Cozy East Village spot w/ innovative New England seafood & a killer wine list. Standout lobster roll & unique dishes like "Beans." Def worth a visit!
Willa Moore reviews Smithereens, a New England-inspired seafood restaurant in the East Village, praising its innovative dishes and atmosphere.
This East Village gem offers a sophisticated take on New England seafood, blending cozy, intimate vibes with innovative culinary creations. From charcoal-grilled amberjack belly to a rich seafood medley called "Beans," each dish is a testament to fresh ingredients and expert execution. The thoughtfully curated wine list and creative cocktails perfectly complement the menu, promising a memorable dining experience.
Smithereens offers a New England-inspired seafood-focused menu with unique preparations. Highly recommended dishes include the lobster roll, 'Beans' (a seafood medley), and Anadama Bread. While many dishes receive praise for their execution, some diners have found certain items to be polarizing or lacking in flavor, and the desserts can be hit or miss.
"Highly recommended dishes include the lobster roll, the 'Beans' seafood medley, and the Anadama Bread. The cocktails and wine list also receive consistent praise."
Customers generally praise the innovative and well-executed New England-inspired seafood dishes and creative cocktails. However, some diners have found certain dishes to be underwhelming or flavorless, and the service has occasionally been described as anxious.
Important Note
Some diners have experienced polarizing desserts and found certain dishes or the overall execution to be underwhelming. Service has also been noted as potentially anxious at times.
"The user reviewed Smithereens' menu and found it underwhelming in its "new england" offerings."
Negative"The user considers Smithereens' lobster roll to be the best they've had outside of New England, stating it holds up well compared to their recent trip to Maine."
Positive"This user finds Smithereens to be the closest to a "right answer" for New England food, though they also mention missing canned bread."
Positive"This user also recommends Smithereens."
Positive"The user suggests looking for specific New England items like lobster rolls, oysters, fried seafood, quahogs, steamers, blueberry pancakes, and ice cream, mentioning Smithereens as a place to find them."
Positive"Smithereens is recommended as a strong contender for New England food in NYC."
Positive"Smithereens is mentioned as one of the best restaurants in NYC right now, noted for its eclectic cuisine."
Positive"The commenter was not impressed with Smithereens, citing unfriendly service and bland food. They suggested Claud as a better alternative, though it is not a new restaurant."
Negative"This is one of the places mentioned for those who appreciate good wine and excellent service."
Positive"The author praised the sommelier's attention to detail, especially for non-alcoholic options, and found the food genuinely amazing, particularly the beans. They also mentioned the lovely space and the possibility of hearing J.Lo tracks."
Positive"The author explained their criticism of the restaurant's writing, comparing it to a middle school creative writing exercise. They love the restaurant, having visited multiple times, but found the descriptive language to be 'drivel'."
Positive"The author commented that the headline was cringeworthy but the food at Smithereens is great."
Positive"The author agreed with a previous comment about the writing being awful and also mentioned that the restaurant's writing gets worse, but expressed interest in trying the lobster roll and questioned the chowder foam."
Neutral"The author defended the wine selection at Smithereens, calling the sommelier a boss and stating that the markups are reasonable."
Positive"The author celebrated their birthday at Smithereens and had a positive experience, praising both the service and the food."
Positive"The author found the writing to be good but not what they look for in a review. They noted that the comment section criticized the prices and bottle selection for the neighborhood and restaurant."
Neutral"The author enjoyed Smithereens, calling it their favorite new neighborhood restaurant, despite finding the writing in the post to be terrible."
Positive"Smithereens is mentioned as one of the top picks for a birthday dinner, indicating it might fit the user's criteria."
Neutral"The user simply names 'Smithereens.' as a place that lives up to its hype."
Positive"The commenter suggests Smithereens as a newer, unique, and worthwhile dining option in NYC for a visitor from LA, particularly for its European/Modern American focus."
Positive
