So I’m starting my NYC murder mystery review tour with Truffles, a company I had actually never heard of before my research. I think they’re relatively new, which could account for never having heard of them. They perform at a fictional restaurant called Ciacco’s, which exists inside The Cutting Room in NYC.

I started off by purchasing tickets for myself and my trusty partner-in-crime AKA bestie, Mackenzie. When I saw that we could see a murder mystery brunch instead of a murder mystery dinner, I was super excited. I bought two VIP tickets (their website says this includes “a delicious Brunch & the Truffles Tasting, VIP seating and the take-home goodie bag!”) for me and Kenz, and then we eagerly awaited the weekend to see the murder mystery. (Sidenote: $80 a pop seems like too much to spend on a single meal, but Mackenzie and I decided if we were going to do it, we might as well do it big.)

We got dolled up in our cutest brunching outfits and headed out, both of us super excited. When we first arrived at The Cutting Room, we were totally in love with the atmosphere. It was totally completely perfect for a murder mystery. It had sort of a mysterious charm to it. The area for the performance is in front of the stage, with a bunch of four-top tables lined up in rows. Most people were in groups of two and they both sat on the same side of the table so nobody had their backs to the action. I will say that this area seemed a bit too crowded. The couple at the table next to us was literally two inches away. At one point the woman had to get up for the bathroom and tripped over my bag because we were all so scrunched.

The show itself was pretty fun. The story was about a wealthy family who had recently found themselves in some financial trouble, and then one of the family members (who owns the fictional restaurant Ciacco’s) is found dead. There’s some romance thrown in with the murder mystery, too. I definitely will not spoil it for anyone who wants to go see it, but the ending was a bit of a let down. I guessed who killed the restaurant owner before I was done with my food. However, the actors were obviously super dedicated and looked like they were having a lot of fun, so I still enjoyed watching the rest of the show unfold. Another good addition to the show was the jazz music; it was unique and really fun to listen to!

The food was okay, but for the amount of money we both spent on it, neither of us were all that impressed. (Yes, I know the ticket price included the entertainment and is put toward the actors’ paychecks, but even still, it was a little too much for the quality. Even for NYC.) It was basically diner food, with choices like waffles, french toast, and scrambled eggs.

Overall, Kenz and I loved the uniqueness, and the actors were wonderful. The story was a little predictable but still entertaining. Beautiful venue, sub-par seating arrangements, and food that wasn’t as great as we were expecting.

If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery in NYC, this one is decent, but don’t spring for the VIP tickets. It doesn’t add much to the show, so it’s not really worth it. Truffles is worth a watch, though; I just think our expectations were a little too high for our first adventure.