César 2* (NYC) is kind of a joke
Went there on July 4th and was quite disappointed given how well reviewed this place is.
Edit: I feel like I have to preface this post by saying that this didn’t ruin my night in any way. We enjoyed the food and the company of friends. The whole point of this post is to compare it with the level of service I have seen from other restaurants at this level and price point.
The good part: food was well executed for the most part. One fish course was overcooked in particular. We enjoyed most other courses though.
The bad part: service and attention to detail was lacking for a Michelin rated restaurant. Not deserving of 1 star, much less 2 Michelin stars.
Examples:
- Inconsistent pacing. Main squab course took about 40 minutes to arrive. Bread arrived so early that it got cold by the time the accompanying course arrived. No explanations or remedy given for the long wait. Total dining time was 4 hours end to end for only 10 courses plus 2 desserts.
- Wine pairing was not explained for a few courses. It was also explained to the wrong person for other courses. Also, they didn’t seem to have a sommelier that evening.
- Billing confusing. They made us fill out a gratuity first. When the final credit card receipt came, it wasn’t added, so we had to fill it in again.
- No menus (or any memorabilia) given to diners to take home. I thought this was standard practice at most Michelin starred places by now. And definitely saw some other diners get one in other reviews.
- Service was a bit chaotic and cold. Staff tried their best to be professional in between the lapses described above. But it lacked the warmth and cohesiveness of similar NYC restaurants like EMP, Aska, or Atomix for example.
- Decor somewhat outdated. More of a nitpick, but wood paneling in the dining room is reminiscent of early 2000s fine dining.
- Price is not something we normally notice. But if you expect to charge $295 + 20% for a wine pairing, you better make sure that all of the other aspects of service are on point.
- Is there a dress code or not? It was a hot day, so I can understand not enforcing it. But some diners came in wearing jean shorts and t-shirts despite the dress code. I don’t like dressing up either, but if you’re going to have a dress code, then at least enforce it for the other people who made the effort to follow it. Otherwise, get rid of it.
Overall, it seems like the transition from the former Chefs Table to Cesar has resulted in service taking a major hit. Given that this place has been open for over a year now, it seems unacceptable that service is still this bad.
I’m normally not one to pay attention to the intricacies of hospitality until it is sorely lacking, which it was in this case.