Apiary

Excellent food. Cannot say anything bad about the food. But the terrible service left an awful taste in our mouths. I had been to this place several times before and the food was GREAT! I was really excited to take my parents and fiance there. I brought my father's favorite pastries because we were celebrating Father's Day, and I asked the hostess to put them in the fridge until we were ready for dessert. She said it was fine and brought them into the kitchen. When it was time for dessert, the waitress refused to bring the pastries out until we ordered other desserts and coffee. So we did. But then the manager comes over and says, just to let you know, there is a $5 per plate fee for the pastries. We obviously objected, and this woman kept insisting that it was just their policy and there was nothing she could do about it. So we cancelled the desserts and coffees that we ordered, totaling about $40. There was six of us eating and had already racked up a bill of about $400, with a 20% gratuity automatically added to the bill. Our waitress, (tall, pale, reddish hair), was incredibly rude, and was openly complaining about our table right in front of my mother! It was a terrible experience. It really sucks because we live very close by and do love the food. But I really don't see myself, or my family going there again. more

This year I made two restaurant week reservations at different places and found myself at Apiary twice. Our first dining experience was so impressive, we quickly booked our second and the host went above and beyond to accommodate both times. The Beverage Director, Brett, serves a stunning cocktail list that is tasty from top to bottom. Try the Queen Bee, Gin & Juice or ANY of his recommendations. Foodwise, Scott Bryan has a solid menu - the standouts are the Roast Chicken with celery root puree and Chatham Cod with bouillabaisse broth entrees, sweetbreads and pork belly appetizers, and the warm chocolate cake, apple tartine or vanilla panna cotta desserts. You will be back... and soon. Pros: Cocktails, Roast Chicken, Chatham Cod, Service more

been following scott bryan for years, and his latest is Pros: great food Cons: a bit noisy more

Nice decor, but this place reeks Gramercy Wasp. If you don't look the part, you probably won't be treated very well. I had a glass of wine and left before I felt any less welcomed. Pros: Nice Decor Cons: Elitist and Homogenous more

Went to Apiary with friends after a recommendation from the 'Foodie' circle and we were all extremely impressed. The scallop appetizer had a delightfully simple yet dynamic flavor (the stuff dreams are made of). We tried almost all of the entrees (Chicken, Duck, Pork) and couldn't stop trading bites with each other because they were all impressive. The wine list was great and we found a great deal that paired perfectly. Highly recommend and will be back. Oh and the service was a dream as well! Thanks Apiary!! Pros: Food (the scallop app is a must), Great Service more

I am surprised with negative views on Apiary. We had a great time! my friends and I utilized the No Corkage Monday evening special during this ""crisis"" and we were treated WONDERFULLY!! Erik was phenomenal and our food was delicious. I think it is a great, cute place and addition to the neighborhood. more

Everything about this place ranged from just ok to pretty decent. That's not a compliment in New York. The... more

Everything about this place ranged from just ok to pretty decent. That's not a compliment in New York. The menu, decor, and service were all sati... more

Though the menu is inventive and has an elegant spin on traditional, I wish it were a bit more flavorful. I love the venue, the service has always been fantastic, and the Sangria is delish. Just dont expect to get another Union Square Cafe or Gotham - and you'll love it. Pros: Service, Ambience more

I decided to try the new neighborhood joint after they had been open for a few months. I had read a lot of the blogs and decided it was time to check them out. Pros: wine list Cons: noises more

After reading some of the negative reviews here I was a bit reluctant to dine here, but it is a couple of blocks from my apt so we decided to give it a try.. and we were pleasantly surprised by both the food and the service -- I guess that have ironed out some of the kinks. Pros: creative yummy food, location, small intimate dining room Cons: only beer & wine from the bar.. can be pricey.. more

My father and I both live in Manhattan and are no strangers to bad or overpriced meals at restaurants that are trying too hard to be cool. Apiary is NONE of these things. I brought my very picky father to Apiary, partly because of his unabashed love of honey and partly out of my secret wish to be a beekeeper. Like other reviewers, I was hesitant to go based on previous reviews, afraid my dad would be his complain-y self if things weren't just right, but decided to throw caution to the wind and give a new place a go. I was very very pleased with the meal and the presentation. I thought the decor was pleasant and not gaudy... felt a bit like a beehive with the wooden slat screens. We each had the green salad which was very good. Light and crunchy. I had the skate which was amazing, and pops had the Moroccan chicken which he also liked a lot. My father would consider himself a sangria connoisseur, and he really liked the red sangria. We both practically inhaled the trio of ice cream (cashew/vanilla/honey) at the end of the meal. Fighting over it with our spoons. The service was great. And the BREAD! There's nothing better to me than having great bread with your meal, and Apiary certainly had it. A nice white French bread and a decadent olive bread. Nothing really knocked me out of my chair about Apiary, but it was still a great meal and a very pleasant middle-of the road place to go in the neighborhood. Pros: The bread! The wine! Cons: Lighting is a little dim more

After reading negative reviews I was hesitant to try Apiary when a friend suggested it. But we decided to give it a shot. It was a blustery cold night and I was happy to escape the cold into this inviting establishment. We ordered a $25 bottle of Rioja - it was such a good price that I feared it would be ghastly. It was lovely! I suppose I can understand why some people say it has a hotel bar vibe, but I like clean lines & minimalism. Especially in a small space...who wants a ton of heavy textiles or chotchke everywhere? The food was Delicious. The olive bread very good but would have been even better warm. We ordered the Beet Appetizer which was 6 thin slices (3 red & 3 golden) w/ a drizzle of toasted pralines & sort of a goat cheese cream. Thankfully it wasn't drowning in sauce, although I guess it could have used a touch more of the topping. Yum! We shared the Scallops & the Skate. The scallops were a good size (4 of them) & served over a bacon risotto. I don't eat meat and was so happy & surprised when they said they'd make it without bacon! This dish is fabulous! I know that some things taste better with meat (especially bacon), but honestly I think the flavor was perfect without it. There was some fall flavor in there that I couldn't identify, perhaps apple? I don't know - but we loved it. The scallops were perfectly seared - great texture.The risotto could have been a little creamier for my taste, but it didn't matter. We finished every last grain of rice. The skate had a nut dusting & served w/ a grilled cauliflower & spicy eggplant. The fish was cooked perfectly & the flavors divine. The presentation was simple & tasteful. For dessert - the pumpkin creme brule. I had one at another restaurant this fall and they were both reminiscent of pumpkin pie filling. However Apiary's out-shined the other place. The caramelized top was heavenly and it was a little warm which I love. We paired it with the suggested dessert wine which was nice. Will definitely go back. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: Tables a little close - our neighbors could hear our convo, but then we are a little loud. more

I went to Apiary a couple of weeks ago with a group of girlfriends. I had read really mixed reviews about the food, so I memorized what had been well regarded and ordered it...the Moroccan chicken was really good. I hadn't heard anything about the fall squash soup with curry and was really pleased with that as well. BUT, my friends didn't really love anything they got, even after I prevented one of them from ordering something I had read wasn't good. The service was just ok, the lack of cocktail list was uncool with one of my friends, and then to top it off we were annoyed when we found ourselves pictured in NY Mag a week later when the place was reviewed. Thank goodness they just got my back, b/c I would have been really displeased if there was a picture of me in a magazine without my permission. One of my friends was not that lucky, and I think it's poor form when there are only 10 people in the place to not let them know that there is a chance they may be in a major publication. Pros: The fall soup & the chicken Cons: no cocktail menu more

Have been to Apiary twice (first time on its first night). First impressions of the space were small and intimate, with cute retro decor. A great addition to the usual grungy or farmhouse-y EV places; finally a neighboorhood spot with a refined and sleek feel. All appetizers and entrees were good, not amazing, but good. Nothing failed - can't say that about most area restaurants. Desserts were equally satisfying. Stand-outs included peach and serrano ham, rabbit, and chocolate, cashew tart. Peach sangria was the best of the three, and the wine list offered a vast and inexpensive range. Not sure what all the other reviewers were talking about! With very decerning taste and a strong palate, take my word for it and give it a try. Despite slightly awkward and inattentive service, will continue to return. Pros: Consistent food, large wine list, good homemade sangria Cons: Awkward service and staff more

us: two foodies, always on the hunt for something new. Pros: location Cons: ambience, untrained staff, wishy washy service more

My partner and I - two busy foodies in NYC and beyond - were looking forward to checking out this new eating spot, close to where we live. The review and photos in TimeOut looked promising. The first time we tried to make a reservation for a Sat night, the place was booked up. We got a table the second time we tried. We agree with the other two reviews just before ours. The first clue - when we walked in - was the casual young crowd (nothing against our younger neighbors but they very often go for looks and drinks, not for the quality of the food!). The decor is charming but a bit on the inexpensive design side, like the furniture and light fixtures came from West Elm... Service was good and pleasant. We had a person for everything task: taking our orders, bringing the bread, serving our food, etc. Specialty cocktails were excessively sweet. Mine had a thick layer of something that looked and tasted like appricot jam on the bottom of the glass - a sugar blast that made me crave for emergency insulin shots! Appetizers were decent but not great. On main courses, my partner had a beef dish which was fine but overpriced for its quality. Something more fitting for a country inn and for less cash! My entree was a colossal rip-off: two tiny lamb chops, each about an inch in size, all bone and very little meat, on some kind of hummus polenta - for $30. It was like two long earings has been placed on my plate on a bed of hummus and julienne veggies! We rushed out of this joint - skipped dessert and ran to the Dessert Truck @ corner of Third Ave/St Mark's for two wonderful, inexpensive treats: goat cheese cake and warm bread pudding. Cons: Overpriced, low quality tiny food portions more

We were looking forward to a new upscale restautant right off of St. Marks. Our server was very nice, but a bit overwhelmed and her food/drink knowledge was mediocre at best. On a positive note, the wine list is fairly robust with a diverse mix of reasonably priced bottles. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the food. The crab cake (described as lump crab), was claw meat mashed into an overly seasoned, fried ball of crab paste. Comparable to those you find at any number of national casual dining restaurants (Chili's, Red Lobster, and the like). The pork loin reminded me of one I cooked a few weeks ago. I defrosted a pre-martinated piece of pork that I purchased at Costco and threw it in the overn for 20 minutes. It tasted like a mix between filet mignon, pork, and hot dog. Not overly bad tasting, but nothing that I would pay near $30 for. Finally, the rabbit was a great disappointment. Parts of it were so saltly that I had to wash down the rubbery hunks of flesh with a gulp of water. Other sections weere overcooked , dry, and bland. It was the worst rabbit I've ever had. Needless to say, we weren't hungry for dessert. Pros: Wine List Cons: Everything else more

I read some good preview articles about Apiary and their ""star chef"" Neil. Being a big fan of Bobby, I enjoy dining at Mesa where I am reminded of my hometown. I wanted to check out Neil's new place and hoped his startup would be filled with creativity and fun. Took a cab down to where the restaurant was only to realize it's in the middle of St. Marks!!!! I should've looked up the address on google map to find out where this place was. Cons: Expensive. Bad Food. more