Customer service was an A+++++, however the wait to get the attention of a waitress is difficult with so many customers. The store is cramped but the seating is still comfortable. The food came in a reasonable amount of time!
Fatima K.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Queens, NY
For a while now, I had wanted to check out Dimes due to the endless beautiful pictures on Instagram and Unilocal.Their acai bowls looked legit and the food reminded me of health-centric food spots in SoCal. Decided to come out of my way to finally give it a try. The space is pretty small, even though it’s much bigger than their original location! Tables are crammed together so do not expect any sort of privacy. Luckily for us, there was no wait at 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon and we opted for a more spacious, orange colored table. Ordered the Moroccan poached eggs with avocado, spring salad, and the mango pitaya bowl. The eggs were delicious, especially because they were accompanied by warm melting haloumi cheese. The spring salad was pretty good but didn’t seem fresh. The apples on top had browned quite a bit — underwhelming for 13 bucks. The mango pitaya bowl was good — better than a lot of other bowls I’ve had in the city! However, they sprinkled some stuff on the top that had an odd stale flavor to it. I’m sure it was some kind of healthy super food I’m not aware of, but they can do away with it. What irks me the most about this place is its staff. I don’t mean to be rude, but why does it look like no one took a shower? And there was a strong odor of BO the whole time I was there — I know some people don’t believe in deodorant but it’s hard to enjoy my food when the natural unpleasant odors of others keep trying to grab my attention. Our waiter was pretty weird, he would ask us questions while giving us these soul searching stares. Definitely seemed like someone smoked a bit too much before work. Also, he had dirty fingernails — gross. Maybe this is the vibe they are trying to achieve but it’s a restaurant after all — cleanliness and hygiene should be a given. What’s the point of being served supposedly fresh healthy food by people who are in desperate need of a bath and maybe some vitamins. I’m sure I’ll see Dimes’ pretty self around on Instagram, but not gonna make the mistake of going back.
Amela S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manhattan, NY
Cute healthy spot, interesting ingredients and market in the same lot. Friendly staff and happy food, leaves you smiling with great reviews to boot. Took a bit to get in, had to wait a while, but very worth it and the price is to die — at one dollar sign!
D M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New York, NY
Asparagus Tart + Fig Rhubarb and Goat cheese toast– nice Small space — service was fine. Great coffee.
Sally C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Brooklyn, NY
Okay I don’t want to be rude but this was a real bad experience. First off we came into this crammed space got seated in the booth section which smelled. We kindly asked to move and they agreed on upon request. We first asked if we could pick our spots since we wanted the cute pink table near the window. But ended up in the blue crammed window. No complaints there. But after ordering our drinks came. Can I just say how horrible the ice latte tastes? It was a mixture of bubble gum and water tasting drink. Absolutely not worth it. I personally ordered an iced coffee which wasn’t so bad. Then our food came. No complaints there expect for the facts my Moroccan poached eggs came rubbery! I asked if my egg could be a bit runny and the lady waitress was real nice about it and said sure. It came and the eggs were just awful. Though the squash and cheese was perfectly made the star of the dish sort of failed to impress me. Everything else including the breakfast sandwich and the blt was real good. Another compliant. We waited maybe about 20 minutes for a table, we were okay with that at first before suddenly I see these two girls. A friend of the waiter probably, come in and take the seats we asked for when we’ve waited longer. Okay we were still fine by then. But the service here was awfully slow and not enough waiters outside tending to us. And can I just put in that the atmosphere wasn’t as hip or cool as everyone explained. One they don’t have sugar nor do they have salt. So if I was to put a bit of sugar in my drink they gave me these large rocks of pink sugar. And two the place was crowded and the music was awfully loud. Will not come back at all your better off spending your time at the coffee shop next door which actually serves better than this place. Another complaint. The waiter which I don’t know what his name was, had the audacity to comment on of the photos my friend has posted saying we haven’t given enough tips. But in fact we gave more than enough. If your reading this, I’m sorry if you didn’t count properly or something else happened but we gave at least 13 $ tips for the 57 $ lunch we had. And the expected tipping was way too high. If the tip wasn’t enough maybe you should have tended towards us more often instead of texting near the bar. Hi neverevan :)
Jacinda G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
Wow did this place get a makeover since the last time I went. The first time was a couple years back; the waiting time was crazy, it was a small cozy little food spot(hidden gem if you will) with a very laid-back attitude, but crowded indeed. It’s definitely gotten a slight upgrade than how I remember it. What brought me here was my friend who works in fashion who read that two models actually run this little food parlor as I call it and that it was quite the hang out spot. So of course we walked ourselves there to check it out(they don’t accept reservations). Apparently they call it «Dimes» because everyone who goes there is a «ten»(love it). We had a brunch **get their breakfast sandwich and acai bowls. they are ah-mazing** and I must say, the food is really really good. Added bonus was my friends going there for a second visit and seeing Jonah Hill grab a coffee! Definitely check it out for their brunch special. I went for a dinner once and it wasn’t that fantastic.
George H.
Rating des Ortes: 1 New York, NY
Wow. After reading the numerous bad reviews regarding the service on Unilocal,I decided to take it with a grain of salt and take my family out for a rare night out. I don’t think I have ever been more embarrassed suggesting a place to eat in my life. Having an early dinner we(table of five) were only the second table in the restaurant at the time. Even before we were seated, we literally felt unwanted by the staff. I tried to rescue the table’s mood but with each interaction with our waitress(getting menus, ordering drinks, ordering our meal, asking questions about the food, etc), I could not cover up for the complete lack of interest or professionalism of our server. If it was at all possible, she actually made me feel guilty for wanting to eat there. We generally tip quite generously as I, like many others around the world, have worked in service and understand the importance of tipping but for the first time in my life, I voted to leave zero tip. I’ve had better service at most fast-food restaurants. WOW! The food was excellent but literally the service was horrendous.
Dana M.
Rating des Ortes: 2 New York, NY
The place looks to be about the same size as my studio apartment and the tables are on top of each other. That’s pretty standard of a place like this in this area. But it is an American brunch place right in China town! I was a bit confused myself. My party of 3 waited about 25ish minutes for a table for three and I’m not sure the food was worth it completely. Food: Strawberry Acai Yogurt — this was very watery and seemed very heavy on the granola. I’ve never had Strawberry Acai Yogurt before, so not sure if it’s the normal consistency BLT — the BLT was probably the best item we got but wasn’t anything exceptional and was relatively small. The bacon was very crispy. Breakfast sandwich — mediocre — I was very disappointed with this! It didn’t have much flavor — I was really hoping the dimes hot sauce would be more tasty, but it really didn’t add anything. I think this is a good place to try, but not a place to be a regular at. Service: The service was pretty good. They made sure to check on our table to make sure we had everything, but really that was the only good part of our meal
Victoria C.
Rating des Ortes: 2 New York, NY
Food: B– Considering the wait in the drizzly weather outside, the food was not worth really worth it. Among three people, we ordered the Strawberry Acai Bowl, the Breakfast Sandwich, the BLT, and the Kedgeree. My BLT was good. The bread it came on was grainy with lots of different oats, but it was still chewy and probably packed full of gluten, and I really liked it. There was an avocado spread in the sandwich, along with a couple of roasted cherry or grape tomatoes. Everything went well together in this sandwich — I only wish it was bigger and more for me to enjoy. It was somewhat small, as was the side salad it came with. The Breakfast Sandwich that my friend got just tasted like scrambled eggs in a bun — meh. The Kedgeree was interesting — it was bits of broken up smoked trout over basmati rice(little bit of curry flavor maybe?). There was fresh pomegranate in the dish, which I thought would be strange, but it was very subtle and paired well. The disappointing part of the dish was that the poached eggs on top were wayyy overcooked — the yolk was not runny in the least. It looked pretty much the texture of a hardboiled egg. Fail. Finally, the Strawberry Acai bowl. I was really looking forward to it, as I was craving something refreshing. The bowl had acai, topped with granola, dried apricot, bee pollen, and fresh strawberries and sliced banana. Out of the three of us, none of us were impressed. It wasn’t too sweet, which I liked, but there was very little acai and a whole LOTTT of granola. We ate all the fresh fruit and tried to spoon out as much of the pureed acai as we could, but we were still left with a ton of mushy granola covered in purée. Service: B– The service was alright, at best. The girl who waited our table was quiet, which is fine. They did the bare minimum to make us comfortable. One of our water glasses was dirty and she replaced it without complaint. *shrug* Nothing really bad but nothing amazing. Ambiance: C+ I feel like this place tries to pull off the somewhat quirky/quaint/don’t-care-about-appearances-because-our-food’s-good type of place, but it doesn’t work. My friends and I were seated at a very oddly shaped table in the front corner of the restaurant, with wooden benches along the wall to sit on. The way the seating of our table was arranged, it was like we were placed in an «L» shape, with my two friends sitting on the long side of the«L» and I was sitting on the short part of the«L.» It was cramped — we were shmushed alongside the other tables against the front of the restaurant with very little room between to walk through. Luckily there was a consistent buzz of noise throughout our time there so we could still talk comfortably. Other: Their waiting area inside by the door is superrrr small, enough seating/space for only a couple people, and while they have a small bench outside, it was wet due to the rain. There were several parties standing outside with us as well. If you get here past 11am for brunch/lunch, you’re probably due to wait a bit.
Davina C.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Hong Kong
Seeing it on Instagram, the spot and its food looked beautiful, which basically meant that I went out of my way to pay this cute looking café a visit. I’m not one to write bad reviews — I want to give people the opportunity to try places for themselves as well, but I just gotta put this out because I did not enjoy my experience there at all. First impressions were great — just like I saw in the pictures, place had colorful, bright tables and enough sunlight that made it look really cute! Then came the service. the waiter was just downright rude, and gave the impression that he didn’t care. no smiles, nothing. Moving on, the food. I got the lavender acai bowl, and I would honestly rather go through the hassle to buy a blender and import acai berries myself than to have that again. It was so bland, the lavender didn’t go well, and the tasteless cornflakes just made it worse. I mean… I got a nice photo, but I most definitely won’t be coming back.
Elle W.
Rating des Ortes: 1 New York, NY
Too cramped!!! I felt like I was sitting at a little kid’s table… which I am just too old to deal with no matter how good the food. And here’s the kicker, the food wasn’t that great. So all in all, I didn’t love eating at Dimes and wouldn’t recommend it. Btw, I’m about 5’6″, so if you’re taller than me, you’d be even more uncomfortably squished into Dimes. To top it all off, there’s no reservations, so we had to wait for this experience. I know you’re reading this review mostly for food so here’s what we ordered. Both my friends tried different ACAI bowls, while I had the POWERBOWL. Shoot, I wish I had more to say about the food, but we kind of shoveled it down in order to get out of there. We actually went to Joe’s Ginger afterwards for soup dumplings because we were still hungry.
Jenny Z.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Brooklyn, NY
Aesthetically, Dimes is a very cute brunch spot. It’s located near the heart of Chinatown and it’s a pretty small place. It was a pretty busy Saturday, so it took about a half hour to get seated. Once seated, we were promptly served by the waitress. Together, my best friend and I ordered the Kedgeree, The Love Toast, and Breakfast Sandwich. The Love Toast — This was by far my favorite. The tahini sauce was creamy goodness and perfectly paired with the toast and fresh raspberries. Everything tasted extremely fresh. I really enjoyed the whole farm-fresh to table experience. Breakfast Sandwich– It was pretty good, but nothing extraordinary. Again the avocado, eggs, cheddar, and jalapeño were fresh, with a nice touch of Dimes house sauce. It’s a pretty solid choice. Kedgeree — This is what my bestie ordered. The smoked trout was good, or at least I liked it better than my friend did. The poached eggs, pomegranate, parsnip, and basmati were paired pretty well in the plate. This was a really creative dish. I’d definitely be willing to go back again, provided that tabling won’t be as much of a hassle as other reviewers have stated. Definitely watch out for peak hours. Overall a pretty solid experience at Dimes!
Ryna D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 New York, NY
Updating my review since they now have a larger space and the breakfast and lunch bowls are still awesome! Dimes have become one of my go to lunch spots in this neighborhood. I love the black rice bowl which I order with the pickled salmon. It’s so good! And so healthy! Extra points for having hijiki since I haven’t seen a non-Japanese spot serve hijiki. They serve great breakfast bowls and toasts as well. Finally, I love that they kept the old location as a deli/take-out counter. The poké bowl is just delicious!
Olivia S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New York, NY
They kid not about this place being a hipster joint. I walked in on a random Tuesday afternoon & sure enough Dimes was bustlin’ w/liveliness. I was really craving a breakfast bowl & since I was in the neighborhood, I figured I might as well stop by since I’ve been meaning to since this restaurant opened. No offense but the waitress didn’t really seem to care. She had that chilled vibe, which I completely get — your mood totally matches the vibe of the place. But when I asked«what’s a pitaya?», are you really going to respond«…you know… A pitaya?» Smack my head… Regardless, I ordered a strawberry pitaya bowl. Simply delicious! Pitaya is basically dragonfruit. Perfectly sweetened and topped w/strawberry & banana slices and granola bits. Uhm, yum?!? I loved the bowl but not exactly sure if I’ll be returning because of the service… Disappointed to say the least…
Tessa D.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Boston, MA
I should’ve fallen in love with Dimes; the healthy food, hip interior, and Instagram possibilities are things I(unashamedly) look for in an eating establishment. Unfortunately I found the actual experience a tad lacking. My main issues were with the service(like most people) as well as the price and taste of the food. My boyfriend and I arrived for a late brunch and while the place looked busy, that was only because it’s actually a pretty tight location. There were quite a few seats open, they just weren’t in places that would’ve been comfortable to sit at. if you go to Dimes, try to aim for a booth, the rest of the spots will have you uncomfortably squeezing in between other folks. The waitress we had was a bit… Off. She disappeared, joked around with her coworkers, wandered outside in between meals, and generally seemed like she wasn’t interested in actually doing her job. I also asked what a pitaya bowl was, and received an incredulous look with the response, «It’s a fruit». Thanks a lot. One of the male waiters was also a bit rude, I asked him to bring a menu for me(just so I could see what other food items there were) and said«Sorry, the kitchen is closed.» and then walked off. They had mentioned that they were closing the kitchen in an hour when we entered the establishment, but I had asked about 15 minutes before that. Plus, I wasn’t even planning on ordering anything else! I just wanted to see the menu again. He also turned several people away from the door, without telling them when they were planning on reopening the kitchen. Doesn’t seem like the best way to get customers in my opinion. My boyfriend got the breakfast sandwich, and knowing his appetite I suggested he add sausage since I’d read other reviews about it being on the small side. I decided to get the chia pudding as well as the love toast. We wound up waiting about twenty minutes for all of our food, which isn’t too bad considering the amount of people present. The breakfast sandwich looked pretty ordinary, but my boyfriend was happy with it. Stating that it was surprisingly tasty, but definitely needed the sausage. I wasn’t as lucky when it came to my food. My items were beautifully plated, but they just weren’t that tasty or filling. The chia pudding was bland and for $ 9 just didn’t seem worth it. I make chia pudding at home all the time and it’s WAY better(and cheaper) than what Dimes served. As for the love toast, the bread was herbaceous and tasty, and I have to give Dimes props for thinking of adding tahini and honey to raspberries, but the ratio was just a bit off. I had to ask for a bottle of honey to combat the very savory tahini. I left hungry and disappointed. Nothing impressed me aside from the presentation of the spot and the food. However, I would be willing to give Dimes another shot. Healthy food is something I truly enjoy and they have loads of options. But I’d definitely get something on the savory side, the fruit based dishes just weren’t filling enough for me.
Stephenie D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 ASTORIA, NY
I’m on a pretty strict diet plan, but I was going out to dinner with a friend– so she looked up places and found this one and the menu looked nice and healthy, so we went. I’m glad we did! We ordered the stuffed mushrooms to share, and while they weren’t bad– they just weren’t for me. They literally tasted like well seasoned beef meatballs. The thing is, I really don’t like the flavor of beef so it really threw me off– but I can see a LOT of people loving this. I wasn’t into it, but that’s a preference. I still give the appetizer a high rating. I ordered the cod fish plate, it came with risotto and avocado yogurt, jalapeños and plantains. When I first saw the plate, I was disappointed. It was one of the more expensive plates($ 21) and it was TINY. I have an enormous appetite, so I was upset. Biting into the food, though, the disappointment went away. The cod was soft and cooked well, and the risotto underneath was a lot! I ate it alone, I ate it with the cod, I dipped the plantains in it, etc. It was so good! It was spicy, yet acidic from the limes. Very, VERY flavorful and delicious. And surprisingly quite filling! Looks cam be deceiving. This meal was worth it! We were looking for nearby places for healthy dessert on our phones, when they(very friendly and attentive!) waiter offered us a dessert menu. YES, PLEASE! We both ordered the dark chocolate cream dessert. $ 8. Wowowowowowoowow. It was a rich, creamy, delicious dark chocolate mousse! It had what looked like whipped cream but tasted like absolutely nothing on top, but combined with the mousse, the texture was lovely. Again, it was small, but this is a healthy place– and I need to start getting used to realistic portions like these. I will definitely be coming back here to try other things. There’s also a bar which is exciting and will be on my to do list for when I can drink again. Right now, alcohol is ruled out of my diet, but it’s still a plus. The place was cute, the music was fun, and the bathroom smelled AMAZING! Looking at the other reviews about the service here, I feel the need to give a shout out to my waiter! I don’t know his name, but he had a big bright smile and a beanie on. I don’t know if he’s a server, a bus boy, or whatever, but he was fantastic! He’s the one who brought out our food and our dessert. He checked up on us, gave us water, he was so sweet. Perfect customer service. Our bill said a woman’s name who I assume is the woman I saw once for 10 seconds when I placed my order. She was nice enough but I really hope the tips my friend and I left went to the guy. He deserves them. Best service I’ve had in a while, for sure. Minus one star for the small portions and the price. $ 21 for a small plate isn’t really in my budget, especially when I was hungry again an hour later. :/ I highly recommend this place.
Jon S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Brooklyn, NY
I find the professional breakfast to be a particularly harsh form of punishment, for it’s difficult to be presentable in the best of circumstances before 9 a.m., but having to do without eating anything first is neigh impossible. Now my meal at Dimes was only an internal get together, with a very nice person in town from London, but it still meant that certain things about the meal seemed magnified because of the hour. We’ll start with the extremely cold temperature, not helped by a swinging door which let air in without any protection whenever a new customer arrived. Nearly every patron was wearing their coat at the table, many(myself included) with a hat as well. There was also our waiter, who I believe might sleep in some of colony located on another astral plane. He wore a sweater with several lovingly sewed patches in places with one dangling chain of an earning and serene expression that only comes from a serious amount of meditation. We eventually made our way through the menu, a bewildering list of bowls and plates scattered with ingredients I associate more with clothing than edible food. My co-worker wound up with a bowl of strawberries, chia seed, some grain with hemp scattered on top. She gave up after a few bites. The neurotic New Yorker and the excited Londoner aren’t probably the best audience for this very Los Angeles of restaurants, but my entrée of olives, feta, eggs, bulgur wheat, spinach and cilantro hit the healthful, flavorful mark. It was satisfying breakfast food without the grease of dinner classics. It’s weird and definitely not the typical scene, but it’s open for breakfast and downtown at 9 a.m. and a pretty satisfying option.
Natasha G.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Sunnyside, NY
Underwhelmed. I’m right in their target demo, but I didn’t enjoy Dimes — the hype was huge and I ended up disappointed. Yes, everyone in here looks like they just stepped out of an advertisement for a French pilates class, and the menu has cutesy-healthy-California food with some creative flourishes, but food that’s good for you can taste delicious, and I didn’t find that here. It’s also uncomfortably tiny, so if your girth is a little more substantial, you might have an embarrassing time here. I’d 10x rather walk up to El Rey Coffee and Luncheonette, where the food has the same concept but better execution. The flavors here lacked brightness and complexity, and the portions were teensy. The stuffed dates everyone loved? I don’t get it! Why would I eat this date stuffed with tasteless quinoa and smothered in olive oil when I could have a delicious bacon-wrapped date instead? Similarly, the lamb meatballs tasted like bad catering food, with a bland tomato sauce that didn’t lend much help to the tastes-like-frozen meatballs. The grainy/salad dishes are also generally tasteless, and I cannot for the life of me understand how they managed to take so much flavor out of a link of lamb merguez(a delicious, savory sausage that almost never disappoints me!). It wouldn’t kill them to up the savory/spice factor a little bit. This was an incredibly blah meal(though the one thing I did like was the cocktails! These were well-executed). I thought I would leave the restaurant feeling healthy and satiated and vaguely self-righteous. Instead, I was hungry and sad. That’s pretty much the depths of a restaurant meal for me and I don’t think I’d come back here again.
Dara S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
I’m a bit surprised to see a 3.5 star rating but agree with most reviews. It’s a bit unfortunate that they moved to a still small and uncomfortable space. It’s almost like the lesson was not learned. So much of the dining experience is the environment(décor, space, etc) at least on my end. I really want to give 3.5 stars but Unilocal won’t allow that so since it’s the New Year I’ll round up lol. My two friends and I ate Sunday dinner here. No reservations which was fine because we came at 6pm. The space is really not meant for parties more than 2 people unless you are a group of 4 – 6 then you get a booth but 3 people is and was an incredibly bizarre seating arrangement. So we were not allowed to combine two 2 person tables(fine, I get it) so we sat at a corner table side by side like sardines. It was very comical. It was not too uncomfortable just weird and annoying when one of us had to go to the bathroom, it was like musical chairs. ITWASFREEZING, yes we were sitting against the window but omg so cold. One friend was wearing her jacket. They need to get heat and/or insulation because winter has barely begun in NYC. *** So space and temperature is where 1.5 stars gets knocked off *** The menu is actually very nice and diverse, it’s really healthy and light. We opted to share everything which worked out well, would’ve been better if we had a normal table but whatever. We ordered the following: 1. stuffed dates– This is really nice, it’s 4 dates stuffed with cous cous. It’s only $ 5 so a nice little starter. The cous cous balances the sweetness of the dates. 2. Mezze– This was interesting, probably would not order it again and opt for a salad but interesting combination of food. There was an eggplant spread, pomegranate, grapefruit, olives and mushrooms served with a few crostinis. 3. Black rice– This was probably my favorite, it was really unique and has an Asian feel(I think a lot of the menu is Asian inspired). It’s black rice, squash purée, mushrooms, cucumber, kale and seaweed. Very interesting and eclectic mix. 4. Striped bass– I wasn’t a big fan but only for the reason this is a bit spicy. It tastes very Thai inspired with the lemongrass. Relatively good size fish and portion. If spicy does not bother you than you will probably enjoy. 5. Carrot cake– I actually never crave carrot cake so when this stood out on the menu I knew I had to order. It’s really good and light. I was expecting something a bit different like a layered cake but this is more flat. Really yummy and not too sweet. 5. Chocolate pot de crème– I was not a big fan. It’s kinda of weird flavoring because it’s a bit bitter but has a good amount of cardamon seasoning which tasted a bit odd. My friend loved this. I think it should be a tiny bit sweeter. Overall, it’s good, light and healthy food. The cocktails looked nice and the bartender is very cute(brunette lol). It’s really just the space that was very frustrating. I would try for brunch next time I’m in NYC.
Molly T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New York, NY
3.5 stars(extra .5 for the wonderfully healthy menu). I had my reservations about coming here for dinner(no pun intended — but really, they don’t even take reservations). It was just okay. Underwhelming. I’ve known about Dimes for a while and have only heard it mentioned/pictured/raved about as a breakfast/brunch spot. This should absolutely be on your list if you’re looking for a clean, healthy meal — regardless of the time of day. Dimes has that down and they do it pretty well. I just didn’t leave completely satisfied. Came here on a Saturday night around 8pm and ran into a wait of about 20 minutes(ended up being more like 10 – 15). As others have mentioned, the space is tiny and very niche. A few booths, some awkwardly-organized tables, and a small bar. There’s definitely a bit of a hipster vibe here, but it didn’t feel at all aggressive to me. Trust me, if something seemed too«cool» or «alternative», I’d be the first to call it out because I’m simply not either of those things. Maybe it’s because I’m a white girl who loves kale and quinoa and sweet potatoes and spinach and goji berries and #basicfood, but regardless I didn’t feel too mainstream to eat here, as others have alluded to. We decided to get a couple of cocktails to start. I suppose it just seems natural for me to get a drink with dinner, but if I could go back in time I’d definitely pass on alcohol here. We both got the gin spritzer(can’t remember the actual name of the drink) and it was forgettable at best. You don’t want a $ 12 drink to be forgettable, especially when you’re already surrounded by plenty of battle-tested cocktail spots. So if you want a drink here, maybe stick with wine. For food, we started with the Stuffed Dates($ 5 — couscous/apricot/herbs/scallion). Hands down the healthiest stuffed date preparation I’ve ever had. These were really yummy(see accompanying food porn picture) and I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a small bite before your meal. Speaking of ordering food in addition to your entrée… …the portions here were pretty small. We ordered: –Spiced Quinoa($ 14 — chickpeas, broccolini, kale, pickled mushroom, beet) This dish is just one big pile of superfoods. Pretty much my ideal meal, if I’m in fitness mode. The quinoa sits as the centerpiece with the various sides surrounding it. If I’m being completely honest, the dish lacked flavor. It was perfectly fine, just didn’t have any sort of oomph to hang my hat(and my dime — GETIT??) on. That said, this dish is pretty much exactly what I’d serve myself if I had access to a health food buffet. Tons of nutrients and a good variety of ingredients. It’s also very well-priced if you’re on a budget. Definitely make use of the sauce that’s served on the side — mixing it in sooner might’ve made for a more memorable dish! –Striped Bass($ 19 — green curry, salmon roe, baby corn, patty pan squash) I didn’t end up trying the bass, but for 19 bucks(I realize bass is usually more expensive than this, but still), the amount of food was really disappointing. My friend was still hungry after cleaning his plate and ended up picking at my chickpeas(I promise that’s not an innuendo) after I finished eating. Again, he had no real problem with it, but you never want to leave your patrons hungry after an entrée. I will say that the service here was great. Our food came out a bit too slowly for our liking, but the folks who took care of us on Saturday were incredibly friendly and hospitable overall. I was waiting for the bathroom at one point and the hostess approached me to ask how everything went. She had also offered to put in our drink order while we waited by the door for a table to open up. Just like to give shout outs where I can!
Paul A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 New York, NY
Don’t worry, this place is and has long been amazing. For those who don’t know the deal with NYC and Dimes let me give you a short primer on why the low stars: Since it first opened in a different(and much smaller) spot nearby, Dimes has been the king of trendy restaurants in Manhattan. With that status came a tidal wave of models, art freaks, hipsters, green juice addicts, and hardened scenesters. It also meant there had always been a wait and the food here still takes a notoriously long time to come out. So, that said, people who aren’t so in love with man buns, celebs featured in US Weekly, or wait times could be served the best food they’ve ever tasted and would still give Dimes low stars. Also, if you don’t look like a model(like me for instance) you can sometimes feel a bit out of place. But when it comes to super healthy, super creative, West Coast-ish food this is as good as it gets in all of NYC. The acai bowls and breakfast sandwiches alone have cult followings. And honestly, Dimes is even better now in this new home with an expanded menu and much shorter wait times. The Strawberry Pitaya Bowl here is absolutely awesome, topped with a homemade apricot granola, bee pollen, and tons of dragon fruit. The Love Toast happens to have the best house-made tahini I’ve ever tasted in my life, and pairing it with honey and berries was a pretty genius move. I also got the Big Salad with chicken which was ok but I know from hitting the other location that I should have been more adventurous with this one. A little boring.(Update: Get the Tuna Nori Wrap instead) Anyway yeah, come here and get ready to a see a mix of NYC’s trendiest people laughing in their black skinny jeans, but also be prepared for some of the best healthy hipster food in the entire city. They shouldn’t be the only ones who get to enjoy this stuff.
Amelie R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Paris
Un resto tendance très sympa dans le coin du Brooklyn Bridge ! Nous y avons été sur les conseils du Lonely Planet et aide par l’appli Unilocal,sinon nous n’aurions probablement jamais trouvé ce petit établissement situé un peu a l’écart de la partie dynamique et fréquentée de China town. Malgré l’heure tardive nous avons attendu près de 45 pour avoir une table, et nous en avons profité pour aller boire un verre au Clandestino, un bar a vins très sympa aussi. Mais une fois assis le service a été rapide et efficace, donc ca valait le temps d’attendre ! Dans l’assiette une cuisine nord américaine moderne, simple mais faites d’associations originales. Au menu ce soir la nous avons choisi une salade de mesclun, fenouil, asperges grillées, bleu et noisettes grillées, des moules au curry, citronnelle et lait de coco, un plat de quinoa noir accompagné d’asperges grillées, fenouil, poivron marine et pois chiches, et un poulet braisé, couscous d’abricot et choux kale. En dessert nous avons craqué pour des crumble aux fruits rouges avec mascarpone et un sorbet basilic sur un cookie aux pépites de chocolat. Les produits étaient frais et de qualité, les proportion pas énormes mais suffisantes et les recettes intéressantes. La déco est assez sobre, presque épurée, style Ikea, avec quand même quelques pointes d’originalité qui lui donnent sont cote branché. La lumière tamisée et les petites bougies disposées sur les tables lui donnent eux son aspect cosy. Seul point négatif la musique, bien’ trop forte pour que l’ on puisse s’entendre et discuter. Mais ça fait aussi partie de l’ambiance de cet endroit et cela né nous a pas gêné outré mesure. Un endroit spa pour dîner avec des amis branchés en sachant que les conversations seront sans doute un peu limitées !