The Independent Reviews

The special steak/bleu cheese salad was excellent. The steak was really tender and well marinated. We stopped in here before a theater performance. It was really loud because everyone was there for happy hour, but the location was convenient and I still keep thinking about that salad and wish I could have it again. My friend had the crispy salmon which was also really good.

We stopped in on a winter Sunday night and it was pretty empty here ! The waiter was very friendly and accommodating and the Albariño was a very nice wine . The food was good but not outstanding . The bao were a little chewy and small but flavorful. Salad was fresh and French onion soup were good . Music is a bit loud but overall the atmosphere is comfortable .

Great food with great ambience and nice staff. We were looking for a good place to eat near Times Square that would be open after 20h and The Independent was a great find. We ordered a margherita pizza and one steak Angus with home salad. Both were very good!!

Looking for some relief from the outdoor heat somewhere for myself and family to relax have a drink and eat .. And we found just that here ! Perfect place place .. great drinks and food fabulous service couldn’t be any more friendly and helpful .. Should try it !

According to Google (can I mention them?), this was one of the best reviewed bars near our hotel, just two blocks away and it definitely was. We had drinks on two occasions, it's a smart bar and despite some complaints on here, we found the staff to be really friendly. Good selection of beers, I thought I'd try a dark lager, I like them here. I wasn't sure which to go for and they asked me to try one, it tasted really hoppy, unusual. Thought I'd go for the Pilsner, I knew what I'd be getting, but that was really hoppy too. Strange really as American Pilsners are supposed to be less hoppy that the European pilsners. Common New York prices, £12.5 for a medium wine and £8 for a pint.

Arrived early evening as a walk in after seeing the sights New York had to offer. Initially sat at the bar for a drink, but were soon tempted to ask for a table when we saw the delicious food on offer. Had lovely seats in the window to watch the busy New Yorkers go about their daily business. Food was excellent, varied, piping hot and very fairly priced. The staff were lovely with us, especially the restaurant manager who took time to chat with us on a number of occasions during our evening. Would not hesitate to return and recommend highly to others.

The perfect quiet little place to unwind on Thanksgiving afternoon. We had some very yummy cocktails and delish foods: salads, appetizers and sandwich. Food is really good! Service was friendly. Feels like a chill classic neighborhood spot. We will return the next time we are in this part of town.

We found this restaurant after visiting the main branch of the NY Public Library. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable with an active bar scene. Tables are elevated and the menu skews toward appetizers and shared plates. My husband and I chose three appetizers which was more than ample for dinner…a fig and prosciutto flatbread, fried calamari and Korean braised Brussels Sprouts. Everything was delicious and the service friendly. The Brussels Sprouts were amazing.

My wife and I dined here with my nephew on an early Monday evening. He had a reservation for 3. We were seated at a high table. We arrived first and were offered drinks and menus before the nephew arrived. We then enjoyed delightful small plates of crispy deviled eggs, tomato braised duck meatballs, calamari, and margherita flatbread. All were delicious. This is sort of a sports bar, 3 tvs were on tuned to sports. The noise level was somewhat high, but we could converse. Might try this place for lunch on another visit.

My wife and I stumbled upon The Independent while walking back to our hotel in Times Square. We stopped in for a cocktail and loved the atmosphere and cocktail selection. We ended up cancelling a dinner reservation made for the following day and booking The Independent instead. My sister-in-law joined us for dinner and cocktails. The small plates were excellent. I also had a very good burger and fries. We will definitely return the next time we are in NYC. Great atmosphere and very friendly staff.

The Independent is located very close to the Theatre District and has a wide variety of shared plates so it is a good spot for groups. On our visit were served by Kimberly who was helpful in suggesting selections and was very prompt with any needs that came up thru our dining experience. We enjoyed the Tempura Cauliflower that came with a spicy and tasty dipping sauce. The Halloumi fries was another interesting selection and was light and flavorful. You can't leave without trying the chicken liver pate another 2 thumbs up and any of the flatbreads are perfect for sharing. Prices are moderate even for NYC!

This bar has a good vibe from interior, live music, and from the bartender Jesus. The food tcan have more room from improvement like the croquettes and others we’ve tried but the drinks were good like the indo old fashioned and the rat race! Til next visit and recommended!

Stopped in for a drink on a Sunday night. Bartender was friendly. Nice clean bar for a quiet evening out.

Cool, spacious atmosphere good for friends and couples. Solid cocktails, spirits, and beer choices. Fairly limited menu that left little to be desired. One friend had the burger, and my girlfriend and I had salads. Everything was average.

First visit brilliant service , lovely Irish chap from Sligo 2nd visit awfull rude Latino girl , totally ignorant , put coat back on and left

Cute spot! Lovely decor. Warm and inviting Xmas vibe. Staff could have been a bit friendlier. Food was quite good! The burger was excellent as was the salad I enjoyed. It had maple roasted Brussels sprouts which was delicious!

Went here with friends largely due to its proximity to Bryant Park as we were coming from the Winter Village. Made a reservation for (3) for 6:30 PM a few days before no issue. Walked in about a few minutes before our time slot and was told we were early and to wait as they were still getting our table ready. This was fine as the place was beautifully decorated for Christmas and we were able to sit at the bar. Our time slot comes and goes and no word from the hostess as to what is going on. She eventually comes once or twice to tell us they're still getting our table ready. We finally get seated around 6:50 PM and it was apparent that there were other customers still eating and that is why we were held up. We all had reviewed the menu beforehand and decided to do the prixe fix menu which comes with 3 courses. Our waitress was very nice and takes our orders. The food was tasty, but felt like there was a lot of time in-between courses. Then we had a very hard time getting anyone's attention to pay the bill. It was around 9 PM before we left! I don't believe I have ever been in a restaurant for close to 2 and a half hours. The food was good and the staff was friendly, but not honoring our reservation and then basically being stuck there for that much time is the reason for 3 stars.

The cocktails are good. The menu is limited but everything that we had was good. The atmosphere is is comfortable and casual. We will return.

We went to a Sunday matinee and stopped into The Independent for an early dinner after the show. We each chose the 3-course $40 prix fixe and it did not disappoint. The "honey chile Brussels sprouts" and "sticky tofu" appetizers were deliciously decadent. Followed by the roast chicken and NY steak frites, we were in heaven. We chose one of each of their desserts, pumpkin cheesecake and a chocolate souffle. Both knocked us out. It truly was a memorable meal in a marvelous setting. Gustavo, our server, was attentive, kind and just all around amazing.

We Stopped here for drinks and apps following a show. The waitress was terrific; friendly and attentive. The food unfortunately wasn’t as good. The charcuterie board cheeses were bland and they serve 4 small Melba toasts to go with (extra charge for more). The margarita flatbread was not very good. The wine was good but cosmo was not.

We enjoyed some little appetizer plates for sharing, great drinks and wonderful dinner! Close to Times Square and all the sights of NYC.

Stayed about a block away, so looking for a close by nightcap place. Awesome place. Several egg white drinks on the menu; my favorite. Drink options are super unique. Butter toffee cake is a a great pairing to the Alter Ego drink.

Stopped into The Independent while traveling alone in NYC. I was in the area and was looking for a glass of bubbly after watching a Broadway show on a Sunday night. I LOVED my experience here- this is why: - Their bubbly option is a prosecco split (unless you go by the bottle) and it was perfectly fine for what I was looking for. I can understand why they’re known for cocktails. The drink lineup is solid. - My Irish bartender provided GREAT service. He was attentive, never pushy, never bothersome, jusssst perfect. I sat at the bar for over an hour drinking bubbly and working on my phone and he was perfect. - This is located in the heart of Times Square and is such a breath of fresh air from the CRUSH of people and the chaotic atmosphere here. Since it was a Sunday it was quiet in here, but even if it wasn’t, the ambiance is not and provides a getaway from the madness outside. - Once I felt tipsy, I kinda wanted a snack and the bartender helped me to realize I just wanted some fries, which weren’t on the menu as an individual item, but he could easily service and charge me for (and I could easily eat and pay for them!) Will I be back? YES!

My girlfriends and I decided to try The Independent for some pre show drinks and appetizers and we weren’t disappointed. We ordered a few cocktails and they were amazing. My favourites had to be the Liberty Bell and the Loose End. They also had an excellent draft list featuring some of my favorite New York beers on tap. Food was perfect. The Tempura Cauliflower popcorn was delicious -we also loved the Crispy Deviled Eggs and Edamole. Overall a nice ambiance with friendly service. Great midtown find - will definitely be back!!

We came here for dinner before seeing Harry Potter. The location is great - just a quick walk to the theater from here, and it was a quick walk from our hotel as well. The interior is cute - tight space, and small tables. We were three people, originally sat at a table that honestly felt like it should have only had two people. We asked if we could move to a booth table which wasn't a problem - I'm glad we did, because we had a lot more room here. The service was slow. This isn't really an issue - my friends and I don't mind waiting, especially because we know many spots are short staffed, but we definitely thought it could be an issue for some folks trying to make a show at a certain time. I made sure to book our dinner early enough (5pm dinner before a 7pm show) so we weren't rushed, and I'm glad I did because even a reservation 30 minutes later and we would have been super pressed for time. With a 5 pm reservation, we had about 15-20 minutes once we got to the theater before the show started, which was just enough time to get one drink. The food wasn't anything that would bring us back. It wasn't bad, but we had better meals. The crispy chicken skin appetizer was DELICIOUS - it was a special the evening we went. We also got the deviled eggs, which none of us really cared for. My friend and I got tacos, which weren't memorable. All in all, it's a cute spot in a convenient location, but should I be back in NYC for another show, I'll probably check out other restaurants for a pre-show dinner before returning to the Indo.

Stopped in early evening for drinks and bite to eat. Sat at the bar and for great service. Good selections of craft beer and wine. Limited food menu but definitely enough good choices. I had chicken sandwich which was very tasty. It was noisy but energetic so conversations can necessitate talking loudly. Definitely a fun convenient locale.

it is casual dining, great location for LIRR, delicious food, enthusiastic waitress, with a young crowd

We had a 6 pm reservation after a Sunday matinee show. When we arrived the place was very slow. We chose to sit in the back of the restaurant which may have been our downfall as there was a wall between us and the bar so our waitress could not see us unless she walked to the back of the restaurant. We were seated and then it took a while to place our wine order. We had a bottle of excellent French chardonnay. While we were having wine our waitress came by several times wanting us to order. When we were ready to order we couldn't find her. Finally we ordered and each got a flatbread. I got the margherita one and my husband got the Mediterranean flatbread. These were substantial flatbreads and both were delicious. Highly recommend them.

Made reservations for dinner after a Broadway matinee. Restaurant is clean. Staff is friendly and attentive. I don’t like high top tables but luckily these were not pushed too close together like many city restaurants. Our table had the Bavarian pretzel sticks for an appetizer, they were quite hot to the touch with a mustard and a cheese sauce. We also had the salmon poke bowl, crispy skin sweet chili salmon, harvest chicken bowl and angus burger. All meals were enjoyed. There are only 2 dessert options but both were really yummy. As an added plus, the restrooms smelled great and were clean.

We visited The Independent NYC for dinner. It’s a bar-restaurant where one person is handling both the bar and the restaurant service. We were there at a normal dinner time. Only tap water was available, so we had to order soft drinks. The food was okay and arrived quickly. However, when we ordered one burger without onions and another without bacon, the staff came back and said “this is the sauce,” which showed he wasn’t very familiar with the menu. Overall, the food was good, but having only one staff member handling everything makes the service feel overwhelmed.

Stopped in for some drinks and snacks. Food and drinks were good. Bar was very quiet and there were several waiters but they rarely came near us. We had to ask them over to get more drinks etc. When we finished our food the waiters didn’t clear our plates - they stood around chatting, looking at their phones etc. Very poor service.

When we first got here I was concerned because it took awhile for the waiter to find us, but then everything else after that was 5 star worthy. The cocktails here are very creative and very well made. The food is quite good and the pricing is absolutely appropriate for area of the pre-Broadway dinner crowd. The highlight, though, were the Sweet Potato Croquettes. We ordered them as a starter, but then saved them for dessert. Absolutely delicious!

Champagne must be produced in France!!!! You can't sell an American sparkling wine and call it Champagne!! That's the worse infringement of a trademark. Change your menu!!!

Unexpectedly impressed by this restaurant. Most restaurants near the theatres are mediocre- the food and service were excellent- we enjoyed tasty salads with an assortment of ingredients. The atmosphere is charming- evoking a train setting. Will definitely try this for dinner

This is a bar. I thought it was a bar/restaurant. It has plenty of seating, but it's a bar and it has bar food. Not cheap. Small plates seem to be the order of the day. Only about 5 entrees on the menu.