The Polo Bar
“Had the crab cake for app and shared the roasted chicken and the trout which were both cooked to perfection.”
“The apple pie for dessert was a classic a la mode and the brownie is topped with warm hot fudge table side.”
“Dessert included Coffee Ice Cream, Chocolate Cake and a Classic Cheesecake with strawberries and rhubarb sorbet.”
The Polo Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
It was a rainy afternoon in New York City, and I found myself seated at a cozy table in a charming restaurant tucked away in Greenwich Village. The soft glow of candlelight danced across the rustic wooden furnishings, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere despite the dreary weather outside.
As I sipped on a cup of steaming coffee, I couldn’t help but notice the buzz of conversation and clinking of cutlery around me. The restaurant hummed with a lively energy, a blend of locals and tourists sharing stories and laughter over their meals.
After finishing a delicious brunch of fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, I pulled out my smartphone and decided to pass the time by trying my luck at online slots. I had heard about a new casino app and thought it would be fun to give it a spin while enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant.
8 reviews
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The Polo Bar is one of the most fabulous restaurants in New York. Located in midtown, you enter through a bar on the street level and the restaurant is downstairs. The atmosphere is classically Ralph Lauren. Dark woods, frames filled with portraits of horses and their riders, and the faint smell of polo cologne make you feel as though you've landed at a friends house in the countryside.
Start with a drink at the bar. They have a short list of cocktails that are all well executed. I like to start with a glass of champagne before heading downstairs for dinner.
Moments after sitting at your table for dinner, a delightful popover arrives on your bread plate. It's warm, cheesy and accompanied by a little dish of butter. It's hard not to dig into it right away, so I usually do just that.
I like to order appetizers family style. A few of the things I've enjoyed are the tuna tartare, crab cakes, white asparagus and pigs in a blanket.
For mains, the veal milanese is unbelievable. It's a huge portion that could easily be shared, but generally people want it all to themselves, as it is so divine. Lightly breaded and fried, it's topped with a salad of greens and onions with a lemon wedge.
The salmon is a splendid medium-rare with a sinfully rich butter sauce. I like to ask for extra sauce on the side. The seasonal halibut was perfectly moist and flakey. The branzino was a touch too dry the last time I had it.
The apple pie for dessert was a classic a la mode and the brownie is topped with warm hot fudge table side.
Service is always wonderful and it always feels like a celebration at the Polo Bar.
This is where I imagine the people of Gossip Girl and Crazy Rich Asians frequently dine. The Polo Bar is aesthetically pleasing and made for the upper echelon of wealth. Doormen dressed to the nine guard this reservation-only restaurant. I had no idea chips, pigs in the blanket, and fried olives could be so fancy. The over-priced food is good, but you're paying more for the ambiance of high society. No one even batted an eyelash when Martha Stewart galloped on by. Although I enjoyed my experience, this just isn't my scene.. I prefer venues such as the Prancing Pony in Bree.
I wanted to try the Polo Bar for a while, and planned a dinner with a friend for this past Saturday night. I called exactly 1 month in advance to make the reservation, and when I finally got through 40 minutes later, they only had 5, 5:30, or 10pm tables. We chose the 5:30, which worked out fine during the winter, since it was dark out. The largest party size is 4 people.
The setting was fantastic. Very cozy, plaid pillows, a warm glowing mahogany brass feeling. Again, a perfect spot for mid-winter. I love that they offer an elevator in lieu of the staircase when you enter the restaurant on the lower level. It's thoughtful for both older patrons and those of us who chose to wear our best looking pair of high heels for the evening. The entire staff, from the trench coat clad bouncer to the hosts and waitresses were supremely professional and well-trained. Service was truly exemplary.
My friend and I chose to share some Kumamoto oysters and clams oreganata to start. The oysters were perfect, although the mignonette maybe had just a few too many minced shallots for my own personal taste. The clams were delicious too, but the breading was a little charred on a few.
For my main course, I went with the burger, which was cooked perfectly, and so tasty. The special sauce was great, and I love that bacon is a standard accoutrement. Overall, I was really impressed with Polo Bar, and if it wasn't so damn hard to get a reservation, I would love to return.
**They do not allow walk-ins even for the bar area, for just drinks. I mean, just after-work drinks at the bar area. Seriously? Who in the world makes a reservation for drinks?
Long story short, we were denied at the front door because we didn't have a reservation in place. Ahhhh.. We lost word, just turned around and walked toward the King Cole Bar in St. Regis Hotel across the street.
EPIC ! I've read so many mixed reviews on the Polo Bar, and was intrigued at how so many critics have insulted this place. To me, Lauren has crushed it in every vertical he's entered. His vision of superb quality and timeless creations in clothing, furniture and housewares are the benchmark to which others strive for. I just couldn't fathom that he didn't crush it here. Could the critics be right? Last month I stopped by for a drink to check out the venue and see for myself… Sadly, I was turned away at the door as they only allow entrance with a reservation. So, this visit, I made an early reservation (5:30) so that we could sit at the bar and have a drink (or 3) and hang before dinner. We arrived late, so we were taken downstairs to have drinks at the table. Beautiful spot. Incredible service. But, I see why there were mixed reviews, as those who insulted took the approach that this is a "fine dining experience." This is a bar restaurant… Not an EMP (eleven Madison) or a JLG (Jean George) dining experience, It's an EPIC bar / restaurant. They have a range of items from burgers to branzino or Dover sole to a lovely selection of steaks. But as the name says… It's a bar. And they crush it as a bar restaurant. It's casual dining at its best. Amazing service and amazing food. I highly recommend this and will be making it a regular spot for my "happy hour" hang out. Oh… I almost forgot… For the food 🙂 The tuna tartar was superb… The plating was stunning as the tuna was perfectly cubed. Flavor was a 10. The crab cake was crisped to a wonderful golden brown and had texture and flavor that wowed us. The crab salad (crabmeat served in an avocado) was incredible as were the desserts. Service and food were a 10! To the critics that previously insulted… Go back to your cave. RL… You crushed it!
This place is really fancy and old school-I liked it!
Right when you reach the door, they check you in and have you go downstairs for dinner. For our meal, they started us off with a couple of complimentary popovers that had onions and swiss cheese to 'em-delicious!!!!
As for food, we had the pigs in a blanket as our appetizer (pretty standard). For our entrees, we had the filet mignon (I loved the diced onions and sauce!) which was cooked well and tasted great! I had the garlic spinach in place of the fries it would have came with, which was nice! We also had the spaghetti n meatballs which was also good.
The service was great-super attentive and friendly.
We came here to celebrate my friend's birthday and seems like lots of people were doing the same thing. While the food was gorgeous, atmosphere inside and the frequency you gotta come across with celebrities were better reasons for making it so famous (and so difficult to secure a table).
We shared the crab cake and pig (sausage) with blanket. Both were great start to our dinner. The honey mustard dipping sauce definitely made the sausage less greasy yet more flavorful. The ribeye was highlight of the night. Cooked medium rare, the meat was extremely juicy and tender. Do not throw away the roasted garlic on the side!
Dessert was very disappointing, unfortunately. Coffee ice cream was close to melting and the chocolate cake was way too solid. My suggestion is to skip dessert.
I felt so proud of myself being able to nail down the reservation and had a closer feeling of Ralph Lauren's elegance.
Before you go here make reservations. We made reservations the day before luckily but it was for 5pm.
When we arrived before we go through the door gentlemen checked our names. When we got to the hostess station they checked our names and told us to go downstairs so we do and again we were greeted and then seated…
It was like going through checkpoints at the airport minus the frisking and with happy people. Anyone who passed us by said hello. For being a native NYer. It made you feel you were somewhere special
Our waiter Kevin who had this awesome personality came over explained the menu gave us a little history of the establishment told us mr ralph lauren does come in here a few times a week and how he picked everything to be served on the menu!
Kevin is an awesome waiter