I liked these little tables a lot more than the ugly booths. They were simple, understated and charming.
What I noticed first upon walking into the diner, and what I suspect may draw a lot of visitors in, is the over the top retro interior. The 1950’s styling is like a brighter, redder, version of Remedy's interior, with lots of of shiny chrome accents ands art deco flourishes. But the diner has a little bit of a modern twist. You won’t find any of those beautiful leather booths like at Remedy, The Diner uses chunky faux-red-leather booths that fit the atmosphere perfectly. That’s unfortunate though because I found the atmosphere in The Diner to be confused and dull. It was confused between being a no frills diner from the 1950s and a trendy brunch spot that could compete with a competitive neighborhood like the Meatpacking District. I would like the interior more if it just went for grittier, more old school vibe. The service was lousy too, I wouldn’t say it was bad, but bad enough to make me feel unwanted and uncomfortable...which is bad.
I was ready to hate this place, and then the food came.
Both the pancakes and french toast were simple and beautiful, both topped with strawberries and powdered sugar.
I visited at around 10:30am on a Saturday and I was pumped to try the breakfast here after hearing recommendations. I was feeling a little let down by the overall feeling of the place, so I wasn’t expecting anything special from the kitchen. The breakfast was incredible. Both the pancakes and french toast were simple and beautiful, both topped with strawberries and powdered sugar. The dishes were so simple and pretty. I was even more surprised when everything tasted just as good as it looked, if not better.
Both dishes reminded me of a toned down version of what you find at La Bonbonniere, which means the primary flavor is butter and grease, but at The Diner the balance is much, much better. That comfort-food flavor combined with the sweet strawberries was so, so satisfying. I loved the food here. I enjoyed the meal so much that it makes it really hard to organize my thoughts about this place. I honestly didn’t really enjoy being in The Diner, and I usually (obviously) love being in diners.
