by Reuben Kuster on I came here for some cocktails out in the terrace/patio area. I must say, I was not impressed at all. Imagine your typical booths with a full bar layout. The only thing that stood out was their DJ playing awesome old school jams...like Montell Jordan, "This is how we do it." The worst part about my experience was the service. Also, be careful when it comes to closing out your tab, the gratuity has already been added without your knowledge.
by Mohammed Birchett on Having visited the Nikki in Miami, I wanted to like the place. I really did. Hey Nikki, here's a tip: if your gonna try to make a place work in NYC, try hiring some decent bartenders. The drinks are pricey, small, and not well made. The bartenders get easily overwhelmed by people waiting at the bar which then translates into terrible drinks, worse service, and a bad attitude. Oh and did I mention ridiculous prices to match? The ambience is a bit cheesy for my taste - an endeavor to be like Miami but fails in the process. Some tips: Drink beer. The bartenders can't mess that up and they will probably be nicer to you since you made their life easier. If you smoke, take extra care the bouncers remember you. They will swear they never let you in before in order to encourage a "tip" to let you back in. True story - I saw this happen to an unfortunate group of people when I was leaving. Why a 2 instead of 1? The music. The DJ spins great music that really does get you going. They also have this amazing violinist. A beautiful woman rocking out on a violin with a crystal encrusted wand. Very cool.
by Lily L. on Outstanding! Both times I have been here, I have been blown away by the quality of the food and service. Last night was a big celebration dinner and I chose to go to Woodfire Grill over Bacchanalia and was extremely pleased. We started off with a Spanish olive oil tasting which was a lot of fun and something I've never done before. The food was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor as if the vegetables were picked that morning. The chef definitely knew what he was doing and created some really interesting creative concoctions with different textures and complex flavors and temperatures. Each bite seems to take you on a journey with a wild beginning, a full body, and smooth ending. We almost (literally) licked the plate. The menu changes daily to accommodate the freshest local ingredients available. The dishes were innovative and the service impeccable. My date who's from Maryland and therefore, a HUGE crab cake snob ordered the crab cake as the appetizer and said that it was the best he's ever had. I can't go without mentioning that like Bacchanalia, the timing of the food was perfect. We didn't have to wait long and the entire experience was coordinated like a symphony. The portions were just right, and left us satisfied but also desiring and dreaming about the next time we meet. We (and our taste buds) were very comfortable and so very happy with it all. The ambiance was romantic, intimate, but not stuffy or pretentious. Tastefully cozy. This will be my first pick for my next special occasion. For those of you who are familiar with Dynamic Dish, think of this place as Dynamic Dish on (natural) steroids. Same principles- yummy, focused on local and organic foods, and healthy....but much more intense (and pricey...giving us organic-addict foodies an option for those special occasions). We've had good times Bacchanalia, but I've met someone else...
