Artisanal

Ate here last week because of the good reviews and proximity to my hotel. I had a reservation so did not have to wait, but they sat me in a horrible table. One of my biggest pet peeves about restaurants is that they give single diners the worst tables. Anyway, I had a glass of wine and ordered the French onion soup and the steak frites. The soup was very good and the steak frites very disappointing. The meat was undercooked- I ordered medium and it came out rare. There was such a small amount off meat it didn't seem worth it to send it back. Considering there were a ton of waiters and back waiters buzzing around the service was not that good. The space is nice and as soon as you walk in you can smell the cheese which was kind of fun.

I happen to be a fan of this restaurant. It is in my neighborhood and I go there often. Food & service are always excellent. Creative dishes. It's a little noisy, but that's ok with me: it is a bistro.

We have been to Artisinal over 10 times recently, and each time I look forward to it. From the moment Michael (the Maitre d') greets you at the door, you know you will be treated to a special evening of hospitality and accommodation. I wish the restaurant industry would clone him. The food is consistently terrific. I even enjoy the noise level--it is a brasserie.. isn't it?

We arrived at the restaurant and were immediately greeted by the most charming, personable Maitre D. He immediately had someone show us to our table and the feast began. We had a wonderful waitress who explained everything we needed to know. We began with a wonderful Fondue and all the delicious foods that went with it. We then had a small order of the Risotto which was outstanding. The steaks and fish dinners were done to perfection and I can't begin to explain the desserts. One was better than the other. Yes, it is a bit on the noisy side and the service did tend to be a little slow but I would definitely return and recommend it to friends. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

Had dinner here last evening with friends. We were very impressed with our meal... the service was exceptional, the host (whose name I think was Michael) was very very attentive.. We had a bevy of wonderful "firsts" and definately is on our "must do again" list. Great Onion soup....

The place smells like france and switzerland (i have lived in both). bistroish but get their fondue blend, perfect for everyone, get the beef tips Attentive but slow waitstaff. Fondue best value. Takeout cheese selection not cheap but very good. Wine- cab blend, a must is Exlibris best value. I'm extremely jaded, but this is a great place.

My wife and I went on a Friday night at 8:00. The crowd appeared to be largely yuppie twenty-somethings. I agree that the place is quite loud, but no worse than some other large, popular NYC restaurants at which I've dined. Likewise, the service was not nearly as dismal as described here by some other reviewers-nothing special but not completely inattentive either. It's not meant to be fine dining, but casual French bistro fare/atmosphere and at that it succeeds. As or the food, it was excellent . The gougeres were tasty, if overhyped. The onion soup was excellent, rich and hearty with a perfectly browned crust of cheese on top. I had the hanger steak frites as an entree. The steak was a perfect medium rare, tender and juicy, and the frites were crisp without being overdone . My wife had the trout amandine with haricots verts, which was also very tasty. For dessert we had the cheesecake with pecans and caramel , and that too was excellent. All in all, the food was excellent, and I would have no qualms about going back. I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic dinner or a truly special occasion, but for a casual night out with the wife it was pretty good.