Benjamin Restaurant & Bar
“compared to other groupon/living social deals, this is one of the best i've had so far because:
1.”
“My friend and I usually stop here midweek before or after the movies at Kips Bay.”
“I love that Murray Hill has this restaurant.”
Benjamin Restaurant & Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This is a nice cozy neighborhood spot to grab a meal when you're not looking to stray too far from home or before/after a movie. Service is usually lacking in both attentiveness and friendliness but the food is always good. The chicken parm is quite good and so is the French onion soup. There is a bread basket with cornbread that is served before the meal and is actually very good. Not a place I would go for a special occasion but good if you're looking for a consistent quality meal.
Located just two short blocks from NYU Langone Medical Center, Benjamin made perfect sense for us to escape the hospital for a while, get some fresh air, and enjoy some hot food. We were seated immediately by friendly staff and got a nice table for four in the corner by the window. The place was packed and showed a sure sign that those who like this place, keep coming back. Our meals arrived quickly, and were hot where they needed to be. Presentation was nice and drinks were refilled without asking. At first I was worried that it might be cold since it was snowing, but the heat in the glass covered area, was more than adequate. Pricing was about average and if you're looking for a solid meal, you wont go wrong coming here.
**** GROUPON REVIEW ONLY ******
Being hungry one night and not wanting to eat anything in the apartment, we set up hunting for groupons nearby. Lo and behold 5 mins walk down the street there's Benjamins, $35 for an appetizer, 2 entrees and 2 drinks so off the road we went
The decor was dark, not unwelcoming but definitely not a modern look either. Think maybe a dark pub/restaurant. I have poor taste in everything but food so let me just say it was ok and didnt repulse me, and fit its fare quite well.
The clientele seemed to be mostly an older crowd with a smattering of families and couples. A lot of customers were known by name by the staff, which I found nice
I had no complaints about the service. It wasnt a full house though, but waters were refilled, food came out in less than 20 mins and they were nice and explained the groupon very well.
Appetizer: Rib sliders with horseradish coleslaw
Barely tasted any horseradish in the coleslaw but it was fresh and crunchy
Sliders were great. A meal in itself. Meat was tender if maybe a little too strong tasting to almost make it seem like it came premade but I liked it well enough. Loved the cut jalapeno on the side.
Entrees: Fish and Chips and Pork with Apples
Fish and chips was delicious. The batter was crispy and fish inside moist. My only complaints was the tartar sauce was a little too bland and the fries were mushy
Pork was good, tender and the apples complimented it nicely. No complaints
We didnt drink so we didnt get the house wines, and they wouldnt let us change it to sodas. But no problems there, that would of been nice but it wasnt stated on the groupon so its fine.
Overall for a groupon I would say its a good deal for good food.
Came here with the boyfriend after purchasing a Groupon. Honestly, we eat at so many culturally different types of places and Benjamin was a nice step away from that! We came here in the winter and this cozy place provided some relief from the bitter cold. A very "neighborhood" type of place for the atmosphere, kind of reminds me of days gone by. Comfortable, homey, and almost antique-ish. Love the ambiance, especially on a winter's night!
We both started with a glass of house wine which was good. We ordered the duck quesadilla for our appetizer. It was OK, I don't think it was my favorite. I think that a place like this should not try to make so many different types of foods, and just stick to the American classics. For example, my boyfriend ordered the fish tacos and felt that they were just OK. However, I ordered the herb roast half chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes, and it was outstanding! SO filling because I got so so much food on my plate. It tasted exactly like my mom would have made and combined with the warm and welcoming atmosphere, I was in heaven! I feel that they get it right when it comes to homemade American classics. The servers were very friendly and really made you feel at home which only complimented the food and ambiance. People were gathered around in here just for drinks too. Really cute place, would definitely come back again for some comfort fare on a cold night!
I had a groupon for Benjamin's which happens to be very close to my job. The service and ambience of the restaurant was cool. I felt very comfortable and cozy especially since wasnt too crowded. The food was just okay to me, For an appetizer I had the BBQ Spare Rib Sliders that were my favorite and the tastiest. For an entree, I had the lamb chops that were a bit bland and had to be spruced up with some salt and pepper which I hate to do at any restaurant. Since Im always in the area, I would check this place out again to try some other items.
We came here for dinner on a Sunday evening with a Groupon deal: $35 for 2 glasses of house wine, 1 appetizer, and 2 entrees. The house cabernet was very good.
AMBIANCE AND SERVICE: This place is nice and cozy in the winter. There are a ton of tiny tables that line 33rd St. and gives you a nice view of people coming and going along 33rd St. and 2nd Ave. It felt a little stuffy at times and can get very loud when it's busy, but overall it's a nice little place. The service was excellent. Our waiter was very friendly and not snobby at all about the fact that we were using a Groupon.
APPETIZER AND ENTREES: For the appetizer we got the guacamole and chips which was surprisingly good. I'm used to very bland guacamole here in NYC and did not think guacamole at a non-Mexican restaurant would be good at all, but it was surprisingly tasty. For the entrees, I got the crab cake sandwich with French fries and my husband got the pork roast with apple. The crab cake sandwich was excellent! It's served with a lime aioli sauce which was just perfect. The French fries were fried to perfection. My husband loved the pork with apples. His came with sweet potato fries which have a gluten coating on them. Being that he cannot have gluten, the restaurant happily substituted regular fries for him.
Overall, I recommend this place. The food seems a little overpriced for what it is, but with a Groupon, it was a great deal.
In search of a bar in which to watch the U.S. vs. China quarterfinal match of the Women's World Cup, I happened upon Benjamin.
Upon entering, I was instantly met with the unique character of the locale. Having been in business since 1970, there were almost as many interesting personalities in there as years it has been open and over the course of the evening, I had the pleasure of meeting a few.
A fan of the sour flavor in the Cupcake brand of wine, I subsequently ordered a glass of the Shiraz, which I sipped as the game started. Soon I was ready for dinner and as a friend had since arrived to join me, we decided to share orders of the Penne ala Vodka and the garden salad. The Penne, which had a slight kick, was surprisingly good, and the salad was full of fresh greens.
So after a U.S. victory and a tasty meal with one of my favorite wines, how could I not be a fan?
We purchased an Amazon deal which included a Four-course dinner for 2. I didn't know what to expect since I couldn't grasp what type of cuisine from the menu and decor. It was a dainty little American bistro type of feel.
We ordered the quinoa risotto and diver scallops – it was grilled which I never had before. The grill marks was a little bitter but the scallops were cooked perfectly. The quinoa was interesting mix of eggplant, beets and corn. For salad, we got the garden salad – that was standard, but a pretty big portion.
For entrees, we had the Rack of Lamb with grilled tomatoes and sautéed spinach on top of a bed of quinoa. Crazy portion, and the rack of lamb was cooked perfectly at medium rare. One suggestion is to season it with a bit more salt, otherwise it would have been perfect. The Grilled Aged New York Sirloin Steak reminded me of steak dinner with the sauteed veggies and onion ring. It was good, but not great. There was a subtle taste of the "aged" flavor.
For dessert we had the Peanut Butter Sigh Pie, oh my god this was amazing! It tasted like a Reese Peanut Butter cup but perfect amount of sweetness. The homemade whipped cream was a good complement.
The service was pretty good, our meal was good. I think it's a solid local spot.