Tranquil: Improving Steadily

Tranquil Bar and Bistro is another restaurant that is relatively young. I believe they opened about 2 years ago. I have eaten their about 5 or 6 times for dinner and I had lunch there at least 4 times within the last 6 months. In my opinion everything about dinner at tranquil is superior to their lunch. But the décor and space is slightly bohemian and industrial yet feels very cozy. Local art is displayed in front of an exposed brick wall, while naked steel beams hold the interior intact. The lighting is elegant and the bar looks like it could assimilate to a NYC space with ease. It is modern, clean and sharp all elements that I am fond of. Needless to say, I enjoy Tranquil's interior.

Lunch is okay. The menu is decent, although elements of it seem to have been lifted off of menus that I have seen elsewhere. Service during lunch is almost always slow and inconstant (they usually only have one server on the floor). The curried coconut soup is pretty good, it’s mildly spiced (for a curry soup) and the dumplings are textually gooey in a fantastic way. My biggest complaint about the soup is that I wish it had more dumplings! I have had the spinach salad with goat cheese, walnuts and cranberries. It was light and fresh with a real classic flavor combination. The Blackened Tuna sandwich is okay, it was cooked perfectly but kind of bland and I didn’t think the olive tapenade married with the tuna. I would definitely recommend the Lost Dog’s tuna sandwich over this one. The crab cake sandwich is not worth getting, it’s bland and the crab cakes have too much filler… The steak sandwich is decent, I ordered it rare in a wrap and I came out just as I asked. It comes with an ancho chili sauce that gives the steak a nice smoked flavor. I would stick with the salads during lunch and expect to take your time.

Dinner has definitely improved since their opening. They used to carry a tuna steak dish as well as a lamb chop dish, fortunately both have since disappeared. The lamb chops were tiny. Normally, I don’t complain about portion size (unless it is in excess) but I felt like I finished my lamb in 5 bites. Again, the tuna steak was cooked nicely but was simply bland and basic. Tuna steaks can really handle BIG flavors, its sturdy fish and should be treated as such... They need to get a little more aggressive with Tuna as an ingredient. The current menu offers a number of dishes, I have had the gorgonzola cranberry stuffed chicken breast, the flat iron steak au poivre (pepper crust) and the Chilean Salmon with a sweet cider reduction. All three dishes are excellent… the chicken was rich and moist… the steak was cooked perfectly and served with fresh sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes… the Salmon was not fishy at all and the sweetness of the sauce played nicely with the fish and root vegetables. Lately, I have been really impressed with the quality of their dinner entrees. The service could still use some improvement but for the most part I have enjoyed my recent dinner experiences at Tranquil.

Atmosphere and Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Lunch: 3 out of 5 stars
Dinner: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall:4.2 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10+ for lunch $20+ for dinner
Website: Tranquil Bar & Bistro
Address: 36 Pine St # 1
Binghamton, NY 13901-3052
(607) 723-0495