One if by Land, Two if by Sea, New York City

PERFECT food... PERFECT service... PERFECT setting... PERFECT price... We brought our two children, ages 12 and 8, for a Sunday brunch and they loved it, too. The piano, the fresh cut roses, and the fireplaces were beautiful. The service was impeccable. If you're in the City for brunch you must try this place...

When dining in a romantic setting is the only recommendation. If a restaurant serves good as well as bad food, do you give it the benefit of the doubt? I wouldn't do that with a four-star restaurant so why should I do it here? Especially when most of the dishes I've tried at One if by Land are simply unpalatable. One if by Land is actually two restaurants: the main dining room on the ground floor with views over a jewel box garden, and ‘little Siberia’, a low ceiling second floor chicken shack. A mushroom tart arrived as an unabashed copy of Michel Bras’, the only distinction being the adjunction of truffled cheese. How original. There was a Hawaiian tuna with miso dressing. The texture was scary unless you were board-certified in cosmetic surgery. The flavors, however, reminded me of the little containers you can get on a discounted Korean Airlines flight at meal time; all at once it's sickly sweet, overtly salty, slippery and bitter. A generous chock of meat floating in a pool of coagulated ‘wine’ sauce landed with a thud in front of me. I was informed it was my beef Wellington. I was intrigued: last time anyone had beef Wellington in my family, Roosevelt was president. That’s Theodore. The beef was rubbery and tasteless. I scraped the whole wretched garnish to one side. Bordelaise sauce appropriated its name fraudulently, it’s more like a gravy. I couldn't help but think at this price I could be dining at the Little Owl. Roasted (?) filets of wild striped bass showed curiously dry on the edges. It was garnished with black olive tapenade, confit tomatoes, golden raisin couscous (a much tarnished word these days). Nothing to write home about, it's not great but passable, except for the high acidity of some of the ingredients. My date was wavering between a chocolate dessert and a coconut bavarois (mispelled with an e at the end) and being the gentleman that I am, I offered to order the bavarois if she chose the chocolate dessert. The ubiquitous molten chocolate dessert is also a Michel Bras rip-off. Bras was making these 15 years ago. The bavarois was a quivering blob of gelatine. Texturally, it brings to mind the sugary equal of a slouched bag of silicone. The menu isn't held back by minor glitches; it's flawed in concept and execution. And at $75 a piece, it’s a major problem. The service is rushed, the waiters and runners appear at the table panting like dogs after a long chase. I was not informed of any special, received no description of the menu or the courses. This restaurant clearly lives on its image of romance and glitter. In a city where romantic dining has improved out of sight in recent years, One if by Land is a bleak spot on the culinary landscape.

My husband and I first discovered this fabulous restaurant in 2002. We dined here again during restaurant week in 2005 and enjoyed their brunch this past Sunday. The restaurant is located in “the Village” and there is no awning or large sign displaying the name of the restaurant. The entrance is an old carriage house. Our first experience was so memorable that five years later, my husband and I reminisce. The food was excellent and frankly you get what you pay for. The service was flawless and the food exceptional. We recommended the restaurant to my in-laws and the loved it. The staff is attentive and respectfully formal. It is what you expect in a restaurant of this class. We recommend the tasting with wine menu. If you plan to visit One If By Land… then enjoy the meal to the fullest and don’t complain about the tab. Leonor Vivona

We went to this supposedly very beautiful and upscale restaurant to celebrate our engagement. Once the first dish was served we were unimpressed. There were shells in the lump crab meat. The waiter's response was, "Oh, you know I have to speak to the kitchen about this because this is not the first time this has happened." The manager's response was not any more welcoming, "So do you guys want somethine else." For a $300.00 meal I did want something else, it was called service. The main dish was good but the overall experience was poor.

Food wonderful, the most romantic place in NYC. In the winter with the fireplace blazing, or in the summer the the place is hopping. We like it so much we give gift certificates for wedding gifts, etc. and the recipient can't thank us enough.

Some of the blandest food i've ever tasted in this price range, and a very unimaginative menu. Atmosphere is amazing, if that's what you're looking for, but don't expect to be blown away by the food. Personally i found the prices offensive for the value of the food and would never return.

Our entire experience was very disappointing. From the time we walked in the door on a 100+ degree evening, we waited over 10 minutes for a glass of water. Even though we ordered tap water, we were given bottled water and charged $14 for their mistake. Our table was located directly under an air conditioning vent that blew cold air on us throughout the entire meal. The waiter was either not knowledgeable about the menu, or not interested in sharing any advise/suggestions to us. We asked about the Berkshire pork and all he could offer was that he had read something about it but didn't remember. I ordered fish which turned out to be inedible. Not because of the taste, but the texture. The desserts were average. So many better places in the city to spend your money.

This restaurant is by far the most romantic place I have been to in years. The staff is friendly and accomodating and the food was really, really good. The mushroom tart is incredible, loved the lobster, and desserts are excellent.

One of the Coolest locations in one of the best neighborhoods in Manhatten. The historic location and ambience are worth the visit. Stuffy for some, I suppose, we thought the atmosphere romantic with exceptional decoration and art on display. the staff were a little reserved at first blush,but all 4 I talked to quickly warmed up, just like typical New Yorkers. The fixe price was a good value, the Wild Mushroom Tart was absolutley exquisite, the Beef Wellington as just good but the bernaise was cloying,the crust uninspired and the tenderloin was a slight disappointment the night after eating the best Sirloin my wife and I had ever tasted at Mallony & Porcelli's. The House Cabernet, an '02 Sonoma was very good and well matched. The Creme Bulee was insipid

I went here a year ago. The food was fine but the experience was miserable. They were condescending towards us, the M.D. was far too pretentious and it was so dark I could barely read the menu (and I am young, with young eyes). I had to make a phone call and had forgotten my cell phone. There was no pay phone and I asked if I could use theirs (for a local call). Not only were they reluctant to allow me to use it, but this man stood over me the entire time I was on the phone... to the point that it was very uncomfortable. The waiter was not attentive and any time we tried to ask him to do something (such as take our order), he acted like it was a task so far below him. Not only will I never go back, but I can recommend many other places to go to over this place. Among them are Montrachet, Danube, Aix (I'm an upper west side girl), and Danielle. Go to one of these places (or one of the MANY others that NYC offers) and get your money's worth. Dining out is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, not demeaning and belittling.