Dovetail

The food was excellent. That said, the portions were very very small - good if you are on a diet - but in fairness, typical of nouvelle cuisine. While the service was attentive (as in you take a sip of water and someone rushes over annoyingly to fill your glass every 10 seconds), the one glaring problem that this place has is that the waiters are unintelligible - meaning that their Indian accents are so thick that you cant understand a word that they are saying - a big problem when you are trying to figure out what is on the plate in front of you - and this is not an Indian restaurant so this was particularly strange. This inability to communicate with the staff was troubling as one member of our party had a food allergy. The maitre'd spoke perfect English, however was no where to be seen after taking our order.

I have to admit the Upper West Side is finally establishing itself as a dining destination. Dovetail delivers a satisfying culinary experience in a relaxed atmosphere. Starters of foie gras, soup, lobster were all tastefully prepared. Entrees of a sublime halibut, duck were both delicious but could have been served a little warmer. My one big complaint other than the overpriced wine list is the service which while cordial was terribly slow. Chocolate souffle for dessert was also a winner. Give it a shot and while you might not make it your destination of choice will also not be disappointed.

For $37, with coffee and the miniscule portions, I expected more. How about a decent bread basket? I hate greasy overly sweetened assorted mini- muffins--cheap and not good at all. And these mini, mini trays with appies? There is only one restaurant who does that well, and it's a four-star powerhouse. Stop copying. Do avoid brunch at Dovetail.

had a birthday dinner there last night. food was very good but tiny portions for big $. service was bigger issue. was first sat at back corner table although room was half empty. they gave me a better table. many of the secondary servers barely speak English- so i could not understand their descriptions of the dishes. i did not eat most of my lamb so is asked to take it home. when i got home i realized they never gave me the food. i called back. it turns out that a coat check ticket they gave me which i thought was a mistake,was in fact for my food. I was told by the wait person it for my "checked bag", which i told them i did not just check a bag. when i called back they said it was for my food. if they spoke english the wait staff could have told me this. when i called back i was told they already threw it out. wanted to find an elegant restaurant in my neighborhood on the uws, but won't be back.

Every aspect of our dinners have been excellent. The food and wine, attentive and unobtrusive service, decor, moderate sound levels and hospitable staff all make for a very satisfying dinner experience. Last night, my wife and I had the duck and rack of lamb, both of which were outstanding. A reasonably priced half bottle of wine only added to the pleasure. I highly recommend Dovetail without hesitation.

Treated to a lovely brunch

Having dined at many restaurants I found the food at Dovetail to be average, not stupendous as some reviewers have indicated. I had the duck which was one of the signature dishes and quite frankly my daughter, who is not a trained chef prepares better duck. A very disappointing post opera dinner I should have returned to Brooklyn and eaten at the Grocery or Henry's End, or just simply returned home to a meal prepared by my daughter. Beside the wait staff there is an excess of help who seem at times to be milling around and not well informed.