Those of you who have been with this blog for a few years will probably know about my love for restaurants in the Altamarea Group. One of my favorite restaurants in NYC for a fancier meal is Marea and one of my favorite restaurants for a more casual meal is Osteria Morini. Recently, I purchased an incredible deal for a meal for two at Ai Fiori and was absolutely blown away. I’ve had lunch at Ai Fiori a few times before in the past, but this was my first time having their dinner menu. Currently, they are offering a Four Course Prix Fix for $108 with appetizer, pasta or risotto, entrée, and dessert.

To start, I opted for a cocktail off their drink menu – the Laddie’s Bonnet ($20), featuring Bruichladdich the laddie scotch, passion fruit, ginger, and lime. This was a fantastic cocktail and I definitely have a new scotch brand to add to my roster.

For my starter, I decided to splurge a bit and order the Crudo e Caviale (supplement of $8), with fluke crudo, American sturgeon caviar, crème fraîche, and meyer lemon. This was absolutely phenomenal. The fluke was super fresh and the olive oil paired with meyer lemon was one of the most flavorful combinations that I have ever tasted.

X opted for the Tartare di Carne, with hand cut beef, shallot crema, and cornichon, served with toasted baguette.

For our second course, we both opted for the Risotto, riso acquerello, clams, seppia, fennel, nduja crema. Our waiter had warned us that it would have a bit of spice, but we both felt it was perfectly fine. The risotto was rich and creamy and we both enjoyed it.

For my main, I had the Astice, butter poached nova scotia lobster, corn crema, hearts of palm, and tomato escabèche. The lobster was cooked absolutely perfectly. The combination of sweet corn crema and the salty lobster resulted in an amazing combination of flavors.

X splurged for his main dish, choosing the Tagliata (supplement of $12), featuring a 14 oz. New York strip, cauliflower, pole bean, charred tomato, and salsa verde. The steak was great – but the cauliflower puree was my favorite part. Sweet and slightly salty, it was the perfect pairing with the steak.

For my dessert, I asked our waiter for his recommendation and he told me that the Semifreddo was not too sweet. And if you know me, you know those words are often what I use to describe desserts that I like. Served with roasted pineapple, rosemary, and honey sabayon, the semifreddo was indeed not too sweet and the perfect recommendation.

X decided on the Tartaletta, with dulcey café ganache, salted caramel, and rum gelato. The rum gelato was my favorite part, as I thought the tart itself was a bit too sweet for my tastes. X loved it.

Service was A+. If I could give them 10 out of 5 stars I would. Everyone we encountered was super nice, friendly, and made us feel very welcome. If you’re looking to splurge a little on a fantastic meal or date night, I highly recommend Ai Fiori.