The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet

I was really excited to try this place, the menu looked awesome but was disappointed in the end. Service was slow and our server had trouble opening our wine (broken cork) and dirty plates left on the table. While this was not a tapas restaurant, my table and I like to order multiple entrees to try as much as we can...but with 6 entrees and 4 appetizers it still didn't feel like enough. The chefs platter was extremely disappointing...advertised home made pickles but there weren't any on the platter, instead there were jalapenos which someone at the table had the mistake of eating. The mussels were delicious, except the best part of the mussels is the broth and there wasn't enough bread to soak it up with. We asked for additional bread and later found out there was a charge for it. The duck and gnocchi dishes were excellent! But based on the prices and food portions, I would not come back.

TL,dr: douchey anime-looking dark haired male bartender sucks. Came in on a Monday night to celebrate my partner's birthday. The bartender totally killed the vibe. I ordered a pricey Mezcal gin cocktail from the menu. As someone who enjoys both Gin and is learning to enjoy Mezcal I thought this would be an interesting cocktail to try. In addition, I knew the Butterfly Pea Tea turned colors from Blue to purple and I was excited to see that. (Of course, once I finally convinced him I could handle the cocktail, he started mixing without explaining the magic of the color change.) The bartender proceeded to try to talk me out of the cocktail asking if I ever tried the spirits together. I said no but I have been to several Mezcal tastings recently(with Rick Bayless!) and I love Gin so I'd be interested in trying the cocktail. He then proceeded to tell how he even watched a man, a man! (his emphasis) try to choke down the cocktail and did not enjoy it. I asked why he was trying to talk me out of it and he basically said, I'm not, I'm just trying to explain that some peoples pallettes are not good. (?!) I almost left at this point. He then tried to mansplain some french terms, which were incorrect... He also dissed Cindy's rooftop bar, who had a butterfly pea tea cocktail on their menu a while back... "I doubt they're using the same stuff" ya right bro. I actually enjoyed the cocktail and my partner's Paloma was okay. The menu looked great.. we wanted to try the soft shell crab, foie, and prawns... Unfortunately the vibe from the bartender dictated that we had to leave. AND no one asked if we wanted food until we were finished with our drinks(luckily). He just totally sucked the fun out of our birthday celebration evening. The other bartender with reddish hair tried to redeem the situation, but we just wanted to leave. We felt both annoyed and belittled. We were so put off by the aggressiveness of this bartender that we did not order food and we went to Beatrix where we had a lovely server and dinner. The Lunatic... is missing "un je ne sais quoi"

This place is a sham. This was my 3rd and final time this last weekend to give this place a chance. Do not waste your time or money. The owner is always a maniac on coke and/or drunk. Service is horrible. The food is terrible and there are only 5 things on the menu and most were not "available" the last two times we went. The wine is so overpriced it's easily marked up 4 times over normal price. Avoid avoid avoid!

Great place for cocktails before dinner ... stay if you have a table planned and enjoy the cheese and salads. Come back after dinner for your final drink of the evening. Wonderful drinks, exceptional atmosphere.

Sat at the bar upstairs (the lover, I think?). Surprisingly spartan decorations (I expected something with a heavier ambiance from the name), but I like the aesthetic anyway. Had the sparkling rose, and it was good, and about the price I would expect for its position on restaurant row. Would go back.

The aroma of the restaurant was quite refreshing, it tastes good and the food tastes good too. It was my birthday so I got free fries. Great rendezvous spot for the hunnies. Nice and quiet for reading my fan fiction novels.

Fantastic staff and an incredible wine list, with options ranging from $35 and beyond. Great small plates to share! Their sommelier is wonderful!!

Same your money and your time. Just go somewhere else. All the good reviews are a lie. See for yourself.