Loi

great food, wonderful atmosphere. more

Had a friend in town for the evening and decided to go to Loi for dinner, after waiting for 10 minutes we decided to wait at the rather extravagent looking bar and I see mouse droppings on bar. Bartender wipes away right away and I say nothing and we get our drink and buy this time our table is ready. Wait staff was friendly and courtious but food was less then mediocre and in my eyes a bit too pricey. None the less, I will not be going back anytime soon, sorry, nice try. more

The food was wonderful and the service was very good too. We had lobster salad, the bronzino, and special of the day was a Greek-style lasagna. Got 2 veggie sides too. All of it was delicious. They have a funky bar area offering some very different cocktails. Maria Loi comes around and asks about the food as well, which is a nice touch. I would eat here again as many items on the menu were appealing.\r \r Enjoy! more

Loi: We had a wonderful Thanksgving for 20 in a beautiful private party room, with views into the kitchen and restaurant. The food and the service were great and the staff could not have been more accomodating. We also had a great cocktail hour first with large succulent shrimp, yummy spanokopita, and excellent crabcakes (lots of crab, very little breading.) Maria Loi was a very gracious hostess. We had the option of traditional Thanksgiving fare as well as other options, that satisfied everybody. Our family and guests were all very happy with the experience, and I would definitely recommend Loi for a private event. more

The seafood and wine is excellent here. I'll keep comming back. Alittle pricey though, but thta's the upscale manhattan. Pros: great service Cons: wait more

We brought my cousin and his wife who very is hard to please. She has a comment or a criticism about... more

We brought my cousin and his wife who very is hard to please. She has a comment or a criticism about everything. Your staff catered to her every wh... more

We went in for dinner after reading about their ""lobster special"" in the NY Times - a grilled 3 lb lobster is $39.It was more than we expected. My friend had the prix-fixe menu for $35 which is an amazing deal, and I had an apple and endive salad and the lobster. Everything was delicious, we received our food in a timely fashion,our server was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. It was great to see that the restaurant was full during such tenuous times...Good for them, I will be going back soon ! \r PS: They will be running the lobster special throughout February. Great deal !!! Pros: wonderful food and service Cons: waited 10 minutes for a table more

we only came here for dinner, we had a wonderful dining experience. both my friend and i ordered the prix fixe dinner. not only was the food amazing, but the service was outstanding. we will definitely need to come back for other dinners. can't wait \r .\r more

The Compass is wonderful :). I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience. And it was very good for the price. There's a $35 pre-fix that is a very good deal.\r \r Out of 10:\r Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad: 10 (amazing)\r Chefs Selection of Soup: Cauliflower Puree: 8.5 (I'm personally not much of a fan\r Crispy Skate Wing: 10 (amazing)\r Vanilla Panna Cotta: 100000 (omg this is wonderful)\r Pistachio Parfait: 7 (not really a fan)\r Atmosphere: 10\r Service: 10\r Pros: Everything. Especially the little surprises you get throughout your meal. more

After reading the reviews, we went with an open mind on a friday night. The place was half empty and the service was half hearted and WAY below our expectations. the food did not make up for the average service.\r Pros: Empty on a friday night Cons: Bad food and service more

I was there yesterday with my boss and we could not believe such a poor service with such a good food. It's easy: the manager have more attitude than a French Union representative during his 14 of July speech!!!\r However, their way a threating staff doesn't seams better as we heard them insulting a boss boy in a very rude and disrespectful way.\r Too bad the food is lovely, I can not support and promote such an attitude and poor service!!! more

I recently moved to the upper west side and had my parents visiting on a monday night. I'm not totally familiar with many of the restaurants in the area but had seen Compass simply from walking around. Please don't let the simple exterior fool you, this place is fantastic. Everything we ate was incredible, the service was fantastic. I had tuna carpaccio to start and had venison as my main course with macaroni and gourmet cheese as a side. Everything was made perfectly. They also gave us a salmon tartare taster. Just an great experience and I can't wait to come back. Pros: Service, Food, Ambiance Cons: Location more

Really enjoyed the variety of offerings. Loved the First Course Spice Crusted Tuna Carpaccio w/ Green Papaya Relish and Ponzo Vinaigrette and the Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The Main Course selections of Maine Diver Sea Scallops and Crescent Hills Farm Pan Seared Duck were exceptional. The waitstaff was attentive without being overbearing. The only complaint was that I never received a requested refill of my coffee with dessert, and the Key Lime tart was too delicious not to need a second cup. Definitely deserves a return visit. Pros: unique combinations with subtle complimentary flavors Cons: Bartender did not know how to make a Sazerac (I'll live) more

My friends and I visited Compass for the first time and I can't wait to go back. The decor of the restaurant is both chic and relaxing and the table arrangements allow for a great deal of privacy - particularly if you're in a booth or one of the many private dining rooms. \r \r The service was great; our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and provided excellent recommendations. We all enjoyed our meals. My friends ordered from the $35 Prix Fixe menu and I went A La Carte. \r \r I devoured my Tempura Soft Shell Crab appetizer (delish!) and enjoyed the Pan Seared Scallops I had for my entree. My friends' dishes were quite nice as well - the hanger steak was perfectly seasoned and the monkfish was absolutely delicious. If you closed your eyes you would have thought it tasted like a lobster tail. \r \r We shared two desserts (from the Prix Fixe menu) amongst the three of us. I'm a chocolate lover so I was disappointed in the chocolate cake (as was one of my friends), but we loved the Panna Cotta with mango sauce (yum!). And much to our surprise we were treated to a lovely amuse-bouche and received a delicious muffin to take home and enjoy the next day - which I did!\r \r I have a friend coming into town next week from Dallas and I think I may have to go take her there for dinner. If not I'll definitely return in the coming weeks. Pros: Excellent food, great service, attention to detail more

I admit, John the last chef can cook, but like all the others he too has left Compass!!! When are they going to be able to keep a chef. I also heard the GM left and the new Somm is soooooo pretensious. When are they going to call it quits? Pros: Its in the UWS Cons: Food, Sommelier, Service more

I've lived on the UWS for 10 years and I work downtown in a restaurant myself. It is rare to find a good place to dine in this neighborhood. I'm not sure where the other negative reviewers have eaten before, but my experiences here have been quite wonderful. The atmosphere is relaxed and the service is extremely good. It is rare to see an NYC restaurant so accomodating with special needs- they really go out of their way to show you a good meal. The food is very good and I'm glad they've held on to this new chef. He is a keeper. I highly recommend Compass for a romantic date, business dinner or out for a celebration- I've done all and they have come through again and again. Their staff is so friendly and want to make sure you are pleased. Brunch is also quite good- can't beat their $26 prix fixe- you will leave full and satisfied! If you truly want an enjoyable meal, you should try Compass. Start with a drink or glass of wine (they offer many) in their cozy lounge area first- they also have a nice lounge style menu that's great! Pros: great service, great food more

Think of Compass as Abstract Food - ingredients thrown together on a plate that generally look better than they taste. I have visited most of the top restaurants in NY and this is not one of them. The ambience is modern and sophisticated and we were seated promptly. We opted for the restaurant week selections and asked for recommendations from our waiter. He suggeted the fluke served with a small salad. The fluke was rubbery and contained a mishmosh of tastes that were far from good. The shrimp entree was overcooked. Dessert was mildly palatable until we were served white chocolate covered pork rinds. Medium prices for NY, decent service. But the food... I would rather eat a painting than the food served here. Pros: nice atmosphere Cons: INEDIBLE FOOD more

In the UWS where many restaurant are bland or overpriced, Compass has original cooking, a nice decor, good service and it is quiet. I like it a lot for that, I will stop by when in the neighborhood. as far as the food is concerned, it's OK, it's better to precise, with any food they make, ""not too greasy, not overcooked"" ... unless you like greasy and overcooked of course! Pros: Good looking place, staff and food. Quiet. Cons: Slow service sometimes, a bit on the greasy side. more

Although I'm not too crazy about the food, the restaurant was quite impressive. Dim lighting, looked very clean, and can be romantic. The grilled sword fish didn't have much flavor. Desserts are nicely presented but not that big on taste. Oh, the girl at the front was extremely rude and obnoxious. We made reservations and was asked to follow a waiter to be seated and she had the nerves to say,""Hey- where the hell are you going""? Can you believe that!? I totally ignored her and walked right past, but my friend was nice enough to explain to her that we were being led to our table by our waiter. She didn't even apologize, all she said was ""Oh"". I'm not sure if she's still there or she got fired or she quit on her own. But she definitely gives the restaurant a bad name. Pros: can't think of any Cons: girl at the front, food more