Per Se – the bad reviews are real!

by PassRevolutionary254

34 Comments

  1. PassRevolutionary254 on

    Returned to Per Se after 3 years and the experience was underwhelming! Compared to my last time, I was not offered any champagne, food was lukewarm, plates were not warm, and the food was not executed well. Some was missing flavor or salt, like the gnocchis with truffle I paid extra $200 were just okay, nothing special. Or the wagyu a5 that did not have enough salt to complete it.

    So disappointed as I’ve been a fan of Per Se and thought all the bad reviews were just bluff. Will not return or even mention it as my fave restaurant in NYC anymore!

  2. How much is it per person excluding wine? Very disappointing. It has been on my buckets list for quite a while

  3. PassRevolutionary254 on

    Question, so yesterday at Per Se the waiter offered us gnocchi with white truffle and the wagyu as “replacements” and he specifically said they were not “supplements” but I was surprised when the bill came! At the time I just paid but thinking back I was misguided bc he said they were replacements. Should I reach out to the restaurant?

    Ps. I paid an additional $600 just on these “replacements”

  4. riverwater516w on

    For a different opinion, I went to Per Se for the first time a few years ago. I revisited last week and thought it was phoneominal (maybe even better than I had remembered it). I agree that the plating sometimes feels less inspiring but I thought the flavors were excellent and balanced. Staff was professional and I still love the feeling when they attack you with desserts.

  5. This makes me want to ask you all a question. Are your 2* and 3* eating experiences the best food you have ever had? For me the answer is no. Not even close. Top food I’ve ever eaten include Arun’s and Le Francais (both a long time ago in Chicago area). 2 average restaurants in Mexico City each with sublime food. And several non descript restaurants in India. Best Michelin starred restaurant I’ve been to was definitely Charlie Trotters.

  6. Interesting. I just went to TFL and the dishes were almost identical, including the supplements. The prices were clearly stated on the menu though.

  7. I worked both here for a short time (6 months) and at TFL for a longer time (almost 10 years ago now though). TFL will always be better hands down. It’s just so much harder to get high quality product the day of service in the middle of NYC. Especially for the type of menus they do.

    TFL it’s literally picked right across the street. If you want to go to one of the 3* TK restaurants just save up to go to TFL. Per Se is not worth it unless you have the cash to burn. I’m still surprised they have 3 stars tbh because I thought it was not really up to that level when I worked there, but it seems like it’s gotten a bit worse over time.

  8. Last time I was there, the prices for the supplementreplacements are printed under the course it applies to. I presume you were presented with a menu?

    Additionally, supplement indicates that it is an addition to a dish. Meaning the white truffles were served on top of the gnocchi, but that course can be served without. The wagyu is a replacement for the lamb or whatever else would be served for that course, meaning you get the wagyu in lieu of, not in addition to the originally planned course.

  9. KeepJerseyDirty on

    We sat at the exact same table, had the same white truffle supplement (good. but not worth $200), and had a similarly disappointing experience.

  10. malcontented1971 on

    I went for the first time this year in July and I was not impressed at all. Mind you I’m a chef and I went with a group of chefs who worked in Michelin starred restaurants so yes we were critical but we knew what the experience should have been and the overall experience was OK at best.

    When we first sat our table was damp not completely wet but damp enough to notice the sensation on my legs the rest of my party felt it too and no one on the service team noticed that were feeling the table cloth for some reason, now if it was a normal restaurant I wouldn’t if the team noticed but this a 3 star place they should notice these details.

    I notice the couple next to us leaving and the lady left her purse I flagged down a server and told them about the purse that was left behind and they didn’t do anything about it. Also the captain revealed the whole menu to us so I was upset that there wasn’t any surprises to the menu since I knew what was coming. The timing was terrible between courses, including getting our 1st course which was 30 minutes after we sat down.

    As for the food which was the best part but not by much, flavors were good but nothing really truly exciting. The oyster and pearls was the highlight of the savory courses and coffee and donuts for the dessert.

    For the money I paid it was not worth it.

  11. Great-Brain-1139 on

    Why do you people eat this fucking shit, you spend so much money and then order a pizza or something after bc of how small all this shit is lmao

  12. Going here next month with a coworker and now I’m hesitant… looked up some yelp reviews and one nut case was extremely pissed off because a woman was wearing flip flops and a mid-drift sweater. He took pictures of the guests and posted them with his review. Yikes!

  13. Culinary student here! 9/15 is improper presentation, there’s not supposed to be ANYTHING on that outer rim. I’m pretty sure that onion on 10/15 isn’t supposed to look even the slightest bit wilted. There’s a stain on one of the chef’s jacket, the one with the beard is supposed to be wearing a beard net. Why aren’t they even wearing hair nets? The sinks aren’t filled enough to properly wash dishes. They shouldn’t be giving you raw mushrooms unless they have a variance. The wine isn’t even that expensive, it’s like 50 us dollars. This is just… Ugh… It looks clean but I’m sure if you turn up the lighting there are going to be carpet stains. I feel like the kitchen hasn’t had a good deep cleaning in a minute because the grout from what I can tell looks NASTY. This would be a call to the local health department so they can get a full and proper inspection.

  14. There was clearly a break-down in communication and expectations. At that level of dining you can expect there to be a charge for ANYthing “off menu” unless they voluntarily bring out an extra course. It’s considered gauche to discuss prices at the table, but that can certainly result in some heartburn when the bill arrives. Per Se was one of the finest meals of my life, but don’t go expecting it to be a great value.

  15. Far_Explanation_16 on

    The ritz crackers took me out 😂 followed by the salmon on a bed of lays potato chips. The only thing that looks good here is that bottle of wine

  16. Sorry, I’m a beginner to fine dining but is wagyu supposed to look that inconsistent with the pink hue?

  17. Per Se is an uber High End restaurant. Frankly, you don’t go to a restaurant of that caliber, & talk price. If you can afford to dine THERE, then expect some things, not listed in the tasing menu will be additional. If you have to ask how much, in a place like that, then it’s not a place worth the expense. Many, many years ago, when they opened, a friend, who at the time was a chef du cuisine, got a table for me. I dined alone, & at the time used Open Table Dining points $100, worth, just to afford to dine there. I still paid $150, after leaving a generous tip ( I didn’t add the wine-pairings, as I only drink 1 glass of wine, if at all, so pairings would have been a waste). It was a good experience at the time. I’m not wealthy, so I’d not go anywhere, to pay $600 for a tasting menu, of 1 meal. That’s at least 3 meals at a very fine establishment, solo. I’m a Native NYer & there are really good selections to choose from.

Leave A Reply