Restaurants With a View in NYC

The best restaurants with a view in NYC are not hard to come by. Spectacular sights abound in the city – whether waterfront, street view or panoramic outlooks of the skyline. And when it comes to rooftop views, NYC’s got some of the most amazing there are.

When dining out, the view of New York City is perhaps the best company you could ask for. It elevates the meal (sometimes literally) and creates a memory that will last long after you’ve licked the crumbs from your dessert plate.

The Best Restaurants With a View in NYC

The River Café
1 Water Street, Brooklyn

A New York City Classic with prime real estate under the Brooklyn Bridge, the AAA Four Diamond and Michelin-starred River Café has been wowing customers with romantic views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty since 1977. Serving classic New American fare, the restaurant consistently receives rave reviews. Nightly piano music enhances the ambiance. A dress code is enforced for dinner, when men are required to wear jackets and ties are preferred.

The View Restaurant & Lounge
The Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway

High above Times Square, The View is NYC’s only revolving rooftop restaurant. Located within the Marriott Marquis hotel, express glass elevators whisk guests up to the 48th floor, where they are met with eye-level views of some of the tallest buildings in Manhattan. The revolving floor makes a 360-degree turn every hour, so the sights are always changing. Contemporary American cuisine is served, featuring an award-wining wine list, prix fixe dinner menu and a Sunday mimosa brunch buffet. One floor up, The View Lounge serves cocktails and a dinner buffet until late night. Unlike the main restaurant, the lounge operates on a first-come, first-serve basis with no reservations required.

Asiate (pictured above)
The Mandarin Oriental, 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street

Part of the AAA Five Diamond Mandarin Oriental, Asiate accentuates the hotel’s top selling point – its stunning panoramic views from the top of the Time Warner Center overlooking Central Park, Columbus Circle and beyond. The interior, which incorporates elements of nature and a wine wall with more than 3,000 bottles, is equally stunning. Modern and contemporary American dishes are served a la carte for breakfast and lunch, while a three-course prix fixe menu and chef’s tasting menu are offered at dinner. On the weekend, the restaurant is also open for a three-course prix fixe brunch.

Riverpark 
450 Eat 29th Street

Tom Colicchio’s farm-to-table restaurant is visually impressive, inside and out. Situated on the edge of the East River, guests are treated to water views from the dining room’s large surrounding windows or can choose from two outdoor dining options. On the patio, traditional seating and full menus are served, while the terrace provides a more casual and communal atmosphere with picnic tables. Featuring modern American cuisine, the menus change daily, using fresh and seasonal ingredients from local greenmarkets and farms.

ONE Dine
One World Trade Center
285 Fulton Street

On the 101st floor of One World Trade Center, ONE Dine is one of three on-site eateries that are part of One World Observatory (that’s a lot of ones!). Serving a casual a la carte menu of seasonally-inspired items, the sit-down restaurants overlooks the main observation floor and boasts panoramic city views from every angle. Reservations are required and can only be made with the purchase of a ticket to the Observatory.

Grand Banks
Pier 25 Hudson River Park

Can’t get enough water views? When it comes to the best view restaurants in NYC, Grand Banks – based aboard the historic Sherman Zwicker, a wooden schooner anchored in the Hudson – is unforgettable. Open seasonally, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation as you enjoy a nautically-inspired cocktail or glass of wine or champagne with all the sustainably harvested and wild-caught East and West coast oysters your heart desires. Although the star of the menu is the oysters, Chef Kerry Heffernan also serves up a concise menu of ingredient-driven small-plates and brunch.

Food and Drinks With Rooftop Views 

Cantor Roof Garden Bar 
1000 Fifth Avenue

Guests can access this treasure atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art via the elevator in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries. Open seasonally from early spring through fall, the rooftop delivers panoramic views of Central Park and features a new art installation every summer. The café serves specialty drinks, small plates, salads, sandwiches and sweets and on Friday and Saturday nights it becomes a martini bar. The rooftop follows the same hours as the museum, so plan accordingly.

Serra by Birreria
200 Fifth Avenue

Located in Eataly, the Flat Iron District’s Italian food market, Serra by Birreria is a rooftop restaurant perfect for those that enjoy change. While many restaurants update their menus with the seasons, the overall design of Serra’s greenhouse-themed space is also made to shift from spring to summer to fall. And with a retractable roof and heaters, the weather outside won’t stop you from enjoying your meal or the view.

The Press Lounge
653 11th Avenue

Part of Ink 48 hotel and the sister venue of PRINT restaurant, the Press Lounge is an elegant rooftop setting with sweeping views of Midtown Manhattan and the Hudson River. Guests who are 21 years of age and over are invited to take the elevator up and get some fresh air and sample seasonally inspired cocktails and small plates. General open seating is first-come, first-serve. Reserved seating is recommended for large groups and requires a deposit of $50 per quest.

And there you have it – some of the best restaurants with a view in NYC. If you like dining in a picture-perfect setting, you’ll also enjoy our article about the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park.

Have you been to any of these restaurants? Do you have any other favorites spots the area with great views that you would like to add? Tell is us in the comments.   

Learn more about AAA Diamond establishments.