The 11 BEST Restaurants with a Central Park View | Dine Over NYC

When it comes to dining with a view in NYC, nothing is better than enjoying some restaurants with a Central Park view.

Getting to see this beautiful 743 acre park from above, as you dine & drink, is a perfect addition for any trip to the city.

Read on to learn more about the best 11 bars & restaurants with views of Central Park.

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Central Park Restaurant View Map

To start, below you can find the 11 restaurants and bars that I will be talking through in this overview.

I have also included a helpful map so you can get a better sense of where each one of these spots are located in and around the park.

1. Bad Roman | 10 Columbus Circle
2. Porter House Bar & Grill | 10 Columbus Circle
3. Ascent Lounge New York | 10 Columbus Circle
4. Center Bar | 10 Columbus Circle
5. Per Se | 10 Columbus Circle
6. Tartinery | 10 Columbus Circle
7. MO Lounge – Mandarin Oriental | 80 Columbus Circle
8. Robert Restaurant | 2 Columbus Circle
9. Darling Bar – Park Lane Rooftop | 36 Central Park South
10. Tavern on the Green | in Central Park
11. Loeb Boathouse | in Central Park

As you can see, many of these restaurants & bars that have Central Park views are located in Columbus Circle, on the southwest corner of the park.

The first six places mentioned (Bad Roman, Porter House, Ascent, Center Bar, Per Se, & Tartinery) are located within “The Shops at Columbus Circle” (aka “The Shops”). Essentially this is a small mall with a few floors, where you can find these restaurants and bars located throughout.

The remainder of the spots are located in other buildings around Columbus Circle, on Central Park South, or within Central Park itself.

If you enjoy taking in a view of Central Park during a meal, why not check out some of the best hotels with Central Park views too!

Before going through the 11 restaurants & bars with a view of Central Park, I wanted to point out a few main considerations:

Hours: Please ALWAYS check latest opening days/hours, in case these change over time.

Reservations: Be sure to also make reservations when necessary as these can be some of the most visited spots in the city.

Window Seat: If looking to enjoy the best views of Central Park, you will more often than not need to request (or hope for), a seat by the window. Not every table at each place will offer those views.

Learn More: Feel free to check out some of the other Central Park views & views of NYC that can be found all throughout the area

1) Bad Roman

The newest addition to Columbus Circle’s Central Park view restaurants is Bad Roman.

The restaurant is located on the 3^rd floor of The Shops, and is one of the more happening places to grab a meal with a view.

From a menu perspective, you can expect a modern Italian dining experience with colorful dishes and decor all around.

If you are looking for those Central Park views, you will want to snag a table closer to the windows. There are just a handful directly along the wall overlooking the park and Columbus Circle.

While you can see the park from other areas around the restaurant, it won’t get better than the window seat.

2) Porter House Bar & Grill

When it comes to steakhouse restaurants with a Central Park view, the Porter House Bar & Grill will be your go to.

This award-winning restaurant is run by chef Michael Lomonaco (who also heads up Center Bar – more on that next). Whether you are looking for steaks, seafood, chicken, duck, or pastas, the Porter House will have it all.

In addition to the restaurant, you will find an adjoining bar area for those that just want to enjoy a drink or two with a view.

As always though, try to grab a table closer to the windows, where you will get those Central Park & Columbus Circle views.

3) Ascent Lounge New York

If you are looking for a cocktail lounge experience with views of Central Park, then the Ascent Lounge will be your best bet.

Located on the 4^th floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle, you will find this upscale lounge that opens in the late afternoon and lasts throughout the night.

When it comes to upscale establishments with views of Central Park, this is going to be towards the top of the list. It is a beautiful setting, with attentive service & high quality beverage options.

Their menu is filled with a whole array of cocktails and an extensive wine & champagne selection.

In addition to the drinks, you will also find small plates that can be ordered for the table.

4) Center Bar

In the middle of the 4^th Floor of The Shops, you will find the Center Bar. Unlike most of the other spots on the list, the Center Bar is not in an enclosed setting.

Instead you will have the building itself surrounding you in all directions. Due to this, there is not necessarily a “window seat”. Views of Columbus Circle and Central Park can be viewed from across the huge Columbus Circle windows.

If you are looking for an elegant & sophisticated vibe with an extensive drink selection, then give Center Bar a try.

5) Per Se

The fanciest and most upscale of dining options over Central Park is at a restaurant called Per Se, which is also located on the fourth floor of 10 Columbus.

The restaurant is run by chef Thomas Keller, and has been awarded three Michelin stars. At Per Se, you will choose between a couple 9 course tasting menus. These tasting menus come at the price of $390 and deposits are required at booking.

In addition to the tasting menus, you will be able to choose from a 2,000+ bottle wine list. Whatever you are looking for, Per Se will have an option to select.

So, if you are looking for some French inspired cuisine, and want some of the highest quality food that the city has to offer, then Per Se could be for you.

6) Tartinery

Perhaps the most affordable dining option with a view of Central Park will be Tartinery. Similarly, to the Center Bar, this is not an enclosed restaurant.

Instead, you will have a cordoned off section in the middle of the third floor of The Shops with views of Central Park through the massive Columbus Circle windows.

At Tartinery you will find a French inspired café, with its main highlight being the tartine (an opened face Paris style sandwich). In addition to that, there will be plenty more pastries, salads, & other options to choose from.

7) MO Lounge

Moving out of 10 Columbus Circle, you have 80 Columbus Circle just around the corner. Here is where you will find the famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel (one of the top hotels with Central Park views).

Instead of just enjoying views of Central Park from 3 or 4 floors off the ground, why not head up 35 floors above the ground.

After entering the building, you can head up the building to the 35^th floor, where the reception area is located. Just besides reception you will find the MO Lounge.

This full day lounge offers some of the best Central Park restaurant views that you can ask for. You will get to see straight down Central Park South with the park down below.

MO offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, alongside an array of drinks to choose from.

Be aware that prices will be on the expensive side (like most places on the list), due to the unique Central Park views that it offers.

8) Robert Restaurant

Another Columbus Circle restaurant that offers views of Central Park is Robert. This one is located on the southern end of Columbus Circle in the Museum of Arts & Design.

You do not need to purchase tickets though to enter the restaurant. Simply make your way up to the ninth floor, where you will be welcomed to a new perspective of Central Park from above.

The northern wall of the restaurant offers floor to ceiling windows with fantastic views of Central Park looking northbound. This will be a much different angle of Central Park compared to all the places previously mentioned (which are all on the western side of Columbus Circle).

Robert is a modern American restaurant with sophisticated dishes and an elegant ambiance. In addition to its food & drinks, you will also find live music many nights during the week.

When it comes down to food quality, atmosphere, views and price, Robert may be the restaurant to beat.

9) Darling Bar

All of the bars & restaurants with views of Central Park mentioned so far are in the Columbus Circle area.

However, there is one spot (and the only spot), on Central Park South that will hands down offer the best views of the park from above.

Located on the 47^th floor of the Park Lane Hotel, you will find the Darling Bar. This bar was recently opened in 2022, and offers expansive views over the entirety of Central Park.

The bar is broken up into two main areas – the indoor lounge, and the enclosed patio. If you are looking for those views, then the patio is where you will want to be.

Reservations are necessary for the patio, but you may have luck with walk ins for just the lounge area.

One downside in general is that even on the patio, not all tables will offer views of the park while sitting down. Since some seating is lower to the ground, the view will not just be right beside you (rather you may need to extend up or stand in order to take in the view).

From Thursday through Saturdays, a DJ will also provide musical entertainment, so you can get some good vibes while dining out.

Breakfast Note: if you are a guest of the hotel, you will have the chance to enjoy a morning at the Darling Bar for breakfast. Feel free to look at the Park Lane Hotel for your trip to NYC!

10) Tavern on the Green

Now it is time to move within Central Park itself. This will be a completely different experience when compared to getting an elevated view of Central Park.

Instead, the Tavern on the Green is located right in the interior of Central Park. The restaurant is near the southwest corner of the park at the extension of 66^th / 67^th Street. You can enter from the street or within the park.

While you wont get those elevated views, you will be surrounded by the park’s natural beauty.

The tavern itself has a bit of history as it was one of the original structures within the park.

Calvert Vaux (one of the park’s designers), created this place to keep the sheep that grazed on the nearby Sheep Meadow. It wasn’t until 1934 that it turned into an establishment to serve food & drinks to visitors.

The restaurant offers both a lunch/brunch and dinner options (with just an hour of closing time between the two).

At Tavern on the Green, you will find an indoor and outdoor seating area (open during the season). If you are there when weather permits, I would recommend eating outside among the Central Park nature.

Note: there also is a Tavern To Go option for quick bites & snacks

11) Loeb Boathouse

• Location: 72^nd Street & East Drive
• Hours: Opening Fall 2023
• Menu: N/A
• Reservations: N/A

Last on the list is the one and only Loeb Boathouse. The boathouse is another historical structure within Central Park that has been renovated over the years to what you see today.

While the Boathouse closed in 2022, there are plans to fully reopen this iconic spot. As of now, the Boathouse Cafe is up and running. The full indoor restaurant is planned to open in the Fall of 2023.

Until then, you will just have to enjoy the view of the Boathouse or even take a paddle boat onto the nearby Lake.

While there are other restaurants with a view of Central Park, these are going to be the top ones on the list. Many other spots may be located further away and just give glimpses of the park from afar.

At the end of the day, I am sure you will be able to find a Central Park restaurant view that works for you and your culinary tastes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to add them in below. Also, don’t forget to check out the other New York itineraries and guides up on the site (like this 4 Day NYC itinerary).

Have fun out there and safe travels!

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