Loi

First time for this neighborhood place tonight and decided to sit in the bar where it was apparently the first night for some heavenly sounding jazz duo. Perfect! Loved the service, loved the food and loved the design of this place (including the MOST gorgeous ladies room ever! ) Recommend the arugula salad with figs, the calamari, and eggplant slippers or something like that, a great sardines dish, and the moussaka. For sure we will be back!

The food is quite expensive. The atmosphere is laid back, upscale however a bit stodgy. The service is poor. The waiter disappears for long periods of time. It takes forever to get drinks. The appetizers came once the main entrees were served and there was no apology. The drinks are very expensive. The food is very good.

Disorganized service:took 3 people to figure out if table was ready; chef oddly came to table to announce the rest of out party was here, then went back to entrance and THEN brought them to table; chef was at entrance when clearly should have been in kitchen; she presented as disorganized herself; waiters continued to put tap water into sparkling water glasses Substandard food: sea urchin and bronzino tasted old; romaine salad tasteless and limp; shrimp with tomato sauce tasted like straight out of can-supposed to have feta and when I pointed out there was none the waitress brought some out and dumped on the dish; lamb came out grey and potatoes were soggy; desserts disappointing and uninteresting

I finally tried Loi and it was excellent. Fatastic food and the service was fine. Also a nice dining space and bar. Highly recommneded.

My husband and I went last week with a dear friend and we were very happy with our meal. The service was attentive yet unobtrusive, the food was fresh and delicious and the atmosphere was mercifully quiet. When we left the chef gave us some delicious paste for chicken. It was a very enjoyable evening. We will definitely be back.

We were seated within five minutes of arrival on a busy Saturday night, but once our water was poured that's the last our party of 4 saw of any service people for 20+ minutes - I had to flag down three busboys before our waiter arrived. We ordered. 20 minutes later the other couple we were dining with got their cranberry juice. 10 minutes after that the waiter came back to tell my wife that the kitchen was now out of the calamari she had ordered 30 minutes previously. After an hour and 15 minutes, and several inquiries, our friend ran into Chef Loi and mentioned the inattention to our table. Within minutes several waiters and a manager came over with our appetizers. Service thereafter was still spotty, with our waiter continually (and distastefully) blaming the kitchen for everything. The food was good but not great, and definitely not a great value - prices are quite high. My spanikopita was fine, my wife's octopus (substitute for the calamari) was very good, and our friends enjoyed their dishes. The baklava was okay, but frankly I think the baklava from Uncle Gussy's truck on 51st and Park is better (as is, I think, the spanikopita). The bar room has been updated, as has the dining room (from the days the restaurant was Compass), and overall the atmosphere is quite nice, formal without being stuffy, and very comfortable. If only the service had been good. Or even mediocre. The restaurant did the right thing, offering us complimentary drinks and comping our desserts as well, which we appreciated, but it was too little and way too late. The most memorable thing about our evening were the pig and lamb roasting on open spits outside the restaurant in anticipation of Greek Orthodox Easter the following day. After that - a sight not normally seen even on the UWS - the abysmal service was, unfortunately, the standout here. We had high hopes for Loi, but it is highly unlikely we'll be returning.

After much anticipation, my friend and I tried this place on a recent Friday night. We decided to sit at a table near the bar since it was a bit more casual than the main dining area and the full menu was available. After sitting for what seemed like an eternity, we asked the hostess for the waitress and then had to order quickly as to not lose sight of her again. The food came to the table quickly, but we had to chase for wine, water and bread. Food quality could have been better given the hype and reviews. The waitress did cover the drinks to make up for the spotty service. Overall....overpriced, spotty service, and food could be better. I wanted to like the place, but will have to pass next time.