Degustation

Oh, please.. Do not come here hungry. Do come here if you are in the mood for gastronomic art (of the visual kind) and a decent glass or two of wine. If you do come hungry, you will feel tortured and teased. Unless of course you are used to spending $22 for a tablespoon of lobster ceviche or the like. The worst part is a wait staff who can't admit that the portions are silly, leaving us feeling that WE were the ones who were crazy. In desperation, after trying several (yes, I know this is tapas) dishes, we finally ordered the cheese plate which at least comes with a comparatively copious dish of pita points. This mercifully allowed us to skip stopping for slices on our way home. more

We were recommended to come here and we were so disappointed. We had to wait an hour for a table we reserved and when it was ready..they still made us wait. And the service was just unbearable..the only saving grace was the food Pros: food Cons: service,management more

There's no excuse for having to wait 30 min when you arrive on time for your reservation, especially for a place as pricey as this restaurant. The food was OK--way too much salt and really nothing special. Another negative for me was the relatively stuffy atmostphere and clientele. Cons: customer service,atmosphere more

Despite the refined dishes and elegant ambiance, the portioning is ridiculous beyond any proportion. For... more

Despite the refined dishes and elegant ambiance, the portioning is ridiculous beyond any proportion. For full review, visit The Gotham Palate at h... more

Everthing that I tried on the menu was delicious. I couldn't dislike a dish, even if I wanted to. Granted, I haven't tried everything on the menu, what I did have was great. Pros: food,service,wine list Cons: small more

We had a reservation at 7:30. Arrived a bit early. One couple was leaving, an we were informed that they'll set the place for us. No one else was waiting. Then a couple of middle-aged ladies who obviously were regulars march in, point to the place that's being set for us and say ""we'll take that"". The host then informs me that these ladies were ahead of us and that it would be another 15 minutes. Come on. I know you have to take care of your regulars, but don't take me for a fool. I told the host that he made a mistake, but he genuinely did not care. No food is worth this kind of treatment. Of course we left, and would never go back. Odd how it's always the ""fashionable"" places that think this kind of treatment is acceptable. You'd never get this at Jean Georges or any place that had the least bit of grace. (and neither Jack nor Grace has any, by the way) Little wonder their restaurants keep closing. Pros: It will probably close soon. Cons: There are enough idiots in this city to keep it open despite the atrocious service. more

""WOW! This was one of those meals - the kind where you wake up the next morning, and as you lay in bed you relive what you consumed the night before. I don't know where to start, so I will just say this is the kind of place for people who like to eat at the bar (very sushi bar-like). BUT I mean a really nice, cool setting (a la Casa Mono) where you can see your food being prepared by skillful, friendly food artists (yeah it's corny, but they are amazing). Pros: Ummm...everything?!?! Cons: small, not enough seats for the high demand more

I had high expectations coming to Degustation, and this was one of the rare experiences where I truly wasn't disappointed. The setup of the restaurant is wonderful-all seats are directly in front of the exposed kitchen, so like an omakase you get to watch every course prepared in front of you. 5 and 10 course chef's tasting menus are EXTREMELY reasonably priced at 50 and 75 dollars, however we opted to choose 8 of the dishes that looked best to us from the menu. Everything is small because it is Spanish tapas, but not at all unreasonable in size. White asparagus with chaterelle mushrooms was extraordinary, as was lamb loin, foie gras with figs, slow poached egg with jamon, seared scallops....everything sang. Great wine list with reasonable prices by the glass (8-13). Service was extraordinary-only one server for the whole restaurant but she was never stressed, always gracious and took the care to explain every course when served. Only hiccup in service was a bit of a wait for dessert, but before we could even say anything we were sent complimentary glasses of wine. We were so happy with everything that we didn't even mind the wait, but it is nonetheless great to feel taken care of so completely. 8 dishes plus 2 desserts and 2 glasses of wine each came out to 80 per person before tip. With the quality of the food and experience here, that's pretty hard to beat. Pros: Food, open kitchen, intimate Cons: couldn't find any... more

Fun dining experience. Love the bar seating and yummy food. more

Fun dining experience. Love the bar seating and yummy food. more

I have read a lot of good things about Degustation and was very excited to try it. I'm sad to report that although the food was very well prepared, nothing blew my mind away. My favorite dish was the sea scallops. They were baby scallops which I prefer because they're more tender. Some other good dishes were the croquettes, the stuffed calamari and the suckling pig. I had the apple tart for dessert. It's sort of a seperated take on the tart with greek yogurt, the puff pastry and the apples all seperated on teh dish. The puffy pastry was a litlte slice of heaven, everything else was okay. The ambience is grown-up and enticing with latin-infused music playing throughout. A must try but, I would go with lower expectations. Pros: Great atmosphere, great staff Cons: Reservations a must, very small tasting plates more

This is tucked away in a corner of the Jewel Bako sushi bar. The space consists of about 20 seats at a bar that surrounds the cooking and food preparation area. The food is tapas style small plates that are prepared while you watch. The food is inventive and delicious. The wines were carefully chosen to match the food, and were surprisingly cheap. A satisfying meal for two with a couple of glasses of wine costs about $100. As with Jewel Bako, the ingredients are high quality, and the staff professional. Pros: Inventive tapas. High quality inexpensive wines Cons: Be prepared for a wait at weekends more

The ambiance in Degustation is very romantic (albeit very small) and the food is incredible. That said, this is a place for the more open-minded diner. Quail eggs, Sweetbreads and squid stuffed with short ribs...that kind of menu. Don't expect plantains or chorizo. Pros: Lovely restaurant, good food, good wine Cons: Very limited menu, portions are very, very small. more

Some of the most inventive and delicious cuisine I have tasted in some time although the portions are admittedly very small. The pork was so amazing we ordered a second plate. The scallops, and seafood were divine. Amazing flavors and just the right seasoning. Wine selection is also quite good and service is very friendly. more

Went here for my birthday with my girlfriend and we couldn't be happier. We only had to wait a few minutes for our seats (we had reservations). We got the chef's 5 course taster and each dish was just awesome. In particular, the lamb loin was absolutely amazing. There was also a great wine selection and the waitress was more than happy to help us pick a wine that would best suit our meal. overall, we couldn't be happier with the choice and we're ready to make our reservation for our next birthday. Pros: everything Cons: i wouldn't recomment going with more than two people more

The attentiveness of all aspecs in such a tiny space strikes a wonderful note. It is very inimate: you cannot help but strike some banter as dishes are served and savored. There is excitement at seeing the dish that you did not order being served beside you, and eventually you see all of the small menu being prepared. Each little dish is elegantly displayed, with appropriate cutlery set. Service is aware, pampering, and invisible. more

Found this in New York Cheap Eats. Made reservations for a 10pm for dinner. This was our 2nd dinner for the night so we were not too interested in getting food. We each got a glass of wine, fairly good prices. I had the dessert and my friends had scallops. it was ok. The best part was the owner who liked these books we found in the street. We got a couple free martinis. Not too shabby for a night out on the town. I'd go their again, but maybe when I'm not paying for it. Pros: Exotic Cons: A bit pricey for my taste more

The food and the ambiance at Degustation are terrific! I had a 10 pm reservation on Friday night and did have to wait about 25 minutes for a table, but the manager treated us to some cava while we waited and some muscato at the end of the meal. Each dish we had was bursting with flavor. The shortrib stuffed squid and the pork belly were our favorites. My only gripe would be the desserts. The grilled strawberries were good but almost too small (3 small strawberries for two of us) and the chocolate mousse with caramel gelee and banana is better on paper than in your mouth. I understand they are changing a few menu items soon for the fall season, so maybe that second dessert will be replaced. Overall, a great experience and I can't wait to go back! Pros: Incredibly inventive food, great ambiance and price more

i'm near speechless! just the best time, food and experience i've had in ages. to DIE for. just go!! Pros: everything Cons: nothing more