I loved the atmosphere at this restaurant. The food happened to be excellent also. The service at the bar was not very welcoming however, we were in a very good mood and the bartender was definitely too cool to interact. The wait staff was competent but lacking in welcome also. That's too bad since the place looks so convivial.

exceptional food, wine and ambience. bone marrow, scallops and veal cannelloni are superb. great service. our server recommended a unique bottle of effervescent wine that aerates as it's poured.

The overall quality of the food was good and the service was excellent. Each dish was properly seasoned and had a decent flavor profile but no one dish stood out like I expected. Although the food was good it was not worthy of the price tag bestowed upon it. The cheapest entree is $27 and the majority are in the $30+ range which is expensive all things considering - I do not mind paying extra money for a memorable dish or a dish that will wow me with flavor and originality but none of the appetizers or entrees were able to achieved this. Its my feeling that I have had much better dishes elsewhere for a considerable amount less. The foie gras and oysters were the two dishes that I would consider returning for as they were stars on a menu full of bench warmers. The food all had felt like it has been done before, the Scallops were tasty but not excellent, the lamb was good but not great, the artic char was recommended but seemed dated and lacked the flavor punch I was expecting. The presentation on all dishes came with cippolini onions - It was a bit dissapointing given the high expectations that I had. The wine list was adequate but lacked the bold full flavor profile wines under $100. The one area that outperformed was dessert - they were creative, innovative, and had excellent flavor. The top performer in this meal is the atmosphere, with candles, velvet, mirrors, and dark wood it creates a rustic warm feel that puts you at ease and kind of reminds you of a hip farmhouse in the LES - if there is such a thing. The bar at the front of the restaurant is amazing and comfortable - a place where you could sit and talk with friends or strangers for that matter for hours. Beware of the bathroom line though - for a 100 seat restaurant with a full bar its astonishing that there is only one single bathroom in the whole place - prepare to wait for 10 minutes in line. Although I do not regret my experience at Allen and Delancey one bit I will only probably return to sit at the bar, enjoy the atmosphere, and eat oysters.