Jason M.
Yelp
Before the other day, I had not been to X20 in many years; my last visit here was for an educational dinner and I don't remember being too impressed with it. However, educational dinners can be a mixed bag when it comes to food, so I always kept this place in the back of my mind to retry on my own. When one of my friends suggested we come here for brunch, I thought it would be a great opportunity to reassess X20 - so off we went.
As suggested by the name, X20 is located right on the Hudson River, which gives way to lovely views of the water. The restaurant takes full advantage of that by providing a bright interior with floor-to-ceiling windows lining the perimeter. The setup of the restaurant is slightly compartmentalized - upon entry you immediately go upstairs which houses the main dining area; from what I could gather there is another room even further upstairs. The room we were seated in was very open, and had a classy aesthetic while still being approachable.
The brunch experience at X20 is very structured; for $48 a head, you choose an appetizer, entrée, and dessert as well as an unlimited alcoholic beverage and strolling tastings. They had a pretty good selection within each course - a mix of sophisticated breakfast and lunch items for most tastes without it being overwhelming. After ordering a mimosa, I decided to go with the ricotta special for an app, the miso glazed salmon for my main, and the Belgian chocolate tart for dessert.
I really enjoyed all the courses; the ricotta app was topped with a balsamic reduction and pistachios which provided enhanced flavor and texture - the dressed greens that came on the side were a good complement. The miso flavor on the salmon was good, and the orzo that came with it had a lot of components which complemented the fish. The tart was pretty good, it didn't have the biggest chocolate flavor and was slightly hard to maneuver because of the cookie underneath it, but a solid dessert nonetheless. In addition to the three courses, staff were walking throughout the dining room serving mushroom ravioli, pumpkin loaf, and coconut shrimp - all were tasty.
Service was great - everything came out at a good pace and everyone was friendly. Overall, my opinion of X20 has definitely changed; I thought they put out a really good brunch and would not hesitate to return.