Agern

A unique place. Excellent and unusual food, perfect service, quiet. The only negative is the price of wine by the glass, which is much too high. But there is good beer at normal prices.

Portions were too small.

Our small office went to Agern for a staff birthday. All of the food was delicious. For first course, the treviso was great, as was the black bass and the beets. For the main, the arctic char, pork shoulder, and roasted chicken were all hits. We only got 2 desserts - chocolate and blood orange - but love them both. The plates are small, so a 3-course meal is not filling at all. But the flavors are so complex, it's a very satisfying meal. Also, try the non-alcoholic cocktails! The spring tonic, made with ginger beer, was my fave. Others enjoyed the shrubs.

The food was delicious but not enough of it. I am a thin woman, but I left hungry. No one wants to load up on bread, no matter how delicious it is, to feel satiated. There were too many staff members asking us the same questions — drinks, water, ready to order. They were lovely but annoying. The decor is like eating in a cafeteria. Tablecloths and candles and the lights turned down a bit would help. The prices reflect fine dining, and the ambiance should reflect that. Also, 80s punk music at a too-high decibel is not ok. The staff/kitchen might have been grooving on that, but we were not. I won’t go back.

Great food. Booking system and social media presence is broken, so the place doesn’t get traffic. Deserves better.

We had been looking forward to dining at Agern for some time. It did not disappoint! Everything met or exceeded expectations. The tasting menus were very well executed, tasty and beautifully presented. Service was attentive and friendly making us feel very welcome. A true Scandinavian experience!

It didn’t feel as cozy as we had expected. The music was terrible, which cheapened the overall ambiance.

Our 6th time at Agern. Service always outstanding, food outstanding, great wine & other options for drink. This was the first time they didn't send us home with treats - bread & sweets so maybe a change in policy. We will continue to go back!

menu was very strange to me and was challenging to order

Consistently wonderful. One of my favorite restaurants in NYC. Each dish is delicious and surprising and delightful. This time I tried the chicken, and it was perfect. It’s right that straightforward chicken is the best test of a kitchen, and Agern passes superbly!

Delicious lunch. Beef tartare, bass, pork shoulder, Arctic char all delicious! My husband remarked how he wished he could get his sourdough like theirs and they gave him some sour dough starter

Dining at Agern was a wonderful experience from the moment we checked in to the moment we walked out. The service was warm, attentive (without being overbearing), and knowledgeable, and the food was outstanding. Each dish was a delectable work of art. We were celebrating a double birthday and were surprised with takeaway goodies. The ambiance is somehow both lively and soothing at the same time. It is a lovely retreat amid the bustle of Grand Central Station and a worthwhile treat!

Space is simply too noisy and crowded for the price and quality of the food. Food is delicious and thoughtfully conceived. Wine pairings were excellent but costly.

Poorly executed menu. Trying to be far fancier than apparently able to deliver. Portions were laughably small, e.g. two leaves if kale and one tablespoon of spinach next to a piece of fish the size of a child’s wooden block....and about as flavorful. If you get a chance to eat here, pass it up!

Agern is always changing, never disappointing, a bit unusual, creative and elegant! I would recommend everything!

Already knew place had great reputation. Very understated, the tables and chair almost look cafeteria casual until you look carefully at the hand crafted tables and Danish Modern chairs. Service and presentation, and quality of every single morsel served, were exceptional, perfection clearly the goal. While prices were exceptionally high as a result, perfection costs money. Agern is to dining as Georg Jensen is to silver and crystal.

A well hidden gem worth finding!

Interesting food and great service. Been there several times and have really enjoyed the experience each time. Will be back.

My husband and I dined on the tasting menu pre-theatre. The scallops, fish and lobster were
cooked perfectly but somewhat forgettable. My favorite was the duck ( a substitution for venison) as it was tender, flavorful and simply fantastic. My husband kept the venison and he finished it all
despite seldomly eating meat.

Unworthy of its one star at all

The service was terrible. We ordered a bottle of wine and it took the restaurant 30 minutes to tell us that they were out of that wine. They were slow in taking orders and not very attentive. For the price you are paying at this restaurant, you would expect excellent service. The restaurant was not even crowded.

Food portions were small and unimpressive.

Food was outstanding, amazing flavors and beautiful plating.

Service was fair. Different from other restaurants of this price range and level, where you see service very sharp and quick to minor things you may need, this time it took them some time to bring us menu’s, we probably waited around 10 -15 min for the server to stop by again to take our order and we had to flag the person down to ask for things.

We really enjoyed our meal. I wish there were more options on the a la carte menu. The tasting menus looked good but it's just too much.

Agern continues to be a welcome haven in the hustle and bustle of GCT, and NY needs high quality restaurant options in this area. For my second visit, with an invited out of town guest, I found the food delicious, again, but not served hot, and the wines extraordinary (but priced so). The service was extremely attentive, also often missing in NYC eateries, but a bit too much of a production made over choices: too precious. New Yorkers just want to be delivered great food without fanfare by nice and informed staff in pleasant surroundings. The Nordic theme is followed with authenticity (but not over the top) and is also welcomed as a cuisine not offered all that often. Restaurant design is attractive and appealing: Scandinavian modern with lots of blond wood; pleasant, clean and welcoming, including the bathrooms (also critical to foodies). I consider Agern a go-to in midtown and recommend it to others highly despite a few (hopefully isolated) issues.

Staff is a little too pushy and intrusive. I understand that the Lunch is a good deal. As a recent traveler to the Scandinavian countries, I feel this spot is no big deal. It doesn't even approach what you'll find in Denmark or Iceland or Stockholm or Oslo.

Outrageously expensive for a very ordinary lunch.
Would not recommend

Good food and ambience, with great service. Prices are a little high, given the small to moderate portion sizes.

A splurge but worth it!

Food was amazing and the service was good, but it took forever for the food to come out. We got the tasting menu and took almost 2 hours until the main course. Maybe go at a earlier time when it’s slower?

Food is better than service and ambient. Overall, valie os good. Worths a visit.

Historic location provides an intimate ambiance. Portions are consistent with more typical European portions - a good things. Tasteful and well presented. The pork shoulder was delectable but probably wouldn’t get the lobster again - just not my style. If we hadn’t been full, would have tried one of the desserts.

Outstanding in every way. A menu that’s truly inventive, fascinating, and delicious. I wanted everything! And the portions are reasonable.

Superb. Great atmosphere, healthy food but incredible flavor. Conversation worthy.

Always spectacular food with gracious and attentive service.

Food portions very small and expensive! Disappointed!

Always fresh, always outstanding. Not exactly cheap for a business lunch or dinner but definitely recommend. Different from your average Midtown restaurant.

Excellent food and service - we were four for a business lunch which allowed us to order all the appetizers, all the desserts and pick on entree each - a fun format that made the lunch more of a memorable experience. To me, this makes Agern one of the best choices for an upscale, atypical business lunch in the Grand Central area. It is also great for dinner despite being in Grand Central which is not the most obvious locale for a high-quality dinner.

We had a fantastic evening. The tasting menu and wine pairing was very good and the atmosphere wasn´t too formal. We will visit Agern again next time we are in NY!

Wonderful inventive food and very attentive service. The reviews do not disapoint!!