West Bank Cafe
“I Perform downstairs at " THE LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE" , every Sat. Night, & the lovely dining room , upstairs is called THE WEST BANK.”
“My favorites are the mushroom risotto balls, the orrecchiette and the lemon mousse.”
“I finished the meal with a lemon mousse dessert and a glass of Macallan 12 with warm water.”
West Bank Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I came in around 1:30 yesterday afternoon with a large Meetup group of around 20. We had called ahead, so they were expecting us. We were seated pretty much right away, which is impressive considering how large our group was.
Now I should say that I was very disappointed when I found out that they were not serving brunch. I saw several pictures on yelp of breakfast food, so I was confused as to why we were given a lunch menu. I was then told by the waiter that they only serve brunch on Sundays 🙁
I'll try not to hold it against them, but I was caught off guard.
The lunch menu had plenty of good options, so I settled on the Croque Monsieur because it was the closest thing to breakfast I could find. It was very tasty, and quite a big portion. The waiters were attentive and we were served quickly and allowed to hang out after we paid our bill.
I guess I'll return to check out their brunch offerings one day.
My friends and I arrived just before a downpour. Our group of 7 had made a reservation just 2 hours before on a Friday night. We had tickets for the burlesque show downstairs later that night.
We were seated at the front of the restaurant. It was extremely stuffy, and the hostess kindly opened the ceiling to floor windows. Minutes later, the rain began to leak past the outdoor overhang. Alas.
Not to worry, we all secured boozy beverages quickly. None of the cocktails seemed to blow anyone's mind, but the melon mule was certainly acceptable. Even better were (a) the service and (b) the food. Our waiter was cheerful and on point.
A friend and I split first the kale and octopus salad. It was delicious. The octopus was tender and flavorful. I loved it. Who knew, then, that the linguini would be jsut as good. We next shared the black linguini with rock shrimp. Not sure which was better, the tomato confit or the shrimp. Let's go with the entire dish. It was lighter than expected and delicious.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals. I also had one of my friend's risotto balls, an accurate foreshadowing of the satisfying meal to come. Good job, West Bank Cafe, the bachelorette party was off to a great start.
Just one caveat: the truffle mac and cheese, which we ordered downstairs but came from the same kitchen obviously, was awful. It's orzo, first of all, and had way too much truffle. Nothing good or balanced about this dish. (The stinky cheese plate, on the other hand, while not stinky, was tasty)
Went last night for sit down dinner service. Was very pleased that the table was ready early, so that when we 15 minutes out, we were sat immediately.
Nice server. Never expressed opinion about any of the things we ordered. Never did a hard upsell, even when my dining companion asked for a recommendation on vodka.
I ordered up the Tennessee Pines. Then we both ordered dirty martinis.
The Pines was a rip off, as the glass was tiny (I could nearly palm the entire thing, and it was filled to capacity with ice. A couple sips and I was done. For $15? Methinks not.
The martinis were much more potent when we ordered directly from the bartender. Reads, to me, as a weaker pour for customers whose tips will be divided amongst floor and bar staff. But could have just been an off batch, or manager may have been watching.
The burger was really solid. Quality meat mix, nailed the temp, solid bun, a bit lettuce and red onion heavy, but very solid for the $18 price tag and location, especially considering the generous portion of fries.
The Blank Linguini was also quite nice. Very fresh option for the palate for spring. Fresh pasta is used, good ingredients. Not shy about the parmesan shavings (upon request).
Overall, didn't leave super pleased at the price tag for dinner for two due to the beverage inconsistencies. But still recommend grabbing a spot at the bar for a more casual experience, where you can grab a stronger drink, and relax.
I had a very nice evening here about a month or so ago with some of my friends. It was one of my friend's going away party, so the friend that had organized this had to pull a lot of strings in order to find a place that would accommodate a party as large as ours (we had over 20 people in our party), but this place was more than willing to accommodate us all.
I shared a bunch of sides with my friends and everything was quite tasty, particularly their truffle mac and cheese. The service was really impeccable, making sure our glasses were always filled with our beverages of choice, and our food came out promptly after we had ordered. The place also was quite cozy feeling, with maroon curtains and maroon velvet upholstered benches.
I would love to come back here for an actual entree and/or brunch in the future.
I'm totally skeptical of restaurants in the Theater District…between the mismatched menus and theater-going discount ploys, I usually find myself repulsed by the idea of dining anywhere in the area. This of course, is totally rude of me as there's some quality food and well-established business owners in this part of Manhattan and West Bank Cafe is definitely amongst them.
I came here with my family after a show at Stage 42 across the street. We had a reservation which I imagine would be needed if you came a bit closer to the dinner hour (we arrived to a lot of tables at 5PM but the restaurant was mostly filled by 7PM). With the exception of the appetizer we ordered fairly simple American dishes all of which we were pleased with. The Italian-inflused app was the most memorable portion of the meal…grilled artichokes atop a lemon aioli with garnished with a smidge of pesto and the all-to-amazing tempura-ed basil. Seriously, tempura basil…why isn't everyone doing this? Of the entrees I sampled, I most enjoyed their take on a burger which although simple, was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The atmosphere was a bit dated, but the wait staff was attentive and incredibly friendly.
While this may not be a destination restaurant for the Manhattan or even the area, I would definitely return based on the lack of pretension and non-tourist nature. Their ability to make satisfying, comforting new American food is evident and worthy of try to all those considering.
Nice, classy spot for a before or after movie meal. My gf and I came here after watching Into The Woods at AMC Empire 25 nearby. Service was top notch. Brunch menu was small-ish but the selections were pretty good. My only complaint on the part of the menu was they should have the Truffle Mac n Cheese as an option.. 😀
Food was pretty good. I had the WBC Burger w. White Cheddar, cooked medium well. It was a very good burger, with nice flavor. The lady had her Lemon Ricotta Pancakes..which were amazing. Light, fluffy, delicious! Pancakes were definitely spot on. Buttermilk Biscuits were okay. Dessert, I had 2 scoops of Lemon sorbet and 1 scoop of black currant. It was meh. But no big deal.
The overall experience was very nice. I liked the interior and ambiance. Food was on point. I will def return when I'm in the area for dinner.
TL;DR: Great service, amazing brunch, and really decent prices!
We visited the West Bank Cafe on a gorgeous Sunday at about 1pm after a duathlon in central park. We naively assumed that we'd be able to find a place for brunch around Hell's Kitchen but most places were jam packed. We walked in to West Bank (and I suppose it's because it's above a theater and is likely mostly for theater patrons) and our group of 7 was seated immediately in a nice, quiet, open dining room. The server/host were super cool and chatted with us while we waited for the rest of the group. $8 brunch mimosas and $2.50 unlimited coffee kept us at bay and once the whole group arrived we got a litany of brunch items including lemon ricotta pancakes (delicious and sweet), croque monsieur (amazing!) and omelettes. Everything was priced $12-16, and was absolutely fantastic. It was nice and calm and quiet, and we were just able to enjoy company and great food. Absolutely no complaints.
Always consistent and always good. If you order for delivery, which I do a lot, your order arrives quickly and cooked at the perfect temperature.