Instead of buying tickets for the day we planned to see Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary, I accidentally purchased them for the wrong day. The movie had begun when we arrived! As a result, we found ourselves with extra time before dinner, and the folks at Seahorse in the W Hotel happily accommodated our early arrival.

While waiting for another guest, who was en route after learning of our earlier reservation, we began with their bread service: a house-made sourdough baguette and rich Normandy butter. We also ordered the special appetizer—sliced Culatello (the prized Italian cured meat known as the “King of Salumi”)—paired with creamy La Tur cheese and grilled ramps ($28). Pure heaven. With that, we sipped the Saint Martin, Chablis, Laroche, France, 2023.

Once our dining companion arrived, he chose the tuna tartare with cured olives, lemon, and housemade potato chips ($26), while we shared the winter salad of radicchio, apple slivers, gem lettuce, Stilton and pecans ($20).

One friend savored the roasted duck à l’orange with citrus-braised endive ($48), another enjoyed the hamachi with blood orange juice and jalapeño ($26), and I sampled the spicy red shrimp vacatelli with dried tomatoes ($26)—most of which went home with me, as I filled up on the addictive bread (yes, we ordered more).

For dessert, we indulged in a spectacular baked Alaska, flambéed tableside—a showstopper that inspired the surrounding tables to order it as well. And then, since we were celebrating a birthday, the restaurant served us a grilled pineapple upside-down cake with a lit candle.

I recommend a relaxed meal at Seahorse.

Seahorse
Inside the W Hotel, Union Square
201 Park Ave S
New York, NY 10003
212-219-8119
seahorsenyc.com/menus