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Union Square Hospitality founder and famed restauranteur Danny Meyer is the first to admit he had never been to The View, New York’s only rotating restaurant, in its heyday (if you could include the all-you-can-eat tourist buffet trap that it once was a “heyday”).
Opened in 1985, the restaurant inside the Marriott Marquis was one of the few relics of the past, following the 1960s trend of rotating restaurants. Yet, it quickly fell out of New Yorkers’ rotation, becoming a favorite to visitors and kids on field trips. Taking on the project to revive it in the fall of 2024, Meyer’s goal for the bi-level restaurant was to capture the energy of the neighborhood while making it a destination where tourists and New Yorkers alike would plan a visit.
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After a few months of construction and as of February 12, The View is spinning once again. Rocketing up to the 48th floor, a night at The View begins with cocktails among the skyscrapers. Cloaked in blue velvet, the cocktail lounge features a series of velvet couches, plush chairs and wooden tables for conversing over. Stay for a spin and you’ll see a 10-seater bar with a massive globe dangling above it, a nook saved for musicians and keyboardists for nightly live music and a marble raw bar laden with lobster, oysters and shrimp. And if you ever need to orient yourself, the drink coaster lays out a map of all the buildings you will see in the next 45 minute rotation (an hour-plus if you go downstairs first).
Tapping into the nostalgia of Old New York, classic cocktails reign supreme on the menu, each one nodding to the diversity that is the city. Margaritas are tinged with house-made jerk spices while the Liberty’s Torch cocktail is stirred with El Dorado rum, Johnnie Walker Black and pistachio orgeat. Additionally, time-honored eateries and institutions from the area are also on rotation. Found on the martini menu, of which there are four, is Katz's martini. Fat-washing Bombay Sapphire gin with beef tallow, the martini comes rimmed with pastrami spices straight from the Lower East Side delicatessen, served with a small carafe of pickle brine to make it as dirty as you want. You can also find a taste of Magnolia Bakery by ordering the Whipped and Swirled. While looking more like a dessert than a drink, this number comes plenty boozed with Macallan 12-year single malt scotch, Armagnac brandy, rum and Averna. The banana liquor and condensed milk bring a needed touch of sweetness, as does the swirl of whip cream with crushed wafer crumbles on top. Bar bites keep it simple with a Shrimp Cocktail and oysters from the raw bar, Stuffed Mushrooms and Wagyu Pigs in a Blanket.
But if hunger goes beyond snacks, the dining lounge can be accessed with a trip down the staircase. Descending to the 47th floor, the revolving dining room retains a similar style as up above. However, most of the accents, including the carpets and the drapes, follow a sultry red palette. Inspired by supper clubs and chop houses of years long past, the menu taps into Americana classics, like Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cake and Chicory Salads for starters, and entrees of Seared Duck Breast and Black Bass en Papillote. There’s even a dedicated section to all things Steak & Chops, sourcing fine cuts from all across the country, including Snake River Farms. As for desserts, you can find a Jubilee Sundae with stracciatella ice cream and brownie bites and the towering devil’s food cake, The View Chocolate Cake.
Opened just in time for Valentine’s Day (psst … making for a great last-minute date!), head to Times Square and give this latest restaurant a spin for yourself.