Wow, has the Dolphin ever changed! I’ve been there for many a casual meal and drink over the years; now, taken over from the team behind Icebergs, there is much to explore. First of all, there are three different eating arrangements: casual bar food with mostly pizza and a handful of other options; a fancier restaurant (packed out on the Sunday night we went) and a wine bar, which has some very tricky and complicated (and pricy) snacks to go along with your wine. Meanwhile, the space has been completely redone. I was a little worried at the first photos online; it looks like a messy imitation of Keith Haring, but in person, the spaces look pretty cool and engaging. We kind of like the Christo wrapped-up bar thing going on.
We just opted for casual fare. They have cheap gin and tonics (hurrah!) which I started with, before we split a bottle of an Italian wine of unknown grapes (unknown to me at least, I thought pecarino was a cheese, not a grape; the wine, $46 for the bottle, was very tasty, sort of like a full-bodied chardonnay).
My truffle and mushroom pizza, for $22, had generous shavings of truffle. It didn’t wow me but was pretty tasty. My pal’s minute steak was huge, and really tender, and thin: a hit. Now I’m curious to try the other areas of the place. I have no doubt the Dolphin is going to be busy, if not forever, for quite a while. It’s got a cool factor going for it, even though the bar was cleared out by 10pm (thanks Casino Mike).
Review will be expanded when I try the other parts of the Dolphin!