Esprit Events

Our guests are still talking about how amazingly delicious and abundant the food was at our wedding. Each and every dish ;). Esprit seriously had amazing variety, quality, style and presentation. Biana took charge and guided us in the organization/decision process and the result was perfection. If you are looking for a kosher caterer who is cool/innovative, classy - this is it.

I have never posted a bad review on line, but my personal experience with Esprit Events Kosher Catering was so disturbing, I felt compelled to write something even though several months have passed. My friend's daughter was married a few months ago. It was a beautiful wedding except for this caterer. They were severely understaffed which caused unacceptable delays during the cocktail hour and inadequate service during the main meal. My husband was a professional fundraiser and ran many events and dealt with a multitude of caterers. Together we attended countless affairs, but I have never experienced such a poor level of service. In addition, Esprit Events failed to provide sufficient food and drink, and the dessert display looked like a PTA bake sale. Anyone looking for a kosher caterer should look elsewhere.

I have never written a review online, but my experience with this caterer was too disturbing to let go. My friend's daughter's wedding was beautiful, but the poor service provided by this caterer was unacceptable. In addition, they failed to provide sufficient food, drinks, and the dessert display was awful. The Bride's parents were so embarrassed, and I certainly understand why. Their guests left hungry! I would definitely not recommend this caterer.

I normally don't write critical reviews, but Esprit Events recently catered my friend's daughter's wedding, and what a disappointment! I have worked in the customer service business for over 30 years. My focus has always been to deliver a superior experience by understanding our client's needs. Unfortunately, Esprit did not provide that experience. The quality of food was satisfactory. However, they understaffed the event and underestimated the food and beverage requirements. The appetizers were not served in an efficient manner, since there were not enough servers or appetizers. I have never been to an affair where the bar ran out of beer and cold white wine. Since good customer service hinges on teamwork, it is unfortunate that this caterer did not adequately provide enough team players. Once again a disappointing experience.

My wife and I made a big mistake hiring Esprit Events for our daughter's wedding. We needed a kosher caterer to accommodate some family members and had heard positive reviews about them. Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong. When my wife complained to the owner, Ellen Vaknine, about the multiple problems, mostly related to under staffing and running out of food and drinks, she was offered an insignificant refund and this response: "... I reviewed the quantities of food & beverage that were sent to your event – and they were in line with what we typically send. The level of staffing we assigned was correct..." We have worked with several caterers in the past, always relying on their expertise to determine what was required for a successful party. We did the same with Esprit, paying exactly what they asked for staff and food per person. We did so assuming they had the experience to tell us what was needed. We were wrong. My wife did not accept their refund, as she felt it was insulting to be offered such a small amount. I would not recommend them.

I was very disappointed in Esprit Events and would not recommend them to anyone for their special day. My mother and I planned everything ourselves, but we were at the mercy of a caterer who was unable to handle a wedding buffet luncheon for 150 people. Luckily, our band was amazing, so our guests were distracted from the poor service and lack of food and drink. I, however, will never forget it!

I went to a wedding where Esprit was the caterer and I was not impressed. Everyone was starving during the cocktail hour because there was not enough food or servers. Also, there weren't enough bartenders and everyone was waiting around for a drink. And then they ran out of white wine, champagne, and patron---ALL the makings of a good party. The bartenders also put out tip jars! So not ok. When you went to the buffet stations, there was no one to serve you. Serving trays would be sitting there empty and no one replaced them. The dessert was nothing but some italian cookies. I would not recommend them. The only good thing was the sushi.

Esprit Events was the kosher caterer at a wedding I was invited to. For a party of 150 guests, this caterer was grossly understaffed, and a wedding that does not have enough staff does not run smoothly. Hors d'oeuvres were not set up on time for the cocktail hour. We waited at least 20 minutes for food to start coming out. At lunch, there was no one to orchestrate the flow of guests going to the food stations which resulted in very,very long lines. There was no one behind the stations to serve. When the guests FINALLY reached the stations, they were faced with trying to fit their dinners onto appetizer plates. There were NO dinner plates!! . On top of that, there was not enough staff to refill the food at the stations, refill water glasses for the guests, and only 2 bartenders. They could not handle the long lines of people waiting for drinks, plus they ran out of champagne, wine, tequila, and seltzer. Dessert is usually everyone's favorite part, but this dessert buffet was not impressive. Once again, there was not enough staff to refill the platters of cookies and sweets, so most of us did not get a chance to even sample everything. Really disappointing!! Had the caterer planned for the right amount of help, there would have been no problem, but it was obvious they were more focused on presentation than service. Everything else about this wedding was beautiful, but the poor service ruined what should have been a perfect day for the family. I would be very cautious about hiring them for an event.

Recently attended a wedding catered by Esprit at studio 450. There were problems from the beginning to the end. Mostly, it was understaffed; 2 bartenders for 150 people on a very warm day...the lines were ridiculous. Hors d'oeuvres were not served until 20-30 minutes after the ceremony. And then only 6 items on a tray. The poor server was attacked by all the hungry guests. The buffet luncheon was self serve, long lines and appetizer size plates. While the food was good, it was not replenished in a timely manner and no one wanted to wait on the long line. The dessert buffet, again long line, only one table and too be honest I could have done a better job. The brides parents paid $200 per person for just the catering...I really expected so much more!

Beware!!! We used Esprit Events for our daughter's wedding. After months of planning, I cannot even begin to describe what a disappointment this caterer was. There was no food ready for the cocktail hour. My guests waited half an hour before the food started to flow, and only after I had to run down to the kitchen to see what was going on. They only planned for 2 bartenders for 150 people, so the lines for drinks were unacceptable. They ran out of white wine and champagne and did not refill any water glasses. My husband and I did not get any champagne at our own daughter's wedding! There were tiny plates set up for the buffets, so guests were only able to take small amounts of food. When they went back, the trays were empty because there was not enough help to refill them. The dessert buffet had one small container of ice cream for 150 people that was never refilled, nor were any of the desserts. I chose this caterer based on reviews by other people and seeing pictures of their presentation. I was greatly misled. Do not use them!

I personally do not keep kosher, but much of my husband's family does, so we decided to go with a kosher caterer to make things easier. Not only did the people who keep kosher enjoy it, but so did I and all my guests! The food was delicious, and the Esprit staff was a pleasure to work with. Would completely recommend.

As anyone who has planned a kosher affair knows,it is hard to find innovative,upscale and delicious food all at the same time. Esprit Events is all this and much more When we chose Esprit for our November wedding in NYC,they were relatively unknown within our circle of friends and family. We took a leap of faith with Esprit and were thrilled with the outcome! The food was absolutely beautiful...Colorful and visually a feast for the eyes and also tasted as wonderful as it looked. The servers were always there,whenever you put a napkin or plate down and always there to offer you something. I found Tali and the crew at Esprit very accessible,they always responded immediately to any calls or emails. We could not have been more pleased and received many phone calls from our guests telling us how wonderful the food and service was. By the way,many guests in attendance were not kosher,and would have never known...Esprit is fabulous!!!

Very innovative and great Kosher food!!! This is a caterer I will use again for sure, their presentation is beautiful, and the food... SO YUMMY! IMHO Esprit breaks new ground when it comes to high end Kosher catering, when most of the 'traditional' , 'go for' caterers are stuck in the eighties, they are just fabulous! The food on our wedding reflected our personalities, it was fresh, modern and contemporary, on top of that it was delicious all of our guests complimented on the food and said it was very tasty! Very happy with their services. Tali & Ellen, Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Esprit catered my wedding this past Sunday and I was blown away. The food (both in the tastings at at the wedding) is not only fresh, delicious and full of flavor. The presentation is 5 star. Many of my guests had no clue it was kosher they were shocked when I told them. Tali truly went above and beyond to make sure that things ran smoothly and everyone was at ease. To say that the team at Esprit exceeded my expectations is an understatement...I couldn't be happier with the turnout.

Esprit catered our wedding at the end of February, and people still talk about the food months later. Esprit’s food was both visually stunning and tasted amazing. Their food is certified kosher, but they outshine both kosher and non-kosher caterers – it was delicious and elegant by any standards. The colors, the layout, and the shapes all had an effect that really enhanced our wedding and made it special. In fact, we had many European and non-Jewish guests, all of whom raved about the food. We're not exaggerating: guest after guest told us that it was the most beautiful and most delicious catered event they'd ever been to! The chef was extremely receptive to our requests and our feedback after the tasting. Tali is really friendly and very responsive to all of our questions—she always got right back to us and found a way to accommodate our needs. The service will make you happy and the food will keep everyone talking about your wedding. No other caterer comes close—Esprit is simply the best!