The Library at the Public

I’m surprised Andrew Carmellini would attach his name to such a restaurant. Perhaps he needs to try his own menu. The first time we came here was for a private event and the lights were dimmed so the ambience did look nice. However, the food was not good. Since it was a private event I wasn’t expecting much. We came back recently, not realizing it was the same venue. The lights were very bright, so you could see that the furniture was not very tasteful, and didn’t look anything like the photos online. The service was very friendly and kind, however, for some reason our server would never pour wine for us, but he was very generous with pouring water. That’s fine, my big issue was the meal and the fact that the staff was setting up tables moving furniture around directly in front of us, disrupting our meal as they were very loudly prepping for an event the following night. Someone came over to apologize and I appreciated that, however, it didn’t take away from the horrible experience we had. The server never asked about dietary restrictions or allergies. I had no idea the center of the hummus was spicy so I couldn’t eat that, the cheese platter tasted like stinky feet. It was disgusting. The burger was OK, fries were good. I had only one bite of each dish and realized I couldn't eat it. It’s not worth forcing yourself to eat something that you cannot enjoy or that would make you sick. Thankfully, the blue cheese was fresh and tasty. This was one of the most disappointing meals we’ve had in a long time. Very shocked because the night before we were at Cafe Carmellini and it was a completely different experience. Obviously it’s a different type of restaurant caliber, but for this restaurant, I am surprised that they are OK with serving such mediocre food and lack proper hospitality.

Came here for dinner. The ambiance was awesome the dim lighting made the atmosphere feel cozy and welcoming. The food was great, steak was cooked to perfection.

Stopped by before meeting a friend and the entrance is giving Center Stage. The bar has 360 seating with roughly 20 brown tall leather stools. The artwork is nice to get lost into; there were a few beer recipes, prohibition pieces and other NYC landmarks. I had the Baby Wedge Salad; bacon, blue cheese, vine tomatoes, price 16 It was a great presentation and they dressed it HEALTHILY which I love. The bacon was crisp and the blue cheese was complex. Highly recommend this dish even if you don't care for salads. Lastly, I had the salmon entree and although I like salmon more on the medium well side, it was medium and nicely seasoned. The season vegetables on the side were prepared so well. Drinks: Been loving Mezcal lately and ordered the Mezcal Spritz. It had: Cenizo Mezcal, Cappelletti, grapefruit, Prosecco - price was 19. It was a nice drink but would stick to your favorites. The Espresso Martini was beautifully made and balanced. These mixologists are working hard and they churn out great cocktails. Service is super fast; stepped away for a moment and my plates were gone.

Good food, nice ambiance, good service, fun and different spot for food/drinks and other events. The staff was very friendly and nice. The food was quite good and well presented (great plating). The executive chef is a famous Michelin chef, which makes sense. He also creates the playlist for his restaurants (fun fact), which are very good. Would go back for drinks or other events. Nice place to throw a private event as well. The only thing I’d say about the food was the salmon was cooked not perfectly cooked but it wasn’t bad. I recommend the hummus appetizer, which is delicious and well spiced

The Library restaurant is an elegant and warm space—perfect for enjoying dinner before a performance at the Public Theater, conveniently located in the same building.

The library restaurant is a quiet elegant warm and beautiful place to have dinner before or after the public theater which is in the same building. I recently saw the play “Raising in the sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. The play is over the top. I had dinner with friends prior to going to the theater, and after the theater we returned to the restaurant for dessert .That was last weekend 10/23/22 I was in the neighborhood this weekend to celebrate the beginning of Halloween and I stopped into the restaurant joyfully and all this ambience and warmth and hospitality and quiet, to catch up on some reading that I could not do in a loud subway car. They welcomed me in my costume, a good witch. Go there and enjoy yourself. you have many options to choose. That night three plays were going on , Joe’s Pub is one. It’s always buzzing

Not bad for Members of the Public, who get a 20% discount. Otherwise, it is expensive. Roast Chicken dish was steaming hot 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!

Great and elegant place for cocktails... Or mocktails if you don't drink alcohol like me. During shoes and performance time it can be busy, but if not it'll be quieter and more intimate. Variety of seating options. Looking forward to coming back. Oh and great staff. Thanks for a great night.

Stopped by before meeting a friend and the entrance is giving Center Stage. The bar has 360 seating with roughly 20 brown tall leather stools. The artwork is nice to get lost into; there were a few beer recipes, prohibition pieces and other NYC landmarks. I had the Baby Wedge Salad; bacon, blue cheese, vine tomatoes, price 16 It was a great presentation and they dressed it HEALTHILY which I love. The bacon was crisp and the blue cheese was complex. Highly recommend this dish even if you don't care for salads. Lastly, I had the salmon entree and although I like salmon more on the medium well side, it was medium and nicely seasoned. The season vegetables on the side were prepared so well. Drinks: Been loving Mezcal lately and ordered the Mezcal Spritz. It had: Cenizo Mezcal, Cappelletti, grapefruit, Prosecco - price was 19. It was a nice drink but would stick to your favorites. The Espresso Martini was beautifully made and balanced. These mixologists are working hard and they churn out great cocktails. Service is super fast; stepped away for a moment and my plates were gone.

This is convenient for a show, but unfortunately the food was not yummy. The staff was phenomenal but we basically didn't eat. I recommend the fried food.

This is a hideaway restaurant/bar upstairs at the Public Theater. The dimly-lit room and atmosphere are mellow; usually quiet, it gets busier just before and after shows. Otherwise it might be a good place to discreetly meet somebody you shouldn't be meeting. The attractive bar staff was pleasant and like to shake, mix, and muddle up cocktails. The rather limited dinner menu needs updating and is pricey for what's actually on the plate. The burger (underdone) and fries (cold) plate was lousy. Stick to drinks at the bar and you won't be disappointed.

Pros Dark, beautiful, and very sexy aesthetics Normal sophisticated crowd Slightly hidden location Good service Good food Comfortable bar chairs Quiet Awesome music playlist Block away from train Cons Bathroom located in the lobby No happy hour $$$

My friends and I had a good meal at The Library before going to a show at Joe's Pub. Note that the restaurant is upstairs from the show - but no worries as there was a greeter in the lobby to help with directions. Our waitress was very accommodating and was considerate of pacing our meal to get us to the show in time. She also told us that this historic building was the first lending library in the US - hence the name and the book and library motifs throughout the restaurant. They had a good bartender because our cocktails were interesting and spot on. Our friends commented that they appreciated that there was no discernible music to talk over as we had a lot to catch up on (-: I ordered from the restaurant week special for $45 The butternut squash soup was very tasty and had heat - not spice. Pasta special was yummy as was my dessert - chocolate panna cotta. Our waitress brought 4 spoons without us having to ask, so we all enjoyed. Hubby was not feeling adventurous so the burger satisfied his needs. All in all, The Library is a reliable spot and I would happily return

Good food, nice ambiance, good service, fun and different spot for food/drinks and other events. The staff was very friendly and nice. The food was quite good and well presented (great plating). The executive chef is a famous Michelin chef, which makes sense. He also creates the playlist for his restaurants (fun fact), which are very good. Would go back for drinks or other events. Nice place to throw a private event as well. - salmon: The only thing I'd say about the food was the salmon was cooked not perfectly cooked but it wasn't bad. - I recommend the hummus appetizer, which is delicious and well spiced - eggplant was good, well spiced and nicely plated. Rice was simple but well executed Fun casual place

If I could leave 0 stars, I would. I had a 5.30pm reservation for a 7pm show. My friend and I ordered two cocktails and two burgers, one medium rare and one medium. After we put in our orders around 6, waited 45 entire minutes for our food to finally come out. We were told that it would "be out shortly" about 10 minutes before it actually arrived, probably because the waitstaff heard us complain. We saw multiple tables who were seated after us get their food before us. When the burgers finally came out, we were appalled. My medium rare was fully rare and my friend's medium was on the medium rare side. The entire middle of my burger was inedible. My friend also felt uncomfortable eating hers. We didn't have time to send the food back, as our show was in 15 minutes. When our waiter came to take our plates, he asked how everything was. We explained to him that our burgers were incredibly underdone but that we didn't have time to send it back. We were SO nice to him, saying this in truly the nicest way possible. As we spoke, his reply was "word" over and over again. Then he said, "This is my first job in New York and I've noticed they do tend to cook things more 'pink' here. I would NEVER order hamburger meat medium rare. I always order mine well done." First of all, if he knows the kitchen cooks things on the rare side, he should have let us know when ordering. Second of all, why should he be telling me how to order my burger? I've very rarely had an issue with medium rare and it's usually how I eat my burgers. However this one was truly raw inside. I'm sure the kitchen just slapped some burgers on the grill at the last minute because they realized we hadn't gotten our food. The worst part was he was INCREDIBLY rude after this. He was continuing to be friendly to the table next to us (who are members of the Public) and gave my friend and I the silent treatment when dropping off/picking up the check and was very curt with us after our complaint. I have to emphasize again that we were VERY nice to him in our complaints and even tipped 20% on the food. The 45 minute wait for a burger was egregious enough (especially without a comped drink or dessert) but to be talked down to on top of that? Absolutely unacceptable, especially for that price point. Any other diner would have made a big deal about this at the restaurant, but my friend and I continued to be nice to our server. To then be treated so rudely afterward was shocking. I have never in my life called a restaurant to complain, but I did call the Public after this experience. We dined with them on a Tuesday. I called multiple times on Wednesday and left multiple voicemails. No one got back to me. I finally got ahold of the manager on Thursday. I explained the situation and she said I was not the first to complain about this waiter. She took down my email and said she would reach out about "two free drinks" at the restaurant. First of all, I never heard from her again and it's now Sunday. Second of all, I do not want free drinks. The appropriate response would be to comp this meal since I waited 45 minutes for a completely raw burger and then was belittled by staff. No matter, though, since I haven't heard a peep from the manager and don't have the time to make a million calls to try and speak with her again. I would have loved to discuss this in person on Tuesday, but after waiting 45 minutes for a hamburger, we had no time before our show. This is truly the last time I dine at the Public and I will highly discourage anyone from dining here. Horrible service, horrible management, horrible food.

Great food, nice spot, plenty to eat before the show! Good spot for a night out with friends or even alone. I will be back.

Yeah first Dine NYC I have ever been to and it was at this pretty cool spot named The Library and it is inside The Public which seems like some sort of museum I believe. My friend recommended us to come here so we gave this place a try and had so much fun that night. Our service was friendly and the waiters were sooo fun!! Overall we enjoyed a fun night out in the city and the inside of this place is romantic and it just looks like a place where secrets are to be told. We ordered off the Dine menu and it was perfect since we had three people. So we decided to go and order something different on each order so we could try each other's food and share!! For the appetizers we ordered the tacos, Cesar's and also a beet salad. Enjoyed the salads and thought the beets were really tasty. It's healthy and good for healing skin properties. Our main meal we shared a hamburger, fish n chips and another tasty fish. Overall it was all gone. We ate everything except for all the fries. But the fries were super tasty and flavorful. Dessert should never be forgotten and this place has some pretty creative dishes. I'm sure they change it up but I would say I have full faith that it would be super delicious. Fun and great night and the members here are so wonderful. Makes me know that New York really isn't bad or rude people but rather people that are accepting and genuine.

Excellent server--she gave us careful attention and efficient service so we could get the theater on time. She is friendly and competent. The Library is a quiet restaurant-- no crazy distracting, loud music. Pleasant place to have a good meal and conversation.

As we were coming home from our Philadelphia Flower Show Bus Trip on Saturday 3/9/19, we knew that a couple of us were going to The Public Theater to see some plays on 3/10/19 and wanted to meet up to have dinner before the 7pm show time. After thinking it over, I decided to check out The Library which is a restaurant within The Public Theater building. The pictures looked nice and the menu sounded good so I made the reservation....Easy as 1-2-3 via the open table app and a few minutes later we had a 5:45pm dinner reservation. We got to The PublicTheater, then got our play tickets at the box office from Will Call and proceeded to go upstairs to The Library. Pleasantly surprised were we to be surrounded by a sophisticated environment and view elegant yet simple decor all within this hidden away, interesting looking restaurant. Cool artwork from specific plays adorned the walls. Candles/lighting were along the tables and at the bar area. Kindly greeted first by the staff at the front entrance as well as those that placed our outerwear in the coat check section, we soon were interacting with a lovely hostess that led us to our dining table. The Server welcomed us and we placed our orders. Our burger entrees with french fries and salads tasted fresh and were filling. I could hardly believe that there was so much on the plate and I could not eat it all-lol. Although we felt full, we wanted to try dessert. However, it was also realized that there was no time for dessert as it was 6:50pm. We needed to get into our respective theaters before our plays (Cullud Wattah and White Noise) started with only 10 minutes to spare....thank goodness the theaters were only a flight of stairs away-lol. It is cool to know that The Library ensures that we as patrons are served in a timely manner, can enjoy entrees/cocktails/dessert, etc and do so all with additional time to get to your theaters before the actual plays are scheduled to begin. Public Theater Members receive 20% of their bill at The Library and we made sure to give a generous tip for being so accommodating. The next time we come to The Library we will have an entree/dessert/cocktails before or perhaps even after a play!

Absolutely can't beat the location OR the ambience if you are looking for pre-or post-Theater haunt. It's a beautiful room, and it's always filled with theater lovers and theater professionals. On the flip side, the prices are outrageously high for fairly simple, relatively bland food. Pasta and burgers are reliably ok. Fish and chicken dishes are uninspired, but at least they're not usually overcooked. Soft serve ice cream is a dessert you can't mess up. I'd rather eat food at several other places that are within just a few blocks, but we do occasionally come back here for the convenience.

A downtown restaurant where you can catch up with friends and feel cozy but also not fighting for volume, attention, or drinks! Love it and would return Enjoyed 1. Charcuterie 2. Cavatelli 3. Beet salad 4. Apple crumble Was ok but won't reorder 1.Trout- felt just mushy 2. Soft serve ice cream- nothing special but sufficient Amazing staff and great flavors. Good place to catch up with girlfriends but not a pick up spot on Saturday at 7!

We came here for restaurant week-(RW) located upstairs once you walk in (left side). Go up the stairs and take a slight left- feels like you're walking into the library. It's very quaint inside- I like the ambiance a lot- super cute place!!! I highly recommend this place to everyone! For RW I got the mussels for my app. The mussels came in a pretty decent bowl with some red tomato sauce and some toasted butter bread- DELICIOUS! I could have drank all of the sauce but I think the waitress was judging me. We asked her for more bread because the sauce was that good! For my entree I got toasted trout- I thought that was a pretty good choice! I tried some of my friends fish and chips and it was delicious as well. The food is not too salty- the flavoring was just right! For dessert I got the chocolate and vanilla swerve with pocky sticks - the ice cream was surprisingly not too sweet- loved this as well. Excellent ambiance and presentation- I would come back here even if it wasn't RW! I got the johnny rising drink (whiskey) - delicious! I was happy with all the food/drink choices I made here!

Note: This review is a repost from 12/13/17 due to technical issues. I came here for a friend's birthday. She made reservations a few days in advance for a party of 6. You cross through the lobby of the Public Theater and up the stairs to the left to find a cozy, old school looking restaurant tucked away. Festive atmosphere. The walls are decorated with actors who have performed at the theater. Do note the bathroom is housed downstairs in the theater. Most of our party went with rose prosecco to start ($17), and I opted for the Smoke and Mirrors ($16), which was a mezcal drink blackened with charcoal and presented with a bell jar full of smoke. I hadn't expected something so dramatic, but it was tasty. The menu is organized into Acts (appetizers, other appetizers, mains, sides, and desserts). Most of the starters were in the high teens, and entree prices hovered around $30. If you're allergen sensitive, there are quite a few dishes with nuts. We had the beets ($18), burrata ($18), and calamari ($16) to start. The first was an exceptional value-- really big and great to share among a larger party. The burrata was beautifully plated but kind of small and unexceptional. The calamari was standard. For mains, several did fish and chips ($34) and were satisfied. I had the trofie mushroom pasta ($29). It was a normal, but tasty and hearty, pasta with mushrooms and parmesan. Service was great. They were accommodating of our party's needs, like a special glass of prosecco for the birthday girl and some very specific vodka soda orders. I had asked for my pasta to be boxed up since I didn't finish it, and it was accidentally thrown out-- I received multiple apologies and they ended up taking it off the check. That's doing it right. There was nothing particularly special about the food for me, and prices are high. However, the dishes were solidly executed and service was super. This was a good place for a group of girls to celebrate a birthday in style.

Beautiful space with amazing cocktails. Pricy in general for for this type of venue in New York, something expected.

My wife, adult daughter, and I spent a wonderful evening at The Library followed by a show at Joe's Pub downstairs. I "discovered" The Library while casually looking for "speakeasy" restaurants in Manhattan as I've enjoyed hitting one or two of those over the years (pre-pandemic). The Library isn't a speakeasy as such but does have a "tucked away" kind of feeling to it. One is greeted by a fun, old private library sort of decor with a large, beautiful bar. The place was hopping before emptying out for an 8.00pm show. Our show was later so we stayed and continued to enjoy really tasty, curated small plates and some very well made cocktails. The service was great and Paige, our server, Amanda the bartender, and Michelle the manager were a fantastic, friendly team committed to making sure we had a lovely evening. After dinner, we made our way downstairs to Joe's Pub and were happy to discover they served the same menu there so we were able to enjoy some excellent dessert while hearing some good music in a fun venue. As one reviewer noted, proof of vaccination was requested at the door to the building but I, for one, was happy to know that my fellow guests had been vaccinated and put this in the "plus" column. If one wants a fun, complete evening out in Manhattan, dinner and a show at The Library is a great option and we'll definitely be back. Well done!

The staff was amazing! From the hostess to the wait staff it was a wonderful experience, smiles, professionalism, and care. The food was so good we will be back! Everyone was top notch and made our experience wonderful! Thank you!

This is surprising a really nice spot for dinner and or drinks. It's located inside the big event space(?) I don't know what this building is. But it's the restaurant inside it and there was some reggae band thing happening when we went. Our waitress was great!! Super kind and helpful, and the bartenders were pretty fast. We had a 9pm rez, came at 9 exactly, and they said to "wait by the bar and have a drink and we'll come get you in 10 minutes"... Quite the obvious up sell. But I'm glad they did because I ordered the Rosemary shrub drink and it was perfect! Like a fruity refreshing mojito. The ambiance is very ~romantic~, they have a bunch of those date type booths, luckily me and my Yelp mooching boy toy sat next to the date type booth and got the entertainment of watching the couple next to us in the date booth take full advantage. I think they were famous the chef kept coming out and giving them more drinks and food... Anyways... RW 2016 winter - Burrata- vrrry good, refreshing and light Calamari- generous portion and super crispy Trout - cooked really nicely Cassoulet- huge portion, had a nice smokey flavor, would actually really recommend, it was very much comfort food. Apple crumble - sooooo good, the brown sugar crumble mixed with the melting vanilla ice cream was the best Pocky self serve - good, tastes just like childhood haha. Overall, would totally recommend as an excellent date night, birthday dinner, dinner out with friends.

Nice ambience and the drinks were great. Calamari was delicious. My friend enjoyed the burger. I prefer mac and cheese to be really cheesy and have the string effect, but it was really soupy/watery.

Came during Restaurant Week 2016 and I must say I was very impressed. First and foremost, I must comend Steven the waiter. He was extremly knowledgable on the menu and drinks. He was personable and extremly courteous and deserves a raise. The locatuin is on the 2nd floor of a large theater. Other members of my party were late for our reservation so I grabbed drinks at the bar. The bar is located in the back of the restaurant. Not a huge bar but well situated. Once my party arrived we were quickly seated. Luckily our reservations were somewhat early because it got packed in there. The calamari app was delicious and were an ample portion for an app. Next were the entrees. I got the Paccheri pasta which was delcious. Other members of my group loved their entrees which included the trout, hanger steak and cauliflower. Overall based on the service, atmosphere and food quality, I give The Library at The Public five stars!

I feel like I stole something. I knew getting the rush tickets to Hamilton were a long shot, so I figured that I'd make the best of the trip by grabbing a bite to eat while I was there. The drawing started a bit after 5 PM and the Library opened at 5:30 sharp so my timing was excellent. Lovely, dimmed decor with a straight up speakeasy for food vibe. Regardless of getting there early, make a reservation if you want a table. Though the bar has to be the most comfortable arrangement I've sat at in my life. I took advantage of the coat check but with the sheer size of the comfy as all get out stools, I didn't need to. Nobody else did. I could spend another paragraph raving about the stools and the hooks under the counter for your purse, but I won't. Suffice it to say I couldn't have been more comfortable if I'd sat at a table in the dining room. I'm never going to turn down a cocktail named for a Salt-n-Pepa song. Never. It was the better of the two, I also had the Stay Puft Effect. If you're thinking " A Stay Puft Marshmallow Man cocktail!!!! This is going to be awesome!" Let me stop you right there. There is no marshmallow nor a facsimile there of. That said, it was nice and strong, which is what any $15 cocktail should be at least. Now here is where I feel like I got away with burglary. Who's the lucky chick that comes on Restaurant Week and doesn't even know it?!? ::points thumbs at chest:: For 35 bucks I got three sizable "acts" for a pittance. A pittance I say! Act I - Rock Shrimp Tacos, Guajillo, Avocado & Queso - $12 I've since given up on shrimp (I won't gross you out as to why), and this was the best send-off ever. I don't even like avocado! It was delicious. Act II - Grilled Pork Chop, Greens & Beans, Tomato Sofrito. - $32 This is the price of admission. This is the curtain call. This is the standing ovation. There. I've gotten all the theater similes out of my system. I'm usually not a fan of straight up tomato on anything, but a little bit of sofrito with a little bit of seriously excellent greens (hidden under the pork chop in the photo. I could have eaten a whole bowl, thank you!) and a juicy, perfectly cooked and seasoned cut of pork chop is heaven. Thanks for asking how it is, Ms. Bartender, but can't you tell by my blissed out expression? I think my pupils were dilated. Act III - Salted Apple Crumble, Vanilla Soft Serve - $9 They even upgraded me from mere soft serve! Way too big for a single person. Grab someone off the street to finish this for you. Very good. The service is outstanding. I had to leave mid meal to see if I'd won the drawing. I did not, but they let me leave and come back on the total honor system. Because if I were criminal minded, leaving after that delicious pork chop would have resulted in my snickering like Snidely Whiplash right out the door. All that for 65 bucks. I feel smug like a Wall Street banker after a Senate hearing.

Came here for restaurant week & I've gotta say, this place is a hidden gem. A definite steal for RW and a MUST if you're looking for a place to unwind & have a cocktail! The food is pretty good too. Dimly lit & beautifully decorated like a classic library. Loved it. Great place for a date or group outings :)

After 10 years attending shows at the Public, we finally had dinner at The Library. Lovely meal.. great service. Portions a little too big for me. But that's the only negative. Can't wait to go back.

Required a vaccine passport. Not a single other establishment in the city is. They have an overweight man standing at the door demanding this card. Not a good atmosphere.

Went to the NYC Wine & Food Festival event last night. They're hosting several events to mark the re-opening of the new Public Theater. Love the renovated space! Now with The Library lounge people will come down even without seeing a show. Andrew Carmellini has a great menu and the cocktails are very good. I tried a couple of whiskey cocktails that I really enjoyed. I'd definitely come here for drinks and bites when I see a show.

The place is very cozy considering the size and the service is helpful . The food was not memorable but I din't really expect it to be . I wish they had a better sound system and played a smoother kind of jazz on the background.

Came here for Summer Restaurant Week 2016. Overall my experience was very nice, the atmosphere was great, the server was lovely and knowledgeable, and the food was good. The food wasn't out of this world (hence 4 stars out of 5) but it was decent and something I would come back and get again - but not at full price. Portions were small, which I'm not sure if that's because of RW or not, but I feel the portion sizes aren't worth the actual prices on the menu. Our group had the Beets, Mussels, and Crostini appetizers. The Mussels were the winners here, and the rest were decent. For entrees we had the Skate, Steak, and Fish and Chips. The Skate was good, but the sauce was weirdly sweet with the corn. The steak and the Cod was cooked perfectly - it was some of the best Fried fish that I have had. For dessert I highly recommend the Strawberry Crumble or the Walnut Cake. The Crumble with Ice cream was huge and the walnut cake was small - but it tasted like a delicious walnut brownie. It was so good. The seats were extremely comfortable and overall a very nice RW experience.

Food was excellent as always. Service also friendly and efficient and attentive. Overall a great experience.

Had a great experience here for restaurant week. The place is in a strange large event venue but when you walk upstairs to the actual restaurant it really feels like you are in a library - think dim lighting, books on shelves, and big leather chairs. Went to get a drink at the bar while waiting for my friends to arrive. The bartender was super friendly and they had a great drink list. I got "The final derby" which had four Roses Whiskey, Honey, Lemon, Grapefruit Soda and was so tasty and refreshing !! Great recommendation by the bartender. Next onto dinner... We started with the beet salad and the calamari both very LARGE portions which was surprising for restaurant week. I loved the beets they were marinated perfectly and the calamari was also pretty tasty. I ordered the steak for my main, served with creamed kale and carrots. It was cooked to my liking and salted just right. On to dessert... the APPLE CRUMBLE was so good.. HUGE pieces of apple still a little crispy and the portion was so large enough to share for three, I would have only wished for a little more crubmble and ice cream but that could be my sweet tooth talking :) . I also tried the ricotta cheesecake which was SO GOOD and light. Last but not least, the walnut chocolate cake was also good but the two prior trumped it for sure. I would recommend this place for a date or if you are in the east village area wanting a good dinner !!

** NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 Review ** We arrived very early but they were nice enough to seat us anyways (I think this is a trend for us!). The Library's Restaurant Week menu offers three courses divided into three "Acts" - just like a play. I thought this was really cute and clever of them. Act I, the appetizers, offered five options. Act II, the entrees, had four options. And lastly, Act III, had three dessert options. I was pleased to notice that their RW menu features items that are on their regular menu. For Act I, I opted for the Burrata with green market vegetables. The burrata was very nice - moist and stretchy. I just wished that there was more! The Boyfriend had the Crispy Calamari with shishito peppers and chipotle aioli. The portion size was huge and this appetizer is definitely made to be shared! The calamari was crispy and crunchy - fried perfectly. The best part was the chipotle aioli, which was super tasty. For Act II, I had the Flat Iron Steak Frites with bitter green salad and Maitre D'Butter. The steak was cooked perfectly to my requested medium rare. The best part, though, was the huge portion of fries that we were able to share. It felt like they were never ending! The Boyfriend chose the Steamed Branzino with Madras curry and summer vegetables. For Act III, I had the Vanilla and Chocolate Soft Serve with Pocky sticks. They had me at the Pocky sticks! The ice cream was such a huge portion ice that I couldn't finish it. The Boyfriend had the Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Vanilla Soft Serve. His dessert was also huge - it's definitely shareable between 2-3 people at least. The crumble was served warm, which contrasted nicely with the vanilla ice cream. But alas, we were too full from dinner to finish it. Service was attentive and our waitress was super nice. I must compliment the Library for serving their regular menu at regular portion sizes for Restaurant Week. A lot of places often create items that aren't on the menu or downsize items that are on their menu for Restaurant Week. Props to the Library - I'll definitely be returning!

This place is great - service was friendly and fast, and the food was greatly enjoyed by our party. We ordered rock shrimp tacos and lobster rolls and the food quality and flavor went far beyond expectations. Great place to chill out and relax, couches, bar, or tables. Feels really peaceful, an oasis from the city. More people should be here though so I wrote this review.

This was not about the food. It was all about the play The 3 Liza's. Liza Minnelli past present and future. My daughter in law played Liza past. Which makes her the Young Liza when she was a drunk coke snorting party animal. Well it was all an act. The play is somewhat based on Scrooge. I know it is to confusing for me. So there is food acting what more do you need?

LOVE this place! We went here the other day for a b-day celebration and was pleasantly surprised on how nice it was. The place is decorated like a formal library, which is really cool, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. It's relatively quiet inside, which is great b/c there are soooo many noisy bars in this city. It was great to feel like I didn't have to yell at my companions that night. As for the food, we only had dessert (the Gala Apple Cobbler, which was yummy), but I saw lots of food being delivered to tables, and it all looked mouthwatering. We tried a few of their speciality drinks as well, and they were all tasty... and strong, which is always a plus. =) Finally, the service was great--both the servers and bartender were friendly and added to the awesome experience. Oh, and something else that was cool was that the Library ended up being a great place to celebrity watch. On the night of our visit, we ran into Michael Emerson (Ben Linus from Lost) and his wife, Carrie Preston (Arlene from True Blood). Friends pointed out other celebrities while we were there, and although I recognized their faces, I don't recall their names.

Came here for girl's night dinner and we had reservations for 8 since we were not planning to watch the show. Great ambience as it clears out around 7:50 during the week (Thursday) for the show! Music was low key. Decor calming. Drinks were decent - not too sweet. Food - we both had the pastas were above average and in large portions. They were kind of expensive when evaluated based on taste but I didn't feel annoyed since we felt like we were paying for a nice ambience to drink, eat and catch up for hours. The best part of dinner? Apple crumble dessert! Now that was delicious!

My last restaurant for NYC Restaurant Week '15, and it wasn't a bad finish. The decor is in theme with the rest of the theater, classy with dim lighting. Arrive no later than 15 min. for your reservation or you will most likely lose it to others. The food wasn't bad, although not great enough that I would come back not during restaurant week. I think this place is better for pre-theater/post-theater drinks. I tried my friend's Peach Rosemary shrub and it was really light and fruity, somewhat herbaceous from the rosemary. Appetizers: Crispy Calamari - A safe appetizer to order. The squid was crispy and well seasoned. Shrimp Tacos - On the small side. Not too much shrimp in each tiny tortilla, but the flavor was good. Entree: Lancaster Chicken and Dumplings - The chicken thigh for this was so dry, but luckily the sauce was savory and creamy enough to make the dish palatable. The one large dumpling reminded me of German potato dumplings and was much more delicious than the chicken itself. Flat Iron Steak Frites, Maitre'D Butter - I should have ordered the steak, but didn't because I thought it would be too boring. I was wrong. The steak was perfectly seared and extremely juicy. The shoestring fries that came with it were cold, but still addicting, because fries just are. Dessert: Chocolate and Vanilla Soft Serve, Pocky Sticks - Just plain soft ice cream, but it was a good palate cleanser in between the heavier desserts. Chocolate Olive Oil Cake - Somewhat unctuous and oily as expected. I'm glad it was chocolate, because if it wasn't I probably wouldn't have liked it as much. The texture wasn't the greatest out of the olive oil cakes I tried before (which isn't very many). Sea Salt Apple Crumble - The best thing of the night. If I returned, it would be for this perfect warm apple crumble. The quantity they give for this is huge too. One complaint about service is our waitress kept on taking away our plates even before we were finished. I guess one course is fine, but she did that for appetizer, entree, and dessert. It was very sneakily done. We were all immersed in our conversation and poof the food was gone. I guess I have to give some props for how skillful she made our food disappear.

the worst meal ever took care not to challenge the kitchen with one order fish & chips, 3 hamburgers with fries: medium, medium rare & one without bun Result fish & chips: heavily breaded mystery fish, like a frozen Mrs Pauls, one burger with fries arrived..then the problem two plates with burgers, both with bun one labeled rare, no fries...polite description of order then very long wait...after 10 minutes two orders of fries..we were very hungry and ate the fries, finally two burgers arrive, mine with no bun was cold & raw but the time was late and we had sent stuff back once so forged on. Asked for salt, none arrived without finding the hostess after long wait..didn't imporove the taste of the raw cold burger Still felt sick the next day apparently raw meat not so compatable with a happy dining experience. very reluctant to try the responsible restaurant down the street..

Great for date night! Especially if you come earlier to enjoy the quiet and classy atmosphere. The decor is great and invites pleasant conversation with your friends. If you want a place where you can have a good meal, great drinks (although yes, $15+ a pop), and still hold a conversation without blasting out your eardrums, this is it. Favorite dish was the branzino which was cooked to perfection. Shrimp tacos seem to be a lot of Yelpers' favorite, but I thought it was just slightly above average and heavy-loaded with too much veggies. The panna cotta is solid but we asked for the sauce on the side - and glad with did, because the vinegar would have overwhelmed the panna cotta. Chocolate cake is perfect for those who love their cakes not too sweet but very dense. The shrubs (cocktails) on the menu are great, can't wait to go back and order more varieties and experiment. Not a cheap meal, but definitely recommended.

What an amazing night of great food and fun . The truth about The Library is that it's a hidden gem. To be honest, when you enter the place you might think you've arrived at the wrong place. To my surprise, The Library is but one destination within this massive factory like building. The building houses several art and theater shows throughout the year. The Library is on the 2nd floor and now armed with this information, you won't have to look lost like me. Now on to the food. First of all, the menu is very extensive and put together with great consideration for the customer. I haven't seen a menu with such variety in a long time. I had the rock shrimp tacos and for my main course I had a chicken dish with potatoes. The chicken was superb and the sauce was absolutely delicious. To top it off, I had the apple crisp for dessert and man was that scrumptious. I came here for restaurant week and honestly, I probably would not have come here unless there was a restaurant week but I'm so glad I did. The service was excellent and he vibe of this space is comfy cozy indeed. I plan to return for drinks and dinner very soon. The Library is also excellent for a romantic date night as well.

I feel like this is somewhat of a speakeasy too, hehe. It's pretty hidden but the security guards will point you in the right direction. The place looks like the other grand library bars around the city and the drinks/menu cater to that vibe, by showing each section as a different act/scene from a play. There's old lookin' couches, an old-fashioned decor throughout and a bar at the side of the room. Everything's pricey, but that's expected contrary to real libraries, right?

This place is pretty cool. It's on the second floor of the theater. I came here with co-workers for going away gathering. We got here around 6 and it wasn't busy but definitely got busy by 7:30. The venue is pretty big. I had gotten the cherry-lime shrub which was good. The alcoholic beverages are strong - definitely not watered down drinks at some places. Someone had gotten one of the tiki's which came in a parrot cup which was hilarious. Everyone was happy with their drinks. Will definitely be back again :)

Here for NYC restaurant week. Outstanding, attentive service from host stand to waiter to runner. Ordered the calamari to start, steak frites as a main, and the berry crumble for dessert. The calamari came with some very mild in heat but flavorful shishito peppers, a spicy mayonnaise like sauce and a gloved lemon. The pieces were plentiful and fried to perfection. The steak frites were served with a sleeve of well done shoestring fries with a side of mayo and ketchup. On the main plate were a side of greens in a mild vinaigrette next to a five inch long piece of steak that was wonderfully coated in a flavorful herb butter. Each bite was consistently great. For dessert, a hot plate of berry crumble with vanilla soft serve. Nothing else to mention. It was an epic finish. For drinks, their shrubs are great. For those of you who are saying, "what the hell is a shrub?" like I did at one point, it's fruit infused bitters. They have suggested alcohol pairings. They're all great. I would recommend this place to any friends visiting NYC.

3.5 for Food and drinks in general, 4.5 for the steak! We ordered a bunch of food pre-theatre which were great. But the real star of our meal was the steak. We totally didn't expect it to be so delicious. The meat was juicy and flavorful. The hamburger and pasta dishes (rigatoni and black fettuccine) were about average. The starters, of which we had three, were also average (calamari, grilled octopus, pea salad). Tips: Show your theatre ticket to receive 10% off the total tab. Excellent Malbec (Argentina) by the glass. Mocktails are not so great here.

You know...I must say. At first, I was apprehensive. WHAT? A bar/restaurant within the confines of a theater? I mean, how good can the food and drinks be, right? Um, especially one named "The Library"? And then, I was proven wrong. Last night a friend of mine and I ventured down to the Astor Place area to the Public Theater for a show. He recommended that we try out the Library. I hesitantly agreed, yes, even after looking at their very nice website. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately, even though we were a bit early. Once seated, we were served water and provided menus expeditiously. Promptly, the waitress came around to ask us for drinks, and I opted for the "Bye Bye Albatross". How was this fancily named drink? DELISH. But be forewarned if you don't like licorice tastes. It has absinthe. But if you do, bottoms up. It was very smooth and has a nice relaxing effect to it. I don't know...maybe it was the absinthe? And for dinner, and because I had a decent lunch yesterday, we opted to share a few appetizers. We first ordered the calamari, crab rolls, mushroom soup and shrimp tacos. Here is the verdict on the items above: - Shrimp tacos - Simply WOW. Tasty. Perfectly seasoned. - Calamari - very light battered and out of this world. - Crab rolls - good. Not great. Lacked a bit of seasoning. But you can definitely taste the crab. - Mushroom Soup - Phenomenal. One of the best I have had. Big chunks of shrooms and served with oil on top for an extra smooth taste. Now, having experienced such great food, we opted for one more small dish...the short ribs. These short ribs were very succulent and fell of the bone. Juicy delicious tender greatness. And the service was spot on. She was very attentive and took great care of us, even when more people were seated at nearby tables. And to top it off? Chris Sarandon was sitting at the table next to us. What a great experience!

This place is a little confusing to get to since it is in actually in a huge space with a theater and a pub. However just look for a friendly staff person and they will direct you up the stairs. Once you get inside, it is a dark light back room that is meant to look like a library that someone would have in their house. It is pretty cool. There is a bar and tons of tables around the restaurant. The food. Oh god. So good. I ended up going for the restaurant week menu, which had tons of options. Each part was divided up into act 1, act 2, and act 3. It was a fun little play on it since the building hosted shows too. For my act 1, I chose the calamari with shishito peppers. It wasn't overwhelmingly spicy and it was served with a nice aoili sauce. My friend ended up going with the arugala salad with pear. It was incredibly fresh. Both appetizers were incredibly large portions that were enough to be an entree for one person. For the act 2, we both got the rigatoni with veal bolognese. Yet again a huge portion, it was piping hot, and tasted delicious. There wasn't an overwhelmingly large portion of veal, so it wasn't too meaty and blended well with the pasta and vegetables. For dessert, we both got the berry crumble served with soft serve. Large portion! It was amazing. I'm so glad that I went here for restaurant week because it has been the best so far. I definitely will be back in the future.

Have the: shrimp tacos, steak. Do NOT get the pork chops. No no no no no! The pork chops were dry, flavorLESS, and I have no clue what was going on with the polenta that came with the pork chops. Worse. Pork chops. Ever. On the other hand, the steak was DE-LISH! The dessert was good, but it was nothing special. The sundae and apple crumble looks like something that can easily be made at home. What I am paying for is the atmosphere. Gosh, I am such a nerd sometimes. It was like I was eating in a library. It felt surreal. That yellow glow and cross-stitch leather couch just made me wanna stay all night and talk. And some really did stay all night! I might go back there for a snack and drink. Oh the drinks are okay, nothing special. So, sorry friendly servers and hostess about this review, but I gotta be true, well, at least on yelp.

Had the Steak with sea salt and fires , loved it . Great space for Romantic encounters .

What an awesome place. Hidden upstairs of the Public Theater this dim lit and cozy place and a number of specialty drinks, appetizers, and even soft server ice cream if youre in the mood. The tables are small, but its also because of limited seating, so a reservation is highly suggested. A great spot to catch up or talk after an event.

This place has great food and lovely decor, but it goes without saying that it's massively crowded before a show and it's a little overpriced because they know it's a convenient location. Nonetheless, if you're a fan of the Public, it's worth going to at least once.