Neptune Room

Note: The Neptune Room closed in December 2008. Management did not confirm it was permanent, but as of January 2009 the space was for rent.

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My girlfriend and I dropped into The Neptune Room for appetizers one night last week.

The press mostly ignored the restaurant after it opened in 2004, aside from Steve Cuozzo of the Post, who awarded 2½ stars. I have to assume that the other critics in town at least tried The Neptune Room, but weren’t enthralled enough to review it.

I do recall having an enjoyable meal there in October 2004, but I wasn’t wrting reviews in those days, and don’t recall the details. That visit was a pre-Lincoln Center dinner, but I suspect Neptune Room doesn’t draw much from that crowd — you have to be a bit of a sleuth to seek out restaurants twenty blocks away from the opera.

At least Neptune Room has survived (never a sure thing on the Upper West Side) — largely, I suspect, on neighborhood traffic. We dropped by at around 6:30 p.m. and found it mostly empty, although for the area this is still early for dinner.

The menu is virtually all seafood, with appetizers $4–15, entrées $19–32, and side dishes $7.

I loved Lobster & Crab Ravioli ($14), with grilled corn, Roma tomatoes, tarragon, and a lobster reduction. The kitchen also did well by Fried Calamari ($12).

I’m not going to issue a formal rating based only on appetizers, but we certainly made a mental note to try The Neptune Room again sometime soon.

The Neptune Room (511 Amsterdam Avenue between 84th & 85th Streets, Upper West Side)