Degustation

Well......I understand the rants about waiting for a table.......but I have to say that this restaurant is worth all of the wait! The food foremost is amazing, the staff is impeccable and caring. We had one of our best meals in all of NYC there the other night. Highlights....The Heirloom Tomato Salad...WOw, the egg with asparagas soup , the squid and the roast beef sandwich,Scallops and the cheese plate.. delicious! Everthing was really understated and the seats and atmosphere are beyond comfortable. I have to say that when you go to a restaurant where they really care that you are there, it makes your night!,no matter how long you wait. Pros: great food, great service Cons: not good for more than 4 more

Basically the same things as afnyc had to say. Didn't get seated until 10:15 with a 9:30 (as if that isn't late enough) reservation. Owner's friends who arrived after us also sat first. Not to mention we had to then sit next to them and they were relatively loud and obnoxious--relatively for such a small space, that is. Pros: great wine Cons: reservations are of no avail more

We were anxious and ready to enjoy another fabulous food experience from the Lambs. We made our reservation and excitedly waited for the day to arrive... only to show up and find that reservations apparently don't matter at Degustation. We waited about an hour and a half (there is no area to sit and you are crammed into the entry way). Waiting is one thing... we eat out often and respect busy, booked, small establishments, it's how you are treated while you wait that matters. They failed miserably in this department. They gave us no excuse or reason as to why our reservation had been tossed aside, and to make matters worse friends of the owner showed up 30 mins after we did (apparently also holding a reservation); they not only sat them 45 mins before us, but we were simply ignored by Jack himself who walked right in front of us (and the 6 other people crammed tightly next to us also waiting well past their reservation times) to seat his friends, open their wine and make sure they were comfortable. I don't object, in theory, to giving special attention to friends of the owner, I understand this is a business, but ignoring paying customers who were obviously frustrated strikes me as bad business. To give credit where credit is due, however, they did serve us a glass of sparkling wine on the house while we stood there, and in the end they comped our dessert as well. more

Pickly eaters, that's what we are. we want the best of the best. That is why we have dined at jewel bako so often over the years. Degustation fits the bill - extraordinary in every way. Pros: food, service, food food food Cons: craving it again more

This place is amazing - every single dish is delicious. My boyfriend and I practically ate everything single item on the menu. Decor and ambiance is lovely as well. The spanish ""omlette"" was a heavenly surprise. Fried artichokes, croquettes with corn, and grilled lamb with chlorophyll (not the chemical kind) were astonishing. Go now! Pros: Food, creativity, ambiance more

Such a great find! This place has dishes so elegantly created --- all the flavors in harmony. Poached eggs with serrano ham was ohhhh soooo good. And nothing like a foie gras mayo to turn a mayo-hater into an all-time fan. Then comes dessert. Tarte tatin for the classics and GRILLED STRAWBERRIES, my new fav. Wine list full of great spanish wine to boot! Pros: creativity, knowledgeable staff, wine list Cons: roast beef a bit rare more

Degustation is a HAVEN of culinary perfection!!! I honestly cannot say enough good things about this restaurant!!! I went with a very good friend tonight, and we started out with the grilled shrimp and croquetas, both of which were fantastic! The shrimp was perfectly tender and salted, and the croquetas were bursting with flavor and just delicious. We next had the scallops, which were absolutely superb with a tomato-garlic sauce and tasty mushrooms (which I normally don't like!). The short-rib stuffed squid was stellar as well, though I was slightly less crazy about the roast beef ""sandwich,"" which, though still excellent, was my least favorite of the dishes. The lamb was absolutely the perfect cap to the meal... easily the most tender, bursting-with-flavor, perfectly textured lamb I have ever tasted. Service was so attentive as well... My water glass was always refilled and they brought a new set of appropriate silverware for each course. The restaurant is beautiful as well, and very intimate with seating for only 16 around the kitchen area which is like a fusion between sitting at a sushi bar and watching ""Iron Chef"" at the same time. But the lighting is low, decor much resembling a romantic, very elegant sushi bar, and overall just beautiful. This was easily one of the best dinners I have ever had in my life... PERFECT especially for anniversaries/birthdays, and a GREAT deal for the money... about $40-$50 per person for 4 or 5 courses without wine, and the tasting menu is a great deal as well. Pros: PHENOMENAL food, great service, beautiful restaurant more

Loved the place just walking in there..it's made in the communal spirit of Spanish tavernas, everyone sits at a thin table in front of the bar-like kitchen. Very intimate, low lighting and interesting but not over-the-top design. The wine list is rather meager but has several excellent choices. Only disappointment was the port, advertised as vintage at $12 it was actually a cheap Ruby. But that was quickly forgotten once the food started coming. Got the chef's 5 daily special (5 tapas and a desert tapa for $50) and then ordered half the other tapas on the menu. Scrumptiousness galore. Scallops, rabbit and quail were the best. Over all, an uber-delicious experience. Pros: food, ambience, music Cons: small wine list more

Calling the reservation line, I botched my first attempt at the name ... my mouth strangely contorting the name into some strange French word ... luckily they were full for the night I was attempting to reserve so I quickly finished the call without giving my name. On my second try, I not only got the name right but I secured a reservation as well and it was smooth sailing from there. The room, while small, is very nice and quiet and rather comforting if you can say that about wall-to-wall slate ... one of the few NYC restaurants where you don't have to practically scream to be heard by your friend. The kitchen is open and surrounded by bar seating (the only kind of seating), and they have a nice set-up where the waitress stays behind the bar and the chefs deliver your food after you have watched them prepare it. And the food: really, really good food... pork belly, stuffed octopus, rabbit (a special that night) were all stand-outs on our visit. Small plates are taking over the city but this is another example of a fun spot with great food and a great experience and I would highly recommend giving it a try. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: Bar seating probably more conducive to groups of 2 more