Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

To date, most of the reviews for the recently opened Leopard At Des Artistes (1 West 67th, formally home to the landmark Cafe Des Artistes) have been very positive — you can read a smattering of them here.

Somewhat surprisingly, Bloomberg’s Ryan Sutton has quite a different opinion of the restaurant. It’s highly unlikely you’re going to see his review of the The Leopard hanging in their window any time soon, what with comments including this: “Eggplant and mozzarella timbale tastes good if you close your eyes; it has the unfortunate look and texture of canned dog food.”

Here’s a link to the full review on Bloomberg.com. Sutton give the restaurant a middling 1 1/2 stars, which on Bloomberg’s scale falls between “Fair” and “Good, Reliable.”

A few low-lights:

• “The Leopard is just another Italian spot with noisy hardwood floors and tight seating.”
• “The pastas are al dente and that’s part of the problem, as they’re often undercooked to a point that’s not quite crunchy.”
• “Smart diners will avoid the appetizers altogether. Why spend $12 on a bowl of bland steamed mussels or $15 on a slimy pile of octopus.”
• “The salmoriglio seasoning on the swordfish is lovely. Except the fish is black and blue on the inside, in a gelatinous state that won’t flake under the weight of a fork. Send it back for more heat.”

On his “Sound Level Chart,” Sutton rates The Leopard at “Ear-splitting din.”

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Tags: 1 W 67, 1 West 67, Bloomberg, Cafe des Artistes, Leopard at des Artistes, New York City, NYC, restaurant review, Upper West Side, UWS