E.A.T. 1064 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York 10028

"Alright, I should have read the reviews here first, but we had just spent the day at the Met, we walked our collective behinds off, and we were hungry for something more than museum food or a street vendor. I saw that E.A.T. was nearby and to be honest, I thought the numerical rating I was seeing on Google Maps was a price rating, so I'm figuring a 2.3 was going to be inexpensive. Well, THAT was a wrong assumption. After we got the menu, we should have just walked out. We saw one other couple who asked for a menu first before being seated, boy did they dodge a bullet when they turned tail and left. Instead, I just figured "eh, NYC prices" and hoped the $30+ grilled cheese and ham sandwich was going to be out of this world. It wasn't. The sourdough was like eating a really oily and thin crouton, there may have been two thin slices of cheese, and the upgrade of ham was one thin deli slice of ham for either $4 or $6, I can't remember for sure. My wife had a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, similarly priced, that looked to be a little better... At least it was on a substantial piece of bread. The smallest bottle of Coke you have even seen for $6 that barely filled a small glass with ice was brought when we requested drinks, and I got the distinct feeling that we were wasting precious table space because we weren't ordering alcohol. Look, I get it, upper East side real estate ain't cheap, and honestly I don't mind paying premium prices for a premium experience, but neither of us felt like the food even broke the "good" barrier and instead we both left feeling ripped off. I will say the place was nicely decorated and appeared clean, so at least there is that."

"$21.23 for a BEC and small latte. I walked in and no one turned to greet me. There were 4 workers running around. Eventually someone came from the back to assist me. A white couple walks in behind me and get immediate service. Thought I’d stop by because it was near my job but never again!"

"Stopped by on a cold winter day on the way to the Met Museum with the whole family. No reservations. A gentleman whom I presume is either the owner or the manager came out and was very friendly and welcoming. We got seated outside. I got the bagel "tower". My son got a quiche. I forget what other people got. I enjoyed the bagel tower. The salmon was good. Bagel was not the best I ever had but certainly was worthy. But the thing that knocked my socks off is that my son liked the quiche. He is a picky eater with a very limited palate. He never had quiche before and he only got it because the other things on the menu didn't appeal to him at all. I tried the quiche. It was light and fluffy. Nothing like the "quiche" you find in so many bakeries, delis, etc., that's basically an egg flavored paperweight. Yes, the place is expensive. But when I eat out, I want great taste, artistry, ambience, service, originality/trendiness (or adherence to classic traditions) and value. I don't expect to get all of these aspects in one place but I expect at least one. The more the better. This place gave me taste, service and mastery of traditional cookery. To reiterate, the place isn't cheap for most budgets (I'm Upper Middle Class) but to me, I'd rather pay a lot for quiche my son enjoys then going to some cheap joint that serves something noone enjoys. If I ever break through to Lower Upper Class, I'm definitely making this a regular part of my weekend brunch circuit. Until then, I may not go here often but if I'm visiting the Met or Guggenheim again, I'd rather eat here than some crappy cheap local joint."

"Nice, quiet place, with excellent coffee, pastry and breakfast options. Had the toasted Russian coffee cake, wife had a muffin. Decent coffee, great cakes/pastries. Bit in the expensive side, but worth the stop on a cold morning."

"Prices were outrageous. Bagel came out super tough and stale. One slice of french toast with 3-4 berries on it costs $24. Everything came with tiny portions and high prices."