New York City offers one of the most stunning skylines in all of America. Dazzling skyscrapers, seeming to brush the stars, and unique architecture leave tourists and locals alike awestruck with their beauty and size. Single-rise structures are a thing of the past for New York – too much potential lies within each foot of ground space to not stretch each building past capacity. Therefore, when exploring downtown Manhattan earlier this year, a short, two-story building nestled between rows of towering high-rises caught my eye.

Navy blue in color, with gold accents and a delicate sign reading ‘Maggie’s Place’, this place was gorgeous – I couldn’t understand why it was the only building here to have not been expanded! As I walked closer, I realized Maggie’s Place was in fact a restaurant. My boyfriend and I immediately decided to go there for dinner! Since it was still pretty early, we walked around the area a bit more (Grand Central Station is nearby and definitely worth the extra walk to see!). We finally couldn’t wait any longer and headed back to 47th Street. Once inside, Maggie’s maintained its curious charm with a dimly lit interior and richly colored décor. The main floor is primarily a bar area (as most restaurants in New York are), so the hostess immediately lead us upstairs to a larger seating area. Space was pretty limited inside, and we sat at small, two-person booth with a candle and flower-filled vase on top. The overall ambiance of the place was very romantic, complete with soft background music and white linen-draped tables.

After reading over the menu a bit, I finally decided to go for the Dublin Fish & Chips, while my boyfriend ordered the Penne with Grilled Chicken. Considering how luxurious the restaurant is, and it’s sought-after location, the prices are extremely reasonable. Both of our entrees were under $16, and Maggie’s advertised special is a Grilled Black Angus Rib-Eye Steak for only $19.95.

As excited as we were to be dining in such a mysterious and alluring restaurant, the actual experience didn’t live up to what we had expected. The food was good, not great, and the service was horrible. I couldn’t even tell you who our server was, because someone different came up to us every time we made it obvious we needed service. We ended up having to walk up to a random employee and ask for our check since we waited 20 minutes after finishing our meal without anyone helping us.

I’m glad we tried Maggie’s Place, because otherwise I would have always wondered what it was like. However, I probably wouldn’t recommend taking the time to eat there... if you do, prepare for it to be hours before you make it back out!