Reverence

With a name like the Epicurean Hotel, certain expectations are cooked up early in guests’ minds. Does my room come with its own hibachi grill?Is everything on the premises edible?Can I swim in a vat of Nutella? As much as we’d love to say “yes” to those questions, sadly, we can’t. What we can tell you is that the Midtown hotel’s main restaurant, Reverence, tries its darndest to be the perfect fine-casual experience. With its polished wood tables and floor-to-ceiling vaults of wine, the place looks the part of a restaurant that can command $105 for a wagyu striploin with no sides. But then the actual steak gets to your table. It’s a decent cut and the taste is fine, but it won’t really move you—or feel worthy of the price tag. The garnish-topped branzino, while flavorful, sits alone on a white oval plate. No vegetables, no dainty puree, no nothin’. The entree, much like your overall dining experience here, will have entirely too much ehhhh and not nearly enough Epicurean.