Tropica Restaurant At Metlife

I recently ate at Tropica and was really excited after reading all the great reviews. Unfortunately, my experience there was awful - the worst I've had in my 5 years in the city! The service was terrible - from the rude hostess to the aloof server who seemed tired and overworked. I ordered the filet mignon, done medium. The steak was rare, totally dripping, when I got it and pretty cold, as if it had been sitting out for a little while. I asked the server POLITELY if I could have it cooked medium and sent it back. The steak was returned to me medium-rare. I then again asked the waiter POLITELY if I could have it cooked a little longer. At this point, the waiter went off on me about how the steak was fine and ended his tirade by exclaiming, "What do you want?? You want it cremated or something??" This response was completely shocking, considering all I was asking was for the steak to be prepared how I ordered it. I have eaten at many fine steakhouses and always get my steak prepared the same way . . . so I know when it is undercooked. If the waiter is overworked, he shouldn't take it out on the patrons! I was so irritated by his outburst that I POLITELY asked the hostess for another server. She informed me that this rude and aggressive waiter was one of the restaurant's best. Clearly, Tropica does not put any effort in making the dining experience a pleasant one. I was so disappointed that I encourage anyone who is considering eating seafood or steak to go elsewhere - especially for the latter, go to a real steakhouse where they know how to prepare filet mignon. Pros: prompt seating with reservations Cons: RUDE service, kitchen does not know how to prepare steak more

I recently ate at Tropica and was really excited after reading all the great reviews. Unfortunately, my experience there was awful - the worst I've had in my 5 years in the city! The service was terrible - from the rude hostess to the aloof server who seemed tired and overworked. I ordered the filet mignon, done medium. The steak was rare, totally dripping, when I got it and pretty cold, as if it had been sitting out for a little while. I asked the server POLITELY if I could have it cooked medium and sent it back. The steak was returned to me medium-rare. I then again asked the waiter POLITELY if I could have it cooked a little longer. At this point, the waiter went off on me about how the steak was fine and ended his tirade by exclaiming, ""What do you want?? You want it cremated or something??"" This response was completely shocking, considering all I was asking was for the steak to be prepared how I ordered it. I have eaten at many fine steakhouses and always get my steak prepared the same way . . . so I know when it is undercooked. If the waiter is overworked, he shouldn't take it out on the patrons! I was so irritated by his outburst that I POLITELY asked the hostess for another server. She informed me that this rude and aggressive waiter was one of the restaurant's best. Clearly, Tropica does not put any effort in making the dining experience a pleasant one. I was so disappointed that I encourage anyone who is considering eating seafood or steak to go elsewhere - especially for the latter, go to a real steakhouse where they know how to prepare filet mignon. Pros: prompt seating with reservations Cons: RUDE service, kitchen does not know how to prepare steak more

In general, my wife and I enjoyed the food at Tropica. The entrees were well-prepared. Although the menu is not the most creative, the dishes are well executed. I wouldn't call it exceptional in light of the number of other options in Midtown, but overall we were not disappointed with the food.\r \r Our disappointment, however, began with the oysters. The product was very fresh and tasty, but were were disappointed by what was either an uninformed server or an outright lie. My wife and I are well-informed when it comes to oysters. Although this sounds pretentious, we often find ourselves knowing more about the product than the restaurant or rawbar serving them. That being said, when one is paying the menu price for oysters at Tropica, one expect something more for their money than just a fresh oyster -- namely a well-informed staff. On that aspect, we were disappointed.\r \r The menu allows you to choose east or west coast oysters, which are very different in taste. The waiter decsribes what is available in each category. We ordered a dozen east-coast oysters, which the waiter said would be ""Falmouth oysters from Mass."" We had never heard of Falmouths, so we decided to give them a try.\r \r When the Falmouths arrived, they were easily identified as WEST-COAST oysters by their rippled shells and dark marbling. I raised this curiousity with the waiter, who basically shrugged and said ""the kitchen said they're East-coast"" before walking away with a roll of his eyes.\r \r After doing some research, I found that Falmouths are from the UK, are brown-colored and have very fine ripples unlike any typical US oysters. The company that harvests them also farms a Pacific (WEST-COAST) oyster for US comsumption. I suspect this is what were were served.\r \r Do your homework, guys. Don't assume all of your customers are unsavvy tourists who will pay your prices and who won't care what you feed them.\r \r BTW: Teach your waiters to pour wine without dumping it all over the table. Pros: Good food; Well-executed standards Cons: Server was a novice who thinks he's a pro; uninformed & cocky more

In general, my wife and I enjoyed the food at Tropica. The entrees were well-prepared. Although the menu is not the most creative, the dishes are well executed. I wouldn't call it exceptional in light of the number of other options in Midtown, but overall we were not disappointed with the food. Our disappointment, however, began with the oysters. The product was very fresh and tasty, but were were disappointed by what was either an uninformed server or an outright lie. My wife and I are well-informed when it comes to oysters. Although this sounds pretentious, we often find ourselves knowing more about the product than the restaurant or rawbar serving them. That being said, when one is paying the menu price for oysters at Tropica, one expect something more for their money than just a fresh oyster -- namely a well-informed staff. On that aspect, we were disappointed. The menu allows you to choose east or west coast oysters, which are very different in taste. The waiter decsribes what is available in each category. We ordered a dozen east-coast oysters, which the waiter said would be "Falmouth oysters from Mass." We had never heard of Falmouths, so we decided to give them a try. When the Falmouths arrived, they were easily identified as WEST-COAST oysters by their rippled shells and dark marbling. I raised this curiousity with the waiter, who basically shrugged and said "the kitchen said they're East-coast" before walking away with a roll of his eyes. After doing some research, I found that Falmouths are from the UK, are brown-colored and have very fine ripples unlike any typical US oysters. The company that harvests them also farms a Pacific (WEST-COAST) oyster for US comsumption. I suspect this is what were were served. Do your homework, guys. Don't assume all of your customers are unsavvy tourists who will pay your prices and who won't care what you feed them. BTW: Teach your waiters to pour wine without dumping it all over the table. Pros: Good food; Well-executed standards Cons: Server was a novice who thinks he's a pro; uninformed & cocky more

Tropica is very conveniently located in the Met Life building. The service is very effective and courteous. The menu is fairly extensive, but mostly seafood oriented. The Sashimi and Sushi appetizer was of surprisingly good quality for an American restaurant. The lobster Paella was also very nice, although the lobster was a touch chewy. The bill for an appetizer and entree with a beverage came to about $53 per person and the turnaround was fairly quick, which is a plus for business lunches. Overall, I think this place is definitely worth visiting, especially since they accept restaurant associates certificates. more

\r Tropica is very conveniently located in the Met Life building. The service is very effective and courteous. The menu is fairly extensive, but mostly seafood oriented. The Sashimi and Sushi appetizer was of surprisingly good quality for an American restaurant. The lobster Paella was also very nice, although the lobster was a touch chewy. The bill for an appetizer and entree with a beverage came to about $53 per person and the turnaround was fairly quick, which is a plus for business lunches. Overall, I think this place is definitely worth visiting, especially since they accept restaurant associates certificates.\r more

i love the feel of place-- like im in the dining room of a beach, definitely a nice break from all of the rigid decor of most nyc restaurants. fish for days and the sweet chili dipping sauce for the portobello fries is definitely something to write home about! more

i love the feel of place-- like im in the dining room of a beach, definitely a nice break from all of the rigid decor of most nyc restaurants. fish for days and the sweet chili dipping sauce for the portobello fries is definitely something to write home about! more

I also went during summer restaurant week and had a totally different experience. My friends and I, a party of 4, had a 6:30 reservation. We were seated proptly, but with only the a la carte menu. When I asked the hostess about the restaurant week menu it was brought to us immediately. The only difference between the on line menu and the one presented to us was one item. We all found something to order on the menu. The service was friendly and not too rushed or too slow. We all devoured our food, and licked the plates with our remaining bread. It was delicious and more than enough food to fill our bellies. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I would recommend this restaurant and visit there again. more

I also went during summer restaurant week and had a totally different experience. My friends and I, a party of 4, had a 6:30 reservation. We were seated proptly, but with only the a la carte menu. When I asked the hostess about the restaurant week menu it was brought to us immediately. The only difference between the on line menu and the one presented to us was one item. We all found something to order on the menu. The service was friendly and not too rushed or too slow. We all devoured our food, and licked the plates with our remaining bread. It was delicious and more than enough food to fill our bellies. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I would recommend this restaurant and visit there again. more

We went to this restaurant misguided by its very sleek website. First, the pictures on the website -colorful and lively tropical - do not correspond at all with the atmosphere of the place, which is a large unremarkable and empty (on Friday night) pretentious salon without character. Except for the locals familiar with the area, the place is hard to find, because the streets in the area break or are blocked because of Grand Central/Hyatt complex. We went for their NYC Summer week dinner menu, as listed on the site. Once we got there, they had changed the menu, so that the items listed on the site menu were part of the regular menu instead, and therefore were pricier. When we explained that we were there for the NYCS menu listed on the site, the Maitre denied that such menu existed on the site (I came back home to verify and in fact the menu was as I remembered it). The Maitre did absolutely nothing to honor the advertised offer or try to please us. Unwilling to reward their poor business practices, we left and leave. Pros: None Cons: Location, service, ambiance more

We went to this restaurant misguided by its very sleek website. \r First, the pictures on the website -colorful and lively tropical - do not correspond at all with the atmosphere of the place, which is a large unremarkable and empty (on Friday night) pretentious salon without character. Except for the locals familiar with the area, the place is hard to find, because the streets in the area break or are blocked because of Grand Central/Hyatt complex.\r We went for their NYC Summer week dinner menu, as listed on the site. Once we got there, they had changed the menu, so that the items listed on the site menu were part of the regular menu instead, and therefore were pricier. When we explained that we were there for the NYCS menu listed on the site, the Maitre denied that such menu existed on the site (I came back home to verify and in fact the menu was as I remembered it). The Maitre did absolutely nothing to honor the advertised offer or try to please us. Unwilling to reward their poor business practices, we left and leave. \r \r Cons: Location, service, ambiance more

too bad they charge premium prices. went there for Valentine's Day. you would have thought it was just another Monday, staff was inattentive, had few recommendations, couldn't answer our questions other than reading off the menu, and the food was just OK. Cons: Service, Prices, Food more

too bad they charge premium prices. went there for Valentine's Day. you would have thought it was just another Monday, staff was inattentive, had few recommendations, couldn't answer our questions other than reading off the menu, and the food was just OK. Cons: Service, Prices, Food more

Came here for restaurant week lunch. Food took forever to get to us. The waiter looked completely frazzled and couldn't seem to handle his tables well. My sea bass was completely raw inside (no, i didn't order sushi). Average food, ambience, and bad service. Would not come here again. Pros: Not much Cons: Food takes long, Poor service, Avg. food more

Came here for restaurant week lunch. Food took forever to get to us. The waiter looked completely frazzled and couldn't seem to handle his tables well. My sea bass was completely raw inside (no, i didn't order sushi). Average food, ambience, and bad service. Would not come here again. Pros: Not much Cons: Food takes long, Poor service, Avg. food more

Although I very much enjoyed my meal at Tropica, it seemed to take forever for everything. My reservation for 2 was during lunch and it seemed that because I was literally 2 minutes late, the hostess felt the need to seat every party before mine. This should have been a clear indicator of exactly how the rest of the service would be. The food was delicious, but it is only a place I would suggest if you have much more than 1 hour for lunch. more

Although I very much enjoyed my meal at Tropica, it seemed to take forever for everything. My reservation for 2 was during lunch and it seemed that because I was literally 2 minutes late, the hostess felt the need to seat every party before mine. This should have been a clear indicator of exactly how the rest of the service would be. The food was delicious, but it is only a place I would suggest if you have much more than 1 hour for lunch. more

Halibut was delish; nice wine list; good drinks; good apps. Pros: food, convenient more

Halibut was delish; nice wine list; good drinks; good apps. Pros: food, convenient more