Hillstone Restaurant
“Everyone loved what they ordered and the coconut shrimp sushi was AMAZING!”
“The ambiance and music choices were top notch, and added to the intimate cozy vibe.”
“For starters my top choices are the tuna Osaka style and the infamous spinach dip.”
Hillstone Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Hillstone delivers adequately to your expectations, and occasionally exceeds them. The restaurant falls slightly on the high speed of its service, which led me to conclude that I was not its target diner, an emphasis on entrees as reflected in the small numbers of sides and appetizers, high prices by midtown Manhattan standards (35 for ribs? 42 for a rib eye?), and choices devoid of creativity. We had a lovely time and a delightful meal, nonetheless. This is a crowd pleaser unlikely to make anyone feel awkward, uncomfortable, or challenged by the cuisine (the prices are another matter). The bill was slightly less than $200 because we brought our own wine and the GF had the seared tuna salad – which was one the best looking plates on the table, I had the fresh fish of the day, tilefish from Montauk. The preparation was flawless. The two vegetable sides, wilted spinach and braised red cabbage, were also delicious; the cabbage served with a dab of soft cheese, and the spinach with a sprinkling of grated cheese (06/04/2016). The desserts were worth the charges, key lime pie and 5-nut brownie topped with ice cream. You might vote to walk a few blocks to Eataly for better desserts IMHO.
BONUS – comfortable restaurant
BONUS – no charge for wine corkage
TIP – slow down the service if it's too speedy for you
SHOUT OUT to Aurelie for good service
This review is solely for the bar. I remember Houston's in Coral Gables as our defacto "fancy restaurant" in college, and really enjoying the Spinach Artichoke dip. I'm sure it's the same here. You should get it. I've been making a copy cat recipe for years, it's always a hit.
The bar is perfect. Great looking, well-dressed people and fantastic wine selection. There are a few tables in the bar area, so you can enjoy a bite while still taking in the atmosphere. The ribs, burger, and Thai Tuna roll are all lovely.
If you're looking for a spot to take clients – this is it. If you're looking for a place to catch up with your girlfriends – this is it. If you're a well-dressed single man looking for nice glass of wine – call me.
Merely a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of the Hillstone family of restaurants and its unique, remarkable approach to the total dining experience. Once I had the fortune of checking it out at one of its two NYC locations, I became a quick convert.
The servers here don't merely take your order and bring out your food. Rather, they become a part of your dining experience, chatting it up with your party and, if they like your jokes, perhaps even comping you free food. Case in point: We were chatting with our server about a recent Bon Apetit article about the Hillstone group, and my boyfriend told her that there was a picture of her in the article. She seemed to believe him, and I cringed a bit, envisioning her getting annoyed at what could be construed as an unnecessary joke at best or a mean-spirited one at worst. Instead, a grilled artichoke* arrived at our table, compliments of the waitress. She later said she ordered it for us because she liked the joke.
Although the menu is perhaps not the most ambitious, the quality of the food is top-notch. I tried:
-The apparently extremely famous spinach and artichoke dip served with sour cream and salsa, which are great but not really necessary additions. This is cheesy and amazing. Get it.
-Sushi: Osaka-style pressed spicy tuna. Only 4 pieces for $18, which is kind of steep, but the sushi sandwich-style bites are huge. It's a fresh tuna-spicy tuna-rice-avocado combo that is so fresh and so tasty. Served with a rich sauce, which you can use as an alternative to soy sauce (though that's available, too).
-Veggie burger [sweet soy glaze, melted jack] with a side of peppers and feta. It is entirely possible that this is the first veggie burger I've ever ordered on purpose. I still find the while concept of them to be weird. But I also don't eat regular burgers, and the burgers here are supposed to be amazing, so I had to go for the veg. It was indeed delicious, with much attention paid to every aspect of the burger, from the bean-rice-beet-prune patty to the tomato slice. Also, the peppers + feta combo was awesome.
Friends and significant others ordered: the salmon, french dip, and another dish I can't recall. Of course, everyone else loved their mains, too.
On top of all this yumminess: My friend had recently learned that not only is Hillstone BYOB, but the first two bottles amass a whopping $0 in corkage fees. You'd better believe we took advantage of that deal, although, from glancing around the restaurant, it seems that it's either a little-known secret or the people who dine here just don't care and prefer to throw down as much cash as possible.
Hillstone won't be a regular spot for us — it's just a bit too pricey for that. Still, I'm glad to have had the experience.
*Nope, never ate a grilled artichoke before; yep, definitely a chewed a leaf.
I liked this place but, by no means, did I love it. This spot offers a lot of space and there's a wide arrange of booths everywhere. It's very dark in here too which sets a very serene, romantic feel. Our waitress was very nice, but did not come to the table very often. I have to say, the service was pretty quick though despite the place being fairly crowded. To start, (although I was craving the artichoke dip) we had sushi (I'm blanking on the name). I'm not a huge sushi person, so I only tried a little bit- it very good and extremely fresh. For or entrees, I had the chicken chopped salad. It was really nothing special but average. My other guest ordered the salmon and finished it within a few bites. He said it was very delicious and fresh. By the end of our meal, all of us were craving some dessert. There isn't a huge selection- maybe like 3 items? Since we're huge chocolate people, we decided on the brownie. Yummy in my tummy it was divine. Only thing though, I wish there wasn't so many walnuts on top. I'm not complaining though, it was still gooey deliciousness. The main reason I'm giving it a three star review is the fact that the menu is very minimal and there isn't many selections. There's only about 3-4 appetizers and the food is just generic American. Overall though, my experience here was just fine. That dessert sure helped!
I had a great experience here.
To start, we got red wine and sushi.
The wine was good and the sushi was so good. It came with four pieces and it was beautifully presented.
For an entree, I had the fish with bok choy. It was amazing! Everything was cooked perfectly and full of flavor.
For dessert, my friend and I got the brownie. This was hands down one of the best brownies I've ever had. Even the vanilla ice cream was tasty.
Our waitress was very friendly, upbeat and well-presented.
Overall, this is an upscale place that's worth it. If looking for a really nice place for dinner – definitely come here!
I am freakishly obsessed with Hillstone. Being from Pennsylvania originally I love a good chain restaurant so when I read an amazing review of this restaurant I was intrigued so I checked it out with my husband and now I am officially obsessed.
Here's why:
Good atmosphere, low lighting, dark wood contemporary fixtures. The space is also quite large
Central location, a few blocks away from Madison sq park
The bar is HUGE (though always packed), probably because it is the type you can see yourself hunkering down at for hours
The staff is trained to bring you a cocktail pronto – it's not the kind of bar where it seems like it is some kind of personal challenge for the bartender to avoid getting you a drink at all costs, no these guys do not mess around. You will most likely have a drink in hand within 5 minutes even if it is crowded. If you are at a table your waitstaff is trained to do the same!! You won't go thirsty!
The menu is diverse – everything from sushi to steak and salads – my current favorites are the crab cakes, the Asian noodle salad and the Asian chicken salad.
The only drawback about the place is it usually is quite crowded (especially at the bar), so make a reservation. It is even crowded in the summer when other places are empty! I guess that is just another testament to the awesomeness of Hillstone.
This place is just so darn good. They have the best veggie burger ever. The coconut shrimp roll is also delicious. I've been told that their regular burger and fried chicken sandwich are also fantastic. Get the braised cabbage as a side; it has some kind of cheese dollop on it that's a combination of some of the best flavors ever. This place is top 5 of my favorite restaurants ever, but make a reservation if you can and prepare to pay at least $20 for a burger. SECRET: This place is BYOB with a corking fee.
Out and about for a Saturday night in Manhattan, a group of us decided upon Hillstone for drinks and a good meal. Related/in the same restaurant group as the Houston's national chain, they are known for great dining and Hillstone on Park Ave certainly upheld this reputation.
Upon entering, you see a very nice dining venue. Dimly lit, dark wood and leather, it gives a very intimate feeling. You do not have to be dressed up, but they do discourage active wear, sleeveless shirts, etc. It's a nice but casual place, dress appropriately for the atmosphere. This restaurant could definitely be a very impressive dinner date place, no doubt. At the left to the entrance is a good sized bar. Service was good at the bar, and no complaints about the drinks. They made a perfect Cosmo (not sugary sweet, I hate candified martinis), thumbs up to our bartender. The wait was 20-30 minutes and very tolerable in the bar area.
Once seated, service was attentive and was on top of getting the job done. We started off with the tried and true spinach/artichoke cheese dip and it lived up to its reputation here. I had a Caesar salad while Chris M. opted for their kale salad. Now, just for the record, I'm not much on kale myself but I had more than one bite of his kale salad and it was incredible, loaded with amazing flavor! I wish I had gotten that honestly, and I LOVE my Caesar salads (which make no mistake, was good as well here).
With all the steaks, sushi, fish, etc. available, I decided to go a bit casual with my meal and get the French Dip as it was highly recommended as well. It most certainly did not disappoint. Full of flavor, cooked perfectly, and a good portion…it hit the spot. There were some very fine shoestring type fries accompanying it that were perfect as well. Very small fries but tasty! It made for a perfect meal for what I wanted at the time. I was all smiles at the end!
Bottom line: Hillstone was a perfect evening out and meal experience. Very nice atmosphere but still casual. Drinks, apps, salads (try that kale salad!), and entrée selection did not disappoint at all. I am looking forward to more experiences at Hillstone, two thumbs up and a bit ol' smile!