Duo

New York, New York, United States

Duo Restaurant

Duo is an American restaurant located in NYC on Madison between 27th and 28th. The restaurant was somewhat unique. The chairs were quite large and comfortable, the decor was upscale and modern with a hint of renaissance (large paintings on the walls), and there was a DJ playing trace/lounge music. Their menus were also unique - they were backlit! When you opened them up, the menu was well illuminated (which was great since it was a bit dark in the restaurant). The dishes were all presented beautifully and were quite good. My only complaint about the atmosphere was that it was very noisy. This might not be a good place for a romantic date, but a good place to hang out with friends.

Dress

Smart casual

Cost

Entrees ranged from $30-$50, and appetizers from about $15-$20. We visited during restaurant week where a 3-course menu was available for $35.

Reservations

Reservations are a good idea - it was full when we visited on a Friday evening.

Items Ordered

Beet Carpaccio

Beet Carpaccio

The beet carpaccio was mostly a lettuce salad with a few thin slices of beet underneath. The goat cheese fritters are the 3 balls at the bottom of the plate. They were warm and crispy. There wasn't anything special about the salad, although it did look pretty.

Forest Mushroom Ravioli

Forest Mushroom Ravioli

The ravioli appetizer had two large ravioli noodles covered in a creamy mushroom sauce. The ravioli went surprisingly well with the blueberries, but otherwise were nothing special.

Grilled Filet Mignon

Grilled Filet Mignon

The Filet Mignon had an additional $10 fee, but probably wasn't worth it. It was an OK steak but was a bit tougher than we were expecting. The Bordeaux sauce was good, but otherwise there wasn't anything special about the steak. The little pieces of veggies on top looked pretty but didn't add anything to this dish.

Pan Seared Salmon

Pan Seared Salmon

This salmon is probably one of the best salmons I have ever had. The purple rice was a very dark purple, looked pretty, and went remarkably well with the salmon. I usually find fish very bland, but the soy lemongrass sauce and lemon-ginger confit were very flavorful and gave the salmon a very fresh flavor.

Desserts - Chocolate and Tiramisu

Desserts

Like the other items at Duo, the desserts looked very pretty. They were both shaped like short cylinders. The chocolate mousse was fairly dense and quite chocolatey. The tiramisu was fantastic. The cream was soft and airy but still very flavorful.