Red Hat on the River

Great view. Decent food. Terrible management toward staff. No respect. Made me sick.

Met a dear friend here for lunch.  We were busy chatting and not looking at the menu.  We had a waitperson in training, who was very patient with us.  we had white Bordeaux with lunch, which was lovely...a little too lovely.  We both had beet salads (minuscule, but tasty) and mussels that were fresh tasty and in a delectable broth.  We shared a profiterole for dessert which was scrumptious, but TINY.  Jesus, I get it, it is French, but to see the portion sizes other than the mussels, I had to break out my reading glasses.  This is why French women have small asses, but are bloody hungry all the time.  And our bill was $183.00 before tip.

It was very tasty, but that is a bit steep for lunch.

Nobody can deny that Red Hat is located in a picturesque location, right on the Hudson River, with incredible views. Even better, they have a small lounge on the roof that is absolutely ideal for a warm summer night. These things are great, but that's where the good news ends.

My experience at Red Hat's lunch one afternoon is what prompted me to write this review. Personally, I feel like the menu is trying way too hard. I think they could greatly benefit from a far more casual menu, this isn't Le Bernardin.

Either way, I opted for the Classic Grilled Chicken Paillard. When it came, I was pleased with the portion size, but disgusted with the amount of dressing. It was soaked, drenched, drowning, you get the point. It made the last quarter of the meal difficult to eat, as these pieces of salad had really been soaking in the dressing.

For something as simple as a salad, Red Hat really dropped the ball. I've been here for dinner twice before as well, and both times, I found myself disappointed. The food is just lackluster, and it's unfortunate.

One last gripe, how do they not have any draft beer? Seriously? That's ridiculous, with a rooftop bar/lounge area like that, and no draft beers.