One if by Land, Two if by Sea

09/01/2008 Posted by hsl4

Its a great resturant. Dim lights, very romantic. Food was excellent, very fresh. Waiter was very knowledgable and attentive, but not overbearing. The place was hidden, hard to find, almost secluded. Didnt even look like a resturant from the front. Resturant staff = excellent. Overall experience = excellent I went there for resturant week. I been to other places for resturant week and quite frankly the service sucked. i dont know if it was because we was there for resturanrt week and not the regular menu. But here, I was treated like royalty. Just go. Dont bother reading about other reviews.. with some guy complaining about his drink tasting like kiwi.. lol.

Pros: Food, service, romantic, definitely will impress your date

Cons: Location hard to find, bring big bucks lol

08/25/2008 Posted by rebelyell

Ok- I like gin... I like Kiwi...Not necessarily a taste explosion when paired together! It actually looks like lizard puke...the smell, not too far off?!? How exactly does their cocktail list go with the romantic-upscale food! I love the food! I would love a great drink to go with it!?! Never again! Decent wine selection-but it could be updated and the waiter didn't really know the wine list? I had to go with what I knew. This place always impresses my dates, and it always works...but I just wish they had something better to drink. I will come back for the food! Service needs improvement-especailly regarding the "cocktail list"-YUCK

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

08/14/2008 Posted by RichelleO

I surprised my fiance by taking him to One if by Land for dinner while were in New York celebrating the anniversary of our engagement last week. The menu was great - we both selected a steak entree - and I ordered a bottle of wine. The ambiance, the food and the service were all great. There was only one disappointment - but a big one. Shortly after our wine was poured - a large party of 12 was seated adjacent to us - in the dining room upstairs. What I had expected to be a quiet, romantic, celebration dinner quickly turned into dinner in a bar - or so it seemed. The large party seated near us - had no respect for the atmosphere in the dining room - nor for us or the other 3 couples seated upstairs. They were obviously having a business dinner and were very rowdy. We thought about requesting to be re-seated downstairs, but did not want to make a fuss. We endured the rowdy party and made it through dinner. I was very saddened though - that my romantic dinner wasn't that at all. I would go back - but I would ask the hostess seating us - if we could avoid this again.

Pros: Very dark, quiet place for a nice candle lit romantic dinner

Cons: Make sure that it remains that for the length of your dinner

07/29/2008 Posted by Harvey1Weinberg

I went there on Tuesday 7/29./08 for Restaurant Week, with my wife and another couple. We haven't been there in years but have heard great things about the new chef, Craig Hopson, who comes from Picholine. What an amazing experience --- to die for ! ! . The food wasn't your standard restaurant week fare --, steak, shrimp, pork, fish -- and it didn't disappoint. Simply excellent, innovative, and top notch. The place is beautiful and subdued with wonderful life piano music. The wait staff was courteous, efficient and knoweldgeable. The hostess and I found out later, the owner, Colleen was charming. She alone is reason to re-visit this gem. I can't wait to come back and savour the menu.

05/03/2008 Posted by osbornerift

I always sort of avoided this place. I've lived here 10yrs and found that institutions like this rely more on their ambience and history as a romantic draw and don't focus on their food as much as I'd like. But I figured I'd give it a shot anyway, and I was instantly and consistently impressed from start to finish. My girlfriend and I tried the buffalo ribeye and gnocchi apps, then the beef wellington and rosemary crusted rabbit. They take some pieces of classic cuisine and really alter them in a new and genuine way, twisting just enough to make it exciting while holding true to the aspects that have made them so prevalent. Our server, (John?), couldn't have been more professional and his service was well-timed and his manner extremely authentic and concientious. He exhibited exactly what I try to instill in my staff ( I've been in this business for years), and it's a rare treat to find a combination of innovation, old-school quality and truly pleasant front-of-the-house demeanor that appeals to young (like me), and old. He definitely "crafted" a great evening for us, and there wasn't a tinge of disappointment throughout, in any area. Perhaps that doesn't sound like a compliment, but it's just about the most valuable sentiment I can give to any restaurant, definitely a great experience and I'll return often.

Pros: The food, service

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/25/2008 Posted by jvan

A superb experience. A truly elegant, relaxed, delicious affair. With so many poor quality establishments at every turn in this city - it's nice to know that some restaurateurs still care to please the customer on every level - food, service, decor, ambiance - these are rare qualities in today's dining out world, which makes One If By Land such a dining delight!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/07/2008 Posted by Hobbes2517

I went here for my fathers birthday and it wasn't at all what i expected. Everything was great except for the food. The bar was well stocked and they can def make some good drinks. The food overall was rather bland. The best part was my 1st course, (mushroom and parm crumble) it was superb if a little rich. My second course was blah (i cant think of any other way to describe it) dessert was the same. The spring veggies had been overcooked so much that they had shrunk to a quarter their size and become brown, the gravy on top of the beef was partially congealed and cold. The beef had no flavor and the pastry around it was a lump of mush. The others had fish which was tender, but again unflavored. My sister tried the foie gras which had more oil on it than all the oil wells in the country. I have had good foie and this was def not it. The sauteed shrimp was overdone. This establishment has withstood the test of time, but its not as good as it was. The crowd was a mixture, but the majority was made of oldies sipping drinks and reminiscing. Overall, One if by Land was blah...

Pros: Ambience, Service, Drinks

Cons: FOOD!!!

03/06/2008 Posted by luvnyc401

This place is everything it claims to be and more. I've been here a few times and have never had a less than perfect experience. The food is absolutely delicious, my favorite is the monkfish. The desserts are to die for so be sure to leave room! They have an exquisite wine list, however if you're unsure, the waiters are great in making recommendations. The service is impeccable, I took my mother once for her birthday and without any request at all from me our waiter brought a lovely dessert out with "Happy Birthday" around it in chocolate syrup. There is a romantic, relaxing ambiance with fresh flowers everywhere and a garden outside while the pianist plays in the background. If you know the history of the building it adds some extra intrigue. I could go on and on about One if By Land, but it still would not do it justice- you really should just go.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Plan ahead with reservations

02/14/2008 Posted by zenger

My wife and I revisited the place where I asked her to marry me 15 years ago. You can sense the ambience as soon as you enter. The lighting, decor, fresh roses and music set the romantic mood that you look for in a restaurant but rarely find. The staff were very accomodative by moving us nearer to the courtyard windows on the first floor. The wine selection has recently been modified. Although they did not have the bottle I selected they quickly offered an upgrade blend at no additional charge. The waitstaff is attentive but not overbearing. Their Beef Wellington is the best I've ever tasted. It is a fantastic restaurant that lives up to it's billing and provided us with some more great memories.

Pros: Ambience, Serice, Food, Wine List

02/09/2008 Posted by jennpss

I have wanted to go to this restaurant for a while, and I decided I would make reservations for our first wedding anniversary. We loved the atmosphere! We had an awesome table on the first floor by a window looking into the courtyard, and were not bothered by other tables’ conversations. We deiced to do the tasting menu along with the wine pairing. This was a great choice! The wine pours were very generous! What is so funny is that I HATE fois gras, but I ate it as part of our appetizers and I did not even know what it was. I was telling my husband I loved whatever I just ate, and he laughed, and called the waiter over to confirm what I had just eaten. For my main course I did get the Beef Wellington and to be honest this dish has never blown me away. For some reason I associate it with Vegas Buffets, but WOW it was awesome. Every part of it was great!! My husband did get the lamb and that was also good. Our waiter was so great! We were not rushed and were there for hours. They brought our dessert course out with a candle and had written “Happy 1st Anniversary” in chocolate around the plate. What a great ending to a wonderful night. I really think this was one of the best NYC overall dining experiences I have ever had. Everything was good from the atmosphere to the food and the staff! I was scared this was going to be one of those over hyped Manhattan restaurants that do not have actual substance, but everything about it was wonderful. For sure we will be going back!!

Pros: Great Service!

Cons: Hard to get reservations!