We walked in and didn't have reservations. The maitre d' (who may also be the manager) asked if we had one which we said No. He proceeded to say that it was good it was a slow Friday otherwise we may not be seated. I held my tongue but wanted to say 1) We looked in and saw it wasn't busy which was actually WHY we came in and 2) Would you like me to go on my OpenTable and make a reservation now? It could have went downhill from there but was fine. But thats not why 3 stars. Here's my review...
Food: The presentation was beautiful but the taste did not match. Two course or three course option. We chose two. You get two amuse bouche to start. We received goat cheese, fig, and watercress - Good balance of flavors; potato soup - Tasty; potato with a chive cream - balanced; and something I don't recall that reminded me of arancini. Appetizers: Beef tartar with quail eggs - Good flavor; Veal sweetbreads with cheese ravioli and braised red cabbage - Eating it all together was really balanced and the flavors went well. Entrees: Seabass with seafood risotto and shellfish glace - THIS IS WHY 3 STARS. It was not that enjoyable. The fish was cooked nicely but it could have done without the seafood glace which, to me, did not taste good. The flavor was off. The risotto was okay. It had some black olives in it which, if maybe there were more, could have brought a bit more acidity to the dish and offset the glace. Veal with bone marrow custard and hollandaise - It was a bit tough to cut into. Tasting all together was okay but also had a bite of bitterness.
Service: Other than the initial encounter the service was good. Our server was knowledgeable, explained all dishes that came out, and was attentive but not overbearingly. And the maitre d' / mgr came by also and was pleasant this time around.
Ambience: Has an air of stuffyness initially but fine once seated. It has a mellow vibe.