Cendrillon

This place is kind of expensive for what you get. The dishes are good, not great. I liked the atmosphere, except the waiter was wearing a T-Shirt! Pros: Filipino Cons: Small Portions big prices more

I am truly Filipino, by heart and by roots and Cendrillon is a Filipino restaurant, vraiment. I heard words like fusion, ecclectic, traditional, classic, and so on to describe restaurants but few go beyond these, so we say daring and a melange de gout, and that is what the menu is all about. My favorite is the perfectly done duck and oh my! bibingka is heavenly. I grew up in Manila and halo-halo is everywhere practically available all year round--I got to say it is my best treat. Si vous desirez un bon gout, ici, la, allez a Cendrillon. Bon appetit :) Pros: authentic Filipino decor and taste Cons: Tendency to lack in service quality and attentiveness more

After knowing about this place for many years I decided to attended this so-called posh Filipino restaurant. Only to find that their prices surely don't match what they have to offer. The food was......ehhh. I've had better Filipino food for alot less and that tasted so much better. The food is not the issue here.Their service is just plain awful- awful - awful...I repeat- AWFUL!!! Three waitress' attended to my needs but still lacked the attention you should receive when you're attending any restaurant. Regardless of area, cost or quality of food. What they failed to do was inform that they did not have the side dish of plantains that comes with my steak dinner. I was ONLY notified after the dish was sitting in front me AND after I had asked about if side order of plantains was on it's way. "We're out of plantains", the server/bartender barked at me and quickly walked off. I tell you I was going bananas! I couldn't believe how I was being treated, how misinformed I was & how quickly the server/bartender was so eager to escape, so she wouldn't have to tend to my needs. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN or recommend this place to anyone I know. Go to "ELVIE'S". It may not be in SOHO but their service and cafeteria setting is sooooo much more friendlier than Cendrillion. more

Too bad the service didn't complete my dining experience. We sat and waited for quite a while for someone to come over and take our drink order. Not only did we give our drink order but we quickly called out our dinner order as well. Thankfully, the food was good enough to make me forget!!! The menu selections were broad and there was something for everyone to enjoy. Be adventurous!!! Pros: Good food! Nice ambiance. Cons: Poor service! more

I have been here numerous times, and being of Filipino descent, definitely recommend it for their tasty dishes! Yes, its a bit pricey, but what do you expect -- this is Manhattan. The kalamansi martinis are my favorite, and the chicken adobo is delicious! Definitely will come back again and again! Pros: Great food, tasty cocktails more

I dined here last night with my boyfriend and three friends. The wait staff seemed to have forgotten about us, as it took them about 30 minutes to take our order. That we were sitting in the back of the restaurant was no excuse, especially since the place was almost empty! The chicken inasal was flavorful and a good experience for someone like me, who'd never experienced Filipino or Filipinio fusion, but it wasn't worth $18. The halo halo, which consisted mostly of shaved ice that diluted the taste of the jackfruit and other yummy ingredients, didn't measure up to its price tag either. The only thing brought quickly to the table was the hefty bill, and the host didn't even acknowledge my "Thank you and good night." I won't be back. more

My wife, step-daughter and I live in Scotland and we were on holiday last week in New York. We visited this restaurant on a Sunday night around 7.00pm. The restaurant was fairly quiet. The food was good, and in particular the vinegary chicken adobo. The portions were quite large in size so the three of us shared two appetizers, two entrees and three desserts. In addition we had delicious cocktails that had a fruit/spicy twist to them. The service was excellent. The waitress who served us was very friendly, informative and helped us with the menu items as this was our first time in a Filipino restaurant. The owner even had a brief chat with us. Worth a visit Pros: Interesting cocktails, adobo chicken, excellent service Cons: Quiet on a Sunday night more

For the past 8 years, atleast 3 times a year, I've enjoyed what Cendrillon has to offer. Ambiance, unpretentious service, wide selection of wine and tea and delectable food. It is not traditional Filipino cuisine that some people might have expected (hence bad reviews), but all in all i'd say the food here is good. I've tried most of whats on the menu and the only item that i remember not enjoying was the squid ink paella. Do give this restaurant a try. Pros: back room, wine & tea selection, friendly owners, good food Cons: a few times servers were sketchy. more

Great if you love Filipino food, or have never tried it before. It brings the traditional flavors in classic dishes to a level above the tradition... more

My husband and I enjoy going to Cendrillon and have been going there for a few years now. I don't understand why some are saying that it is not "authentic-fusion Filipino" cuisine. FYI- if it's fusion, it is by definition, not authentic! Like most who grew up in the Philippines, I come from a home where excellent food is at the center of every occassion, even the simplest family dinners. Cendrillon does a great job in mixing different influences and flavors (e.g. Filipino, Spanish, Chinese, etc.) in its menu. For a Filipino/Asian restaurant (Filipinos are typically not wine drinkers), they have an extensive and well-selected wine list that goes with the food (great Spanish selections - Priorat, etc). The owners are very down-to-earth and make a point of stopping by every table for a quick chat. I agree that there are cheaper Filipino restaurants/turo-turo outside Manhattan (e.g. Woodside, Queens, etc.) that also serve delicious fare but I think Cendrillon may be getting too little credit than it deserves here. It's been around since 1995 (and may restaurants in NY don't last that long) and has done well satisfying both Filipino and non-Filipino palates... Pros: friendly-owners, great wine list and menu, no need to make reservations Cons: none more

The food here isn't anything to rave about. In fact, I don't like it at all. I've been here three times and have tried several items on the menu just to give it a chance. I'm just not blown away by any of the dishes. The oxtail was bland, the duck was dry, the salads and appetizers were boring. One good thing though are their dessert tarts. I think it's seasonal. I've had their mango tart and apple tart and they were actually very good. Pros: dessert tarts Cons: everything on the menu but the dessert tarts more

if the restaurant is reading this, think:constructive criticism! cendrillon is a bastardization of filipino cuisine, and filipino food aside, the cuisine at cendrillon is not a destination point considering the fantastic restaurants in new york. I get the fusion thing...i even understand numbing the taste/sourness of filipino food for our non-filipino friends; however, cendrillon's take on filipino food is basically an insult to the cuisine. the kare-kare was dry and the meat/vegs were so tiny and boiled down to the point of being unrecognizable. AND THAT'S THE BEST THING ON THE MENU. okay okay, perhaps the national dish "adobo" was palatable, but i beg you do not think this is filipino food. no there are not great filipino restaurants in NYC as far as decor/trendiness and cendrillon does it's best to break that stereotype...but i'll take turo-turo or simple, homey filipino restaurants over this sad example any day. Pros: neighborhood Cons: food, food , food more

It is a little ironic that for a "fusion" Filipino restaurant, the food at Cendrillon is quite bland! The decor is nice, but the service is very slow. If you like or if you want to try halo-halo (Filipino ice and fruit dessert), this is not the place to order it because you will only be served a bowl of ice - literally. I was once accused of being unsophisticated for not liking this restaurant - but it's not about sophistication (or location) when it comes to good food. Yes, the place smacks of Soho sophistication, but in the end, a restaurant's main asset is its food, and without good food, it's not worth going to no matter how many fabulous furnishings or wine selections it may have. That is why I do not recommend this restaurant for anyone looking to eat (authentic or fusion) Filipino food. Cons: expensive, bland food, slow service more

Cendrillon is lovely inside, but not in a frou-frou way, the design feels warm & very comfortable. The owners also support local artists' with their work on the walls too. The owners have always been friendly to me, or at least gracious if it's busy. Overall the food is delicious. Yes to the adobo, kare kare, and the paella, ukoy & tapa salad. Triple yes to the goat curry appetizer & oh my god to the mango tart. No to the blueberry tart. My mom is Filipina (and a fabulous cook), so I grew up on good Filipino food. Cendrillon is not trying for traditional strictness, so if you're looking for replication of your favorite dishes it's not the place, but my family has always loved their food. Who can say no to goat cheese in the bibingka? Not traditional, but so good, who cares? Prices reasonable for Soho. Pros: food, extensive tea list, comfortable more

I like the "hidden" appeal of the place, being on Mercer St.--the "back street" of Broadway. Service is great and swift, and the food is really fresh and great. Pros: Friendly, Good Food, Artsy Ambience more

When we arrived, the hostess told us that only one table, right near the entrance, was available. (During our 90 minutes there, all the "reserved" tables remained empty.) The waitstaff was somewhat attentive, but slow and a bit icy. We had the beef tapa salad, the duck and the spare ribs; all were fair. The mango tart was tasty, but not worth $8. If you want true Filipino cuisine, go to Ihawan in Woodside, Queens: delicious, unpretentious and inexpensive. If Manhattan sophistication equals an unsatisfying and overpriced meal in a dining room where regulars are fawned over and newcomers are ignored, stick with Cendrillon. Pros: None Cons: Overpriced food, Aloof hostess, Slow service more

the best thing i can say about the restaurant is it has a casual decor. i agree with other reviewers: it's wannabe gourmet pilipino/fusion food, and the owner was dismissive and nasty (that's a kind description) to non-regulars. more

Yes it is a fusion. Doesn't taste like home. The price doesn't look like home either and it definitely is not worth it, although some food is pretty good. If anything, I recommend the Buko Pie. I was really disappointed with the menu. You have maybe 5 options for dinner but they carry like 200 different wines. Looks like some people are regulars because the owners were going around to every table talking to people except mine...weird. Pros: Food not greasy, Booth seating Cons: , Not authentic food more

not your usual filipino restaurant. i don't know what pblopez is talking about, but cendrillon isn't authentic filipino. if you remember that, you might enjoy it for what it appears to be: fusion, integrating filipino cuisine with different flavors. overall the food we ordered (pancit luglug, chicken adobo, romy's ribs, lumpia shanghai, a bowl of green soup that resembles the polyjuice potion harry potter drank) was not screaming with taste. i enjoyed the chicken adobo (not your mama's!) with yellow rice and peanut sauce. the mashed taro/potato was flavorful. the best was dessert: the banana crepe and leche flan were delicious! also, we had a disgustingly adorable baby with us and the friendly waitstaff was attentive when water spilled and someone needed a high chair. also, i found the atmosphere to be calming, especially with white "christmas" lights behind curtains. Pros: friendly service, atmosphere, dessert more

Born in Manila and raised in DC, I've recently moved to this great city called the Big Apple. So, imagine my pleasant surprise to discover Cendrillon nestled in trendy Soho, serving up all the ethnic dishes my mother used to prepare me growing up. If you like Filipino food, you won't find many choices in New York. But, this warm and friendly place captures the flavor of the islands and brings it all the way to Gotham City in a way that'll bring joy to your tastebuds and a smile to your face. Pros: Authentic food, Quaint decor, Friendly service more