Manhatta ★9.5

Manhatta — Dinner With All of New York at Your Feet

There is a moment at Manhatta that never fails: the elevator doors open on the sixtieth floor and the entire city — harbor, bridges, that improbable little green statue — spreads out like a map someone unrolled just for you. Danny Meyer built plenty of beloved restaurants; this is the one he pointed at the sky.

The Story

Opened in 2018 by Union Square Hospitality Group and named for Walt Whitman’s poem “Mannahatta,” the restaurant returned from the pandemic pause as a polished prix-fixe dining room with a livelier bar alongside. The current era belongs to chef Michele Brogioni, who arrived in 2025 via Tuscany and Milan’s fashion-house dining rooms — and promptly gave the critics a new line: the cooking now dazzles as much as the view. Service carries Meyer’s signature warmth; nobody here confuses altitude with attitude.

What to Order

In the dining room, surrender to the set menu: fluke crudo, foie gras torchon, butter-poached lobster, a dry-aged duck worth planning around, and a toasted-rice mille-feuille finale. On the bar side, the legend is the dry-aged burger with koji onions — arguably the best burger served at this elevation anywhere — plus an open-faced lobster roll, oysters, and warm madeleines. Cocktails are named for the boroughs; ask for whichever matches the window you’re facing.

The Space

Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps the whole storey: one side frames the harbor and the Statue of Liberty, the other the East River bridges stitched with headlights. The room itself keeps a low profile — soft lines, warm neutrals — because decorating against this skyline would be hubris. At dusk the whole floor turns gold, and conversations audibly pause.

Who It’s For

Engagements-in-progress, anniversary dinners, visiting parents, skyline collectors — and anyone who wants New York’s most cinematic backdrop with a properly great meal in front of it.

Good to Know

How do I catch the sunset? Book about four weeks out the moment reservations open, and aim just before dusk — the room does the rest.

Can I come spontaneously? Yes — the bar and lounge take walk-ins, with the burger, lobster roll and full view included.

What should I wear? There’s no formal code; most guests land at polished-casual and up, because the setting invites effort.

Is it good for celebrations? Exceptional — tell the team when booking; the private Bay Room next door hosts everything up to weddings.

Is weekend daytime worth it? Very — the prix-fixe lunch delivers the full panorama in daylight, often the clearest views of all.

Opening hours