food restrictions, they really take care of you. They have tiny loaves of GF bread. No extra charge. And they taste, smell and feel like regular bread. I just can't stress how rare all of that is. And is very much appreciated. Make a reservation. Although we happen to walk in at the end of the night and were fit in. Took a little while for anyone to help us, but the rest of the night was spectacular. Their sides are very large fyi. I crave their roasted mushrooms. They changed my life.

Overall not impressed. Definitely expected a higher level when you're going into a steakhouse like this. Oysters were good but not the best we've ever had, most were very fishy. Scallops were mediocre and very small for the price. Steak was more medium rare when I asked for medium- took 30 minutes to cook so you expect a perfect steak but it was luke warm and the hen of the woods risotto was luke warm as well. Wasn't crowded either at the time so everything should've came out hot and fresh. Risotto was also on the bland side.