Louise Louise

It seemed like a hidden gem I stumbled upon by chance, yet clearly a local favourite. The mussel dish had no unpleasant smell, and the Wagyu burger—if I recall correctly—was bursting with juicy flavour as I cut it in half; it truly tasted as good as it looked. The male staff member provided impeccable service and appeared to be a person of great tact and charm. Although the ambience and interior design left something to be desired, the quality of the food more than made up for it. I intend to return next week for another visit.

+1

Mary Grant

Great mussels and oysters! I definitely recommend booking a table in advance for weekends. The restaurant was super packed on Saturday evening. The parma mussels with fries were SO delicious, very creamy and cheesy. I savoured and devoured everything including the sauce. My friend enjoyed the classic mussels as well. Also, we shared oysters and they were fresh and yummy. Absolutely worth visiting during the happy hour

Georgia Panagiotakos

What a wonderful brunch experience!! Entire staff was wonderful. Professional and polite, they are entirely dedicated to the work they do. Clearly they're a great team. The food was delicious! The donuts are a must try! They were like nothing I've ever had before. The bacon, egg and cheese was fantastic! Not to mention the very tasty coffee! The establishment was cozy with a terrific brunch vibe. Can't wait to go back for the mussels.

+5

Garfield X

I visited this spot for brunch, and I was immediately drawn in by its lively atmosphere and warm lighting. The decor is vibrant, with a playful combination of light orange and green hues. While the space is a bit cozy, the tables are adequately spaced apart, allowing for comfortable conversation without excessive noise. With both indoor and outdoor seating options, there's more breathing room available outside. Now, let's talk about the food - it's simply fantastic! The everything donuts were a delightful surprise, coming out fluffy and bite-sized, topped with scallion cream cheese reminiscent of classic New York bagels. The curry mussels were a standout dish, boasting generous portions perfect for sharing. The creamy curry sauce had just the right amount of spice, and I found myself enjoying the truffle fries even more when dipped into it for an extra burst of flavor. Given its popularity, I highly recommend making a reservation in advance, especially for weekend brunches. I'm already looking forward to returning to try more of their unique mussel and donut flavors - they all sound equally enticing and fun.

+3

Bradley C

Came here for the steak frites experience, but didn’t see it on the menu. Had a pot of Dijon mussels instead. I also ordered a Mac and cheese with lobster, and flex fries. The mussels base broth had a nice flavor. They put a generous amount of Dijon mustard in it. It was very mustardy. However, the mussels were a bit disappointing because they were so tiny and skinny. I thought winter was supposed to be mussel’s season, but they seemed to be starving. The Mac and cheese was nice. It was cheesy and creamy. I like the macaroni they use. The swirly structure makes it easier for the cheese to cling onto it. The lobster was a bit unnecessary. Should’ve order without it and save $10. The flex fries were nice, but really nothing special about it. With the price of the mussels, the fries should have been included. I only ordered it out of curiosity. It carries the name of the restaurant and charges $9, but it was just ordinary fries. The bread was perfect to soak up the sauce. The server was nice enough to bring me another basket of bread, so that I wouldn’t be leaving still feeling hungry. It worked! Overall, it’s a nice restaurant. Mussels were fresh. The cooking was good. Food was nice. It was very crowded and load in there. I almost asked to change seat to the outside in this 27 degrees weather. The chair wasn’t very comfortable, especially the booth chairs. I could feel every single movement of the person sitting against me. The restroom was pretty clean.

+46

Carin Rudich

On a cold winter day this meal hits the spot. The fact that they have happy hour even makes it more amazing . The mussels are large in size and served in a wonderful broth nicely seasoned. It’s perfect for dipping the bread into. The service is great and I always check on you. You easily could walk in and get a seat at the bar, but play it safe and make a reservation if you are a large party.

Shemeeka Greaves

Dined here earlier this week and had a lovely time. Arrived during the transition between lunch and dinner so had limited menu options but it was fine. What was available was delicious. I liked that alternative options to mussels in white wine sauce were listed, that was a nice change. This version of mussels had a nice kick. Bread had to be requested, it wasn’t included which was fine. Just could let all that yummy broth the mussels were sitting in go to waste. I’m a bit particular with French fries and these were perfect. I recommend checking this place out. Perfect for solo eating, a date, yap session with friends, etc. I’m not on the UES often but I definitely want to come back and try more of their menu.

Tim Hewitt

Walking into Flex Mussels and you can’t help but notice that this is a bustling neighborhood hotspot. We had a 6pm reservation on a rainy, cold Friday night and the downstairs was already completely full (outside seating included). The ambiance downstairs was chique and buzzing with lots of chatter and music playing. We were taken upstairs to our table where the two of us were accommodated in booth seating for a two person party (will never complain about extra leg room especially in NYC). The upstairs was far more quiet, modest and had more of a kitschy vibe to it- more catered to family diners (which tracked with the clientele largely being sat up there). We ordered wine (of which they have a great selection by the glass and bottle) and ordered food for the table. Our meal consisted of: the burnt fingers, kale salad, far diavola mussel pot, dozen oysters (they have 8 locations to chose from), truffle fries, and housemade donuts. The lows: our oyster ticket was lost somehow and ended up coming out last (more on this later). The kale salad was bright and citrusy, but lacking a bit of umami for me. Perhaps needing more Parmesan or a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity (my GF loved it however). I thought the mussel pot was good, but could have used more herbs and salt. The San Marzano tomatoes were sweet and acidic, but require salt to bring out their true flavor. The highs: I first want to point out the service. Our server checked in on us consistently, especially keeping us updated on the oysters. Once they realized they had lost the ticket, the manager comped half of them and the server offered us wine on the house. Mistakes happen, but it’s about how you respond to them. They handled it perfectly. The donuts and truffle fries are worth the price of admission in their own, and I would go back just to sit and the bar and order them. The oyster variety was diverse and the 4 choices of sauce accented the different varieties well. While not a perfect dining experience, there were things to love and definitely worth going back to. Extra points for the service and the donuts.

+2

Andrea Garcia

This place is a must if you like oysters and mussels. They have different flavors of mussels, we had the Parma which came with a parmigiano cheese cream, shallots, lime, garlic. They were so good. We also had a tuna tiradito which was good too. They have a special menu for oysters from around the Us and you can see and taste the difference. The donuts are also really good specially the salted caramel one. Also they have 2 happy hours, the first at a normal time and one late happy hour which is nice. The restaurant is very nice and the ambiance is very cool, perfect for a night out with friend or a date. Thanks for everything!

+2

Georges Chahwan

Underwhelming Experience at Flex Mussels UES. Visited recently and left feeling the vibe didn't quite match the hype. The food, particularly the Bangkok mussels, was flavorful and tasty, but honestly, nothing extraordinary or show-stopping. Portion sizes were on the small side, and at $32 for the Bangkok mussels (plus an extra $11 for Old Bay fries which, by the way, great on their own but not worth the premium, especially when solid moules and frites are available citywide for around $28), it felt overpriced. Lack of personal touch during our visit added to the underwhelming experience. Worth a visit if you're in the area and craving mussels, but maybe not a must-visit destination. Just something to consider.