The Library at The Public

The prices are on the high side, but with the member discount they are more reasonable. Service is friendly and accommodating. It is a perfect location for a bite before seeing a show at the Public, but would not consider it to be a destination restaurant.

The Library is a lovely, clubby kind of room with a very talented wait staff. The food, on the other hand is uneven, satisfactory but often lackluster. The convenience and comfort of the restaurant is a serious draw but I think serious thought should be given to improving the menu.

Perfect for dinner before the show. Literally like having dinner in an elegant but cozy library.

A great place to eat before a show downstairs. We ate early (5.30pm) so the ambience was quiet and very relaxed, probably a bit different after a show! Service and staff were great. Food was good - we shared quite a few appetizers to make a meal where we could sample lots of the dishes. Not cheap but its NYC and super-convenient before a show.

I was excited about going to this local place but in fact we ended up going somewhere else. I was never informed that it was a special $90 prix fixe that night, even though my reservation was checked on several times. Decor was a bit tired and worn. Music was sort of a loud frantic collection of unpleasant sound. We were surprised but decided to try to make the best of it. After looking at the menu, which offered a few not very appealing options and several things, brussel sprouts and walnuts, that I really dislike, we decided to chance it and try to find another place to eat. Staff was lovely but everything else was a unfortunately a big disappointment.

From the specialty drinks to the salads and main course all of the tastes were on point and service was excellent! We called because traffic was heavy and we got to our waiting table 15 minutes late and everyone was very nice! Great hidden gem!

Some of the most delicious food I've had. The service and staff are fantastic. Great ambiance.

Service was awful. Waited 20 minutes before a waiter filled our glasses, and then another 20 minutes for our first drinks. We asked for some aioli for our fries twice and we never received. There weren’t even many people at the restaurant. The food was great but the service was horrible.

Went for a late Tuesday night dinner during restaurant week. Burger was fantastic. Fish and chips were pretty good. Cocktails on point though a little pricey. Service was excellent.

Great gathering spot pre/post theater..nice ambience, good vibe, excellent service

Loved it. Great food. Great Ambience. the service was teriffic.

If you are expecting to “dine,” don’t bother with this place. It’s really a basic bar, not posh at all despite its advertisements, and strange overpriced menu. Odd entree choices like $34 Spanish octopus, and $24 burgers. Wine list deplorable. This is a pass!!!

No diners were here for good reason. We left and went across the street to Lafayette and had a lovely time.

Can be quite good at times with the occasional quality lapse. Lobster rolls now off the menu were overrated and overpriced. The menu in general is a bit overpriced but if you're a member of Public, the discount helps considerably. Servers are pleasant and atmosphere is clubby and nice. French fries are worth the price of admission.

We sat for almost an hour waiting for food
Ind dish cold had to be reheated...other was burger..grisly and tasteless
Very pricey for mediocre food and terrible service
They comped glass of wine..should have comped dinner

The Library at The Public doesn't have to be as good as it is. It has a potentially captive audience - patrons of the excellent performance space - with a 20% discount for contributors. The drinks are delicious, the beers are interesting, and the food cannot be faulted. The service is friendly and competent.

There's no reason to eat at The Library unless you have tickets to see a show at the Public Theater. But we did, and it was perfect. We had a lively and informative conversation with the couple at the next table.

Ideal location for dining when we have a show at the Public. Terrific hamburgers but steak special for the day was just OK. And why so many french fries????

Very comfortable room with great service. But the food is ridiculously overpriced and mediocre. The cheapest thing on the menu is a $23 burger which was over cooked and dry. The fries, however, were great.

Love the atmosphere and service. One of our dishes -- the cauliflower cassoulet -- was a bit of a disappointment. Portion quite small and it wasn't interesting; moreover, too much cornstarch. On the other hand, we very much liked the caesar salad. Overall, I find the prices a little high (two tacos for $15?) but on the other hand, appreciate the convenience of eating at The Public right before the show. Again, the service is wonderful, as is the setting.

Not bad for Members of the Public, who get a 20% discount, otherwise, it is expensive. Roast Chicken dish was steaming hot and tasty. The Tagliatelle was lukewarm but flavorful. It took a long time to place the order and receive our meals. Pre-theater, the place is packed. Make a reservation!

Lovely place....I do find the prices somewhat high (for not particularly large portions) but the membership discount helped somewhat. Our server was really excellent. It was on a Monday when the theaters weren't having performances, so it was quite quiet (a rare treat).

My friend and I shared a large burger, cooked to perfection and made of wonderful beef. I only wish I had enough of an appetite to order my own and have the full pleasure.
Wether before or after a show at The Public, The Library its an excellent choice.

Always my favorite pre-theater restaurant and of course at my favorite theatrical home

Birthday dinner... everyone loved what they ordered. I ordered the spanish octopus with potatoes for entree and it was delicious!!

THE LIBRARY is the ideal dining spot for anyone planning to attend a show at The Public Theater. The room is comfortable - though it tends to get a bit noisy (not overwhelming, but far from intime), the service is polite and efficient, the food is better than average and agreeably priced.

Possibly the best thing about The Library is it's convenient access to The Public. And the best thing about The Public is ..... Buy your tickets and find out for yourself. But first, have dinner at The Library...it's so restful not to have to worry about getting to The Public in time!

wonderful f fries but so many I had to leave some as they got cold.

we were warned that rare burger would be raw, so ordered medium, but that was too well done.
need to calibrate description with real doneness.

only book it when time pressured or inclement weather...prices outrageous for ok food...2 hamburgers and 2 glasses of wine and 1 fish and chips cost $125 after a 20% discount

I love The Library but things were a little off this time for our pre theater dinner. Firstly, when i gave my name to check into our reservation I was told "you're already here!" and some confusion reigned as the maitre d' realised she had given our table to someone with a similar name. Eventually we were seated and the food was fine but the menu is in desperate need of a refresh. When you're a member of The public and dine here 5 or 6 times a year for several years, you soon long for something different... or maybe even a special or two? Overall pleasant, but not special.

Great choice before any performances at the Public. I miss the wonderful lobster rolls but the burger is great with its mountain of French fries!! Pity there are no interesting coffees like latte and cappuccino, only ordinary caf or decaf.

Great service

Public theatre membership plus!!!

The food was very good this time, and the service was really excellent—friendly and attentive but not intrusive. The problem is that the menu is so limited and changes so infrequently that it always feels tired. I’m a fish lover, but I can’t bring myself to order the fish again here. They always seem dreary. The pastas, however, are dependable. Excellent bar.

We enjoyed our pre-theater dinner. Food was delicious and service was excellent!

Excellent!!!!

An excellent pre- or post- theater choice. The staff was warm and welcoming. The food was delicious but the portions were too large.

Impeccable service, varied and always wonderful menu, and ideal for pre- theatre dining at the Public. A total pleasure.

Excellent service, delicious meal...what more can you ask for? The food is relatively unfussy which we love and the portions were substantial, although maybe a bit too many french fries! We love coming here.

Very good service- kind staff; tasty food and drinks. Trout wasn’t great but loved the charcuterie, cavatelli, and beet salad, and apple crumble!

Best reason to go here is convenience if you're going to a show at Joe's Pub. Nice atmosphere, good food. On the expensive side with appetizers $12-$18 and main courses in the $30+ range. Drinks are expensive too. $18 for a cocktail and glasses of wine $14-$22.

Beet salad is particularly good.

The menu is very limited, the service not very good and the prices much more expensive than they are on their menu online. I had a $23 hamburger which is listed at $18 on line. I would not recommend this restaurant.