Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe

For the past several years, I have counted Morrell among my few, favorite, consistently delicious restaurants in midtown. Unfortunately, with their new chef, that has changed. A friend and I went for dinner last night and found that the service was not good (no water refills, waiter disappears and does not check on how the food comes out, the wrong wine was poured and we had to send it back and request the one we had originally ordered) and the food was terrible. We both started with the beet salad which was an over salted, barely edible pile of greens with about a eight tiny beet cubes and some chevre crumbles. For our entrees, my friend had the Udon and I had the mushroom risotto with duck confit. The seafood in the Udon was so salty that my friend had to send her dish back; my risotto and duck confit was edible, but the risotto tasted primarily of black pepper and had no depth of flavor and the duck was overcooked and dry. The risotto reminded me of the Lipton noodles that I used to eat in college which only required me to add hot water - in fact, I think the Lipton noodles were better ... I have never published a review of anything before, but my great disappointment with last night's dinner has spurred me to let people know that this is no longer the restaurant it used to be. more

Went here around the holidays and made a reservation on opentable. Got there and was seated in a terrible table near the bathroom. Asked the hostess to move us if possible upstairs to a nicer table. Hostess said no problem, should take 10 minutes and she'd move us. Long story short we ate the whole meal down there and she never came back. The food was just ok but everything from the wine to the food was very overpriced and you really just feel like a number in there. When I mentioned this oversight to the hostess at the end of the meal, she laughed and apologized and didn't even offer a dessert or a discount off the bill. I also left a message for the manager just to let him know, and never heard back. Clearly they could care less if you enjoy your experience. And the kicker was opentable contacted me to say that I was marked down as NOT honoring my reservation. Very disorganized and incompetent hostess and customer service overall. Look at the tree and go skating and grab a drink at Bryant Park, it's a lot nicer experience. Pros: Good location for sightseeing Cons: Terrible treatment of customers, overpriced, food just ok more

I was excited to try this place so popped in for a late lunch 3pm on a Friday. The decor is pretty uninspiring. The wine by the glass selection was good but not great (quality is better than quantity guys). I started with a St Emilion coupled with the braised octopus carpaccio (bit too salty and bland for my taste) followed by Le Cupole Supertuscan teamed with handmade egg parpadelle, wild mushrooms and truffle essence (perfect and delicious for a cold afternoon). After an $85 spend I was disappointingly given the check without requesting it and without an offer of dessert, coffee or more wine. The staff busied themselves around me and other late diners, hurrying us to go. When I asked for dessert I was told I if I wanted anything else I would need to move as my table was needed for a 4pm booking (why on earth then was I seated there for lunch in the first place?). So I took money and walked down the street to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake and espresso. This end could have been so much better handled and spoiled what was an otherwise lovely dining experience. more

I've been to Morrell a few times and no matter what I or my friends ordered, the food has been delicious. It's just an overall solid dining experience. The decor is nice, but not overly fancy; the bar always seems fun and lively; there is a prime view of Rockefeller Center; the food is excellent and portions are fair; and the wine list is extensive. The only thing one might quabble about is the price, but in my opinion it's well worth it. This restaurant is always on my list of places to take out-of-towners because I know they'll have a good time. One warning: they close much earlier than most restaurants in the city, so book accordingly. more

For what it is it might deserve higher marks but it's hard to say. From the jump: the white bread is pointless, the whole grain bread is very good. Everyone around us had the cheese plate but we didn't have time, though it looked nice. My date had the lamb burger sliders which had in my opinion a decent crunch, but were either overpowered by the dressing-like sauce on them, or underwhelmed by the lack of lamb/burger taste as a whole, and the bread while crunch did not stand up flavor-wise either. I didn't try his lobster salad but it looked decent if you want something extremely light (bits of lobster meat and sprouts). I had the sweet pea/shrimp risotto which was slightly off-putting as, on the menu it says it comes with a tomato confit, but once it arrived it was green. . . Also, I typically stray from anything excessively creamy and oily - and let's just say this was extremely creamy and surrounded by oil.. but once the amazing flavors touched my mouth, all was forgiven. Decadent, yes. Filling? As time progresses! And certainly not something you would want to eat every day (not for the health conscious!) but a very lovely dish indeed. My date had a chardonnay that, for $30/glass, came far too cold and wasn't suitable until the end of our meal. By then it had a wonderful flavor, but that was far too late in the game. My Spanish red was described as complex and powerful, but was truly unimpressive as far as Spanish wine is concerned. And while it may sound like I am complaining (our waiter was awful), I still enjoyed the place and would go back. Why? My dinner was excellent, the outdoor seating is fun (and I wasn't even facing Rock Center, And I am not a fan typically of outdoor dining). I honestly shouldn't have enjoyed it - the tables are close together, but somehow, it was a lovely place to sit, and my meal leads me to believe other things on the menu are winners. Just... not the sliders. Pros: Great outside seating (the best!), good meal, fun Cons: Some food a bit off, both wines not served appropriately, poor wait staff. more

I would've appreciated an informed and helpful waiter in respect to selecting a glass of wine w/ the appetizers and meals we ordered. I was expecting it to be more of an authentic Italian experience with servers who suggest (or just bring out) great wines with consideration to food, weather, etc, but our server could've worked in Applebees for all he cared. No suggestions, recommendations, personality, or manners. The place is small, but not too tight. The halibut was tasty. I was also very pleased to see the foie gras plate listed on the online menu was not on last night's menu (please support cruelty free establishments!). If my best friend didn't want to have her birthday dinner there I wouldn't have gone just based on the foie gras appearance, but hopefully mgt has taken it off the menu?? Dessert was fair- creme brule, lemon tart. Cheese plate was fair w/ a good selection of cheeses. For the price ($150 for two people) I would go somewhere else for a good wine selection plus service. Pros: large wine selection, location, easy reservations on a Tues. Cons: Michael the waiter, location (if you drive) more

Though Rockefeller Plaza can be considered a bit "touristy," Morrells wine bar isn't. With an extensive (and yes, as an earlier reviewer noted - expensive) wine-by-the-glass selection, it offers the experienced and inexperienced wine taster alike a chance to explore notable wines without having to purchase the whole bottle. The food could be considered an afterthought, or a way to waste time between tastings. But it's more than that. Every dish I've had there has been well prepared and delcious. Especially with a great pairing of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, or a Washington State Pinot Blanc. Be prepared to pay for what you get though! Pros: Great Wines, Tastey Food, Good Service Cons: Expensive more

I'm always looking for places with amazing wine by the glass lists...and this place is tops, although it is a bit pricey (which isn't surprising!) To respond to a post on this board, you're NOT supposed to fill a wine glass "all the way up to the top." If you do, it does not allow room for swirling or sniffing and there's not enough aeration to appreciate the bouquet of the wine. FYI. more

It's such a nice location, but the food and and desserts were just mediocre. There was nothing on the menu that was in any way "unique". The wine list is pretty amazing, but $9 for a teeny glass of wine whereas everywhere else in the city they pour the wine into the glass until it's full. I am disappointed! Pros: nice location, nice interior, good service Cons: , small glass/hi price more

The Wine is Fine. The Food is Fine. Everything is Fine. The END. GSTQ. more

Morrell's is a great wine store, particuarly for Reds. The cafe/wine bar at Rock Center complements the wine by providing interesting grazing foods. Service can be terrible, but when you can sit outside and watch the world go by, the interesting food makes sipping the wine that much more wonderful. more

The wine selection is formidable, but overpriced. The portions are small, but tasty. The staff is friendly and knows their wines. The bar only seats about 10 people, so get there early if that's your preference. Being near the rink makes it a great people watching location and draws in an unusual crowd of wanna-be powerbrokers and tourists. It is a romantic place for a date. I would not take a client here because the space is tight and it's a bit noisy. Pros: Location, Wine Selection, Food Pairings Cons: , Too Loud, Overpriced more

Great location: sidewalk seating. Food: small rich portions that leave enough room for dessert -- sticky toffee pudding mmm. Pros: location more

i went on monday with my gf for a going away dinner. She's a big wine drinker so i assumed this was the place to check out, and it was...cost $125 total for two people, 3 courses 5 wines and 1 cider. The staff was courteous. Easy to make same day reservations. Dessert was bad. Watermelon soup with lemon sorbet, but the entree was chicken breast with mashed potatoes and the citrus salmon salad was incredible. a bit nosy, but still some romance is possible. Pros: wine, service, easy reservations Cons: a bit much more

is it okay to spend 12.00 on a glass of wine and in some cases up to 25 dollars a glass? The people watching is fun, granted, but really..... more

This place was pretty cool for the thirty something crowd, though it seems to be a place you go to show how much you earn a little bit. The wine list is extensive (it is a WINE bar) and the pourers know their selections well. more

This is a nice place in a great location. Food is not for the picky eaters. The courtyard is right on Rockefeller Plaza and made for some interesting people watching more

They have a great special on mondays, 3 courses, 5 different wines. Since we were from california so they gave us several california wines to compare with other countries wines. Service was Great, we were in NYC for a week, and we had Dinner at the top 3 cafe in the city, this is the best!!!! Pros: FOOD!, Service, Location more