After accepting the fact that all decent brunch places are located either waaay downtown or near Amsterdam Ave. and 80's, I decided to try The Neptune Room. This restaurant pretty much the same as the other neighborhood brunch joints (like Good Enough to Eat, Fred's, and Sarabeth's West). There was outdoor seating, which was a plus when the weather is nice. Additionally, there was also a main dining room as well as another room with several tables up four steps in the rear. The atmosphere was friendly - they were understaffed but nevertheless adequately attentive. We sat at a communal table with another group of five at the other end. Although there was a wait for a table while we were eating, the hostess never sat another party directly next to us.
The meal overall was a pretty good value, "compliments of The Neptune Room with your brunch your choice of a Neptune Brunch Cocktail, or fresh squeeze juice”. We had a bloody mary and a mimosa, they were fine as complimentary beverages. We ordered the vanilla bean french toast (crème brûlèe battered, maple syrup, strawberries) and "paella" and eggs (shrimp, chorizo, saffron rice, sunny up eggs). The french toast was a huge portion, moist from being soaked in the batter - I enjoyed the golden brown crust. The slices of strawberries were a healthy accompaniment. The batter was just sweet enough that I didn’t need to use the maple syrup. I preferred the paella and eggs that day, it’s just such a great idea. The portion size was small to medium. It was a nicely executed dish, the shrimp was succulent, saffron rice was well seasoned, and topped with sunny side up eggs, this is what brunch should be (breakfast + lunch).
The Neptune Room
511 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10024
nr. 84th St.
212-496-4100
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