Hourglass Tavern

My friends and I came here for brunch before seeing a show. We left ourselves plenty of time before the show (2 hours and 15 minutes). It took about 20 minutes for the waitress to come get our drink orders. We were able to order our meals at this point as well since we had so much time. The waitress was the only one on the floor we were seated at and it was obvious she was overwhelmed. It took about an hour for our food to come out. The food itself was tasty. All of my friends were pleased with their meals. They were very accommodating to the changes I made on my dish. The restaurant itself os very cute. It’s located in a building circa the mid 1800s and still holds all of its old fashioned charm. I would come back here, but not before a show because of the service.

Walked in at noon on a Sunday w/​no reservation… They had a full book of reservations! So we grabbed a cozy corner table in the bar, score!!! The bar tender was wonderful, attentive despite her work load. Upon arrival we were served the most delicious cranberry muffins served warm!!! We ordered the $ 5 mimosas, yum! The menu is limited, but you can order just bacon and eggs if you wish. I had eggs and short rib hash w/​asparagus and I devoured every bite. Hubby gushed over the potatoes. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the food was absolutely delicious! Great little gem.

We came here for post-​dinner happy hour @ around 930 PM. It was crowded but we still managed to find a place to sit by the bar, which was nice. The place is small and old, but very lively. The servers were great and just attentive enough. We ordered 2 sangrias and a G&T ($ 5 each). The sangria was weak and overly sweet — it was a large glass, but it didn’t feel like 1 drink at all. But the G&T was more generous with the gin which was better. Overall, I probably wouldn’t come here again, but it was a fun experience due to the liveliness of the crowd.

I thought this place was adorable because I like anything Victorian and I enjoyed the ambiance of a late nineteenth century railroad flat, tiny, all dark wood and high ceilings. Very romantic. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. The service was very nice although it seemed a bit crowded in there with all the tables taken, I had to move the table to get to my seat. I had the crabcakes with rice and broccoli, my friend ate the lobster ravioli. The prix fixe menu is a great deal, we just weren’t that hungry so didn’t order it. The bread wasn’t as expected, it looked wonderful and was homemade, but tasted bland. They had an upstairs bar area, where the bathroom also is, not a good location for anyone who can’t climb steep stairs. But I would go again as overall pleasant experience.

:Cue Beyoncè and Jay-​Z On The Run melody: Black Hourglass… Toast to cliché brunch in my dark past. This restaurant gives you the feel of the Roaring 20’s. Classical jazz playing, vintage building, dark wood floors and saloon décor. A very small and intimate setting. Ideal for a brunch date, or party with at most 4 people to a table.
Hourglass is located amongst all the other restaurants on Restaurant Row in Hell’s Kitchen. While researching Boozy Brunch restaurants in the Theater District, H. G came highly recommended for their $ 5 cocktail menu and brunch options. Despite Winter Storm Jonas’ plans to wipe out NYC with an Avalanche, I purchased tickets to see The Color Purple nearby and had a 1:30p.m. show to make. I arrived at H. G at 11:00 a.m. The commute to Midtown went as planned. There was only waiter (Edgar) and the chef in the restaurant. The other staff members were still commuting. We were the 1^st patrons to arrive and we’re seated on the lower level beside the kitchen. Edgar was our waiter and he was exceptional. Very professional and catered to all the patrons needs being the ONLY waiter on staff.
Blizzard Bites– Brunch Menu features an Entrée, complimentary coffee or Tea. The Brunch Menu also features $ 5 Happy Hour Cocktails (Peach/​Mango Mimosas, Palomas, Screwdriver, Sangria and Whiskey Cinnamon Coffee). A complimentary basket of warm, FRESH Cranberry muffins are provided. These muffins are ADDICTING! They have the batter and soft texture of cake paired with a tart and tangy cranberry. So good, we asked Edgar for more on the house. I ordered the Mango Mimosa and Sangria. The alcohol content was dense and the cocktail was well blended. I decided on the Florentine (poached eggs over fresh Foccacia bread with spinach, Mixed Greens salad and Rib Hash). Everything I had was fresh. The vegetables were delicious. My poached eggs were perfection! The runny yoke paired with the soft Foccacia and Spinach was very pleasing to my palette. The Rib Hash was very tasty. The meal was a great mix of protein and vegetables to help power up for my day and to absorb my cocktails. By my 2^nd drink I was seeing double on my way to the restroom.
More patrons started to trickle into the restaurant as 12:00 approached. Many who had reservations. As the bottom floor filled, the rest of the patrons were seated on the 2^nd floor (Betti Bar). My best advice to you is to make a reservation and do not come in large groups. I Checked In with my Unilocal Offer of 10% off the bill which deducted the Tax. Our bill was $ 23 PP.
I will be back because I was fully satisfied with the quality of my meal and exceptional service. I will also be back to sample the Potato pancakes and smoked salmon.

A hidden gem in the theater district. Thanks Unilocalers for the recommendation. Great food, great service and good value. We arrived without a reservation about 90 minutes before our show. While a table wasn’t immediately ready, the maitre d told us he would have a table ready in 5 – 10 mins and asked if we would mind waiting upstairs in the bar (2^nd floor). Happy hour generous wine pour $ 5 glass! We were happy! In less than 10 mins our table was ready and we were escorted to the dining room on the third floor. Our waitress was very attentive. We both ordered fish. I had Pecan encrusted tilapia and my wife had salmon. Both were prepared perfectly and served hot with a large helping of fresh broccoli. Get the flourless chocolate cake for desert. It’s terrific. Be aware this place is tiny, but it has character. We will go back next time we come to a show.

First trip to NYC and first dinner in the city. Amazing food, drinks and service. We sat on the third floor and Edgar took care of us. He was interested in meeting our needs and held friendly conversation. It shows when people enjoy what they do! We will be back on our next trip for sure!

They serve an amazingly juicy pork chop. I think a pig would eat it. It’s that good. And the complimentary bread is so good it’s not fair to other bread.

If you are looking for an unpretentious, not touristy place for brunch this is for you. The atmosphere is simply charming, the food tasty, the drinks strong, the servers friendly and the price reasonable. The bonus is that it is located on theater row so it’s a great place to stop in before a Saturday or Sunday matinée.

We went for New Years and had an amazing experience. The food was great, staff was very friendly, the value could not have been better. $ 55 for a 3 course meal with 2 Champaign toasts and we watched the ball drop together. I highly recommend eating here!

We made a reservation on a Wednesday evening, but honestly we really didn’t need one. (I’d imagine the weekends are different, though!) We were taken to the 3^rd floor, which was a small, intimate space. Edgar served as both the bartender & the server here, as there were only about 10 tables in this area. It was quiet at first, but the music was a bit more prominent as the space became more full. There were musical instruments all along the wall, which reminded me of that restaurant in How I Met Your Mother where the blue french horn is stolen. I’ve yet to find a man of that caliber, but I’ll make sure to tell him to steal the accordion from this restaurant. (And I’ll also delete this post as it’s technically crime evidence…)
Edgar was a great server. He carried himself with a humble poise & was incredibly polite & efficient.
The bread was served to the table & it was honestly a bit awkward to share. It wasn’t a loaf nor slices; it was, like, a deli roll. Have you ever tried to slice a deli roll into 3 equal parts? It’s a challenge… but a minor flaw of the meal, really.
My friends & I all took advantage of the Prix Fixe option: soup/​salad, entrée, dessert. I ordered the Shrimp Fra Diavalo, & this is why I’m knocking what would otherwise be a 5 star experience — stingy on the shrimp. Otherwise, YUM. For dessert we had two options: tiramisu or the seasonal fruit cobbler. We all picked the cobbler — apple and blueberry flavored — and while my friends were too stuffed to finish theirs, I slayed mine. I need friends on my level, really.
But the good news is that by checking in on Unilocal!,I’ve earned a 10% off brunch coupon! So I’m pumped to come back!

Unable to honor our reservation time, for a party of 10. We waited in their 2^nd floor bar and they accommodated the wait with a humus platter. We weren’t able to hang out in the bar together because it’s very small. They gave us two options at this point; sit at 3 tables on first floor or wait longer for large group accommodations on third floor. We waited for quite a long time up to this point so we opted for the 3 tables.
Neither food nor service made up for the long wait.

Came here for a drink after work with a friend and headed straight upstairs to the second floor bar. The décor and lighting created a perfect relaxing environment.
My friend took advantage of the $ 5 happy hour Sangria special while I chose my usual glass of Proseco. The bartender was very friendly and attentive. He suggested I add raspberry flavor to my champagne and I’m so glad I did! Game changer!
I would love to come back again soon.

Great little place in the heart of tourist town! Came here for brunch around noon in a party of 4, and they still had plenty of tables! The server was really great and attentive. I ordered the eggs and short rib hash. Prices here were great and brunch comes with complimentary drink and muffin. Portions were a perfect size. The short rib hash was fantastic and I would have eaten about 5 more portions of it if I could.
Highly recommend this place and would definitely comes again!

Celebrated our anniversary here with a nice brunch before seeing a matinée a few blocks over. My boyfriend and I were delighted to find the third floor empty and all to ourselves when we first arrived. The restaurant is tiny, but has 3 separate floors/​dining areas each with a stocked bar.
Our server/​bartender was Frankie. Really friendly and prompt service from him; we chatted a bit with him before brunch service got busy. We started with a couple Palomas, which were very delicious, yet still boozy, and some muffins they offer. They tasted good, but were a bit doughy. I ordered the HG Florentine & my bf had the Crabcake Benedict. He loooved his dish and ate every last bite. His egg was over-​poached, but he didn’t mind at all. I enjoyed mine as well, but the focaccia got soggy quickly and one of my eggs was so over-​poached, I thought it was just hard boiled. The short rib hash was okay, didn’t see what all the fuss was about. I didn’t even eat the salad though, it was unnecessary to add to the plate, my bf’s dish didn’t have any.
We did enjoy this place and we would come back, even thought it got tight and uncomfortable to eat in once larger parties arrived. Get there early and enjoy the ambiance while you can!

This is my second time here. Really love the vibe here — high ceilings, romantic lighting.
Came here with a group of 5. Ordered the eggplant gnocchi — left VERY full. Another plus is the bread + butter concoction. Will likely be back if I find myself downtown again!

What a difference a day makes!
After my last review, the owner (Beth), wrote to me and apologized. To that, she added an offer to have me return with a companion for a comped meal to make up for my experience.
I was seated right away and was introduced to the manager, Gary, and our waitress, Maria. They were friendly and attentive… Just enough so we felt warmly welcomed.
The garlic polenta was delicious. The prosecco– a nice pairing. Entrees were just fine, but the best part was the dessert! Maria topped off our wine glasses and gave us a piece of their flourless chocolate cake, a slice of limoncello cake, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Lemon + chocolate is my favorite combo! I kind of feel like they stalked me to find that out ;)
I have to say, I was impressed with the customer service more than anything else. I appreciate Beth’s commitment to making her customers happy.

My two friends and I had such a nice time here when we came on a Tuesday night for dinner and drinks. There are three floors, but I would definitely recommend Bettibar on the second floor, which is the only floor where you can take advantage of their awesome happy hour specials — $ 5 for select beers, wines, and cocktails UNTIL 10PM. You read it right.
The space itself was my favorite part of the experience. It’s tiny but incredibly cozy with a relaxing ambiance. In addition to the bar, there were around five tables, and a few were lined up against the wall with pillows and cushions (we snagged one of these). Our server was very friendly and joked around with us, but he could have been a bit more attentive. I stuck with sangria throughout the night, which was delicious. Food was also excellent, and there’s something for everyone! I had the chicken penne alfredo.
The size of Bettibar doesn’t really allow for big groups, but if you’re coming with just a few friends or with a date, this is definitely a spot to hit up — I fell in love!

Esperaba un poco mas de este lugar, sin embargo el vino y la ensalada de remolacha estuvieron muy bien.

Petit restaurant charmant calme. cuisine excellente. y sommes allés avec nos 2 ados et tout le monde s’est régalé. Le personnel est très agréable et souriant. Avons dîné spaghetti au poulet grillé, travers de porc et grosses crevettes: délicieux servis avec d’excellents légumes.

Came here for a late brunch. Surprising that we were seated right away. They have 3 levels of seating. We were famished and happy to see the food came out so quickly.
We had hourglass blueberry belgian waffle with a side of cheese grits and hg florentine with a side of potato pancake. The waffle was crisp and filled with blueberry. The hg florentine was big and tasty. The short rib hash it came with was flavorful and not as salty as your normal hash. The potato pancake tasted just like a crabcake but with out the crab and was really good. The cheese grits was the only disappointing part. I thought the cheese was somehow going to be incorporated into the grits but no. It was just on the top layer. We also had their mimosa and paloma drink. It was a happy hour special for drinks and was pretty satisfied with it
Overall the service was friendly and fast. Food was good quality. Would love to come back here to try their dinner menu.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday afternoon before heading to an art show by the pier. Can’t say much about the décor because we sat in the outdoor partition; it was really sunny that day and there was a portable heater by the table which our server promptly turned up to the max. I felt fine because I guess I was sitting in the sun but my friend was still a little chilled. Regardless the seating wasn’t a problem. Took a little wiggling of chair but not a big deal. Patrons would come in and out (I sat right by the door) but I didn’t really find that disruptive. The only downside was that my coffee went cold in like 10 minutes…
Now the food… I got the HG Florentine (poached eggs and spinach on foccacia with salad and short rib hash) and friend got the potato pancakes with salmon and dill cream. I was 100% satisfied with my food, pretty much shaved off my plate. The eggs were done just right, the Hollandaise luxurious, and the hash savory in its own category. For a lack of pedantic food-​critic jargon, everything was so yummy my palate was held in rapture (does that even make sense??).
I had a taste of friend’s dish and I’d just toss in a comment about the potato pancakes — they were super fleshy and firm, delicious on their own without the dill cream.
Staff were attentive, friendly, and accommodating. Frequently checking to see if we were warm enough. Quick to serve me another glass of water after I pointed out there was something unidentifiable in the initial glass. Could’ve just been a flake of potato pancakes that made its way out of their plate, but no questions were asked.
Also, FYI the restroom is upstairs by the Bettibar. On a completely unrelated note, a cute guy traveling from LA struck up a conversation (which I wish lasted longer than 30 seconds) with me while we were waiting for the restroom. It was one of the more pleasant restroom waiting experience I’ve had. (Dear LA with an Armenian accent, if you’re reading this — I hope you and your friend had a good time in NYC! Sorry I couldn’t give you touristy tips, if you needed any.)