I think your expectations were wrong. The Dylan Lounge (take a right when in the host area) is probably more “hip” than the main dining room. You mentioned returning when you could eat outside. X2O does not have outdoor dining, so I’m not sure where you would have gotten that idea. There is a balcony you can get to at the back of the dining room but there is no seating there.
As for the view, I find the nighttime view very nice if you’re facing south, since you can see the lights of Manhattan. I can understand the northbound view not being very exciting at night.
The light bulb issue is not a new one. I had noticed that on an earlier visit after reading about it in Opentable reviews, but it seemed to be fixed on a subsequent visit. Sorry to hear it’s back again. I guess it’s not easy replacing bulbs, and with that high a ceiling they probably need to get special equipment in to replace them. Still, that’s no excuse. And I do agree that the service is not as good as it has been in the past. Fortunately, the food is still really good.
