Cinema

I've been here a few times. The food is always good, and reasonably priced. However, the music is too loud, and there is the usual casualness from the wait staff. I am a gentlemen, and I go to this restaurant with other gentlemen, and with ladies. We do not appreciate waiters or waitresses saying: "Are you guys ready to order?" or "How are you guys doing tonight?" Even "How are you folks doing?" would be acceptable. The words "sir," "madam," "gentlemen," "ladies," or even "folks" are not a part of the staff's vocabulary. This is also one of those restaurants where you will be consistently interrupted with "How is everything?" The wait staff should be readily available if you need something; they should not interrupt you.

How does this place get such good reviews? I had the beet and goat cheese salad, and I would have have expected my mixed greens to have been at least SOMEWHAT fresh. I'm talking, at least not completely limp. But in fact, there was not even a little crispness to the greens. It was like when you leave a salad in the fridge overnight. Add minimal amounts of goat cheese and a few stringy fingerling potatoes and apparently that's a salad. Had it not been a business lunch, I would have sent it back. Also, the portion was so small that I left hungry. Aren't entree salads supposed to be...a full entree? The bright spot was the mediocre pita served on the side, not because it was good but at least it was warm.

I've visited this place a few times now, alone and with coworkers, and it's the picture of dependable quality. The lighting is subdued, but not as low as many "hip" places. The service is nice, friendly, personable, but doesn't cross any lines. The atmosphere is enhanced by the reels of old comedies (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton), converted to DVD and projected onto the inner wall. Haven't ventured much beyond the small plates menu, so far, but the tenderloin skewers are a must, the slider trio is spot on, the tuna is great, and the rustic fries with three dipping sauces are some of the best in Manhattan. The tartes flambe are lovely, subtle, flavorful, thin and crispy as they should be. The funky drink menu is original enough, although there are plenty of drink lists like this out there, but the drinks are well executed and interesting. Plenty of wine values as well. Outdoor seating is available when it's warm. If you're looking for a good value in Midtown, you can't go wrong with this place. Food as good as at any comparable restaurant at half the price.

why people gave this restaurant good reviews. While they were very nice, the food was equivalent of a suburbian restaurant trying to be 'cool'. Nothing special...nothing horrible, except for their seared ahi tuna salad. Definitely nothing special for a city with such amazing cuisine.

My husband and I walked for blocks and blocks looking for a good place for dinner when we decided to try out Cinema: The Brasserie. It was fantastic- I had seared sea scallops with fettucine and my husband and a trio of sliders. The menu had so much to offer and the prices were reasonable too! Fabulous!

I've only been here for lunch, and no matter who I am dining with - we always love the food. But definitely don't go here for lunch if you have a tight schedule!

Went to this place with my dad for lunch during the work week. Very nice interior and delicious looking food. The cucumber gazpacho was way too strong in the garlic category. Other than having to wait an unusually long time for our lunch to be brought out, my Kobe sliders were fantastic. The salad that came with it was pretty commonplace, nothing outstanding. For a sit down lunch, its pretty solid. No big complaints here.