The View is New York's only revolving rooftop restaurant, where the breathtaking skyscraper views are matched only by the restaurant's signature American menu. Express elevators whisk you 48 stories above New York City, where you arrive to an unparalleled dining experience. The revolving floor makes a 360? turn every hour, ensuring an ever-changing view of this celebrated city. The View Lounge, New York's only revolving lounge, lies just above The View restaurant on the 48th floor and serves an array of cocktails and a dinner buffet until late evening. If it's just cocktails and desserts you crave, The View Lounge also features an exquisite cheese and dessert buffet and a flowing chocolate fountain with all of the fixings. No reservations are required. Children are not permitted after 9:00 p.m.
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Posted by BridgetJonesNI on 11/23/2010
Not bad but definitely overpriced
We decided to go here after a Broadway show for the dessert and cheese buffet. First of all, getting to the View Lounge itself can be a little confusing: you have to get an escalator to the first floor before getting an express lift to the View Lounge – easy when you know how, but with so many people milling around waiting for lifts and obscuring the signs, we had no idea where we were supposed to go at first. Once we finally got there we asked for a table by the window and they kindly obliged. Our waiter was very friendly, giving us advice on how to find our way back to the table from the buffet, what we could see, etc. The view on the night we went was not spectacular, but then it was raining and foggy, which obscured most of the buildings – I imagine that by day or on a clear night it would be lovely. The décor of the Lounge itself was nice. The buffet itself was pretty good. There was decent variety, with three different cheeses, two types of cracker, pretzel sticks, a lot of different types of cakes and desserts, fruit, marshmallows and a chocolate fountain. Everything was nice but inevitably you can only eat so much rich food. The cocktails were amazing – I ordered Long Island Iced Teas and only two of them gave me a nice buzz! It’s quite expensive though. We knew in advance that there was a $8 per person cover charge so that didn’t bother us, and we knew how much the buffets and drinks would cost from the website, but complete with service charge it all adds up to more than you’d thought somehow. Also be warned (and to be fair I think they do mention it somewhere on their menu) if you’re using a debit card/pre-paid credit card they will put an hold on some money on your card that, in our case at least, still has not been released a full week after our visit, even though the charge for the total amount for the bill has been finalised for a few days. I wouldn’t necessarily mind if it was only a small amount but in our case it’s around $49. Still, all in all, it was an expensive but good experience. The revolving aspect put a bit of a unique spin on it (no pun intended) and it was great fun – it didn’t make either of us nauseous at all, as others have complained about. If you’re thinking of going I would recommend ensuring that it’s a clear day/evening, be finished by 8pm when the cover charge kicks in and use a credit card to pay if you can.
Posted by D on 07/20/2010
Great view, that's it.
Something had changed the last time I went to The View in 2008. Since my visit in late 2007, new management had taken over, and they and the staff treated my guest from out of town and me as if we were beneath them. Up to this point, it has always been a fun, elegant but not overly formal place to go for drinks or the buffet, the prices were on par with the area, and the staff was always polite. However, this changed, and on my last visit the staff had new uniforms, prices had gone way up, everyone who worked there talked to customers with an icy, condescending tone, and the atmosphere of the lounge itself had become more cold and reserved. I would not recommend it.
Posted by Carrie N, on 04/09/2010
Overpriced
Drawn by the revolving restaurant and view...unfortunately. Revolving cool. But that is about it. The view was intersting but not great. So much clutter on the roof top the view sits on it is not attractive. The food was tasteless. The scallops tasted like mush. The drinks were operpriced. 19 for a mixed drink. A vodka tonic at 15. Seriously!! Waistaff impersonal. Prixe fix menu doesn't make it cheaper when you add in the drinks.
Posted by Carmel on 04/06/2010
Hugely disappointing
Ate in View on Easter Sunday. Starters were average but entrees very poor. Prices outrageous. Waiters indifferent. Rip-off because of novelty of location. Same view from top of Rock for 20 dollars. Had beautiful dinner following night in lovely restaurant for approx half the price. Was my 1st visit to NY and View was only downside. Would not recommend it to anyone.
Posted by Massimo in Brooklyn on 03/24/2009
If you'd like the view, go to the bar instead
This is a rotating restaurant (with accompanying bar, one flight up) on Times Square with a magnificent view of Manhattan and surroundings. The food is good, but it is very pricey, and they only have fix (limited) menus. My advice: skip the restaurant, go to the bar upstairs, have a drink while enjoying the panorama, then look for another restaurant in the Theater District.
Posted by Mike on 12/15/2008
Mediocre Food, Indifferent Service
What a pity that a restaurant in a venue with such potential (and in a Marriott Hotel) is so mediocre. Cold entrées, indifferent, sloppy, and slow service, high prices leave a bad taste. Our local hospital cafeteria does a better leek and potato soup. The deserts were better than the main courses. If you go, go for the vibe, the beautiful view, and don’t expect much else. It’s a typical Times Square tourist rip off.
Posted by Notworthit on 03/23/2008
Not worth it
I recently dined at "The View" by recommendation and I must say I was disappointed to say the least. The food was mediocre most importantly the service was poor. The waiter was slow and rude. Quite overpriced as well.