In a city of revered and hard to reserve restaurants, STATE Grill & Bar is one of Manhattan’s best kept dining secrets. Located on the ground floor of the Empire State Building, this refined eatery matches the 1930s Art Deco design of its iconic host. The dining room pays homage to the building’s rich history, providing guests with an elegant and sophisticated dining experience.
Popular with locals who fill the long bar during happy hour in search of the perfect espresso martini—served in a striking, bespoke Empire State Building martini glass—STATE Grill & Bar is also an ideal destination for visitors seeking the full experience at one of New York’s most classic tourist attractions. At the bar, carefully crafted specialty cocktails evoke a vintage, nostalgic vibe. (The not-to-be-missed Banana Daiquiri is rumored to be King Kong’s favorite.)
And in the dining room, traditional American favorites with a twist are featured; the restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and right now, through the end of the year, guests who purchase tickets to visit the Empire State Building Observatory Decks have a choice of either a two-course lunch for $40 or a three-course dinner for $60, tax and tip included. It's amazing deal. (Note, several items do involve an upcharge.)
Precede or follow an iconic view of the city with an iconic meal with items from Executive Chef Morgan Jarrett who recently revamped the restaurant’s offerings. Jarrett is known for her modern style of cooking with a plant-based focus and local sourcing. Her hyper-seasonal menus include items obtained from New York City’s farmers markets. The menu features favorites like beet root bucatini, red corn polenta fritters with tomato chutney, and berbere chicken with stewed chickpeas, greens and cauliflower. Meat-lovers can indulge in a classic burger, steak tartare with grilled naan, or porcini-crusted filet mignon with pommes purée. Desserts include a rich and dark chocolate blackout cake with salted caramel ice cream.
“We are excited to share our slice of New York with travelers and also our neighbors,” said Jarrett. “So many New Yorkers have never been to the Empire State Building. We’ve noticed how much fun they have when they finally make it here. With these new dining and ticket packages, we make it easy to be a tourist in your own town.”
The dinner and lunch ticket packages are available at the Empire State Building Observatory and on its website: esbnyc.com. Menus are available to view here.
STATE Grill & Bar: 21 West 33rd Street, New York, NY
Photos courtesy of STATE Grill & Bar except where noted
