Kitty’s Canteen
“Special cat-themed cocktails, such as Pink Pussy, do not come cheap.”
“The stand out was the bagel biscuit with pastrami.”
“We got their take on biscuits, a tender, buttery biscuit/bagel hybrid coated in poppy- and sesame seeds which I believe were called biscels?”
Kitty’s Canteen
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
4 reviews
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Kitty's Canteen is a new speakeasy-type Lower East Side restaurant and bar that has yet to be discovered by Williamsburg hipsters. It's a small place and tough to get find or get into unless someone knows the owner or possibly a secret handshake?! There is no sign in front.
Once we entered, I kept trying to "place" the vibe and ambience. My Yelp Tip is pretty on the money: When you find this place you'll feel like you stepped into your parents' groovy 60s rumpus room…if you're lucky to have groovy parents.
I'm dating myself, but Kitty's vibe also kind of reminds me of the former East Village gay Wonderbar with jazz and R&B playing in the background.
However, I've decided my best take on the ambience is that it is something straight out of old New Orleans, not in terms of touristy French Quarter Bourbon Street, but maybe a nearby neighborhood like Faubourg Marigny with its dark, decadent, sexy, boudoir-vibe and filled with rich drapery, mismatched furniture and flea market kitsch. I love it!
The menu is filled with various Jewish riffs on Soul/Southern cuisine. What a wacky combination, but the food is memorable! My entree, Kitty's Famous Matzo Meal Fried Chicken, was excellent and super moist! It came with black pepper parmesan spoon bread and pastrami spiced sausage gravy. Friends were equally pleased with their entrees. Sides of collard greens were gone in a flash. In fact, all our plates were basically licked clean.
We shared a bottle of Italian Privato Syrah 2013. The wine tasted a bit young but opened up after awhile.
Owner Richard Kimmel is a fun, welcoming host, and his bartender can make probably anything you dare to ask for. Special cat-themed cocktails, such as Pink Pussy, do not come cheap. The waitresses are all helpful and glided about in floor-length 60s style dresses.
What an enjoyable evening of decadent candle-lit dining. I hope this secret doesn't get out too fast.
Definitely a cool speakeasy spot to check out on a weekend night. I can't speak for the food, though it did smell delicious. There was a whole "cat" theme going on – but done in a very cool and elegant fashion.
Kitty's Canteen in the Lower East Side was recommended to us by a friend. This speakeasy vibe restaurant failed to blow me away; although the concept and the coziness of ambiance are admirable, the food aspect of the business did not really stand out. The Southern fried chicken that we had was a bit bland for our palate and the rest of the dishes are just ordinary.
Customer service is fantastic, the staff are all attentive and friendly. In summary, would I dine here again? For what's it's worth, probably not. There are other places that offer far better Southern cuisine with a twist.
I came here for my friend's bday after helping her plan her shindig. Kitty's had a good policy when it came to hosting her 14-person party, so we chose them. She was able to have the entire menu available to her guests unlike other restaurants providing an expensive price-fixe menu. They allowed her to choose the name of her menu because they were going to be printed, then she got a signature cocktail. The deposit was only $150. I was nervous seeing as how it was a Jewish soul food restaurant, but I saw some of my people in the back throwing down. Now onto the deets…
The Good:
-the matzo ball fried chicken entree. (Insert heart eyes) it was probably the best fried chicken I've ordered from a sit down restaurant. Nah! It definitely was.
-The crab & smoked salmon dip
-the Reuben hush kittie's- hush puppies w/ pastrami. I usually don't even like hush puppies but these were good and they came with a sauce
-friendly service from the owner, Darren. The majority of the party was an entire 2hrs late (11:30pm showing for 9:30 reservation) and he didn't flinch, only joked about it with us and made us laugh.
-very cute vintage style. It was a 1920s theme for my friend so it served it's purpose
-Darren gave us free shots as we were leaving and hand pies after dessert (Apple was my fave)
-The personalization of hosting a function there.
The Bad:
-this restaurant is ill equipped to handle a party of our size. Literally. There was no way you could walk from your seat to the bathroom without making about 3 people get up & hitting another 3 people on the way there.
-the latkes were a deep fried mess. I've never had them before and was genuinely looking forward to them, but they were left in the fry pan or deep fryer for far too long. The apple compote was good though.
-the top of my spoon bread was a little charred, but still edible
-there was only 1 waitress for the place, but again since it's so small I can see why that is
-the signature cocktail wasn't on our printed menus
The Ugly:
-None. Nothing was that terrible.
Moral of the Story: Don't come in a group.