Top Of The Tower

If you like the “breathtaking” views over Queens, crowded little tables, very limited choice, extremely overpriced and ridiculously small portions, rude staff and mandatory 18% gratuity, this is the place for you. Very disappointing dining experience!!! more

My wife and I had dinner here for our first anniversary and it was stupendous! The view at night is simply amazing; we couldn't take in enough of the cityscape and view of the river. Tables are laid out all around the building and nearly all right against windows overlooking the city, which makes it very intimate. The service was excellent; our waiter, Richard, was very friendly and wasn't pushy at all; he even took our picture with our camera so we could remember our anniversary dinner. Also, the food was amazing; the portion and food quality was very reasonably priced compared to any other restaurant of its calibre. Finally, the entire restaurant/lounge was nearly empty on a Sunday evening, making it a quiet, romantic environmnt. Top of the Tower most definitely deserves to be called one of, if not the most romantic restaurants in NYC! Pros: The view, the service, the food, nearly empty Cons: None more

Never paid so much for so little. Pros: Mediocre view more

The pictures were deceiving and the decor is non-existant. It looks like they put tables on an old observation deck,they all wobble,I moved twice..The food was good and the service was great. On a Friday Night between 7-9 Pm the place was nearly empty. Overall I was dissapointed and would not put this in the most romantic category. Pros: View,Good service and food Cons: Limited Menu more

First and foremost, I've never written a review on any place or anything but this restaurant was so horrible that I felt compelled to share my story with the rest of it's potential victims. I was travelling to NY from CA specifically to spend Valentine's Day in NYC and wanted to make the experience perfect! This restaurant was named one of the "most romantic" mostly because you can sit window-side over the Hudson and have a view of the Manhattan skyline. I called two months in advance to make a reservation and to request a window seat over the water. "No problem" the man said, he noted it. We arrived for our reservation at 6pm and to my surprise we were not sat at a window. The restaurant's seating area was nothing more than a crummy patio style area with old tile floors. The menu was prix-fix which should simplify the kitchen's lives and allow food to come out in a timely manner, right? WRONG! We waited 50 minutes for our appetizer to come out and that's only because we asked for a manager. When the manager came out he said that our appetizer had accidentally gone to someone else. Shouldn't a decent waiter come out and tell you of the delay? We said we were supposed to be seated next to a window and guess what his response was? "YOU'RE SITTING 5 FEET AWAY FROM A WINDOW" Wow! Kudos on the customer service! We told him to bring all of our food out right away because had a Broadway show to catch at 8p. My citrus salmon was cold but we were running too late for me to send it back. The bland fish was served on top of an overcooked, greasy, hash-brown looking piece of potato and served with a pureed pea sauce. Who the hell serves citrus salmon with pureed pea sauce? The manager came out to bring us each a free drink but who cares? I didn't want a $10 coctail, I wanted to not pay $80 dollars for each meal (plus mandatory 18% gratuity and tax) and the chance to choose my Valentine's Day restaurant all over again! Waste of money! Horrible! Pros: If you're sitting by a window the view might be nice Cons: Crappy food! You don't need to pay over $100 a person for a mediocre view. more

The view is fantastic at night. The ambience is romantic - we went for our anniversary and enjoyed the candlelight, the live piano music. However the food is OK - nothing great. Service was good - the restuarant was not full. Would reccomend it for the view but not the food. Pros: View of the river and night lights Cons: Food was ok more

The previous post was nothing that I experienced. The food was great, the service was good. I think it's under new management now according to our waiter. He was friendly and helpful in recommending the best things to eat. The view is great and is probably one of the fewer nice places in the City that has a view. I'd love to have a cocktail party at this place to impress my friends! Go check it out! Pros: ambience and food Cons: no one knows about it! more

My girlfriend and I had visited the Top Of The Tower in mid October '05 for drinks. The view of the East River and 1st Ave were nice but not overly stunning. The location is at 49th St. and 1st Ave on the N.E. corner. I mention this because our taxi driver couldn't find it to save his life and became quite belligerent, nearly throwing us out of his cab because HE couldn't find it. The place wasn't overly busy and service was decent. more

On 4 different Sunday nights I took 4 different dates there for drinks, and every one of them loved the place! Drinks are creative, the lounge is romantic and the views are inspiring. There were barely any people there, which makes it intimate. The terrace is not huge, but there's noone or almost noone there, so it's romantic enough for kissing. Waiters are attentive and courteous, and not annoying. There was no piano music, though (not sure if it's good or bad though). Photos on their website don't really represent the place accurately, but it's still really nice! Pros: Girls like it, Quite, not crowded, Romantic, intimate Cons: Terrace is small more

The view is amazing and having a drink outside before dinner was romantic... However, being a New Yorker and eating in fine restaurants often this is not worth it. Could have been the worst meal my girlfriend and I have had in a NY restuarant. Go for drinks and the view - ONLY!!! Save the bucks for a better meal elsewhere... Pros: View, Ambience, Romantic Cons: Bad Food more

Not what I expected, AT ALL!!! The restaurant's website boasts an interior and dining experience that is out of this world. I am here to tell you the exact opposite is true. Yes the view is something spectacular, however there are a dozen other restaurants in the city that boast a similar view and have a spectacular menu and cuisine that is enjoyable. On the second night of an anniversary weekend with my wife we went to Top of the Tower. What I thought would be a memorable experience turned out to be exactly that, but for all the wrong reasons. Trust me, the wait staff is rude and inattentive and the food leaves something to be desired. If all you care about is a view of the city, then go here, otherwise steer clear! Pros: Amazing view, Not worth the money, Poor service Cons: , shabby food, Bad experience more

When I looked that the resturant website, the picture made the resturant look more impressive that it acutually was. Despite that, the atmostphere was nice, it is very romantic at night but so-so during the day. The food was excellent, i would definately recomend the strip steak. It's a nice place to go but probably not somewhere i would go to again. Pros: View more

I was taken here for my birthday and had a fabulous time. We first dined in the wrap around dining area with a view of the city. The food was excellent and the service matched. You could hear the piano in the main room playing classics. Although we truly enjoyed the view of the city for the couple hours we dined... we felt there was no need to leave for another bar ...so after dinner we stepped into the internal bar area with the piano player to enjoy after dinner drinks. This room had an art-deco style which really played off the music. My date's choice of Top of the Tower was perfect for my first birthday spent with him. I'll always remember that evening as special. Pros: romantic, nostalgic setting, excellent food more

Service on a Saturday nigh was prompt; waiters and other food-related attendants were courteous/attentive but other personnel were extremly rude. I strongly recommend the NY-Steak with the Surrey Martini and NY-Cheesecake. The dimly lit mid-section: pianist and bar along with the spectacular view set the perfect romantic spark. Pros: view, food related service, personal space Cons: rude personnel, bathroom more

Excellent restaurant and one I would recomend to visitors to the city. The atmosphere is romantic and the service excellent! Pros: fabulous view, excellent food, impecable service Cons: cramped balcony, tables too close more

Don't let the website pictures fool you. The place is actually much smaller that the pictures make it seem. But rest assure, the food was great, help was funny,polite and always fast. Great place for romantics. Dark, and lit only by the candles on your tables. Great view! Pros: food, atmosphere, smoking section Cons: expensive, small, loud at times more