Nudibranch

If I could, I'd give 4.5 stars, and the only reason I'm holding back is because this place was great but we ordered a limited amount. The interior is cute and comfortable and all the servers were attentive and knowledgable. We had a reservation and had no issues being seated immediately. We started with the hamachi which was 10/10 delicious. Light and refreshing and a great start to the meal. I'll admit the chicken sandwich was bigger than we anticipated and could absolutely be a meal on its own. We split it, pretending it might be too large to finish but it was too good not to. I will say the pork chop was the star of the show. This was so good that I watched my husband gnaw at the remains, not wanting to leave anything behind. The kimchi was nothing to phone home about but good, and the scallion pancake was absolutely a notch above the rest. We didn't plan on getting dessert, but the masala chai tres leches looked too good to pass up and we left nothing behind. It was rich, cinnamon-y, and super satisfying in texture. I will be dreaming about that cake! We agreed we would return at some point, and should we have a similar experience, I will bump this to 5 stars!

We ordered the course, and all the foods were very flavorful and the portion was decent. It was two ppl and with 4 drinks, (2 wines + 1 cocktail + 1 beer) it cost 200+ w/o tax. Personally the entrees were better than the main, and the dessert was amazing too. The entrees were 5 stars, amazing and I would love to come back for those, and please try the beer and wine, they were good. Cocktail was alright.

Nudibranch is a modern, cozy restaurant in the East Village offering a $72pp tasting menu that leans inventive while still feeling approachable. Given the chef team’s Eleven Madison Park background, I came in with pretty high expectations—and for the most part, they delivered. Food (Tasting Menu + a la carte) Overall, the food quality was excellent, and $72pp is genuinely good value for the level of technique here. That said, portions across the board felt about 15% too small. Among the starters, the frog legs and patatas bravas were solid but unremarkable, while the duck confit croquettes were phenomenal—super flavorful, tender, and easily one of the most memorable bites of the night. Makes sense given the chefs’ EMP roots, where duck is a specialty. For the choose-two section, the standout for me was the soba with salmon roe. The combination of the roe, the crispy garlic panko, and the soba was genuinely unique and extremely tasty. The bone marrow steak tartare, on the other hand, was probably my least favorite item—interesting concept, but felt more gimmicky, and nothing about the dish really read as "marrow." The absolute star of the night was the pork rib chop. I’ve never had pork flavored like that before—super tender, deeply seasoned, and incredibly flavorful. Hands-down the dish that I’d return for if I came back. We also added the scallion pancakes à la carte. They were solid but not particularly memorable. Drinks I grabbed a Heat of Passion cocktail during happy hour—strong but still very balanced and tasty. Also tried the Terra beer, which honestly wasn’t worth it even at the $5 happy hour price. Ambience The ambience here is top tier. Great lighting, great music, thoughtful décor, and a room layout that feels intimate without being cramped. It’s the kind of space that makes the meal feel a little more special. Service Service was excellent—smooth, friendly, and perfectly timed. They took our jackets without us even asking and even complimented my girlfriend’s sweater, which was a small but appreciated touch. Nothing felt awkward or forced. Overall Nudibranch delivers a creative, high-quality tasting menu at a very fair price, with a couple of truly standout dishes (the pork chop and soba in particular). The restaurant is also on InKind, which makes the value even better. While I’m not sure if it’s a "must-return" spot for me personally, I would absolutely recommend trying it once—especially if you like inventive takes on familiar dishes.

One of the best dining experiences I have ever had in NY! My boyfriend and I had the preset meal with the fluke and bone marrow tar tar as small plates, and hanger steak as our main. It was truly incredible! Every item was cooked to perfection. Cocktails were fabulous. Service and atmosphere were unbeatable, can’t wait to go back!

Lovely vibe inside and the service was absolutely fantastic. The frog legs were good, but I really think the star of the show was the mushroom dish. The dessert was also good too! They have some great deals at happy hour, and it’s definitely a nice restaurant for a date.

Food was mediocre for restaurant week menu. The pannacotta and funfetti cake were not great, chunky texture and dry cake. Bread and butter was not good, dry bread and nori butter tasted a bit too much like seawater and not enough like seaweed infused butter. Frog legs, patatas bravas, and salad were good. Everything else was just a bit basic!

I was looking forward to this meal quite a bit and the service was spectacular. However, maybe I came on an off day, but everything felt so salty. Both my husband and I was quite disappointed because of this. One more thing that really threw us off was the olive oil on the chocolate mousse. I understand that sometimes it can be a good combination, but it left a heavy coating in our mouth and we couldn’t fully enjoy the mousse. Overall, the food was just a bit underwhelming but the service and atmosphere was great.