On a whim, we decided to try Hyde Park, because people rave about it all the time (seriously, ALL the time). We went mid-week, so reservations weren't necessary. We were greeted promptly upon entrance and our coats were swiftly taken to the coat check. The hostess kindly obliged when I asked her to sit by the fireplace, which made me very happy and quite warm. And that, more or less, was the last point in the evening when I was impressed with Hyde Park.
When it came to food and service, the restaurant left quite a bit to be desired. Our waitress was pleasant but busy (and consequently very, very inattentive). And seriously, who wants to spend half of their dinner trying to flag down a waitress for water or wine?
We had the tuna tower for our appetizer, which was sashimi tuna on a bed of avocado. It was fine, not great. No complaints there. My real issue was with the main course. My husband had a steak that he enjoyed. I ordered sea bass in a citrus sauce, which I expected to be pretty good.... Cuz it's kinda hard to screw up fish, right? No, not right. The fish was overcooked and the citrus sauce barely had any flavor.
So I get that this place is a steak house, but if it's going to charge $40 for a piece of fish, I would (at the very least) expect the piece of fish to be...somewhat tasty. The other two major steak houses both serve delicious fish dishes. Oh well, maybe the chef was having an off night. Who knows.
We ordered the molton chocolate lava cake for dessert which was alright and then we bounced. (After paying the bill, which was substantial for a mediocre dinner). Honestly, I don't think any part of my evening would make me feel compelled (or even desirous) to return.