How We Almost Ate At Ye Waverly Inn. The Amateur Gourmet and his parents tried to have dinner at the Waverly Inn but there reservation was lost and the host was not accommodating, and well, you have to just read it. The whole tale of the "new" Waverly Inn just saddens me. I used to live down the block from the Inn and went there a few times for dinner. The food was so-so, but the building was fantastic, with cozy fireplaces and a great old bar. I always thought it could be something really special. Then a few years ago, I saw it was for lease, and for about one crazy moment, I fantasized about opening my own restaurant there.
Of course, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and some partners snapped up the lease and the rest is history. He opened an exclusive supper club for himself and his friends and those in the know. Their town cars block the narrow street. And what was once a nice neighborhood joint is now another "it" spot in Manhattan. And the food isn't even supposedly that good! I haven't been, though I might try at some point, just in the hopes that somehow, it's not as bad as everyone says. That somehow, it's become that neat little cozy local restaurant I always wanted it to be.
We got a table pretty early on, thanks to an inside connection, and had fun night ogling the talent (David Byrne, Oliver Platt) and the media honchos. The food was pretty good, actually—especially the Tuna Tartar—but, really? the whole scene was exhausting!
i’ve been a few times. the food, for a foodie (my boyfriend), will leave you underwhelmed. For me (a fish eating vegetarian) it’s great. the tartar is lovely. but you don’t go for the food; you go for the ambiance. i’m sure most people go to ogle. i go when i have guests in town that i know will love it.