As if Williamsburg doesn't have enough of a stigma of being hipster central, the opening of The Wythe Hotel has most definitely put it over the edge. The hotel is in the more northern part of the 'Burg and it so painfully hip that it's kind of hard to even look at. But for some reason the hipness didn't bother me and the place kind of grew on me throughout the meal.
After reading some not to great reviews on Yelp and based on my own preconceived notions of the place, I was totally prepared to not like this place. But you know what? I actually really enjoyed my meal and had a great time. I guess it serves me right for being so judgy! I thought the industrial chic decor really fit in well with the overall vibe of the hotel and really made you feel like you were in somewhere "edgy". In general the restaurant look reminded me of being in a bright, airy French bistro. When we first sat down, the waiter asked if we wanted still or sparkling water and I said "tap is fine". But he quickly explained that they filter and bottle all their own water and that both are free, so we got 1 bottle of still and 1 bottle of sparkling. While it's a bit pretentious, it was a nice touch. I was a bit nervous about the menu at first because when I had looked on-line there wasn't a lot of options on the menu. But luckily when we got there, they had a few more options to choose from. Aarti got the heirloom tomato, ricotta, and toast dish ($11) and I got the sausage and egg sandwich ($12). I know that sausage and egg sandwich sounds really boring, but it was actually a delicious, hearty sandwich that was pretty unique. It was served on a soft brioche bun, jammed packed with 2 giant juicy sausage patties and covered with tons of extremely gooey gruyere cheese and topped with arugula and onions. It was pretty much like a high-end breakfast burger and it was so much better than a typical sausage, egg and cheese bagel sandwich from a bodega. It came with a side of fries and aioli mayo, both of which were fine. The fries could have been a bit crispier as they were a bit soggier than I would like but I could barely eat them after demolishing my sandwich. Given how heart stopping the sandwich was, it might have been healthier for the dish to come with a side salad instead. I didn't get a chance to try Aarti's dish but she did comment that she really enjoyed it.
I would definitely come back here for brunch or even dinner although I can only imagine this place would be a total scene late at night. If being in a uber-hip restaurant complete with hipster waiters will bother you, then maybe Reynard's isn't for you. But the hipness is pretty harmless and not anymore blatant than other nearby bars and restaurants. Total bill: $17/pp with tax and tip.
Photo Credit: Wythe Hotel
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