Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson

Everything looked prettier than it tasted. Great presentation. Everything was a bit sweet, but tasty.

Greeted our table so warmly, Becky was so sweet and each dish she recommended was exceptional, made our celebration special.

Cornbread-yes!! Ole Habibi-yes! Chicken-yes Banana dessert-yes!! The music is loud in the lobby but the DJ was just right.

We enjoyed our visit, service was great our waiter was attentive, fun and kind, Kudos! The. Portions were on the small side for the price, but over all a nice experience while in NYC.

The food is delicious. I have been there several times. I was surprised to learn that the kitchen closed by 2:00 PM for my business lunch. Our lunch was at 1:00. We wanted dessert (the banana pudding there is amazing!) but were told that the kitchen closed. Also, the service during our lunch was almost non-existent. We had to get up more than once to find our server.

Starting with the good, we loved the squash dish and the oysters were good. Problems: We sat for 1 hour and 15 minutes before my friend received her first drink! I've never had something like that happen. We had to ask for it 3 times. The summer salad we got was not good at all. Tons of mayo on top of not very good tomatoes. We didn't eat it.

Disclaimer: we did not order any food, but came in for a quick drink at the bar, and wow! This place is beautiful. It feels like you step into a different era or place, like a super luxurious hotel or something. It's huge and feels spacious. The service at the bar was impeccable, and the staff was very attentive and friendly. We were there for happy hour and it did not disappoint. Super affordable, and very good drinks. I will be back to experience dinner or lunch.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Great food and atmosphere. This is a hidden gem that we enjoy now every couple of weeks. Great service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great space with lovely decor & warm service. Unfortunately, the food left much to be desired. Overall note is just sweet over sweet & really heavy sauces with very liberal salt. The menus are also confusing with the same titled items listed with different descriptions depending on which menu you're looking at. We tried two restaurant week menu set:
1. summer salad, which is nice & refreshing but do not match the menu description 🤨;
2. brisket - ok but could be more tender & really heavy on the sauce; 3. fried chicken - juicy & crispy but really sweet sauce & corn gravy pairing, the spicy chilies help with contrasting flavor.
4. Corn pudding is interesting but does not make you want to take morea than a spoonful for taste.
5. Banana pudding - dry with unripe tough bananas. Overall not very pleasant taste. Did not go beyond one bite.
Ala carte order:
1. Smoked duck - very small portion & again heavy sauce
2. Shrimp toast - generpus portion but very sweet & can barely taste any shrimp. Hard pass.
3. Cornbread - chewy (not in a good way) & a bit on the dry side & again, sweet. Butters were ok but didn't really help the dry bread. Did not go beyond one bite to taste.
We are not drinkers so didn't try any of the beverages.
Was looking forward to try the spot & really wanted to like it but unfortunately, came out quite disappointed 😞. Not likely to return.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Amani at the bar is fantastic & made me feel welcome, appreciated! Summer salad incredible, but as you can see in photos, I did not like the Shaksuka very much!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We got a reservation there but the security guy was so rude that we decided to go somewhere else.

He actually run after our 7 years old daughter because she was going to a restroom that is not for the restaurant screaming to her.

Probably the worst service in NYC

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Metropolis is a beacon in historic lower Manhattan. Making your way up the steps off Fulton sets the stage for the sophisticated, urbane and chic aesthetic. The staff is knowledgeable & leaves nothing to chance. The cocktails are quite spirited and will not disappoint. The sesame Manhattan is tip-top! Every single dish was well thought out and creatively artistic without being too abstract. We had fried olives, steak and eggs (cured yolk), snapper, duck & pasta. The Zatar duck, labneh & tabbouleh was my favorite with the balance of bold flavors. I will be back the next time I'm in NYC.

Wonderful decor and overall vibe was warm and comfortable. Service was impeccable. Staff was friendly, polite, and very amenable. The food was fantastic and the ‘day in Coney Island ' dessert was delicious, inventive, and a wonderful end to an amazing meal. The music however, was very out of place. Too loud and not the right mood. Should have been jazz, r&b, or soul.

Our original dinner plans fell through, but we couldn't have been happier after finding Metropolis. The atmosphere was comfortable and inviting, and all the staff was friendly and attentive. Our server, who I wish I could remember her name, had spot on recommendations for us as well. We started with cloud nine and the mango on chile with the cornbread and summer salad. With the help of our wonderful server, we chose the summer in Harlem, the little Brazil, the marinated summer squash, and ended with the American dream. Everything was delicious, but I could have been more than satisfied and extremely happy with just a huge plate of the squash. It was out of this world. We are from Chicago, but we will definitely make Metropolis part of our plans for our next trip to NYC.

From the ambiance to the service and food everything was great. The two times I’ve visited I sat at the bar and received really good service and the server staff was great as well. The first time was dinner the second time for happy hour. From the oyster cart to overall presentation of the food. Marcus Samuelsson is known to make ordinary dishes a bit different which gives the meal an idea of surprise. He keeps the menu fresh, so if you see something it might be for a limited time or seasonal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5