Calliope

Granted, a decent brunch is not that easy to find these days, and that is available at Calliope, along with extremely friendly service. The noise level is very high and the space is very crowded. If you are looking for a comfortable, relaxing dining experience, Calliope is not for you. On the other hand if you are into the "scene" you will feel as if you have found the place where you "should" be and will enjoy a pretty good brunch. I wouldn't recommend the herb omelet (bland), but everything else we ordered good. Two extra slices of toast for our smoked fish platter was $2.00, strange- but the fish was good! Coffee is flowing and good, too. The waitstaff must nearly perform acrobatic moves to navigate the space and crowd, and does so with a smile!

Had the specials last week-the cassoulet was as good as France. Confited duck leg, sausage, pork and beans were well seasoned and superb! The special game-braised partridge was memorable. The leg was well done and the breast was rarish. Sunchokes and garlic and little carrots were excellent anad complimented the dish. The sunchokes absorbed the gorgeous sauce. We started with the tomato tart. Excellent seasonal dish with sweet and tart cooked tomatoes and some olives and cool salad on top. Now if only the bartender could learn to make a dry martini! They are small and have too much vermouth. Service is a bit harried and the place is noisy because of the 2nd Ave location.

Dined from out of town with a friend living in the city. The decor was extremely charming and chic. The walls were open, which made for a welcome breeze but an occasional noisy passing truck. The inside seemed a little more peaceful than the outside. The service was fantastic, and this comes from a girl who pays her rent via waiting at a high dining place. Our server was extremely pleasant and well informed, and one could tell she took real pride in her place of employment. We ordered the lobster/leek ap, which stole the show, a rabbit kidney special, a hot and sour lamb entrée and the vegetarian kale dumplings. The dumplings were delicate and subtle.

Calliope was a wonderful dining experience.The raw oysters from Port Judith with cocktail sauce were very fresh.The eggs mayonnaise with celery salt was very enjoyable as well as the asparagus with a fried egg on top.The halibut for the main course was excellent.The dessert was enjoyable as well. Overall a nice start for a new restaurant and the beginning of a honeymoon.

Fine replacement to Belcourt. Large portions of high quality food but a bit overpriced for the neighborhood. We had excellent tongue with sauce gribiche and tete de porc. A little unique and very tasty. He had the chicken and had a clean plate. I had the lamb porterhouse with artichokes. The chops were a bit rare but well seasoned and had a wonderful sauce which I finished with a spoon!. It was, however $31.00 which the waiter forgot to mention. Too full for dessert. The place is very noisy-busy corner, open windows and tin ceiling and tille floor .

The former chef of the Waverly Inn has outdone himself opening a place on the lower east side with charm, ambiance and his delicious fares. The portions are perfect, the food is creative without being haughty, and the atmosphere lends itself to a leisurely meal that can be hard to find these days in NYC. While the staff is still getting up to speed and a little slow in some areas the overall experience was fantastic. It was a great date night and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious night out in the east village!