The Barking Dog
Reviewed on: 2011-07-29 By: Claire McCurdyCuisine type: American
Price range: 30-50
Address: 150 E 34th St, New York 10016
Phone: 212.462.0005
The Barking Dog, attached to the Affinia Dumont Hotel, is a warm, child-friendly restaurant, and mellow enough for adults. The dog motif is just kitschy enough to be fun. And the food is good, often very good, basic American fare. Try the weekend brunches.
The first thing one notices about The Barking Dog, which is attached to the Affinia Dumont Hotel, is that it is a real convenience for the hotel guests as well as for the casual passerby. . It's cute, kid-friendly, and mellow for the adults. The dog motif is everywhere, all over the walls, in free form sculptures, and it's not only kids who appreciate it. A Lassie vintage poster and a Warholesque flop eared hound were to my right. Hey, I like dogs! And this is just kitschy enough to be fun.
For the rest of us, the lighting is low, golden cylinders with Edison bulbs. Very pleasant.
Outdoors there is ample seating for an overflow crowd near a lovely waterfall and fountain. And it can accommodate your dogs.
The food is basic American. Although I haven't tried them yet, I gather that Barking Dog's weekend brunches are justly famous in the neighboring Murray Hill area. I stuck with my own version of the classics- the Caprese salad of tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and basil, and it was just delicious. (A small quibble- the basil had been on the vine too long and it was too pungent- but that's a pretty minor quibble) Others were eating basic pub food and from the sound of it, having a good time.
The service was friendly but slow, odd because it was a fairly quiet part of the day. Still, very pleasant.
The key points about this place are that it is child friendly, inexpensive, serves the kind of food that is likely to please most [American, tourist] people, and is usually [not always] described as welcoming. Especially on a hot summer's day, when you are urged to go find a spot by the fountain and take in the cool. And be sure to bring the dogs!
Daily, 8am-11pm
Notes:
The restaurant is between Lexington & 3rd AveVist website: No website
