2 West, New York

If Print. was the hotel restaurant that breaks the rule by not being average (and of course by not being associated with the hotel in any way except co-location), 2 West at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park was another data point on the trendline. Nothing wrong in particular, just that the food was bulky and felt clumsy on the Superbowl Sunday night when I staggered in after work.

Service at the bar, however, was excellent, and I don’t mean the drinks (which I didn’t have). Bartenders need not be in full possession of the menu or be good at serving food, but that guy was great across the board.

I didn’t eat all this food, but I did eat far too much of it. These three scallops would pass for a main dish in Tokyo. Huge and a little gummy, with a red wine sauce that didn’t work for me and an extra pile of root vegetable puree for even more volume.

I was getting week after a weak in New York and asked for a few of the parmesan truffled fries. Good fries, not life-changing.

Likewise the halibut with asaparagus risotto – big stuff, and tasty, but undistinguished. Almost like it was Sunday night in a hotel restaurant and I had ordered too much food.

I had breakfast on Tuesday also, and it was quite good as these things go. I mean, you’re not going to this place unless you’re staying here or meeting someone who is, so I don’t think there’s any danger.

But the service was uniformly, noteworthily excellent!
(212) 344-0800