This was by far one of my best lunch meal experiences here in NYC. The service was great but the staff seemed a little overwhelmed. I had one of the best octopus 🐙 dishes in my life, extremely tender succulent and flavorful. We also ordered the bronzino,which was a flavor bomb on a plate, exceptional extremely crispy skin. We also enjoyed the veal bacon which was our favorite but lacked a supporting cast. The only real miss for me was the lamb sausage pasta: (Complete Let-down)! It lacked flavor: No salt pepper garlic or anything, the intention was there but never came through on the plate! From Italian to another, my expectations was too high I guess???? Overall, should I ever find myself back in NYC, Butter would definitely be on my list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Gavin Ng
I’m a fan of Chef Alex, so this restaurant had been on my must-try list for a while. Unfortunately, it was quite a disappointment. The food was salty and unbalanced in flavor, the service felt lackluster and inattentive, and the overall vibe was loud with a somewhat snotty crowd that, to me, didn’t feel like fine dining. We tried almost everything on the menu, and while the short rib was the standout dish, it still wasn’t enough to make me want to come back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Chip H
A celebrity chef restaurant that actually lives up to its reputation. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has created a masterpiece restaurant. We dined here to celebrate an anniversary and the staff went above and beyond to make it a special night. Our server, Janet was accommodating, attentive and never overbearing. The food was truly spectacular, and I judged extra hard because of the restaurant's pedigree. We began with the house made rolls and butter, highly recommended and delicious. We shared the char grilled octopus which was cooked perfectly and served over a white bean puree. The Brussels sprouts salad is delicious and covered in smoked pecans making it taste remarkably like bacon with no meat. The gnocchi Mac and cheese is also delicious with gnocchi as soft as pillows. Entrees included the pan seared branzino, perfectly cooked with crispy skin and grilled lamb rack served over french lentils. Desserts are equally stunning and creative cocktails are the bar's wheelhouse. Truly a five star experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Parkerhouse Rolls and Fresh Made Butters, Pan-Seared Branzino, Gnocchi, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Grilled Octopus
Damian Korman
I can’t say enough about our experience at this restaurant. From the moment the bread was served with their specialty butter on the side, I knew it was going to be a great night. The bread was baked to perfection, and the salt on top was truly chef’s kiss. The two different butters were incredible — Butter was living up to its name right from the start.
We ordered the aged steak and the branzino with broccolini and fries, plus an appetizer of the gnocchi mac and cheese. Everything was cooked perfectly. I rarely get excited about a side dish, but the broccolini with toasted sesame sauce was worth the trip to Butter all by itself.
Then came dessert — and they absolutely saved the best for last. We ordered the Raspberry Beignets and they were amazing. Perfectly baked with just the right balance of sweetness between the raspberry sauce and the sugar coating.
We don’t get excited about many places, but we’re already planning another trip to the city just so we can eat at Butter again. 6 out of 5 stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ahmed Abuzuraiq
We came here from out of NY with a lot of expectations, but we were disappointed. First, this did not look or sound like an upscale place; it's elevated mid scale at best. The food was a hit or miss; the buns were the best. The chimichurri steak (85$) was alright but we got well-done when asked for medium. Even the basic fries (16$!) were very dry. The Brussels sprout salad (23$) was not edible, it tasted burnt and when the waiter asked us about it, we said that they said 'it is roasted, not burnt', and it felt like they were gaslighting us. Other services were prompt and helpful. Overall, the prices do not at all match the food quality, service, or vibes; prices should be cut by a third, if not half.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jo Merk
The food is always great and reasonably priced, and the service is excellent. The only improvement needed is to brighten up the atmosphere, which is currently a bit dark and cold. I will definitely go back!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex N
Worst food experience I’ve ever had, expectations aside. We came for lunch and I said I had a sesame allergy upfront. We live in an age where allergies are usually accommodated, and I hate being that person, but it didn’t matter here. They brought all of my food COVERED in sesame seeds. It’s fine. No harm, no foul, they missed a detail, but I caught it. I told/showed my waitress, and she was quite apologetic for forgetting. It’s okay. She’s human. She said they’d make my burger again.
They brought it back 15 minutes after my party got their food, and my burger was RAW…. I showed the raw patty to my waitress and she seemed very sympathetic, but not wholly accommodating. I said I lost my appetite and didn’t want anything else (reasonably so). She took it to the kitchen and the manager came out shortly after, refusing to let me be done with the terrible experience. He took the burger and recooked it to (very clearly) well done and said I should try it. It was almost insulting. I’ll never go back and shame on this place for riding the curtails of a famous name.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alyssa
I came here for my birthday dinner and the server never acknowledged it after it was written in the reservation twice. After we ordered our drinks, it became very clear our server was not interested in our table and rarely checked on us. The tables that ordered more alcohol nearby were checked on significantly more. The food was fine but not worth the price considering we had such a poor dining experience. The only reason we left an appropriate tip is because the server backs and the food runners were fantastic and very friendly.
David E.
Ambiance was lackluster. Food was decent. Highly recommend the veal bacon. Pork chop and short rib were good. Cauliflower had decent flavor but should have been offered as a side item. Drinks were good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jim
Food was over seasoned, rich and heavy. Feels like perhaps this restaurant used to be good but maybe things have slipped.
The best pork chop I've ever had. Great service and every bite was excellent. I only wish I had room for dessert.
Jennifer
Food was delicious, environment was cozy and fitting for Alex. The Parkerhouse rolls and gnocchi Mac and cheese were top items. The table had pork chop, short ribs, salmon and chicken. No complaints from anyone. The dessert specialty of the night crème brûlée was also delicious
Matt
Beautiful restaurant, amazing staff, and of course amazing food from the appetizers to entrees to desserts. Shoutout Chef Jake, killing the cold apps!
Mia
My pork chop was tasty enough, but the fingerling sweet potatoes were really a couple of overcooked sweet potato chunks hidden under the chop. Needed more hot vegetable options. It was winter and cold, so I didn't even consider a salad. Desserts were good, very large for sharing. The 6 of us couldn't finish 2 desserts. Moody lighting and relatively quiet. A u-shape booth for 6 was awkward when anyone other than on the end needed to get up from the table. Service was knowledgeable but not overly solicitous or attentive.
Jeff
We had a nice experience dining at Butter. Food quality was excellent, although menu limited. Highly recommend the pork chop and the cheesecake. Service on the slower side but professional and attentive. Would return
This was by far one of my best lunch meal experiences here in NYC. The service was great but the staff seemed a little overwhelmed.
I had one of the best octopus 🐙 dishes in my life, extremely tender succulent and flavorful. We also ordered the bronzino,which was a flavor bomb on a plate, exceptional extremely crispy skin.
We also enjoyed the veal bacon which was our favorite but lacked a supporting cast.
The only real miss for me was the lamb sausage pasta: (Complete Let-down)!
It lacked flavor: No salt pepper garlic or anything, the intention was there but never came through on the plate!
From Italian to another, my expectations was too high I guess????
Overall, should I ever find myself back in NYC, Butter would definitely be on my list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
I’m a fan of Chef Alex, so this restaurant had been on my must-try list for a while. Unfortunately, it was quite a disappointment. The food was salty and unbalanced in flavor, the service felt lackluster and inattentive, and the overall vibe was loud with a somewhat snotty crowd that, to me, didn’t feel like fine dining. We tried almost everything on the menu, and while the short rib was the standout dish, it still wasn’t enough to make me want to come back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
A celebrity chef restaurant that actually lives up to its reputation. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has created a masterpiece restaurant. We dined here to celebrate an anniversary and the staff went above and beyond to make it a special night. Our server, Janet was accommodating, attentive and never overbearing.
The food was truly spectacular, and I judged extra hard because of the restaurant's pedigree. We began with the house made rolls and butter, highly recommended and delicious. We shared the char grilled octopus which was cooked perfectly and served over a white bean puree. The Brussels sprouts salad is delicious and covered in smoked pecans making it taste remarkably like bacon with no meat. The gnocchi Mac and cheese is also delicious with gnocchi as soft as pillows.
Entrees included the pan seared branzino, perfectly cooked with crispy skin and grilled lamb rack served over french lentils. Desserts are equally stunning and creative cocktails are the bar's wheelhouse. Truly a five star experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Parkerhouse Rolls and Fresh Made Butters, Pan-Seared Branzino, Gnocchi, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Grilled Octopus
I can’t say enough about our experience at this restaurant. From the moment the bread was served with their specialty butter on the side, I knew it was going to be a great night. The bread was baked to perfection, and the salt on top was truly chef’s kiss. The two different butters were incredible — Butter was living up to its name right from the start.
We ordered the aged steak and the branzino with broccolini and fries, plus an appetizer of the gnocchi mac and cheese. Everything was cooked perfectly. I rarely get excited about a side dish, but the broccolini with toasted sesame sauce was worth the trip to Butter all by itself.
Then came dessert — and they absolutely saved the best for last. We ordered the Raspberry Beignets and they were amazing. Perfectly baked with just the right balance of sweetness between the raspberry sauce and the sugar coating.
We don’t get excited about many places, but we’re already planning another trip to the city just so we can eat at Butter again. 6 out of 5 stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came here from out of NY with a lot of expectations, but we were disappointed. First, this did not look or sound like an upscale place; it's elevated mid scale at best. The food was a hit or miss; the buns were the best. The chimichurri steak (85$) was alright but we got well-done when asked for medium. Even the basic fries (16$!) were very dry. The Brussels sprout salad (23$) was not edible, it tasted burnt and when the waiter asked us about it, we said that they said 'it is roasted, not burnt', and it felt like they were gaslighting us. Other services were prompt and helpful. Overall, the prices do not at all match the food quality, service, or vibes; prices should be cut by a third, if not half.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
The food is always great and reasonably priced, and the service is excellent. The only improvement needed is to brighten up the atmosphere, which is currently a bit dark and cold. I will definitely go back!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst food experience I’ve ever had, expectations aside. We came for lunch and I said I had a sesame allergy upfront. We live in an age where allergies are usually accommodated, and I hate being that person, but it didn’t matter here. They brought all of my food COVERED in sesame seeds. It’s fine. No harm, no foul, they missed a detail, but I caught it. I told/showed my waitress, and she was quite apologetic for forgetting. It’s okay. She’s human. She said they’d make my burger again.
They brought it back 15 minutes after my party got their food, and my burger was RAW…. I showed the raw patty to my waitress and she seemed very sympathetic, but not wholly accommodating. I said I lost my appetite and didn’t want anything else (reasonably so). She took it to the kitchen and the manager came out shortly after, refusing to let me be done with the terrible experience. He took the burger and recooked it to (very clearly) well done and said I should try it. It was almost insulting. I’ll never go back and shame on this place for riding the curtails of a famous name.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
I came here for my birthday dinner and the server never acknowledged it after it was written in the reservation twice. After we ordered our drinks, it became very clear our server was not interested in our table and rarely checked on us. The tables that ordered more alcohol nearby were checked on significantly more. The food was fine but not worth the price considering we had such a poor dining experience. The only reason we left an appropriate tip is because the server backs and the food runners were fantastic and very friendly.
Ambiance was lackluster. Food was decent. Highly recommend the veal bacon. Pork chop and short rib were good. Cauliflower had decent flavor but should have been offered as a side item. Drinks were good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Food was over seasoned, rich and heavy. Feels like perhaps this restaurant used to be good but maybe things have slipped.
Restaurantji Recommends
The best pork chop I've ever had. Great service and every bite was excellent. I only wish I had room for dessert.
Food was delicious, environment was cozy and fitting for Alex. The Parkerhouse rolls and gnocchi Mac and cheese were top items. The table had pork chop, short ribs, salmon and chicken. No complaints from anyone. The dessert specialty of the night crème brûlée was also delicious
Beautiful restaurant, amazing staff, and of course amazing food from the appetizers to entrees to desserts. Shoutout Chef Jake, killing the cold apps!
My pork chop was tasty enough, but the fingerling sweet potatoes were really a couple of overcooked sweet potato chunks hidden under the chop. Needed more hot vegetable options. It was winter and cold, so I didn't even consider a salad. Desserts were good, very large for sharing. The 6 of us couldn't finish 2 desserts. Moody lighting and relatively quiet. A u-shape booth for 6 was awkward when anyone other than on the end needed to get up from the table. Service was knowledgeable but not overly solicitous or attentive.
We had a nice experience dining at Butter. Food quality was excellent, although menu limited. Highly recommend the pork chop and the cheesecake. Service on the slower side but professional and attentive. Would return
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