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Most Overrated Restaurants 2008

 

The editors of OAD compiled this list by identifying the lowest-scoring restaurants in our survey that also have what we consider to be a high rating in the Michelin or Zagat guides. Unfortunately, if you want to do a specific comparison between our results and theirs, you are going to have to do a bit of research on your own. For those of you who are new to our guide and our 120-point rating system, here is a key that explains how it works

 

Rating

OAD Recommendation

105+

Worth Planning a Trip Around

100-104

Worth Going Out of Your Way For

95-99

Important Local Choices

90-94

Recommended Restaurants

85-89

Perfectly Acceptable

Below 85

Restaurants We Can’t Recommend

 

ALL REGIONS NEW YORK CITY UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE

 

 

NEW YORK CITY

 

 

1.

 

Considered one of the most romantic dining rooms in New York City and the quintessential reservation to bag for Valentine’s Day, this restaurant leaves one wondering if the lovers who flock here are too busy fondling each other to actually taste the food. Even the décor was criticized for being “cheesy.” Recent comments say a new chef has improved the cuisine, but we have yet to see his influence have an impact on our ratings.

 

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“This establishment doesn’t even make sense for its intended purpose of nuptials central, let alone as a dining establishment.”

“I was coerced into coming here when one of my friends made a reservation for a double-date. It’s a mistake I will not make again.”

 

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2.

 

This charming restaurant close to Lincoln Center has seen better days—the consensus is that it’s been reduced to a tourist trap with a kitchen that can’t even turn out reasonable versions of classic brasserie and bistro fare. That’s a shame, because the room, especially the Howard Chandler Christy murals, is beautiful, and some people still feel it’s worth going just for the décor and the terrific atmosphere. Others like it before the opera.

 

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“My duck confit was horrible. I mean, if they can’t even get that right, why the hell is anyone going there?”

“I don’t understand why this restaurant is even on your survey.”

 

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3.

 

Once revered by local diners, this restaurant has now become the favorite of the bridge and tunnel set, not to mention those who have arrived by plane or some other mode of transportation. Besides the questionable cuisine, which is best described as “Continental,” they are notorious for not honoring reservations on a timely basis, and we have heard stories of people waiting upwards of an hour for their table.

 

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“It has turned into an expensive, modern-day Mama Leone’s with a true turn towards the tourist.”

“Food should be laced with gold for the prices they charge.”

 

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4.

 

Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten may be spreading himself too thin with his many venues: His first New York restaurant now pales in comparison to Jean Georges, his signature restaurant at the nearby Trump Plaza, and the French bistro food that he serves up at JoJo was described as being “pedestrian.” The cramped room doesn’t help either, making it difficult not to include your neighbors in your conversation.

 

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“Once the gleam of his eye, now the bastard son at the family reunion.” “I proposed to my fiancée over dinner and the woman at the next table over accepted.”

 

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5.

 

Though he seems to start off with fairly good product, Laurent Tourondel’s restaurant is so lacking in conception and execution that the result has little to do with what he purportedly aims to offer: a quality dining experience centered on fresh fish. The headache-inducing setting—nothing short of cacophonous as people try to talk over ear-splitting music is like pouring sea salt on an open wound.

 

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“It’s more than a bit formulaic, and there’s no breathtaking inspiration here.”

“The quality of the food at all of Tourondel’s restaurants is inversely related to the number of places with the ‘BLT’ prefix.”

 

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6.

 

Though recent reviews suggest that Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s homage to the grand Italian dining experience has been steadily improving, there haven’t been enough such comments to get it out of our doghouse. Even the décor is less than impressive—the room seems straight out of a Ritz-Carlton in some nondescript city. There is a reason that that this style of dining has all but disappeared from the contemporary stage.

 

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“Ambiance is grotesque, food is ordinary and service is lacking.”

“I pity the poor investors who funded this $12-million abomination.”

 

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7.

 

Philip Johnson’s architectural masterpiece is no different from most restaurants that have a strong non-culinary draw like a beautiful view or an exceptional décor—the food rarely matches the surroundings. The reality is that the cuisine is not far removed from what you will find at numerous northern Italian restaurants in town; but what’s on the plate is a huge disappointment given the majestic surroundings.

 

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“Even the pool seemed stale and tired, and that is not to mention the food.”

“OVERPRICED and mediocre. But pretty.”

 

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8.

 

Money seems to have corrupted the artistic process at this 200-seat restaurant that would have had beautiful views over Columbus Circle save for one thing: They blocked the windows with kitchen equipment! The food was criticized on nearly every level, and one long-term fan asked, “What in the name of Jesus, Mary and Joseph happened to Gray Kunz?” Fortunately, they are closing the doors in the middle of June.

 

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“Awful service (plates arriving before silverware); arguments between staff on who was responsible.”

“The people at the next table walked out in protest, and we would have followed if we hadn’t had a tight schedule.”

 

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9.

 

While Alfred Portale’s classic New York restaurant has been around for more than two decades, consistently racking up high ratings in other guides, it never seemed to be a favorite among the destination dining community. That’s a shame, because Portale’s menus are interesting to read, but the execution in the kitchen is less than exacting, and the plating style—ingredients are typically vertically stacked—harkens from yesteryear.

 

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“Like CATS—they had a long run, but the show needs to close.”

“Long in the tooth. Tall food ain’t in anymore.”

 

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10.

 

Time has stood still at Charlie Palmer’s restaurant, where the cuisine, which once was considered to be at the cutting edge of modern American cooking, dates from a generation (at least) ago. Fortunately for Palmer, this doesn’t seem to bother the clientele, most of whom appear to be over 50 years old and who still enjoy the exceptional ambiance—it’s set in a beautiful East Side townhouse—and the gracious service.

 

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“Back in the day, the tasting menu was great. But the last time I was there, the ideas seemed ‘back in the day.’”

“It’s a good place to take your in-laws for a swanky dinner.”