Stepping into the storied Hunt & Fish Club in midtown Manhattan feels like what you imagined New York City to be like as a little kid – tall, gilded ceilings, white tablecloths and velvet-lined booths, champagne cooling in a table-side marble bucket. Let’s just say it – we were thoroughly impressed when we walked in and were escorted to our table.
The front of the restaurant houses a dimly lit, classy bar that opens up behind the counter to the bright and luxurious dining room. We were seated in a rounded corner booth, where we had a vantage point of the entire main dining room and other guests enjoying their dinners.
The host also gave us a tour of the restaurant’s downstairs spaces. Two private dining rooms, one with a beautiful living plant wall, and another large enough to welcome 60+ guests for corporate celebrations, wedding receptions, and more.
Opening up the menu at the Hunt and Fish club is an adventure in itself – it’s leather bound, and spans multiple glossy pages of traditional and avant-garde American cuisine. They have seafood galore, every type of steak a person could want, and plenty of tantalizing vegetarian sides. We wanted to order the whole menu, but had to choose our standouts: the Wedge Salad, Roasted Bone Marrow, Gnocchi with Lobster & Caviar, Bone-in Ribeye, and Tiramisu.
Our meal began with the bread service – delicious, warm popovers served with a bright, complex herb butter. The Wedge Salad is a classic favorite of mine – sometimes made with a blue cheese sauce, Hunt & Fish club’s take leaned more toward the creamy and less toward the funky. The lettuce wedge was elegantly draped in bacon bits, tomatoes, onions, and the tangy dressing – each bite was refreshingly crunchy but also full of flavor. A great, tried-and-true take on the steakhouse staple.
Our appetizers were such a treat: the Roasted Bone Marrow was served with garlic focaccia and onion jam, which added a sweet and savory flair to the rich, decadent nature of bone marrow. This combination of flavors felt like the highest elevation a charcuterie board could reach. The Gnocchi with Lobster & Caviar was my most-anticipated dish. It was bathed in a creamy, buttery sauce that perfectly complemented the briny caviar and the dense, savory lobster meat. For the main course, the Bone-In Ribeye is a must-try. Seared to a perfect medium-rare and served in a portion that would disappoint absolutely no one, the steak is tender and flavorful. It’s accompanied by a selection of house-made sauces that emphasize its robust taste; the variety of sauces make every taste of the steak a unique, special experience.
Finally, our dessert: their famous Tiramisu. Disappointed at first to hear they were all out, we felt so lucky when they were able to find one more left, just for us! It was everything a tiramisu should be: chocolatey, decadent, layered. It was topped with rolled shaved chocolate and a pansy to bring out the elegance, and served with a side of ganache and coffee ice cream. The tiramisu marked the end of our fabulous meal at the Hunt & Fish Club, but we’ll for sure be back. Next time we stop by, we’ve got our eyes on the HFC Signature Chopped Salad, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, and Seared Scallops with Orzo Carbonara.
