The Library at the Public

The reservation system accepts and confirms reservations starting at 5pm but it doesn’t open until 6pm ??!?

Came here for dinner. The ambiance was awesome the dim lighting made the atmosphere feel cozy and welcoming. The food was great, steak was cooked to perfection.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The Library restaurant is an elegant and warm space—perfect for enjoying dinner before a performance at the Public Theater, conveniently located in the same building.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’m surprised Andrew Carmellini would attach his name to such a restaurant. Perhaps he needs to try his own menu. The first time we came here was for a private event and the lights were dimmed so the ambience did look nice. However, the food was not good. Since it was a private event I wasn’t expecting much. We came back recently, not realizing it was the same venue. The lights were very bright, so you could see that the furniture was not very tasteful, and didn’t look anything like the photos online. The service was very friendly and kind, however, for some reason our server would never pour wine for us, but he was very generous with pouring water. That’s fine, my big issue was the meal and the fact that the staff was setting up tables moving furniture around directly in front of us, disrupting our meal as they were very loudly prepping for an event the following night. Someone came over to apologize and I appreciated that, however, it didn’t take away from the horrible experience we had. The server never asked about dietary restrictions or allergies. I had no idea the center of the hummus was spicy so I couldn’t eat that, the cheese platter tasted like stinky feet. It was disgusting. The burger was OK, fries were good. I had only one bite of each dish and realized I couldn't eat it. It’s not worth forcing yourself to eat something that you cannot enjoy or that would make you sick. Thankfully, the blue cheese was fresh and tasty. This was one of the most disappointing meals we’ve had in a long time. Very shocked because the night before we were at Cafe Carmellini and it was a completely different experience. Obviously it’s a different type of restaurant caliber, but for this restaurant, I am surprised that they are OK with serving such mediocre food and lack proper hospitality.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3

Our server, Michael, was wonderful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Hidden gem with delicious food and a truly special atmosphere. We’ve seen celebrities here enjoying themselves just as much as we were.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very cute hidden gem!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great service e and the food was very good

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips

We came on a weekday night for the restaurant week and the food & cocktails were amazing! We live in the neighborhood and this is by far the best kept secret. We’ll definitely be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Really neat atmosphere with nicely made drinks

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Amazing experience! Staff was friendly attentive, there wasn’t a long wait for our meal, and it was a wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I always love coming here before a show in the neighborhood so lovely place to come. The staff is excellent. The history is beautiful and it's a beautiful restaurant to be in.

Stopped by before meeting a friend and the entrance is giving Center Stage. The bar has 360 seating with roughly 20 brown tall leather stools. The artwork is nice to get lost into; there were a few beer recipes, prohibition pieces and other NYC landmarks.I had the Baby Wedge Salad; bacon, blue cheese, vine tomatoes, price 16It was a great presentation and they dressed it HEALTHILY which I love. The bacon was crisp and the blue cheese was complex. Highly recommend this dish even if you don't care for salads.Lastly, I had the salmon entree and although I like salmon more on the medium well side, it was medium and nicely seasoned. The season vegetables on the side were prepared so well.Drinks:Been loving Mezcal lately and ordered the Mezcal Spritz. It had: Cenizo Mezcal, Cappelletti, grapefruit, Prosecco - price was 19. It was a nice drink but would stick to your favorites. The Espresso Martini was beautifully made and balanced.These mixologists are working hard and they churn out great cocktails. Service is super fast; stepped away for a moment and my plates were gone.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I think this is good if you’re going to a show in the Public or looking for something quiet and empty on a Saturday before dinner.Other than that, drinks were just okay and service was little pushy (she came over to ask us if we wanted anything to eat 3 times).

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 3

Great and elegant place for cocktails... Or mocktails if you don't drink alcohol like me. During shoes and performance time it can be busy, but if not it'll be quieter and more intimate. Variety of seating options. Looking forward to coming back.Oh and great staff. Thanks for a great night.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5