Incredibly consistent expense account breakfast spot. Literally the only choice in midtown for a high end power breakfast

Michael’s still has its charm. From the moment you settle into a comfortable chair, you’re transported into a different world—one defined by relaxation and understated culinary mastery. The food is consistently fresh and perfectly seasoned, and the winter specials are an absolute must-try. The wine selection is equally impressive, with an award-winning list that always delivers. On our visit, we enjoyed a memorable 2007 Chambolle-Musigny. Service is excellent—attentive, knowledgeable, and present when needed without ever feeling intrusive. A place I truly love and one I’m always happy to return to.

I had an outstanding 5-star experience at Michael's. The food was flawless, earning a perfect 5-star rating. The service and atmosphere were also very strong, earning 4 stars each, which created a professional and inviting environment for an exceptional overall meal.

Came in first time for our 20th anniversary… Couldn’t have been more impressed! Absolutely fantastic experience! Food was excellent, and staff was attentive and very engaged! Loved it! Will definitely be back!

Came here for a dinner with colleagues. It's almost Halloween so the decor was themed artistically and was nice. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and they were all solid. I got salmon for my entree and it was really juicy and nice.

Absolutely love this place—our new favorite spot! Every bite is delicious, with each dish offering its own unique twist. The service is excellent from start to finish, and we appreciate the round tables that make group dining feel cozy and connected. Even though it is crowded, the noise level is perfect for conversation. Can’t wait to go back

A great night out all together. Starting with a warm welcome at the door, the night continued to get better and better with lovely food and wine served by friendly staff in a beautiful setting.

Stumbled upon this place while on a work trip. AHHHHMAZING!!!!!! I had the fish special "skate with ramps". The sauce was maybe a buerre blanc, not sure but wow! For dessert I had Eton's Mess. A delightful mix of berry compote with vanilla ice cream, fresh cream and crumbled meringue. Service was top notch from the hostess to our waiter. Atmosphere was lovely and dimly lit with candles. I'll definitely be back. 10 out of 10!

Jo-Anne Hyun

I found out about this place with a friend making a dinner reservation for three a few months ago. First experience was great, we ordered scallion pancake, genersal tso's chicken, dumplings and soup to share. The interior decor is really lovely and is a more calm getaway from the louder streets of Midtown. I liked it so much I brought another friend visiting from out of town to stop by, dinner for two. I would recommend to make a reservation in advance for a spot in the dining/table areas as it's quite busy. The bar seating is open to first come, first serve basis if space is available. Our bartender and server, Kailey, was amazing and provided us with excellent customer service. We received really speedy and quality service given the holiday-time rush. We ended up ordering hot sour soup, pork soup dumplings, and the garlic sauced prawns to share. It was a perfect meal. I will gladly come and dine again in the future mostly because of the excellent service we had at the bar.

Adriana Pinzon-Malaver

After a long day of exploring we found this place by chance and it was amazing. Great staff with amazing attention to customers and of course the food was great. Was craving duck and it didn't disappoint.

+6

Kyle Todd

Excellent food. The mapo tofu with rice was amazing (better like spicy though). The hunan stir fry noodles might be the best noodles my wife and I have had (we’ve had a lot of noodles 😅) Very nice atmosphere, very fast cook times. Can’t recommend enough.

alice woods

I came to NYC for the holidays with my family and we were really craving some chinese food. Our waitress made our night because she was extremely caring and sweet! Our daughters also work as servers back home so we know how stressful it can be during the holidays for hospitality workers. Our server May, made us feel welcomed and gave us amazing recommendations. We loved the godmothers chicken wings, general tso chicken, peking duck and the hunan stir fry noodles! We decided that every Christmas we would come back just to see our server May, she really made NYC feel like home for us. The only thing is that the bar is absolutely a mess. Our drinks came super late, and we actually felt bad that May had to come apologize to us multiple times. We could see how stressed she was because we saw her apologizing to every single table, that is just sad to see during the holidays. The two bartenders should apologize for that! How can bartenders take more than 45 mins to make a martini and gin and tonic??? It also tasted horrible, we don't know how that was even possible. We know it had nothing to do with the servers, but we did see bartenders just chit chatting at the front and snapping at servers when they would check up on our drinks. Bar management needs improvement!!!!!! My husband and I were pretty upset about that, they seemed they did not care at all. Other than that, we loved our experience and can't wait to come back next year!

Andrea Harrell

Incredible experience. Quality rivals restaurants I visited in Shanghai and Beijing. Great, intuitive service and lovely decor/vibe. Plenty of space between tables.

somewherewithjon

Great vibe, awesome food. If you're looking for some authentic family-style Chinese cuisine, this place is it. They serve Hunnan provincial food (which is often spicier than Szechuan food). Standout dish was the Spicy Sauteed Intestines (sounds gross but it's one of those things where you have to try it to understand). Love the included lotus root. Took awhile to be seated but they do have some bar seating downstairs too. Will definitely be back! 🌶️ ❤️

Miss Paipai

I have to say, this place truly exceeded my expectations. My friend and I had just finished visiting Central Park and were looking for a casual lunch spot when we walked in. The atmosphere immediately caught our attention — it felt like stepping into a high end restaurant in 1920s Shanghai: elegant and classic. We ordered two lunch specials (the portions were quite generous) and a house special eggplant and pepper dish. Everything tasted very authentic and was super 下饭 (the kind of dishes that make you want to eat more rice). The young lady who served us was also very helpful and attentive. We loved the entire experience and will definitely come back to try their xiaolongbao and spicy fried shrimp — the table next to us ordered those and said they were delicious.

+2

Jennifer Klein

The food was excellent. Stand outs were the taro cakes and sesame chicken. Our server was super responsive and clear around my family’s dietary restrictions. I’m very picky and I will be coming back again. ✅

Virginia

Loving the food, atmosphere and hospitality here. The food is amazing and authentic with great portions. The service was lovely, the staffs are very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and gave great advice what to order based on our preferences. Everything was so on point and we enjoyed it a lot.

+1

Vikram R

Really good food, spicy with depth of flavor. I would recommend the yellow chicken and cumin beef. Their truffle mushroom soup dumplings are souper 😀. Nice ambience too, ideal for couples.

Joy

The interior was really beautiful and the atmosphere was great. The food came out quickly, which I appreciated. I’ll definitely come back to try other dishes!

Chris Wozny

We came here on a Friday evening at 6:30 for dinner with a reservation we had gotten a couple of hours earlier. The interior has a cool 1930s vibe and has a lovely dining area upstairs and bar/dining space downstairs. We were promptly seated and our server came by shortly thereafter for our drink and food order. We started off with the Mapo tofu which was fantastic! It didn’t have as much Szechuan peppercorn kick as I would have hoped, but I’m also a fan of the tingles it provides. The flavor was great regardless. The Dan Dan noodles were lovely, but not our favorite. Still very good if you haven’t had them before and want a good introduction to Szechuan staples. The red bean puffs and taro cakes had the most lovely puff pastry exterior and were like a savory dessert in the middle of the meal. The century egg claypot was also amazing. The eggplant had the most perfect texture and we loved the flavor of all of it. We had the crystal shrimp dumplings which were a nice palate cleanser to top off the main course. We finished with a dessert of the sweet osymanthus jelly noodles and the pumpkin mochi cakes. The standout was definitely the jelly noodles which had delectable flavor from the peanuts, raisins, and sauce that the jelly noodles sit in. It’s like a delicious loose Jello texture. I’m also a huge fan of red bean paste and enjoyed the pumpkin mochi cakes filled with it. This is our favorite Szechuan joint we’ve had on our trip and definitely recommend coming here!

+3

Kamy Chong

Really enjoyed my experience at Blue Willow. The food was fantastic, great portion sizes worth the money. Come with a large group so you can try a lot! Service was quick and friendly. Our waitress gave great advice on what and how much to order. Food was delicious, not too salty or oily. Stayed true to the Szechuanese style of cooking. Will come back

+3

Excellent dinner and even better drinks! A NYC must! The service is amazing!! Kama and Joyce are the best.

Excellent dinner and even better drinks! A NYC must! The service is amazing!! Kama and Joyce are the best.

Excellent dinner and even better drinks! A NYC must! The service is amazing!! Kama and Joyce are the best.

have to say the food is amazing and the service even better! \n\nget the soup dumplings and the ribs! worth it hundred percent \n\nnam was awesome! best server and made the night

Amazing food and the environment was lovely. Our server was so sweet and the food arrived very quickly!

Amazing food and the environment was lovely. Our server was so sweet and the food arrived very quickly!

Amazing food and the environment was lovely. Our server was so sweet and the food arrived very quickly!

Amazing food and the environment was lovely. Our server was so sweet and the food arrived very quickly!

waiter and waitresses are very attentive. The restaurant has a nice ambiance to it. For the food I would recommend ordering the Peking duck (they do pancakes instead of buns)

Waiter and waitresses are very attentive. The restaurant has a nice ambiance to it. For the food I would recommend ordering the Peking duck (they do pancakes instead of buns)

Waiter and waitresses are very attentive. The restaurant has a nice ambiance to it. For the food I would recommend ordering the Peking duck (they do pancakes instead of buns)

Great chinese restaurant in a perfect location from New York Midtown Hilton. Not too fancy, but with nice ambience. Everyone who worked there was very kind, and the service and food were fantasti…

Exceptional food, drinks, service, and ambiance. The restaurant was brought to our attention thankfully by yelp.

The food and service is top notch. Fresh food and fast service. The soup dumplings, green beans, and sesame chicken are our favorite.

The food and service is top notch. Fresh food and fast service. The soup dumplings, green beans, and sesame chicken are our favorite.

Loved this place so much I went twice! The soup dumplings are amazing, loved the steam dumplings and spring rolls too! The kung pao chicken was phenomenal! I love that you can make a reservatio…

Loved this place so much I went twice! The soup dumplings are amazing, loved the steam dumplings and spring rolls too! The kung pao chicken was phenomenal! I love that you can make a reservation …

Amazing food great for happy hour , got to try the chicken wings and beer here , it was cooked just right

dumplings are gas. The texture of the dumplings is really something special. Next time I come, I'll probably get the dumplings.

Food is delicious! Definitely try to get a reservation if possible. We didn't have one but thankfully the bar seating was open. Definitely a great place for a date night.

Hits the mark. Great cocktails too. Shumai dumplings were homemade, all the dishes were spectacular. Dark and cozy decor made it a great place to gather on a winter’s night.

Very good food and very friendly staff. The price and the portions are good. I can recommend this restaurant to everyone who likes chinese food.

Very good food and very friendly staff. The price and the portions are good. I can recommend this restaurant to everyone who likes chinese food.

Very good food and very friendly staff. The price and the portions are good. I can recommend this restaurant to everyone who likes chinese food.

Very good food and very friendly staff. The price and the portions are good. I can recommend this restaurant to everyone who likes chinese food.

We had a wonderful dining experience at Blue Willow! We ordered nine dishes for our group of four and requested them to be less spicy, less oily, and made with less salt and MSG. Our servers, Leo and…

First night in NYC and found this place on trip advisor. No reservations so we sat at the bar. Absolutely a lovely experience. Bar staff rocked it and took excellent care of us. We had a total of …

First night in NYC and found this place on trip advisor. No reservations so we sat at the bar. Absolutely a lovely experience. Bar staff rocked it and took excellent care of us. We had a total of …

What a wonderful chinese restaurant in midtown! It's beautiful inside -- a true joy to experience. We had great service and delicious food. The chicken and mushroom soup dumplings were de…

What a wonderful Chinese restaurant in midtown! It's beautiful inside -- a true joy to experience. We had great service and delicious food. The chicken and mushroom soup dumplings were delicious. I…

What a wonderful Chinese restaurant in midtown! It's beautiful inside -- a true joy to experience. We had great service and delicious food. The chicken and mushroom soup dumplings were delicious.…

What a wonderful Chinese restaurant in midtown! It's beautiful inside -- a true joy to experience. We had great service and delicious food. The chicken and mushroom soup dumplings were delicious. I…

Superb Szechuan food, fast and friendly service. All NYC prices are high but this one was worth it. Highly recommended; make a reservation!

Superb Szechuan food, fast and friendly service. All NYC prices are high but this one was worth it. Highly recommended; make a reservation!

We had a mix of dishes shared and it was very very good experience and quality food: real value for money. Definitely on my shortlist in NYC

Service was great , food was awesome. Staff very friendly, Duck was very tasty as well , fried dumplings, spring rolls, pork fried rice. They even make good martinis!!

We visited Blue Willow for dinner. The environment is very cool. Everything we ordered tasted amazing. The only average menu item was the shrimp dumplings (sadly). Service was very friendly. I woul…

Food is ok, not spectacular as I had expected from previous reviews. The tomato was very good, but the rest was not very tasty. Service was great, the waiter’s was very attentive. The chair was badly worn and is in need of some tlc. It was not very busy when I was there.

It seems like making a reservation is the best idea. We visited for lunch, and it packed up quite quickly. The food was okay. The service was good.

Mei Deng

Everything was mid except the garlic eggplant and ginger scallion fish. I liked the actual vibes of the place tho. The audience wasn’t very Asian. Prob won’t come back - Yellow beef: 5/10, lacked flavor despite appearance. Not spicy at all even though it had three spicy pepper symbols on the menu. Disappointing - Ginger scallion poached fish fillet: 9/10, I liked this a lot. Good flavor, no bones, tender - Chengdu dan dan noodles: 6/10, dry, and flavor was okay - Garlic sauce eggplant: 11/10, loved this!! Great flavor - Sesame butter ice cream sundae: 3/10, so disappointing. Just vanilla ice cream with sesame seeds on top 😐 - Pumpkin mochi cakes: 2/10, got catfished. Thought this was the flat pan fried pumpkin cakes based on the menu picture and description. Flavor was bland, and it was more like a steamed tangyuan

+4

Kai Waterton

Blue Willow offers a lively, flavorful escape into regional Chinese cuisine right in the heart of Midtown. It’s a versatile spot that works well for work dinners, date nights, group outings, and weekend evenings. The space strikes a great balance between casual and refined, with vintage Chinese-inspired decor paired with a modern sensibility that creates a warm, slightly dim, and inviting atmosphere. The ambiance is cozy yet stylish—ideal for lingering over cocktails and conversation. Speaking of which, the cocktail program is a standout, blending traditional Chinese influences with creative twists. Service is generally attentive and friendly, though pacing can vary on very busy nights, so reservations are recommended for weekends or larger groups. Overall, Blue Willow leaves a strong impression and is worth a visit for both locals and visitors.

Woo Young Kim

Went with my colleagues for an outing and this place was pretty bomb. The opening period theme gives vibrant vibe that is both classical and suave. The food was great and the service was decent. It gets pretty full so you know it's a popular spot. On average the food is bit spicy so take note. Overall a strong recommend.

+1

great ambiance and service \nfood was great for the most part- would say the shiu mai was more mushy than I thought it would be \n\nLoved the duck and veggies \n\nDidn't get to try too much but def…

Overall, the food didn't taste very authentic, but it's a nice, elegant dining experience. The chicken wings and seafood fried rice were pretty good. The chilled sesame noodles did not have the tex…

What a great experience we had last night. We were able to make a reservation at 8pm and when we arrived we were quickly taken to our table upstairs. Very unique aesthetic inside this restaurant. T…

A very bland meal. Ordered the Blue Willow Fish, but found the sauce the generic brown glop while the underlying fish was dry and tasteless. Very disappointing given the reviews.

MaChaNillas

Mediocre. My Hunan noodles were way too salty for my liking. I dont know what was happening with that szechuan beef lol. Ty use spicy wanton soup had a numbing tongue sensation. The dumplings were good I guess since the kid finished it. The staff were friendly.

Kiki R.

Visited Blue Willow with friends on a Monday night with a reservation. The place was busy, but I loved the vintage decor as soon as I walked in. We were all really hungry, so we ordered a lot for four people. The portions were generous, but honestly, the food was just okay-not anything that stood out. The dishes arrived incredibly fast, within about 5 minutes, which made me wonder if they weren't made fresh. The Mapo Tofu was the highlight of the meal, though. Service was a bit confusing-multiple servers came by at different times— but they were all friendly. The drink menu looked interesting, but the taste didn't quite live up to expectations. Overall, it was a decent experience-nothing extraordinary, but still a fun spot to hang out with friends.

+32

We had reservations for Christmas Eve and the streets were very crowded so we were less than 5 minutes late to our reservation. We get greeted by the hostess who tells us that they have a reserv…

We had lunch upstairs in a semi private room with a nice round table. It was a Sunday, and our reservation for 12 people was at 1 PM. 30 minutes into our lunch, someone told us we would have to lea…

J K

I had high expectations for Blue Willow, but this visit was extremely disappointing. Both dishes we ordered came out within about five minutes, which made it feel like the food had been pre-made rather than freshly prepared. The Longevity Chicken Ginseng Soup was especially disappointing and, for $32, one of the worst dishes I’ve had at a restaurant. It lacked depth of flavor and felt more like something reheated than carefully cooked. The Chairman Mao’s Braised Pork was also a letdown. It had a strong, unpleasant smell, which made me worry about the freshness of the meat, and the texture was chewy instead of the soft, tender consistency this dish is known for. Service didn’t help improve the experience. The waiter never checked in to see how we were enjoying our meal and seemed uninterested in our feedback. Unfortunately, this visit did not live up to the reputation, and I wouldn’t return based on this experience.

Arah Christian

Staff was incredibly rude! Definitely not worth visiting. We originally booked at Ye Apothecary but unfortunately they were close so they sent us to their sister restaurant. Waiter took long to come to serve us. We had to remind them that we’re ready to order. Staff was rude. Their biggest thing is reminding you of your time slot. They did their job by bringing out the food. Nobody went above and beyond by doing anything special or extraordinary. That doesn’t warrant a tip. A free cocktail & a discount isn’t going to send me on a guilt trip to tipping you 25%. We don’t owe you anything. You did the bare minimum by bringing the food out. I didn’t see you after that. Demanding a tip with such a nasty attitude gives you a 0% tip. You didn’t deserve it and I’m happy I gave you NOTHING. Maybe pay your staff better wages instead of relying on tips and maybe you wouldn’t be Mrs. Grinch for Xmas.