Dowling's at The Carlyle Reviews

we received incredible food/beverage/service along with sincere conversation with the ever present wait staff.

. I picked this restaurant because it was one of Kaates favorite place to meet ..I also have friends and clients that eat there. The newly remolded room had to be voted on and of course , it was beautiful ....Service was great , food 5 star , and it was great to see that the old plant in the center was still there.

The dining room is quite magnificent. It looks like a different kind of museum or gallery. We were planning to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after lunch, so this put us all in the perfect “art mood.” Their complimentary bread was one of the best I’ve ever had! We were not super hungry, but we devoured the bread… For food, we had Faroe Island Salmon, Carlyle Burger, Croque Madame, Heritage Bacon, and Truffle Fries. Everything we ordered was really tasty, we enjoyed them all. I had a high expectation for Dowling’s, and they did not disappoint! The service was excellent, we were well taking care of from the beginning to the end. One of the staff even offered to take some photos of us, which was really sweet! The food was delicious, and we were all very full, we did not have any room for dessert, which was sad… We just have to go back there again!

My wife and I went for a special occasion and the Dowling's did not disappoint. The food was great, the service fantastic, the ambience and the art fantastic. Expensive yes in deed however for that speacil occasion it's well worth it. Even the people watching was part of the experience. After dinner go into the bar, it's a happening little place. Highly recommended.

Perfect spot for a birthday celebration, very special and great location in the heart of Manhattan. Great service , food and well prepared drinks.

My wife goes to the Carlyle to get her hair done, and I come with her, have a Carlyle hamburger, and go on my way. Excellent hamburger, very good service, good atmosphere.

What a disappointment! Looking forward to Easter Dinner at The Carlyle quickly turned into the feeling of never again. The very expensive entree of Dover sole had the consistency of rubber. The very expensive wines by the glass were no more than a thimbleful. Overpriced and unpalatable food! Never again!

Dowlings is lovely and my dining experience was wonderful. The food was creative and delicious and the service is unmatched. I just started a new job in the neighborhood so all of the Carlyle restaurants are going to quickly become regular spots for me. Dowlings is also perfect for special occasions. The decor is interesting and you can just feel the history of the building. Everyone who waited on us was super attentive and accommodating. The next time someone visits me from out of town I will definitely be taking them to Dowlings for a guaranteed exquisite meal!

We had a reservation here for lunch on New Year’s day and sadly were only given the brunch menus despite looking forward to their 2-course lunch set menu advertised online. Nevertheless, the food and atmosphere were great and we had a lovely time. The jumbo shrimp cocktails were generous and delicious. The caesar salad was good but nothing special – it comes without chicken or anchovies so these must be requested additionally. The croque madame was delicious, very indulgent and filling. Staff were kind and attentive. Recommend for morning brunch more so than lunch if the lunch menu is not available. Pretty dining room in the UES serving classic dishes – recommend arriving a early for a drink in their Bemelmans Bar too.

This was a lovely dinner. The food, atmosphere, and staff were incredible. I went for my birthday and felt like an old-school celebrity during the whole experience!

I made a reservation a month and a half out from Christmas Day for my family and my sisters family arriving for the holidays. Reservation was prepaid which I thought was fine. Weeks before made it for 8 guests, the person on the phone said it may be a little tight. Not worry, our daughter is eight y.o. Come Christmas Day Supper for 5:30pm reservation, we were sat in the back and they had us at 2 tables of four. Now if it’s a family celebration, why would they separate us? Myself working in hospitality for over 30 years, I insisted I help moving the tables together. Hopefully our supper will go as planned, Nope! The set 3 course meal look intriguing with something we all could enjoy. Getting down to brass taxes… 3 members ordered the Rabbit.. came out cold! All three were sent back, apologies given. After waiting about 15-20 minutes they came back out. The plates were hot but the food remained cold. The server apologized and removed a bottle of wine from our beverage check. On to dessert, nope. The Bouche de Noelle with Eggnog ice cream was horrid. The sundae needed help as well. Overall, the restaurant decor and my family present was probably the best thing regarding our holiday supper. My brother in law also complained to the manager and he then took off the 2nd bottle for overall dining experience. We’ve coming for a few years when our mother couldn’t cook anymore and relied on oxygen. After her passing we carried on the tradition with Dowlings, but will not return.

In the mood for a classic, elegant dining experience? Dowlings is the place to go. Impeccable service transcending time in a spot known for serving Jackie O and the Kennedys, Princess Diana and today's Royales. The atmosphere is old school restaurant eatery with a mixture of funky art and eclectic floral arrangements. It was formal yet cozy. There was staff for each compartmentalized function with rolling carts to prepare food that is flambeed, deboned and otherwise plated table side. The food was very good, especially the salt crusted Branzino, white gazpacho and hamachi crudo. This is a great place for a celebration, a romantic meal, a get together with friends, a business meal.

after reading the recent reviews of the reopening of the Dowling restaurant at the Carlyle and having had fond memories of many enjoyable dinners we chose this as our place to celebrate my wife's 84th birthday with friends. This was one of the most horrible evenings we've experienced at a restaurant. Unless you are a masochist do not, do not, contemplate having dinner at this restaurant. Aside from the wonderful Tatinger rose champagne friends ordered everything was completely downhill. It is not a luxurious restaurant and somewhat unattractive. There were four of us having dinner and I could only barely talk to the person next to me since the noise level was horrendous. The captain/waiter who informed me he had been there many years and therefore I expected the kind of service we we were used to in the past. His attention was nonexistent. 45 minutes after we had soup we still had not received our dinner. I got up from the table and went in search of our captain/waiter and when I told him he was not doing a very good job of -"where was our food ?"his response was "see the manager". We complained many times to the manager and etal. and our food still did not come out- they told us it was being cooked. Finally the three parties who ordered fish were served. I never received by lamb shank- a number of complaints to the manager and other people still do not produce my dinner. I asked my wife for a piece of her fish and decided to give up my dinner. We had complained to the captain, waiters, manager, and on and on. At that point we decided we had to leave my wife had a headache I was getting to be furious with what was going on and the ruination of what was supposed to be a lovely evening. Finally they brought out my lamb shank after we had finished the fish I refused thr meal. I told the manager I had no intention of paying for the dinner and I wanted to see the hotel manager. Eventually before we left the food and beverage manager of the hotel came out I explained what happened – he apologized which did not help in any way and said this is not what we should've expected. I told him I would not pay for the dinner and he said he understands and we ran as fast as we can out of this madhouse. in conclusion do not contemplate going near this restaurant.

We flew in late on evening and had to rush a bit to get dinner. But when we first arrived at the restaurant they made sure we lay away all our stress and said we could take as long as we needed to finish our dinner and wine. Been here several times before and i must say i love this place. Staff is so attentive and friendly that it elevates everything when you visit. A must when you are staying in the area.

Food is very poor taste & quality. Chicken PAILLARD tastes more like CARDBOARD, accompanied by old, soggy flavorless tomatoes, salad greens served with no dressing ..one wonders: was it washed? with clean water? (..one doubts) Service is non-existent …there’s a plethora of people on staff here, what they do and where they spend their time during “working hours” is a great mystery. They are not very pleasant when they do materialize (briefly) Setting is ‘basement chic’ ..not sure who their target audience is THIS PLACE NEEDS TO CLOSE

Very cosy and colorful dining room. Vast collection of paintings and photographs on the walls. Absolutely loved the design of their water glasses. I opted for their truffled eggs benedict (without bacon, and with smoked salmon). They could not make me a mocha, so I had to settle for a capuccino. I thouroughly enjoyed my breakfast and definitely go back. Very attentive staff.

Four of us lunched at Dowlings at The Carlyle on a Saturday in mid December 2023. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and quiet, perfect for a catch up with friends. Our table was in the middle of the restaurant, the perfect position to survey the surroundings. The wait staff were polite and welcoming and were also very accommodating when I requested a dish from the lunch menu when we were first presented with the brunch menu. The food was delicious, I had the oysters and they were very fresh and the presentation was beautiful and my dry vodka martini with a twist was perfect. Everything is on point at Dowlings, it’s a must if you’re in NYC

Breakfast and dinners were tasty and well-prepared. I enjoyed talking with Charles, the restaurant captain, at dinner.

The most exciting new restaurant post-pandemic! This place ticks all the boxes, brilliant chef Sylvain Delpique reinvents and elevates American and European classics in an intimate art-filled dining room. The staff are super professional and fun especially when they finish preparations tableside. From the original Cocktails to an after-dinner cognac, this is the place NYC has been waiting for. Maryland Crabcake, Hosue Made Smoked Salmon Dover Sole, Steak Diane I could list the entire menu here because every single dish is perfection I cant wait to return.

Dowling's Lobster Club lunch entree sounds spectacular but is a flavor-free zone with the presence of a blank of balsa wood, and side of oily fries. The burger was better but the lunch tab is only worthwhile for the restaurant's ambience.

The food and service was amazing when I went with my friends! We got one of the corner booths which afforded us a view of the whole dining room which is filled with fun art pieces. The wine list was interesting and the dessert was a blast to watch them make in front of you! Can’t wait to visit again!

We were lucky to be seated at Charle's station. He was charming and helpful. The service was upscale but not stuffy. The room was well appointed with original art covering the warmly painted walls. A very upscale clubby feeling. We started with Caesar salads then split an order of steak Diane which was ample for two deliciously prepared table side. We accompanied this with asparagus and some really tasty truffle fries. We finished with a raspberry soufflés served with chocolate ice cream. While you find wine that was priced in the thousands we were directed to a moderately priced wine that paired well with our meal. Dining at Dowling doesn't give you cut in line to get into the bar to listen to jazz so don't expect that 😏

This place came highly recommended and was very disappointing; quite dirty with crumbs all over the floor and someone else’s bread crumbs at my seat. The $38 glasses of champagne were poured super unevenly (at least 1 inch difference). The sommelier was excellent however with an excellent recommendation to go with our meal.

I would have given this restaurant 5 Stars for food, service & the magnificent room, however the Carlyle Hotel, Bemelman's Bar & Dowling's have completely gutted their dress code standards. We ordered champagne, caviar, appetizers & table side steak Diane but had 3 loud young punks dressed in T'shirts & sneakers seated next to us half way through our dinner. My husband was wearing a jacket/tie & I was in a dress. The people in the bar weren't much better. It's beyond disrespectful to the hotel & those who dressed appropriately for a lovely fine dining experience. I was told that "standards" are changing everywhere because they are fostering the next generation of regulars. Really? That tells me that they don't want me or people like me to dine there anymore. If elegant places lower their standards they will get what they asked for. There my be a long line to get into the bar but if people were required to dress better they would either conform or not, but the bar would still be filled w/a higher clientele. It isn't too much to require a collared, button down shirt w/a jacket but allow jeans. And "ladies" - what's up w/the white sneakers? Can't you do better than that? Don't young people have any respect for themselves or others anymore? You may think you look "cool" but most of you look like you didn't even shower. Shame on you & all of the restaurants who have trashed their standards!

Breakfast at The Dowling's was everything you dream it would be... and more. They brought out hot cocoa for my daughter, served in beautiful, delicate china. My family arrived 15 minutes early for our reservation and the hostess apologized to us for "making us wait"... we were only standing by the entry for a moment before someone arrived. Pleasant staff and unpretentious. Surrounded by romance and history. A must visit.

In a fine-dining restaurant, there is a thin line between unobtrusive-but-attentive service and detached indifference bordering on neglect. At Dowling's, you can expect the latter. While there is no arguing that our recent dinner at this beautifully appointed establishment was superb, we were certainly less enamored of the inattentive service we never would have expected from an restaurant of this caliber and price range. While our table captain approached us minutes after we were seated, presented the menu and took our order, he seemed to disappear for frustrating lengths of time throughout the meal. In fact, twice as we dined, wine glasses and water goblets sat empty for so long we had to flag down a server for refills. Only then did the captain arrive tableside. But the worst was yet to come. Wine service involves a certain amount of trust and expectation. When a wine is selected (in our case, a Muscadet), a view of the bottle is somewhat perfunctory, trusting that what is served will be wine that was ordered. That was the case here. The wine was served and the bottle whisked away. So imagine my surprise when I glimpsed the empty bottle at evening's end to find we had been served a Viognier. (Although we enjoyed the wine, I'm afraid my pallet is not sophisicated enough to discern the difference between these whites.) The captain's explanation was the wines were mislabled on your wine list. While we were charged the $100 we expected for a Muscadet, we never found out if the Viognier was priced the same. And while we're on the subject of payment, when the meal was over, my wife and I sat for nearly 15 minutes ready to leave and searching for someone ... anyone ... to request the check. By this time, the dining room was almost empty and our patience was exhausted. We expected so much more from this experience.

The atmosphere is amazing and the food was fabulous. The Dover Sole was superior and the addition of the Crab Cake appetizer highlights the talents of the chef. Creative wine and champagne list. A great dining experience. We cannot wait to return to this beautiful restaurant.

This new bastion of classic French comfort foods done with a nod to old New York is truly wonderful. I went several times and had the great pleasure of eating all three meals there. Nothing could be better. From the simplest of things like the jam with your croissant, outrageously delicious. Flavors included Bood Orange Peach; Grapefruit Peppercorn, Ginger Pear, Passionfruit, Strawberry Fennel and all were superb!

Dinner at Dowlings at the Carlyle while visiting friends in New York this fall. To say that I enjoyed it is a huge understatement. Every part of the dinner service was an unexpected delight that I’m still comparing past and present meals to. In short, whilst in New York… Dowlings is a non-negotiable. Host to Table Upon checking in, our party was greeted with smartly dressed host. Very pleasant, and welcoming as he confirmed our reservation and guided us down the stairs through the casual lounge/bar area. Passing through this initial space immediately fills you with delightful mixing sounds of crafted appertivos. As we continued to the main dining room, the restaurants energy was apparent all staff were friendly offering warms nods and hellos are exchanged with house staff and servers. Drinks, Dinner and Dessert Our party was well guided by an affable wine steward through the current list, library wines and choice cocktails. All servers and waiters were patient and attentive to everyone’s needs and requests. Service was prompt. BTW, the thoughtful serving/staff uniforms was just another reminder of the attention to detail here. Appetizers came out all at once… the Hudson Valley foie was the stellar standout and a must order. Primary meal was the ribeye… simple and delicious preparation. Order it and loved it!!! Dessert was a little of everything, including an outrageous and toothsome ice cream sundae that requires full table service, plus a traditional and memorable cheesecake with an elegant birthday note. Final Notes The food and drinks are exactly what you’d expect… customer service and attention to detail was polished as both the executive chef and director of restaurant operations visited our table during our meal… atmosphere and stunning art made the entire evening even more memorable. P.S. We finished the night at Bemelmans bar… drinks and live music took the night to a another level. Highly recommend… you won’t be disappointed.

Lots of waiting... No butter or bread to wait And the ultimate, the $9 espresso without water or a sweet treat! It’s a beautiful place but it exudes money and not the pleasure of entertaining!

Dowling’s was phenomenal. The main dining room is full of art pieces and the staff is impeccable. All of the dishes were delicious and well presented. A huge thank you to Domenic for his hospitality. He took great care of my family, he was thoughtful and detailed. A wonderful experience and hopefully one that can repeat itself once we return to the city.