Bryant Park Cafe

Lovely outdoor place to grab a drink & relax on a beautiful summer evening. Frozen margaritas were a bit too sweet & strong for our taste (never thought I’d say that!) but would come back for the location.

The stars are for the setting only. Food was sub-​par. Looking around at other tables; other food looked good. But the item I ordered was a complete failure in all regards.
I ordered the «Grilled Brie, Avocado & Roasted Tomato on Semolina Bread — $ 11.50». Sounds easy enough. The brie was not ‘grilled’, the tomatoes were not ‘roasted’ and I could not locate the avocado; just about the only thing in that description that was accurate was that it was served on Semolina Bread. However the way the bread was cut (not like flat crostini) made it difficult to eat as well.
The item had no taste at all. If you are going to serve 3 ingredients on a piece of bread; those 3 ingredients should at least stand out and taste good. You can see the tiny ‘end bits’ of tomato I received; I think maybe there was an almost invisible ‘spread’ of avocado under the cheese and the tasteless, tiny portion of cheese was no match for the hearty bread (which was all you tasted). I mean… c’mon Bryant Park… this is an easy dish to do. Make it better!

Three stars for the setting, especially on a beautiful day. One star for the $ 25 steak salad I had, which was way over cooked. When I mentioned this to the waitress, she shrugged. Unfortunately, this place succeeds because of the location. Save yourself $ 15 and grab lunch from a nearby take away place and eat in the park!

I think 3.5 stars is accurate for Bryant Park Café. We were visiting NYC from out of town and decided to meet some friends here for a casual lunch during their break on a Friday. It was a beautiful day, so we wanted to have lunch somewhere where we could enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, so we decided to eat here. I think the most compelling element of this restaurant is the location, right by Bryant Park, and all the seating for the café is outdoor on a shaded patio-​like area. We got there at 11:30 a.m. and it was pretty empty, but by the time we were wrapping up around 1 p.m. it was completely PACKED (so beware!).
The food was average, I got a brie, tomato, and avocado toast appetizer which wasn’t anything too special and the place was pretty pricey, especially for entrees. The server was friendly. The food didn’t take too long to come for our meals, but I’m sure it must have been a little slow during the peak time, which luckily, was when we were wrapping up.
I think this is a nice place to come if you want to eat outdoors somewhere, but I wouldn’t recommend coming here just for the food.

That’s the best place in a park with a beautiful view and nice people! It’s crowd but it’s a real by spirit and passion.

Its nice when you work in the area to grab a drink here during the nicer weather.
the food is a bit pricey for the quality and taste, but its not bad. I think their most popular dish is something like a watermelon salad for ladies who lunch?
I go here and again. its a good escape from the crazy midtown chaos, as a night out? I wouldn’t go. for drinks at night after work. yes I would def.

Great spot to hang out and have a meal and a drink. Casual atmosphere and always a lively crowd. Try a cocktail (or a pitcher!) and chill. One negative point is the attitude of the hostesses. They act as if it’s invitation only and almost refused to seat us unless we had a full meal. One look around told us they were full of it, and they seated us. Other than that, this is an awesome spot.

I’ve eaten at this restaurant twice. Both times my boss chose the place to celebrate an employee. I’m not a fan of new age food. I’m more of a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Still, I enjoyed a few dishes. I ordered the handmade pasta with hot and spicy shrimp in bolognese sauce.
It was delicious. I also tasted my co-worker’s skirt steak, and that was delicious too.
However, the place is way too loud, which is a real turnoff. It was impossible to have a conversation with anyone at the table without straining to hear or raising my voice several decibels. Unfortunately, I couldn’t talk to my coworkers sitting across from me because I couldn’t hear them, and I gave up shouting.
I also don’t like the feeling of sitting in one big dining hall, which is what it feels like at Bryant Park Café with its very high ceilings and too-​close-​for-​comfort seating arrangement.
Lastly, service could be better. The waiters are slow to arrive and ask us if we want drinks, and they don’t set out bread and butter right away. You have to ask for it. Because of the noise level and service, I give this restaurant 1 star.

Never say no to drinks in a park in a summer afternoon.
Wish the service were better.

If you are visiting the city or are just someone who mozzies over to the Bryant Park area to meet up some friends, this is a great place to stop by to catch up or have a relaxed meal outside. The prices are kinder than the restaurants sister establishment Bryant Park Grill, but it’s not necessarily the cheapest thing in the city. I got a Chicken Ceaser Salad and it was actually quite enjoyable with a cooked piece of chicken breast served on top of the salad as opposed to chopped and cold chicken. I would say give this place a shot, but if you have your heart set on something else, it wouldn’t be the end of the world to miss out on here either.

Outside, after work place to have some cocktails if it is nice out… We go there daily for happy hour…
But it is super crowded, they stamp your hand like you are a kid in Cancun on Spring Break, and they have no bathroom… I go there cause its outside, in a park, and many of my colleagues are there from work. If it wasn’t, I would stay away.

Location. Location. Location. Bryant Park is the must meet place in Midtown during the balmy summer months. Especially if you’re waiting for a friend to arrive, and you’d like to grab a quick bite to eat while you wait. Well… Given that the atmosphere is so grand, you have to let a couple things slide at this establishment: the food and the price for the food.
The last time I was here, just to give you an example, I ordered the fish tacos. They appeared at a fast enough rate that they could be nothing but microwaved or pre-​made. Given that the fish was not hot at all, pre-​made. Nice presentation though. I downed that with a nice Summer Ale and a Voss sparkling water. When the check came, $ 30 bucks, I didn’t scoff because location, location, location. And the staff has always been friendly whenever I come. Everyone, just really nice.
So should you desire a ho-​bo free zone to eat in Bryant Park, you could come here for an edible bite, great service, and an awesome view.

Pretty good place to have food in the park.
Menu wasnt that great, but I had the pulled pork.

Food is ok, drinks are better, atmosphere is the best. You can’t get a more beautiful view than charming Bryant Park in the summer time, with its perfectly aligned trees and endless people watching. Love the raised outdoor deck — best place to sit outside in the summer time in all of New York. Bar gets packed at happy hour so beware. Margaritas are good. Food is ok, my fish tacos did not wow me. Not terribly expensive. Good service.

The fish tacos were delicious and decently priced (3 for $ 15.50). Although, they each fell apart before I even picked them up.
My only real problem is when I asked for an IPA the bartender said all they had was the Sierra Nevada IPA in a bottle and handed me a Pale Ale. As a bartender, especially in NYC, you need to know the difference between and IPA and Pale Ale.

This review, Bryant Park Café, is like rain on your wedding day. It’s a free ride, when you’ve already paid. It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take… and so forth.
I’m a little bit bitter after my messy breakup with Dave Coulier… but that really has little to do with my distress and dissatisfaction here. How ironic that, given the number of pleasant reviews this café garners, I would have such a disgusting experience. (By the way, these sweet Alanis Morissette references would be huge if it was 1995).
I took two guests from out of town here while I showed them the wonders of NYC. I ordered the Avocado sandwich and, having eaten half, discovered that the entire bottom of the roll was covered in thick mold. Not just a little. Like a fully cultivated farm. After making some super witty joke to my guests about the roll being a metaphor for the city itself and repeatedly swallowing the hot vomit attempting to escape my throat, I called the server over to show her the sick petri dish of a sandwich. While she apologized profusely and the meal was comped, I have to be honest– I will never come back here again unless I require penicillin and find myself in a position where I cannot afford it.
The devil is in the details, good sirs and madams. Serving bread with mushrooms growing out of it is a fairly big detail to overlook. What other expired ingredients are you serving us? It was like handing me ten thousand moldy spoons when all I needed was a fresh, delicious knife… or whatever.

Ended up walking over here because the Southwest Porch (which we had initially planned on going to, located across the park) was closed.
When we arrived, we asked the hostess if they had any happy hour specials and she told us they do not. We were a little disappointed with that as it was prime happy hour timing, but we decided to stay because they had rooftop seating and hey, we were already there!
My friend and I opted to sit upstairs at the bar (I just have to mention that the downstairs dining room and bar area were gorgeous!!!) The rooftop bar and dining area were also pretty, but I couldn’t help but notice that this place seems to draw a more sophisticated crowd.
For food, we ordered the chips, salsa and guac, and also the chile lime marinated watermelon, to split between us. Both dishes were good, but for such a sophisticated vibe, I was a little shocked to see that the salsa and guac came to us in plastic containers (with the lids still on even!).
I would say that if you are looking for an upscale-​ish place, with outdoor seating in midtown, this is a good option.

Bryant Park is one of those places that is just good year round. The café and bar outside are always great during the warmer months. The Indoor Grill is there year round for nicer nights out and even the indoor café part is great for the winter. All of my experiences have been nice here. The food is always good with fresh ingredients and seasoned properly.
Last time I was there it was cooler (yes just getting around to writing this review). I met a few of my mothers friends and we say in the tented area, which is also considered the Bryant Park Café. I love eating in this area, it’s always festive with lights and chandeliers. We had the Crispy Duck Confit Leg, Organic Faro And Lentil Salad, Smoked Salmon Scramble, and the Composed Vegetarian Platter. All very good, we had a great time.
Definitely check it out… anytime of year!
That being said, if you are going to the bar for drinks, it does get packed, bartenders can get snippy and the fellow patrons can be a little obnoxious… of course this is not every night… but just sayin.

Carnitas Quesadilla is the best I’ve tasted, yet. The meat was tender and very juicy. The corn and red peppers gave it a nice kick of juice to moisten the ingredients after the crunch of the tortilla.
I asked for my Mai Tai to be a tad strong and I felt it ½ through, so I was pretty satisfied.
Nice ambience. Great when the weather is nice. Took a little long for the meal and drink but hey, it was happy hour and they are very popular. I definitely tasted why.
Stamp of Approval!
~MsConnect~
MsC G

This is an outdoor café right next to the Grill. It offers more of a casual ambiance. It’s definitely a pleasure to sit here during the summer months and people-​watch while downing frozen margaritas.
We’ve tried the wings here, of course. Not breaded and good. Sometimes they come with too little meat though. The pulled pork sandwich is succulent. The burger is great. The cobb salad is enjoyable. The different flavor margaritas are so good!
Love coming here on a nice sunny day!