The View Restaurant & Lounge
“What do you expect for the best dinner view in Manhattan in the middle of Times Square?”
“The only reason why it didn't get five stars is I don't like the fact there's a $7 cover charge after 9pm.”
“Worth a visit here (even if you just grab a drink at the lounge) for any tourist or even a local looking for something new!”
The View Restaurant & Lounge
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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Unfortunately I didn't Yelp this restaurant before our first visit like I normally would have. It came highly recommended by one of New York's friendly police officers when we arrived at the airport. It was fun riding up the elevator, but the restaurant seemed quite dated, the "view" was not that spectacular, nor was the food for the really expensive pre fixe price. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone.
One liner: Excellent food during restaurant week, with unique rotating views of Manhattan and great service!
We came with low expectations because we had heard the food was less than stellar and that it was all about the experience and the view. Located inside the Marriott Hotel, The View Restaurant is on the 48th floor accessible by a fun elevator ride. We had a reservation and had noted in our reservation that we were celebrating a birthday. Our server was friendly and humorous. We were attended to, but not bothered. The selections from the restaurant week menu included:
Creamless tomato soup- just the right temperature, tart but full-bodied
Crab cakes- I'm not usually a fan of crab cakes because I think they're too much cake and not enough crab, but these crab cakes were stellar! So much fresh crab meat!
Butter poached Alaskan crab legs- a bit too heavy with the butter, but still delicious crab legs, nonetheless
Flatiron steak- WOW. Was definitely not expecting the steak to be so perfect. The medium was cooked perfectly, and the meat was so tender and perfectly seasoned!
Seared Atlantic Grouper- good, but not mind-blowing. The ratatouille that it came with was quite good.
The chocolate mousse parfait and cheesecake were both delicious. Much to our delight, we were given a complimentary chocolate mousse cake with candles for our birthday celebration! That was so lovely of them, and definitely was the cherry on the top.
We loved the rotating aspect of the experience, and really enjoyed seeing different views of the Manhattan skyline, though it wasn't as spectacular as I expected it to be. We did have a window seat, so not sure how much better it could get.
I won't be back for the regular menu because the prices are more than I should be paying as a graduate student, for sure. But if another special occasion with an out-of-towner falls during restaurant week again, you bet I'll be back!
This place is strange but not a bad sort. You sit in a restaurant atop the Marriott Marquis and spin around at a slow speed to complete a 360 degree views of the city repeatedly. If you are prone to seasickness, this may be a problem for you–it's like being on a boat to nowhere.
The food is good but unadventurous, much like any other dining experience you would have at the Marriott Marquis. That being said, there is something for everyone (even allergens are well-labelled) and the list of cocktails and wines is formidable.
I went there with a group of colleagues and had a very good time–no less than 16 toasts were made and we enjoyed each other's company. I would return for a similar occasion or perhaps with people from out of town to take in the cityscape.
What a fantastic view!! …but you knew that already!
The food was delicious. A 3-course prix-fixed menu for $89/person. I enjoyed the foi-gras parfait with green apple marmalade, a perfectly cooked piece of venison, grilled carrots, and a baked potato stuffed with gnocchi and cheddar fondue. Drinks were also delicious!
I would have loved to give them 5 stars… but because of a complication with our reservation, I cannot do so. We made our reservation 3 weeks in advance for our table. When we arrived, they told us that there would be a 45 minute wait for that table and that there were 7 other couples ahead of us… this woman clearly doesn't know how a reservation works. Thankfully, after a talk with the general manager (John) who recognized an elite member of the marriot (which this restaurant is a part of) we were able to take our seats at our table and received complimentary beverages.
The two servers we had were phenomenal, as well as was the general manager. The hostess needs to be taught how to communicate with guests and better prioritizer her reservations.
Well, really 3.75 but I'm rounding up since I can't do partial stars. Depending on where you are in the hotel to begin with, you'll need to type in the floor number, 48, and you may be directed down in order to take the express elevator up.
We only intended on pre dinner drinks in the lounge, not the restaurant so I'm only reviewing the drinks.
Please note that if you are not a guest of the hotel, you will be required to pay a $8 charge regardless if you are just there for the view or if you will be drinking and/ or dining there. Luckily we were staying in the hotel so the surcharge didn't apply to us. To be honest I don't think that the rotating view would be worth the additional charge.
I had the Perfectly French, I would say just ok and BF had the Channel Crossing which is basically gin and tonic. That was good and their limes were freshly sliced! For me that's key, especially if you're charging premium prices.
The view was beautiful and they print the buildings that you view on your napkin so you can keep track as you rotate. The rotating room is inside a square exterior so the view is semi obstructed unlike the Westin Bonaventure in LA where the rotating restaurant is framed in a circle as well. Here you get corners etc, aesthetically not as pleasing.
Service was good. If we were staying in the hotel next time we'd probably come back.
Went here to for their Sunday brunch to celebrate my Birthday. The actual view wasn't as spectacular as I had remembered it from years ago when I came here for dinner. I guess with the influx of rooftop bars, made the view seem just ok. The brunch food was pretty good. There was a good selection. I loved their beet ravioli and their lobster shooters. Their dessert selection is decent. It is a touristy spot, but good for a special occasion. It is also pricey at around $50 pp.
Most people come here for the view, because let's face it, the food is good, but could be better.
But if you're a tourist, there are other places where you can get a higher (and obviously better) view of Manhattan. There are too many building surrounding this restaurant, so most of the time, you're just facing concrete.
On to the food…I had the Short Rib of Beef. It was good, but you would expect better for the price.
Not sure if I'll be back, but I'm glad I got to check out this restaurant once.
Brunch at The View in the Marriott Hotel in Times Square when you're in Times Square NYC because there isn't anything else like it! Where else can you enjoy an amazing buffet style brunch selection in a rotating restaurant at the top of a hotel to see a 360 degree view of NYC?
It takes about an hour to complete an entire rotation of the restaurant, so it's not revolving at a fast pace for anyone who may be prone to motion sickness. The food stations themselves, which are in the center of the circular restaurant do not rotate — just the tables which are located on the outside of the circumference.
The view truly is breathtaking, and you can see the Hudson River, the World Trade Center, you can see out into the other boroughs of NYC — however, it's not ideal for taking pictures as the circular restaurant is built inside a rectangular hotel, so the view is a bit obstructed when you are facing one of the corners of the hotel. While the corners have clear windows, the infrastructure still partially blocks the view, and while you can still see outside into the city, you won't be able to take any clear pictures. As a photo junkie, I found this aspect of the restaurant to be disappointing.
I was blown away by the food, as there was an impressive selection of various brunch items including pastries, various meats and cheeses, eggs served multiple ways, and there was a waffle, crepe, and omelet station where you can ask the chef to prepare your own custom item.
My favorite station was the dessert station which had so many gorgeously decorated cakes, cake pops, a chocolate fondue machine and various foods like marshmallows and strawberries to dip into the chocolate fountain. There were also cream puffs, mousses, and the list goes on. I helped myself to two plates of dessert, as dessert is always my favorite part of the meal.
Brunch on the day that we went (12/27/15) had complimentary bottomless mimosas, which I thought was a nice touch. The price for brunch was not too bad considering the stature surrounding this restaurant — we paid $65 per person for brunch.
Eating at The View was definitely one of the highlights of my NYC trip, and I would definitely recommend it as a must for anyone visiting the city in the future.