All 977 rated mentions, most helpful first
“Just went last night and it was super meh - I’ve been going about 1x per year since 2014 or so and this time just felt “off”. The prices were higher for less quality of food - my wife’s steak had a pronounced lack of salt and my Chicken Palliard was fucking TINY.”
“Keith McNally’s restaurants (Balthazar and Minetta Tavern) go out of their way to welcome solo diners by sending a very festive complimentary glass of champagne. They would also fall within your budget, have great people watching, and an appropriately jolly atmosphere.”
“It was extremely tough and chewy and the knife they gave me wouldn't even cut through the meat. Awful experience.”
“We’ve been back a few times and experiences have ranged from good to ok.”
“Worked there for years, always thought it was serviceable but not “good”. It’s a rump that they cut grossly and hammer down to make it flat, not even a real steak cut. It’s only good because of the bearnaise and the Md butter, steak itself has no flavor.”
“I can assure you the quality has in fact declined. The steaks are now choice, where they were prime. The quality of produce and raw materials has cheapened”
“It is SO touristy now, and I think the quality, vibe and service have suffered because of that.”
“It actually was pretty fantastic. Not the greatest steak I’ve ever had, but better than I expected and felt it was worth the money.”
“Balthazar is a fantastic restaurant. It’s beautiful, there’s so much going on, it’s a cornucopia of activity and a sensory overload.”
“Food is generally good.”
“Service is good (fast, attentive and a glass of champagne for solo diners) at Balthazar. And great vibe.”
“I was just at balthazar with my gf and my dad and they undercooked my gf’s fish and the manager gave us a hard time when we complained about it.”
“The only good things at Balthazar are the seafood tower because it’s basically impossible to screw up steamed seafood, and their bourbon selection, which is pretty reasonably priced.”
“I did find the food to be delicious. I had the best aperol spritz I’ve ever tasted, and the trout was insanely good.”
“Last time at Balthazar it was a bowl half full of cheese.. eventually it was too solid to eat.”
“Everything more fun there late night when a touch less busy. Worth that experience.”
“Pastry underwhelming, eggs benny didn’t come with hollandaise, had to get a side since they wouldn’t go add it on. Their “bowls” of coffee are lackluster”
“the croissant was a huge letdown. It's dry, tastes bland, no crunch . Their bread is solid but there are so many better loaves in a 15min walk radius, it's hard to justify the hype.”
“The food is really basic and overpriced. The people watching can be good, that doesn’t mean I’m paying $40 for a piece of trout with lentils or $32 for a cheeseburger thats nothing special.”
“Balthazar’s may taste good, I haven’t had it in a while, but hot damn does the thing look like a pile of dung. Like someone grabbed a fistful of ground meat and stomped on it right before serving. A stunningly negative amount of presentation.”
“Balthazar tartare is ground, not hand cut, it has mushy texture. And I like that place, I had an amazing halibut there on Wednesday, but their tartare never did it for me,”
“Balthazar is simply a New York institution. At it’s vibey best, yes you will be squeezed into the table somewhat, yes it’s not fine dining, but it’s not trying to be whatsoever and you are guaranteed a certain atmosphere that is unique.”
“I went to Balthazar two weeks ago and I was not impressed in any way. Took more than ten minutes after being seated at the bar to even be greeted/acknowledged and poured water, and another ten minutes before being asked to place a drink order.”
“FWIW, I love Balthazar. I've always had good service there, especially at the bar. Not the best food but I've enjoyed everything I've eaten there.”
“Sitting at the bar at Balthazar with a martini and french fries and maybe some oysters is a top tier NYC experience.”
“Omelette was cooked perfectly and was huge. This meal was solid and I’d love to go back for dinner sometime”
“Foods ok but everything feels a tad overpriced.”
“Jack’s Wife Freda and Balthazar are overhyped”
“Food was mid. Service and management was even worse. Don’t support this place.”
“Balthazar and Pastis both have great fries, good quality salads, friendly bartenders, and impeccable people watching.”
“Keith McNally’s amazing French bistro style restaurant. Absolute vibes in SoHo”
“The frites are fabulous. The rest of the food is okay.”
“I love their raw bar.”
“Same here, they give solo diners a free glass of champagne and i enjoy the vibe. Not going there expecting the greatest food in the world but for a nice lunch out on the weekend you could do much worse”
“boring click bait. Balthazar IS NEW YORK.”
“Sit at the bar. Get a martini, fries and a half dozen oysters.”
“My girlfriend and I actually liked it a lot. I thought they did a great job with steak frites. Escargot was really good but there’s certainly better.”
“I enjoy it for a breezy lunch. And their raw bar is still among the best. Service always good for me.”
“Pastis is much better than Balthazar food wise imo - not vibe wise.”
“sitting at the bar for martinis and oyster is still a top-notch NYC experience.”
“Balthazar: French onion soup”
“go to Balthazar, order yourself champagne, a plateau de mer and some fries and cheer to the bullet you missed”
“Yeah it's a bit expensive at this point and also crowded... but I've always had a good time at Balthazar's. I think I'd pretty much always give it a recommendation”
“Steak frites from Balthazar is always fire 😅”
“I actually enjoyed Balthazar for what it was: a kitschy restaurant with delicious but expensive steak frites”
“frenchette, better food and atmosphere.”
“Balthazar! Definitely fits the feels fancy vibe but isn’t crazily expensive”
“Can't beat it for lunch imo. Great atmosphere and solid if you stick with the classics. No revelatory dishes for sure.”
“All solid. Balthazar too for steak frites.”
“Balthazar’s for sure have an entree and try the home made donuts”