New York’s new Faustina restaurant criticized for feeling too 'hotel-ish'

On Wednesday morning The New York Times published Sam Sifton's review of Faustina, a new restaurant from Scott Conant in The Cooper Square Hotel. Sifton gave the restaurant one star, complimenting many of its dishes (especially the pork chop, which he says "may be the city's best") but criticizing its institutional, "hotel-ish" feel (his word, not ours). He wasn't pleased by the "tough concrete dining room" that's connected to a loud, crowded bar space.

In his Diner's Journal blog post about the review, Sifton explains that dining at Faustina feels too much like dining in a hotel, and says that not all hotel restaurants feel that way. He lists his favorites that get it right, which include Jean-Georges at Trump, Locanda Verde at The Greenwich Hotel, and L'atelier de Joel Robuchon at Four Seasons (all three happen to be among our list of favorite hotel restaurants as well).
At his request, his readers are writing in with their faves, which include some of the newest, most buzzed-about hotel restaurants in New York, like Danny Meyer's Roman trattoria Maialino (in the Gramercy Park Hotel), April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's Breslin Bar and Dining Room (in the Ace Hotel), and David Chang's Má Pêche (in the Chambers).
If you haven't made it to Faustina yet, below are a few photos to whet your appetite: