One of the fine dining places I took my mother and niece was the gorgeous Dowling’s at The Carlyle. They have several dining room options at The Carlyle, all beautifully decorated and unique on its own way, making the decision difficult. I went with the Dowling’s at The Carlyle since we needed the real lunch options, and it was perfect for it. We did get to see another dining room, The Gallery, which was connected to the Dowling’s. It looks like a museum in there, golden and intricate.

There is a small room in between The Gallery and Dowling’s at The Carlyle, called The Champagne Bar at Dowling’s. As the name suggests, I could see bottles of Champagne and other fancy bottles…

The dining room of Dowling’s at The Carlyle is quite magnificent. Again, it looks like a different kind of museum or gallery. It had super high ceilings, and you could spend a good hour looking at all the art pieces on the wall. We were planning to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after lunch, so this put us all in the perfect “art mood” (if such thing exists).

As soon as we got settled and placed our orders in, a staff brought two complimentary breads for the four of us. It was absolutely delicious, one of the best complimentary breads I’ve ever had! We were not super hungry, but we devoured the bread… My hubby had to have the coffee fix (LOL) so he ordered Coffee (Small/$9). It came with all kinds of sugar and a side of milk. All nice and shiny.

For food, the one of us had Faroe Island Salmon ($39), made with Fennel Crust, Cannellini Beans, Kale, and Dill Oil. The fillet was a nice size, with almost crispy exterior and juicy, flakey inside. The kale underneath was cooked just right, had a little bite to it, adding the different textures to the dish. The sauce on the bottom was great too, balanced out the sweetness of the salmon and the bitterness of the kale.

I was too weak to resist the dish with their name on it, especially since the dish was a burger… I ordered their Carlyle Burger ($35), made with Artisanal Brioche Bun, Pickled Relish, and Cheddar, served with Fries. It came with loads and loads of fries, and they were crispy and potato-y, very addictive! The burger patty was cooked nicely, super juicy and packed with flavor! The bun were fluffy and soft, yet able to hold all that ingredients in between! Veggies were fresh and I enjoyed the bit of acidity from the pickles that complimented the sweetness of the juicy meat. My goodness! We also wondered if they make their own ketchup, as it was quite tasty too.

The other two decided to go with Croque Madame ($32), made with French Bistro Ham, Sauce Mornay, Parmesan, and Sunnyside-Up Egg. It came with a side of fresh salad. The egg was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was amazing on this. The quality of the ham was really nice, every bite was satisfying.

We added a couple of side dishes for the table as well. Heritage Bacon ($12), and Truffle Fries ($20). Yes, I was the one who had to have the truffle fries… The entire table enjoyed the fries, so it was all good! Four strips of bacon came in the order, which was great since there were four of us. They were as juicy as they look… And again, the ketchup was tasty!

The bathroom is through the The Gellery, severl steps up to a hallway. You will see two doors, one with a tall hat and walking stick for men, and one with a profile of a lady, for women.

Inside the bathroom was as pretty as the restaurant. The wall, ceiling, floor, artworks, and the fancy paper towels with their logo on them. Very clean, well lit, and always nice to have a few stalls.

I had a high expectation for Dowling’s at The Carlyle, and they did not disappoint! The service was excellent, we were well taking care of from the beginning to the end. One of the staff even offered to take some photos of us, which was really sweet! The food was delicious, we all enjoyed everything we ordered. We were all very full, we did not have any room for dessert, which was sad… We just have to go back there again!

Dowling’s at The Carlyle – 35 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021