Marea - (Near New York, NY)

5 /5 VICTORIA C: We came on Christmas Eve and it was extremely crowded. The restaurant previously held a Michelin star, and after this visit, I can see why it might have lost it. Perhaps it was due to the holiday rush, but the service that night was fairly mediocre. We ordered the white truffle pasta, $110 for 4g. While the presentation was fine, it definitely did not feel Michelin-level. The risotto was more enjoyable than the tagliatelle and had a much richer flavor. For the starter, the Cannolicchio was quite creative, and the Astice was excellent!! The lobster was very bouncy, fresh, and sweet, and the burrata was rich and milky. Unfortunately, the Ricci was a big disappointment; the uni had a strong fishy taste and the quality was poor. For the primi, we tried the Capellini, which I was really excited about but ended up disappointed. It was overly acidic, and the butter was not well incorporated. We also ordered half portions of the Pappardelle Granchio Reale and Fusilli, and surprisingly, these simpler pasta dishes were more enjoyable than the so-called signature ones. For the main course, we chose the Anatra. It was already portioned when served, and the duck skin was beautifully crispy, one of the best dishes of the night. We ordered two desserts and both were very good; I especially liked the tiramisu. Overall, the portions here are quite generous. Some shortcomings help explain the lost star, but I would still recommend coming when it’s less crowded.

3 /5 Elizabeth J: Elegant dining experience. Bring your credit cards! We just had dinner here. The food was good overall. The main server was good. Three separate people asked us if we wanted water before someone actually brought us water…. We ordered the duck for our main course. The server placed the rare duck in front of the wrong diner, even after we asked about cooking level. The food overall is elegant and the wine list expansive. Sort of odd Marea did not offer an amuse bouche or anything else.

4 /5 Metty Fisseha: Marea is a solid place; consistently delightful, albeit pricey. The standout dishes for me were the Bronzino tartar and the tagliatelle (without the truffles). The grilled Bronzino and scallops were okay. I wouldn’t recommend the scampi croquette (though others in my group raved about the sardines). Our server was wonderful and intuitive as were the other main staff. Some hiccups with the support staff (e.g. repeatedly mixing up still and sparkling water, taking long to clear crumbs off the table, small things like that - but that’s okay). Overall I very much recommend and will be back

5 /5 Eui Sun Chung: Everything here is delicious — not a single miss. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but it always feels worth it. Dinner reservations can be a bit tricky to secure, but lunch is often available even on the same day. Great atmosphere, excellent service, and a perfect spot for a special occasion.

1 /5 Jasjit Khurana: We had an extremely disappointing experience here as a group of four. Our bill was almost $900 including bottles of wine, so this was not a casual or low-spend visit. Despite that, we were made to feel unwelcome towards the end of the evening. Staff began clearing our table without asking or receiving permission, while we were still seated. Shortly after, we were explicitly asked to leave because we had “overstayed,” even though no time limit had been communicated in advance. Also, they took forever to take our orders. If there is a strict seating policy, it should be made clear upfront — not enforced abruptly and rudely after guests have spent a significant amount of money. The way this was handled felt disrespectful. Being the only four brown people at the restaurant it totally felt discriminatory. For a restaurant positioning itself at this price point, the service and hospitality fell far below expectations. We won’t be returning and would not recommend this place to others looking for a welcoming dining experience. We did bring this up to the management and they seemed more interested in getting the credit card charged right away and did not offer any significant apologies. Our server ( Robert) was actually nice but his service could not make up for how the evening turned out overall.