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  • Thelma on Clinton

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Reserve at Thelma on Clinton

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Thelma on Clinton
Thelma on Clinton

Thelma on Clinton Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://thelmaonclinton.com/
  • Phone: (212) 979-8471
  • Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday: 5:30pm-12:00am
    Friday: 5:30pm-1:00am
    Saturday: 11:00am-1:00am
    Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: American, Contemporary French / American, Gastro Pub
  • Executive Chef: Melissa O'Donnell
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Counter Seating, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
  • Catering: Please contact us at: thelmaonclinton@gmail.com
  • Private Party Facilities: Thelma on Clinton is the perfect venue for an intimate private party. We accommodate 44 people for a sit down dinner or 65 people for a cocktail party. Please contact the restaurant for additional information and menus. Chef Melissa O'Donnell looks forward to tailoring your party and menu to suit your particular needs.
  • Private Party Contact: Melissa O'Donnell (212) 979-8471
  • Special Events & Promotions: Please contact us at: thelmaonclinton@gmail.com

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Houston and Stanton
  • Public Transit: F train Delancey stop or Second Avenue stop.
    JMZ train Essex stop
  • Parking: Street Parking
A word from Thelma on Clinton
Thelma on Clinton is Chef Melissa O'Donnell's latest New American restaurant. Named after her grandmother, the restaurant focuses on small plates and eclectic flavors.

"In keeping with a from-the-heart-and-home mentality, O’Donnell will also be debuting several “from scratch” offerings:… A new smoker will turn out house-kippered salmon, and charcuterie gets a makeover with merguez sausage with labne and mint and a seasonally tweaked rabbit terrine with juniper, allspice, and bacon. And above all, O’Donnell’s menu will draw from the cultural diversity of the neighborhood without straying too far from her deeply-rooted, straightforward approach to cooking. “In my heart of hearts I’m a minimalist,” she says. “I always have been. I don’t like to make things complicated. It’s one of the reasons I originally named Salt ‘Salt.’”- The Village VoiceContinued
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Diner Reviews
  • "Thelma on Clinton is a local gem. Fairly new, the food is delicious, a small menu, perfectly done. I have yet to eat something I don't love: cod with fennel, yummy cauliflower soup with mushrooms...The owner, Melissa, is wonderful: there, hosting, smiling. Service is solid. The space is big enough, but cozy so you feel you could hang for hours. Great bar too, by the way. Side note -- most of the menu is naturally gluten free, with the restaurant aware of how to make it safe for celiacs. (thank you!)"
    Dined on 5/30/2014
  • "It is a rare experience when everything delivered to the table is outstanding and that is exactly what happened at Thelma on Clinton. Not to be missed!"
    Dined on 5/21/2014
  • "Nice place. Unremarkable brunch food. My frittata tasked like it was warmed up in a microwave, not fresh. My companions french toast was burnt. The overcharge for tea ($6)."
    Dined on 5/4/2014
  • "After reading a lot of good reviews on Yelp we thought we would try out this restaurant before heading off to a Birthday party in the neighborhood. We spent 2 over two hours on what should have been a simple meal, appetizers took 40 minutes- a pickled egg and chicken liver mousse. In Brooklyn the same "New American" fare is served at better temperature within 10 minutes. I was really disappointed in our waiter, who didn't refill our water the whole time we were there and I barely got a second cocktail. The restaurant seemed very understaffed. My salmon was luke warm, and a tiny portion, which I begrudged, having sat an hour and a half to get it. The only quick part of being here was getting the check. Not worth leaving Williamsburg for. "
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "Thelma on Clinton is currently getting it right. Go, and--whilst I am a meat lover-- feel safe to invite a Vegetarian friend."
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "The food was great but because of the small kitchen we were forced to get the tasting menu. Everything was amazing and the wine and service were great but there was simply not enough of the food and it was sporadic. Great place for couple not so much for a large party!"
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "Terrific food (I particularly loved the cauliflower soup with truffle, onion risotto and bacon wrapped dates), cool atmosphere and friendly staff. I'll definitely be going back."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "This was my second visit to Thelma on Clinton. I had the smoked duck breast when I ate here the last time and that's all I had been thinking about since. I was returning to NYC with a friend and I convinced her that we had to make this our dinner spot. We got the short ribs and two orders of duck since I wasn't going to share. After finishing her own plate, my friend agreed that sharing wouldn't have been the best idea. I'm sure I'll get around to trying everything on the menu eventually but the duck will always be the first thing I order."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "On paper Thelma's sounds great-- a cosy neighbourhood spot with a varied small plates menu at a reasonable price. In practice, there were some problems, including a friendly but somewhat distracted server, an incredibly noisy room, and extremely crowded tables (it's NYC, I know...). We had a very generous tasting menu that was excellent in places but went from very rich to excessively rich. Some freshness, acidity and variety would have been appreciated. Easy on the truffle oil and salt. The risotto, however was excellent, and we enjoyed the monkfish and short ribs."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "Tiny restaurant, but cozy and the food was great. I would definitely recommend going now when you can still get a reservation - I predict that it will become very popular."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "I picked this restaurant not really knowing anything about it but it was awesome in every aspect. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was fun and the music was great. The server could not have been nicer. Overall an excellent experience. I plan to come back to this restaurant the next time I am in the city. In fact, I may go in just to go there!"
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "A little pricey since its easy to over order, but very good food and service. Love the short ribs"
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "After enjoying the cauliflower with truffle soup, I counted the days until I could return for another serving. It didn't disappoint, nor did any of the other delightful plates I enjoyed."
    Dined on 3/19/2014
  • "We picked this restaurant for two couples who recently relocated to NY to meet up. Subway delays had both parties delayed and the staff were most gracious about how late we were for our reservation. It is a tiny little place with a very small open kitchen. Amazing and impressive what they crank out with consistent quality. We enjoyed the restaurant and happily recommend it."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "I love this place. The food is delicious. It's intimate, cozy, and simply put, a really great place to have dinner. We didn't feel rushed, it never got too crowded, they weren't blasting music and the service was attentive... Nothing short of a miracle on a Sat night! Also, they can make anything gluten free which is awesome. My only complaint is that the chicken was a little dry, but we didn't eat it as soon as it hit the table so it may have dried out. I would skip the chicken, but the goat cheese, bacon wrapped dates, brussels sprouts and cauliflower soup were all awesome. The prices are fair too. The menu at a glance seems like it would be a 'foodie only' type place, but it's not. The dishes are accessible and we felt very comfortable!"
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "Thelma is a fabulous find- excellent French country cooking such as short ribs with marrow or duck confiit, and with the occasional Asian twist such as chicken breast poached in soy. Excellent reasonable wine list, lovely staff and charming chef owner onhand most evenings going it a warm personal touch. Hard to go wrong at this lovely place."
    Dined on 3/4/2014
  • "Thelma's serves top notch food in an unpretentious manner. Cocktails were well crafted and service was excellent. The spare ribs were to die for and our lamb shank was cooked perfectly with the merguez sausage added a nice piquancy. I would definitely recommend this gem."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "Thelma was amaaaaazing! Every dish we tried (we tried many) was better than the previous delicious bite, which just seemed impossible. Run!!! Don't walk and try Thelma on Clinton asap. I loved it. And so did my husband. Enjoy!"
    Dined on 2/19/2014
  • "Their food and cocktails had excellent and complex flavors. The ribs and cauliflower were particularly exceptional. Menu was interesting with good variety."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Was very excited to try this new place out. Ordered a salad with arugula, they wanted to go down to the corner store to buy some. Food was very rich. Not happy with the food at all"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "My wife and I had a delicious meal with great cocktails on Valentines Day."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "I really loved the food and the service at Thelma's. However, I have an issue when restaurants with open kitchens can't figure out their ventilation and exhaust system and at times all the fumes and smells and hot air gets blown into the seating area. Once they figure that out and you don't smell like you sat next to the stove all the time, it'll be super!"
    Dined on 2/12/2014
  • "Thelma on Clinton is the type of place that I love to discover. It has a very inviting and cozy atmosphere, very friendly staff, beautiful bar area, and outstanding food. I went for dinner with friends the other night and we ordered about 98% of the small dishes on the menu. Every single one was fantastic and unique. We re-ordered a bunch and then devoured all three desserts on the menu. You can't go wrong with this one."
    Dined on 2/3/2014
  • "The owner and chef from Salt Bar created an upgraded dining experience. Thelma is perfect for sharing really well thought out small plates. We had the bacon wrapped dates, risotto, codfish, pickles, chicken liver page, and bread pudding, and they were all delicious. The ambience is warm, cost and romantic, and the service was quick, knowledgeable and friendly. We are looking forward to going back soon."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "Creative menu, great casual atmosphere -- check it out before it gets crowded!"
    Dined on 1/14/2014
  • "We had a great meal. One meat eater and one vegetarian - we essentially tried all the veggie dishes and shared, and both of us were happy. The cauliflower soup was amazing, kippered salmon (for the meat eater) was great and not something you can get just anywhere. I got a hot apple cider-y cocktail, and it hit the spot. They had a warm goat cheese in a mini mason jar that we loved. The kind of place where you might strike up conversation with the person next to you."
    Dined on 1/4/2014
  • "Friendly staff, good food and great atmosphere for having some drinks after dinner is done."
    Dined on 6/22/2013
  • "Went there on a weekday, and it was really nice! Great drinks and food and very laid back atmosphere! My new favorite!"
    Dined on 5/14/2013
  • "I really wanted to like this place. It has a friendly, modern pub feel to it. Unfortunately, they don't really have a kitchen, to the limited menu is prepared behind the bar. The chicken dish was smothered in salt (ironically) and vinegar, barely edible. The beef wellington was decent, but not great. The dates were good, but $12 for six small dates was not worth it. Service. Hmmm. The waitress was nice, but not very attentive and she seemed very shy and uncertain with things. It was a very odd experience. One thing to note, there is no exhaust in the kitchen area, so be prepared to smell like the restaurant after you leave. Still can't get the smell out of the clothes."
    Dined on 2/23/2013
  • "I loved the atmosphere. I was particularly happy to see so many gluten-free options, though they were out of gluten-free flat bread crust when I was there. I had the special tacos (butternut squash, yum) and split the bacon wrapped scallops (yum!). You can't beat $1 oysters, had to start with 1/2 dozen of those! I'd definitely go back."
    Dined on 2/14/2013
  • "Have been to Salt a few times. Love the beef Welington normally but on Valentines day they burned it. We also had a waitress who poured our bottle of wine heavy I know this is a tactic servers have to get you to order another bottle. We didn't mind that so much. But when we wanted another it took 15 min to get her attention as they we2re fully booked and seemingly understaffed. Over all I say get yourself here on all days but holidays. Great atmosphere great food (especially beef wellington and bacon wrapped figs)Decently priced wine a real win 98% of the time."
    Dined on 2/14/2013
  • "Cracking menu topped off with a great selection of wine and cocktails."
    Dined on 12/31/2012
  • "Overall good food. Nice ambiance. Not sure I'd go back, but a nice dinner for one night. Prices more reasonable than other places in the neighborhood."
    Dined on 12/31/2012
  • "Small cozy restaurant with communal tables and bar. Friendly and accommodating staff. Our food was good but on the salty side. Prices are moderate between $20-25. I'd recommend this place more for small groups over drinks paired cheese and charcuterie."
    Dined on 12/28/2012
  • "My girlfriend and I attended Salt Bar for the dollar oysters and we were not disappointed. They were excellent as was my guiness and her prosecco. Waiter was very friendly and attentive. Cozy interior. We got there early enough so it was not too crowded. Will certainly be back."
    Dined on 12/22/2012
  • "I am a regular and love this place. Consistently excellent wine list and cheese and charcuterie plate. The bacon wrapped dates are also highly recommended. And of course, don't miss the $1 oysters! It's cozy and fairly quiet - a great place for a romantic date or time with girlfriends."
    Dined on 10/26/2012
  • "We were there on a Tues nite & it was very quiet. The appetizers were very good and we loved the fish tacos."
    Dined on 6/26/2012
  • "Great on a spring or summer night thanks to open floor to ceiling windows lining the front. Great lighting, decor and vibe, despite the centrally located kitchen comprised of hot plates and creative usage of limited space."
    Dined on 5/4/2012
  • "The food is more 'nibble and graze' than dinner out. The wine list per glass is very average for the area - only 4 or 5 average wines for both red and white. The food we did have was good (not great). The flat bread selection was interesting but again good, not great. I'd go again for the noisy, energetic vibe, but not the food or wine."
    Dined on 3/30/2012
  • "I came with an intimate group of friends for a celebration. The moment I decided salt bar was where I wanted to go, I just felt it was the right fit. I wasn't wrong. The $1 oysters were fabulous and the atmosphere, both personal and fun. The staff is wonderful and the rest of our dinner shined as well. There are few places in the city with the intimate and delicious flavor this place has."
    Dined on 2/25/2012
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