The First of Many, Guest Review of The Lion

Hey All,

The first guest review is up.
Written By:
Roy Dervich
Roy is a friend that I've come to know quite well and recently celebrated his girlfriend's birthday at The Lion downtown. 
Below is his review...

The Lion 

Before I talk about the food at The Lion I want to talk about the atmosphere and ambience. The restaurant is basically hidden on a normal residential block with just an address on it awning, adding to the whole speak-easy vibe.       

Image via Yelp.com

I was extremely impressed with the décor and main dining room, which is a perfect example of how décor and a vibe can elevate a dining experience. The main dining room is identical to CO-OPs, but set back 90 years ago. It has a punch of prohibition with a touch of Gregory Peck class. There are large and small frames all around the room with photos of Al Capone and black and white photos of girls in vintage bikinis on the Coney Island boardwalk. The crowd seemed to be the “old money” type with class and sophistication, which can be contagious; I found the need to ask my girlfriend if I can be excused when I had to go to the restroom. The age group varied from mainly 25-55 many who seemed like they lived in the area or were European tourists. It’s a high-end spot but low key, so wasn't pretentious either. 

The other factor that elevated the experience was the outstanding service. At The Lion they are extremely proactive with multiple servers and waiters advising you on the menu and asking what you need.

The Pre Co-Op vibe

Now, to the food, 

we ordered the following:

1)    Big Eye Tuna Tartare

2)    Hand Pulled Burrata

3)    Ricotta Gnudi

4)    French Fries

5)    Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Guanciale, Apples

6)    Dessert- Market Fruit Plate with Cranberry Sorbet

Buratta, French Fries, Brussels & Ricotta 

I feel the need to mention that the bread they offered was extremely delicious. But on to the things we ordered, I’ll go down the list.

1)    The tartare had an extremely fresh texture and an explosion of flavor like one only see in gum commercials.

2)    The burrata was basically a ball of mozzarella with truffles and infused with balsamic. It had a good flavor but just a very weird cold texture, we didn’t love this dish so much.

3)    The ricotta pasta was sprinkled with truffles and a treat for my palate. This was extremely delicious with a texture that melts in your mouth and will make you salivate the second you swallow it, also known as, food porn.

4)    The Brussels and French fries were perfect sides and compliments both topped with herbs, I personally enjoyed the sprouts and found it ironic how mothers forcefully try to feed this to their sprouts, they obviously are not making them this good,

5)    I can honestly admit we didn’t order dessert right, the fruit platter seemed like something I would eat in my kitchen and was not the perfect ending, cake probably would’ve complimented the meal better but we were full anyway so that probably affected our lack of enjoyment of the fruit platter.

In terms of reservations, I used OpenTable a couple of weeks before hand. I was delighted that the restaurant called me to confirm the reservation a few days earlier. When we got there we didn’t wait a second, we got directed to a great table right in the middle of the dining room. 

My conclusion on this place is that it may just be my new favorite restaurant, you feel secluded from “the scene” but in a very hot spot, so no feelings of anti-socialism because honestly the scene just doesn’t know about this cool spot yet, its like TAO 10 years ago. It is expensive but I personally don’t care when I feel like I’m getting what I pay for. Menu options can also seem very limited if you don’t eat meat or seafood.

The Lion

62 West 9th Street  New York, NY 10011

(212) 353-8400

http://www.thelionnyc.com/

**Good For: Dinner, Date Spot, Intimate Dinner with Friends or Adult Family