Restaurant Review: New York City's Serendipity 3 is not the Place to Be

Serendipity 3 is one of New York's most-hyped restaurants. Known for it's antique decor and it's celebrity visits, every tourist and native new Yorker seems to want to eat at least once at Serendipity. Trust me, it is not worth the effort.

No matter what time you get there, and especially in the summer, the wait is always atrocious. As you make your way past all the people waiting outside and into the cramped entrance, you usually find it's going to be over an hour to be seated. Sometimes two. No place is worth waiting that long for. However, in my excited chance to try it for the first time after everything I heard, I waited.

My friends and I were finally hurried to our seats. I felt like I was sitting on top of everyone else. The tables were way too cramped and crowded. This is not the place for quiet conversation as the cries of babies and screams of little children was deafening. The d�cor is nice, definitely different, but you don't have much time to admire it because they seem to want to rush you in and rush you out.

We did order lunch, I had a cheddar burger and one of my friends ordered the Shake, Batter & Bowl which is half-a-chicken, deep-fried and oven-roasted. Neither of us were too pleased. There are better burgers at most diners in the city, for a lot less than $13. My friend said the chicken was ok, but a bit dry. We didn't expect the food to be too great though, considering Serendipity is better known for it's desserts.

I had to have their biggest seller, a frrrozen hot chocolate (I guess the spelling is trying to make it cute so you forget that its not that special). I had the peanut butter frrrozen hot chocolate, which is contradiction in itself. The most I can say about it was, it was good. No better than a peanut butter and chocolate shake anywhere else, and certainly again not worth the price of $9. Especially when it's served in a large goblet like glass that I don't think even the largest sumo wrestler could finish. I had plenty left over and felt because of that it was an even bigger waste of money.

There are so many other places with better food, better shakes, all for a better price and practically no wait. Serendipity is just a tourist-trap to make money by constantly talking about what celebrity came in last week. It's starting to make me think the rich and famous don't have taste buds.

Serendipity 3 is located on east 60th street, between 2nd and 3rd avenues in Manhattan.