The nautical themed West Village seafood haven, Harbour has surprisingly little fanfare and buzz, aside from a few mentions on Grub Street, which is good in some ways because my friend was able to book his birthday there with little notice, but bad perhaps in this economy – because for the price and the service, and most importantly the food, it's a place I'd hate to see fall by the wayside.
The most instantly noted element of the restaurant is the d?cor, not unlike some other city hot spots, Harbour gives one the illusion that they are in the dining section of a very wealthy friend's yacht without the hassle of having to actually befriend some jerk who owns a yacht. The staff is as gracious and high class as one would expect to find on such a vessel with (real) worldly accents and a quick smile with every meal.
A pre fixe is available, but requires participation from the entire table. We ordered a la carte, and I believe it ended up being cheaper in the end. I started with the oysters that sat under that old “aren't we fancy” favorite: foam! But I'm not one to turn my nose down on trends, especially when they're executed so deliciously and brinily.
When it came to main entrees, a majority of the table just could not resist the tile fish when we learned that “lop chum” was a Chinese sausage accompaniment. With yellow curry and crispy garlic too, you might think the dish would be confused and intense, but I guess that's where a Michelin star chef comes in handy, because this one of the rare seafood main entrees I've had that has really blown me away.
Butterscotch pudding with brown butter cookies and popcorn was a dessert worthy of the rest of the meal and rich enough to share.
Harbour is a special occasion spot, but for all the wine (cheap, good options available), beer, apps, tea, coffee and desserts we piled in our stomachs, plus sharing the bill for our beloved birthday boy, it all came out to a mere $75 per person. If you know a seafood fiend that wants to be treated right and would enjoy sitting in a fancy pants environment, perhaps under a blown glass chandelier, I couldn't recommend a place more.
But what do you think?