Ellington In The Park

Beautiful view! But of course not so great food and below average service. It took my 50 minutes to get my food. And $ 5 iced tea? Really? Come only for alcoholic drinks.

Come here all the time after a run and playing on the rings. Having a graduation party here onSaturday. Best spot in NY for quiet drinks on weekday.

I live a short walk away, and have found myself here on three or four occasions in the past month or so. Lovely location in the park (though I imagine that if this area of Riverside Park is not within your regular walking /​running /​biking, etc. rotation, it might be challenging to find for the first time), with a view of the water looking west, which, as other reviewers have noted, is particularly lovely as the sun sets. Prices are fair for what you’re getting, which is a view and a lovely space to eat and drink in nature. They’ve got a good selection of beers (both in cans & on tap), and I was pleased to see Sam Adams Summer Ale on tap as I’m partial to New England beers. If sangria is your thing, I recommend Glenda’s Secret White Sangria, a «secret Irish recipe passed on from generation to generation.» Now, that’s probably embellished at best and a plain old lie at worst, but it *was* really delicious. Their fried calamari is randomly epic. Server/​bartender Matt is great! Definitely will be back soon, like this week.

Worst service in Manhattan! Come back again means ull get what u got the first time: SHITTY SERVICE.

I’m writing this review on May 22, 2016. The weather is not that great. I say this to provide context: this is an outdoor bar and when the weather is not that good, it is not that busy here. I ordered a beer and chips and it took a half hour! A half hour. And no one even bothered to check on my table. It seems well staffed, so I’m not quite sure what the issue is that is delaying pouring a beer and bringing a bag of chips to the table. Good luck in the summer, I guess.

If you don’t know how to find Ellington in the Park, it can be quite the adventure.
The park is great to begin with and having a western view as the sun sets is pretty awesome.
The service seems to be pretty good.
The drinks are not cheap. However, you are paying to be in the park, no different than a stadium. It is a novelty.
On a rainy saturday, things were not that bad, but I am informed it can be difficult to get a table on an amazing day.

Great food, matt was great, very attentive of us, drinks were also good, the best part of the location is its novelty and view! I will definitely be coming back all summer 16

The upper terrace was perfect for a Saturday afternoon happy hour. This is a lovely neighborhood place. The concessionaires are committed to making this a delightful space. The numerous tables were comfortable. There was a bar created from a repurposed shipping container at the north end. The main café, downstairs from the terrace, looked inviting. All the food we saw, looked good enough for me and the GF to want to return for a meal. Here’s some deets:
Coney Island draft, 7
Chips and guacamole, 10 — very good
Sauvignon blanc, gls, 9 — fine
TOTAL, 35
TIP — there are two levels, the main dining area was downstairs
BONUS — remarkably clean restrooms — and I almost never notice the restrooms

Discovered this hidden spot the other day and loved it. The view of the Hudson is great ! Especially with a nice drink. Didn’t get to try their food menu however because we had just eaten elsewhere. Next time I’ll try out their menu. The park has some cool monkey swinging bars BUT BEWARE… If your not a pro … The next day you’ll have blisters on the palm of your hand !!! It’s a great workout and nice way to burn calories those calories that you are at the bar/​restaurant upstairs. Try it out… I know that I’ll definitely be going again!

Food was alright but for the price but the most absurd part was the service. The service was slow and we had to physically grab a menu ourselves. The bartender charged us for a full bottle of wine rather than the glass I ordered.
The only thing enjoyable was the sunset but it wasn’t worth the extra $ 30 the bartender tried charging us. The sketchy part was he asked if we wanted a shot for the road. My boyfriend said sure and we walked away. When we finally looked at the itemized copy, we realized he charged us way too much. As we were walking back, the bartender sees us and knows that we know he overcharged us.
Get your shit together. Never going back even if its a five minute walk from my apartment and will not recommend to anyone in the neighborhood.

Cute place to stop and have lunch while your at the park. The offer traditional American food and also have a bar. Great views of the Hudson River and relaxing outdoor sofas to just have a drink or an appetizer.

Good for a drink. Food? Meh… Come here before 6p or after 8p to get a nice table.
Pros: you can bring your dogs! Beautiful view!
Cons: mixed drinks were poorly made i.e. Bloody Mary was tomato juice and vodka. Nothing like described on menu. Suggest only getting beer or wine or shots. Anyone ever had a fried quesadilla? Gross. No grade yet. After seeing the bartender stick his fingers in the olives… I wonder.

This is a very cool venue that can be enjoyed during the warmer months of the year. It’s a bit hard to find since google maps will tell you that it’s located at the intersection of 105^th and Riverside Dr. However, you need to walk in to the park a bit to find it. Look for the red umbrellas!
This restaurant/​bar has two levels so don’t miss out on the lower level that is semi-​hidden. The drinks/​food is average but you’re really going to come here for the amazing Hudson river views. I had the Park burger which is pretty substantive. The fries are delicious in the most grease-​er-​ific sense.
If you’re feeling bloated after the meal, feel free to try out the swinging rings just steps from the restaurant. It’s an amazing workout!

Nice neighborhood surprise! Upstairs seating had a better ambiance and shorter wait– we had the Guac — good and had a bite– jalapeño! Also had chicken quesadilla, burger and skirt steak tart — no complaints. Riesling was nice too, My expectations were far succeeded! More low key neighborhood vibe than other dining options in Riverside Park.
I only gave it 4 stars because the service was slow — the lovely Hudson River view and ambience masked the wait.

This is such a fantabulous venue for a small gathering or celebration of life’s gifts. The waterside view and shady arboreal appeal provide the best that Riverside Park has to offer when seeking a watering hole with some decent vittles. With a simple but fitting food and beverage menu, Ellington in the Park allows you to now stay in the Park for much longer without worrying about passing out from dehydration or starvation if you didn’t bring your own.
The service is friendly and attentive. The seating is upstairs or downstairs, shady umbrellas or sunny open seating upstairs and covered open view downstairs.
Love the casual atmosphere. Count me in should I be here in Riverside Park again.

I was excited to learn after some snooping that the Ellingtion in the Park was on Unilocal!I was disappointed when I saw only a 3.5 star rating because honestly New Yorkers, this is as good as it gets. So please stop complaining about being an outsider and not being able to get a table quickly and expensive beer list. this is New York shuffle up and deal.
Anyways, my boyfriend and I we are «park people» in Riverside Park. We come to the park multiple times every day with our dog and family. Needless to say a stopping for beer midway through walking the dog is pretty much the best thing ever. The draft list is pretty decent for enjoying in the summer heat and the bottle list satisfies your more adventurous tastes. Wine and a full bar, and the bartenders know how to make a drink. Went for lunch on a weekend on the upper part — food came quickly despite runners having to transport the food from the downstairs kitchen. Got the chicken wrap and quesadillas — both good for quick simply park eats.
The best part is the atmosphere… dogs are completely welcome, so are families — very friendly, neighborhood/​community oriented vibe to the place. Not like the 79^th Street Boat Basin. Great people watching onto Hudson Beach with sand volleyball and rings. AMAZING SUNSET VIEWS. Honestly, I don’t have enough nice things to say about this place!

I have been here many times and it’s all right…
Pros:
The service has always been good. The black female manager (only using for identifiable purposes) was fantastic.
The view is great.
Cons:
My issue is that there is ALWAYS a problem with something coming out of the kitchen or the bar.
The drinks aren’t great, and the prices are pretty ridiculous for the drinks. $ 24 for a pitcher of Coors Light and Pacifico? And the bartender didn’t even top it off, so it’s way cheaper to buy a beer by the glass.
I like this place, and I hope it gets better. I would really like to keep coming back.

When I herd The Ellington had reopened the restaurant in Riverside Park I couldn’t wait to go. We went to have dinner there on Friday, the food was great and our server was wonderful for how overwhelmed he was.
The one thing that would have me not go back is that we had to fight for our table. With the volume of people they have going there they need a hostess. The server we spoke to when we first got there told us «you have to grab a table when you see one open up». So people are just hovering over other people eating and it was a mess. It made it an unpleasant experience. We saw a table open up and two other people came out of nowhere saying it was theirs. I know it has just reopened and the kinks are still being worked out. If they can work out the seating and how people can get a table I would definitely give The Ellington in the park 5 stars.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, reasonable prices. I stopped by for a drink late Thursday afternoon. I sat at the downstairs bar with my dogs. Everyone was super friendly and I love that this place is dog-​friendly too. A great place for drinks and food outside.

I was disappointed to see the old Hudson Beach Café close at the end of last summer not because it was a spectacular establishment but because it’s nice to have a beer in the park on a warm night and watch the sunset.
From the owners of the Ellington in harlem comes Ellington in the park. They’ve expanded from the upper terrace to the lower area with a view of the sandpit and rings. The menu has also expanded with a greater offering of drinks and food. Prices are comparable to Pier I and if you live in the area I would say it has a similar low key vibe. There are more students/​families with children than the broey crowd at boat basin. There were actual servers here who were all attentive and yet relaxed about where you got your drinks and food.
I had the chicken wings which were only okay and yet I’m still giving 5 stars because overall this is an excellent addition to the area.