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Here's my review which went viral on the web tonight. For a place that prides itself on being better than the rest, this place fails miserably. The martinis were "short", the waiter was pushy to get us to order, and to top it off, he made me one of the worst espressos I've ever had. Rather than try to get me a real one, he immediately said he would remove it from the check. Then he brings back another one that's as bad as the first. If this place prides itself on being better than the rest, why don't they hire a barista or train the waiters to make a decent espresso? I'll think twice about ever going back here again!

I've been to Ouest many times--summer, winter, spring, fall, lunch, dinner, upstairs, downstairs, bar, whatever. It's always good. There are few places on the UWS that meet the standard of Ouest. One of the best gin menus I've ever seen, anywhere. Wine list is fantastic. Great, creative cocktails. The house smoked sturgeon is on of the best dishes in the city--hands down. Setting is also beautiful. I prefer upstairs so we can look down at the room, but the large round booths are gorgeous and fun. All the reviewers moaning about piddling things--ignore them. Ouest is for people who have experience with and appreciate a French-inspired menu/bar and enjoy a night out on this stretch of Broadway.

I've had good meals at Ouest, but not lately. It would take so little to bring it back into shape, but right now it's coasting. Just an example: we got the dessert menu, then waited 15 minutes for the waiter to return to our table. By then all we wanted was to pay the check and get out. Too bad.

Went the other night for our anniversary. First time there. Everything was terrific. Fresh inventive balanced. Great service. We look forward to many more meals there.

Menu reads well, but that's about it. Proteins weren't properly cooked. Risottos and pastas tasted like they were out of a box. And the salads were overdressed and soggy. The server essentially told us that nothing on the menu was worth getting. He was disinterested, inattentive and clearly over the job. But at least he was honest. Won't be back, not worth the time, money or tears .

Ouest has long been our favorite in the 'hood. Fun, casual, great food, everyone was a VIP. Guaranteed great. Not anymore. Tonight, after calling us this morning to confirm our reservation, Ouest did not have it at 7:30 when we promptly arrived. Then the host fed us 3 separate stories about why our favorite table, booked ahead, wasn't ready. "We can't guarantee your request." "Someone else was seated at 6:30 and isn't finished." "We could seat you now if you'd only sit up in the (stiflingly hot) balcony." No thank you. I've been up there and nearly fainted from alcohol and heat. Forty-five minutes later, we were shown to a table where we seated ourselves and waited another 10 minutes when our waiter finally came to ask if we wanted fizzy or spring water. We chose wine and picked from the menu and waited for attention. 15 minutes later, someone brought the wine. It was after 9 before we were seated and had drinks -- on a 7:30 reservation! The food tasted great. It always does, but the service was the worst I've experienced in NYC. We'll never go there again. Truely we would be stupid to give Ouest another dime. Hugely disappointed.

Finally we went to Ouest for the first time - we'd been wanting to try it for a long while since moving to the neighborhood. Very pleasant atmosphere, civilized and quiet but warm - we really dislike loud places with loud music, and here at last one can actually sit down comfortably and have a conversation, quite a big deal in NYC. The food was excellent, from the warm baguette with hummus-style dip ,via the main courses - delicate, subtle, well balanced black cod, buttery gnocchi with spare ribs, lovely rare venison - to the perfect desserts, the dense chocolate cake superb, the panna cotta much appreciated, as well as the orange cheesecake. Proportions are well judged, portions are perfect, dishes are well thought out and well balanced in terms of taste, texture, even nutrition, without being pretentious or overdone. Good wine list, though we were on water on our visit. One little quibble: our waitress was not particularly pleasant; but at least she was unobtrusive. In any case, the many negative reviews below seem unexplainable. We thought this was money very well spent, in a serious, quite high-end establishment that delivers what it promises, with elegance, comfort and style.