We recently discovered this lovely restaurant Spoon Table & Bar that had tasty-looking brunch offerings. We love brunch, but we went to check them out for dinner instead. The exterior of the restaurant was unassuming, yet very inviting with the warm light flooding out from their floor-to-ceiling window. We were greeted as soon as we walked in, and as it was still an early evening on Monday, not yet busy in the inside. They had high tables towards the front of the restaurant, and a nicely stocked bar in the middle.
We wanted to sit at a regular table instead of high table, and they do have plenty of those also in the back half of the restaurant. The interior was rich with wood, filled with soft lights from large and small light fixtures everywhere. I liked the large light fixtures, reminding me of paper lanterns at a light festival. It was relaxing and rather romantic with those light fixtures!
We decided to get some cocktails, and we asked the staff what the most popular cocktail is here at Spoon Table & Bar. She actually told us much more than that. She told us that they infuse their own flavor to syrup and alcohol, and that their cocktails are all made from scratch! And the answer to our question, Lavender Mill cocktail is one of the most popular Cocktail. So, I went with that. Lavender Mill ($14) is made with lavender-infused vodka, rosemary syrup, lemon, and cracked black pepper. I was a bit worried about it being too herb-y and soapy, but it was great! It had a wonderful aroma of lavender and just the right amount of flavor. Strong with elegant sweetness. Really nice drink! I can see the reason why it is so popular. Much better than I expected it to be.
My hubby went with A Pear to Remember ($14), made with jalapeño and pear – infused tequila, apple cider, cilantro syrup, fresh pear, and prosecco. First of all, I really loved the name of this cocktail! The flavor of jalapeño certainly takes the center stage with a powerful kick! Not too fruity, but refreshing, wakes you up for sure. You can’t see from the photos, but it had some sliced fruits in here, which was really great! Here at Spoon Table & Bar, they really know how to make creative, strong, and delicious cocktails!
Now the food. We ordered some appetizers, before the main. We heard that their dishes are not that large, so we ordered three dishes to try. We got Fried Pickles, Roasted Whole Sardines, and Chicken Pot Pie.
I first became fan of fried pickle in a chips form when I tried them at Pickle Jar Kitchen in Cape Cod. The ones here are not chips, but the whole pickle that was sliced in half the long way. Fried Pickles ($12) came with their housemade pimento cheese and buttermilk ranch. There were around six fried pickles in there. The batter was light and thin, very crisp exterior. The pickles were juicy with that nice crunch sound! Pimento cheese had a nice little kick to it, which we enjoyed a lot. The pickles were not very large, but somehow quite meaty and satisfying!
I was super excited about Roasted Whole Sardines ($15), with olives, tomatoes, thyme, and garlic bread. The beautiful aroma it had was indescribable… It looked wonderful, and it tasted as good as it looked! Sardines were so tender and juicy, falls off the bones! It had a nice acidic balance with the olives and lemon. Loads of flavor with the herbs. The sauce on the bottom was great too, we used the bread to soak up all the goodness. Loved the garlicky of them too. Delicious!
Now, the Chicken Pot Pie ($15). It is made with peas, carrots, celery, cracked pepper, topped with pate brisée crust. I heard this dish was rather small, but in my opinion, it was a perfect size. Not too big, not too small. I liked the way it looked, with a golden crust sitting atop proudly like a crown, protecting all the precious jewels underneath.
They came out hot out the oven, and it stayed pretty hot for a good while. It was delightful, comfy and homey, packed with all the earth’s goodness. It had a good amount of tender chicken pieces in there as well. The crust on top was nice and flakey, adding texture. Packed with flavor, one awesome pot pie!
For main, I ordered something that sounded very innovative and unique. Manchego & Prosciutto Burger ($26) with salsa verde and pickled red onion. It also came with fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and then one fried pickle. The staff asked if I wanted ketchup or mayonnaise, and I said no. After that. I realized that the top bun didn’t have any kind of condiment of on it. But I thought it might have enough flavor without anything else, and I was right.
It had some height to it, bigger than I expected. Salsa verde was quite interesting, it had some burnt or Smoky flavor to it that I really enjoyed. Prosciutto was sitting atop the perfectly cooked juicy patty. The patty was gently cuddled by cheese.
And this burger was soooo good! Picked onions had natural sweetness to it, with acidity that went great with the burger. Prosciutto is really fresh and I could taste the high quality of it. Bread was really good too. Fluffy and light, yet solid enough to hold all the juicy middle. It was like a symphony of all the ingredients, producing a melody of balanced, sophisticated, and totally satisfying flavor.
Since the burger does not come with a side of anything, I ordered a side of Fries ($7). Since it is a “side” order, the portion was not big. But the quality and flavor was big! These babies were sooo good! Crunchy and crispy without being too hard. It still had some nice softness to it. Perfect amount of seasoning that elevated this fries to the next level. So addictive!
My hubby went with Fennel Seed Crusted Tuna Steak ($28). It comes with roasted eggplant and cherry tomato, capers, shallots, thyme, and garlic. And this tuna was HUGE! When they say “steak” it really looked like a giant piece of thick-cut steak!
The bed of eggplants and other ingredients were super tasty, they certainly did not take side stage! They soaked up all the lovely flavors, really delicious. Tuna was cooked just a bit too much, but it was still very good. The crust was a real deal, not lightly crusted, but seriously crusted. There was not a single tiny spot that was not coated. They don’t mess with their crust here! All the ingredients were very fresh, filling and satisfying.
We also ordered another side, before realizing how big and filling what we ordered were… I was very curious about their biscuits, since their Biscuits & Gravy Skillet dish from their brunch menu seems to be very popular. So, we ordered Herb Gruyere Biscuits + Honey Butter ($8) to see what they are all about.
The moment I picked them up, I knew it was going to be good… It was warm, soft, heavy, and came with amazing aroma! It was sooo wonderfully buttery, dense yet light and airy. Almost like a dessert with the honey flavor. My hubby said, “you look so happy…” as I had my first bite and experiencing the explosion of comforting flavor. My taste buds were having a party in my mouth. It made me imaging a campfire in a wooden cabin on a cold day, somewhere in a peaceful nature out there. So, did I like it? No, I LOVED it!
They had one sex neutral bathroom at the back of the restaurant. It was large, well-lit, clean and organized. I liked the modern tiles in here. And, with that space, they had huge farmer’s sink in here! It is unusual to see a sink this size in a NYC bathroom… It is always nice to have a clean, well-maintained bathroom.
Needless to say, we had a great dinner here. All the staffs here were friendly, polite, and courteous. They took a really nice care of us. We enjoyed their innovative, unique cocktails made with high quality ingredients and process. The food was also very high quality that you can really taste. We enjoyed every bite of every item we had! Spoon Table & Bar certainly is a hidden gem, I am happy we got to dine here. If you are looking for a delicious, comforting, high quality food that makes you and your tummy smile, give this place a try!
Spoon Table & Bar – 40 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016