Nectar

I don’t know why this place has a 3.5 rating, this is my fave diner in NYC. Seems like most of the bad reviews are about food being overpriced. Sure, a brekky might be ~$30 w/ tip but I’m not sure what people are expecting. It’s the Upper East Side a few blocks from the Met… of course it’s going to be pricier than your average joint in Arkansas. Regarding the quality of the food… If you’re looking for the next viral Gen Z TikTok-able cutting edge brunch spot, don’t come here. But if you’re in the mood for a good ol fashioned American breakfast, this is a great place. Insanely good sausages and hash potatoes + French toast. Nonstop refills of normal coffee. All the servers and waiters etc are super nice. Highly recommend!!

We were at The Met Museum and wanted to have a nice lunch since they are renovating the cafeteria type restaurant. We were told to check out Nectar and were warned it was overpriced. They were right! I know it’s upper east side on Madison Ave but please! Our server was friendly but the food was average. A veggie burger didn’t come with anything on the side except a weird tasting pickle and some slaw, and was $15. The filling of the spanicopita (Spinach Pie) was delicious but the flakey Filo crust tasted off and was a bit over baked. Hers was $34!! Fool me once, shame on you. I wont be going back.

This is a far-flung outpost of the great legions of Queens Diners. But it's two blocks away from the Met. This is a slice not only of cheesecake but of an old New York that is slowly vanishing. The wait staff is super attentive, the menu is classic Greek diner with Greek specialties and encyclopedic scope. The Greek salad had superb feta, pungent anchovies, and fresh crisp lettuce and tomatoes even on a hot and humid day. The lemon Greek dressing is homemade and not off a food service contract. My wife had the hanger steak which was probably marinating and was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. I almost ate her dinner for her. Well the prices aren't cheap, the value for the dollar is exceptional. It is sitting on some of the most expensive real estate in Manhattan. After hours of impressions of the impressionists and arm wrestling arms and armor, this the shortest distance to rest tired feet and revel in another New York icon. Kali Orexi!

Randomly stumbled across this restaurant after theMet. Incredibly friendly and fast getting us our food. Which, was incredible! You need to get the warmed goat cheese, and turkey salad! And their sourdough toast does not disappoint!

This place is AH-MAZING!!!! I went with some friends after our visit at the met museum which was a great pick-me up and we had a great time. The food, the cleanliness and the service was a 10/10. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure our experience was good. 🩷

I visited Nectar for a late breakfast before heading to the Met. I ordered the BBQ half chicken and the penne pasta. Unfortunately, the chicken was undercooked – there was visible blood on the bone, and it had a strong bloody smell that made it very unpleasant to eat. While I understand and respect the practice of tipping for good service and food, I was quite disappointed to see a 20% gratuity automatically added to the bill, especially given the quality of the food we received. This experience left me very dissatisfied, and I hope the restaurant takes this kind of feedback seriously.

A little crowded but generally great. The kids menu has the best burger!! But it is a lot for one kid. A full good meal!

Nice place for soup and coffee Nancy and George in the front do a good job Georgia, Siobhan the servers were very helpful. 64 tables it gets packed some comments say it’s pricey, but it’s a real New York diner, and a lot more reasonable than the food in the nearby Met Museum.

As a Texan I needed to find a breakfast spot like Nectar as the portions were perfect, the menu had a wide variety, and the service was fast! This is a great spot to come to in the East Village as it just feels like a really great spot for eavesdropping on New Yorker conversations. Nectar is the spot that you can tell has some loyal diehards that come here. I could hear and see the waitstaff say hi to their regulars and get them their drinks and order in before folks could get settled in their seat. Seeing this just made this spot even more of a special spot for me on my trip to NY. Price wise I thought the menu items were on par with NY pricing. The portions here are generous so be ready to eat. Coffee is piping hot and delicious and they even have small stickers on their silverware packaging (that's how you know it's sanitized!) with their brand/name on it. You got to come here for the ambiance alone. It is a cool spot to have your breakfast and coffee after having an early morning at the art museum near by.

Stop here before you head to the Met! Brunch food was delicious especially the pancakes, the perfect sunny side up eggs and the homemade strawberry and peach jam.

Nice menu with many options. Seating is tight but the staff is friendly and efficient. Food is good, a bit pricy.

Staff very nice. Food is good. I had a nice Sunday brunch And nice to have a terrace.

How does a $13 hamburger become a $17 hamburger? Only In New York City! Late breakfast early lunch with wife and Yelper Marianne W in Manhattan. Ordered a hamburger, with the menu price of $13. Underneath the words "deluxe hamburger includes fries, lettuce, pickle, coleslaw and tomato". The hamburger arrived with a half pound patty, a large portion of fries, half a dozen leaves of lettuce, and a tasteless sliced tomato. The patty was cooked perfectly to medium, juicy and relatively lean. Not much taste, as no sauce, no pickle and no sliced raw onions, something you expect in a $13 hamburger. And no cole slaw. At my wife's feet is the next table's Labrador Poodle who's not as picky, and will eat any dropped burger, even bland burger. The fries came unsalted, or more likely with large granular salt that rapidly fell off the fries. No salt, no taste. Marianne ordered a $10.50 two well fried eggs, buttered toast, and sweet potato fries replacing hashed potatoes, $2 extra. She would eat the fried eggs on the pieces of toast, something new to me. Excellent service, excellent ambiance with OK food. Bill arrives, and the $13 hamburger on the menu becomes a $17 hamburger on the bill. The $13 burger is bun with patty only, without pickle, lettuce, tomatoes, fries. Even a bare bones McDonald's burger comes with bun, patty, sauce, grated onions, and sliced pickle. Who ever heard of a burger with only a patty? Snookered again in New York City!

A very cute diner just a block down from the MET. Very delicious food, but truly cannot justify it for the prices. I can get the same quality and amount for a fraction of the price at many other restaurants. Would only recommend if you need something fast after a long day at the MET and don't care about the price. Will say the service was very friendly and efficient!

Good food, great location (from The Met), and service was incredibly fast. We left The Met and we're going shopping on Madison Ave, so it was great break between the two activities. Great place to grab a quick bite without eating crappy fast food!

2 eggs + 4 slices bacon + frozen hash brown potatoes and packaged bread =$21 Too expensive for bland food but it's popular simply because of location near museum

Ordered the Pancakes and the 2 eggs meal. Pancakes were 10/10 definitely recommend, 3 large pancakes and was enough to share. Overall food was was really good, service was friendly, and the food came out very quick. The place is small we had a very small table in the corner and was very squished- the space worked for us but wouldn't work for many. Seating available outdoor and indoor.

Overpriced and greed rules the day here... Better diners with better service just a few blocks away.

Nectar has been at this location as long as I can remember. It's always crowded when I walk past so I've never eaten here. Today I spotted some things on the menu that were reasonably priced. After meeting Yelpers Robert C. and his wife Janeen at Belvedere Castle we decided to find a place to eat on our walk to the Upper East Side. I suggested Nectar since I wanted to try it. For me the strong points are the very nice professional waiters and the outside seating. I felt comfortable eating outside and service was prompt. The waiter was very nice. The prices on the paper menu and the QR Code menu didn't match. Robert was kind enough to buy my brunch. He showed me the receipt and for Manhattan Madison Avenue I felt it was a reasonable price for three of us to eat. Of the two menus Robert was charged the lower price, we thought. It was confusing. As far as the taste of my food. The sweet potato fries were not very good and the salt and pepper shakers didn't work. I asked for the Rye toast to be buttered but it wasn't. When I start eating I realize I'm hungry. I cleaned my plate and left satisfied. I didn't really care about the taste by then. My final assessment is three stars. I doubt I will return unless someone I'm with wants to eat here and is paying for my meal! There's too many diners closer to my apartment with much better tasting food. I'm not sure what kind of grease was used on the sweet potato fries but a couple of them tasted really bad and the rest were tasteless. Nothing stood out as enjoyable about the meal. I liked the nice waiter, prompt service, and the tremendous enjoyment of being with friends!

Best chocolate chip pancakes in Manhattan! A little pricy, but highly recommend overall.

I'm confused by this place. They're doing a lively business, as you'd expect of a traditional diner in a great location--one that doesn't look like it's changed much since Happy Days, and that serves traditional diner favorites at a traditional (let's call it edible) quality level. The strange thing is that people happily pay the prices. I realize we're all getting clobbered by inflation right now. But I've never seen anything like this. Even other places on the Upper East Side, the kinds of cafés that inure you to $5 cookies, are not charging more than Nectar. And they're serving real restaurant food. Nectar is charging over $30 for a chicken club. $36 for a Reuben. $36 for eggplant parmigiana! they want $12 for a side of sweet potato fries. The burgers look reasonable, at $14, until you realize that EVERYTHING is extra. It's like the first time you make the mistake of booking a flight on Spirit airlines, and realize that they not only charge you for your carry-on, they charge you for your seat! Well, Nectar wants $2 for lettuce and tomato. $3 for cheese of any kind. $5 for bacon. Etc. By the time you get something that looks like a meal .... you might as well have gotten the $34 turkey sandwich. This could pass for reasonable if the food was extraordinary. But it's really just slightly better than average diner faire. Our burgers were cooked to a perfect medium, lightly pink all the way through. Credit where credit is due. And the brioche bun, lightly toasted, was a nice touch. But the flavor and quality of the meat: pure diner. At $25 with a side of fries, it was a disappointment. I get that this place probably pays more in rent every month than I'd get for both of my kidneys. Restauranting in NYC is hard. But if you're forced to charge these extraordinary prices, you need to deliver something special.

Don't know about the food They had 3 four people tables we were only 2 and the owner would not seat us Shame

Food was good! I thought the price was little high but I wouldn't be so surprised because it in Upper East Village. The location was very close to the Met. I give the service 4 stars because they gave me rice instead of noodle soup. But they were very accommodating. The place was clean and the ambiance felt like the diners you see in New York movies.

The waiter just added to himself $12 tip. Rude and unprofessional. Should have listened to the other reviewers. Overpriced diner food

$3 for a cup of coffee to go. Ok, gotta support local biz during this pandemic mess so it's all good and the coffee was actually really tasty. Hit the spot on a cold NYC day as I was out running errands. Service with a smile here. They have some nice outside seating set up too. Looking over the menu it's a bit pricey for diner food, but then again it's on Madison Ave so it makes sense. Still, I'd like to come back and give it a try for a meal.

Overpriced, food were bad, tips can't be customized! Tips needs to be charged at 20% and can't be changed! Like a robbery! Fuxk off!!!

I don't usually take the time to write reviews but I wanted to take the time to write one for this place. Their location is perfect, they have heavy foot traffic but by the audacity of maybe myself. I cannot figure this place out. The pricing is so outlandish for such mid to lower level food. Turkey sandwich was dry as hell. Fries has zero flavor but not fresh. Seemingly everything was ordered from Syco delivery, or maybe Benny Keith. But nothing was fresh. Staff were nice, seemed a bit irritated and everything was a bother to them. We quickly picked the restaurant, but wouldn't do it again and heed the previous reviews.

Been coming here since I was very young and still is a family favorite. Can't go wrong with any salad, wrap, sandwich but my go-to is the Greek Salad Wrap with a side of fries. Nothing better! The staff are always so kind and love to give my dog Stella extra fries as a treat. A classic NYC Greek diner

This was my experience. People have their opinions and maybe I had a not-amazing experience. The food was good, except a little expensive. Ambience was fine but I noticed that the bathroom was right next to a table, luckily we weren't sat near the line to the bathroom. I chose the cheapest (burger) and lettuce/tomato/fries had to be add-ons that had additional charges. Now, I understand that it's not always guaranteed, but everywhere in every restaurant, it's a combined combo. Burger was $14 by itself no lettuce/tomato/fries. Every thing on other dishes has additional charges. Server was okay, little blunt but that's New York. But I've also been to other NY restaurants with not blunt workers. Would I choose here as first choice? No, but if I needed to eat and this was a close option then here. Again, this was my experience, people can have different ones. Take with grain of salt.

Philosophical question: is it still a diner if the chicken fingers cost $35. Service was very high quality. My sandwich was solid but you are paying Katz's prices for a smaller sandwich. Essentially you're paying upper east side restaurant prices for a diner experience and menu.

Below average food + negligent service + compulsory tipping = awful experience ; typically a place target for tourists, not somewhere for fine food

I thought I was walking into a typical diner but this was diner food at 5 star dining prices. I could not believe how expensive it was. $30 for a normal salad! Wow. I can't comprehend how this place is busy too. It was packed when we came and they rushed us out when we were done. The wrap my coworker got was good but not worth the price. Its $4.50 for an apple! Don't tell me that I should expect prices like that in the Upper East side. That is ridiculous. Not coming back.

You can get better diner food on the Upper East Side but you won't pay more for it. $14 for a grilled cheese sandwich. $4 for a tomato slice. Ham and cheese for $22. Total rip-off.

40 dollars for a greek salad with chicken?!? Does it come with a ticket to the orgy?!?

The food is fine, but not exceptional. We were there for lunch and sat in the outdoor "covid booths" so the ambience was minimal and the silverware in paper packets was a bit off putting. The worst thing about this restaurant is the astronomical prices. They are jaw droppingly high and the food does not live up to the cost. I felt like I was paying for a 5 star restaurant in a 2 star setting. I suppose you are paying for location, and it is nice to be one block from the Metropolitan Art Museum, but even that is not enough to justify the cost of this mediocre meal.

the burger was very very good. service was lovely as well :) would come again as a post-met meal

Best "coffee shop" in the city - but their complete dinners are equally amazing. Super fresh, good quality, tasty food and fair prices (the best costs a little more). The owners know food - And the professional staff are polite and know their jobs. I's not for everyone - Nectar is disguised as a coffee shop: of course they make breakfast - but how many "diners" are proud to serve you their own home-made jam with your toast? PS - Try the black and white cookies - (my personal favorite). The icing has a hint of orange (imported weekly from a bakery 30 miles away) - amazing! PRG

We were looking for a place close to The Met to grab a quick bite and make a pit stop before going on with our day. The service was great and food was as well. Place was very busy and they handled it well. It was a little pricy but considering the area it made sense. Pastrami sandwich was so tender.

very bad experience. Food sucks and as same as the service. Bad ambiance ever. And expensive too for no reason

Owner is a rude asshole. Grabbed the menus out of our hands and told us to leave when we said one more of our party was on their way. Don't eat here if you don't want your day ruined. Again, what an asshole.

Perfect post Met lunch...typical diner, friendly staff, food hits the spot. Very good fries!

This is some of the most bland boring food I've ever had. I wouldn't eat here even if it was free. On top of that, it's incredibly over priced. The only somewhat decent thing was the mozzarella sticks and evens arbys were better.

Tourist trap. Do not go! Pastrami was dry and expensive. The bill came hand written and waiter actually asked me how much did i want to leave him!

The food is good, standard diner fare, and this place is conveniently located for before or after your visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is just across from the Museum on Madison. However, do not expect much for service. Today was a good example. I was in the neighborhood and ordered pancakes for outdoor dining. While the pancakes and breakfast potatoes tasted very good, I did not receive a glass of water until after the food came (despite asking.) They then did not refill it until I flagged someone down to ask. For $28 for just pancakes and potatoes, you would hope for a little better service, but this seems to be the norm here from past visits. However, I have never had bad food!

The food is good, the menu is extensive (including breakfast all day), and and the service is really superb. I was able to sit outside on a gorgeous day and of course that helped, but I could also see the owner moving around, helping diners, keeping track of things, and this is always a good sign. If you're looking for a place to eat near the Metropolitan Museum, or just in that neighborhood, in my view at least, this is it.

Stopped here after a visit at the MET museum. The food was okay, but the price was not worth the experience. I understand it's the UES, but for bland chicken, it should not have cost $30. The service was great though, very nice and attentive servers!

The manager is rude. After having brunch and spending over $60, I asked for one more coffee cup refill (I had 3 already). He tells the staff not to serve more coffee to the customers instead of him telling the customers that they will not serve more coffee because according to the manager people were waiting for a table and the place was not that busy. The food is sub par and overly priced. Will not return!

Found this cute place as we were walking by and decided to try it! The salads weren't great but the pasta we tried was really good! Friendly waiters and hostesses. Quick service. The outside seating was decorated so cute! Definitely would go back.

This place looked adorable so we stopped by for lunch after a long morning at the Met. We were shocked by the prices ($23 for a sandwich with no side?!) and would have left if we weren't so hungry. Our waitress was abrupt, rude, and made us feel like an inconvenience. The food was mediocre but certainly was not in line with the prices. We tipped on the lower end, given the bad service, and our server actually got angry about the tip and was waiving our bill around to the other staff and asking "are you serious". Thumbs down... we won't be back.

$44 for a SALAD? Two of us came in for lunch and left $218 lighter. I've had dinners at amazing restaurants that didn't cost that much. Don't waste your time and money here.

Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. They have become so arrogant, food is barely mediocre, and the prices are the highest you've ever seen. Their main appeal is to take advantage of the tourists from the museum. Delivery always arrives incorrect.

Killer diner option a block from the Met. Cozy, crowded, expensive, but worth every penny. Had a perfect burger and my spouse, who is a Tuna Melt aficionado, was awed. Excellent coffee, but I had heard that going in so wasn't surprised.

I hate sending back food. Like hate it. I was going to try to eat my "steak" they brought out.. But whenever a piece of meat is stuck in front of your face and it smells so disgusting you can't help but gag.. I really tried to eat this steak but the meat was inedible and definitely expired. Very friendly service but I just can't get past the rotten meat. Owner started yelling at me about expired meat

Super friendly staff but severely overpriced food. It is right next to the met and Central Park so it makes sense why it would be so expensive. I got a hamburger it was good but not mind blowing. I would rate it a 7/10, my friend got a Greek salad for $28 and he said it tasted ok and the price did not justify it as there was also no meat.

The service is rude and the food overpriced and not very good. We sat down at a table close to the door then asked to move because it was cold. The waiter made faces and complained and made it clear that he was irritated--nothing like wanting to make people happy. Then, to boot, he was self righteous about it! Then at 9 o'clock, with lots of people still seated and not ready to leave, he gathered the water glasses even though my wife had just started drinking hers and said "we're closing". I hate places where they act as if they're doing you a favor by serving you. There are many other places with better food, better prices, and a much better attitude.

Stopped by for some wine and appetizers in their outdoor dining area. The prices here are notably much more affordable than other places in the area. The wine was good and reasonably priced (~$8 a glass, compared to $13 at other places we passed by). The service was great and super attentive, checking up on us often and continuously refilling our water. The appetizer (mozzarella/tomato/basil plate) was good, but was missing balsamic vinegar.

Horrible tourist trap! It is close to the Met, but do yourself a favor and walk a few blocks and find a different restaurant with a better Yelp rating. Stale bread, very high prices and bare minimum/ok food is not a NY experience and certainly so much better diners out there!

Rude. Small portions. Exorbitant prices. Tried to push us out while we waited for an Uber in freezing temps.