Wall & Water at Andaz Wall Street had been on my list of places to try for pancakes in NYC, especially as I wanted to be able to compare it to breakfast at The Shop at Andaz Fifth Avenue, but only today did we finally get there, mainly because we were already staying downtown. We made our reservation on Open Table to get our 100 points (equal just to $1 dining credit, but it does add up) just minutes before heading over.
The lobby of the Andaz Wall Street has a nice holiday display of gingerbread houses, each done by a different part of the hotel: guest services, housekeeping, Wall & Water, Sales, etc.:
We headed toward the stairs to get to the restaurant:
A friendly hostess greeted us, and led us to the right hand side of the restaurant. She must not have looked at the notes in my Open Table reservation, since she was going to seat us at a center table even though I'd requested a booth table. No problem, since I simply asked for the nearest booth table, and she obliged. Our server came over with a menu for each of us:
The cold buffet was pricey at $26 (or $18 if you also order an entree) so I went over to have a look before deciding.
It wasn't that extensive, but what I liked is that in addition to standard offerings of fruit, cereals, yogurt, bread and pastries, it offers smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, and even fresh oysters. When our server noted that it also includes fresh squeezed orange juice, I decided to go for it. I mainly stuck to the seafood, as you can see:
My husband ordered the Stuffed French Toast, made with brioche, stuffed with cream cheese and served with strawberries and barely spoke while making short work of it, before I could even get a bite–so it was apparently delicious 🙂
The munchkin of course got chocolate chip pancakes (they're also available plain) with maple syrup. There were 3 light, cakey pancakes with plenty of melted chocolate chips sprinkled throughout and two generous scoops of whipped cream on the side, in case you needed some more decadence. We used maple syrup on a couple of the pancakes and Bonne Maman apricot jam on the other. And while I still prefer the blueberry pancakes with lemon curd at Zoe and Maialino's ricotta pancakes, the Wall & Water chocolate chip pancakes are high up there when it comes to traditional pancakes–the kind most any kid (or kid at heart) would love.
Service was very good, with our server refilling my freshly squeezed orange juice and willingly taking back my husband's bacon to be cooked until crispy as he'd requested. The only glitch was at the end, after our server had brought our bill, but didn't pick it up with my card. I eventually went to one of the hosts who took my card. I paid with a Hyatt gift card that I'd gotten 5X points on by purchasing with my Freedom Card (5X points on airlines, hotels, Kohl's and Best Buy until 12/31/12) but other good cards to pay with are a prepaid card you've refilled with refill cards purchased with an Ink Bold or Ink Plus for 5X points, the Sapphire Preferred (2.14X points), or the Hyatt Visa. Don't forget to provide your Hyatt Gold Passport number so you can also earn Hyatt points and either your Platinum or Diamond point bonus if you're an elite member, regardless of your payment method.
The Verdict: Wall & Water is a great bet for breakfast in the Wall Street area, especially if you're in the mood for pancakes, french toast, or, if you're hungry for seafood, the cold buffet. Compared to The Shop at Andaz 5th Avenue, the pancakes are a better deal (cheaper and a bigger serving) although not as unique as the lemon poppyseed flavor there. The Shop also has a more light filled ambience. That said, there was greater consistency and everything we ordered was better quality. The only thing we sent back for longer cooking was the bacon, and that was easily crisped. Wall & Water is especially a no-brainer if you're staying at the Andaz Wall Street as a Hyatt Diamond, since you receive free breakfast up to $75. We may not be back for awhile since it's not so convenient to where we live in Manhattan, but will keep it in mind if we have visitors and will be showing them around downtown.
Related Posts
The Shop Breakfast Review, Andaz 5th Avenue
Maialino NYC Restaurant Review
Zoe NYC Brunch Review: Best Pancakes in New York?
Where to Go for the Best Brunches in New York
What Are the Best Cafes in New York for Coffee and Delicious Pastries?
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