I had dinner at Tabard Inn for the first time on Friday night and overall it was a great experience. For some reason, I was expecting a stuffy, blueblood atmosphere but instead discovered a place with a funky, welcoming vibe. As appetizers, the grilled calamari and monkfish skewer and the lamb bolognese with gnocchi were standouts. The crab cake and short ribs with tagliatelle were good entrees; however, the mushroom ravioli, which I believe came with just three pieces, was a little stingy. The poached pear tart/cobbler was one of the best desserts I've had.
The one real gripe I have is with the service. Learning that an 18% gratuity was added to our bill because we were a party of six explained a lot. I think the waiter knew he had his tip secured and just focused on other tables. He brought our wine after the appetizers; didn't bother to remember what any of us had ordered, instead calling out the names of the dishes and having us raise our hands to claim them (when just two entrees remained he guessed wrong, giving me my husband's food); and never came back to check on us, leaving us to flag him down. I guess we could have complained, but after spending $150 a couple and having a great time despite the server, I think we were reluctant to end the evening on a sour note.
But when the food and wine are this exceptional we're willing to try a place again and hope for a different server.