Best Pre-Theater Restaurants in Clinton Hill

We were in town for a show. Our waiter, Alex, was entertaining and attentive. The Bond Cup and Espresso Martini drinks were delicious. We ordered the Chicken Pepperoni Parmesan and Lasagna recommended by our waiter. We enjoyed strawberry cheesecake and espresso for dessert. The food is outstanding. That combined with the service will bring us back again.

Valentines Day for most restaurants is a chaotic experience so I’m going to give them a pass. They wanted to seat us at a tiny table and I’m 6”2 and 215 lbs. I did wait a little and got a decent table. The service was slow but we like to take our time so it wasn’t an issue. The special, chilled seafood salad with cucumber, cumin and crème fraiche was very special. The onion soup and pistachio terrine were as tasty as ever. My steak could have been warmer but the frites were nice and crispy. My partners duck a l’orange was nice but now what he expected. The flourless chocolate cake was as good as ever but served way before my partners almond tart. However the waitress was very accommodating and I did get a free glass of wine for the wait. The prices have gone up ALOT! I think $40 for a duck breast and steak frites is Al little steep for a casual French bistro, but again, that is the cost of dining in NYC.

It was a very busy Valentine’s Day and the staff did well keeping up. It did lack its usual personal touch but the food compensated. The “Amore” singing was a very nice holiday touch.

I picked this restaurant by looking at online reviews. I could not have made a better choice. Our reservation was on time. We walked in, sat down and were immediately greeted by our server. Emily was her name. She was without a doubt, one of the best servers I have ever had the pleasure of working with she treated my wife and me as if we were her only customer and we were the most important people in the restaurant. It was truly a special occasion for us. The food was everything that she had said it would be and everything that I read online. It was fabulous. We took her suggestions for some of the dishes we got and every suggestion she made was fantastic. I will go back to Carmines anytime I’m in New York City.

The dinner was absolutely delicious, and not the usual restaurant fare. The warm rolls and butter and oil started us off beautifully. We were thrilled with the recommendation for the skate. It was cooked so perfectly with lentils and spinach. I had never had this before, but I will definitely be going back to Marseille to have it again. Additionally, the bouillabaisse was outstanding!