A little pricier for what you get, but the food was good (recommend the wings!) and the seating outdoors is plentiful. It also wasn’t too crowded or loud, and the views are quite nice. Recommend for drinks and small bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Alexandra Zara Rozalen
We recently celebrated our anniversary at the iconic Empire Rooftop with a group of 30 people, and the entire experience was absolutely perfect. From the very beginning, Ellen made the planning process so easy and enjoyable. She was responsive, accommodating, and helped bring our vision to life.
The night of the event, everything ran seamlessly. Special thanks to managers Joshua and Elpidio, who were attentive and on top of every detail. Our waitresses, Karin and Katherine, were amazing, so kind, professional, and made sure our guests felt welcome and taken care of all night.
The atmosphere was exactly what we were hoping for: beautiful views, delicious food and drinks, and a lively but relaxed vibe. The DJ even played our requests, which made the night feel even more personal and fun.
We’re so grateful to the entire team at the Empire Rooftop for making our celebration so special. Highly recommend for any event or special occasion!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicholas Hester
Really good cocktails. Generous pours and the view is awesome. Great place to have a night cap
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Angelica Krischanovich
The air conditioner is mid for the $$$
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 5
Douglas Hamilton
Tuesday evening we had a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable event at Empire Rooftop. Our small nonprofit, Puppies Behind Bars, honored our NYC volunteers who are a critically important cohort in our puppy-raising programs to train service dogs for veterans, first responders, and police officers who have been traumatized in the course of their duties. All our pups are raised in correctional facilities by incarcerated individuals whom we have educated and trained to become expert dog trainers. Our volunteers support that training by taking puppies out of prison facilities on a regular basis to socialize them in the real world. And NYC is as “real” as it gets for a puppy! Tuesday night we honored our volunteers at a reception on Empire Rooftop’s west terrace. It was a perfect summer evening, mostly sunny and breezy, with a view that overlooked Lincoln Center Plaza and the setting sun. The restaurant staff was brisk, gracious, and very attentive to our needs. They welcomed our group—more than 40 in attendance, including NYPD officers with facility dogs that were trained in our program—with generous pours of red or white wine, and cocktails from the bar. We dined on platters of Maitake Mushroom Flatbreads, Ahi Tuna Tostadas, Beef Burger Sliders with cheddar, and chicken skewers. We were a large group, but all the food came out fast, fresh, and hot (except for the tuna, of course!) There was ample room for our guests to mix, chat, catch up, etc. And the NYPD canines also had plenty of room to mingle with their adoring volunteers, some of whom helped to socialize those very same pups! Our NYC volunteers had not been honored with a reception since pre-Covid times. This will now be an annual event for us—thank you Empire Rooftop!
- Douglas Hamilton
(Pictured – Detective JENNY, NYPD’s first facility dog)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jakub Chomko
A super fancy rooftop bar close to central park. We came with a group of friends and had some drinks in the evening. The security downstairs is very strict - you must have a reservation! When you already have a spot it's no problem to invite more friends in. Drinks are quite good, nothing crazy (except the price haha) but everything in order. Quite steep prices but the view and the general atmoshpere is included. Generally, super recommended during a visit in NYC.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Erick Ceron
It’s been a while since I haven’t gone back here from what it used to be a nightclub. And they have turned into a Perfect luxury lounge venue drinks are great they need to work more on their service and especially welcoming guests upon arrival…. But I got say management skills of this venue it’s very disappointed it’s sad how ownership of that venue hires people with no respect and no education. There was a little accident with the table last night, and I witnessed the Spanish manager with glasses. talking to them in Spanish yelling at them how manager should not be talking to their employees with no respect and uncomfortable vocabulary. And him not knowing that people are around him, can speak different languages and can understand him…. I wouldn’t recommend this venue and especially recommend people to work here because they don’t know how to treat their stuff correctly how can you treat someone like animals.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Marco
As others mentioned, the nice rooftop, views and decent drinks are ruined by the bad attitude of some of the employees: in our case (we were a group of 2 polite italian couples late 30s) and just had 1 drink at the bar.
The guy downstairs guarding the elevator spoke to me like it was doing me a favor for letting me up. Upon arriving up, the hostes were gracious and welcomed us nicely . We opted to stay at the bar (place was not that busy).
After looking out the views and checking out the place I asked one of the bartenders for the drinks menu.
After a blank look , he gives the menu. NO HI NOTHING. (I immediately felt like placing the order with another bartender near him ,but i figured maybe it's me, let me give him the benefit of the doubt. Mistake) I then proceeded to order the 4 drinks. NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT ! When he handed us the drink , NO HERE- YOU-GO, A SMILE, ZERO! We asked for the check ,NO WORDS. Finally he handed the machine for the $90 check and surprise ,NO THANK YOU, NO GOODBYE. I mean, who does that! I even thought he didn't speak English ! So it's sad that a good time and the experience of this establishment is ruined by these few unprofessional individuals.
Dear management, lots of reviewers have complained about this, you must know who these people are... Ciao
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Gabriella Reyes
I’ve come here many times with friends—after shows, to celebrate, or just to catch up—and it’s usually been a great spot. But lately, the service has really gone downhill. The hostesses have been unfriendly, and it’s taken over 10 minutes for a server to even approach our table to ask for drinks.
Tonight, after waiting again, we only ordered one round of drinks and decided to leave. My drink was filled to the brim with ice and amounted to maybe five gulps—overpriced and very underwhelming.
I’m disappointed because this used to be a favorite, but I’m not sure I’ll be back anytime soon.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
ANDRES GRAU
Honestly, I was really disappointed with this place. The whole vibe felt super unprofessional. The drinks were weak, and the equipment looked like it was in disarray. It's clear the manager doesn't care about customer service, and when I tried to give some feedback, she gave me a dirty look and had a really unprofessional attitude.
My only feedback is that I wish they offered a local discount so we could visit more often.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tawana Preston
Awesome Bar..great views
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
JustForGrins
Very nice rooftop bar and restaurant. Great drink options and the lobster tacos were very good.
Collette Easton
Very pricey for food. I’d only recommend the drinks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jesi A
Avocado toast was good. Breakfast flatbread was really good. The French toast was decent (presentation and flavor wasn’t worth the cost). Overall good food but nothing memorable. Not a fan of the low coffee table to eat off of. 1 single mimosa is $18, a “large” carafe is $65 and only served 2.5 mimosas. So I felt robbed in that.
A little pricier for what you get, but the food was good (recommend the wings!) and the seating outdoors is plentiful. It also wasn’t too crowded or loud, and the views are quite nice. Recommend for drinks and small bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
We recently celebrated our anniversary at the iconic Empire Rooftop with a group of 30 people, and the entire experience was absolutely perfect. From the very beginning, Ellen made the planning process so easy and enjoyable. She was responsive, accommodating, and helped bring our vision to life.
The night of the event, everything ran seamlessly. Special thanks to managers Joshua and Elpidio, who were attentive and on top of every detail. Our waitresses, Karin and Katherine, were amazing, so kind, professional, and made sure our guests felt welcome and taken care of all night.
The atmosphere was exactly what we were hoping for: beautiful views, delicious food and drinks, and a lively but relaxed vibe. The DJ even played our requests, which made the night feel even more personal and fun.
We’re so grateful to the entire team at the Empire Rooftop for making our celebration so special. Highly recommend for any event or special occasion!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really good cocktails. Generous pours and the view is awesome. Great place to have a night cap
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The air conditioner is mid for the $$$
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 5
Tuesday evening we had a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable event at Empire Rooftop. Our small nonprofit, Puppies Behind Bars, honored our NYC volunteers who are a critically important cohort in our puppy-raising programs to train service dogs for veterans, first responders, and police officers who have been traumatized in the course of their duties. All our pups are raised in correctional facilities by incarcerated individuals whom we have educated and trained to become expert dog trainers. Our volunteers support that training by taking puppies out of prison facilities on a regular basis to socialize them in the real world. And NYC is as “real” as it gets for a puppy! Tuesday night we honored our volunteers at a reception on Empire Rooftop’s west terrace. It was a perfect summer evening, mostly sunny and breezy, with a view that overlooked Lincoln Center Plaza and the setting sun. The restaurant staff was brisk, gracious, and very attentive to our needs. They welcomed our group—more than 40 in attendance, including NYPD officers with facility dogs that were trained in our program—with generous pours of red or white wine, and cocktails from the bar. We dined on platters of Maitake Mushroom Flatbreads, Ahi Tuna Tostadas, Beef Burger Sliders with cheddar, and chicken skewers. We were a large group, but all the food came out fast, fresh, and hot (except for the tuna, of course!) There was ample room for our guests to mix, chat, catch up, etc. And the NYPD canines also had plenty of room to mingle with their adoring volunteers, some of whom helped to socialize those very same pups! Our NYC volunteers had not been honored with a reception since pre-Covid times. This will now be an annual event for us—thank you Empire Rooftop!
- Douglas Hamilton
(Pictured – Detective JENNY, NYPD’s first facility dog)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A super fancy rooftop bar close to central park. We came with a group of friends and had some drinks in the evening. The security downstairs is very strict - you must have a reservation! When you already have a spot it's no problem to invite more friends in. Drinks are quite good, nothing crazy (except the price haha) but everything in order. Quite steep prices but the view and the general atmoshpere is included. Generally, super recommended during a visit in NYC.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
It’s been a while since I haven’t gone back here from what it used to be a nightclub. And they have turned into a Perfect luxury lounge venue drinks are great they need to work more on their service and especially welcoming guests upon arrival…. But I got say management skills of this venue it’s very disappointed it’s sad how ownership of that venue hires people with no respect and no education. There was a little accident with the table last night, and I witnessed the Spanish manager with glasses. talking to them in Spanish yelling at them how manager should not be talking to their employees with no respect and uncomfortable vocabulary. And him not knowing that people are around him, can speak different languages and can understand him…. I wouldn’t recommend this venue and especially recommend people to work here because they don’t know how to treat their stuff correctly how can you treat someone like animals.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
As others mentioned, the nice rooftop, views and decent drinks are ruined by the bad attitude of some of the employees:
in our case (we were a group of 2 polite italian couples late 30s) and just had 1 drink at the bar.
The guy downstairs guarding the elevator spoke to me like it was doing me a favor for letting me up. Upon arriving up, the hostes were gracious and welcomed us nicely . We opted to stay at the bar (place was not that busy).
After looking out the views and checking out the place I asked one of the bartenders for the drinks menu.
After a blank look , he gives the menu. NO HI NOTHING.
(I immediately felt like placing the order with another bartender near him ,but i figured maybe it's me, let me give him the benefit of the doubt. Mistake)
I then proceeded to order the 4 drinks. NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT !
When he handed us the drink ,
NO HERE- YOU-GO, A SMILE, ZERO!
We asked for the check ,NO WORDS. Finally he handed the machine for the $90 check and surprise ,NO THANK YOU, NO GOODBYE. I mean, who does that!
I even thought he didn't speak English !
So it's sad that a good time and the experience of this establishment is ruined by these few unprofessional individuals.
Dear management, lots of reviewers have complained about this, you must know who these people are...
Ciao
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
I’ve come here many times with friends—after shows, to celebrate, or just to catch up—and it’s usually been a great spot. But lately, the service has really gone downhill. The hostesses have been unfriendly, and it’s taken over 10 minutes for a server to even approach our table to ask for drinks.
Tonight, after waiting again, we only ordered one round of drinks and decided to leave. My drink was filled to the brim with ice and amounted to maybe five gulps—overpriced and very underwhelming.
I’m disappointed because this used to be a favorite, but I’m not sure I’ll be back anytime soon.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Honestly, I was really disappointed with this place. The whole vibe felt super unprofessional. The drinks were weak, and the equipment looked like it was in disarray. It's clear the manager doesn't care about customer service, and when I tried to give some feedback, she gave me a dirty look and had a really unprofessional attitude.
Restaurantji Recommends
My only feedback is that I wish they offered a local discount so we could visit more often.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome Bar..great views
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Very nice rooftop bar and restaurant. Great drink options and the lobster tacos were very good.
Very pricey for food. I’d only recommend the drinks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Avocado toast was good. Breakfast flatbread was really good. The French toast was decent (presentation and flavor wasn’t worth the cost). Overall good food but nothing memorable. Not a fan of the low coffee table to eat off of. 1 single mimosa is $18, a “large” carafe is $65 and only served 2.5 mimosas. So I felt robbed in that.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
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