Public

I’ve been to Public twice now. Once to celebrate my father’s 55^th birthday and another time with my sister and a friend. Both experiences were incredible!
When I went with my sister I got the Thai pumpkin soup and my sister and her roommate both got salads. We all enjoyed them. The Thai pumpkin soup was very filling, you could probably eat this alone maybe with a salad. For my entrée I had the duck. It was fantastic. The outside was perfectly crispy and the middle was very moist and juicy. The truffle jus and apple purée went perfectly with everything. I highly recommend it! Even if you’re not a fan of gamey meats just give it a try. It was served with confit sunchokes and matsutakes (mushrooms). The sunchokes were very interesting, a bit like the texture of a mashed potato but not so starchy of a taste. The mushrooms were a bit smokey tasting and with the truffle jus and apple purée were GREAT! I still dream about it. We got a dessert as well: the warm chocolate pudding with passion fruit and milk meringue. It was SO GOOD. The chocolate pudding was nice and creamy, the passion fruit was tangy and not too sweet and the milk meringue added a bit of a crunch. The combination was perfect! Unfortunately don’t have a picture of that one. Our waitress was lovely and she gave great recommendations.
For my dad’s birthday we rented the private room in the back. It was such a wonderful experience. The sommelier came back and gave us great wine recommendations. Unfortunately I can’t remember exactly what we got. One was a white from New Zealand that had interesting spicy, pepper notes. It was very different but we were all glad to try it. The red we had was from Australia and was great! Everyone loved it and we ended up having a couple of bottles. Our server was very attentive but not intrusive and very nice.
I tried the Kangaroo Carpaccio which was amazing. I was a bit hesitant but I love trying new things so I went for it and I was very pleased. It was very tender and sliced thin with a hint of smokiness, the fennel on top was a nice touch. You must try it especially if you have an adventurous palate. For my entrée I got the duck again, couldn’t resist. It was just as fantastic as the first time and I ate the whole thing. For dessert I got the Ginger Panna Cotta. The pop rocks on top were very interesting but the whole thing was great. It was nice and creamy with a touch of ginger, then on top there was candied ginger which really added to the flavor, and the pop rocks. Everyone else got the Pandan chocolate chip ice cream. They loved it. I didn’t get to try it because it was devoured quite quickly, so I assume it was great. I highly recommend the private room if you have a special occasion. It was a lovely experience!
Long story short: go to Public, try the kangaroo, get the duck, and don’t pass up dessert!

I came back here for a friend’s birthday and quickly remembered how much I love about the airy, elegant space. The menu is unique and inspiring, and I could imagine spending a full, lazy weekend afternoon here.
For my latest experience, I would give the Kimchi Waffle 5 stars itself. Delicious and bright, and definitely the winner of the table. (See my photo! Go for the additional egg.) It was one of the most memorable brunch dishes I’ve had in a long, long time.
However, our waitress was super spotty even though Public wasn’t even half full for brunch. It took forever to get coffee and an additional forever to get milk to go with the coffee. Plus, some of my friend’s dishes came out not warm enough.
You win some and you lose some — and I definitely struck gold.

Some of the worst service I’ve experienced — and for such a high-​esteemed restaurant! Multiple items forgotten, server was rude to my friend, quinoa hash was foul — they had no flavor. Waited 15 minutes even though we had a reservation. Very bad experience all around. Food was okay.

I’ve been to Public a number of times for drinks at the bar on several quiet evenings. Their cocktails are very creative and tasty, from smoked rosemary gimlets (the bartender setting the sprig of rosemary on fire in front of you is just part of the fun), boozy dark and stormys, and their seasonal/​holiday cocktails that are prime for Instagram snaps. One time I was feeling adventurous so I also tried the kangaroo carpaccio… it was slightly smoky, light, and had a smooth texture which was very different from the rough chalky ‘roo skewers I’ve had at another (now closed) restaurant in the area. The mushroom ceviche was a pleasant surprise as well, since I would normally associate ceviche with fish and not fungi. The shrooms were meaty and marinated perfectly. what a unique meal to have with my drinks. To round out our meal, I had a very satisfying pasta dish with Thai basil and candied sunflower seeds, which was an unexpectedly delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors.
This past weekend, I finally had their famous brunch. For those of us who want to take a break from the bottomless boozy brunch scene, Public is the place where you can have that grown-​up get together with your grown-​up friends (disclaimer: one unfortunate thing brunch here has in common with the «other» brunch places is the loud music. good music, but loud) and take in the beautiful space while you wait for your meal. We shared the goat sausage (delicious, not game-​y, but small portions) and cassava chips (nicely fried, with a mixture of thicker slices for the starch and thinner slices for the crunch. downside: too salty and the jalapeño mayo only added to the salt saturation) and I personally had the venison burger. I scoffed at the seemingly small portion at first (my friend referred to it as a slider), but that venison sure showed me who was boss. The meat was incredibly well seasoned, the tomato chili jam is perfect for ketchup lovers (like myself), and the miso bun was not your ordinary burger bun. I hate to overuse the word «umami» but that’s exactly how I would describe it… I hope Public decides to offer it in a bread basket, and instead of butter you get to spread tomato chili jam all over it. The watercress on the side was a nice change up to the basic mesclun salad, but I wish it wasn’t so salty.
Aside from the food, there was also a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it beverage cart a few steps from the bar. I hear it’s a new feature they are offering, and I’m glad I came around when they had the hot chocolate. It was very decadent but not at all too sweet… you could top off your mug with marshmallows, taffy, mint, and other sweets. To me, this enhanced the brunch experience and made it feel more «cozy» like I was dining at an upscale hotel restaurant on the morning I had to sadly check out.

Go for the ambiance! The restaurant’s décor is amazing, especially for Sunday brunch. Service was excellent and music was on point. Personally, I did not enjoy the food though. We ordered the Turkish eggs and Tea-​smoked salmon. The salmon was pretty good, but the Turkish eggs was rather bland and oily. Really interesting but personally not a fan. Also the poached eggs in both dishes were overcooked. It’s a great place to have brunch with friends, but the food did not suit our taste buds, although the menu is very interesting.

Portion sizes for the meals may seem on the smaller side but they are pretty filling. Their cocktail selection is pretty decent but also only have a single beer on tap.
Ordered the pork lion which was great but the appetizers such as the fried oysters and Spanish octopus weren’t cooked very well and the side orders were all bland.

It’s always delightful to run into an old friend and find they are doing well. That’s the only way to describe my reaction to recent visits to Public on Elizabeth Street. Twelve years on, it’s still delivering an outstanding dining experience.
In NYC, where there so many dining options, it’s hard to come across a restaurant that has demonstrated such durability in affording both unique food and beverage offerings, but also a distinctly different dining environment. Public is classified as both a traditional American and Australian. The Australian part has to do with some of the food they serve. Some of the dishes I’ve had here in the past include New Zealand snapper, Tasmanian sea trout, kangaroo (carpaccio), and New Zealand venison.
If you arrive before the restaurant opens (about 6:30), you are directed to the lounge, aka The Daily, to sit and or have drinks. On several occasions, I’ve found the service to be less congenial than I would like. If you do buy drinks, you settle at the lounge, before you go to the dining room.
The décor of the place is definitely unlike any other NYC restaurant. It was a muffin bakery, and much of the industrial feel has been maintained. The loading dock remains in place. The room between the lounge/​bar and the dining room looks like a combination post-​office and library. Along with some unusual decorator touches in the dining room, the overall ambiance evokes a feeling that you are in place an airplane ride away from the Lower East Side.
Someone appropriately described the design of the place as a mishmash, which I can say is also true of the food. They have animal parts that usually don’t make it to a restaurant table, like lamb neck – braised with Vegemite no less
Unlike most restaurants, Public doesn’t routinely have daily specials. I like this because you can count on your favorites being available. The exception is Sunday evenings when they have a chef’s menu.
The ingredients are are farm-​fresh and eclectic. The spice palate has a definite southeast Asian bias. I always have their mushroom ceviche or herby lentils to start. Then I move on to Aurora king salmon (without squid ink). They will adapt the dishes if you have dietary preferences.
Starters range from $ 13-​$ 18, mains $ 23-​$ 38.
The food service could not be more customer friendly. What’s not to like?

Summer brunch.
The staff was reserved, but present. The blood pudding toast? I had was… different. But I grew to like it. My friend enjoyed her lox benedict. Pretty place with decent food in a nice neighborhood to walk around.

I went with a couple of friends and we ordered the fois gras mousse, spanish octopus, branzino and brussels sprouts.
fois gras mousse — very yummy. The fruit and black tea with the fois gras was a perfect match.
octopus — this was really good. I wish it was more than 3 pieces…
branzino — very well cooked and great flavors.
brussels sprouts — very crispy and flavorful. I think it was doused in wayyyyy too much dressing because the bottom brussels sprouts weren’t crispy at all by the end.

Love this place! Amazing ambiance– modern, sexy and super spacious, especially for SoHo.
Drinks– had the BYOB, which was amazing! Berrieish and minty, not too sweet and totally refreshing, I just couldn’t get enough of it, totally yum! Also tried the Dark and Stirmy which was also on point.
Food– kimchi waffles were yummy; Turkish eggs looked a bit odd, kind of soupy but were also yum; avocado and blue crab toast was great, not at all fishy. The version burger was the only thing that sort of looked unimpressive, sort of tiny and blah. The star of the meal for me was the tea smoked salmon, which was surprisingly smokie yet super moist and perfectly cooked. Loved the eggs at the top and the perfectly running yolk that oozed onto the salmon and made every bite totally devine.
Amazing ambiance, delicious drinks and yummy food! Totally recommend!

I went here with my boyfriend on a Saturday around noon for brunch. It was only a 5 minute wait to sit. Great atmosphere and great food. They have a whole room sectioned off with linen curtains with long tables that I assume you can book big parties for. A few steps down, is the main area with tables for 2 – 4 people and a bar area. There’s also a back room, but I would suggest sitting in the main area if possible. I would come here with friends for either a big party in that sectioned off room, a few friends, or a date. It is really a good spot for any type of group.
RESTAURANT OVERVIEW:
–Rustic feel, wooden floors, industrial hanging lamps
–Good for groups, dates
–brunch is fantastic!
FOOD:
–Kimchi Waffles: I loved these waffles. This plate is definitely different than your average breakfast, and it totally works. There’s nice hints of flavor in there from the Asian salad (which is not too overwhelming) and a little bit of spice from the chilies. Combined with the fried egg on top — delicious!
–Big Brekky: This was a solid option as well. It is a bit of a bigger meal size than the waffles, so definitely get this if you are on the hungry side. There is a good mix of veggies in there and it’s great with a side of bacon bits mixed in.
DRINKS:
–Mimosa & Bloody Mary: Both the mimosa & the bloody Mary were good options. I’m starting to really become a bloody Mary fan — I would have never ordered one of these a year ago!
SERVICE
–Helpful with the menu and very nice and attentive.

I recently came here for brunch and I have only good things to say about my experience! The brunch menu here is quite unique so it was hard to choose what to order!
We ordered the quinoa pancakes, the Turkish eggs and the quinoa hashbrowns, none of which disappointed. I never thought of eggs, yogurt and butter as a combination but this was actually amazing. Having tried real Turkish yogurt before, I can say Public’s was pretty true to the real thing. The quinoa pancakes had maple syrup and peaches but wasn’t as sweet as one might expect. The quinoa hashbrowns were a real game changer though as they tasted just like regular hashbrowns (but I suppose are somewhat healthier!) and were still really crispy.
Our server was more than helpful in helping us choose what to get. The atmosphere was also relaxed but still upbeat, which is what I look for in a good brunch. I can’t wait to come back for more meals here!

Here again! Only the 4^th time :)
Came with bf and told him it’s one of my favorite restaurants. We made a rez at 7:45pm but we basically met up a lot earlier than we thought so we said why not walk in at 6:30?! They were super accommodating and seated us immediately. Last time I had the passionfruit sour and I didn’t think it was sweet enough so the waitress told me the bar could make a pear drink with cinnamon. It was delicious. The table next to us asked me what it was because they couldn’t find it on the menu. My bf had the BYOB, which stands for Be Your Own Bartender because you get to pour in the alcohol yourself as you see fit. Foie gras mousse as appetizer was amazing. It was so smooth and tasty with the toasted bun. I had the salmon and bf had the venison. He didn’t really like it but thought my salmon was good.
I accidentally left my credit card and they called me right away. Luckily I wasn’t far so I went back and pick it up. I would give them 10 stars for service if I can!!!

The restaurant has it all — the mixologists, the atmosphere (romantic, intimate, and cozy), and food)
The mixologists can make you anything you want! The sommelier has great advice for wine pairing. The appetizer, mains and desserts are delicious! I shared the fried oysters and kangaroo carpaccio. The kangaroo carpaccio was different. My friend has the duck and it was really tasty. I had the king salmon and love the flavors! The dessert was the best part of the dinner!

My hubby & I just had brunch here for the first time & it’s a cool vibe with deliciousness. I had the blue crab with avocados and quinoa hash browns. My hubby had tea infused salmon, spinach, & poached eggs on toast.
Besides the food, drinks were cool and different with the wife’s fresh watermelon juice and vodka being stellar.
If you’re in the area, check it out… the tea infused salmon welcomes you.

Décor: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ³⁄₅
Peaceful and beautiful seating area. Service was normal, nothing special.
–Avocado toast topped with blue crab and two poached eggs. I loved how the poached eggs were, it was perfectly poached. The avocado toast had a mild taste and there wasn’t much blue crab meat.
–Kimchi waffle — I wish the waffle was more crispy, it had a fermented taste but not spicy at all. I did not like this dish.

One of the best dry martinis I have had in a very long time! We arrived early for our dinner reservation and decided to sit by the bar and enjoy some drinks until the rest of our party arrived. The bartender was very friendly and easy to talk to. Made some great food and drink recommendations. He knew how to make some good old fashioned as well.
The kangaroo and venison was a little tougher than anticipated and the splatter of red made it look like a murder scene, causing me to lose my appetite a bit. I’m not a huge fan of pork, but I have the admit was the best entrée. Their duck was next best dish with salmon coming in last place (it was okay at most).

«Why is it that e erythema was sour to you? Ridiculous comments and a completely absurd review. Stick with Shake Shake or Burger King. You need a sophisticated palate to truly appreciate find dining.»
Got this message several days after I posted my original review. I carefully compared what I remembered about the food offered here with Shake Shack/​Burger King on their location options and price levels, which I omitted to consider in my last review, I updated this review to 1 star.
— — — — — — — — -
I gave it a 3 star review because I really don’t like sour flavor… And therefore, I cannot bear almost all courses here taste sour, even including dessert…
I had the 3-​course tasting menu. The first course is soup with avocado ice cream. The name looks new and the course is as well. As I said, I only remember it tastes sour… The second course I have duck with duck rolls. The duck meat is yummy, one highlight I remember from this dinner. But the duck comes with some kinds of berries. So again, it turns out to be sour… The third course, which is also dessert, is the one most goes out of my imagination… It doesn’t taste sour anymore, but salty… I should have read the menu more carefully as it says this is savory flavor…
Also the food amount is below moderate. I didn’t get full after three courses, and nor did my friends… The service here was awesome but food is definitely not my type. Would not come back I guess…

Occasion: Saturday Brunch in NYC
Price: ~$ 90 for 2 people
Review:
I had an extraordinary brunch with my friend here on a Saturday. I really like the atmosphere there where NY chic meets Australian country rustic. The food on the brunch menu was phenomenal. Every dish we order hit right on the spot.
Drinks: Cucumber and Thyme Fizz (non-​alcohol)
It was refreshingly tasty and had just the right amount of acid to stimulate my appetite.
Turkish Eggs
Yeah everyone has been gushing about the turkish eggs here and yes they should! The poached eggs were placed on a soft bed of Greek yogurt and melted kirmizi biber butter. Kirmizi biber is a type of chilli pepper hence the red oil color you see. I’d suggest eat the egg with the bread that comes with. You simply place the egg on the bread and spread the yogurt and butter and then you break the egg and let the yoke caress the entire piece of bread:) Then bite right into it! You close your eyes and feel like thousands years of Turkish history was turning pages right before you! (OK. Maybe not lol)
Kimchi Waffles with Roasted Pork Shoulders
The pork shoulders were quite flavorful and roasted a bit on the tough side. If you take the asian salad, pork shoulder, and waffle in one bite, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how multi-​dimensional the this dish is — crunchy, chewy, refreshing, and flavorful.
Frilled Venison Burger on a Miso Bun with tomato chili Jam and Cassava Chips
The burger was so juicy and well-​seasoned and the miso buns complemented the burger with more flavors and texture. This was my first time trying out cassava chips and they were quite good — cripsy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. They can easily be the new sweet potato fries.
Quinoa Pancakes with Peach and Saffron Compote, Ginger Infused maple syrup and Devonshire cream (as dessert)
This was initially an entrée but we ordered it as a dessert and boy it was so good! I really like the Devonshire cream in this dish. Despite the large portion, It was soft, light, and airy, and rendered a specual creaminess on the pancake only Devonshire cream could have.
Overall, it was definitely a perfect brunch! I’ll come back to try more items on the memu.

Vraiment excellent. Les 5 plats du «tasting menu» du dimanche etaient délicieux et originaux. Beau cadre et serveurs tres sympas et aux petits soins. L’addition (un peu chère) vaut largement le coup.

Public
NY Manhattan Nolita
8:30pm Saturday 14^th March 2015
Five Stars
I am glad I made a reservation for 2 at 8:30 because Public is definitely the place to be on a Saturday Night. The establishment looks relatively small from the street but inside there is plenty of real estate. We sat in the back room which was nicely separated from the noise of the main dinning area. The place is upscale, romantic, but still. The crowd had a early 30s vibe.
I had a Rittenhouse Rye on the rocks ($ 13) which was $ 2 more expensive than listed on the menu but still worth it for the generous pour, the cold draft ice, and plastic stir stick. My date had the Pear Cobbler ($ 13) which came in a wine glass with crushed ice. We both ordered the Chef’s tasting menu ($ 75). To be Honest, I don’t really remember food as well as I normally do, because I was much more concentrated on my lovely date.
First Course: 3 thinly sliced mushrooms topped with marinated eggplant in a ponzu bath. This opening dish was simplistic but bold way to start a meal. The Asian and citrus flavors paired nicely with the firm texture of the mushroom.
Second Course: Appetizer Trio: (A) Fried Quinoa Battered Anchovies with a Saffron Aioli, (B) Fried Octopus with Piquillo Pepper Sauce, and © Fried oyster wrapped in a Shiso Leaf. All three of these fried morsels were delicious and had various textural notes.
Third Course: Kangaroo Carpaccio with endive, arugula, and fennel. The food runner did not actually specify the type of meat — so i guessing based on their menu. The thinly sliced meat was silky and tender. The bits of greenery bolstered the delightful saltiness of this protein crudo.
Fourth Course: Venison Tenderloin grilled rare with red quinoa, beets, and tarragon pesto. This dish solidified the excellency of the meal. The meat was perfect starting from the sear moving inward with centric circles of different textures and culminating in a rare bullseye of deliciousness. The quinoa added the texture and Beets added a sweetness. I would come back to order this dish again.
Fifth Course: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Armagnac Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce. The pudding cake thing was good but not as sticky as advertised. The Ice Cream was smooth, creamy, not too sweet, but didn’t really have a powerful Cognac taste. The caramel was nice and not over the top. OVerall, I liked the dessert because it had the right level of sugar and textural differences.
Sixth Course: Assorted Sweets. 1. Mango and Chardonnay 2. Chocolate Meringue 3. Chocolate Nutty.
Everything tasted great. The service from Kelly T. and the rest of the staff was impeccable. She was attentive but not smothering. New utensils for each course. Water glasses promptly filled. Plates whisked away when finished. A triangle folded napkin when I left the table. It was a great place to enjoy an effortless meal where the staff takes care of your needs and wants without any direction.

Service parfait. Plats excellents, ambiance décontractée et cosy !!
Un peu cher mais ça vaut vraiment le détour !!!
Enjoy!

Ein Bummel durch Nolita, die Sonne geht unter, die Lower East Side und die Bowery wird wach.
Wir waren verabredet und wollten mit Freunden eines der hip-​trendy-​gotta go-​Megu/​Nobu/​Spice Market weiß nicht mehr Restaurants ausprobieren.
Es war noch etwas Zeit bis zu dem Treffen. Nehmen wir doch noch einen Cocktail, einen Apéritif. Schau mal, das sieht doch ganz nett aus.
Ein Mitarbeiter des Public sah unsere neugierigen Blicke und lud uns freundlich ein, einen Blick hinein zu werfen. Na, da nehmen wir doch einen Cocktail. Ich mochte diesen Ort auf Anhieb. Denn: Ich liebe nackte Backsteinwände; ich liebe Apothekerschränke; ich liebe geschickte Beleuchtung.
Nach dem Drink an der Bar (es gab originelle Martini-​Kreationen) mussten wir leider los. Hip-​trendy-​gotta godie Verabredung rief.
Dort angekommen war eines rasch klar: hier können wir nicht bleiben. Extrem cooles styling, wir-​sind-​zu-​cool-​für euch Behandlung und vor allem: Air-​Condition und Musik auf voller Stärke. Wir waren doch zum quatschen verabredet, nicht zum cool tun und frieren. Flucht, raus, weg. Was nun?
Da war doch dieses sympathische Public mit feinen Drinks, einer guten Weinkarte und einer gemütlichen Atmosphäre ohne laute Musik. Hatten die nicht auch Essen?
Der Mann von vorhin erkannte uns wieder, freute sich, platzierte uns an der Bar (diesmal auf ein Brooklyn Lager) und hatte kurz darauf einen wundervollen Tisch für uns parat.
Die Teller hatten bereits beim vorübertragen einen famosen Eindruck hinterlassen. Nun stand es vor uns. Originelle Anchovis ($ 11), frische Austern ($ 15), grandiose Foie Gras ($ 18,50). Das Fleisch und der Fisch der Hauptgerichte war auf den Punkt gegart und mit abwechslungsreichen Beilagen und Gewürzen zubereitet. Ente, Lamm, Snapper (Hauptgerichte um die $ 27). Der Service war super freundlich. Entspannt und kompetent wurde uns stets der passende Wein empfohlen, egal ob Glas oder Flasche. Unser Favorit blieb ein knackiger, mineralischer Sauvignon Blanc. Die Flasche zu $ 38. Bitte noch eine, wir bleiben noch da!
Die gemischte Dessert-​Platte mit Krokant, Schokolade, Gewürzen zu $ 14 machte glücklich.
Was für ein wundervoller Abend, an dem ich gleich zweimal im gleichen Restaurant war. Es war schön, sehr schön.
Mittlerweile habe ich erfahren, dass das Public vom Michelin einen Stern verpasst bekommen hat. Eigentlich ist das egal und hat nichts zu sagen. Aber selten habe ich mich so darüber mit-​gefreut.
Auf der Rechnung steht: Please come again soon!
Ja, bestimmt, asap!