Restaurant Review- Beauty and Essex

Imagine taken from foodcomas.com

So you're looking at the picture above thinking that I must have made a mistake. The title of this post after all promises a restaurant review, and immediately below shows a picture of a pawn shop! Well, that's exactly what my new favourite restaurant in NYC, Beauty and Essex looks like from the outside.
Every year I come to NY and love to visit my old favourites and have a few new ones thrown in. Since I usually am here around once a year (with maybe a short trip in the winter thrown in that doesn't really count) a lot of times what was my favourite restaurant or club the previous year won't even exist the next. If you've been reading my blog for over a while, you'll remember that last year it was all about Bagatelle. This year, Bagatelle doesn't exist anymore as it is relocating, leaving a huge void in it's place of what I think is the most fun NY restaurant! There are 2 that I've visited so far that honestly make any place I've been to so far (and I mean ever... including Bagatelle) look like child's play- Beauty and Essex and another place called Lavo. But I'll do a separate review on Lavo later and give B&E it's place in the spotlight!
Had my friends not warned me about the entrance of the restaurant, I'd have thought the cab driver that dropped me outside had made a mistake and would've wondered where he brought me. Well, maybe the long line of trendily dressed people waiting to get in might have been another tip off. If you're planning on heading here, book early.. it isn't the easiest of places to get a table at, and like I learned the hard way, don't try extending the table to fill more people who want to head there either- it ain't happening. Once you're in though, and I mean really in.. past the pawn shop, you are caught by surprise about how large the place is, and how gorgeous. In New York some of the best restaurants have absolutely dismal interiors and this is probably the first one that kept up with and even surpassed my extremely high Dubai standards.

Image taken from here

A huge drop down chandelier welcomes you as you walk in, talking you to an upstairs area that I never ventured to, but which apparently has a lounge and the DJ booth. The restaurant is long and like I said, shockingly big, and has a stunning decor that just seems to keep going.

And of course, the main part of any restaurant is the food, and in this area the restaurant doesn't disappoint either. Dishes are supposed to be had sharing style and my friends absolutely loved the Lobster tacos and Meatballs in particular. The only complaint I had was between all the comfort food available, there weren't many healthy options on the menu, which in NYC is really surprising. But then again it just meant that my delicious martini went to my head that much faster! I bumped into friends on the next table that are vegetarian and they said the food was delish as well, so if you are vegetarian be rest assured you won't be going home hungry that night. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me so I wasn't able to take photographs of the food.
My favourite part of the restaurant however has got to be the music! The music was INCREDIBLE and we couldn't stop moving to it from the moment we sat down. Popular songs mixed in with old time classics was what the DJ was going for, and the amazing vibe of the restaurant meant that you just didn't want to leave. But alas, leave we did, and tried going out clubbing after with all of us feeling the same way an hour later- we should've just stuck on and taken the party to the lounge upstairs. Aah well... I'm back this Friday night to continue where I left off from. Yes, THAT'S how much I loved this place!
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