Vermilion
“Definitely leans more towards the Indian side of Indian-latin fusion, however, everything was well flavored without being oppressive.”
“Alongside the strip was the lobster course in a coconut curry, mild but delicious.”
“Ask if they could make you the masala bloody mary and try the pani puri margarita!:)”
Vermilion
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This restaurant is huge with an upper level for dinner seating and a lower level for the bar. I got the watercress radish strawberry salad off their restaurant week menu and I was not impressed. My friend got the tropical summer duo which was tasty. Their tandoori blackened mahi mahi was delicious. Very spicy and well cooked. Paired well with the kale salad it came with. Last but not least, the mango cardamom flan was delicious. Interesting at first, but I really liked it in the end. Staff was very attentive – we did not have any issues like some of the other reviewers. This space looks like it's a great spot to hold events.
Here are the words that sum up my dinner at Vermillion last night: unbalanced, bad service, mediocre food (for that food which we received). This restaurant bills itself "as a melding of indian & latin american cuisines, tapas, fusion entrees". Although Vermillion has an interesting menu of small plates, many of these offerings weren't available. At least three of the appetizers weren't available on the night we went. In fact, our server didn't tell us about the unavailability of one item that we had already ordered until they brought one of our apps to the table…. 1/2 hour later.
When my friend and I asked for a substitution, it took several consultations with the kitchen because of allergy concerns and the wait staff's unfamiliarity with the menu. For example, when asked what was in the "tiradito sauce" (which is typically ceviche and not a sauce at all), they said that the menu was very new and they had to check. We eventually settled on the mundane coconut shrimp.
For our entree, we asked for the dry aged sirloin that was a jaw dropping $50. It unfortunately never arrived. A table that was seated an hour after us next to us received their appetizers and food. At first, we inquired about the status of the entree when more than an hour went by without our food and we were told, "I am sorry. I will follow up with the kitchen right now and let you know." We never heard back. Twenty minutes later, when we both had trains home to catch, we told the waitress that we could not wait any longer. She apologized and said that our server got burned in the kitchen, which is why she did not deliver our order, and would send the manager to our table. This seemed odd only because we saw our server delivering orders to the other tables without difficulty or delay. We surmised that the order was either never placed or that the kitchen had run out of this item as well.
The manager came to our table and introduced herself, and gave us each her business card. She then told us that the entree would be removed from our bill and comped our last round of drinks. She also said that she hoped we would return and to please ask for her. I am afraid that will not happen.
This restaurant has some serious issues. They need someone to help them expedite orders in their kitchen. It is obvious that orders are clearly getting lost in the shuffle. Their menu, while interesting, is also confused and unnecessarily complicated. As a result, I think their kitchen is probably getting lost in the weeds when they have more than a couple of tables. They should pare down their ingredient list so they can get orders out quicker. Perhaps their waitstaff would also be a bit more familiar with their menu as well.
Quick Pros/Cons
Pros
Very tasty Sangria – we spilt a pitcher and had an extra glass each.
Space – As other fellow Yelpers have mentioned, Vermillion has LOTS of outdoor and indoor seating with wide aisles, which is more midwest than Manhattan. [Considering how empty it is and the size of the space, I have no idea how they pay the rent]
Location – Midtown East and in walking distance to Grand Central
Manager – very polite
Reservations – easy to make on OpenTable
*am trying to be positive here on the Pros
Cons
Service – is GLACIALLY SLOW, unknowledgeable, inattentive, and seem more concerned with larger tables than tables for two
Food – Average and largely unavailable. Menu needs work. Although the chicken kebab with chipotle mango was pretty good (btw – this is not a kebab but more of a patty, which is dredged and fried), the coconut shrimp did not taste fresh.
Cleanliness – We ate outdoors. While I understand that there is a significant amount of pollution in NYC, our tablecloth was filthy and appeared not to have been changed in some time. It was gray and very dusty. They should use paper to overlay the top.
This is likely a better place for drinks, especially for large groups or special events (e.g. office party). I would not recommend it for dinner.
A gorgeous venue but not a cheap place. My friend got some mini pigs in a blanket for $15. Maybe he should have asked where his substandard blow job was. Very great views of the city & no issues with the staff. Very nice venue for a fashion show & parties; the Halloween party/fashion show I went to here was a lot of fun. If you come here, do so for the view.
Service was excellent. I was disappointed with the paella because it tasted like rice with seafood throw in. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and there were plenty of mussels. It didn't taste like a paella. Maybe my expectation was for more like a Spanish paella.
The vegetable stew was great, mild spicy with a rich tomato based soup. Their nan is excellent, enjoyed the roti, mint and garlic. Just order the sampler.
Others praised the butter chicken, and the steak.
Lamb appetizer was very good. Nice grill marks and lots of Indian spices. The duck tasted like BBQ pork, good.
It's a nice fusion of Indian and Latin American, though I tasted more of the Indian, which is fine.
Went for lunch during restaurant week. Price fixe menu offered an appetizer, main and a dessert.
Service was painfully slow to even get water or the waitress to come by and the place was relatively empty. We sat outside on a sunny day, so we enjoyed the atmosphere. Can I get a glass of water?
The appetizer came quickly and was tasty – a bit spicy but not too much heat, just about right. I had the pork stew. Can I get a water refill?
My main was shrimp tacos; again tasty with some heat but just about right. Can I get a water refill please?
Dessert was refreshing – I had the Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry sorbet. Can I get a water refill please?
No water refill the entire meal, but my check arrived. Restaurants with this type of service in NYC won't last long.
My friend and I had dinner here last night. Our visit was mainly driven by my memories of the meal I had at Vermillion in Chicago.
Since it was a weeknight, the restaurant was not crowded at all and we were seated immediately. We ordered the scallops appetizer. When it arrived, I was a bit disappointed that there were only 2 pieces! 2 scallops for more than $10 is jut not cool. They were, however, very well prepared and tasty.
For our main courses, we decided to order 2 entrees and share. We ordered the butter chicken and the mutton dish. I thought both dishes were well prepared and perfectly tailored for the american palette. As an Indian dude, I kind of missed the little spice kick I was expecting. Other than that, both dishes were well prepared and tasty. The porotta was a bit disappointing. It was, well, not a porotta (it's a south indian naan-equivalent).
To finish, we ordered the Shahi Tukra. We both thought this dessert was fantastic. We polished it out really quickly.
Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed, but I will give Vermillion another shot before I pass verdict. For now, i think 3 stars is fair.
I came here for restaurant week lunch today and I'd have to say this place was not bad. The food was good: very distinctive and an interesting Indian-Latin mix — definitely don't think you can get this anywhere (or at least in many places) in the city. I ordered the artichoke fritters for appetizer, the seafood stew for my main course, and the dessert was a fixed mango flan. The appetizer again, was distinctive and delicately served. As a huge artichoke aficionado, I'd say this exceeded my expectations. The entree was also delicious, though the meat:starch ratio was not very high which was disappointing. There is also a large selection of na'an to choose from including gingerbread and spinach na'an. I ordered the plain na'an and it was quite delicious. The dessert was the best part of the meal — rich, luscious, and oh so creamy flan topped with a to die for mango glaze.
The annoying parts were (1) the emptiness of the restaurant, which makes you think twice, (2) the service: one guest in our party was served the wrong entree and we had to wait an additional fifteen minutes (really awkward and inconvenient since we were on business lunch)
Pros: distinctive, flavorful food that is cooked well; nice ambiance (they have a cool waterfall like curtain in the front)
Cons: really small portions (in my opinion, probably standard for a high class place though — I'm really into cheap eats if you've read my other reviews), service
If you choose to dine at Vermilion, there is a high probability that you are one of the individuals that work inside the JP Morgan building (245 Park Avenue) in which the restaurant resides. If that is not the case, there is no good reason for you to choose At Vermilion over another fine dining Indian restaurant such as Tamarind, Devi, or Junoon.
At Vermilion occupies a very big space in a way that brings out an airy yet cold ambiance that seems very well suited for quiet dining (similar to SD26) for the corporate world as opposed to a destination for food lovers. Now if you enjoy that, then by all means give it a try. But as far as vibe is concerned, you can certainly find more vibrance and energy at any of the other restaurants listed above.
As far as food is concerned, the Latin twist that is used as a selling point never really added much "spice" to the menu and the food. No particular item stands out as a must try and presentation can frankly be better improved. Maybe it is the coldness of the restaurant that influences the quality of the food, but just from an enjoyment level, there is nothing memorable about this menu. One is better served to save his/her hard earned dollars and satisfy their Indian fix at any other Indian restaurant in this neighborhood. And there are plenty of them…