LAICALE 129 Grand Street, Manhattan, New York 10013

"This is a restaurant for adults with an appreciation of fine French cuisine and style. The menu may be limited, but its quality and the grace with which it is served is not. Hard to find dining like this."

"Kai and Derek were great!! I had a hair emergency and Kai jumped in and not only corrected my color, but she gave me an even better color than I expected. She listened to my needs, looked at my skin tone and eye color, and used her 20+ years of experience to knock it out the park with my color. I even received two sets of compliments about my hair color later that day (and that never happens). Derek was just cool, empathetic, and professional; and put me at ease. Thank you both! I will def return next time Im in the States again."

"DO NOT Book with Fabrizio. I left the place in tears. Fabrizio cut about 7 inches off my hair when all I wanted was a trim. He didn't listen at all to what I wanted... I wanted a blowout however he insisted on using an iron, which would permanently straighten my curly hair. When I insisted on the blowout, he rushed the job hurting my head and leaving my hair frizzy with the ends destroyed. I came back to the salon with my husband and the front desk staff was kind enough to give me a refund and book with my usual stylist to fix the damage he did. Fabrizio saw me there, visibly upset, and he didn't even have the respect to approach me or say anything. I've been going there for years and always had an amazing experience. The staff is incredibly kind and Emilaino (who wasn't available this time) is by far the best hair stylist I've met. What a shame that the worst experience was served by the owner. TERRIBLE experience today. Definitely avoid booking with Fabrizio."

"UPDATE: adding some stars because when I contacted the salon (3 weeks after my appointment when I felt the color still wasn't settling in) they were responsive and very kind about refunding me. So their customer service, aside from my experience with my stylist, has been very good and caring. I wanted a corrective color. I was blue and she said she could get me to dirty blonde and I was fine with that, thinking I’d come back in 4-6 months to go lighter blonde. I knew this would be a process. I wasn’t expecting my blonde to be back in one session even. Little did I know I wouldn’t be close to dirty blonde after three hours in the chair with Noemi. She started by saying she’d get me to dirty blonde. She first tried to get all the blue out of my hair. She was optimistic and at one point even said she wished she could show a colleague because she was amazed at how much of the blue she got out. I think she used the word transformation but I can’t remember. At the time I was feeling optimistic given her response. She then suggested a milbon hair treatment. I asked some questions to understand what that would do and when she said it would help keep the hair healthy, I agreed. After the treatment she asked if I wanted a blowout or regular dry and I opted for a regular dry because I didn’t want to pay more money on top of the $600 for a styled blow out. When she was done I was shocked. In utter disbelief. I thought to myself “she can’t be done.” My roots were orange. My hair below the roots was grey/green. I asked her “what would you call this color?” She hesitated. I said “it’s orange grey green” and she said “yeah” … not quite the “dirty blonde” she kept saying she was aiming for. I stared at the mirror in disbelief and she could tell I was upset. She urged me to step outside so I could see the color outside in natural light. It was raining and gloomy (how fitting) but I obliged. She handed me a mirror on the sidewalk and nothing felt better when seeing it in the “natural light”. I came back inside and she said I couldn’t touch it for atleast three months. I said I couldn’t leave the salon like this as I have a job, work trips, etc. and her attitude immediately changed. She wasn’t trying to help anymore, she seemed dismissive. She explained she could put a toner (I think it was a toner) on the roots to closer match the colors and bring me to brunette. I took that option because what other option did I have? She returned with the toner and quickly threw it on my roots (she had another client arrive at the tail end of my tragedy) and then she rinsed, blow dried and dismissed me rather quickly. She said she could try for blonde again in February. When I asked “so you want me to come back in three months and try again and you’ll charge another 600 then, right?” She said yes with little remorse. She said she’d “speak to her manager” but I didn’t feel any reassurance. She later texted to say my next gloss, which I could do in 2-3 weeks, would be “on her” … at the time I said thanks, I appreciate it and I’d check in in a few weeks once I’d settled into the color. Few weeks later I don’t intend to get s gloss at Laicale. A professional salon gloss treatment is typically 50-100. A store bought kit is 10-30. I appreciated the gesture when I got the text but the more I think about it now the more I am insulted by it. I would gladly pay another salon $100 to avoid having to go through trauma with Noemi again. I wouldn’t trust her again with my hair in a million lifetimes. I knew going from blue to blonde wouldn’t be easy. I knew it would be a process. That’s why I started the process an entire 6 months before I was hoping to be blonde. I didn’t think choosing a high end salon in soho would leave me out $600, traumatized and with the worst hair I’ve ever had in my entire life. I am PRAYING to the hair gods and universe that I can get back to blonde with length that is even a little beneath my shoulder in six months as I get married this summer, but I’m terrified that won’t even be able to."

"Fantastic salon. I've been seeing Brett for my men's haircut for a while now and I'm so happy with his work. My hair is hard to cut because it's fine in the front while also thick in the back, and he nails it every time. I love how consistent his work is; he gives me exactly what I ask for and if I'm not sure of what I want, he then makes really great professional suggestions. Very helpful. He's the only person I trust to touch my hair."