Bistro Ten 18

I was visiting my daughter in law school, Columbia's, and I wanted to take her somewhere nice, without breaking the budget - she's already doing that, thank you very much. She suggested Bistro Ten 18 and I sort of figured it was either going to be loud and student-oriented or very expernsive. I was pleased to find out it was neither. I have spent some time in Napa and used to fancy myself a connoisseur, so I was very happy about the wines that were recommended for our food. The food itself was good, well-priced and not some little portion, and the wine was excellent. They actually had a wine I'd never tried before and it was great. My daughter persuaded me to try the sundae with Merlot - I think we'll eat here again next time I visit.

The room was nearly empty, but we still waited 45 minutes for the food to arrive. When it did, it was very disappointing. The hollandaise on eggs Benedict was grainy and overwhelmingly sour, the eggs themselves undercooked, the salmon that came with was dry and salty. The English muffin underneath this creation was wet with water of unknown origin (I assume it was either the eggs or the greens). The rest of our order was pretty much of the same quality. And at those prices.

Heard this place was terrific-- it would be an exaggeration to say it is mediocre. The back room is bleak & cold & drafty-- the bargain dinner for two looked like leftovers-- 2 ends of salmon, dried out, overcooked "julienne" . The sweet waiter was inept--forgot to place bread or serve the coffee. A major disappointment and even prix fixe was overpriced for overcooked..

I've eaten at Bistro Ten 18 on numerous occasions, and the food and service have always been excellent. This restaurant is a true asset to the neighborhood, as, in a sea of wonderfully diverse ethnic restaurants on Amsterdam and Broadway, it is one of the few places that offers quality New American/French cuisine at a reasonable price. It is also a great spot to bring a date for lunch or dinner. I'm mystified by the previous reviewer's criticisms, which seem based entirely on an attempt at ordering take-out from what is a sit-down restaurant, and not on an actual dining experience in person. It's well understood that Menupages' menus are an approximation of what is offered at the restaurant, not the restaurants' actual menus themselves. Obviously, the actual menu is going to be far more accurate. Menupages should be used as an informational guide to get a sense of the establishment's offerings and prices, not to order food from.

Ordered their Prix Fixe course and quoted the order off of menupages. Told them I'm ordering from menupages. Long story short I got called back SIX times to validate my order, the last call being from the manager (Dan) who tries to tell me that nobody orders Prix Fixe and I'm the first person in a long time to do so....and I must be using an old menu....tell him I'm ordering from menupages and he goes ohhhh.....well I'm so glad you said something because we will have to change that..... If you run a restaurant and have to call me back six times to validate an order because you cannot get the pricing right or the order right and then show up 1 1/2 hours late that is purely unacceptable. I spent a total of 20 minutes explaning a basic order to 3 different servers and the manager. Why. Why. Why????? And they forgot the dessert. I've received better service in 3rd world countries.

The food was great and the service was friendly and inviting. I would recommend this place to anyone. The food was out of this world! The prices were reasonable for the qualtiy of food.

Great selection of wine. insulting prices. so-so food; limited menu. I think I speak for a lot of my neighbors when i say that i'm dying for some good restaurants in our hood. If this place lowered its prices (considerably) or else elevated the menu/quality - heck, I'd be here all the time. your dishes are ok, but only worth about 1/2 what they're priced at.