Reviews The Musket Room

The Musket Room, unassumingly nestled in the Lower East Side serves up some really stellar New Zealand cuisine. Chef Matt Lambert, a New Zealand native, composes artful plates inspired by the country of his origin. This Michelin star-rated restaurant follows the influences of the country’s cuisine from traditional to modern paying homage to the customs of hospitality in the Maori culture.

Another of my pre-booked choices on our holiday. Menu appealed and only a couple of blocks from our hotel.

After a slightly tortuous booking confirmation (they had the booking for Monday 23rd, when Monday was actually the 24th - and the front of house lad seemed to think I was trying to confuse him rather than vice versa), almost everything else was perfect. Very attentive and pleasant server, who was knowledgeable and happy to check anything he was unsure about. We deliberated over the tasting menus - my partner is semi-veggie, and very picky, but the server said they could substitute dishes that were not to his liking. This shows a complete lack of the usual Michelin "we know best" attitude. We went a la carte instead. He had asparagus, I the Spanish mackerel, cut into a "tagliagtelle" spiral sitting in the buttermilk and dill dressing. Looked too good to disturb, but I did, and the light and silky dressing caressed the fish so gently it was a dream to eat.

He played too safe with the ricotta dumplings which though lovely, were no match for my red deer and he was very jealous (I generously gave him a couple of tastes!). Four pieces of perfectly med-rare venison fillet, an amazingly velvety basil cream, and an intense reduction sitting in the middle. I'm not a fan of licorice in any form, but here it was used perfectly to give a slightly kicky aftertaste. It was a flavour bomb.

He had the chocolate "manipulations" (ahem) which came with a show stopping mint -choc ice cream which he described as "barely sweet". I had the Woodcock Farms blue, and here was the only mistake in the whole meal. The cheese was ripe and lovely, but I couldn't understand why I had a greasy, oily aftertaste. I realised that the toasted sourdough was pre-buttered or oiled - the greasy mark on the serviette being the giveaway. Whatever they do to it, it's not nice. Serve the bread dry guys, and let the cheese speak for itself. Nothing like enough to drop a review star.

We chose wine by the glass, including dessert, and all were great.

That it was packed on a Monday night says it all. Fully worthy of its Michelin star, and managing a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Hearty recommendation.

This is a great Michelin 1 star restaurant that focuses on the details - from the plating to the decor to the service. We had good tasting food at a reasonable price point. If you want a quieter meal, get a table in the back room overlooking their garden. If you are looking to celebrate a special occasion this is a great choice.

Gluten free brioche is amazing! Such warm bread. Portions are small so be prepared. Almost all desserts are gluten free. End the meal with a complimentary macaron

Six course tasting menu-great balance btw precision & vibrant, natural flavors.impeccable service-attentive, discreet, but never pretentious. Blues on stereo & a space blending simplicity & earthy modern. Highly recommended. Oh, & Sunday pm us byob!

WOW. This place is awesome. 5 course tasting menu for $75 that is as good as any in town. Service is first rate

Each dish is executed with artistic flair, which is evident in the first dishes we ordered

Divine, and most definitely one of the best meals I’ve had this year. The space is a bit modern rustic and has a lovely vibe to it and the service for the evening was exceptional. I went with the omnivore menu and every dish was a delight, with top notch ingredients and great flavor combinations. Stand outs included an amazing lamb tartare and a cauliflower foam with caviar. I definitely look forward to a return visit!

I can’t state this vehemently enough… Dining at The Musket Room was an absolutely phenomenal experience. I have been lucky enough to dine around the world and have had a few Michelin star experiences. This one was tops. This meal will be remembered fondly for the entirety of my life. My friend and I both enjoyed the Omnivore tasting menu and the wine pairing. The worry with a tasting menu is that you will be full before you finish, hungry when you leave, or that each dish couldn’t possibly be delicious. This tasting menu blew all of the preconceived notions of what a tasting menu should be out of the water. Each dish was a flavor sensation. It was the perfect amount of food for a full experience. And the wine pairing was absolutely outrageous — I was wildly impressed with each combination. The wines were so delicious that my friend and I asked for pictures of a few of the bottle labels to look for when we return home. Finally, our server Bobby made the entire experience memorable. He was attentive, friendly, casual, caring, funny, welcoming, informative. Bobby made us feel like we were his only table for the night, like we were in his living room, like we could be friends for life. I would visit 1000 more times to sit and chat with Bobby. We had friends show up at the tail end of our meal and he invited them to sit next to us, treated them to a glass of dessert wine, and gave them the cookie box that complemented our meal. I can’t imagine ever having better service than what we received from Bobby. I will be recommending The Musket Room to everyone I know, forever. I hope it is open for decades to come, I will be returning every time I am in NYC. I would give 6 out of 5 stars if I could, rate it an 11 out of 10. Fantastic.

The tasting menu is lovely. Well balanced, fairly priced and a good amount of food. All the dishes seemed very thoughtful and were well presented. This place is upscale but still has an approachable feel which I find really nice! I’d recommend this place to try!

Went here on a whim last Saturday evening, and it was not at all what I expected (though not necessary in a bad way). With a name like “The Musket Room”, I was expecting wood paneling, some dead animal heads, and maybe a musket on the wall. It fact, the atmosphere was modern, trendy, and fairly unassuming. My impression is that the restaurant wanted the food, not the decor, to make the impression. I had the omnivore tasting menu with the wine pairing. With the first toe courses (caviar and lamb tartar, along with a champagne wine pairing) I was worried that I committed to a fairly expensive outing for only “okay” food. Fortunately, things improved markedly from there. The octopus and pork dishes were fantastic, and the wine pairings got more interesting as the evening progressed. The Jamon and mussel supplement was worth the add-on (though I’d suggest splitting it, just so you can try it). Overall, I thought it was an interesting culinary experience and I’m glad I did it, but I probably won’t go back at that price point.

We had a prefix dinner to celebrate our honeymoon. I was able to swap a couple of items with vegetarian items. Amazing wine selections to pair with well crafted and executed plates. Definitely recommend it.