Blue Velvet

In many ways Blue Velvet shoots itself in the foot. After all it’s impossible for expectations not to be raised by the castle and drawbridge façade and Luhrman-esque interiors. The truth is, though, when you look past the dungeon-chic decor and impressive light bulb feature, the food here is really just ever-so-slightly elevated (and overpriced) pub grub. Further, despite the initial splash it made, it’s clear from our last visit—six waiters and zero diners at 7:30pm—that Blue Velvet hasn’t really taken off as a restaurant. The attempts at fusion aren’t unequivocally successful, though we appreciate attempts like the green curry lasagna. Take the Parma ham and rocket rolls, for instance. A plate contains four rolls, each comprising four to six fresh and crunchy rocket leaves wrapped in a wide ribbon of Parma ham, all generously drizzled with a well-balanced Thai nam chim. It’s delicious, light and refreshing, but it’s difficult to ignore the fact that the taste of the Parma ham has been completely masked. The beef taco appetizer features well-flavored, tender meat, but because it’s all rather minimally arranged on top of flat tortilla chip triangles, it comes off looking sadly underwhelming. The Mexican-style pizza is nearly soggy with mayonnaise (not sour cream) and the seared blue tuna  is small and insipid, and relies heavily on the accompanying sauce to impart edibility. We like the spaghetti with crab and herbs, but it’s hard to go wrong with lots of black pepper and garlic. So really, you’re paying for the (admittedly unique) ambience. The other thing Blue Velvet has going for it is the solid drinks. Signature cocktails aside, they also do a decent martini. So, overall, go to Blue Velvet, by all means, order a drink and an appetizer and take a few pictures with your pals among the beautiful rooms. But unless you’re friends with the owners, it’s unlikely you’re going to want to eat here on a regular basis. Corkage B500.