Great little place for a salad, burger, wrap or dessert and a glass of wine or coffee. Good for pre-opera and pre concert. Seating is limited so get there early enough to enjoy a small bite before heading to Lincoln Center venues.
John Sanchez
Sleek, bright, and clean. A good place to stop in the middle of the day.
Joe Lyga
Bathroom sink is broken on the left side bathroom.
Nice little spot to grab a bite to eat before a show.
Kyuwon Lee
An oddly well-functioning cafe with the extravagance of space and high ceiling. Things might come a bit pricey but it’s definitely worth a stop if you happen to be around this dazzling neighborhood.
Danielle Harrison
Food came put pretty quickly.
Michael Cohen
Not bad for a pre show nosh. But expensive.
Altina V
Prelude used to be my go-to place for a light supper before a performance at any of the Lincoln Center venues. Recently, it was " renovated", and, as an Interior Designer, I almost hesitate to use that term, for the worse. It used to be a very inviting atmosphere with various seating arrangements befitting your dining preference. It never felt like you were eating in the lobby of Alice Tully. That is not the case now, unfortunately. The tables and chairs are not easily maneuvered when crowded. Ottoman seating at dining tables is ridiculously low. The high top counter is smack in the middle of the traffic pattern between the ordering counter and dining area and in the draft between doorways. And the "lounge" seating is literally in the entrance to the Hall. Maybe not a bad thing for those waiting to go into the Hall but certainly not for overflow seating for Prelude. And as for the menu, they have dropped some of the nicer, better selections and replaced them with uninspired dishes. And what's with the sporadic schedule? Unless one checks the website frequently, it's not unusual to find it closed for a special event or closed altogether, no reason given. Service is still very well trained and attentive, thank goodness. It's too bad management didn't know when it had a good thing going. Please "un-renovate" for everyone's sake.
It was a Marcus Samuelsson restaurant, but now is Prelude. Went after a performance and although the place was full, found a table with no problem. You order your food, pay for it, take a table number and your food is brought to you. Interesting, varied menu, where everyone can find something they like. I had the steamed dumplings and they were delicious and filling. Try it for a quick bite.
MrsPotsy
The Prelude Café is a great spot. It is in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall and gets a steady flow of people before show times. It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 pm, serving an all-day menu – pastries soups, salads, sandwiches, and entrées. My friends and I went around 6:15 pm and although several tables were occupied, we were seated right away. Our table was in front of a glass window which was great for people watching. There are no waiters/waitresses to take your order, so step right up to the bar, order your food it is delivered to the table. My gang started off with guacamole and chips. The chips were extremely fresh, crunchy, and delicious. For the main course one of my friends and I ordered a turkey, chicken, bacon, and cheese sandwich. Served with the sandwich were homemade potato chips which were seasoned perfectly. Quite yummy! My other friend got a salad which she liked. The portion sizes are big and the food was terrific. The prices were a little pricey, but not too crazy for Manhattan. Come for the great shows at Tully, but be sure to come early and hungry and give the Prelude Café a shot.
TripLady5
We went there to grab a bite of lunch after being at Lincoln Center. The menu is pretty limited. You order at a counter, find a table, and a server brings out your food. The food was ok and if the service was better I’d have given this a better rating. Unfortunately there was only one server and she was doing double duty with bussing tables, so we had to wait a fairly long time. This was probably because there was a special public event at Lincoln Center, but this place was not prepared for the crowd.
Diana Pardue
Great place to eat before concerts and the opera
gfsc5
This large cafe is conveniently located near the Lincoln Center and offers a range of food. We had a sandwich, pastry and three teas. The sandwich was tasty (if a tad expensive) and served with potato chips (always a strange thing to do). The pastry was fresh. The two hot teas were pleasant. The iced tea was undrinkable. Friendly and efficient staff. An ok place to visit if you're in the area before or after a performance.
Great little place for a salad, burger, wrap or dessert and a glass of wine or coffee. Good for pre-opera and pre concert. Seating is limited so get there early enough to enjoy a small bite before heading to Lincoln Center venues.
Sleek, bright, and clean. A good place to stop in the middle of the day.
Bathroom sink is broken on the left side bathroom.
Nice space. Limited gluten free options. Nice staff.
Nice little spot to grab a bite to eat before a show.
An oddly well-functioning cafe with the extravagance of space and high ceiling. Things might come a bit pricey but it’s definitely worth a stop if you happen to be around this dazzling neighborhood.
Food came put pretty quickly.
Not bad for a pre show nosh. But expensive.
Prelude used to be my go-to place for a light supper before a performance at any of the Lincoln Center venues. Recently, it was " renovated", and, as an Interior Designer, I almost hesitate to use that term, for the worse. It used to be a very inviting atmosphere with various seating arrangements befitting your dining preference. It never felt like you were eating in the lobby of Alice Tully. That is not the case now, unfortunately. The tables and chairs are not easily maneuvered when crowded. Ottoman seating at dining tables is ridiculously low. The high top counter is smack in the middle of the traffic pattern between the ordering counter and dining area and in the draft between doorways. And the "lounge" seating is literally in the entrance to the Hall. Maybe not a bad thing for those waiting to go into the Hall but certainly not for overflow seating for Prelude. And as for the menu, they have dropped some of the nicer, better selections and replaced them with uninspired dishes. And what's with the sporadic schedule? Unless one checks the website frequently, it's not unusual to find it closed for a special event or closed altogether, no reason given. Service is still very well trained and attentive, thank goodness. It's too bad management didn't know when it had a good thing going. Please "un-renovate" for everyone's sake.
A tasty and quick bite to eat before the theater.
Restaurantji Recommends
It was a Marcus Samuelsson restaurant, but now is Prelude. Went after a performance and although the place was full, found a table with no problem. You order your food, pay for it, take a table number and your food is brought to you. Interesting, varied menu, where everyone can find something they like. I had the steamed dumplings and they were delicious and filling. Try it for a quick bite.
The Prelude Café is a great spot. It is in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall and gets a steady flow of people before show times. It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 pm, serving an all-day menu – pastries soups, salads, sandwiches, and entrées. My friends and I went around 6:15 pm and although several tables were occupied, we were seated right away. Our table was in front of a glass window which was great for people watching. There are no waiters/waitresses to take your order, so step right up to the bar, order your food it is delivered to the table. My gang started off with guacamole and chips. The chips were extremely fresh, crunchy, and delicious. For the main course one of my friends and I ordered a turkey, chicken, bacon, and cheese sandwich. Served with the sandwich were homemade potato chips which were seasoned perfectly. Quite yummy! My other friend got a salad which she liked. The portion sizes are big and the food was terrific. The prices were a little pricey, but not too crazy for Manhattan. Come for the great shows at Tully, but be sure to come early and hungry and give the Prelude Café a shot.
We went there to grab a bite of lunch after being at Lincoln Center. The menu is pretty limited. You order at a counter, find a table, and a server brings out your food. The food was ok and if the service was better I’d have given this a better rating. Unfortunately there was only one server and she was doing double duty with bussing tables, so we had to wait a fairly long time. This was probably because there was a special public event at Lincoln Center, but this place was not prepared for the crowd.
Great place to eat before concerts and the opera
This large cafe is conveniently located near the Lincoln Center and offers a range of food. We had a sandwich, pastry and three teas. The sandwich was tasty (if a tad expensive) and served with potato chips (always a strange thing to do). The pastry was fresh. The two hot teas were pleasant. The iced tea was undrinkable. Friendly and efficient staff. An ok place to visit if you're in the area before or after a performance.
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