The Early Word on Laurent Tourondel's Arlington Club

Arlington Club is the new Upper East Side project from chef Laurent Tourondel in the former Patisserie Payard space on Lexington. On this one, LT's teamed up with the nightlife big shots at the Tao Group to craft a clubby steakhouse that has, in the month it's been open, inspired decidedly mixed reactions. Here's what people are saying so far:

The Good News: One Yelper is more than pleased with his meal and the service: "The steak, prepared Pittsburgh style, was nothing short of perfection -- stellar---exceptional. The mac and cheese was extraordinary. Large pasta tubes covered with delicious cheese and baked just right so crispy on the top. [...] Considering they had been open less than a week, the service was very dialed in." [Yelp]

The Bad News: But a commenter on Eater is far less enthusiastic about the meal: "Steaks had a nasty char, sides were tiny and uninspiring. Salads are gigantic and bland. Servers didn't have a clue of what to do, and were obviously not trained or familiar with the menu." [Eater Comments]

The Still-Working-on-Issues News: The blogger at Pigging Out in NYC is content with the sides and delighted with the popovers, but disappointed twice in a row by the steak itself: "The fun part started when the steaks arrived. My medium-rare sirloin steak was anything but, and looked more like medium-well. Ditto for my friend's bone-in filet mignon. The manager apologized and said they were still working on 'temperature and timing issues' and rightly offered to replace them [...] The replacement steaks were brought over, and alas suffered from the same maladies as the original ones. The manager's IPhone flash light was working overtime to gauge the pinkness of the meat, and we all agreed that these were still too well-done." As consolation, the restaurant did remove the steaks from the bill. [Pigging Out]

The Poorest News: Others echo the blogger's complaint. On MenuPages, Jake writes: "It was one of the poorest steak meals ever! Steak was charred beyond recognition even though it was ordered rare and, the sides were dry and overcooked!" [MenuPages]

The Don't Miss News: From one Trip Advisor user: "Laurent is back, and better then ever! The Arlington Club is a welcome addition to the Upper East Side, providing excellent steaks, raw fish (sushi), salads,and tasty desserts. Yes its only open a few weeks, but it has already created a buzz with the 'trust fund' foodies. The menu is quite large, but if offers something for everyone. Dont miss the roast chicken, and spaghetti squash, and their pop overs are an instant classic." [Trip Advisor]

The Overcrowded News: Despite making reservations, one Yelper didn't even make it to the meal: "When we got there the restaurant was packed and the bar area was packed with people waiting for their tables! I observed at least 10 people asking the maitre d' when will their table be ready and he told all of them that it would be a few minutes and to wait at the bar! No one was seated from the time we arrived at 8:15pm till we left at 9:00pm!! People just going in but no one coming out!" [Yelp]

The Big Hit News: Though apparently averse to spacing, punctuation, and spelling (thanks Twitter!), Gael Greene is a fan. She likes the steak: "Arlington Club sirloin primed to take on competitors, thick, aged and rare. With herbs flung on top" and expects big things: "From the ArlinngtonClubSteakhouse action lasngt, looks like Laurent Tourondel&Taoguys have a big hit brewing.Locals already returning." [Twitter]

The Great News: This Yelper is pleased with everything from the sides to the surroundings: "Great atmosphere, great service and great food - just what the ues needed! Bar scene is lively with some cougars lurking in the shadows as can be expected in the neighborhood. Inventive drink menu and extensive wine list at reasonable prices for the bottles. Sushi was fantastic, popovers were ridiculously good, steak and short rib were very good but not quite what you get at wolfgangs or lugers. Still you really cant find a better steak in a 'hip' place anywhere above 14th. Where they stand out with food is the amazing sides. Best gnocchi we've ever had - also try the Mac and cheese..." [Yelp]

The Awful News: Another Eater commenter would rather go elsewhere: "The place bombed out on so many levels, we were happy when it our awful meal was over. We will stick with our neighborhood favorites: T-Bar and Orsay, and Atlantic Grill." [Eater Comments]

· All Coverage of the Arlington Club [~ENY~]

— Marguerite Preston