Double Crown
(212) 254-0350
316 Bowery
New York,
NY
10012
40.7251
-73.9923
Neighborhood: Bowery
What People Are Saying About Double Crown
The Editor
Brian Merchant
Citysearch
In Short
Double Crown's menu is an inventive foray into a rare culinary realm: British colonialist cuisine from the 19th century, which here consists of dishes like lamb and cashew meatballs, bangers and mash, and Goan vegetable curry. Restaurant design mavens AvroKO, the team responsible for E.U. and Stanton Social, have created an elegant brick, leather and wood-laden sort of gentlemen's den where you can easily imagine bourgeois English explorers lounging around in 1815, although in reality well-heeled Bowery hipsters are the main demographic.
Hits: A restaurant with hip, retro ambience may seem merely trendy and commonplace for Manhattan, but Double Crown's execution is flawless and its excellent service makes for an immaculate dining experience.
Misses: Not much to complain about, but those nostalgic for the old days of the Bowery will just see another nail in the coffin.
User Reviews
alweesright
December 12, 2008
Don't believe the hype on this spot. Sure it looks great, so if that's all you care about, have at it. But the food is consistently "blah". "Whitebait" is disgusting, and "Goan Curry" is nothing but tomato sauce with some mushy vegetable pieces thrown in (Goa as a region should be insulted that chef Brad Framerie is using their name). "Pigs in a wet blanket" are nasty, and duck steams buns can be found tastier (and cheaper) anywhere in chinatown just down the street a few blocks. The crowd is pretty, but the entire establishment from the crowd to the menu to the management/servers reeks or pretentiousness. Maybe that's what a 2 star review from Bruni will do to you. The place thinks it's clever to put their own spin on things that you'd expect otherwise, and INSIST they're version is the better/best way, and is not interested in hearing anything otherwise. Just try asking for a straw for your rather nasty gin and jam drink, or ANY drink for that matter, and you're told they don't have straws because the owners don't like them. Try sucking down the last quarter of your cocktail without, it's no easy feat. But hey, it'll give your over eager hipper-than-thou waiter a chance to sell you another even quicker. Another tip, don't go in for brunch hoping the kitchen will cater to your needs. They downright REFUSED to serve my wife eggwhites even after she asked management (apparently it's "against the chef's religion", just another example of the heirs this joint puts on). And when I asked for my eggs over medium, my arrogant server laughed and informed me that it was yet another request their kitchen would not accommodate. So if you want to check out Double Crown, get their while it's still a novelty. Because in this market, they may not long, and by the way they run business now, they certainly don't deserve to.
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inimai
December 10, 2008
The food here was absolutely amazing. The menu is very inventive and the best indian fusion place I have been to in the city. Everything we ordered (the yellowtail and spicy beef salad for apps, goan curry and snapper for mains, and brussel sprouts and cabbage) were phenomenal (the brussel sprouts were the best). That said, the service sucked big time. First, they did not take our coats at the front all though I asked the hostess repeatedly if we could please check our coats. (I don't understand why a restaurant would not check coats when they have a coat check.) Second, we waited almost 30 minutes for our bottle of wine to arrive because, according to the waitress she had to "locate the wine" and "the bar was backed up." (Note, at this point a classy restaurant would have at least given us complimentary drinks instead of keeping us there at the table with nothing in front of us for 30 minutes). We also waited at least 20-30 minutes between the time we were done with our appetizers until we got our entrees. And finally, to top it all off while I was ordering dessert, in the middle of when I was speaking to the waitress, she turned her back to me to check out some guys at the table next to us. Overall, however, I do think it is worth the trip to this restaurant to experience the food, but I certainly hope you get a better waitress than we did.
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lp25
November 30, 2008
The food at Double Crown is excellent! The menu has a great variety of dishes sure to please even the pickiest of eaters! The cocktails are great, the waitstaff is exceptional, and the atmosphere is so comfortable. I recommend the Drunken Crispy Quail and also the lamb meatballs! Soooo yummy.
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