In honor of receiving a 4-star award recently, Habitat chose to offer a $4 special on its burger at lunch (regularly $12). With that offer, how could I say no - an opportunity to try one of the hot-list new dineries downtown? So my coworker GH and I braved the bitter cold for a chance at nirvana. Environment: very mod. Loved the color scheme - very soothing blues and browns. Open dining room. Dishes are very cool (white but not your typical plates) - and the salt and pepper are so unique, it was tempting to slip them into the pocket (no, I didn't take them, Chef, but I REALLY liked them - that was the first thing GH noticed on the table). The water pitcher was even better - but that would never have fit into a pocket.....The commmitment to green manifests itself in everything from the placemats to the lighting - despite the grey winter day, the room takes advantage of all of the natural light available with the glass curtain walls. Pittsburgh is not known for having an overabundance of sophisticated cosmopolitan dining establishments. Habitat made me feel like I was in Frisco or NYC. Contemporary, not cookie cutter mold, and not at all stuffy. Very quiet restaurant which means it is conducive to talking without the next table eavesdropping. That alone makes this is a unique restaurant these days - I get weary of trying to talk over the music and hear about the next table's most recent fling or surgery. Wait staff: very good. Rajee was our waiter. Attentive, but not overbearing. Service was quite fast - when I remarked to the server that our lunch came quickly, the response was "we recognize that most folks don't have a long time for lunch so we try to serve you quickly". I liked that. We lingered way too long chatting after our lunch was consumed and, yes, we were still back in the office within the allotted hour. I have a hard time doing that with any restaurant downtown. Now on to the food. I came for a burger. I wanted that burger. But I looked at the menu and found a dozen other things I wanted more. But I went for the burger (so this is an indication that I will be back). The burger was good. I am not going to say it was the best I have ever had, but it was good. It is served on a wonderful egg bun with nice thick ripe tomato, a slice of onion, lettuce, and a crispy dill pickle slice. And the burger is a nice size - with all the fixings, it was a handful. GH could handle it, I cut mine in half so as to not look like the ravenous carnivore that I am. The meat was rare as I requested - but here is where it doesn't yet earn it's fifth star. It wasn't messy. I understand that a well-done burger will never drip juice - after all, you don't expect shoe leather to be juicy, why would you expect a well-done burger to be any different. But a rare burger should leave some juices running down your fingers or chin (ok, it's a nice restaurant, maybe the chin thing would be too much). But there was no juice which kind of was odd to me. The meat seemed to be chopped more than ground - which was not a bad thing, a little different but not bad. It was not dried out or overcooked, it was just not juicy. The burger came with a white cheddar slice melted on top. And the flavor was kind of lost on the burger. Now, it was not a large thick slice of Cheddar (after all, the sandwich is a loss leader) so maybe a thicker slice would hold up to the flavor. Again, the same with the bacon. I knew it was there but didn't get a really good taste of it. Again, I am willing to consider that because of the low price, perhaps the bacon was quite thin and lost on the sandwich. For sides, GH chose the obligatory fries which came in a cone and seemed to be quite good (when a coworker doesn't offer to share a fry, I figure they must be good). I chose the butternut squash soup which is on the menu daily. That soup alone brought the 3-star lunch up to a 4-star lunch. It is not a large side serving of soup - maybe 1/2 a cup at most. But it was a tasty soup, just the right thickness, lightly seasoned. It came in this adorable little cup/bowl - which I wanted to lick clean then stick in the pocket behind the salt and pepper shakers and the frog pitcher. I would come back for the soup alone - and one more chance at those salt and pepper shakers.... So I am holding at 4 stars. I will return - I will need to try that burger again to decide if it deserves a better rating or not. And that naan pizza with ricotta and hummus is just calling my name....
(4)
Aundrea L.
This was my first dining experience at Habitat. I had never actually hard of it, but based on Yelp reviews, and the quick online glance at the menu, we decided to go. We arrived at about 9:50 p.m. after finding out the restaurant closed at 10:30 p.m. There is always a risk when arriving so close to closing time that both service and quality will be lacking. Not the case at all. Service was terrific~attentive, informed about dishes and ingredients, and friendly. Atmosphere is slightly upscale, but not pretentious in the least. I felt completely comfortable in a tank top and simple, flowy skirt and my boyfriend in shorts and t shirt. The food was phenomonal! Many vegetarian options as well as seafood, red meat, and poultry. There are also enough options for a gluten-free meal, a vegan meal, a macrobiotic meal, a diabetic meal, a heart healthy meal.....and these combinations were easily accessible on the last page of the menu. Kitchen is completely open and there is a female chef (which won Habitat extra kudos in my book). Most ingredients are locally sourced and/or received from cage-free, grass fed, kind animal husbandry farming practices. It is on the expensive side (only water to drink and 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and a bowl of miso soup brought the bill to approximately $120). On this night, there was a live jazz band playing downstairs on first floor of hotel, and the music was a nice touch while eating. The dessert menu looked good enough to eat...but after such perfect portions, we were too full to indulge. That's why we are going back tomorrow :).
(5)
Paul L.
Make it 3.5 stars. My wife and I shared a variety of dishes, including the roasted beets, smoked salmon, the trout entree and a side of lobster Mac and cheese. I'll go from worst to first. The lobster Mac was a disappointment. Way too many favors, which drowned out the flavor of the lobster. Next comes the beets and the salmon. Both tasty. The salmon would have been superb if it wasn't for the dill and caper ice cream that came with the dish. It tasted fine, but it was hard to reconcile the cold ice cream with the other warm ingredients in the dish. The best dish was definitely the trout. Never had a pan seared trout that good. It was flaky and slightly crispy. Perfectly done. It was the highlight of the meal. In general, we had a very nice experience and would return. Was the food a little too "innovative" at the expense of letting the ingredients speak for themselves? Maybe.
(3)
Crystal P.
From start to finish, our experience here was excellent. The host was extremely friendly, our server was fantastic and the food was fantastic. A bit pricey and portions can be a bit small but the quality and taste was well worth it.
(4)
Mangala M.
DH & I decided to meet up for lunch here, a place we've been meaning to try for a while. The space is gorgeous, and clean. However I was surprised that the chairs looked old and were marked up everywhere for a relatively new restaurant/hotel. The service was prompt and friendly, but the restaurant was mostly empty during peak lunch hours. I wasn't surprised though, because the entrees are pricy for downtown overall. I ordered the chicken paillard (served along with goat cheese, pine nuts, orange segments, and arugula, dressed with a oil), it tasted fresh, healthy, and but was average overall. It lacked any depth of flavor. We were served complementary bread with our meal which was paired with cold unflavored butter. That was also quite surprising to me as restaurant of this caliber will typically serve a warmed whipped butter that has been flavored. It was missing the mark on little details like these, that made our experience just average. We might try it again for dinner, but we definitely won't be rushing back anytime soon.
(3)
amy b.
I'm giving this place 4 stars because I appreciate the swanky addition to the Pittsburgh dining scene, although I thought the actual food experience was really 3 stars when price was factored in. Beautiful space, open kitchen, live jazz now on from wed - sat nights, excellent service. Waiter knew the menu cold, very attentive, addressed me by my name, switched my wine when i didn't like it without charge. my thoughts/reccs (note, I am very critical with food) 1) park in garage for $6, avoid valet 2) limited wine list, should be revamped, bottles not available! 3) delicious tuna tartar with tangy avocado layer, tobiko and potato crisps $14. best thing i had. 4) grilled octopus appetizer on perfectly sauteed fingerling potatoes - tasty, surprisingly tender. $9 5) romaine salad with poached egg and oversmoked bacon bits - creamy dressing needed salt 6) sirloin steak ordered medium rare - be specific about this bc they overcooked this and seved me medium!!! came with very creative celery and parmesian gratin. $34 7) rice pudding with fruit compote dessert $9 - served cold. blah. the pastry chef specializes in chocolate so i'd go that route next time. I wish I had tried some of the indian inspired dishes as well as the pork belly. i will probably go back because every now and then it's nice to put on heels and feel like you're in a big city.
(4)
Patti T.
Being a tad late in the week making reservations, Habitat was our 3rd choice for the evening meal, but being fans of Faimont Hotels (President's Club members--lah-tee-dahh!) we were anticipating a meal with great attention to detail and a high level of service. We'll start at the curb. Valet parked the car--by this I mean the Valet explained that the fee was $15 (uh, ok)--but he managed to work a deal with my husband for that exact price whereby our vehicle never left the spot. Hosed, I believe it's called. Beyond the valet is the hotel lobby. The desperate effort to look SoBe-Cali-Euro chic in Pittsburgh just seems fake and cheap. We walked up the 2+ story grand bleach-white marble, plexi (glass?) and stainless staircase to the restaurant above and found our party waiting for us in the teeny-tiny bar. Good thing we didn't want to sit down, there were already 3 people there and I don't think it accommodated more than 4. Off to the table. Passing LOTS of empty tables--around a corner in the dining room to where they were hiding all the diners. My impression of the dining space was that it seems unfinished--as if the kernel of their statement is present but not worked out yet. Minimal, as the lobby is, but the colors and materials are much warmer. Espresso woods and bamboo, brushed aluminum, dark brown leather and the color palette of desaturated teal, red-orange and gray carried from the hotel. This corner of the room has windows on two walls with the 3rd wall being completely open to the kitchen. A raised table for larger groups is in the middle of this room; very oddly placed and proportioned. Our server, N. (ugh! "My name is N. and I'll be taking care of you tonight"---please find a better opening line, N!) handed us our eco-local-organic menus which were a brush-textured aluminum folder with the paper menu inside. The paper inside my folder was stained, dripped on--ew. Not the best first impression for one expecting better-than-average attention to detail. The bartender made up for my initial disappointment with his ultra-generous pour of Patron. It was more like a triple :) Service: our server did not offer any detail or explanation of any of the dishes beyond telling us the specials of the night. I did hear the server at the table next to us deftly describing ingredients and components of many offerings and informing the patrons which were the local elements. (BTW, their whole "local, sustainable" theme is very superficial...or extremely understated) That said, we never really asked him any questions... Our four entrees were brought out simultaneously by four servers, each with his/her own speech in the ear reminding us what we ordered. I've seen that at other places (Restaurant Gary Danko, for one) and I find it off-putting when the arrive en masse. An equipment issue for me: the freaking almost-two-sided knife! There was most certainly a cutting edge, but it took more than a glance to decide which it was! The knife feels "right" either way. A small detail, but it pissed me off. Ok, the food: The menu was kind of all over the place--some Asian, some Indian. The items are arranged in Small Plates and Entree sized portions. My order: small plate: crab salad in a squash blossom; entree: Curry Lobster with Lychee; dessert: Rice Pudding with Rhubarb. The fried squash blossom being one of my all-time favorite food containers I could not resist. It was OK. The batter was heavy and puffy, obliterating all but the stem of the flower. The crab salad inside was light, cool and refreshing. Accompanied by beautiful, chewy, sweet black rice, the curry was surprisingly under flavored; the lobster--two claws plus maybe 1/3 of a tail was a nice portion size for me, as I prefer to not feel like I've just left the Cheesecake Factory when done eating. I have never been a fan of Lychee fruit and never will be but I ordered this for the lobster and curry. Let me tell you--if you LOVE lychee, then this is for you! As for the Rice Pudding: it was very delicate, not sickeningly sweet. Sprinkled with brown sugar and slivers of pickled rhubarb, the rice perfectly cooked. I could have eaten my weight in this dish. I really wish there was a 2 1/2 star rating selection. They were better than Meh, but not A-ok. Hopefully, we will return at some point and try the next menu. One last thing: If you walk down the staircase to exit, be careful running your hand on the metal part of the railing on the left side, there are some pretty sharp places where the seams are.
(3)
Matthew B.
I was very excited to go to Habitat when I read about it, especially since Pittsburgh can always use more interesting fine-dining options. Unfortunately, it still needs more. Virtually every step of this experience was a disappointment. We entered the lobby of the Fairmont looking to sit at the bar and have a simple meal. The Fairmont concierge couldn't tell us if there was a bar upstairs attached to Habitat (similarly, the upstairs staff didn't know what was served at the downstairs bar, Andys). Habitat itself is uninspiring and felt like eating in the lobby of a hotel (not in a good way). Very cold, very corporate. We asked to sit at the "bar" and were shown to a small enclave with four seats. The bartender said they get busy during pre-theater, which is possible, but this seating was very awkward. Our bartender, while nice enough, was not great. He seemed flustered and forgot to bring us placemats, silverware or anything. My wife was audibly coughing in front of him and he didn't think to fill up her water glass. For the prices ($10-12 for a cocktail) I think it's fair to expect more attention to detail. To be fair, the cocktails were pretty good. We opted for four small plates: the pork fried rice, Indonesian pork belly, Tandor chicken tacos, and Angliotti with butternut squash. The rice in the pork was overcooked. The pork belly tasted pretty good, but had a flavorless sauce that broke and some random microgreens on top that got in the way of the meat. The Angliotti was the best dish, although it's a pale shadow of the excellent butternut squash ravioli at Casbah. The tacos were unbelievably bad. The pieces of chicken were tiny and not seasoned well. They were served with gigantic slices of spiced watermelon & peppers that overwhelmed the dish. And the tortillas were cold and I'd bet anything that they were store-bought. There was no attention to detail in the meal. Additionally, Habitat bills itself as using lots of local ingredients. Let's review: they don't mention their sources for pork or chicken. The rice had pineapple and other out-of-season greens in it. Watermelon & peppers can all be locally grown, but not in June. As for the squash -- a great idea and perfect for fall or winter, not a hot summer night. We didn't even think about dessert - instead we fled down to Eleven to savor their delicious dessert, excellent wines, and knowledgeable, friendly staff. I was very disappointed with Habitat as I had such high hopes. I still hope that they can turn it around, but at this point I'm not inclined to give it another try.
(1)
Howard R.
I was here with a party of five on Thanksgiving. The restaurant is very impressive visually. Very upscale. The food is very good. Everyone enjoyed their appetizers and main course. The desserts were a knockout. Aside from being pretty pricey, dining here was a relaxed experience. The kitchen is open. Sitting right near it, the chef asked how everything was- a nice touch.
(4)
Mona B.
Excellent food, though the menu is small. I love that they serve so much organic and local fare. They even created a very nice vegetarian dish for my Mom and she was pleasantly surprised. Nice ambiance for a quiet dinner, good looking waiter was a bonus. The night manager Gerry was very generous and took meticulous care of our table.
(4)
Mark S.
We went to Habitat for their Thanksgiving buffet, so this review covers only that specific event, not their general menu. The good points: the food was generally very tasty. Service was very good -- we wanted some special things and the staff was able to provide them. I see that others commented on the utensils and dishes. We actually were impressed by the choices, such as having a coffee set that also had a place for a companion desert. Speaking of deserts, they were great. One that stood out was a "turkey cookie" which had two standing cookies surrounding a pumpkin filling, with icing designed to look like a turkey. On the not so good side. First, much to my amazement, they ran out of turkey. Yes, on a Thanksgiving buffet, they ran out of turkey. Second, there was very little selection (compared to what one might expect of a Thanksgiving buffet). For example, for the breakfast part of the buffet, they offered eggs Benedict. That was nice -- but that's all they had for eggs. Perhaps one could have asked for something else (see service comment above), but it was not clear how far one could go "off menu". Similarly, no soups -- you might expected something like a pumpkin or squash soup. Few salads. Lots of cold cuts, if you like that kind of thing. Third, some duds in the food. While most of the food was very tasty, there were exceptions. For example, the mahi-mahi was chewy, not flaky. Finally, the price: for $70 a person, I would have expected everything to be great, which along with the very limited selection, strongly influenced the rating to 2 stars as a Thanksgiving Buffet.
(2)
Maya G.
A clean, modern, architectural space with wonderful, warm service. The food was precise with nice options including three vegan entrees. Would absolutely return.
I found Habitat on Yelp because my wife being gluten free has a hard time going out for breakfast. So I wanted to give her a little treat and take her to a place that could cater to the needs of the GF community. We came here on Tuesday. When I called the person that I initially spoke to apparently was not aware of the gluten free options but lo and behold when we got their our fantastic and meticulous waitress Jessica was well versed on what was and was not gluten free on the menu. She also enlightened us to the fact that they had all the right GF flours to make pancakes and waffels. So we weren't told that when we called but were delighted to hear that we could in a future visit call ahead to give them time to whip up whatever batch of batter to make which ever GF breakfast item we wanted. So we ordered off the menu. My wife order a fruit plate that came with gluten free banana bread. I ordered a regular bagel and lox, side of bacon and side of hash browns, coffee and tea. We were blown away by the food and service. My wife's fruit plate was presented elegantly with gigantic mouth watering hunks of sweet pineapple, crunchy watermelon, big fat blueberries, grapes, melon and other fruits. On the side two nice sized triangles of some of the best GF banana bread I have ever tasted. Now granted I'm the one that order lox and a bagel with bacon and hash browns. And I was jealous! So, what about my meal? My bagel was perfectly toasted with cream cheese on the side. Accompanying the bagel was a plate containing what must have been an entire pound of very delicious and fresh lox, capers and fresh red onion! Wow! Just Wow! The thick crispy bacon and hash browns were perfect. We were happy and had a great time. Our waitress Jessica really made the experience the best it could be. We had a table by the windows. So we were able to look out over the square as it poured rain. The place is light and airy and relaxing. Can't wait to go back.
(4)
Brenda W.
Dined here for breakfast with an out of town guest, wanting specifically to have a nice Sunday breakfast downtown. Impressions: Pros: 1) Easy to make reservations online but entirely unnecessary for a 9:30am breakfast on this Sunday as it's not all that busy except for some soccer families. 2) The continental breakfast is good and reasonable enough -- juice, 3 pastries, fruit for 16.00. 3) The Water pitcher is adorable -- a silver frog pitcher. According to our server, you can purchase one through their website, though I couldn't find it there. Cons: 1) Entire inside of this hotel is exceptionally freezing cold -- the lobby and the restaurant. Very uncomfortable. 2) The breakfast buffet looks amazing but I'm not really in the mood to pay $30 for my breakfast no matter how good or extensive it might be. 4) A-la-carte pancakes (14.00), bacon (6.00), juice (?) would be close to the buffet price. 5) Our totals bill with tax and tip included was $80.00 for three of us -- for breakfast? Really? 6) Most importantly for the 2 star rating: My husband was ill after dining on their corned beef hash. He mentioned that it didn't taste right but he continued to eat it and didn't return it to the kitchen, unfortunately. He did call and let them know once we returned home.
(2)
Sophia H.
While I find the environment for Habitat to be upscale and lavish, the food does not meet up to those expectations. The food is not bad, though, so they get 3.5 stars. I went here with a few coworkers to celebrate a new Director to the team, and was very impressed with the service and decor of the restaurant. The servers and hostess were very accommodating and professional. We had a little appetizer of warm bread that was accompanied by three dips. The first was a tzatziki dip that was creamy and smooth. The second was a salsa like dip and the third was a hummus. I can't remember the names of the dips but all of them were tasty and flavorful to me. I felt like they didn't go with the bread that well, but went well with other food items. I ordered the Habitat Club with a side of sweet potato fries. The presentation of the dish is beautiful: the sweet potato fries are in a cone holder instead of messily tossed on the dish. The sandwich is cut in half and are angled on the dish, held together by a long wooden pick. The fries are well cooked, however I found them to be a little bit on the bland side. I didn't sense much of the sweetness I normally experience from eating sweet potato, and the salt was unevenly distributed among the fries. The sandwich was tasty, although what made it work was the sauce. It had a creamy texture that went very well with the meat, and made it enjoyable. Overall, Habitat is a beautiful restaurant, but that seems to be the only factor that sets it apart from the rest. If you are looking for a good food experience, there are other restaurants that live up to that expectation.
(3)
Lizelle A.
My husband I stayed at the fairmount hotel for our anniversary so I thought we should try habitat. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgable of the menu. Everything was excellent except for the veal sweetbreads. But when I told the staff I didn't like the sweetbreads they took it off my bill. We just wanted to try a lot of starters so we could get a feel for the place but I would definitely come back,
(4)
Pamela C.
Decided to go to Habitat for my husbands birthday. Arrived before our reservation and were seated immediately. Staff was very friendly and courteous. They all wished my husband a happy birthday. Our waiter was Phil. He was excellent. Chef Francis sent out a few new items for us to try. So unbelievably good! Many food items were completely new to us. After our meal, the Chef came out to see how we had enjoyed everything. He also wished my husband a happy birthday. Such a great experience! Then to top it all off, dessert. 5 out of 5 for sure! We will be back.
(5)
Jen T.
Service: Great Food: Terrible Doesn't approach quality expected of a Fairmont associated establishment.
(2)
Sarah A.
The chef designed an eight course tasting menu for my vegan preferences during my night at the Fairmont. I was whisked away on a grand adventure through a story of great flavors, unexpected tastes, and experimental methods of gastronomie. Although the chef who provided such an exceptional culinary ballad is no longer at Habitat, I wanted to credit the location for this review.
(5)
Ashley H.
Restaurant week is a time to explore new restaurants with mouth watering menus. Our selection this season was Habitat. The playing of our dishes was beautiful: modern style yet still making you want to dive right in. I selected the salmon tartar as my appetizer, scallops for my main course, and their ice cream pie for dessert. The tartar was a play on nachos. Little chips with dollops of avocado and a small salad for texture. I loved the tartar and avocado, but this dish was incredibly salty. The salad was inedible due to the salt quantity. I drank lots of water and wine while awaiting my next dish. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Played with a chips and sauce which also was incredibly salty. I barely touched anything but the scallops. Water again was my friend. Finally the desert - a take on a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. The chocolate tasted a bit waxy, but the ice cream was tasty. I enjoyed the chocolate covered pretzels, as well. Thankfully there was no salt in this dish. I am willing to return the Habitat to explore their main menu. Their presentation was nice and it seemed that they knew how to cook... someone was just heavy handed with with the seasoning. Perhaps next time I'll leave with more of a pleasant taste in my mouth... and not salt.
(3)
Kristy A.
I really enjoyed this place. It's probably the most fine dining feel of any place I have been, but it wasn't pretentious or stuffy at all. I'll start at the beginning... Reservation online at Opentable - appreciate things that are easy. We go up the elevator and are offered coat check - very welcome since it was wet and gross outside. Our table is by the window with a great city view. Water comes to the table in a really cute silver frog pitcher (which incidentally is crazy heavy - the servers get their workouts here). Drink service was professional and prompt, with the added courtesy of wine by the glass being offered like bottle service. They bring the open bottle, let you taste, and pour the glass, and take the bottle away. Our drinks were reasonably priced given how fancy the restaurant was. Then on to dinner. We decided on naan as a first course and then two apps each since they all looked so good. Our server knew without asking which dishes where meant to serve as the 2nd and 3rd courses. The naan comes with three dipping sauces and is definitely a must have. The beet salad, potato and vegetable terrine, gnocchi, and risotto were all fantastic. I'd order any of those again. We skipped dessert, but I imagine it to be as amazing as the rest of the meal. Overall, I couldn't find a flaw. Our server was great. She was friendly with a great personality and she appeared at just the right moments. A winner for sure.
(5)
Alvin J.
Ate here after seeing an early show one weekend. The atmosphere was simple but elegant. The staff was helpful at recommending wine and entrees. Before dinner we had cocktails at the bar while waiting for our party to arrive. I highly recommend the Golden Triangle Mojito. It has ginger infused rum, a refreshing and spicy twist which hits the spot. For dinner I had the rack of lamb and my wife had the duck breast. Both dishes were expertly cooked, moist, and flavorful. For dessert I had the strawberry fields which is an angel food cake. Light and sweet perfect portion size after having a satisfying dinner. Our whole table enjoyed the meal and the service. I recommend it without any reservations.
First time her and certainly will be back. Went her for lunch on a Friday with two coworkers. I had the BBQ brisket which was amazing. And then portion was huge! I opted for a veggie side and I got broccoli steamed. And it was cooked perfectly and not drowning in any butter or oil. Service was perfect and timed well. Certainly not her first time as a waitress! Can't wait to go back again!!! My guests has the crab cake sandwich which looked really good. Nice big patty with lots of crab and not much filler. Oh yeah and this place is in the fairmont hotel which is new to the burgh.
(5)
Kelly R.
I've stayed in the Fairmont many times for business, but had never dined at Habitat. I opted to have lunch at Habitat during my last visit, and I must say it was tasty. I ordered the grilled shrimp which was accompanied by creamed corn and a grain succotash. The entree was artfully presented, the six jumbo shrimp were cooked perfectly. The succotash was a nice mix of what seemed like farro, quinoa, and chopped veggies topped with micro greens and thinly sliced radishes. The entree was a bit pricey for lunch ($24), but the portion was just right for lunch. I'm not sure if the same entree is offered at dinner, but the portion would be a bit small for dinner. My entree was accompanied by 3 slices of artisan bread, to include a raisin/nut, multi-grain and sourdough. All in all this was a good lunch option.
(4)
Lauren B.
My friends and I went here for restaurant week and I was excited to try it since I had never been there before. It's on an upper level inside a hotel and did have a bit of a hotel restaurant feel to it but the modern ambiance and spacious seating area with plenty of windows overlooking the city was very nice. I also enjoyed being able to see into the whole kitchen. However, there were some issues with the service and parking. When we pulled up there was a sign about parking for the hotel and restaurant and it said $7 and there was a valet stand right there. No where did it say that valet was a different price so we assumed it was $7. It was not clear that self park was even an option, and we passed the initial entrance and followed the sign that said to pull up ahead for the restaurant/hotel parking and the valet guy greeted us. I told him we were going to dinner at the restaurant and asked about parking validation, which he said wasn't an option, but I figured ok $7 no big deal. He never once mentioned the parking rate is actually $20!! I only found out when I went to pay after dinner. $20 is absurd for Pittsburgh and way higher than any other nearby parking options. I would've never parked there had I known, as there are many other nearby options or I could have apparently self parked, which was not clear at all. $20 for 1.5 hours of parking when my friends and I spent several hundreds of dollars at your restaurant, really?! This isn't NYC! Fortunately we were able to negotiate a lower price after some arguing, but it was not easy. When we get in the restaurant there is no host/hostess to great us. We stand there about 10-15 minutes before anyone arrives. We tried to get attention of other staff but no one was paying any attention to the host stand. Another group was also waiting that arrived just after us. When she did finally arrive she did not apologize about the wait and tried to lead us to a 4 person table when, we clearly had 5 (and had a reservation). Fortunately this was quickly corrected. Then it took us some time to get our drinks and get our entrees ordered. It was also odd that the waiter wanted to description in detail certain menu items, but did not indicate any specials, as someone else noted here. I had the restaurant week menu with my choices being the risotto, the black cod, and the dessert (forgot what it was called but there was only once choice). All were fantastic and I have no complaints. My friends also enjoyed their dinners. And the presentation was beautiful. However, their normal prices are quite high and I don't know that it was worth what I would normally have to pay, especially given that the service wasn't up to par for the price point. They do also have a decent cocktail, wine and beer list, though some of the options are quite pricey and the wine by the glass list was rather limited, as were the more affordable bottle options. In sum, I enjoyed going here for restaurant week, and the food was all excellent, but I don't think it was amazing or interesting/unique enough or had good enough service to warrant the extremely high prices of ~40 entrees, which aren't filling enough on their own, so you have to pay another $10-20 for a side and/or appetizer. I'll also note that on their regular menu they offer some additional categories that might appeal to some eaters with special needs, such as vegan/raw, gluten free, macrobiotic, and diabetes/heart healthy.
(3)
PJ C.
Have eaten here several times as a guest at the Fairmont. It's very well done, for the most part, and their regular menu has a nice array of quality options. That being said, I felt the $75 Christmas brunch fell quite short. The options were rather limited and a bit on the thin side.
(3)
Lindy H.
The food was very good. I searched for vegetarian restaurants and it is was the second listed. They DO NOT have vegetarian "options" but as usual something can be put together from the appetizer and sides menu. Everything is organic and locally sourced within 100 miles but I was informed that the chef is not interested in any way in providing veg options. The roasted mushrooms were great and the rhubarb dessert was outstanding. The table service was very congenial. Lovely ambiance with live jazz on Saturday night. As a note, they also come up 1st in the vegan search. I would very much appreciate it if Habitat would classify themselves correctly on Yelp. For people with religious or dietary requirements it would be nice to be able to trust the resources that are out there.
(3)
Geoff D.
If you want the entire spectrum from prime steak to macrobiotic salad this is the only serious choice in Pittsburgh... Top quality ingredients, organic, sustainable, delicious!! The peach Old Fashioned is amazing!! Do it!!
(5)
Iliana C.
This place is pricey which I don't mind every once in awhile as long as the food backs it up. In this case I felt like the flavor did not match the price. I ordered a Caesar salad and a butternut squash soup. Both were alright (although my salad had barely any dressing on it). Nothing special and I would have been happy to eat those again but for half the price. Nothing original. I did like that they had a vegan menu which was cool but the only thing my girlfriend said that stood out was the vegan sausage. Yet, not worth the price. I wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)
Jason F.
Wednesday evening a group of is took advantage of "Pittsburgh Restaurant Week" and visited Habitat. The service was on point and our waiter made sure the experience was worth the cost of the food. The meal was good starting off with a pumpkin soup and finishing with an amazing dessert. The dessert was so good we licked our plates clean after some encouragement from our waiter. I will definitely return.
(5)
Steve H.
The family had the breakfest buffet and it had a great selection for all to like. The cost was 25 per person. Your options are limited on a Sunday morning. I would do it again. The service was good and my daughters omelette was very good also. the fruits are very plentiful and a great addition to the bacon.
Arrived at Habitat 5 minutes before closing but you would not have known it. Raj gave me the best of service. I was impressed with him as he explained that he went to the Burns ranch where the beef comes from and explained all about the meat. That was great!! Now for the NY Strip steak, it was second only to Emerill Lagasse's in Orlando. The texture of the steak was awesome and it was cooked to perfection with roasted mushrooms. I would highly recommend this restaurant!! No complaints whatsoever!!!
(5)
John F.
This place is good, but not great. I started off with the Frito misto. Chicken drummette, pork belly, homemade biscuit, summer vegetables, heirloom sauce. The chicken was good, but the pork belly was cold. The biscuit had very little flavor. For the main course I had the Halibut. The fish was perfectly cooked and the portion was huge. To be honest it was twice the size it needed to be. The fish was very good, but it was accompanied by a bunch of different beans...some warm some cold...it was too much beans and not a great flavor to the beans. I ate all the fish and left about two thirds of the beans. The service was very good and I liked the look and feel of the place. I liked the open kitchen. We were seated where we could watch them cook. This place is almost there... it would be good if they could just kick it up a bit...scale back the portion a bit and work on the accompaniments.
(3)
Alice C.
This restaurant is located inside of the new Fairmont Hotel, and has a nice upscale flair. Needless to say, the prices are a bit steep here, but the food seems to measure up. I got the buttermilk pancakes one time and the brunch buffet the other time. The buttermilk pancakes were very fluffy and delicious, however you only get four pancakes and maple syrup. I'd rather have them cut down on the number of pancakes and give me some fruits on the side. As for the buffet -- there were a few choices, but nothing that was super special or different. Think of a fancy American-style breakfast buffet with better ingredients. The mister got the bagel with lox and it was loaded with smoked salmon though -- he could only finish half of it. I was so jealous and wish I could get off my vegetarian diet sooner so I could munch on the extra smoked salmon! In other words, if you like meat and fish, the food would be great and the price wouldn't seem too bad, but if you happen to be vegetarian, you might have a tougher time justifying the cost (versus going to Pamela's).
(4)
Anastasia S.
I always recommend Habitat! The food is great, tasteful and clean! The service is almost perfect. Was here once for lunch when I was already sold on this place and dinner the other night was so good, we had the pork chop with blue cheese polenta, apple and pear and the Alaskan halibut. And for dessert shared the blueberries n'at. Also saw there was hemp icecream served with another dessert and asked for a sample, was very Interesting and delicious!!! Habitat is great!
(4)
Sara C.
Food here is very good. My disappointment was in the main dish. I had the duck. I think it was overpriced at 34 especially that the fat was rendered properly over the duck breast. Service was a little slow too. But I did enjoy my carpaccio appetizer and the drink I had.
(3)
Christina P.
The manager makes a fantastic gin martini. The food is great but the atmosphere is just fine - better than what you find in most hotels.
(3)
Jaime T.
I previously wrote a review on 1/15/2015 which was very negative. My friends and I had such a terrible experience that we were comp'd an entire meal. So we went back for our second try last night, 2/11/2015. The experience was 1000 times better! The server, Nathaniel, was EXCELLENT. He treated us with respect, and knew the exact time to come around to see how we were doing. The timing of the courses was perfect. I had the Cornish Hen with Truffle Papardelle. Amazing! Chorizo Mac n Cheese for a side was wonderful. The only negative thing was that our previous server, Deb, was still working there after adding money to her tips from us last time (um, what), and she definitely threw us some nasty looks because she remembered us. Regardless, this time around made up for any negative experience before, and I know that was the goal. Thank you, Habitat, for living up to all those other great reviews we had read about before. I look forward to coming back!
(4)
Rachel C.
I really don't find too many hotel restaurants that impress me. To be honest, most are downright awful (Mitchell's cough cough). But Habitat seems to try and break that mold. You can't beat the beautiful views and there's definitely a classy feel to the place. I felt out of place a bit among all the suits. But you won't find me suiting up anytime soon, don't you worry! They have a stellar lunch special called the "express lunch." You order a soup or salad, sandwich and dessert for $16 (just soup/salad and sammie is $10). I reeeeeally wanted to go for the dessert option, but since I'm trying to watch the sweets I stayed away. I settled on the beet salad and butternut squash soup. The beets were presented in a way I had never seen before. It was probably a full beet and half (I'm very aware of how much beet they server since I'm a beet nerd) with goat cheese and lettuce and honey drizzled on top. It was different, but good. I really liked that you could add on a protein to the salad, so I opted for the ahi tuna. It wasn't bad either, not the best I've had, but not bad. The butternut squash soup was also good, but was missing the really creamy consistency I enjoy. It was creamy, but just a tad off. I believe our waiter wanted to sit down and enjoy the meal with us, he was so present. That kinda sets the stage for how attentive their service here is. I mean, your glass gets below the halfway mark and they're there. You order, give them your menu, blink and then your lunch is in front of you. Seriously, that's some attentive service. Side note: The water pitcher is a "trademarked" silver frog that an artist designed for them. It's seriously adorable and you can buy one for the low price of $150 (I know, not low) but the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity, which makes the purchase awesome! You can also put your business card in for a free one! I would definitely try out the dinner at some point, I think it would be a really romantic date night spot. Maybe they can wow me at dinner. I feel like they're just on the cusp on doing that...
(3)
Jen C.
Delicious! If you're coming here for the typical chain restaurant portions & prices, don't do it. If you want quality food where the chef is obviously focused on amazing flavor, do it!
(4)
Lallu T.
Great restaurant in a upscale hotel. The ambience is nice and the staff is friendly. The naan appetizer is my go to and the veggie burger here is pretty damn good.
(4)
Kate L.
My best friend and I went to Habitat tonight for dinner for her birthday. Our initial choice had been Ten Penny, but I couldn't make a reservation online and they never returned my phone call. Neither of us had been to Habitat so we decided to give it a try. It's pretty inside and we noticed some other patrons (clearly not from Pittsburgh) enjoying the views out the window. Our waiter, Nathaneal, was great. Clearly the staff are instructed to go into detail about some of the items on the menu, but we didn't mind. We both got the same cocktail, whose name I don't remember. But it was wine and vodka and maybe elderflower something? Delicious but you get a tiny amount. I could have enjoyed a lot more of it. We followed some of his recommendations and were really happy with our choices. We both got the beet salad to start. Don't get me wrong -- Habitat is pricy, and $14 for a smallish beet salad is robbery, but it was really delicious. My friend got the Scottish salmon. She doesn't like cooked salmon but hearing that the salmon they use is sushi grade and being able to order it rare, she decided to experiment and was really pleased. Our waiter said if she didn't like it, he'd eat it and bring her something else. But that wasn't necessary. I had the short ribs and winter vegetables, which were really tender and delicious. Needed some salt, but there wasn't any on our table. I did think that was weird. We hadn't intended to get dessert but my friend mentioned to Nathanael that we were out for her birthday and he brought us a free dessert to share. We picked the apple Brown Betty, which was OK but nothing really special. Overall, I was really pleased with Habitat, although like I said the price is inflated. The service is great and everything is beautiful. Definitely would be happy to go back for a special occasion.
(4)
Jessica D.
J and I went before the ballet on a Friday - early. We decided to get the prix fixe valentine's day special with consisted of an onion pancake with creme and smoked salmon - tiny and delicious; arugula salad - goat cheese might have been the best I have ever had in my life, but there were these little squares of what looked like white jello that I am still not sure what they were. Interesting flavor though; he then had the king crab ravioli which he felt was too creamy and not crabby enough and I had the 14 ounce ribeye. oh. my. god. Hands down, best steak I have ever eaten - ever. It was mouthwatering, flavorful and spiced perfectly. It had a full head of roasted garlic on it which I was eating by the piece rather than rubbing it on the steak as intended. However, the dessert course was highly lacking. We got one of each choice - some chocolate raspberry heart and a strawberry galette. I am not sure what either of them were. The heart had little flavor, but the raspberry sauce was delicious. The "galette" as they were calling it was a mish-mash of lemon and strawberry and goo that tasted like granola. It was odd to say the least. I would normally say that I would go back cause the steak was out of this world, but when out massive bill came, that pushed me to think this would not be a repeatable event. Beautiful location though, highly attentive service (I agree with Rachel that the frog pitcher is adorable and I desperately want one) and the drinks were awesome (I had the raspberry fizz which was amazingly good and not too sweet).
(3)
Heather E.
My fiance and I went to Habitat with another couple before the opening night of Our Town. I'm happy to report the play was amazing. I wish the same could be said for the dinner. I think it's finally time this place is recognized for exactly what it is: a horribly overpriced, uninspired hotel restaurant. The restaurant itself is pretty - tall windows, fairly predictable furnishings and style, though the carpet is awful. We were seated at a table near the kitchen, which you can see into. It's bright and clean, and it was kind of fun to see the chefs work. We arrived a little late, and our dining partners were already there. My fiance was immediately warned to not order a Manhattan (the comment, I believe, was that it tasted like fruit punch that was lightly passed over by a bottle of bourbon.) I had an overly sweet champagne cocktail that had more juice in it than bubbly. The naan bread was nice and soft, chewy, and we all enjoyed the trio of dips that came out. However, you got about 3 pieces of bread and therefore ended up wasting most of the dips. Sad to say that was probably the high point. 3 of us ordered a soup or salad, after a fully exhaustive performance by the waiter. He eagerly pointed out about 5 different items that "the chef just loves." Listen, I love hearing about specials that aren't on the menu. But I don't need a 3 minute reprisal of dishes that can be clearly read (word for word, I might add) on the menu. It got to the point where we were checking our phones and trying to drone him out. Anyways, back to the soups and salads. My fiance ordered the beet salad, and almost laughed when it arrived. There was a grand total of 5 tiny cubes of beets, along with goat cheese, honey, and some coarse salt. While not too bad taste-wise, it's criminal to charge $14 for it. I ordered the soup of the day, a "tortilla" variety. Overall, not bad taste, but for some unknown reason, there were tough, fibrous strands in it that I actually had to remove from my mouth. Image getting pieces of straw in your soup and that's the general effect. Yuck. I had about 5 spoonfuls and quit. The Local Organic Lettuce salad was unremarkable. The real insult came with dinner. 2 of us ordered cod, one got another dish (which I cannot recall now) and I ordered the burger. Their 3 dishes were all above $30 and were quite honestly, terrible. The cod was woefully undercooked, and was soft and slimy, not tender and flaky. To say that mushrooms come with the dish, and then place 3 tiny ones on the plate? Laughable. Our 3rd dining companion was visibly irritated by the quality of his dish. The really sad thing? My $13 burger was actually the best of the bunch. It was cooked medium-rare, exactly as ordered. The bacon was delicious and crispy, and the sweet potato fries were hot and crunchy on the outside, and flavorful and tender on the inside. Even the pickle was great. My fiance finished his pitifully small portion of half cooked cod, and ate the other half of my burger. The service was also quite slow, and we were left waiting several times for 10-15 minutes, needing drinks, refills, or the check. We declined dessert, and raced off to the PPT. The real insult was a bill close to $300. There are many other places I can think of that would have done better for that amount. Habitat claims to be a progressive, high-end restaurant. What it really is? A predictable, boring spot you'd find in any business hotel. Don't be fooled by the website or farm-to-table claims. This place is highly overrated and we definitely will not be back.
(2)
Annette V.
I found myself in Pittsburgh recently and in need of a place to meet a friend for lunch. My friend suggested Habitat and, after checking out the menu, I was sold. As others mentioned, the frog water pitchers are adorable and the service is fantastic. Both my friend and I opted for the tuna burger, which was excellent - cooked to rare perfection and completely delicious. My side salad was fine, but completely overdressed. I managed to snag a few sweet potato fries from my friend, which were tasty as well. All in all, food and service would make this place a solid 4-star spot. "Why the 3-star review then?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you why. I pulled out of the airport in my shiny new rental car at 12:45pm and did not end up sitting down until over an hour later. For those of you keeping track, that was about 25-30 minutes of driving, and then another 30 minutes of looking for a place to park, since street parking is a joke and the hotel's garage was full. After a while, I finally stumbled across a garage and walked the two blocks in the rain to the restaurant. Here's a hint: if you want people to enjoy your restaurant, make sure there's a place they can park when they get there - they'll be much happier for it.
(3)
Anon Y.
Very nice for vegetarians. Little expensive bit great for special occasions. Loved their fries.
(4)
Melanie Z.
I dined here with a friend during Restaurant Week. When I came up the stairs to the host stand, he greeted me by name(!) and took me to the table where my friend was waiting. Our waitress came right over and took our drink orders, but service from then on was not particularly warm. She performed all of her duties of taking orders and refilling water, but a little more attention would have made the evening much nicer. Also, she brought the check out within 5 minutes of bringing us dessert. I realize they want to do lots of covers during RW, but this was a little off-putting. The restaurant itself is quite beautiful, with great views of downtown and a sleek open kitchen. The tables are far enough apart to have a private conversation, unlike a lot of other downtown options. On to the food. I had the heirloom tomato salad with basil ice cream, but due to the overabundance of capers, the salad was rather salty. The chicken entree was fine but unremarkable, but dessert was downright delicious. Habitat's menu was surprisingly innovative for a hotel restaurant, so I'd certainly come back on another day to sample their regular fare (and hope for another server). Their lunch options seem pretty fabulous given the quality of the food we tasted. In sum, Habitat is not a new favorite, but well worth a return visit.
(3)
Matthew K.
The dinner at Habitat was for a 5 year wedding anniversary. My wife and I recently moved to Pittsburgh after having lived in larger, more established metropolitan areas like San Francisco and New York. So finding a great place to celebrate was tough at first. I must say, we were not disappointed. Everything was extraordinary. I am so thankful this is here for us in Pittsburgh. Upon making the reservations I did mention that this dinner was for a 5 year anniversary. I mentioned it for no real reason except that it was true. When we arrived the hostess immediately greeted us in a very friendly manner and congratulated us on our anniversary. We were a bit surprised (happily.) After being seated our waitress greeted us by name (Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen) and also congratulated us on 5 years together. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and the origin of the ingredients making up the meals. Zero stress was placed on us to rush an order or order any drinks. She was timely on water yet not over bearing on caring for our every need. She gave us space. The food and the customer service is why I give this 5 stars. for two big reasons. 1) There was no need for the hostess, our waitress, the other staff an later the chef to congratulate us on our anniversary, but they did anyway. 2) The fact that the menu changes seasonally and uses local products was a huge plus. Knowing that the food we were eating is extremely fresh an well cared for only added to the experience. While we ate, the hotel lobby had a jazz band playing for the patrons at the bar. However, we got to enjoy in the music as well. As mentioned before the chef came out and greeted us and thanked us for dinning with them that night and presented us with a bag of cookies and pastry samples from the pastry chef. Everything was just above and beyond the needed actions. Over all when writing a review I want to put things into a measure of how your senses will enjoy the experience on a 1-10 scale. Sight: 8 (great decor, soft lighting and the open kitchen makes for fun visual effects) Hearing: 7 (the music down stairs adds a nice touch but it also isn't to loud that you cannot hear each other speak.) Taste: 10 (natural, local grown, excellently prepare food!) Touch: 4 (not much hear, but the mugs for coffee are Villeroy an Boch witch was fun) Smell: 6 (just enough of the food in the air without distracting you from enjoying everything else) I hope this method is helpful.
(5)
Yas T.
The decoration and restaurant itself is very nice. I went for lunch and the food was just OK! But the service was very poor, which you don't expect for a place like this. They only had 2 servers, which made the service very slow. Also our waitress wasn't very friendly either.
(3)
Justine V.
I tried this place out for restaurant week. Bottom line- this place has potential to be great, but there needs to be additional focus on the actual prep/cooking of the meal, and less on presentation. I would go back just for the white sweet potato soup though. Food: Everything looked pretty on the plates. The white sweet potato soup was to die for. The clover oil added something special to this soup. It was simple yet interesting enough for me to fall in love with it! I definitely recommend this appetizer. My main course however, wasn't as great. I ordered the braised pork shoulder. It had the potential to be simple and delicious, but the meat was sadly overcooked. This is not acceptable in an upscale restaurant. It was very tough, not what you would expect with braising. I wanted something that would melt in my mouth. The dessert was a deconstructed lemon cheesecake- good, but not good enough to make up for the pork problem. Drinks: We ordered the spicy hornito. It sounded great, a margarita rimmed with salt and pepper. It wasn't what I expected though, as it was way too sweet to be a quality margarita. Service: The service was top notch. When the waiter asked about the drink, we told him it was too sweet, but we would drink it anyway (I felt bad complaining after already drinking half of it). He still acknowledged the disappointment and removed it from the bill. Atmosphere: Very modern and on the upscale side, definitely feels like you are in a hotel with the carpeting. I enjoyed the open kitchen.
(3)
Rachel M.
I was in Pittsburgh on business and met some friends from the area. My friend suggested this spot. so we went in and put in our names. The wait was pretty long, so we ended up sitting in the bar. The bartender (who ended up being our waiter) was so friendly and helpful and their drink selection was wonderful. We finally were seated a bit after the time they had told us. The staff then went completely out of their way to ensure that our time there was an exceptional experience to make up for the delay. Delicious food and drink, incredible staff and wonderful atmosphere! The manager even came over to check on us a few times and was so helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend this spot, especially if you are trying to impress clients or entertain friends!
(5)
Amy C.
Me and the hubby went to Habitat Saturday after a matinee show downtown. We had never been here before. It was absolutely fabulous and we are definitely fans! It is a beautiful place with views of downtown Pittsburgh out every window. We were seated and received prompt, excellent service. Our waiter was attentive but not overly so. It was just the right amount of service, not in our face constantly yet we always had a full glass. We started with the Naan bread as an appetizer. This comes with three kinds of spread. The one was forgettable however the other two, we didn't need the third. We very much liked the banana chutney, just the right amount of heat. The hubby does not like hummus but I loved their's. It was a black olive hummus (and I don't like black olives). Their hummus was perfection! I chose the Scottish Salmon for my main course. It comes with what I would describe as a brussell sprout salad. The brussell sprouts were stemmed and incredibly tasty. In this salad, so to speak, were chunks of smoked salmon - oh my goodness - I could eat this stuff by the pound. It was smoked and had just the right amount of saltiness. I also got a side of mashed potatoes, whipped up to a perfect consistancy (light and creamy and seasoned perfectly). The hubby enjoyed the honey glazed duck for his main course. We have never had duck that was so good. It had a good smokey flavor to it and it was tender and juicy! He also had a side of asparagus, we always love asparagus. We had to try dessert too, of course. I got the Tropical Oasis. it was sweet and tart all at the same time. It was, most certainly, a tropical oasis in a cup. The hubby chose the German Chocolate cake, wow! I am not a true coconut fan or a german chocolate cake fan but I would get theirs. It was terrific. The food was phenomenal and the wait service was impeccable. We will certainly go there again!
(5)
Anthony W.
Came here during Restaurant Week with a couple of friends. Habitat definitely falls in line with restaurants you would find in most upscale business hotels, as far as decor and atmosphere. The service is good, as you would expect from such an establishment, but not exceptional. I started off with a glass of sauvignon blanc and ordered the white sweet potato soup as my appetizer, which was great. The sweetness of the soup was accented well by the savory garnish. However, the cod, the main course, was a bit underdone. The flavors were good, but it had a real sliminess instead of the flakiness that you would expect. Finally, while I'm not normally a dessert fan, the deconstructed lemon cheesecake was probably the highlight of the night. At the Restaurant Week prices (3 courses/$35.14), Habitat was worth the trip. However, I'm not sure I would come back otherwise.
(3)
Mary W.
This was my first time here. I found the decor very modern and upscale. Our waiter was extremely friendly and great with the recommendations. I am a creature of habit, but I wanted to eat outside the box. I usually order steak or pasta. I was eyeing the braised short ribs, but was unsure. However this was one of our waiters recommendations, so I ordered it with a side of Mac n cheese. The short ribs were off the bone and so tender that a knife was not required. The ribs were so moist and tasty and I wanted seconds. The pumpkin gnocchi were also tasty and the Mac n cheese was creamy. One of the best meals I've had in awhile.
(5)
Andrew V.
Habitat has quickly become my favorite (or one of) restaurant downtown. Now I must admit I only come for their lunch but I never regret it. Every time we go I am always happy with the service, both from a service aspect and a food aspect. The wait staff is always on top of their game and the food is always delicious. I tend to be rather boring with my selections, but I absolutely love their chicken sandwich. It comes with avocado, which normally I don't like, but love with this. Their fries are amazing. And I'm not joking when I say amazing. I don't know what they put on them for seasoning, but they're so freaking good. I also always get their butternut squash soup. It makes for a rather large lunch, but that's what the gym is for right? For a hotel restaurant I don't think you really can beat the service, quality or price. It's definitely a great place to take a date, client, or anyone for that matter. It borders on the swanky side, however, I would feel ok wearing jeans there. And if you're in a rush they have express lunches available depending on what type of meal you're interested in getting. The express lunch I believe is designed to have you in and out within 30 minutes, but please don't quote me on that and for a busy downtown worker bee like myself it's kind of idea.
(4)
Matthew H.
Good dinner, food was really good and service was prompt.
(4)
Bruce L.
These people are just screwups. Ordered the miso soup, listed on the menu as having tofu and scallions. No tofu or scallions, but tons of mushrooms. Also got the veggie burger which is listed with sweet potato fries, but no fries came with it. The only reason they get two stars is because it was a delicious veggie burger.
(2)
Collin S.
Absolutely the best service I have ever received at a Pittsburgh restaurant. A date and I enjoyed the lunch express--a soup (I had the excellent butternut squash soup with sour cream, date had potato leek soup), tomato salad with basil, sliced red onions, and capers, beef empanadas (yum!), and chocolate cake combination. When I had made reservations at the restaurant for this meal, I mentioned my date and I were celebrating her graduation. I never expected to receive a beautiful dessert platter of chocolate-dipped strawberries, blueberry tarts, and chocolate cake with 'Congratulations' written in chocolate. My date cried (I think). Habitat is a must experience when you're in town.
(4)
Carol P.
I'm a local. Had never seen the Fairmont. Reminded me of a chi-chi boutique hotel in NYC, but with WAY friendlier staff. Typically I avoid hotel restaurants, but, as a loyal 'burgher, thought it was worth a try. Did not disappoint. Creative and delicious, but not too crazy. I enjoyed the short-ribs and gnocchi. My husband had the poached fish. Both were awesome, although the fish without a side of mashed potatoes wouldn't have been enough. Not cheap, but for a special occasion this is now my top choice in Pittsburgh. Great food, classy atmosphere and excellent service.
(5)
Matt C.
I suppose it's fitting to pick Habitat for my 100th Yelp review, as--much like the amount of time I spend on the internet--it's an impressive accomplishment, while in many ways still a work in progress. I've been here thrice now, for a lunch, a dinner, and a holiday, and each time I've been quite happy with the experience. The space is wonderful--classy and refined without being busy or pretentious--and no matter how crowded it gets, you never feel cramped. The service has always been top-notch as well--polite, attentive and helpful. Even little details (like the frog-shaped water pitchers designed just for the restaurant by some local artist). Of course, the most important part of any meal is the food, and they do it quite well here. The kitchen works together to pursue a clear vision of locally sourced yet globally inspired cuisine. But while some dishes are perfect (and true delights), not every item I've sampled has met the standard I'd expect. A perfect balance of flavors, colors, ingredients, accents and even artistry is no easy trick, and unfortunately the execution doesn't always measure up to the idea. Still, I always enjoy the experience, because even in the less successful dishes, there's a glimmer of potential and creativity that isn't easy to find in Pittsburgh (or for that matter a hotel restaurant). In my personal experience, the poultry is wonderful (I've enjoyed chicken, duck and turkey); the risottos range from good to great; the soups are usually good, though my first was so-so; fish and seafood can be a little hit-or-miss; beef and pork dishes have been very good; and the desserts are always an excellent way to finish any meal here. The only category I wouldn't try again would be the salads. One thing worth noting, if you want to try Habitat without committing to the expense of a full dinner, they do a $16 "executive express" lunch during the week, which gives you four small courses--all served at once for expediency. (That was my first experience there, and while the soup and salad were unimpressive, the sandwich and amazing dessert convinced me to come back--and I'm glad they did.) While I've had a mix of experiences, everything I've seen tells me the best is yet to come. There's a lot of potential in Habitat, and I'll definitely be back to see what they accomplish.
(4)
Phil A.
I've eaten here twice now, and it was worth every penny. Last night was the bibb salad, Lake Erie walleye, and German chocolate cake for dessert. All equally delicious, prepared with the utmost care, and presented so beautifully I hesitated to dig in. Attentive waitstaff, elegant decor. Would be a great place for a very special night out. Pittsburgh is one lucky city to have Habitat--a foodie's dream come true.
(5)
Beth M.
What a wonderful dining experience, top to bottom, start to finish. The restaurant itself looks beautiful and I love that their menu is local farm-to-table and seasonal. Additionally they have a special dietary restrictions menu, which made eating gluten-free very easy. The roasted beet salad was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten and my husband enjoyed the smoked salmon. I took a bite and it was incredible. We both had the NY Strip as our entree and it was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes were so good I could have gone swimming in them. :) On top of delicious, fresh food, our waitress was super accommodating and very lovely. I would definitely come back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(4)
Jen A.
I've tried this place for weekday lunch twice now so I feel that it wasn't a one time fluke. The food is ok. The service is very good, I've always thought my server was attentive and friendly. The food, however, just doesn't live up for me. The menu items sound really good and there isn't anything wrong with them...they just aren't spectacular. I've not tried their Express Lunch which is a really cool concept, a mini soup, salad, entree and dessert on one plate. Both times I've gone they were foods I'm not a fan of, but I know others who have been happy with it. If you aren't a foodie you'll be very happy with this place, but if you are I think you'll need to lower your expectations a bit. I would also warn to stay away from the lemon cupcake, both times I've gone someone in my party got it and both times they said it seemed stale.
(3)
Patrick S.
Went here last night for dinner and the service was excellent as always; however, the Ribeye was atrocious. It was easily the worst piece of meat I've ever had, akin to cutting leather with a butter knife. It was a local piece meat so they may have had something to do with it, but for $38 that is entirely unreasonable. I am not sure if the piece of meat was frozen prior to being cooked but I did see it come from a vacuum sealed bag since the kitchen is open. This restaurant used to be my go-to for breakfast, lunch and dinner downtown, but for the price and food quality, I can no longer recommend this establishment. Eleven or Bluebird cafe are much better bets in my opinion.
(1)
Aire B.
I feel like I can't fully review Habitat because I was only to dine from the Restaurant Week menu, not that I'm complaining! :) The mushroom tart was OUTSTANDING! I also reallllly enjoyed the bread pudding dessert! Can't wait to go back and try the whole menu out! Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating as well.
(4)
Kelly T.
There are other restaurants in PGH that I prefer, and serve similar food but better and cheaper. I'm thinking of Eleven and Nine. A good stand-out in the downtown area. Everything is of fine quality, which I feel is a bit of a *kiss of death*--it's good, it's expensive, but the food doesn't *wow* (though the Fairmont service does). The pewter froggy water service pitcher is BEYOND cute.
(3)
Laura T.
Yet another Pittsburgh Restaurant week driven review: this place is like paradox central with every good thing being counterbalanced by a much more unpleasant part. We went for lunch on a Sunday which was supposedly not part of the Pittsburgh Restaurant week even but they were very accommodating. We had initially planned to go for dinner on Saturday but our group was increasing and they were very much UNaccommodating. Ok, back to the food review: We tried both soups and the butternut squash was by far superior to a chicken tom yum. The beet salad was delish! The thai salad was close to a disaster. The veggie wrap was ok and the crab cake was bland. The desserts were indeed amazing. Errr, except for one: the fruit tart was pretty much raw egg inside out and you couldn't cover the yolky taste with all the lemons in the world. I ended up giving them two stars because in the course of one meal they were very inconsistent. I definitely do not expect this from a higher end restaurant.
(2)
Jason F.
I ate here this past Thursday evening with my girlfriend and her friend. We decided to come here since it was Pittsburgh restaurant week and they were participating with a fixed price $30 3 course meal. I had made reservations and when I arrived I was greeted with a welcome back and also a welcome to dinner for the first time. Apparently they keep track of my open table account from which I make reservations which is both cool and creepy at the same time. The dinner for all 3 of us started out with the Lobster Bisque which we ordered in addition to the three course menu. The bisque came out and had a nice orange color and was both creamy and delicious. For my appetizer I decided to start off with the Pork Belly. The pork belly came out on top of a bed of roasted corn puree with onions. The meat was fatty and savory as expected with the puree adding some body to the appetizer while the onions provided a little of the needed tartness for the dish. When eaten all together the whole dish tasted very good. Even though I am generally not a big fish person I decided to have the pan roasted golden trout for my entree since my only other option on the price fixed menu was chicken thighs and I hate chicken on the bone more than fish. The trout came with the skin on and was placed on top of a bed of purple potatoes, eggplant and collard greens all of which was surrounded by a circling of vinaigrette. It was quite the beautiful dish visually. I thought the the fish was decent with the standout portion of it being the skin which was crisped nicely and almost had the feel and taste of a potato chip. The vegetables were also good, especially when combined with some of the added sauce. My dessert was a dish that was appropriately named Strawberries n'at. It consisted of a strawberry streusel bar topped with strawberry ice cream beside fresh strawberries with strawberry meringue shards. I enjoyed it, especially with all of the different textures at play between the coldness of the ice cream, to the juiciness of the strawberries and the slightly crunchy meringue. It ended up being a lot of strawberry by the end but I still happily cleaned my plate. The bottom line for me is that I would definitely head back here in the future. Granted I would not order the same meal but the chef clearly knows what he is doing and has enough whimsical and well thought out dishes that I would like to come back.
(4)
Rosalind C.
OK, I am upgrading my rating for Habitat. When we first went here, almost two years ago to the day, they were working out their opening kinks. But now, they are a much smoother operation. I am a fan of the whole locally sourced commitment, and they have very interesting taste combinations. They also dabble in the whole molecular gastronomy thing, which is always fun. You know how sometimes hosts/hostesses can seem both solicitous and snobby at the same time? The host here seemed to walk that fine FINE line between seeming like he was used to dealing with high status clientele AND that he wasn't sure which class we should be categorized in. We were probably among the first diners that night, so maybe he hadn't gotten into the spirit of things yet, but I felt like I had been weighed, measured, and found wanting. That being said, he didn't do anything overtly to make me feel bad, but... anyway, just a heads up. But our actual server was incredibly gracious, and we enjoyed talking with him. We started with compressed watermelon with prosciutto, which was really divine. I haven't had watermelon in so long, and this was like a breath of fresh (spring/summer) air. Hubby had the burger, which was also quite good, and I went with the wild sea bass, which was excellent (and also about 3x more expensive than the burger... eh?!?! what is going on when wild caught fish is 3x more expensive than locally sourced grass fed beef?). Overall, we really enjoyed Habitat. The service was nice, and the atmosphere wasn't as pretentious as it was last time. But, it was really expensive for what it was. That is, there are so many more options in Pittsburgh that give the same level of quality of food for less that it's hard to rationalize coming here. But if you are on an expense account and want to impress a client, by all means, Habitat is an excellent choice.
(4)
Maria S.
Overall, we really, really enjoyed our meal here. I'm not going to comment too much on the food specifically, as I understand it was the last week for the particular menu we had, so that wouldn't be terribly useful for future Yelpers. However, I will say that everything I ate was perfectly executed, and the portions were generous. At this level of cooking, any criticism is just being nitpicky. We were able to taste most of the dessert menu - definitely save room! The waitstaff was very well informed, helpful, and professional. We didn't sit very near to the kitchen, which was fine with me because I think it could have been a bit distracting. According to my Foursquare checkin, the frog water pitchers are for sale, though I didn't ask! We ate here for dinner, I'd like to try it for lunch sometime, I'd be interested in comparing. Overall, I thought the value at this price level was really quite good and the food stands up to the other restaurants in Pittsburgh in its category.
(4)
Bill T.
Just got back from breakfast and was there last night for dinner. Both were exceptional meals. For us it was "as good as it gets." Some highlights from dinner - you've got to try the roasted beets - really unique & delicious. The naan was all the more tasty having seen it made in the open kitchen. The whitefish was succulent & juicy and VERY fresh and the pork chop was a generous 12 oz portion perfectly prepared. Our breakfast today was also a delight - called the "lifestyle breakfast entree" - the egg white omelet was heavenly but the side of cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic and onions was the best side in the morning. So overall I would say this is a winner. Locally sourced products, imaginative menu, beautiful venue, and pleasant service makes this worth a visit.
(5)
Serena T.
Not bad, not bad at all, but not that great either. I went here for lunch with a friend and had the grilled vegetable wrap with sweet potato fries. When I read grilled veggies, I want a variety of grilled veggies - and I like them grilled - you know have those little charcoal lines on them. Well that wasn't the case for Habitat's version of grilled veggie wrap. It was your usual suspect veggies - eggplant (a bit chewy and hard), red peppers, and some leafy greens that were doused in the dressing they put on there. That was probably the saving grace - the doused dressing, it helped to cover up the lack of grilled veggie taste. But I was in the mood for veggies and this sorta hit the spot. The sweet potato fries were good...maybe that was the meals saving grace. The desserts looked really good at this place, but we didn't have the time nor the space to try them out. Service was great.
(3)
Cristina P.
Went here for a Saturday brunch while in town for a wedding. Food was great but slightly overpriced and service was good, not great. Would recommend if you're looking for something a little more upscale and tasty but not if you're looking for something different or really outstanding.
(4)
Sarah R.
Came here during Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, and was very pleased with the entire experience. I pretty much never go downtown, so this was a perfect excuse to try a new restaurant and see the lovely Fairmont Hotel. The ambiance of the restaurant is romantic, warm, and earthy. The seating is neatly spaced, and you can have a conversation with your date without everyone else hearing. We were seated away from the open kitchen, so that might have reduced the noise level for us as well. He started with the baby bibb salad which was very simple and fresh, but had a little too much dressing. I had the mushroom tart. I was freaking out over how delicious my mushroom tart was. It was savory, smoky, sweet, crisp, chewy, and just heavenly. My husband, who generally doesn't care for mushrooms, shared my reaction. For our main courses, I had the roasted organic chicken thigh, and he had the diver scallops. My chicken thigh was tender and super juicy, but vaguely bland, but it came with a cannelloni with sausage which offered the bit of seasoning my tastebuds were looking for. The skin of the chicken was a bit soggier than expected as well. His scallops, however, were perfectly seared, delicate, buttery, and sweet. For dessert, we tried the pumpkin pudding, the pecan croissant bread pudding, and the chocolate Oreo torte. (Our really awesome server brought a third dessert upon finding out we knew one of his friends.) The pumpkin pudding came with cherrywood ice cream, which was bittersweet, but was a lovely complement to the pumpkin puree. The pecan croissant bread pudding was super rich and heavy--we actually couldn't finish it--but it was splendid as well. The Oreo torte was the richest and thickest of them all. The fresh mint cream was almost too minty... it was super spicy and aromatic. But who hates on Oreos? The hosts were absolutely professional, warm, and welcoming. The server was attentive, informative, and just a classy guy. I definitely want to come back here--but it's not as close as I'd prefer, parking downtown is never cute, and the prices don't quite beckon me... but I certainly recommend a visit.
(4)
Devin W.
I came here with my sister for my 27th birthday (yikes I'm getting up there in years!). The host was FABULOUS. The waiter was INSANELY knowledgeable and funny. The food was great, I got the steak daily special. Everything was so fresh, and the cocktails were to die for and I almost did I could have had 10 of them. Since it was my birthday the waiter picked out his two favorite desserts and brought them out for my sister and I to chose from. Birthday girl picks first! I had the apple dessert. So much apple in so so so many different ways. If it wasn't so expensive, I would probably eat here everyday. The open kitchen and views from the giant windows are just a bonus to the deliciously interesting and complex flavors and foods they offer.
(4)
Julia G.
I went to dinner last night with coworkers at Habitat, the restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel. We went on the suggestion of my foodie manager, who has been working in Pittsburgh for almost three years now and has scoped the dining scene several times over. Needless to say, I expected it to be excellent. I'm happy to say that Habitat delivered a beautifully presented, delicious meal. There were eight in our party, so I got to see and hear about many of the items on the menu (which as other yelpers mentioned, is not extensive). Each dish was meticulously put together and plated - the presentation wins full points in my book. The braised short rib with roasted root vegetables was tender, fatty, and rich, just as short rib should be. Another highlight of the meal was actually a side dish: the roasted local mushrooms. The mushrooms were cooked and seasoned perfectly without masking that warm, earthy, mushroomy flavor. (Note: mushrooms aren't even a favorite food of mine. These were just awesome.) The only complaint in my group came from our resident vegetarian - the restaurant offered an off-the-menu pad thai with tofu, but they had run out of tofu. Sad. Beyond the food, my favorite part of Habitat was their open kitchen. We sat at a table which had a clear view of 8 chefs, bustling around, preparing dishes. The restaurant wasn't very busy last night, so the kitchen was not chaos, but it was still a nice visual to watch between table conversations. All in all, a great dinner - I'd go back!
(4)
Sara C.
I finally made it there for dinner and I have to say that Habitat still holds at three stars. While the service was impeccable, the food was overly ambitious. For example, the warm salmon appetizer came with some kind of weird ice cream that made the dish completely unbalanced and the risotto was overly sweet rather than savory. The main dishes were good, but the smoked salmon was extremely salty and the king crab pasta came with this 'splash' of black (squid ink to go with the calamari in the dish?) on the plate that was entirely unappetizing. Yes, it was all tasty for the most part, but generally between the overly ambitious chef and the things the food being as pricey as it is, I'd have to pass on Habitat in the future.
(3)
Lydia M.
I think I'll try the lunch sometime since their Christmas Brunch was really, really good and as expansive as the big dinner scene in Hook - but in no way, shape or form worth $100/head. The carving station was better than some of the swankiest weddings I've been to and the charcuterie and cheese selection was sinful, but the rest of the offerings really were pretty standard stuffings, potatoes, green beans, etc. I don't know what their usual brunch price is, but I really wouldn't have paid over 35 for the quality of that spread on a normal day, maybe 50-60 for Christmas. Probably there would have been more people there if that was case. And granted we got to dine with the immaculate receptor, Mr. Harris, himself and the service (for a buffet) was top notch, I just don't think I'd go for Christmas again. I'll letcha know about that lunch deal...
(3)
Jen T.
So we decided to go her for Valentine's Day, and I have one word. Wow! First off when the reservation was called in, we mentioned Vegetarian. They had prepared a special menu by the time we got there. I loved it, everything about the place. There was a piano playing in the lobby of the hotel that gave us music through dinner. The food was out of this world good. Now let's talk about desert. Holy cow, it was the best i've had in the longest time. The manager Gerry was really friendly and our server Nate knocked it out of the park. Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Shazeena T.
I wanted to surprise my mum with a cool new restaurant for her birthday. I remember walking into the restaurant and being impressed with the coexistence of nature in the restaurant design. The waitress was very friendly and helpful with our orders. I ordered a fresh squeezed watermelon juice and I ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon and hollandaise. My mother ordered a spicy tuna burger with Wasabi mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I will return here again! Be sure to check it out too! It's located in the Fairmont Hotel in downtown.
(4)
Ryan P.
The food was decent, and the servers were attentive. I'm lowering the rating because for the price, I don't think it was quite worth it - I've had better food, or certainly comparable food for much less money at other fine Pittsburgh establishments. Habitat also felt a little snooty to me - I probably won't be back for another $120 two person meal anytime soon. I had the halibut, and while it was fine, I didn't love the way they prepared it.
(3)
Julie D.
We celebrated Christmas eve this year at Habitat. I had been wanting to dine here since they opened and this was our first opportunity. Just as we suspected, the restaurant was not at all busy. We both liked the ultra modern interior design, the dark woods and the bright punches of color. We were led to a table by one of the windows with a view of PNC Park in the distance and cold and lonely streets in the foreground. I luckily brought along my coat so I would not freeze!! From our table, we also had a view of the open kitchen. We were greeted by Raja, our warm and friendly server. BJ ordered his typical beer and my got my usual adult beverage. It was a drink with something extra, a huge lipstick imprint on the rim. So, we were not off to such a good start. The menu is limited, we shared a salad and the roasted butternut squash soup with Autumn spiced creme fraiche. It was brought out and served with a flourish. The bowl was placed in front of me and then the soup was poured from a small tureen. The only bad thing was, there was barely enough soup to cover the bottom of my bowl. But it was good. BJ ordered the locally raised grass-fed beef. I had warned him that other Yelpers advised that the beef was tough. They were right. Good thing BJ is strong enough to wield his not so sharp enough knife to actually be able to cut thru said beef. He also got a baked potato and a side of white cheddar crab mac. We both felt that the mac needed a bit more flavor. I ordered the shrimp pad thai. It was served in an interesting bowl and was an average size portion. I did enjoy the dish, however, I had a serious case of hives shortly after dining here. I feel it was connected to the pad thai. We also shared one of the desserts. It was interesting, but not enough that I remember much about it. Much like my experience at Habitat. It's nothing that is worth repeating.
(2)
Neil C.
Incredible. When I got to work the next day, all I kept telling my co-workers was that I had one of the best meals of my entire life. Seriously. It was that good. Here goes for each item on a scale of 1-10: Beef Barley Soup: 9; Roasted beet salad: 10; Naan: 12; Root Vegetables: 10; Crab Mac & Cheese: 10; Duck main entree: 10. Great view of downtown. Exceptional staff. Top notch food. A bit pricey, but I can assign the value to it. Loved it and will return often since the menu constantly changes.
(5)
Dan L.
One of my go-to's in Pittsburgh! I first dined at Habitat shortly after it opened and have returned twice for special occasions. (Mother's Day and gf's birthday). Habitat is intimately tucked into the 2nd floor of the impressive new Fairmont Hotel in downtown. The main dining room is both chic yet fairly spartan in design, allowing attention to be drawn to the busy but immaculate open kitchen. The menu items change less frequently than I would like, but it doesn't really matter because I was able to go for the pork belly app a 2nd time! (It's no longer on the menu I believe) The chef's use of quality ingredients in creative ways is perfectly executed. I prefer good food to speak for itself, and nothing that I have tasted was muted by over preparation or seasoning. Then the staff. In three visits, the GM Alan recognizes me on the phone and heartily greats me at the table. He poured free champagne for my gfs birthday party as well, a nice and appreciated touch. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, without being overbearing. In a handful of very well done restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, Habitat holds it's own. As in another comment, ship the valet and park yourself to save an outrageous valet charge. And go, seriously. Go check it out, you can thank me later.
Good food and wonderful staff! I was there for the Restaurant Week promotion, and while I'm certain portion sizes were smaller to accommodate the price, the food was still great.
(4)
Paulina W.
General American hotel fare that you would find in any large american city. For Pittsburgh this might be special but a destination restaurant - it is not if you've traveled and sampled other city delights. The design of the space is the very functional and modern styled aesthetic one would expect from a firm like Gensler. Feels hotel-y in the use of plush carpeting and heavy furniture, but manages to remain cozy and light (i think the wood slats and the views outside help this) Seating is dispersed as to reinforce the sense of intimacy and you never feel too close to another table. The space is simple. The food is simple. We had a trio of appetizers. The brioche was pretty boring. Bread, obligaroy herb, poached egg. Check. Salmon with roe was fresh but familiar. The standout was really the oxtail gnocci. The plump squarish pillows of dough were perfectly light inside and browned on the outside, they melted away in your mouth on a wave of delicious gravy that coated the base of the plate. The oxtail had a wonderful smokey taste - the chopped veggies mixed in seemed like an afterthought and really didnt offer much. Id nix those.. Main course for me was the Alaskan cod with fresh grapefruit on a lentil base. The lentils swam in more gravy and I pretty much left them alone after a few bites - the cod was really delicious, fresh and cooked to perfection sliding perfectly onto my fork and really having a pop paired with a cold fresh sweet slice of grapefruit - wonderful combination. My friend had the "butchered today" beef - i dont remember the cut but the waiter sold us on it. It was for for me at least, a dissappointment. Despite it being cooked medium rare, it felt and tasted more like well done. At 38 dollars, it was not worth or indicative of the quality of which it was described. Give me Elysian lamb for that price point, give me well marbled organic beef tartar... dont give me a slab of dry steak and tell me it was dressed that morning. I dont remember what it came with, a mash of some type. Forgettable. Desert was a coffee mouse with banana in a graham cracker pie crust, with way too much whip cream. It was delightful and I ate all the mouse and banana. A comfortable, recognizable simple treat. We drank the non-alcoholic drinks - I believe I had a pomogranite fresh and my friend had a basil and strawberry concotion - both are made with sparkling mineral water which I looooove. These fresh drinks were outstanding. Overall it was a pleasant experience. I didnt find the frog water pitcher all that cute.. I get that the hotel incorporates artisian touches but that is not one that I appreciated. The prices were exorbitant for such simple food. Yes the meal was overall good but it was not memorable for that price point. I get it its a hotel.. but I probably wont be coming back here for a destination meal - unless its a business meeting or someone is staying there that dares not venture out to sample Pittsburgh's other offerings.
(3)
Brian B.
Salt must have been on back order.
(2)
Danielle B.
Best steak of my life! Hands down! Great menu and excellent food. Our service was amazing! High quality ingredients and our food was made with pride!
(5)
Megan H.
Wonderful addition to downtown Pittsburgh. 8 of us went for a work dinner - and had a variety of food preferences...seafood allergies, vegetarian, picky, etc. And the somewhat limited menu was able to satisfy all. There were more indian dishes than I expected and was somewhat surprised - but that was just poor research on my part. The small plate selection covered a range of flavors and options. The beet, goat cheese, and honey salad was excellent. The Naan and Edamame were delicious. The butter nut squash ravioli were very rich, but had great flavor. The Dark Chocolate pot de creme was one of the most delicious things I've ever had. There is a large communal table in the center of the room - which fit our entire group. But the table was oddly too wide - making conversation difficult. I'm not sure if they plan to truly use it like a communal table. If the case, this will work. Everyone in our group was very pleased with their food - not an easy accomplishment. Service was excellent. Knowledgeable, accommodating, timely. It's pricey - but is a nice option for a higher end meal.
(4)
Jeff G.
Five colleagues and I recently visited this new restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. First, the good: - The food was tasty (though not perfect...ravioli appetizers were pretty bland...but the pork bellies were fantastic and plentiful). - The decor is modern and chic. Definitely a place to go to be seen. - The kitchen is open and looks clean and efficient. Always a nice touch. - The wait staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and, for the most part, prompt. The Bad: - When we arrived, no one was there to greet us. We waited for a few minutes before I walked most of the way into the restaurant to find the hostess. Only then were we seated. - The atmosphere is a bit too noisy for intimate conversations, but certainly consistent with the vibrant scene. - Some restaurants have the annoying habit of taking the wine away in between pours. This is one of those places. Not a deal breaker, but pretty annoying. Some more about the food: - The tandor lamb was tasty and a nice portion. Not too big, not too small. - The flank steak was juicy and prepared as ordered (rare). - The carrot cake was delicious (not too sweet). Overall, this is a great addition to the Pittsburgh restaurant scene, but the kitchen and the staff need to work out a few kinks. Would I go again? Sure, but only if someone else were paying!
(4)
I.E. C.
This place is a solid 3.5 stars. The presentment of the food is fantastic here, and prices are reasonable, considering it is a more gourmet establishment. I had the spinach and arugula salad, which was excellent. I also ordered the filet. It was under cooked, but quite a tasty piece of meat. Also, I couldn't get over the wine prices, as they were very cheap. We had a Malbec; it was only $24 and tasted great! Will definitely be coming back.
(3)
Melanie E.
We were walking around cultural district in the 'burgh & noticed this beautiful, open foyer for what we realized later was the hotel Fairmont. We just wanted a drink, maybe an app or dessert and we scored! Upstairs is the Habitat Restaurant. It's elegantly modern and perfect for romance. They have a good view & lots of window tables and a nice little bar upstairs. Our server Deborah was so friendly and when we decided on dessert she clued us in and sang praises to their amazing, award-winning pastry chef Naomi G. We had the S'more Cheesecake (not cheese-cakey at all if you usually don't like cheesecake) and the Lemon Pudding Pie! They were works of art and tasted delicious. We like the S'more Cheesecake the best. I wanted a little more lemon in the pudding pie and maybe a little color to it to dress it up. Gerry was the manager on the floor and he stopped by and was very interesting to speak with and gave us good info about the hotel and the area. This is a great place to dress up, but you can feel comfortable in casual clothes, too (not too many people dress up anymore it seems anyway - at least not the guys). It got a little loud when the bar downstairs (which seems really cool) started the live piano music. It got very echo-ey and kind of invades the upstairs area. All in all we are keeping it on our list to return and have dinner.
(4)
Danielle D.
This place just isn't worth it. I have tried lunch here on 3 or 4 occasions. Each time, I leave disappointed. The ambiance is modern and sort of cold, not warm & cozy. The The service is excellent. But the food.... oh the food. It just isn't anything special. It's not bad, it's just not *good*. I've had several of the sandwiches, most of which involve their white cheddar. While it melts evenly, it has a gritty, spread-like texture that makes it messy instead of gooey. Their french fries are a huge disappointment, frozen or frozen-like blahness. Large serving, but in one of those paper-lined cones. Great presentation, but leaves the bottom half of the serving soggy. Chicken parm wrap was bland and boring. Soft drinks & iced tea are $4. Prices are sky high for what you get. I will only go here at someone else's request.
(2)
Carey M.
Overall, Habitat offers a number of very creative cocktails, appetizers, entrees, and deserts. Some are outstanding; others are good at best. The dining room is modern and tastefully arranged, has interesting views of the city, and could work for a date or business dinner. The wine list is extremely overpriced, however, especially considering the mediocre wines available at lower and middle price points, and they remove the bottle from the table each time they pour the wine. This is annoying, because the waitstaff is not particularly attentive and thus you can go 5-10 minutes waiting for someone to bring the bottle over and fill your glass. A second problem is that they charge $15 for valet parking in Pittsburgh, and will not validate your parking even if you're spending $100/person on dinner at the restaurant. That seems absurd to me. If these frustrating problems were rectified (as they could be quite easily), I would give the restaurant 4.5 stars.
(3)
Jamie C.
Good spot for a hotel restaurant. Solid food, the use local source products which is cool. The atmosphere is just not great but the kitchen is super clean and well maintained. The dish I had, halibut it just lacked taste and size. I think many folks will like the place it's just not me.
(3)
Diann D.
I took my mother and her sister to celebrate my aunt's 90th birthday. The atmosphere was open and modern. Our reservation was for 1pm on Sunday. The hostess was friendly and welcoming. Our server was outstanding and helped to make the occasion very special and memorable. While the restrooms are quite a distance from the dining area, they are extremely nice and offer scented lotion and cloth towels at the sinks. I am vegan and the staff was very accommodating to my dietary preferences. My mother ordered the chicken paillard which provided a very generous portion of meat. My aunt ordered the grilled shrimp which looked very appetizing. I ordered the butternut squash steak which was was perfectly cooked and came with vegan "sausage" patties that complimented the vegetables. The naan bread with dips came to the table warm and the beet salad was wonderful. The desserts looked divine! I didn't have any but my mom and aunt said both the chocolate raspberry mousse and carrot cake were very tasty. My aunt took home a small cheesecake with her leftovers. While in truth the menu is quite pricey, but for this occasion it was so well worth it! I plan to return since it was a great experience and is easy to order good food that accommodates my diet.
(5)
John H.
As far as buffet style brunches go it was decent but overall something was missing. Lacking ambience (hated the carpet) combined with buffet style brunch instead of a la carte led to slight disappointment The dessert section was delicious though
(3)
Josh M.
Service, presentation, food, all off the charts. The best part is the dessert. Just when you think it wont get any better. The locally-source menu and amazing service make this place an experience. We will be back
I dined at Habitat shortly after it opened. I was incredibly impressed with many things, including the service. I was attending a special event, but still got to experience this restaurant in all its glory. The food was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The server was friendly and accommodating to my needs to eat quicker than the others to make another appointment. I like the open feeling, and modern design for Pittsburgh. When compared to the older design of the William Penn this was a nice change (it reminds me of my time in LA and NYC). I haven't been back, but only because my work schedule is super busy (and I can't get a date!). From one wine-loving cook to another, I highly recommend!
(5)
Jennifer H.
My husband purchased a Groupon for this restaurant so we went this evening. The food menu is limited while the drink menu is extensive! The waiter (Cody) made a good rec. for a white wine I enjoyed. But, it stopped there. The bread arrived and I took a slice and added some butter. I bit down on something salty and crunchy and at first I thought the crust area had some mixture of seeds and salt. I soon realized the butter itself had large chunks of sea salt in it, resulting in very salty bites each time! I scraped it off and enjoyed the bread plain. I ordered seared diver scallops and a side of crab mac and white cheddar cheese. The scallops were pretty close to raw and luke warm. The greens placed on top were attractive but largely tasteless (unless you are a rabbit). The designer mac and cheese was alright but a bit too saucy and could have used more flavor. The waiter explained that the chef's approach is to under cook most dishes and that is was not cooked wrong but not cooked to my liking. He also commented on the fact that most of my dish was eaten... well, there were THREE scallops. I ate one, gave one to my husband to try and just could not eat the third.. The waiter later agreed the scallops were not cooked enough and gave us our desserts on the house. So, after being told the cooking was not wrong he then recanted with his revised statement. It would have been more appropriate had he examined the dish immediately and decided... The raspberry/fig tart was good, esp. the vanilla ice cream. The chocolate ganache type creation was not very good. Yes, chocolate being only so-so! The bitter chocolate was VERY bitter and the sweeter choc. so sickeningly sweet, not a good flavor combo. on the palette. The passion fruit sauce along side the dish was great! Give me the ice cream with the sauce and there would be a winner! Service was decent (we had 6 of the staff who come to our table!) and the view of the Roberto Clemete bridge was neat. If it was not for the Groupon deal I would have complained more about the scallops. For the price, the quality was poor and a disappointment.
(2)
Jim K.
I get to The Burgh about once a year because of a yearly conference. Overall, I've been pretty impressed at the quality of food here, and Habitat was no exception. A friend made the reservation several days before we left Philadelphia, and I looked at the menu online. My friend is a much more adventurous eater than I am, and looking at the menu made me a little nervous. I like simple things, nothing fancy. The menu definitely screamed "FANCY!" to me. After browsing the dinner selections, I figured I couldn't go wrong with the Chicken tikka masala. It seemed safe enough. The reservation had been made for 5:30 on a Friday night. We were a party of four, and two of us showed at 5:15. There didn't appear to be ANYONE inside, and, in fact, the doors to the restaurant were closed. The two of us began to get nervous wondering if the place had closed without us knowing it. Within minutes, the host showed up, and invited us to sit at the bar while we waited. I didn't think this was such a good sign, but the beer selection was pretty varied. I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorites, Lancaster Brewery Strawberry Wheat, was available. This settled my nervousness. Our party finally arrived, and we were introduced to our server, Deb. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and was very helpful in helping us make some choices. She convinced me to try the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Autumn Spiced creme fraiche. WOW!!! I was already impressed, and this was just an appetizer. The Creme really added a LOT to this. For an entree, I was convinced to try the Venison Loin. The online menu differs from what was available at the restaurant, in that sides are served a la carte. I selected the Lobster mac and cheese, and couldn't have been happier. I ordered the venison medium well, and that's just how it came out. Having read a few reviews on here, I was really looking forward to dessert. I decided on the Apple confit. It was the perfect combination of sweet apples and crunchy pecans. It was a fantastic end to a great meal. I would definitely recommend Habitat to anyone, even those of us who don't like to venture too far off the beaten culinary path.
(4)
Andrew M.
My wife and I came here for her Birthday and enjoyed our meal greatly. The atmosphere is very modern with straight lines and dark colors. The food was excellent, I had the local steak which was a little more medium rare then I prefer but melt in your mouth good. My wife had fish which she enjoyed and was very crispy exterior and perfectly cooked. It was a weeknight and the place seemed a touch understaffed so we waited for a bread a bit longer then I would of preferred, other then that excellent meal I would go back again!
(4)
Aveek D.
Ate here during Restaurant Week. It is an expensive place but they had a pretty good fixed price menu. Excellent service and food was tasty, and we got lucky to get a seat near the open kitchen which is a nice sideshow (but be warned there's a large portion of the restaurant that's just 'regular' seating). In the new Fairmont hotel, so definitely upscale. Portions are small, but not small so you are hungry, just small compared to the amounts given at other restaurants.
(4)
Amy B.
Very disappointing. Not at all a locally sourced menu. The ingredients used were not even seasonal. I had three small plates while I sat alone at the bar. A green salad that was so overdressed the greens were going limp before my eyes. The greens were lovely and tender, but drowning. Second I had a seared tuna. This was unbelievably overseasoned-salty and over spiced. You could not taste the fish at all. Made me wonder what was being hidden under all that spice. Finally I ate a pork fried rice dish that was actually quite tasty. Wish i'd just ordered that in the entree size, rather than bothering with the rest. Will not return, space sterile and staff not very polished for the price point.
(2)
Yvonne L.
The desserts are the best part about Habitat. I totally recommend the Raspberry Panna Cotta. The crab mac & cheese which I had was pretty good but next time Im here I'll have crab and ahi tuna appetizer. I also loved the lobster with curry. its a sweeter curry dish (there are lychees in the curry sauce) but its also one of the more fun curry dishes that i've had. While the number of contemporary american restaurants are growing in Pittsburgh, seems like they are scattered geographically (Isabellas on Mt. Washington...Salt in E. Liberty). Its nice that Habitat and a few others are centralized in the downtown area.
(5)
Melissa C.
My boyfriend and I were on the hunt for grass fed burgers in Pittsburgh when we discovered Habitat. It's not the cheapest place, but the menu ingredients are locally sourced and I imagine the overhead at the Fairmont Hotel is pricey. We biked over there one day in early spring, arriving hot and sweaty, and ready to get our burger on. We did not feel uncomfortable in our street clothes, despite the fancy atmosphere. We sat at the bar and had a pleasant conversation with the guests sitting next to us who were visiting from NY (we just moved here from Brooklyn and found we had a lot to talk about). We couldn't resist a few small plates before we moved on to our burgers. We shared the chilled english pea soup that went nicely with a glass of rose as well as a beet salad with goat cheese, wild honey, and coriander. Everything tasted fresh and loved! Our burgers were a special treat for us. Cooked just as we requested on a lightly toasted brioche bun with Pennsylvania cheddar cheese and all the fixings. Plus, the fries were perfectly seasoned and HOT! My only complaint is that they did not have homemade mustard, only Dijon. We've been back several times now. We recently tried the Spring risotto, which was also cooked perfectly. We hope to expand our selection in the future, but the burgers are just so tasty.
(4)
Kevin M.
I moved here from Manhattan, and have spent lots of time in France and in Northern California -- all places with great restaurants. So in my humble experience this is by far the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. The ingredients are picked that day fresh-- all locally sourced and often organic. The service is impeccable -- and the servers are truly nice in addition to being the best trained in the 'burgh. The setting is beautiful-- you walk up a beautiful staircase through an Italian Modernist lobby to Habitat, and can watch the food being prepared through a glass wall if you like. People remember your name and welcome you if you go there a few times. Chef is very talented. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)
Pragna H.
We went to Habitat for Pittsburgh Restaurant Week and were very impressed. It was my second time there and my friend's first. He was fascinated by the open kitchen concept and the space. We were seated right across from the kitchen. We could see everything that was going on in there, which, since I cook, is an additional treat for me. I got the mushroom tart with Parmesan cream and my friend got the beets with goat cheese. We were both very impressed with the appetizers. I got to try the beets-goat-cheese app, and it was fantastic! We both got the scallops for dinner. I guess the regular menu portion would have been a bit bigger than our two sea scallops, half a fistful each of wilted spinach and ratatouille, but the portion was just perfect for each of us. We also wanted to save room for dessert. Although the menu mentioned that you could select any dessert item from the regular dessert list, they only offered the Opera cake to us. I love Opera cake and this one exceeded my expectations. I could have licked the plate if I were sitting on my couch and devouring this. I think I should have anyway... Next time!
(5)
Drew L.
As our restauarant choice on special occasion, we were excited about what we had heard about Habitat. The ambience was really great and the service was very friendly and professional. We loved the local and seasonal focus of the menu. The sustainability and organic features on the menu were a highlight for us. Our starters were really tasty. For a fresh choice, we had the beets. And for a cheap snack, we had the edamame, which was prepare with a pepper blend. The entrees were tasty. The reason I give this only 3 stars is because of the portion size on the lamb loin, the most expensive choice on the menu. For $38, I received only about 3-4 ounces of lamb and 3 small potatoes. It was very dissapointing in comparison to the healthy servings of bass, salmon and beef all around me. All in all, I might go back but for my money there are other amazing choices at this price level in pittsburgh.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Garage Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Upscale Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Paid Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Karen H.
In honor of receiving a 4-star award recently, Habitat chose to offer a $4 special on its burger at lunch (regularly $12). With that offer, how could I say no - an opportunity to try one of the hot-list new dineries downtown? So my coworker GH and I braved the bitter cold for a chance at nirvana. Environment: very mod. Loved the color scheme - very soothing blues and browns. Open dining room. Dishes are very cool (white but not your typical plates) - and the salt and pepper are so unique, it was tempting to slip them into the pocket (no, I didn't take them, Chef, but I REALLY liked them - that was the first thing GH noticed on the table). The water pitcher was even better - but that would never have fit into a pocket.....The commmitment to green manifests itself in everything from the placemats to the lighting - despite the grey winter day, the room takes advantage of all of the natural light available with the glass curtain walls. Pittsburgh is not known for having an overabundance of sophisticated cosmopolitan dining establishments. Habitat made me feel like I was in Frisco or NYC. Contemporary, not cookie cutter mold, and not at all stuffy. Very quiet restaurant which means it is conducive to talking without the next table eavesdropping. That alone makes this is a unique restaurant these days - I get weary of trying to talk over the music and hear about the next table's most recent fling or surgery. Wait staff: very good. Rajee was our waiter. Attentive, but not overbearing. Service was quite fast - when I remarked to the server that our lunch came quickly, the response was "we recognize that most folks don't have a long time for lunch so we try to serve you quickly". I liked that. We lingered way too long chatting after our lunch was consumed and, yes, we were still back in the office within the allotted hour. I have a hard time doing that with any restaurant downtown. Now on to the food. I came for a burger. I wanted that burger. But I looked at the menu and found a dozen other things I wanted more. But I went for the burger (so this is an indication that I will be back). The burger was good. I am not going to say it was the best I have ever had, but it was good. It is served on a wonderful egg bun with nice thick ripe tomato, a slice of onion, lettuce, and a crispy dill pickle slice. And the burger is a nice size - with all the fixings, it was a handful. GH could handle it, I cut mine in half so as to not look like the ravenous carnivore that I am. The meat was rare as I requested - but here is where it doesn't yet earn it's fifth star. It wasn't messy. I understand that a well-done burger will never drip juice - after all, you don't expect shoe leather to be juicy, why would you expect a well-done burger to be any different. But a rare burger should leave some juices running down your fingers or chin (ok, it's a nice restaurant, maybe the chin thing would be too much). But there was no juice which kind of was odd to me. The meat seemed to be chopped more than ground - which was not a bad thing, a little different but not bad. It was not dried out or overcooked, it was just not juicy. The burger came with a white cheddar slice melted on top. And the flavor was kind of lost on the burger. Now, it was not a large thick slice of Cheddar (after all, the sandwich is a loss leader) so maybe a thicker slice would hold up to the flavor. Again, the same with the bacon. I knew it was there but didn't get a really good taste of it. Again, I am willing to consider that because of the low price, perhaps the bacon was quite thin and lost on the sandwich. For sides, GH chose the obligatory fries which came in a cone and seemed to be quite good (when a coworker doesn't offer to share a fry, I figure they must be good). I chose the butternut squash soup which is on the menu daily. That soup alone brought the 3-star lunch up to a 4-star lunch. It is not a large side serving of soup - maybe 1/2 a cup at most. But it was a tasty soup, just the right thickness, lightly seasoned. It came in this adorable little cup/bowl - which I wanted to lick clean then stick in the pocket behind the salt and pepper shakers and the frog pitcher. I would come back for the soup alone - and one more chance at those salt and pepper shakers.... So I am holding at 4 stars. I will return - I will need to try that burger again to decide if it deserves a better rating or not. And that naan pizza with ricotta and hummus is just calling my name....
(4)Aundrea L.
This was my first dining experience at Habitat. I had never actually hard of it, but based on Yelp reviews, and the quick online glance at the menu, we decided to go. We arrived at about 9:50 p.m. after finding out the restaurant closed at 10:30 p.m. There is always a risk when arriving so close to closing time that both service and quality will be lacking. Not the case at all. Service was terrific~attentive, informed about dishes and ingredients, and friendly. Atmosphere is slightly upscale, but not pretentious in the least. I felt completely comfortable in a tank top and simple, flowy skirt and my boyfriend in shorts and t shirt. The food was phenomonal! Many vegetarian options as well as seafood, red meat, and poultry. There are also enough options for a gluten-free meal, a vegan meal, a macrobiotic meal, a diabetic meal, a heart healthy meal.....and these combinations were easily accessible on the last page of the menu. Kitchen is completely open and there is a female chef (which won Habitat extra kudos in my book). Most ingredients are locally sourced and/or received from cage-free, grass fed, kind animal husbandry farming practices. It is on the expensive side (only water to drink and 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and a bowl of miso soup brought the bill to approximately $120). On this night, there was a live jazz band playing downstairs on first floor of hotel, and the music was a nice touch while eating. The dessert menu looked good enough to eat...but after such perfect portions, we were too full to indulge. That's why we are going back tomorrow :).
(5)Paul L.
Make it 3.5 stars. My wife and I shared a variety of dishes, including the roasted beets, smoked salmon, the trout entree and a side of lobster Mac and cheese. I'll go from worst to first. The lobster Mac was a disappointment. Way too many favors, which drowned out the flavor of the lobster. Next comes the beets and the salmon. Both tasty. The salmon would have been superb if it wasn't for the dill and caper ice cream that came with the dish. It tasted fine, but it was hard to reconcile the cold ice cream with the other warm ingredients in the dish. The best dish was definitely the trout. Never had a pan seared trout that good. It was flaky and slightly crispy. Perfectly done. It was the highlight of the meal. In general, we had a very nice experience and would return. Was the food a little too "innovative" at the expense of letting the ingredients speak for themselves? Maybe.
(3)Crystal P.
From start to finish, our experience here was excellent. The host was extremely friendly, our server was fantastic and the food was fantastic. A bit pricey and portions can be a bit small but the quality and taste was well worth it.
(4)Mangala M.
DH & I decided to meet up for lunch here, a place we've been meaning to try for a while. The space is gorgeous, and clean. However I was surprised that the chairs looked old and were marked up everywhere for a relatively new restaurant/hotel. The service was prompt and friendly, but the restaurant was mostly empty during peak lunch hours. I wasn't surprised though, because the entrees are pricy for downtown overall. I ordered the chicken paillard (served along with goat cheese, pine nuts, orange segments, and arugula, dressed with a oil), it tasted fresh, healthy, and but was average overall. It lacked any depth of flavor. We were served complementary bread with our meal which was paired with cold unflavored butter. That was also quite surprising to me as restaurant of this caliber will typically serve a warmed whipped butter that has been flavored. It was missing the mark on little details like these, that made our experience just average. We might try it again for dinner, but we definitely won't be rushing back anytime soon.
(3)amy b.
I'm giving this place 4 stars because I appreciate the swanky addition to the Pittsburgh dining scene, although I thought the actual food experience was really 3 stars when price was factored in. Beautiful space, open kitchen, live jazz now on from wed - sat nights, excellent service. Waiter knew the menu cold, very attentive, addressed me by my name, switched my wine when i didn't like it without charge. my thoughts/reccs (note, I am very critical with food) 1) park in garage for $6, avoid valet 2) limited wine list, should be revamped, bottles not available! 3) delicious tuna tartar with tangy avocado layer, tobiko and potato crisps $14. best thing i had. 4) grilled octopus appetizer on perfectly sauteed fingerling potatoes - tasty, surprisingly tender. $9 5) romaine salad with poached egg and oversmoked bacon bits - creamy dressing needed salt 6) sirloin steak ordered medium rare - be specific about this bc they overcooked this and seved me medium!!! came with very creative celery and parmesian gratin. $34 7) rice pudding with fruit compote dessert $9 - served cold. blah. the pastry chef specializes in chocolate so i'd go that route next time. I wish I had tried some of the indian inspired dishes as well as the pork belly. i will probably go back because every now and then it's nice to put on heels and feel like you're in a big city.
(4)Patti T.
Being a tad late in the week making reservations, Habitat was our 3rd choice for the evening meal, but being fans of Faimont Hotels (President's Club members--lah-tee-dahh!) we were anticipating a meal with great attention to detail and a high level of service. We'll start at the curb. Valet parked the car--by this I mean the Valet explained that the fee was $15 (uh, ok)--but he managed to work a deal with my husband for that exact price whereby our vehicle never left the spot. Hosed, I believe it's called. Beyond the valet is the hotel lobby. The desperate effort to look SoBe-Cali-Euro chic in Pittsburgh just seems fake and cheap. We walked up the 2+ story grand bleach-white marble, plexi (glass?) and stainless staircase to the restaurant above and found our party waiting for us in the teeny-tiny bar. Good thing we didn't want to sit down, there were already 3 people there and I don't think it accommodated more than 4. Off to the table. Passing LOTS of empty tables--around a corner in the dining room to where they were hiding all the diners. My impression of the dining space was that it seems unfinished--as if the kernel of their statement is present but not worked out yet. Minimal, as the lobby is, but the colors and materials are much warmer. Espresso woods and bamboo, brushed aluminum, dark brown leather and the color palette of desaturated teal, red-orange and gray carried from the hotel. This corner of the room has windows on two walls with the 3rd wall being completely open to the kitchen. A raised table for larger groups is in the middle of this room; very oddly placed and proportioned. Our server, N. (ugh! "My name is N. and I'll be taking care of you tonight"---please find a better opening line, N!) handed us our eco-local-organic menus which were a brush-textured aluminum folder with the paper menu inside. The paper inside my folder was stained, dripped on--ew. Not the best first impression for one expecting better-than-average attention to detail. The bartender made up for my initial disappointment with his ultra-generous pour of Patron. It was more like a triple :) Service: our server did not offer any detail or explanation of any of the dishes beyond telling us the specials of the night. I did hear the server at the table next to us deftly describing ingredients and components of many offerings and informing the patrons which were the local elements. (BTW, their whole "local, sustainable" theme is very superficial...or extremely understated) That said, we never really asked him any questions... Our four entrees were brought out simultaneously by four servers, each with his/her own speech in the ear reminding us what we ordered. I've seen that at other places (Restaurant Gary Danko, for one) and I find it off-putting when the arrive en masse. An equipment issue for me: the freaking almost-two-sided knife! There was most certainly a cutting edge, but it took more than a glance to decide which it was! The knife feels "right" either way. A small detail, but it pissed me off. Ok, the food: The menu was kind of all over the place--some Asian, some Indian. The items are arranged in Small Plates and Entree sized portions. My order: small plate: crab salad in a squash blossom; entree: Curry Lobster with Lychee; dessert: Rice Pudding with Rhubarb. The fried squash blossom being one of my all-time favorite food containers I could not resist. It was OK. The batter was heavy and puffy, obliterating all but the stem of the flower. The crab salad inside was light, cool and refreshing. Accompanied by beautiful, chewy, sweet black rice, the curry was surprisingly under flavored; the lobster--two claws plus maybe 1/3 of a tail was a nice portion size for me, as I prefer to not feel like I've just left the Cheesecake Factory when done eating. I have never been a fan of Lychee fruit and never will be but I ordered this for the lobster and curry. Let me tell you--if you LOVE lychee, then this is for you! As for the Rice Pudding: it was very delicate, not sickeningly sweet. Sprinkled with brown sugar and slivers of pickled rhubarb, the rice perfectly cooked. I could have eaten my weight in this dish. I really wish there was a 2 1/2 star rating selection. They were better than Meh, but not A-ok. Hopefully, we will return at some point and try the next menu. One last thing: If you walk down the staircase to exit, be careful running your hand on the metal part of the railing on the left side, there are some pretty sharp places where the seams are.
(3)Matthew B.
I was very excited to go to Habitat when I read about it, especially since Pittsburgh can always use more interesting fine-dining options. Unfortunately, it still needs more. Virtually every step of this experience was a disappointment. We entered the lobby of the Fairmont looking to sit at the bar and have a simple meal. The Fairmont concierge couldn't tell us if there was a bar upstairs attached to Habitat (similarly, the upstairs staff didn't know what was served at the downstairs bar, Andys). Habitat itself is uninspiring and felt like eating in the lobby of a hotel (not in a good way). Very cold, very corporate. We asked to sit at the "bar" and were shown to a small enclave with four seats. The bartender said they get busy during pre-theater, which is possible, but this seating was very awkward. Our bartender, while nice enough, was not great. He seemed flustered and forgot to bring us placemats, silverware or anything. My wife was audibly coughing in front of him and he didn't think to fill up her water glass. For the prices ($10-12 for a cocktail) I think it's fair to expect more attention to detail. To be fair, the cocktails were pretty good. We opted for four small plates: the pork fried rice, Indonesian pork belly, Tandor chicken tacos, and Angliotti with butternut squash. The rice in the pork was overcooked. The pork belly tasted pretty good, but had a flavorless sauce that broke and some random microgreens on top that got in the way of the meat. The Angliotti was the best dish, although it's a pale shadow of the excellent butternut squash ravioli at Casbah. The tacos were unbelievably bad. The pieces of chicken were tiny and not seasoned well. They were served with gigantic slices of spiced watermelon & peppers that overwhelmed the dish. And the tortillas were cold and I'd bet anything that they were store-bought. There was no attention to detail in the meal. Additionally, Habitat bills itself as using lots of local ingredients. Let's review: they don't mention their sources for pork or chicken. The rice had pineapple and other out-of-season greens in it. Watermelon & peppers can all be locally grown, but not in June. As for the squash -- a great idea and perfect for fall or winter, not a hot summer night. We didn't even think about dessert - instead we fled down to Eleven to savor their delicious dessert, excellent wines, and knowledgeable, friendly staff. I was very disappointed with Habitat as I had such high hopes. I still hope that they can turn it around, but at this point I'm not inclined to give it another try.
(1)Howard R.
I was here with a party of five on Thanksgiving. The restaurant is very impressive visually. Very upscale. The food is very good. Everyone enjoyed their appetizers and main course. The desserts were a knockout. Aside from being pretty pricey, dining here was a relaxed experience. The kitchen is open. Sitting right near it, the chef asked how everything was- a nice touch.
(4)Mona B.
Excellent food, though the menu is small. I love that they serve so much organic and local fare. They even created a very nice vegetarian dish for my Mom and she was pleasantly surprised. Nice ambiance for a quiet dinner, good looking waiter was a bonus. The night manager Gerry was very generous and took meticulous care of our table.
(4)Mark S.
We went to Habitat for their Thanksgiving buffet, so this review covers only that specific event, not their general menu. The good points: the food was generally very tasty. Service was very good -- we wanted some special things and the staff was able to provide them. I see that others commented on the utensils and dishes. We actually were impressed by the choices, such as having a coffee set that also had a place for a companion desert. Speaking of deserts, they were great. One that stood out was a "turkey cookie" which had two standing cookies surrounding a pumpkin filling, with icing designed to look like a turkey. On the not so good side. First, much to my amazement, they ran out of turkey. Yes, on a Thanksgiving buffet, they ran out of turkey. Second, there was very little selection (compared to what one might expect of a Thanksgiving buffet). For example, for the breakfast part of the buffet, they offered eggs Benedict. That was nice -- but that's all they had for eggs. Perhaps one could have asked for something else (see service comment above), but it was not clear how far one could go "off menu". Similarly, no soups -- you might expected something like a pumpkin or squash soup. Few salads. Lots of cold cuts, if you like that kind of thing. Third, some duds in the food. While most of the food was very tasty, there were exceptions. For example, the mahi-mahi was chewy, not flaky. Finally, the price: for $70 a person, I would have expected everything to be great, which along with the very limited selection, strongly influenced the rating to 2 stars as a Thanksgiving Buffet.
(2)Maya G.
A clean, modern, architectural space with wonderful, warm service. The food was precise with nice options including three vegan entrees. Would absolutely return.
(5)Madeline N.
My boyfriend and I went to Habitat during restaurant week and were very impressed. The atmosphere was pretty unique and the service was good. We did a tasting menu as a special for restaurant week and thought that the food was very tasty...I especially loved the monk fish with the rutabaga purée! Such interesting flavor combinations! Looking at the normal menu was a little discouraging because of the prices, but I am sure I will still be back again to try it!
(4)Dave F.
I found Habitat on Yelp because my wife being gluten free has a hard time going out for breakfast. So I wanted to give her a little treat and take her to a place that could cater to the needs of the GF community. We came here on Tuesday. When I called the person that I initially spoke to apparently was not aware of the gluten free options but lo and behold when we got their our fantastic and meticulous waitress Jessica was well versed on what was and was not gluten free on the menu. She also enlightened us to the fact that they had all the right GF flours to make pancakes and waffels. So we weren't told that when we called but were delighted to hear that we could in a future visit call ahead to give them time to whip up whatever batch of batter to make which ever GF breakfast item we wanted. So we ordered off the menu. My wife order a fruit plate that came with gluten free banana bread. I ordered a regular bagel and lox, side of bacon and side of hash browns, coffee and tea. We were blown away by the food and service. My wife's fruit plate was presented elegantly with gigantic mouth watering hunks of sweet pineapple, crunchy watermelon, big fat blueberries, grapes, melon and other fruits. On the side two nice sized triangles of some of the best GF banana bread I have ever tasted. Now granted I'm the one that order lox and a bagel with bacon and hash browns. And I was jealous! So, what about my meal? My bagel was perfectly toasted with cream cheese on the side. Accompanying the bagel was a plate containing what must have been an entire pound of very delicious and fresh lox, capers and fresh red onion! Wow! Just Wow! The thick crispy bacon and hash browns were perfect. We were happy and had a great time. Our waitress Jessica really made the experience the best it could be. We had a table by the windows. So we were able to look out over the square as it poured rain. The place is light and airy and relaxing. Can't wait to go back.
(4)Brenda W.
Dined here for breakfast with an out of town guest, wanting specifically to have a nice Sunday breakfast downtown. Impressions: Pros: 1) Easy to make reservations online but entirely unnecessary for a 9:30am breakfast on this Sunday as it's not all that busy except for some soccer families. 2) The continental breakfast is good and reasonable enough -- juice, 3 pastries, fruit for 16.00. 3) The Water pitcher is adorable -- a silver frog pitcher. According to our server, you can purchase one through their website, though I couldn't find it there. Cons: 1) Entire inside of this hotel is exceptionally freezing cold -- the lobby and the restaurant. Very uncomfortable. 2) The breakfast buffet looks amazing but I'm not really in the mood to pay $30 for my breakfast no matter how good or extensive it might be. 4) A-la-carte pancakes (14.00), bacon (6.00), juice (?) would be close to the buffet price. 5) Our totals bill with tax and tip included was $80.00 for three of us -- for breakfast? Really? 6) Most importantly for the 2 star rating: My husband was ill after dining on their corned beef hash. He mentioned that it didn't taste right but he continued to eat it and didn't return it to the kitchen, unfortunately. He did call and let them know once we returned home.
(2)Sophia H.
While I find the environment for Habitat to be upscale and lavish, the food does not meet up to those expectations. The food is not bad, though, so they get 3.5 stars. I went here with a few coworkers to celebrate a new Director to the team, and was very impressed with the service and decor of the restaurant. The servers and hostess were very accommodating and professional. We had a little appetizer of warm bread that was accompanied by three dips. The first was a tzatziki dip that was creamy and smooth. The second was a salsa like dip and the third was a hummus. I can't remember the names of the dips but all of them were tasty and flavorful to me. I felt like they didn't go with the bread that well, but went well with other food items. I ordered the Habitat Club with a side of sweet potato fries. The presentation of the dish is beautiful: the sweet potato fries are in a cone holder instead of messily tossed on the dish. The sandwich is cut in half and are angled on the dish, held together by a long wooden pick. The fries are well cooked, however I found them to be a little bit on the bland side. I didn't sense much of the sweetness I normally experience from eating sweet potato, and the salt was unevenly distributed among the fries. The sandwich was tasty, although what made it work was the sauce. It had a creamy texture that went very well with the meat, and made it enjoyable. Overall, Habitat is a beautiful restaurant, but that seems to be the only factor that sets it apart from the rest. If you are looking for a good food experience, there are other restaurants that live up to that expectation.
(3)Lizelle A.
My husband I stayed at the fairmount hotel for our anniversary so I thought we should try habitat. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgable of the menu. Everything was excellent except for the veal sweetbreads. But when I told the staff I didn't like the sweetbreads they took it off my bill. We just wanted to try a lot of starters so we could get a feel for the place but I would definitely come back,
(4)Pamela C.
Decided to go to Habitat for my husbands birthday. Arrived before our reservation and were seated immediately. Staff was very friendly and courteous. They all wished my husband a happy birthday. Our waiter was Phil. He was excellent. Chef Francis sent out a few new items for us to try. So unbelievably good! Many food items were completely new to us. After our meal, the Chef came out to see how we had enjoyed everything. He also wished my husband a happy birthday. Such a great experience! Then to top it all off, dessert. 5 out of 5 for sure! We will be back.
(5)Jen T.
Service: Great Food: Terrible Doesn't approach quality expected of a Fairmont associated establishment.
(2)Sarah A.
The chef designed an eight course tasting menu for my vegan preferences during my night at the Fairmont. I was whisked away on a grand adventure through a story of great flavors, unexpected tastes, and experimental methods of gastronomie. Although the chef who provided such an exceptional culinary ballad is no longer at Habitat, I wanted to credit the location for this review.
(5)Ashley H.
Restaurant week is a time to explore new restaurants with mouth watering menus. Our selection this season was Habitat. The playing of our dishes was beautiful: modern style yet still making you want to dive right in. I selected the salmon tartar as my appetizer, scallops for my main course, and their ice cream pie for dessert. The tartar was a play on nachos. Little chips with dollops of avocado and a small salad for texture. I loved the tartar and avocado, but this dish was incredibly salty. The salad was inedible due to the salt quantity. I drank lots of water and wine while awaiting my next dish. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Played with a chips and sauce which also was incredibly salty. I barely touched anything but the scallops. Water again was my friend. Finally the desert - a take on a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. The chocolate tasted a bit waxy, but the ice cream was tasty. I enjoyed the chocolate covered pretzels, as well. Thankfully there was no salt in this dish. I am willing to return the Habitat to explore their main menu. Their presentation was nice and it seemed that they knew how to cook... someone was just heavy handed with with the seasoning. Perhaps next time I'll leave with more of a pleasant taste in my mouth... and not salt.
(3)Kristy A.
I really enjoyed this place. It's probably the most fine dining feel of any place I have been, but it wasn't pretentious or stuffy at all. I'll start at the beginning... Reservation online at Opentable - appreciate things that are easy. We go up the elevator and are offered coat check - very welcome since it was wet and gross outside. Our table is by the window with a great city view. Water comes to the table in a really cute silver frog pitcher (which incidentally is crazy heavy - the servers get their workouts here). Drink service was professional and prompt, with the added courtesy of wine by the glass being offered like bottle service. They bring the open bottle, let you taste, and pour the glass, and take the bottle away. Our drinks were reasonably priced given how fancy the restaurant was. Then on to dinner. We decided on naan as a first course and then two apps each since they all looked so good. Our server knew without asking which dishes where meant to serve as the 2nd and 3rd courses. The naan comes with three dipping sauces and is definitely a must have. The beet salad, potato and vegetable terrine, gnocchi, and risotto were all fantastic. I'd order any of those again. We skipped dessert, but I imagine it to be as amazing as the rest of the meal. Overall, I couldn't find a flaw. Our server was great. She was friendly with a great personality and she appeared at just the right moments. A winner for sure.
(5)Alvin J.
Ate here after seeing an early show one weekend. The atmosphere was simple but elegant. The staff was helpful at recommending wine and entrees. Before dinner we had cocktails at the bar while waiting for our party to arrive. I highly recommend the Golden Triangle Mojito. It has ginger infused rum, a refreshing and spicy twist which hits the spot. For dinner I had the rack of lamb and my wife had the duck breast. Both dishes were expertly cooked, moist, and flavorful. For dessert I had the strawberry fields which is an angel food cake. Light and sweet perfect portion size after having a satisfying dinner. Our whole table enjoyed the meal and the service. I recommend it without any reservations.
(5)Kaitlin B.
Fantastic restaurant for a special night out; or a casual dinner! YOU make the occasion special regardless of what it is. Habitat is known for it's locally sourced foods as well as it's quick business lunches. It's also known for it's Holiday brunch buffets, it's special dinners, & it's impeccable service & delicious food. Regardless of the occasion, give them a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I think the Fairmont recently celebrated their 5th year anniversary too; so they've ironed out the kinks involved with a hotel restaurant. As I've been here many times, It's hard to say what my experience was like, as each time is different (but always fantastic). The most recent visit I ordered their naan bread as an appetizer (not complimentary; the regular bread from a local bakery is however). So moist & the spreads were great! I got the Scottish salmon as my entrée and it was perfectly cooked (exactly like fish should be; not too well done). For dessert I tried the essence of spring (which coincidentally must be a favorite as it keeps coming back every spring). I'm a fan of strawberries which are in abundance in this dessert. Though the drinks are pricy, they're well worth it. We knew what expense we were getting into coming in for dinner (they are a 5 star hotel after all); and to be honest, it wasn't as expensive as we first thought. Overall, a terrific night out. Hint: Park in the garage under the building. If you're in after 4 but out by 5am the next morning it's only $7! Compare that to the valet parking cost of $17-22 (which I'm sure is more for the hotel guests & not the restaurant) and you'll save a ton!
(5)Ben R.
First time her and certainly will be back. Went her for lunch on a Friday with two coworkers. I had the BBQ brisket which was amazing. And then portion was huge! I opted for a veggie side and I got broccoli steamed. And it was cooked perfectly and not drowning in any butter or oil. Service was perfect and timed well. Certainly not her first time as a waitress! Can't wait to go back again!!! My guests has the crab cake sandwich which looked really good. Nice big patty with lots of crab and not much filler. Oh yeah and this place is in the fairmont hotel which is new to the burgh.
(5)Kelly R.
I've stayed in the Fairmont many times for business, but had never dined at Habitat. I opted to have lunch at Habitat during my last visit, and I must say it was tasty. I ordered the grilled shrimp which was accompanied by creamed corn and a grain succotash. The entree was artfully presented, the six jumbo shrimp were cooked perfectly. The succotash was a nice mix of what seemed like farro, quinoa, and chopped veggies topped with micro greens and thinly sliced radishes. The entree was a bit pricey for lunch ($24), but the portion was just right for lunch. I'm not sure if the same entree is offered at dinner, but the portion would be a bit small for dinner. My entree was accompanied by 3 slices of artisan bread, to include a raisin/nut, multi-grain and sourdough. All in all this was a good lunch option.
(4)Lauren B.
My friends and I went here for restaurant week and I was excited to try it since I had never been there before. It's on an upper level inside a hotel and did have a bit of a hotel restaurant feel to it but the modern ambiance and spacious seating area with plenty of windows overlooking the city was very nice. I also enjoyed being able to see into the whole kitchen. However, there were some issues with the service and parking. When we pulled up there was a sign about parking for the hotel and restaurant and it said $7 and there was a valet stand right there. No where did it say that valet was a different price so we assumed it was $7. It was not clear that self park was even an option, and we passed the initial entrance and followed the sign that said to pull up ahead for the restaurant/hotel parking and the valet guy greeted us. I told him we were going to dinner at the restaurant and asked about parking validation, which he said wasn't an option, but I figured ok $7 no big deal. He never once mentioned the parking rate is actually $20!! I only found out when I went to pay after dinner. $20 is absurd for Pittsburgh and way higher than any other nearby parking options. I would've never parked there had I known, as there are many other nearby options or I could have apparently self parked, which was not clear at all. $20 for 1.5 hours of parking when my friends and I spent several hundreds of dollars at your restaurant, really?! This isn't NYC! Fortunately we were able to negotiate a lower price after some arguing, but it was not easy. When we get in the restaurant there is no host/hostess to great us. We stand there about 10-15 minutes before anyone arrives. We tried to get attention of other staff but no one was paying any attention to the host stand. Another group was also waiting that arrived just after us. When she did finally arrive she did not apologize about the wait and tried to lead us to a 4 person table when, we clearly had 5 (and had a reservation). Fortunately this was quickly corrected. Then it took us some time to get our drinks and get our entrees ordered. It was also odd that the waiter wanted to description in detail certain menu items, but did not indicate any specials, as someone else noted here. I had the restaurant week menu with my choices being the risotto, the black cod, and the dessert (forgot what it was called but there was only once choice). All were fantastic and I have no complaints. My friends also enjoyed their dinners. And the presentation was beautiful. However, their normal prices are quite high and I don't know that it was worth what I would normally have to pay, especially given that the service wasn't up to par for the price point. They do also have a decent cocktail, wine and beer list, though some of the options are quite pricey and the wine by the glass list was rather limited, as were the more affordable bottle options. In sum, I enjoyed going here for restaurant week, and the food was all excellent, but I don't think it was amazing or interesting/unique enough or had good enough service to warrant the extremely high prices of ~40 entrees, which aren't filling enough on their own, so you have to pay another $10-20 for a side and/or appetizer. I'll also note that on their regular menu they offer some additional categories that might appeal to some eaters with special needs, such as vegan/raw, gluten free, macrobiotic, and diabetes/heart healthy.
(3)PJ C.
Have eaten here several times as a guest at the Fairmont. It's very well done, for the most part, and their regular menu has a nice array of quality options. That being said, I felt the $75 Christmas brunch fell quite short. The options were rather limited and a bit on the thin side.
(3)Lindy H.
The food was very good. I searched for vegetarian restaurants and it is was the second listed. They DO NOT have vegetarian "options" but as usual something can be put together from the appetizer and sides menu. Everything is organic and locally sourced within 100 miles but I was informed that the chef is not interested in any way in providing veg options. The roasted mushrooms were great and the rhubarb dessert was outstanding. The table service was very congenial. Lovely ambiance with live jazz on Saturday night. As a note, they also come up 1st in the vegan search. I would very much appreciate it if Habitat would classify themselves correctly on Yelp. For people with religious or dietary requirements it would be nice to be able to trust the resources that are out there.
(3)Geoff D.
If you want the entire spectrum from prime steak to macrobiotic salad this is the only serious choice in Pittsburgh... Top quality ingredients, organic, sustainable, delicious!! The peach Old Fashioned is amazing!! Do it!!
(5)Iliana C.
This place is pricey which I don't mind every once in awhile as long as the food backs it up. In this case I felt like the flavor did not match the price. I ordered a Caesar salad and a butternut squash soup. Both were alright (although my salad had barely any dressing on it). Nothing special and I would have been happy to eat those again but for half the price. Nothing original. I did like that they had a vegan menu which was cool but the only thing my girlfriend said that stood out was the vegan sausage. Yet, not worth the price. I wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)Jason F.
Wednesday evening a group of is took advantage of "Pittsburgh Restaurant Week" and visited Habitat. The service was on point and our waiter made sure the experience was worth the cost of the food. The meal was good starting off with a pumpkin soup and finishing with an amazing dessert. The dessert was so good we licked our plates clean after some encouragement from our waiter. I will definitely return.
(5)Steve H.
The family had the breakfest buffet and it had a great selection for all to like. The cost was 25 per person. Your options are limited on a Sunday morning. I would do it again. The service was good and my daughters omelette was very good also. the fruits are very plentiful and a great addition to the bacon.
(4)Jason M.
Staying downtown in the same hotel as the restaurant for a night for our anniversary, we had the opportunity to eat at Habitat twice within 18 hours. Dinner: Excellent service, vey good food. Started with the naan bread with 3 different spreads ($6) and beet salad (which they split in two for us ($13). Both excellent and good value. For dinner, my wife had the lobster tail and I had the duck breast ($32/each). Both were good, but here is where Habitat loses a few points. If I was to just eat the entrée, I would have been starving. On the plate was two thin strips of duck breast, about 10 small pieces of beets, 4 small duck heart halves, and a piece of roasted fennel. There was no starch, and very little meat. This is the one time in the whole meal I imagined them thinking about margins rather than pleasing the customer is the dish conceptualization. My wife's lobster dish had a bit more protein than mine did, but not much else. The surprising star was the roasted duck heart. Yes, I ate it; and if you haven't tried it, please do (is it more noble to eat the more traditional parts of the animal?). To fix the small entree problem, I actually suggest that they raise the entree prices by $3-$4 but get something else more hearty on the plate. BONUSES: Because it was our anniversary, they gave each a glass of free champagne to start. We ordered additional cocktails, which were inventive and solid in the juiced-up department. Also, they comp-ed our dessert with a piece of chocolate that said "happy anniversary" along side the peanut-butter ice cream/marshmallow/chocolate cake. Very tasty. BRUNCH: The all you can eat brunch is $25 per person - which includes coffee, juice, smoothies, etc. I can tell you this: This is not your typical Old Buffet breakfast buffet. There are a fair amount of high-end items available (e.g., smoked salmon, cheese plates, organic berries) as well as traditional items very well done (eggs, bacon, waffles, potatoes, house made muffins, roasted tomatoes). My one piece of advice is - if you do the buffet, make it your breakfast and lunch and stay there for a while. That is the way to get value, and enjoy more of the excellent food.
(4)Roy W.
Arrived at Habitat 5 minutes before closing but you would not have known it. Raj gave me the best of service. I was impressed with him as he explained that he went to the Burns ranch where the beef comes from and explained all about the meat. That was great!! Now for the NY Strip steak, it was second only to Emerill Lagasse's in Orlando. The texture of the steak was awesome and it was cooked to perfection with roasted mushrooms. I would highly recommend this restaurant!! No complaints whatsoever!!!
(5)John F.
This place is good, but not great. I started off with the Frito misto. Chicken drummette, pork belly, homemade biscuit, summer vegetables, heirloom sauce. The chicken was good, but the pork belly was cold. The biscuit had very little flavor. For the main course I had the Halibut. The fish was perfectly cooked and the portion was huge. To be honest it was twice the size it needed to be. The fish was very good, but it was accompanied by a bunch of different beans...some warm some cold...it was too much beans and not a great flavor to the beans. I ate all the fish and left about two thirds of the beans. The service was very good and I liked the look and feel of the place. I liked the open kitchen. We were seated where we could watch them cook. This place is almost there... it would be good if they could just kick it up a bit...scale back the portion a bit and work on the accompaniments.
(3)Alice C.
This restaurant is located inside of the new Fairmont Hotel, and has a nice upscale flair. Needless to say, the prices are a bit steep here, but the food seems to measure up. I got the buttermilk pancakes one time and the brunch buffet the other time. The buttermilk pancakes were very fluffy and delicious, however you only get four pancakes and maple syrup. I'd rather have them cut down on the number of pancakes and give me some fruits on the side. As for the buffet -- there were a few choices, but nothing that was super special or different. Think of a fancy American-style breakfast buffet with better ingredients. The mister got the bagel with lox and it was loaded with smoked salmon though -- he could only finish half of it. I was so jealous and wish I could get off my vegetarian diet sooner so I could munch on the extra smoked salmon! In other words, if you like meat and fish, the food would be great and the price wouldn't seem too bad, but if you happen to be vegetarian, you might have a tougher time justifying the cost (versus going to Pamela's).
(4)Anastasia S.
I always recommend Habitat! The food is great, tasteful and clean! The service is almost perfect. Was here once for lunch when I was already sold on this place and dinner the other night was so good, we had the pork chop with blue cheese polenta, apple and pear and the Alaskan halibut. And for dessert shared the blueberries n'at. Also saw there was hemp icecream served with another dessert and asked for a sample, was very Interesting and delicious!!! Habitat is great!
(4)Sara C.
Food here is very good. My disappointment was in the main dish. I had the duck. I think it was overpriced at 34 especially that the fat was rendered properly over the duck breast. Service was a little slow too. But I did enjoy my carpaccio appetizer and the drink I had.
(3)Christina P.
The manager makes a fantastic gin martini. The food is great but the atmosphere is just fine - better than what you find in most hotels.
(3)Jaime T.
I previously wrote a review on 1/15/2015 which was very negative. My friends and I had such a terrible experience that we were comp'd an entire meal. So we went back for our second try last night, 2/11/2015. The experience was 1000 times better! The server, Nathaniel, was EXCELLENT. He treated us with respect, and knew the exact time to come around to see how we were doing. The timing of the courses was perfect. I had the Cornish Hen with Truffle Papardelle. Amazing! Chorizo Mac n Cheese for a side was wonderful. The only negative thing was that our previous server, Deb, was still working there after adding money to her tips from us last time (um, what), and she definitely threw us some nasty looks because she remembered us. Regardless, this time around made up for any negative experience before, and I know that was the goal. Thank you, Habitat, for living up to all those other great reviews we had read about before. I look forward to coming back!
(4)Rachel C.
I really don't find too many hotel restaurants that impress me. To be honest, most are downright awful (Mitchell's cough cough). But Habitat seems to try and break that mold. You can't beat the beautiful views and there's definitely a classy feel to the place. I felt out of place a bit among all the suits. But you won't find me suiting up anytime soon, don't you worry! They have a stellar lunch special called the "express lunch." You order a soup or salad, sandwich and dessert for $16 (just soup/salad and sammie is $10). I reeeeeally wanted to go for the dessert option, but since I'm trying to watch the sweets I stayed away. I settled on the beet salad and butternut squash soup. The beets were presented in a way I had never seen before. It was probably a full beet and half (I'm very aware of how much beet they server since I'm a beet nerd) with goat cheese and lettuce and honey drizzled on top. It was different, but good. I really liked that you could add on a protein to the salad, so I opted for the ahi tuna. It wasn't bad either, not the best I've had, but not bad. The butternut squash soup was also good, but was missing the really creamy consistency I enjoy. It was creamy, but just a tad off. I believe our waiter wanted to sit down and enjoy the meal with us, he was so present. That kinda sets the stage for how attentive their service here is. I mean, your glass gets below the halfway mark and they're there. You order, give them your menu, blink and then your lunch is in front of you. Seriously, that's some attentive service. Side note: The water pitcher is a "trademarked" silver frog that an artist designed for them. It's seriously adorable and you can buy one for the low price of $150 (I know, not low) but the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity, which makes the purchase awesome! You can also put your business card in for a free one! I would definitely try out the dinner at some point, I think it would be a really romantic date night spot. Maybe they can wow me at dinner. I feel like they're just on the cusp on doing that...
(3)Jen C.
Delicious! If you're coming here for the typical chain restaurant portions & prices, don't do it. If you want quality food where the chef is obviously focused on amazing flavor, do it!
(4)Lallu T.
Great restaurant in a upscale hotel. The ambience is nice and the staff is friendly. The naan appetizer is my go to and the veggie burger here is pretty damn good.
(4)Kate L.
My best friend and I went to Habitat tonight for dinner for her birthday. Our initial choice had been Ten Penny, but I couldn't make a reservation online and they never returned my phone call. Neither of us had been to Habitat so we decided to give it a try. It's pretty inside and we noticed some other patrons (clearly not from Pittsburgh) enjoying the views out the window. Our waiter, Nathaneal, was great. Clearly the staff are instructed to go into detail about some of the items on the menu, but we didn't mind. We both got the same cocktail, whose name I don't remember. But it was wine and vodka and maybe elderflower something? Delicious but you get a tiny amount. I could have enjoyed a lot more of it. We followed some of his recommendations and were really happy with our choices. We both got the beet salad to start. Don't get me wrong -- Habitat is pricy, and $14 for a smallish beet salad is robbery, but it was really delicious. My friend got the Scottish salmon. She doesn't like cooked salmon but hearing that the salmon they use is sushi grade and being able to order it rare, she decided to experiment and was really pleased. Our waiter said if she didn't like it, he'd eat it and bring her something else. But that wasn't necessary. I had the short ribs and winter vegetables, which were really tender and delicious. Needed some salt, but there wasn't any on our table. I did think that was weird. We hadn't intended to get dessert but my friend mentioned to Nathanael that we were out for her birthday and he brought us a free dessert to share. We picked the apple Brown Betty, which was OK but nothing really special. Overall, I was really pleased with Habitat, although like I said the price is inflated. The service is great and everything is beautiful. Definitely would be happy to go back for a special occasion.
(4)Jessica D.
J and I went before the ballet on a Friday - early. We decided to get the prix fixe valentine's day special with consisted of an onion pancake with creme and smoked salmon - tiny and delicious; arugula salad - goat cheese might have been the best I have ever had in my life, but there were these little squares of what looked like white jello that I am still not sure what they were. Interesting flavor though; he then had the king crab ravioli which he felt was too creamy and not crabby enough and I had the 14 ounce ribeye. oh. my. god. Hands down, best steak I have ever eaten - ever. It was mouthwatering, flavorful and spiced perfectly. It had a full head of roasted garlic on it which I was eating by the piece rather than rubbing it on the steak as intended. However, the dessert course was highly lacking. We got one of each choice - some chocolate raspberry heart and a strawberry galette. I am not sure what either of them were. The heart had little flavor, but the raspberry sauce was delicious. The "galette" as they were calling it was a mish-mash of lemon and strawberry and goo that tasted like granola. It was odd to say the least. I would normally say that I would go back cause the steak was out of this world, but when out massive bill came, that pushed me to think this would not be a repeatable event. Beautiful location though, highly attentive service (I agree with Rachel that the frog pitcher is adorable and I desperately want one) and the drinks were awesome (I had the raspberry fizz which was amazingly good and not too sweet).
(3)Heather E.
My fiance and I went to Habitat with another couple before the opening night of Our Town. I'm happy to report the play was amazing. I wish the same could be said for the dinner. I think it's finally time this place is recognized for exactly what it is: a horribly overpriced, uninspired hotel restaurant. The restaurant itself is pretty - tall windows, fairly predictable furnishings and style, though the carpet is awful. We were seated at a table near the kitchen, which you can see into. It's bright and clean, and it was kind of fun to see the chefs work. We arrived a little late, and our dining partners were already there. My fiance was immediately warned to not order a Manhattan (the comment, I believe, was that it tasted like fruit punch that was lightly passed over by a bottle of bourbon.) I had an overly sweet champagne cocktail that had more juice in it than bubbly. The naan bread was nice and soft, chewy, and we all enjoyed the trio of dips that came out. However, you got about 3 pieces of bread and therefore ended up wasting most of the dips. Sad to say that was probably the high point. 3 of us ordered a soup or salad, after a fully exhaustive performance by the waiter. He eagerly pointed out about 5 different items that "the chef just loves." Listen, I love hearing about specials that aren't on the menu. But I don't need a 3 minute reprisal of dishes that can be clearly read (word for word, I might add) on the menu. It got to the point where we were checking our phones and trying to drone him out. Anyways, back to the soups and salads. My fiance ordered the beet salad, and almost laughed when it arrived. There was a grand total of 5 tiny cubes of beets, along with goat cheese, honey, and some coarse salt. While not too bad taste-wise, it's criminal to charge $14 for it. I ordered the soup of the day, a "tortilla" variety. Overall, not bad taste, but for some unknown reason, there were tough, fibrous strands in it that I actually had to remove from my mouth. Image getting pieces of straw in your soup and that's the general effect. Yuck. I had about 5 spoonfuls and quit. The Local Organic Lettuce salad was unremarkable. The real insult came with dinner. 2 of us ordered cod, one got another dish (which I cannot recall now) and I ordered the burger. Their 3 dishes were all above $30 and were quite honestly, terrible. The cod was woefully undercooked, and was soft and slimy, not tender and flaky. To say that mushrooms come with the dish, and then place 3 tiny ones on the plate? Laughable. Our 3rd dining companion was visibly irritated by the quality of his dish. The really sad thing? My $13 burger was actually the best of the bunch. It was cooked medium-rare, exactly as ordered. The bacon was delicious and crispy, and the sweet potato fries were hot and crunchy on the outside, and flavorful and tender on the inside. Even the pickle was great. My fiance finished his pitifully small portion of half cooked cod, and ate the other half of my burger. The service was also quite slow, and we were left waiting several times for 10-15 minutes, needing drinks, refills, or the check. We declined dessert, and raced off to the PPT. The real insult was a bill close to $300. There are many other places I can think of that would have done better for that amount. Habitat claims to be a progressive, high-end restaurant. What it really is? A predictable, boring spot you'd find in any business hotel. Don't be fooled by the website or farm-to-table claims. This place is highly overrated and we definitely will not be back.
(2)Annette V.
I found myself in Pittsburgh recently and in need of a place to meet a friend for lunch. My friend suggested Habitat and, after checking out the menu, I was sold. As others mentioned, the frog water pitchers are adorable and the service is fantastic. Both my friend and I opted for the tuna burger, which was excellent - cooked to rare perfection and completely delicious. My side salad was fine, but completely overdressed. I managed to snag a few sweet potato fries from my friend, which were tasty as well. All in all, food and service would make this place a solid 4-star spot. "Why the 3-star review then?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you why. I pulled out of the airport in my shiny new rental car at 12:45pm and did not end up sitting down until over an hour later. For those of you keeping track, that was about 25-30 minutes of driving, and then another 30 minutes of looking for a place to park, since street parking is a joke and the hotel's garage was full. After a while, I finally stumbled across a garage and walked the two blocks in the rain to the restaurant. Here's a hint: if you want people to enjoy your restaurant, make sure there's a place they can park when they get there - they'll be much happier for it.
(3)Anon Y.
Very nice for vegetarians. Little expensive bit great for special occasions. Loved their fries.
(4)Melanie Z.
I dined here with a friend during Restaurant Week. When I came up the stairs to the host stand, he greeted me by name(!) and took me to the table where my friend was waiting. Our waitress came right over and took our drink orders, but service from then on was not particularly warm. She performed all of her duties of taking orders and refilling water, but a little more attention would have made the evening much nicer. Also, she brought the check out within 5 minutes of bringing us dessert. I realize they want to do lots of covers during RW, but this was a little off-putting. The restaurant itself is quite beautiful, with great views of downtown and a sleek open kitchen. The tables are far enough apart to have a private conversation, unlike a lot of other downtown options. On to the food. I had the heirloom tomato salad with basil ice cream, but due to the overabundance of capers, the salad was rather salty. The chicken entree was fine but unremarkable, but dessert was downright delicious. Habitat's menu was surprisingly innovative for a hotel restaurant, so I'd certainly come back on another day to sample their regular fare (and hope for another server). Their lunch options seem pretty fabulous given the quality of the food we tasted. In sum, Habitat is not a new favorite, but well worth a return visit.
(3)Matthew K.
The dinner at Habitat was for a 5 year wedding anniversary. My wife and I recently moved to Pittsburgh after having lived in larger, more established metropolitan areas like San Francisco and New York. So finding a great place to celebrate was tough at first. I must say, we were not disappointed. Everything was extraordinary. I am so thankful this is here for us in Pittsburgh. Upon making the reservations I did mention that this dinner was for a 5 year anniversary. I mentioned it for no real reason except that it was true. When we arrived the hostess immediately greeted us in a very friendly manner and congratulated us on our anniversary. We were a bit surprised (happily.) After being seated our waitress greeted us by name (Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen) and also congratulated us on 5 years together. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and the origin of the ingredients making up the meals. Zero stress was placed on us to rush an order or order any drinks. She was timely on water yet not over bearing on caring for our every need. She gave us space. The food and the customer service is why I give this 5 stars. for two big reasons. 1) There was no need for the hostess, our waitress, the other staff an later the chef to congratulate us on our anniversary, but they did anyway. 2) The fact that the menu changes seasonally and uses local products was a huge plus. Knowing that the food we were eating is extremely fresh an well cared for only added to the experience. While we ate, the hotel lobby had a jazz band playing for the patrons at the bar. However, we got to enjoy in the music as well. As mentioned before the chef came out and greeted us and thanked us for dinning with them that night and presented us with a bag of cookies and pastry samples from the pastry chef. Everything was just above and beyond the needed actions. Over all when writing a review I want to put things into a measure of how your senses will enjoy the experience on a 1-10 scale. Sight: 8 (great decor, soft lighting and the open kitchen makes for fun visual effects) Hearing: 7 (the music down stairs adds a nice touch but it also isn't to loud that you cannot hear each other speak.) Taste: 10 (natural, local grown, excellently prepare food!) Touch: 4 (not much hear, but the mugs for coffee are Villeroy an Boch witch was fun) Smell: 6 (just enough of the food in the air without distracting you from enjoying everything else) I hope this method is helpful.
(5)Yas T.
The decoration and restaurant itself is very nice. I went for lunch and the food was just OK! But the service was very poor, which you don't expect for a place like this. They only had 2 servers, which made the service very slow. Also our waitress wasn't very friendly either.
(3)Justine V.
I tried this place out for restaurant week. Bottom line- this place has potential to be great, but there needs to be additional focus on the actual prep/cooking of the meal, and less on presentation. I would go back just for the white sweet potato soup though. Food: Everything looked pretty on the plates. The white sweet potato soup was to die for. The clover oil added something special to this soup. It was simple yet interesting enough for me to fall in love with it! I definitely recommend this appetizer. My main course however, wasn't as great. I ordered the braised pork shoulder. It had the potential to be simple and delicious, but the meat was sadly overcooked. This is not acceptable in an upscale restaurant. It was very tough, not what you would expect with braising. I wanted something that would melt in my mouth. The dessert was a deconstructed lemon cheesecake- good, but not good enough to make up for the pork problem. Drinks: We ordered the spicy hornito. It sounded great, a margarita rimmed with salt and pepper. It wasn't what I expected though, as it was way too sweet to be a quality margarita. Service: The service was top notch. When the waiter asked about the drink, we told him it was too sweet, but we would drink it anyway (I felt bad complaining after already drinking half of it). He still acknowledged the disappointment and removed it from the bill. Atmosphere: Very modern and on the upscale side, definitely feels like you are in a hotel with the carpeting. I enjoyed the open kitchen.
(3)Rachel M.
I was in Pittsburgh on business and met some friends from the area. My friend suggested this spot. so we went in and put in our names. The wait was pretty long, so we ended up sitting in the bar. The bartender (who ended up being our waiter) was so friendly and helpful and their drink selection was wonderful. We finally were seated a bit after the time they had told us. The staff then went completely out of their way to ensure that our time there was an exceptional experience to make up for the delay. Delicious food and drink, incredible staff and wonderful atmosphere! The manager even came over to check on us a few times and was so helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend this spot, especially if you are trying to impress clients or entertain friends!
(5)Amy C.
Me and the hubby went to Habitat Saturday after a matinee show downtown. We had never been here before. It was absolutely fabulous and we are definitely fans! It is a beautiful place with views of downtown Pittsburgh out every window. We were seated and received prompt, excellent service. Our waiter was attentive but not overly so. It was just the right amount of service, not in our face constantly yet we always had a full glass. We started with the Naan bread as an appetizer. This comes with three kinds of spread. The one was forgettable however the other two, we didn't need the third. We very much liked the banana chutney, just the right amount of heat. The hubby does not like hummus but I loved their's. It was a black olive hummus (and I don't like black olives). Their hummus was perfection! I chose the Scottish Salmon for my main course. It comes with what I would describe as a brussell sprout salad. The brussell sprouts were stemmed and incredibly tasty. In this salad, so to speak, were chunks of smoked salmon - oh my goodness - I could eat this stuff by the pound. It was smoked and had just the right amount of saltiness. I also got a side of mashed potatoes, whipped up to a perfect consistancy (light and creamy and seasoned perfectly). The hubby enjoyed the honey glazed duck for his main course. We have never had duck that was so good. It had a good smokey flavor to it and it was tender and juicy! He also had a side of asparagus, we always love asparagus. We had to try dessert too, of course. I got the Tropical Oasis. it was sweet and tart all at the same time. It was, most certainly, a tropical oasis in a cup. The hubby chose the German Chocolate cake, wow! I am not a true coconut fan or a german chocolate cake fan but I would get theirs. It was terrific. The food was phenomenal and the wait service was impeccable. We will certainly go there again!
(5)Anthony W.
Came here during Restaurant Week with a couple of friends. Habitat definitely falls in line with restaurants you would find in most upscale business hotels, as far as decor and atmosphere. The service is good, as you would expect from such an establishment, but not exceptional. I started off with a glass of sauvignon blanc and ordered the white sweet potato soup as my appetizer, which was great. The sweetness of the soup was accented well by the savory garnish. However, the cod, the main course, was a bit underdone. The flavors were good, but it had a real sliminess instead of the flakiness that you would expect. Finally, while I'm not normally a dessert fan, the deconstructed lemon cheesecake was probably the highlight of the night. At the Restaurant Week prices (3 courses/$35.14), Habitat was worth the trip. However, I'm not sure I would come back otherwise.
(3)Mary W.
This was my first time here. I found the decor very modern and upscale. Our waiter was extremely friendly and great with the recommendations. I am a creature of habit, but I wanted to eat outside the box. I usually order steak or pasta. I was eyeing the braised short ribs, but was unsure. However this was one of our waiters recommendations, so I ordered it with a side of Mac n cheese. The short ribs were off the bone and so tender that a knife was not required. The ribs were so moist and tasty and I wanted seconds. The pumpkin gnocchi were also tasty and the Mac n cheese was creamy. One of the best meals I've had in awhile.
(5)Andrew V.
Habitat has quickly become my favorite (or one of) restaurant downtown. Now I must admit I only come for their lunch but I never regret it. Every time we go I am always happy with the service, both from a service aspect and a food aspect. The wait staff is always on top of their game and the food is always delicious. I tend to be rather boring with my selections, but I absolutely love their chicken sandwich. It comes with avocado, which normally I don't like, but love with this. Their fries are amazing. And I'm not joking when I say amazing. I don't know what they put on them for seasoning, but they're so freaking good. I also always get their butternut squash soup. It makes for a rather large lunch, but that's what the gym is for right? For a hotel restaurant I don't think you really can beat the service, quality or price. It's definitely a great place to take a date, client, or anyone for that matter. It borders on the swanky side, however, I would feel ok wearing jeans there. And if you're in a rush they have express lunches available depending on what type of meal you're interested in getting. The express lunch I believe is designed to have you in and out within 30 minutes, but please don't quote me on that and for a busy downtown worker bee like myself it's kind of idea.
(4)Matthew H.
Good dinner, food was really good and service was prompt.
(4)Bruce L.
These people are just screwups. Ordered the miso soup, listed on the menu as having tofu and scallions. No tofu or scallions, but tons of mushrooms. Also got the veggie burger which is listed with sweet potato fries, but no fries came with it. The only reason they get two stars is because it was a delicious veggie burger.
(2)Collin S.
Absolutely the best service I have ever received at a Pittsburgh restaurant. A date and I enjoyed the lunch express--a soup (I had the excellent butternut squash soup with sour cream, date had potato leek soup), tomato salad with basil, sliced red onions, and capers, beef empanadas (yum!), and chocolate cake combination. When I had made reservations at the restaurant for this meal, I mentioned my date and I were celebrating her graduation. I never expected to receive a beautiful dessert platter of chocolate-dipped strawberries, blueberry tarts, and chocolate cake with 'Congratulations' written in chocolate. My date cried (I think). Habitat is a must experience when you're in town.
(4)Carol P.
I'm a local. Had never seen the Fairmont. Reminded me of a chi-chi boutique hotel in NYC, but with WAY friendlier staff. Typically I avoid hotel restaurants, but, as a loyal 'burgher, thought it was worth a try. Did not disappoint. Creative and delicious, but not too crazy. I enjoyed the short-ribs and gnocchi. My husband had the poached fish. Both were awesome, although the fish without a side of mashed potatoes wouldn't have been enough. Not cheap, but for a special occasion this is now my top choice in Pittsburgh. Great food, classy atmosphere and excellent service.
(5)Matt C.
I suppose it's fitting to pick Habitat for my 100th Yelp review, as--much like the amount of time I spend on the internet--it's an impressive accomplishment, while in many ways still a work in progress. I've been here thrice now, for a lunch, a dinner, and a holiday, and each time I've been quite happy with the experience. The space is wonderful--classy and refined without being busy or pretentious--and no matter how crowded it gets, you never feel cramped. The service has always been top-notch as well--polite, attentive and helpful. Even little details (like the frog-shaped water pitchers designed just for the restaurant by some local artist). Of course, the most important part of any meal is the food, and they do it quite well here. The kitchen works together to pursue a clear vision of locally sourced yet globally inspired cuisine. But while some dishes are perfect (and true delights), not every item I've sampled has met the standard I'd expect. A perfect balance of flavors, colors, ingredients, accents and even artistry is no easy trick, and unfortunately the execution doesn't always measure up to the idea. Still, I always enjoy the experience, because even in the less successful dishes, there's a glimmer of potential and creativity that isn't easy to find in Pittsburgh (or for that matter a hotel restaurant). In my personal experience, the poultry is wonderful (I've enjoyed chicken, duck and turkey); the risottos range from good to great; the soups are usually good, though my first was so-so; fish and seafood can be a little hit-or-miss; beef and pork dishes have been very good; and the desserts are always an excellent way to finish any meal here. The only category I wouldn't try again would be the salads. One thing worth noting, if you want to try Habitat without committing to the expense of a full dinner, they do a $16 "executive express" lunch during the week, which gives you four small courses--all served at once for expediency. (That was my first experience there, and while the soup and salad were unimpressive, the sandwich and amazing dessert convinced me to come back--and I'm glad they did.) While I've had a mix of experiences, everything I've seen tells me the best is yet to come. There's a lot of potential in Habitat, and I'll definitely be back to see what they accomplish.
(4)Phil A.
I've eaten here twice now, and it was worth every penny. Last night was the bibb salad, Lake Erie walleye, and German chocolate cake for dessert. All equally delicious, prepared with the utmost care, and presented so beautifully I hesitated to dig in. Attentive waitstaff, elegant decor. Would be a great place for a very special night out. Pittsburgh is one lucky city to have Habitat--a foodie's dream come true.
(5)Beth M.
What a wonderful dining experience, top to bottom, start to finish. The restaurant itself looks beautiful and I love that their menu is local farm-to-table and seasonal. Additionally they have a special dietary restrictions menu, which made eating gluten-free very easy. The roasted beet salad was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten and my husband enjoyed the smoked salmon. I took a bite and it was incredible. We both had the NY Strip as our entree and it was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes were so good I could have gone swimming in them. :) On top of delicious, fresh food, our waitress was super accommodating and very lovely. I would definitely come back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh.
(4)Jen A.
I've tried this place for weekday lunch twice now so I feel that it wasn't a one time fluke. The food is ok. The service is very good, I've always thought my server was attentive and friendly. The food, however, just doesn't live up for me. The menu items sound really good and there isn't anything wrong with them...they just aren't spectacular. I've not tried their Express Lunch which is a really cool concept, a mini soup, salad, entree and dessert on one plate. Both times I've gone they were foods I'm not a fan of, but I know others who have been happy with it. If you aren't a foodie you'll be very happy with this place, but if you are I think you'll need to lower your expectations a bit. I would also warn to stay away from the lemon cupcake, both times I've gone someone in my party got it and both times they said it seemed stale.
(3)Patrick S.
Went here last night for dinner and the service was excellent as always; however, the Ribeye was atrocious. It was easily the worst piece of meat I've ever had, akin to cutting leather with a butter knife. It was a local piece meat so they may have had something to do with it, but for $38 that is entirely unreasonable. I am not sure if the piece of meat was frozen prior to being cooked but I did see it come from a vacuum sealed bag since the kitchen is open. This restaurant used to be my go-to for breakfast, lunch and dinner downtown, but for the price and food quality, I can no longer recommend this establishment. Eleven or Bluebird cafe are much better bets in my opinion.
(1)Aire B.
I feel like I can't fully review Habitat because I was only to dine from the Restaurant Week menu, not that I'm complaining! :) The mushroom tart was OUTSTANDING! I also reallllly enjoyed the bread pudding dessert! Can't wait to go back and try the whole menu out! Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating as well.
(4)Kelly T.
There are other restaurants in PGH that I prefer, and serve similar food but better and cheaper. I'm thinking of Eleven and Nine. A good stand-out in the downtown area. Everything is of fine quality, which I feel is a bit of a *kiss of death*--it's good, it's expensive, but the food doesn't *wow* (though the Fairmont service does). The pewter froggy water service pitcher is BEYOND cute.
(3)Laura T.
Yet another Pittsburgh Restaurant week driven review: this place is like paradox central with every good thing being counterbalanced by a much more unpleasant part. We went for lunch on a Sunday which was supposedly not part of the Pittsburgh Restaurant week even but they were very accommodating. We had initially planned to go for dinner on Saturday but our group was increasing and they were very much UNaccommodating. Ok, back to the food review: We tried both soups and the butternut squash was by far superior to a chicken tom yum. The beet salad was delish! The thai salad was close to a disaster. The veggie wrap was ok and the crab cake was bland. The desserts were indeed amazing. Errr, except for one: the fruit tart was pretty much raw egg inside out and you couldn't cover the yolky taste with all the lemons in the world. I ended up giving them two stars because in the course of one meal they were very inconsistent. I definitely do not expect this from a higher end restaurant.
(2)Jason F.
I ate here this past Thursday evening with my girlfriend and her friend. We decided to come here since it was Pittsburgh restaurant week and they were participating with a fixed price $30 3 course meal. I had made reservations and when I arrived I was greeted with a welcome back and also a welcome to dinner for the first time. Apparently they keep track of my open table account from which I make reservations which is both cool and creepy at the same time. The dinner for all 3 of us started out with the Lobster Bisque which we ordered in addition to the three course menu. The bisque came out and had a nice orange color and was both creamy and delicious. For my appetizer I decided to start off with the Pork Belly. The pork belly came out on top of a bed of roasted corn puree with onions. The meat was fatty and savory as expected with the puree adding some body to the appetizer while the onions provided a little of the needed tartness for the dish. When eaten all together the whole dish tasted very good. Even though I am generally not a big fish person I decided to have the pan roasted golden trout for my entree since my only other option on the price fixed menu was chicken thighs and I hate chicken on the bone more than fish. The trout came with the skin on and was placed on top of a bed of purple potatoes, eggplant and collard greens all of which was surrounded by a circling of vinaigrette. It was quite the beautiful dish visually. I thought the the fish was decent with the standout portion of it being the skin which was crisped nicely and almost had the feel and taste of a potato chip. The vegetables were also good, especially when combined with some of the added sauce. My dessert was a dish that was appropriately named Strawberries n'at. It consisted of a strawberry streusel bar topped with strawberry ice cream beside fresh strawberries with strawberry meringue shards. I enjoyed it, especially with all of the different textures at play between the coldness of the ice cream, to the juiciness of the strawberries and the slightly crunchy meringue. It ended up being a lot of strawberry by the end but I still happily cleaned my plate. The bottom line for me is that I would definitely head back here in the future. Granted I would not order the same meal but the chef clearly knows what he is doing and has enough whimsical and well thought out dishes that I would like to come back.
(4)Rosalind C.
OK, I am upgrading my rating for Habitat. When we first went here, almost two years ago to the day, they were working out their opening kinks. But now, they are a much smoother operation. I am a fan of the whole locally sourced commitment, and they have very interesting taste combinations. They also dabble in the whole molecular gastronomy thing, which is always fun. You know how sometimes hosts/hostesses can seem both solicitous and snobby at the same time? The host here seemed to walk that fine FINE line between seeming like he was used to dealing with high status clientele AND that he wasn't sure which class we should be categorized in. We were probably among the first diners that night, so maybe he hadn't gotten into the spirit of things yet, but I felt like I had been weighed, measured, and found wanting. That being said, he didn't do anything overtly to make me feel bad, but... anyway, just a heads up. But our actual server was incredibly gracious, and we enjoyed talking with him. We started with compressed watermelon with prosciutto, which was really divine. I haven't had watermelon in so long, and this was like a breath of fresh (spring/summer) air. Hubby had the burger, which was also quite good, and I went with the wild sea bass, which was excellent (and also about 3x more expensive than the burger... eh?!?! what is going on when wild caught fish is 3x more expensive than locally sourced grass fed beef?). Overall, we really enjoyed Habitat. The service was nice, and the atmosphere wasn't as pretentious as it was last time. But, it was really expensive for what it was. That is, there are so many more options in Pittsburgh that give the same level of quality of food for less that it's hard to rationalize coming here. But if you are on an expense account and want to impress a client, by all means, Habitat is an excellent choice.
(4)Maria S.
Overall, we really, really enjoyed our meal here. I'm not going to comment too much on the food specifically, as I understand it was the last week for the particular menu we had, so that wouldn't be terribly useful for future Yelpers. However, I will say that everything I ate was perfectly executed, and the portions were generous. At this level of cooking, any criticism is just being nitpicky. We were able to taste most of the dessert menu - definitely save room! The waitstaff was very well informed, helpful, and professional. We didn't sit very near to the kitchen, which was fine with me because I think it could have been a bit distracting. According to my Foursquare checkin, the frog water pitchers are for sale, though I didn't ask! We ate here for dinner, I'd like to try it for lunch sometime, I'd be interested in comparing. Overall, I thought the value at this price level was really quite good and the food stands up to the other restaurants in Pittsburgh in its category.
(4)Bill T.
Just got back from breakfast and was there last night for dinner. Both were exceptional meals. For us it was "as good as it gets." Some highlights from dinner - you've got to try the roasted beets - really unique & delicious. The naan was all the more tasty having seen it made in the open kitchen. The whitefish was succulent & juicy and VERY fresh and the pork chop was a generous 12 oz portion perfectly prepared. Our breakfast today was also a delight - called the "lifestyle breakfast entree" - the egg white omelet was heavenly but the side of cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic and onions was the best side in the morning. So overall I would say this is a winner. Locally sourced products, imaginative menu, beautiful venue, and pleasant service makes this worth a visit.
(5)Serena T.
Not bad, not bad at all, but not that great either. I went here for lunch with a friend and had the grilled vegetable wrap with sweet potato fries. When I read grilled veggies, I want a variety of grilled veggies - and I like them grilled - you know have those little charcoal lines on them. Well that wasn't the case for Habitat's version of grilled veggie wrap. It was your usual suspect veggies - eggplant (a bit chewy and hard), red peppers, and some leafy greens that were doused in the dressing they put on there. That was probably the saving grace - the doused dressing, it helped to cover up the lack of grilled veggie taste. But I was in the mood for veggies and this sorta hit the spot. The sweet potato fries were good...maybe that was the meals saving grace. The desserts looked really good at this place, but we didn't have the time nor the space to try them out. Service was great.
(3)Cristina P.
Went here for a Saturday brunch while in town for a wedding. Food was great but slightly overpriced and service was good, not great. Would recommend if you're looking for something a little more upscale and tasty but not if you're looking for something different or really outstanding.
(4)Sarah R.
Came here during Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, and was very pleased with the entire experience. I pretty much never go downtown, so this was a perfect excuse to try a new restaurant and see the lovely Fairmont Hotel. The ambiance of the restaurant is romantic, warm, and earthy. The seating is neatly spaced, and you can have a conversation with your date without everyone else hearing. We were seated away from the open kitchen, so that might have reduced the noise level for us as well. He started with the baby bibb salad which was very simple and fresh, but had a little too much dressing. I had the mushroom tart. I was freaking out over how delicious my mushroom tart was. It was savory, smoky, sweet, crisp, chewy, and just heavenly. My husband, who generally doesn't care for mushrooms, shared my reaction. For our main courses, I had the roasted organic chicken thigh, and he had the diver scallops. My chicken thigh was tender and super juicy, but vaguely bland, but it came with a cannelloni with sausage which offered the bit of seasoning my tastebuds were looking for. The skin of the chicken was a bit soggier than expected as well. His scallops, however, were perfectly seared, delicate, buttery, and sweet. For dessert, we tried the pumpkin pudding, the pecan croissant bread pudding, and the chocolate Oreo torte. (Our really awesome server brought a third dessert upon finding out we knew one of his friends.) The pumpkin pudding came with cherrywood ice cream, which was bittersweet, but was a lovely complement to the pumpkin puree. The pecan croissant bread pudding was super rich and heavy--we actually couldn't finish it--but it was splendid as well. The Oreo torte was the richest and thickest of them all. The fresh mint cream was almost too minty... it was super spicy and aromatic. But who hates on Oreos? The hosts were absolutely professional, warm, and welcoming. The server was attentive, informative, and just a classy guy. I definitely want to come back here--but it's not as close as I'd prefer, parking downtown is never cute, and the prices don't quite beckon me... but I certainly recommend a visit.
(4)Devin W.
I came here with my sister for my 27th birthday (yikes I'm getting up there in years!). The host was FABULOUS. The waiter was INSANELY knowledgeable and funny. The food was great, I got the steak daily special. Everything was so fresh, and the cocktails were to die for and I almost did I could have had 10 of them. Since it was my birthday the waiter picked out his two favorite desserts and brought them out for my sister and I to chose from. Birthday girl picks first! I had the apple dessert. So much apple in so so so many different ways. If it wasn't so expensive, I would probably eat here everyday. The open kitchen and views from the giant windows are just a bonus to the deliciously interesting and complex flavors and foods they offer.
(4)Julia G.
I went to dinner last night with coworkers at Habitat, the restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel. We went on the suggestion of my foodie manager, who has been working in Pittsburgh for almost three years now and has scoped the dining scene several times over. Needless to say, I expected it to be excellent. I'm happy to say that Habitat delivered a beautifully presented, delicious meal. There were eight in our party, so I got to see and hear about many of the items on the menu (which as other yelpers mentioned, is not extensive). Each dish was meticulously put together and plated - the presentation wins full points in my book. The braised short rib with roasted root vegetables was tender, fatty, and rich, just as short rib should be. Another highlight of the meal was actually a side dish: the roasted local mushrooms. The mushrooms were cooked and seasoned perfectly without masking that warm, earthy, mushroomy flavor. (Note: mushrooms aren't even a favorite food of mine. These were just awesome.) The only complaint in my group came from our resident vegetarian - the restaurant offered an off-the-menu pad thai with tofu, but they had run out of tofu. Sad. Beyond the food, my favorite part of Habitat was their open kitchen. We sat at a table which had a clear view of 8 chefs, bustling around, preparing dishes. The restaurant wasn't very busy last night, so the kitchen was not chaos, but it was still a nice visual to watch between table conversations. All in all, a great dinner - I'd go back!
(4)Sara C.
I finally made it there for dinner and I have to say that Habitat still holds at three stars. While the service was impeccable, the food was overly ambitious. For example, the warm salmon appetizer came with some kind of weird ice cream that made the dish completely unbalanced and the risotto was overly sweet rather than savory. The main dishes were good, but the smoked salmon was extremely salty and the king crab pasta came with this 'splash' of black (squid ink to go with the calamari in the dish?) on the plate that was entirely unappetizing. Yes, it was all tasty for the most part, but generally between the overly ambitious chef and the things the food being as pricey as it is, I'd have to pass on Habitat in the future.
(3)Lydia M.
I think I'll try the lunch sometime since their Christmas Brunch was really, really good and as expansive as the big dinner scene in Hook - but in no way, shape or form worth $100/head. The carving station was better than some of the swankiest weddings I've been to and the charcuterie and cheese selection was sinful, but the rest of the offerings really were pretty standard stuffings, potatoes, green beans, etc. I don't know what their usual brunch price is, but I really wouldn't have paid over 35 for the quality of that spread on a normal day, maybe 50-60 for Christmas. Probably there would have been more people there if that was case. And granted we got to dine with the immaculate receptor, Mr. Harris, himself and the service (for a buffet) was top notch, I just don't think I'd go for Christmas again. I'll letcha know about that lunch deal...
(3)Jen T.
So we decided to go her for Valentine's Day, and I have one word. Wow! First off when the reservation was called in, we mentioned Vegetarian. They had prepared a special menu by the time we got there. I loved it, everything about the place. There was a piano playing in the lobby of the hotel that gave us music through dinner. The food was out of this world good. Now let's talk about desert. Holy cow, it was the best i've had in the longest time. The manager Gerry was really friendly and our server Nate knocked it out of the park. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Shazeena T.
I wanted to surprise my mum with a cool new restaurant for her birthday. I remember walking into the restaurant and being impressed with the coexistence of nature in the restaurant design. The waitress was very friendly and helpful with our orders. I ordered a fresh squeezed watermelon juice and I ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon and hollandaise. My mother ordered a spicy tuna burger with Wasabi mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I will return here again! Be sure to check it out too! It's located in the Fairmont Hotel in downtown.
(4)Ryan P.
The food was decent, and the servers were attentive. I'm lowering the rating because for the price, I don't think it was quite worth it - I've had better food, or certainly comparable food for much less money at other fine Pittsburgh establishments. Habitat also felt a little snooty to me - I probably won't be back for another $120 two person meal anytime soon. I had the halibut, and while it was fine, I didn't love the way they prepared it.
(3)Julie D.
We celebrated Christmas eve this year at Habitat. I had been wanting to dine here since they opened and this was our first opportunity. Just as we suspected, the restaurant was not at all busy. We both liked the ultra modern interior design, the dark woods and the bright punches of color. We were led to a table by one of the windows with a view of PNC Park in the distance and cold and lonely streets in the foreground. I luckily brought along my coat so I would not freeze!! From our table, we also had a view of the open kitchen. We were greeted by Raja, our warm and friendly server. BJ ordered his typical beer and my got my usual adult beverage. It was a drink with something extra, a huge lipstick imprint on the rim. So, we were not off to such a good start. The menu is limited, we shared a salad and the roasted butternut squash soup with Autumn spiced creme fraiche. It was brought out and served with a flourish. The bowl was placed in front of me and then the soup was poured from a small tureen. The only bad thing was, there was barely enough soup to cover the bottom of my bowl. But it was good. BJ ordered the locally raised grass-fed beef. I had warned him that other Yelpers advised that the beef was tough. They were right. Good thing BJ is strong enough to wield his not so sharp enough knife to actually be able to cut thru said beef. He also got a baked potato and a side of white cheddar crab mac. We both felt that the mac needed a bit more flavor. I ordered the shrimp pad thai. It was served in an interesting bowl and was an average size portion. I did enjoy the dish, however, I had a serious case of hives shortly after dining here. I feel it was connected to the pad thai. We also shared one of the desserts. It was interesting, but not enough that I remember much about it. Much like my experience at Habitat. It's nothing that is worth repeating.
(2)Neil C.
Incredible. When I got to work the next day, all I kept telling my co-workers was that I had one of the best meals of my entire life. Seriously. It was that good. Here goes for each item on a scale of 1-10: Beef Barley Soup: 9; Roasted beet salad: 10; Naan: 12; Root Vegetables: 10; Crab Mac & Cheese: 10; Duck main entree: 10. Great view of downtown. Exceptional staff. Top notch food. A bit pricey, but I can assign the value to it. Loved it and will return often since the menu constantly changes.
(5)Dan L.
One of my go-to's in Pittsburgh! I first dined at Habitat shortly after it opened and have returned twice for special occasions. (Mother's Day and gf's birthday). Habitat is intimately tucked into the 2nd floor of the impressive new Fairmont Hotel in downtown. The main dining room is both chic yet fairly spartan in design, allowing attention to be drawn to the busy but immaculate open kitchen. The menu items change less frequently than I would like, but it doesn't really matter because I was able to go for the pork belly app a 2nd time! (It's no longer on the menu I believe) The chef's use of quality ingredients in creative ways is perfectly executed. I prefer good food to speak for itself, and nothing that I have tasted was muted by over preparation or seasoning. Then the staff. In three visits, the GM Alan recognizes me on the phone and heartily greats me at the table. He poured free champagne for my gfs birthday party as well, a nice and appreciated touch. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, without being overbearing. In a handful of very well done restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, Habitat holds it's own. As in another comment, ship the valet and park yourself to save an outrageous valet charge. And go, seriously. Go check it out, you can thank me later.
(5)Michael R.
Arriving late to Pittsburgh, I decided to make dinner easy by just going to the Fairmount's in-house restaurant, Habitat. I went in with high hopes based on the descriptions on the menu, but was sorely disappointed by the meal. I started off with the Bourbon Meringue cocktail, which I thought was going to be a mistake when I ordered it, but my curiosity got the best of me. I can't honestly say I hated it, but I didn't like it either. It was just weird. I followed that up with a Manhattan, which is pretty tough to mess up. It was basically a bit of bourbon and what tasted and looked like cherry grenadine. It had a weird bright reddish color to it and places in the bottom end of Manhattans I've had in my life. For the food, I started with the roasted beet salad, basically some chunks of beet, chunks of goat cheese and a couple pieces of frisee. The taste was fine, I suppose, but there was no finesse to the dish and the goat cheese was largely flavorless. For my entree, I went with the Honey Glazed Duck, described as follows: "Duck confit and goat cheese puff, wilted arugula, pear, purée of carrot and orange." I ordered it at the suggested temp of medium-rare. I can honestly say it was the worst duck I've ever had at an upscale restaurant (as opposed to duck in a take-out Thai dish). It was not medium-rare. It was rare, if not blue. It lacked the crispy skin that makes duck so wonderful. And it lacked flavor. The puree was hardly edible as it was barely present on the plate. Despite all these missteps, the worst part of the plate was easily the "puff." When I think "puff," I think light, airy, flaky. This was heavy, dense, compact. I think there was a crumble of goat cheese in it. I will say, though, that my side of Brussels sprouts were good. Now, to be completely fair, my server was attentive and receptive to me when I told her about the problems with the dish, which I usually don't do even when I don't like something in a restaurant. The duck was taken off the bill without any fuss, which was not my goal in pointing out how undercooked it was. I also didn't give them a chance to take another shot at it, which might have changed things. Every kitchen has a bad dish now and then. This was one experience on one night, but I thought it worth sharing.
(2)Jr A.
I was here twice within 16 hours of each visit. First was New Years Eve dinner. It was a 7 course pre fix menu with wine pairings. The portions were small and food was nothing great. The amount of wine you were given was like a thimble full and when I asked for more I was told I would be charged extra. Lots of cream based offerings.Very Very expensive and not worth it. The service was exceptional though. I give the total experience two stars. Once again , ordering off the regular menu was not an option. Second was New Years day brunch buffet. Great food. All entrées were cooked to order and the service was again fantastic. The cost was very reasonable. I give it four stars. I would like to try this place again for dinner by ordering off the main menu and see how that goes.
(3)Zachary A.
Good food and wonderful staff! I was there for the Restaurant Week promotion, and while I'm certain portion sizes were smaller to accommodate the price, the food was still great.
(4)Paulina W.
General American hotel fare that you would find in any large american city. For Pittsburgh this might be special but a destination restaurant - it is not if you've traveled and sampled other city delights. The design of the space is the very functional and modern styled aesthetic one would expect from a firm like Gensler. Feels hotel-y in the use of plush carpeting and heavy furniture, but manages to remain cozy and light (i think the wood slats and the views outside help this) Seating is dispersed as to reinforce the sense of intimacy and you never feel too close to another table. The space is simple. The food is simple. We had a trio of appetizers. The brioche was pretty boring. Bread, obligaroy herb, poached egg. Check. Salmon with roe was fresh but familiar. The standout was really the oxtail gnocci. The plump squarish pillows of dough were perfectly light inside and browned on the outside, they melted away in your mouth on a wave of delicious gravy that coated the base of the plate. The oxtail had a wonderful smokey taste - the chopped veggies mixed in seemed like an afterthought and really didnt offer much. Id nix those.. Main course for me was the Alaskan cod with fresh grapefruit on a lentil base. The lentils swam in more gravy and I pretty much left them alone after a few bites - the cod was really delicious, fresh and cooked to perfection sliding perfectly onto my fork and really having a pop paired with a cold fresh sweet slice of grapefruit - wonderful combination. My friend had the "butchered today" beef - i dont remember the cut but the waiter sold us on it. It was for for me at least, a dissappointment. Despite it being cooked medium rare, it felt and tasted more like well done. At 38 dollars, it was not worth or indicative of the quality of which it was described. Give me Elysian lamb for that price point, give me well marbled organic beef tartar... dont give me a slab of dry steak and tell me it was dressed that morning. I dont remember what it came with, a mash of some type. Forgettable. Desert was a coffee mouse with banana in a graham cracker pie crust, with way too much whip cream. It was delightful and I ate all the mouse and banana. A comfortable, recognizable simple treat. We drank the non-alcoholic drinks - I believe I had a pomogranite fresh and my friend had a basil and strawberry concotion - both are made with sparkling mineral water which I looooove. These fresh drinks were outstanding. Overall it was a pleasant experience. I didnt find the frog water pitcher all that cute.. I get that the hotel incorporates artisian touches but that is not one that I appreciated. The prices were exorbitant for such simple food. Yes the meal was overall good but it was not memorable for that price point. I get it its a hotel.. but I probably wont be coming back here for a destination meal - unless its a business meeting or someone is staying there that dares not venture out to sample Pittsburgh's other offerings.
(3)Brian B.
Salt must have been on back order.
(2)Danielle B.
Best steak of my life! Hands down! Great menu and excellent food. Our service was amazing! High quality ingredients and our food was made with pride!
(5)Megan H.
Wonderful addition to downtown Pittsburgh. 8 of us went for a work dinner - and had a variety of food preferences...seafood allergies, vegetarian, picky, etc. And the somewhat limited menu was able to satisfy all. There were more indian dishes than I expected and was somewhat surprised - but that was just poor research on my part. The small plate selection covered a range of flavors and options. The beet, goat cheese, and honey salad was excellent. The Naan and Edamame were delicious. The butter nut squash ravioli were very rich, but had great flavor. The Dark Chocolate pot de creme was one of the most delicious things I've ever had. There is a large communal table in the center of the room - which fit our entire group. But the table was oddly too wide - making conversation difficult. I'm not sure if they plan to truly use it like a communal table. If the case, this will work. Everyone in our group was very pleased with their food - not an easy accomplishment. Service was excellent. Knowledgeable, accommodating, timely. It's pricey - but is a nice option for a higher end meal.
(4)Jeff G.
Five colleagues and I recently visited this new restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. First, the good: - The food was tasty (though not perfect...ravioli appetizers were pretty bland...but the pork bellies were fantastic and plentiful). - The decor is modern and chic. Definitely a place to go to be seen. - The kitchen is open and looks clean and efficient. Always a nice touch. - The wait staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and, for the most part, prompt. The Bad: - When we arrived, no one was there to greet us. We waited for a few minutes before I walked most of the way into the restaurant to find the hostess. Only then were we seated. - The atmosphere is a bit too noisy for intimate conversations, but certainly consistent with the vibrant scene. - Some restaurants have the annoying habit of taking the wine away in between pours. This is one of those places. Not a deal breaker, but pretty annoying. Some more about the food: - The tandor lamb was tasty and a nice portion. Not too big, not too small. - The flank steak was juicy and prepared as ordered (rare). - The carrot cake was delicious (not too sweet). Overall, this is a great addition to the Pittsburgh restaurant scene, but the kitchen and the staff need to work out a few kinks. Would I go again? Sure, but only if someone else were paying!
(4)I.E. C.
This place is a solid 3.5 stars. The presentment of the food is fantastic here, and prices are reasonable, considering it is a more gourmet establishment. I had the spinach and arugula salad, which was excellent. I also ordered the filet. It was under cooked, but quite a tasty piece of meat. Also, I couldn't get over the wine prices, as they were very cheap. We had a Malbec; it was only $24 and tasted great! Will definitely be coming back.
(3)Melanie E.
We were walking around cultural district in the 'burgh & noticed this beautiful, open foyer for what we realized later was the hotel Fairmont. We just wanted a drink, maybe an app or dessert and we scored! Upstairs is the Habitat Restaurant. It's elegantly modern and perfect for romance. They have a good view & lots of window tables and a nice little bar upstairs. Our server Deborah was so friendly and when we decided on dessert she clued us in and sang praises to their amazing, award-winning pastry chef Naomi G. We had the S'more Cheesecake (not cheese-cakey at all if you usually don't like cheesecake) and the Lemon Pudding Pie! They were works of art and tasted delicious. We like the S'more Cheesecake the best. I wanted a little more lemon in the pudding pie and maybe a little color to it to dress it up. Gerry was the manager on the floor and he stopped by and was very interesting to speak with and gave us good info about the hotel and the area. This is a great place to dress up, but you can feel comfortable in casual clothes, too (not too many people dress up anymore it seems anyway - at least not the guys). It got a little loud when the bar downstairs (which seems really cool) started the live piano music. It got very echo-ey and kind of invades the upstairs area. All in all we are keeping it on our list to return and have dinner.
(4)Danielle D.
This place just isn't worth it. I have tried lunch here on 3 or 4 occasions. Each time, I leave disappointed. The ambiance is modern and sort of cold, not warm & cozy. The The service is excellent. But the food.... oh the food. It just isn't anything special. It's not bad, it's just not *good*. I've had several of the sandwiches, most of which involve their white cheddar. While it melts evenly, it has a gritty, spread-like texture that makes it messy instead of gooey. Their french fries are a huge disappointment, frozen or frozen-like blahness. Large serving, but in one of those paper-lined cones. Great presentation, but leaves the bottom half of the serving soggy. Chicken parm wrap was bland and boring. Soft drinks & iced tea are $4. Prices are sky high for what you get. I will only go here at someone else's request.
(2)Carey M.
Overall, Habitat offers a number of very creative cocktails, appetizers, entrees, and deserts. Some are outstanding; others are good at best. The dining room is modern and tastefully arranged, has interesting views of the city, and could work for a date or business dinner. The wine list is extremely overpriced, however, especially considering the mediocre wines available at lower and middle price points, and they remove the bottle from the table each time they pour the wine. This is annoying, because the waitstaff is not particularly attentive and thus you can go 5-10 minutes waiting for someone to bring the bottle over and fill your glass. A second problem is that they charge $15 for valet parking in Pittsburgh, and will not validate your parking even if you're spending $100/person on dinner at the restaurant. That seems absurd to me. If these frustrating problems were rectified (as they could be quite easily), I would give the restaurant 4.5 stars.
(3)Jamie C.
Good spot for a hotel restaurant. Solid food, the use local source products which is cool. The atmosphere is just not great but the kitchen is super clean and well maintained. The dish I had, halibut it just lacked taste and size. I think many folks will like the place it's just not me.
(3)Diann D.
I took my mother and her sister to celebrate my aunt's 90th birthday. The atmosphere was open and modern. Our reservation was for 1pm on Sunday. The hostess was friendly and welcoming. Our server was outstanding and helped to make the occasion very special and memorable. While the restrooms are quite a distance from the dining area, they are extremely nice and offer scented lotion and cloth towels at the sinks. I am vegan and the staff was very accommodating to my dietary preferences. My mother ordered the chicken paillard which provided a very generous portion of meat. My aunt ordered the grilled shrimp which looked very appetizing. I ordered the butternut squash steak which was was perfectly cooked and came with vegan "sausage" patties that complimented the vegetables. The naan bread with dips came to the table warm and the beet salad was wonderful. The desserts looked divine! I didn't have any but my mom and aunt said both the chocolate raspberry mousse and carrot cake were very tasty. My aunt took home a small cheesecake with her leftovers. While in truth the menu is quite pricey, but for this occasion it was so well worth it! I plan to return since it was a great experience and is easy to order good food that accommodates my diet.
(5)John H.
As far as buffet style brunches go it was decent but overall something was missing. Lacking ambience (hated the carpet) combined with buffet style brunch instead of a la carte led to slight disappointment The dessert section was delicious though
(3)Josh M.
Service, presentation, food, all off the charts. The best part is the dessert. Just when you think it wont get any better. The locally-source menu and amazing service make this place an experience. We will be back
(5)Brian D.
The comment someone made about the suits was amusing as I noticed a fair amont of them after dining at Habitat during the first night of my stay at the Fairmont. Nothing against the suits, but some are more rambunctious than others. I guess Pittsburgh is no longer a blue collar town and the Fairmont Hotel and by extension, the Habitat represent the 'new' Pittsburgh. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see that Pittsburgh has more food options and that the Habitat is following the 'locavore' movement. I just wish they would do a better job of preparing the food as the seasonality component is lost if the food is not great. Although my dinner at Habitat was just okay the first night I tried them, I decided to give them another try, partly because I was tired and didn't feel like seeking out another restaurant in the city and taking a cab back and forth that cold blustery night. In any case, I had dinner in the lounge this time and started out with the arugula salad with spinach. The dish was supposed to come with pomegranate, goat cheese and almonds. The salad came out on a large plate with a minuscule amount of arugula and a few spinach leaves with no pomegrante and almonds in sight. I'm by no means cheap when it comes to good food, but I've had much better salads for $10, especially since the arugula lacked that earthy, pungent taste I get when purchasing fresh arugula from the farmers market. For the mains, I went for the wall eye, since I haven't had this particular fish in quite some time. Overall, the fish was good, but again, the accompanying items didn't show up with the fish. The dish was supposed to come with turnips,squash, broccoli and winter greens. I got the squash but the broccoli was missing unless it was ground up with the bland and cold winter green purée. Bottom line, I wouldn't discourage anyone from checking out Habitat (on the contrary) as the place is good for the city and your dining experience will largely depend on what you order for dinner. In addition, the breakfast and service are top notch and I found the hostess to be really on top of her game.
(3)Justin A.
I dined at Habitat shortly after it opened. I was incredibly impressed with many things, including the service. I was attending a special event, but still got to experience this restaurant in all its glory. The food was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The server was friendly and accommodating to my needs to eat quicker than the others to make another appointment. I like the open feeling, and modern design for Pittsburgh. When compared to the older design of the William Penn this was a nice change (it reminds me of my time in LA and NYC). I haven't been back, but only because my work schedule is super busy (and I can't get a date!). From one wine-loving cook to another, I highly recommend!
(5)Jennifer H.
My husband purchased a Groupon for this restaurant so we went this evening. The food menu is limited while the drink menu is extensive! The waiter (Cody) made a good rec. for a white wine I enjoyed. But, it stopped there. The bread arrived and I took a slice and added some butter. I bit down on something salty and crunchy and at first I thought the crust area had some mixture of seeds and salt. I soon realized the butter itself had large chunks of sea salt in it, resulting in very salty bites each time! I scraped it off and enjoyed the bread plain. I ordered seared diver scallops and a side of crab mac and white cheddar cheese. The scallops were pretty close to raw and luke warm. The greens placed on top were attractive but largely tasteless (unless you are a rabbit). The designer mac and cheese was alright but a bit too saucy and could have used more flavor. The waiter explained that the chef's approach is to under cook most dishes and that is was not cooked wrong but not cooked to my liking. He also commented on the fact that most of my dish was eaten... well, there were THREE scallops. I ate one, gave one to my husband to try and just could not eat the third.. The waiter later agreed the scallops were not cooked enough and gave us our desserts on the house. So, after being told the cooking was not wrong he then recanted with his revised statement. It would have been more appropriate had he examined the dish immediately and decided... The raspberry/fig tart was good, esp. the vanilla ice cream. The chocolate ganache type creation was not very good. Yes, chocolate being only so-so! The bitter chocolate was VERY bitter and the sweeter choc. so sickeningly sweet, not a good flavor combo. on the palette. The passion fruit sauce along side the dish was great! Give me the ice cream with the sauce and there would be a winner! Service was decent (we had 6 of the staff who come to our table!) and the view of the Roberto Clemete bridge was neat. If it was not for the Groupon deal I would have complained more about the scallops. For the price, the quality was poor and a disappointment.
(2)Jim K.
I get to The Burgh about once a year because of a yearly conference. Overall, I've been pretty impressed at the quality of food here, and Habitat was no exception. A friend made the reservation several days before we left Philadelphia, and I looked at the menu online. My friend is a much more adventurous eater than I am, and looking at the menu made me a little nervous. I like simple things, nothing fancy. The menu definitely screamed "FANCY!" to me. After browsing the dinner selections, I figured I couldn't go wrong with the Chicken tikka masala. It seemed safe enough. The reservation had been made for 5:30 on a Friday night. We were a party of four, and two of us showed at 5:15. There didn't appear to be ANYONE inside, and, in fact, the doors to the restaurant were closed. The two of us began to get nervous wondering if the place had closed without us knowing it. Within minutes, the host showed up, and invited us to sit at the bar while we waited. I didn't think this was such a good sign, but the beer selection was pretty varied. I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorites, Lancaster Brewery Strawberry Wheat, was available. This settled my nervousness. Our party finally arrived, and we were introduced to our server, Deb. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and was very helpful in helping us make some choices. She convinced me to try the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Autumn Spiced creme fraiche. WOW!!! I was already impressed, and this was just an appetizer. The Creme really added a LOT to this. For an entree, I was convinced to try the Venison Loin. The online menu differs from what was available at the restaurant, in that sides are served a la carte. I selected the Lobster mac and cheese, and couldn't have been happier. I ordered the venison medium well, and that's just how it came out. Having read a few reviews on here, I was really looking forward to dessert. I decided on the Apple confit. It was the perfect combination of sweet apples and crunchy pecans. It was a fantastic end to a great meal. I would definitely recommend Habitat to anyone, even those of us who don't like to venture too far off the beaten culinary path.
(4)Andrew M.
My wife and I came here for her Birthday and enjoyed our meal greatly. The atmosphere is very modern with straight lines and dark colors. The food was excellent, I had the local steak which was a little more medium rare then I prefer but melt in your mouth good. My wife had fish which she enjoyed and was very crispy exterior and perfectly cooked. It was a weeknight and the place seemed a touch understaffed so we waited for a bread a bit longer then I would of preferred, other then that excellent meal I would go back again!
(4)Aveek D.
Ate here during Restaurant Week. It is an expensive place but they had a pretty good fixed price menu. Excellent service and food was tasty, and we got lucky to get a seat near the open kitchen which is a nice sideshow (but be warned there's a large portion of the restaurant that's just 'regular' seating). In the new Fairmont hotel, so definitely upscale. Portions are small, but not small so you are hungry, just small compared to the amounts given at other restaurants.
(4)Amy B.
Very disappointing. Not at all a locally sourced menu. The ingredients used were not even seasonal. I had three small plates while I sat alone at the bar. A green salad that was so overdressed the greens were going limp before my eyes. The greens were lovely and tender, but drowning. Second I had a seared tuna. This was unbelievably overseasoned-salty and over spiced. You could not taste the fish at all. Made me wonder what was being hidden under all that spice. Finally I ate a pork fried rice dish that was actually quite tasty. Wish i'd just ordered that in the entree size, rather than bothering with the rest. Will not return, space sterile and staff not very polished for the price point.
(2)Yvonne L.
The desserts are the best part about Habitat. I totally recommend the Raspberry Panna Cotta. The crab mac & cheese which I had was pretty good but next time Im here I'll have crab and ahi tuna appetizer. I also loved the lobster with curry. its a sweeter curry dish (there are lychees in the curry sauce) but its also one of the more fun curry dishes that i've had. While the number of contemporary american restaurants are growing in Pittsburgh, seems like they are scattered geographically (Isabellas on Mt. Washington...Salt in E. Liberty). Its nice that Habitat and a few others are centralized in the downtown area.
(5)Melissa C.
My boyfriend and I were on the hunt for grass fed burgers in Pittsburgh when we discovered Habitat. It's not the cheapest place, but the menu ingredients are locally sourced and I imagine the overhead at the Fairmont Hotel is pricey. We biked over there one day in early spring, arriving hot and sweaty, and ready to get our burger on. We did not feel uncomfortable in our street clothes, despite the fancy atmosphere. We sat at the bar and had a pleasant conversation with the guests sitting next to us who were visiting from NY (we just moved here from Brooklyn and found we had a lot to talk about). We couldn't resist a few small plates before we moved on to our burgers. We shared the chilled english pea soup that went nicely with a glass of rose as well as a beet salad with goat cheese, wild honey, and coriander. Everything tasted fresh and loved! Our burgers were a special treat for us. Cooked just as we requested on a lightly toasted brioche bun with Pennsylvania cheddar cheese and all the fixings. Plus, the fries were perfectly seasoned and HOT! My only complaint is that they did not have homemade mustard, only Dijon. We've been back several times now. We recently tried the Spring risotto, which was also cooked perfectly. We hope to expand our selection in the future, but the burgers are just so tasty.
(4)Kevin M.
I moved here from Manhattan, and have spent lots of time in France and in Northern California -- all places with great restaurants. So in my humble experience this is by far the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. The ingredients are picked that day fresh-- all locally sourced and often organic. The service is impeccable -- and the servers are truly nice in addition to being the best trained in the 'burgh. The setting is beautiful-- you walk up a beautiful staircase through an Italian Modernist lobby to Habitat, and can watch the food being prepared through a glass wall if you like. People remember your name and welcome you if you go there a few times. Chef is very talented. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)Pragna H.
We went to Habitat for Pittsburgh Restaurant Week and were very impressed. It was my second time there and my friend's first. He was fascinated by the open kitchen concept and the space. We were seated right across from the kitchen. We could see everything that was going on in there, which, since I cook, is an additional treat for me. I got the mushroom tart with Parmesan cream and my friend got the beets with goat cheese. We were both very impressed with the appetizers. I got to try the beets-goat-cheese app, and it was fantastic! We both got the scallops for dinner. I guess the regular menu portion would have been a bit bigger than our two sea scallops, half a fistful each of wilted spinach and ratatouille, but the portion was just perfect for each of us. We also wanted to save room for dessert. Although the menu mentioned that you could select any dessert item from the regular dessert list, they only offered the Opera cake to us. I love Opera cake and this one exceeded my expectations. I could have licked the plate if I were sitting on my couch and devouring this. I think I should have anyway... Next time!
(5)Drew L.
As our restauarant choice on special occasion, we were excited about what we had heard about Habitat. The ambience was really great and the service was very friendly and professional. We loved the local and seasonal focus of the menu. The sustainability and organic features on the menu were a highlight for us. Our starters were really tasty. For a fresh choice, we had the beets. And for a cheap snack, we had the edamame, which was prepare with a pepper blend. The entrees were tasty. The reason I give this only 3 stars is because of the portion size on the lamb loin, the most expensive choice on the menu. For $38, I received only about 3-4 ounces of lamb and 3 small potatoes. It was very dissapointing in comparison to the healthy servings of bass, salmon and beef all around me. All in all, I might go back but for my money there are other amazing choices at this price level in pittsburgh.
(3)