Catch NYC
Restaurant · West Village
21 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014
Highlights
Seafood-focused, three-level eatery with creative dishes & rooftop
Seafood-focused, three-level eatery with creative dishes & rooftop
"From the first announcements and the co-owner conversations, the opening carried the inevitable chain questions — I even asked the pointed, “Why open in Dallas?” — and co-owner Eugene Remm leaned on the Aspen steakhouse iteration as the style this location would emulate, noting that a number of customers in Aspen are folks from Dallas with second homes; his answers “weren’t great,” and when pressed he offered: “For me personally, when you can look in a market and see restaurants full in the early days of the week and not just Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with affluent individuals, people who [work in] business, sports, and fashion — all different types of industries — that’s exciting to me,” Remm says. The room itself blends elements of a nightlife party spot, the more sophisticated steakhouse iterations, and a family-friendly dining scene (there was a table with a toddler celebrating a birthday and a professional athlete dining with a posse), and a manager who has opened locations in NYC, Miami, Aspen, and Dallas described this iteration as a wine-forward, more adult, chill “3.0” that reflects how leadership has matured since 2011. The menu is straightforward — steaks, seafood, and pasta — solid, comforting fine-dining food with few surprises; the standout savory dish for me was a last-minute chopped wedge salad that abandons the usual steakhouse approach and arrived fragrant from a dressing with sesame seed oil, still-crackling bacon, and freshly cooked crispy shallots. Drinks skew most individual here: the wine vault holds between 600 and 700 bottles with “loads and loads of nerdy options,” assembled by head sommelier Ben Reynolds (whose résumé includes Pappas Brothers and Nick & Sam’s), and there is even an entire page of Napa Valley Cabernets because that is what many diners here prefer. There are some careful naming choices — a gin cooler listed as “makrut” rather than the better-known kaffir (kaffir being an ethnic slur in South Africa) — but also missteps, such as a pornstar martini remaining on the list despite that cocktail’s development in the early 2000s and the industry’s well-documented history of sexism and abuse. Desserts are a true highlight: tables ordered the “Hit Me” Chocolate Cake — a house-made Klondike bar you tap until it splits open atop three layers of chocolate cake — and the Carnival, a ferris wheel of ricotta-stuffed beignets with an array of dipping sauces; I chose the Kakigori that night, made with frozen and shaved strawberries, mascarpone, and drops of graham cracker atop crushed ice to emulate a strawberry shortcake, and it acted as a spectacular moment on the table. Ultimately, the restaurant offers high-touch service and a reliable, wine-forward experience that feels good value for money, with clear opportunities to be adventurous and splurge if you want to." - Courtney E. Smith
"Ever since my rookie year, a trip to NY or LA required a trip to Catch and now it’s become a staple ever since I moved to New York. Rushing out of MSG after a win to get to Catch is always worth it. Sushi is my favorite food and orders of the Catch roll and Hellfire rolls are both ordered immediately. Cannot miss the truffle sashimi which always requires multiple orders throughout the meal. The crispy shrimp and chicken bao buns round out the opening course hit list." - andrew steinthal
"Catch was once the place to go for a Page Six mention, or at least to spot a model and a D-list celebrity sharing rainbow sashimi pizza. Fast forward a decade or so and even the Housewives refuse to show face at the Meatpacking clubstaurant. But Catch is still plenty busy, and the flashy Pan-Asian food is better than expected for a place that runs primarily on reputation. If a client insists on going to a recognizable spot in the area, you could do much worse. The key to having a good night at Catch the restaurant is by avoiding Catch the rooftop, where you'll need to opt for bottle service or a bouncer's approval to get inside after 10pm. Instead, sit in the swanky, farmhouse-chic dining room on the second floor. The space retains some of the rooftop’s clubby elements, especially the noise level—good luck hearing anything said across your sushi platter. But after-work meetups, grown-up birthday dinners, and even a few strollers keep the Catch dinner scene relatively tame these days. photo credit: Catch NYC photo credit: Catch NYC photo credit: Catch NYC Ordering at Catch requires as much strategy as navigating the seating situation. The menu has no fewer than a dozen dishes with a truffle component, and flavored aiolis overpower many of Catch's sushi rolls. The meal may take your taste buds back to 2012, but not everything is cringey. An over-the-top whole snapper is Catch's best and biggest showpiece. It arrives crispy, upright, and with its mouth agape. And despite being drenched in a rich chili garlic sauce, the tempura-like crust clings to the fish like a group of barnacles. There may never be an admirable reason to eat $35 surf-and-turf sushi at Catch, but there are ways to enjoy the restaurant if you end up going. So when a client who’s a little bummed you didn’t fly them to Vegas suggests this place, lean into the spectacle and crowd-pleasing seafood until (or after) you get that account. Food Rundown Rainbow Sashimi Pizza This combination of words may cause mid-aughts panic. It almost sent us straight back down the elevator into the familiar embrace of our favorite sushiya. But the tuna, salmon, and hamachi spread on a paper-thin wheat crust, with yes, truffle-tomato aioli on top, is pretty good. Wagyu Surf & Turf Roll Your server will try very hard to sell you on this roll. As they list off all of the ingredients—wagyu, lobster that came of age in Maine, truffle aioli, potato, ponzu, chimichurri, tempura flakes—you might be tempted to order it just to conclude the interaction. Don’t give in. It’s like a rich kid’s version of a kitchen sink meal, and a tragic waste of wagyu. photo credit: Catch NYC Catch Roll Catch wisely lends its name to this roll and not the aforementioned wagyu monster. It’s topped with salmon that's just barely seared on top, and a drizzle of miso honey sauce to complement the sweet crab without overpowering it. This is a relatively simple roll compared to the rest of the list, and that’s why it's our favorite. photo credit: Catch NYC Lobster Macaroni Most lobster macaroni tends to be a creamy, thick heartburn hazard, but this one is about 50% percent breadcrumbs, and then it's coated in a thin layer of shiny cheese sauce. Unlike a steakhouse mac, this is light enough to not weigh down the rest of the seafood on the table. Miso Cod Lettuce Cups A retro dish we endorse. The lettuce cups come with whole chunks of cod rather than a chopped filling, and the buttery fish has a noticeable miso flavor. Crispy Whole Snapper The large-format dishes change from time to time. But spring into action if you see this whole fried fish with its mouth agape and patches of crispy crust that give it a fossilized look. The fish is tender and covered with a spicy-ish, fennel-laden sauce. And it's possible you’ll notice it on several other tables while walking to your seat. The Carnival Catch is more fun when you go big, so you should definitely order this two-foot-tall wheel of ricotta donuts, even if you're only with one other person. They come with a chocolate dipping sauce, and cute little squeeze bottles of jam, frosting, and caramel sauce that you can inject directly into the donuts." - Neha Talreja
"If you wanted to know where Catch currently lands in the culture, it most recently had a moment on RHONY when two housewives bailed on a dinner invitation there because “It’s not 2005, and I’m not a D-List model.” The models are actually long gone, but the place still stays packed on weekends, now with birthday groups and tourists who recognize the name from old issues of In Touch. Come here for a decent crab roll and a view of the Hudson, but don't expect to leave with your self-respect intact." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja
"Yes, this early ‘10s model haunt (and Real Housewives favorite) is a little annoying, but we don’t actually hate it. The three-story restaurant comprises the original Catch, which focuses on sushi and seafood, Catch Steak, and the Catch Roof, where people sometimes party glamorously after dinner. Catch first came on the scene in 2011, which means there’s a little too much truffle on the menu, but if you avoid ordering anything too over-the-top, you can enjoy a decent seafood-centered dinner and impeccable service. Go for the blue crab roll, seared tuna, and just one showpiece item: the big wheel of donuts for dessert. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, matt tervooren
