Adam Lasnik

Review of Taj Campton Place

Food: 5, Service: 4.

Food: 5, Service: 4.

I had a set menu here for New Years Eve last night, and *every* single bite was amazing! The food was artfully presented, flawlessly seasoned, perfectly textured, and so on. Basically mini works of art. And I think this was agreed by everyone in my group, based on all the "ooooh!" and "amazing!" overheard.

(Actually, one small exception: The bread was cold, unremarkable, and just meh in taste and texture.)

I was, however, a bit surprised and disappointed that the service did not quite match the amazing quality of the food. For instance, several times a waiter brought a meat dish to one of the vegetarian members of our party. One time would have been an understandable mistake, but doing this repeatedly? And I can't imagine any vegetarian likes having blood-red meat placed in front of them :(. Additionally, having experienced the incredible efficiency at Manresa (where all plates were placed down on the table within a split second of each other!), I was a bit underwhelmed with the service here.

Also, the fact that a 20% service charge (vs. 18%) was added to an already (IMHO) very, very expensive bill was an additional bit of annoyance.

And, indeed, a bit re the price: While I've not factored this in to my rating, I do want to note that the cost of my meal came to just over $300 after tax and tip (including one included glass of champagne). I realize that I was eating at a renowned Michelin two-star restaurant AND on New Years Eve, and yet this strikes me as a bit... excessive, to be frank.