Dolphins

We had a really good dinner last night at this one-
month-old restaurant on Cooper Square. It's seafood,
some of it with an Asian accent. Very large portions,
delicious steamers and chocolate mousse cake, and they
gave us free edamame with our bread. They've also got
beautifully-painted floors and ceiling, and the prices
are (for now) really reasonable. There was nobody
else in the place, though. Come on, chowhounds!

I pass it on my way home every day and have been
wondering about it. Thanks for the tip - now I'll
definitely try it!!

I walk by Dolphins every day, and every day the place
is virtually empty. It really is a beautiful place,
and they have obviously put a great deal of time,
money and care into the restaurant. I want to go in
and tell the owners to pick a new name, something with
a bit more heart and soul. "Dolphins" is just such a
generic name, and so out of place in NY. I get the
feeling that the owners have very little restaurant
experience, and virtually no connections in NY because
there has been no press involved with the opening and
absolutely no type of marketing whatsoever.

I am very happy to finally have a report on the
restaurant, and I for one will give it a try this
weekend (finally). I will report back then.

Alex, did you ever try this place?? How was it?? I am curious but wanna know what you thought before
I venture in !

Actually, I still haven't made it to Dolphins. But it
has gotten more crowded as the weather has improved.
The patio out back is now fully operational and they
leave the french doors to the front of the restaurant
wide open - it has a much nicer, more airy look. I do
think their business will improve, and I will report
back when I do finally go.

This is just a follow-up to my earlier recommendation,
since we've eaten at Dolphins several times since.
The appetizers are almost uniformly delicious,
although we still like the huge steamers best. Crab
cakes are tasty, and I had a nice special broccoli in
garlic sauce. The main courses sometimes seem to be
missing a little zip. The bouillabaise, for example,
has too much tomato and not enough saffron taste. Try
to stick with the marinated fishes, or with the steak
& shrimp, which my husband liked. But I stand by my
original liking for this place. The setting's
beautiful, you get nice breads with hummus and free
edamame to start (watched one couple trying to chew
the tough soy bean pods instead of squeezing out the
beans... don't try that!), the service is earnest, and
the prices are pretty reasonable for such large
portions. Anyway, if you happen to be in the
neighborhood and feel like something a little classier
than the Noho Star (which I also like a lot, by the
way...), then Dolphins is a pretty good choice.

Thanks for the update Kendra. Definitely sounds like
a place worth visiting.

I am in that neighborhood often and want to give it a try! Do you think I need a reservation on a Saturday
night or is it still "walk -inable" ?Thanks for your delicious reviews!