We had a lovely dinner with friends at a new Upper East Side restaurant, Jovia. It's exterior is so subdued, it took a second to spot it from the street. Inside, a lushly decorated bar area with little red leather chairs in intimate tables for two. The kitchen is open to the bar and the staircase you ascend to the main dining room. Upstairs is a well laid out set of rooms, each perfectly decorated and expansively comfortable. High ceilings, tables far enough apart, comfortably arranged. For a restaurant only two weeks old, their service was pretty good. There were a few minor things, but overall, a wonderful relaxing dinner.
The hearts of palm salad was very refreshing, with perfectly ripe avocados. The mixed greens had lots of snow peas which was tasty. For pasta's, the veal ravioli were delicious and the portion was perfectly sized to share a taste with everyone. The pesto fettucini was delicious. I was a little disappointed by the bluefin "cheeks". One bite was enough for me.
The pear dessert was nice, but go for the souffle. Decadent chocolate, yum.
My advice, dress up. It's the upper east side and it's not a cheap restaurant. You'll pay for your visit, but it feels worth it for a nice night out.
Daily Candy had a similar experience.
