Ladybird
Ladybird
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
Price range
3 reviews
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Ladybird
I went here to to try the food because I'm a vegetarian and I also really love Bourigeoise Pig. I'm sad to see it go. I know the two restaurants are different in decor, food, and what they are set out to do but I was disappointed.
On a very hot Wednesday night, I came in while waiting for my husband and ordered a rose. It was not chilled much, but I was thirsty and tired so I went for it. A few items weren't available which is fine since it's a new place, but the food was completely underwhelming. We had the avocado toast (probably the best thing), chardonnay fondue (very just blah for me), truffle fries (small quantity, really no crunch), and the saganaki (which tasted HORRIBLE because the flaming liquid was all over and gave it such a bitter medicine like taste). So for 4 items and 3 glasses of wine, our bill was $92. I honestly was still hungry and had a taco after. I also felt disappointed in what I really was excited for, and for dishing out that much money for no satisfaction in return.
In terms of the service, the waitress, when asked what are popular- what are good, she was honest in admitting she hasn't tried much and couldn't say. That should not happen anywhere- your servers should know your food, new or not new of an establishment.
There are few things I love more than healthy food and tapas. Ask anyone who knows me–they will confirm that statement, likely accompanied by an exasperated groan. I find myself apologizing to almost everyone I dine with because I tend to get overexcited when I want to order everything on the menu and like a bitter, angsty child when I can't. Such was my experience at Ladybird, the new, magical plant-based tapas bar which now occupies the old Bourgeois Pig space.
The first thing you'll notice about Ladybird is how unbelievably stunning the decor is. While I never went to the Bourgeois Pig, I gather the interior has changed considerably with this new concept. Gorgeous chandeliers, a teal, white and gold color scheme with abundant greenery, an elegant bar setup and bright yet soft lighting. The space itself is small, so keep that in mind when planning your night–once this place finds itself in the public eye, I'm guessing the waits will be considerable.
Thankfully, we beat the rush. Ladybird had only opened the day before our visit, so we had no problem finding a table around 8pm on a Saturday. The funny thing about this five-star review is that after being totally entranced by the decor here, I immediately soured when I found out that they had already run out of some menu items. This is where angsty Molly came in. How are you already out of six dishes at 8pm? And two of those are MUSHROOM dishes? Why do you offend me so? Well, as I said, Ladybird is brand new. Any new business is going to have kinks and said kinks are typically ironed out efficiently. So once I managed to put my young, bratty inner child in a timeout, I had one of the most stellar dining experiences I've had in quite a long time.
Along with the delightful bites (I'll get there soon, I promise), Ladybird offers a nice selection of wine, cocktails and a short beer list. I don't believe they have liquor–all cocktails are made with some sort of wine (regular, fortified, etc.). I ordered a Tempranillo which was fantastic. I got to try the Cabernet as well, but the former was much better–go with that one if you just want one glass of red.
In place of the typical ordering dynamic, you're given a pencil with your menu so you can check off which dishes you'd like. And for indecisive folks like me, it makes the narrowing down process more bearable.Though everything here is meant to be shared, there is some variation in size. The first section is bites (think nuts/deviled eggs), then you've got cold soups/salads, hot dishes (which are on the bigger side compared to the rest of the plates), toasts (each serving is three small slices of focaccia–all on the lighter side) and straight up veggies. Overall, the menu is light, ideal for summer, innovative and diverse with clean, beautiful flavors. The chef is mightily talented without being pretentious about it. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Mushroom Paté Toast w/ fig compote + black vinegar: A++
This was one of the few mushroom dishes that was actually available, so we had to go with it. And oh my word, was it just heaven. So simple but so delicious. The combination of flavors makes for a nice, rich spread. I wish all paté were like this. If I had to choose, this was probably my favorite plate of the night.
Cauliflower Toast w/ chive pesto + lemon ricotta + chia: A+
The cauliflower was a very, very close second to the mushroom paté. This was all kinds of dreamy, creamy and savory. The cauliflower was perfectly browned on the outside and paired with the lemon ricotta, this managed to be light yet intense at the same time.
Quinoa Croqueta w/ shiitake bechamel + szechuan salsa + creme fraiche: A+
Hands down, the healthiest croqueta I've ever had. You've got words like "bechamel" thrown in there but these were still pretty light. Lightly crispy on the outside, wonderfully creamy inside with that unique salsa to top it off. Clean, creative and yummy. That's this whole menu.
Broccoli Rabe w/ szechuan chili + lemon verbena + hemp seed butter: A+
On the plate it doesn't look like anything special. But the taste, my god. We both love broccoli rabe so this was an obvious choice. The chef here nails the flavor profile on every dish, and this is a great example of it. Broccoli rabe could easily be boring, greasy, and/or bitter, but this was none of those things. Hemp seed butter! Genius.
Avocado Toast w/ honeydew + riesling gastrique + maldon sea salt: A
We were still hungry after our first four dishes so we figured we'd go with a tried and true favorite as our finisher. As it turns out, this one was less stellar than the rest. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's still an A. Delicious. But considering you can get avo toast at places that have no business serving avo toast these days, I'd suggest opting for something a little more adventurous. But again, this *was* delicious. I'd never think to pair honeydew with avocado but it worked well. It was also very pretty and I like pretty things.
My friend suggested this restaurant while I was in town visiting. I've tried lots of the vegan restaurants in NYC (and around the country) and this one was delightfully unique. I loved the tapas approach, which allowed us to try a lot of different things and get a full experience of flavors. For two people, I recommend getting 5-6 plates to share. Given the breadth and creativity of the menu, you'll likely have a hard time deciding. I really liked the peach caprese in particular. The broccoli rabe was also quite good. There are many more I would like to try.
I also really liked the space and atmosphere. I got there a little before my friend and observed that it was all ladies in the restaurant! Other than the name, I can totally see why women would be all over this place. Cute, cozy and classy décor. Small plates great for sharing. Healthy, flavorful food on an all-vegan menu. Heaven! Of course, I don't mean to suggest men aren't also enjoying this place, but it would be a particularly good spot to catch up with a lady friend or bring a girlfriend.