Grand Tier Restaurant

Hadn’t been here for dinner in several years, and we were truly impressed with the quality of the food (although it is rather pricey on the a la carte menu). Apparently others agree, as the size of the restaurant has now expanded significantly from what I remember into the Grand Tier outside area. There is a $ 59 prix fixe «ballet menu»; we were not given it when seated but we saw it around us and asked. There is a limited selection of items on that menu, with only 3 entrees, and dessert must be eaten before the performance (you cannot come back at intermission as you can if you choose off the regular menu).
The soft shell crab appetizer, at the market price of $ 25, was really fabulous. Perhaps even better than the crispy fried crab were the accompaniments, including a truly delicious and delicate sauce made from avocado. Felt the same way about the slow roasted entrée salmon: excellent fish, but the accompaniments, including morels, asparagus, peas and a pistachio pesto, were the true stars. The coconut cream pie dessert (on prix fixe menu) made me glad they gave me the extra fork to sample my husband’s: a truly contemporary tart-​sized version that almost tasted like cheesecake with a luscious crust and sprinkled with toasted coconut. Portions are very nicely sized, and very much enjoyed the house special Negroni.

Absolutely perfect dining experience. The food, ambiance, view, service is excellent and I have to say I enjoy the restaurant more than the opera…
The menu is rather simple but is absolutely perfectly executed. I’m not a chef but I can appreciate the solid techniques behind the cooking from the chicken liver mousse, soup, branzino to even baked Alaska. There are not many restaurants I can continue to eat even when I’m full and this is one of them. In my book Grand Tier scores much higher than Lincoln Ristorante.

Glad my family and I decided to dine here before the opera. The actual space is beautiful! So glad we decided to eat here for my mothers birthday. The actual food was pretty decent. I had the lamb pappardelle and it was a bit too salty for me. My sister had the smoked salmon which she loved and my mom had the grilled salmon. Overall good experience. We also decided to have dessert during intermission. Overall a bit pricey but worth the experience.

What a delight. I dined here with two friends pre-​opera and was expecting stuffy formality and fussy food. I was surprised by the beautifully presented, delicious meals. We had a crunchy farro starter, chicken liver pâté, steak, chicken and scallops… all fantastic, fresh and simple but not boring. There was a lot of «OMG you have to try this» going on. Our service was perfect –actually above and beyond excellent service. We enjoyed tea and dessert at the first intermission. The ambiance and décor are gorgeous, of course… it’s the MET! Just loved everything about the experience.

The Metropolitan Opera and the Grand Tier restaurant are probably some of the last bastions of civilized living in New York.
I love this place. Make a reservation for two hours prior to the start of your show. Sit and eat.
The food is very good. It isn’t particularly creative, but it is tasty food, well executed and plated in a way fit for the beautiful settings. The service is excellent and friendly and the restaurant runs like a well oiled machine.
From the moment you give your name at the front desk you know that you are in a place which does what it does very well. From the timing to the food everything is executed with precision.
The reason I like to get here 2 hours before the show is because I like to go to the bar on the Grand Tier for a cocktail and to look out on Lincoln Center before hearing the sweet chimes of the xylophone letting you know to find your seats.
The best part of the experience to me is desert. You order it after dinner, along with coffee and cocktails and then at intermission return to your table where, as if by magic, your desert arrives for you to enjoy.
If you have never had the experience of dining at the opera, you really ought to.
This is just a whole other level of sophistication. However, I find that the stuffiness you might expect just isn’t there. While it is sophisticated it is also just downright fun.
Oh, and people… this is the opera not a rock concert. Leave your jeans at home, put on a tie and be ladies and gentleman not guys and girls.

Folks don’t listen to Naysayers. This place is seriously excellent. Artichoke soup, burgundy tips, baked Alaska all 5 stars, service was excellent, attentive waiter and made a excellent wine selection. Went to see barber of Seville and had dinner there. The Met is seriously impressive place. The food wasn’t cheap but you get what you pay for. And it was a half and half young and old crowd. Go get your culture and opera on and enjoy. Seriously though this is a NYC treasure and one of the many reasons why I love my NYC

The food and the service were flawless, once again.
We booked a table for dinner at 6:00 (before attending the 7:30 performance of La Donna del Lago), and were able to enjoy both an appetizer and main course, without feeling rushed. We let our waiter know we would be back for desert during the intermission and pre-​ordered that course.
Highlights from our meal include the artichoke soup. This soup was amazing — black truffles and goat cheese espuma are all you need to know! Hopefully, it will still be on the menu next month — I’m looking forward to having this soup again, perhaps more than the performance (and I loveeeeee the opera). My dining companion was thrilled with their branzino. A perfectly executed, warm, Valrhona chocolate soufflé was waiting for us at intermission, along with a very delightful sugar plum cake (the eggnog mousse and caramelized plumbs were outstanding).
We feel so lucky to have a restaurant, of this caliber, at the opera house. The convenience is priceless.

Food quality and service always top notch! Worth treating yourself to such fine dining.

Prior to a New York Philharmonic performance, I had dined at the Grand Tier. I had made a 5:30 pm dinner reservation for myself through Open Table one week prior. You can only gain access to this restaurant if you possess a performance ticket. I have been here several times before with a friend who is a Met Opera subscriber. We always get wonderful seating. Recently, I became a subscriber to the New York Philharmonic. Maybe this doesn’t rate high enough, I don’t know.
I arrived at 5:20pm for my dinner reservation. I was escorted promptly to a single table off to the side near an exit door. There were «many» single seatings available with window views. I told the maître d’ I would prefer to sit by the window. He told me he would try to take care of this matter. He came back promptly and brought me over to a window seating with not much of a view, if any. Many of the window seatings have spectacular views of the Lincoln Center grounds. At that point, I did not feel like requesting another seating because I was very hungry. Anyway, the service was prompt and superb as always. A platter of delicious bread was brought to the table. I had a lovely glass of Calera Chardonnay ($ 19.00). The wine complemented the Scallop Special ($ 48.00) beautifully. The entrée was excellent. Delicate chunks of scallops were intermingled with cheese and spinach. I’m not a big eater but I thought the entrée was more like an appetizer. LOL… Glad I filled up on the bread. LOL…
Lastly, I had a single espresso for dessert ($ 5.25). Personally, The restaurant should’ve at least given me a complementary espresso because of the seating issue. Many restaurants have offered me complementary courtesies when lesser issues have occurred.
My Rating: 3.75 Stars.
Other than the seating issue, I would’ve given the restaurant a higher score.

I have been an opera subscriber for 45 years. When the Grand Tier restaurant began to serve intermission dinners I quickly became a regular customer 9 or 10 times each year. When my wife and I dined there last night we found the revised menu quite poor and at an unjustifiable increased cost. The service as always was great. I am planning to do everything I can to not return and to dine at one of the many better dining establishments in the area before each performance.

Sitting beneath the grandiose ceilings (I want to say vaulted for their loftiness) and the massive Windows one is captivated all the more by the Marc Chagall diptych of the Triumph and the Source of Music.
The muted acoustics and old modern elegance of the dining area is one of the best reasons to frequent the Grand Tier but the absolute proximity of the Opera is the practical reason to dine here amongst fellow opera goers.
The food is plated to perfection and if you have any complaint whatsoever you mention it and will be compensated graciously.
Enough vegetarian options to not have to request a special meal, you will delight in their selection.
We come here often enough to make the waiters recognize us and address us, and who doesnt love that?

Excellent location in Lincoln Center. A cool vibe and food is excellent. On the pricey side but that is to be expected. Nice tables near the front get a view of the plaza.

Going to the Grand Tier and expecting the same quality and service as say Patina in Los Angeles, a member of the same restaurant group, is like going to a Wolfgang Puck Café and expecting to be on par with Spago… it ain’t going to happen. The difference between those two comparisons is at least at Wolfgang Puck Café you’re not paying Spago prices. I’m still more than a little irked by my experience last night at Grand Tier and if it wasn’t for the amazing 2005 Vina Ardanza Riserva I enjoyed, I would have given 1 star. We had a 6:00 reservation before seeing La Traviata and I arrived a bit early. I was one of the first tables seated in what was quite possibly the worst table in the place. After politely asking if I could move to one of the many two tops that were empty I was shown the second and third worst tables in the place. I asked why I couldn’t get something better than looking at the Hostess stand and having everyone congregating around there butts in my face or amongst the potted planrts and and the table set up to sell memorabia I was told people have already requested certain tables, sorry but I’m calling BS on that one. I had a bad taste in my mouth already and the food and service did nothing to change that. Our waiter was not only non-​existant but had no personality and said somewhere between 3 – 5 words the entire time. Oh, and we had to basically tackle him to get our check but in his defense, he probably thought we were workers taking a break at the break table. The food did not fair much better. I ordered the acorn squash with arugula, iberico ham and marcona almonds and I’ll admit this was very good. I also ordered the parsnip soup with truffles and this was the only dish that was served at the proper temperature. My partner ordered the fish, I think it was sea bass? with beans and what came was a tiny nugget, and I say nugget because it was grossly overcooked on top of what looked like canned baked beans. I think they prepare all the entrees ahead of time because everything is cold and feels like it’s been sitting around for awhile. I ordered a side of steamed spinach that arrived in a pool of water and was very cold. I flagged down our waiter, finally, and very nicely asked if I could get some that wasn’t cold and he looked confusedly at me and said «It’s cold?» uhm yes, very much so. He returns a few minutes later with a plate that was maybe 3 degrees warmer. I left my $ 12 mound of soggy leaves alone. My bfriend insisted on having dessert, I personally just wanted to get out of there, so he ordered the crème brûlée which again, was served very cold and the refrigerated cup you get at my local bodega is way better. I was so dissappointed at this whole experinece and before tip the bill was over $ 200. DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR, SKIP THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!

My wife & I chose this restaurant based on the online menu on the restaurant’s website. Upon arrival, the menu’s presented to us were entirely different and the waiter couldn’t provide a good reason why. Had I known this was the menu, I’d have never come. Nothing was appealing to me, especially with regard to the appetizers, Octopus and parsnip soup are examples of the offerings. For the entrees, my wife got crispy chicken and I had to resort to a $ 36 bowl of fettuccine with a few chunks of lobster gum (because it was so chewy). We could have gotten better versions of these dishes for half the price at The Cheesecake Factory. We came back for dessert at intermission. I got the apple cobbler which was very good. My wife got the «molten» chocolate soufflé and while it tasted good, there was nothing molten about it. It was dry cake through & through. A very disappointing start to a night at the opera.

Their reservation system is a word document. You call, then email, you choose from the very limited menu, then email it back. The document is not user friendly and confusing. Seeing the menu and that the two intermissions only lasted about 30 min each (doesn’t say this anywhere on the document btw, they mention this on the call), it was best to do wine and cheese for the first then dessert for the last (a bit of sugar to keep us running for the final piece). It was a nice break compared to just standing around. The restaurant is two floors down from the top. When the lights come on, just walk over there ans check in. If you’re there for the second, just walk back to the same table. Fewer people seem to do the 2^nd intermission, so if you want a more romantic setting to do romantic things, the 2^nd is prime time.

A night at the Metropolitan Opera is always a special occasion, but adding dinner at the Grand Tier really adds to the fun. We have eaten there many times but this is my first review, and it is a winner. They do an amazing job of giving you a great meal, good service, in a beautiful spot, and it all happens with time to see the curtain rise on the night’s production. Don’t forget to have desert and coffee at the first intermission and smile as the other patrons watch you enjoy.

This restaurant deserves a Michelin star. The service is friendly and impeccable. The food is presented in beautiful and creative ways. And everything was delicious! The fennel and garlic soup with lemon zest was creamy and divine. The cod in creamy broth with radish and sea beans was special and cooked perfectly. It was so special to eat inside Lincoln Center’s MET Opera House before the ballet began. You felt like you had the place to yourself and it was fun to look out at the Lincoln Center fountain and all the people coming and going below. The only thing that could use some updating was the cheese plate. I don’t think parmigiano belongs on it and they could use a nice brie or creamy triple crème.

We booked the latest seating through Open Table (6:30pm) and arrived at 6:40pm — BIG MISTAKE! By the time you get your order in, it’s behind everyone else’s orders and so you have to wait 40 minutes for your food. There’s nothing the waiters can do — they know that you have a show to catch right there! My tip is to get there EARLY to get your food EARLY. (Though how people who work for a living get there early is a mystery to me.)
The food was decent, but nothing amazed. You can get your dessert during intermission (my mom was a bit confused by the menu — dessert is not included like a pre-​fixe — you order it a la carte and can just eat it during intermission) but it seemed like it would be too much of a hassle/​mad house to do that.
Otherwise, a nice, special place with great ambiance. Probably won’t be going back — even if we’re lucky enough to get opera tickets again — as we love another restaurant close by. And yes, there are quite a few retirees there in finery enjoying a night at the opera.

Nice to have dinner there Pre curtain and go back for dessert at Intermission. These servers work on a time table and are excellent at it. A bit Pricey but worth it. One can also dine at Intermission but it can be a bit rushed.

Ja, da mag man hingehen.
Allerdings aus meiner Sicht nur in Verbindung mit dem Opernbesuch, denn sonst gibt es in der Nähe auf dem gleichen Preislevel Besseres, wie beispielsweise das ‘Boulud Sud’.
Aber wenn man unmittelbar vor dem Opernbesuch in schöner Atmosphäre ein Abendessen zu sich nehmen möchte, dann ist dies meine Empfehlung.
Das Publikum ist etwas älter und eher gesetzt. Dies hat aber den ganz entscheidenden Vorteil, dass man sich in normaler Lautstärke unterhalten kann. Eine ausgesprochen rare Erfahrung in New Yorker Restaurants.
Freundliche, professionelle Bedienung, die Karte bietet eine schöné Auswahl, und die Preise entsprechen der Lokalität.
Ein kleiner Tip: Das Dessert kann man (sofern es eine gibt) in der Pause zu sich nehmen — am gleichen Tisch.
Uns hat der Besuch Freude gemacht und wir werden wiederkommen.

I felt it was only fair to write a nice review about this restaurant, since I had such an excellent time. I saw Die Fledermaus with my friend at the Metropolitan the other day. A friend of mine had recommended The Grand Tier Restaurant, and after hearing about this, I simply had to try it out. What a great idea that was, to be able to sit down during intermissions, and have great food, impeccable service in such a convenient location, just steps away from our seats at the performance!
My friend and I had made arrangements in advance, and had everything planned out in such a way that during each intermission, champagne and some food was waiting for us, at the most romantic table located on the Grand Tier level of the Metropolitan Opera House, with a view of two breathtaking Chagall paintings and a wall of windows overlooking Lincoln Center’s fountain. All that was missing from this enchanting scenery on this wonderful evening full of romance, phenomenal food and champagne was a ring and a proposal.
Too bad my friend is a girl, and unfortunately I am straight. :)
Now I will go on by addressing points other people made regarding ‘geriatric’ people visiting: I remember one table next to ours, that had one superbly dressed gentleman, probably in his sixties and two very well raised and well dressed children. Other than that, I was too busy enjoying my company and everything that our wonderful waiter Todd was serving us, to really be bothered by futile things such as the age range of other guests. My friend actually thought that the age range was pretty diverse. Just think of the average opera-​lover, and you have a pretty good idea of who you will be surrounded by. Seriously: If you expect a restaurant that can only be visited by opera ticket holders to be filled with a bunch of 20– and 30– year olds, you need to get your brains checked out. I’m quite picky, so if I liked it here, so will you. Unless if you are like some other reviewers that always like to find the negatives in a positive situation, well in that case no one can ever please you.
The food:
«Gerber quality» and «for people with dentures» some whiner I mean reviewer stated somewhere else? Ahem. I beg to differ. We very much enjoyed the warm bread, that was nice and crusty. Trust me, that bread would definitely not have been easy on dentures. I enjoyed my smoked salmon appetizer and also liked the hearty crab cakes. The Yukon potatoe purée was alright. The chocolate soufflé was a great dessert and I liked it more than the cheesecake.
I thought the quality of the food we were served overall was exquisite.
The service:
We could not have been treated better than this. We felt treated like royalty. Compliments to everyone!
I’ll be back soon!
:)

Just finished having dinner at the grand tier restaurant before the opera. Service was fantastic food presented and tasted amazing. Bay scallops ceviche and chestnuts ricotta gnocchi definitely recommend. Recommend this for any opera goers & wish it was also available for non-​ticketholders.

My wife and love fine dining and well orchestrated evenings out. I’ll give both the good and bad of Grand Tier.
First the good. It is located on the grand tier level of the Met Opera and the only way to get a seating is to have a ticket to the opera. So you know you will be in a crowd of like minded people out to enjoy dinner and a show.
Secondly the room is massive with vaulted ceilings, snowflake chandeliers and gorgeous Chagalls hanging right above. The moon rose over the plaza and provided a great view.
The service was punctual and professional. Compared to other high end restaurants I would give them a solid B.
Food was relatively tame in presentation but tasteful. Wines were available by the glass and bottle and fairly priced. Don’t look for fabulous Boudreaux or Chablis but you can find good pairings.
Dessert was a highlight, served during intermission waiting for us at the same table we had for dinner.
Now the bad. We are a relatively affluent couple in our fifties. We are used to good seating and attention at most restaurants. We are usually of average age of other patrons at restaurants but here I felt like a teenager at a fine French restaurant. We were relegated to the seating next to the service board so got a fine view of all the servers, patrons and other staff. So not a place for romance and conversation with my bride. I felt like I was at the bottom of a geriatric ladder. The average age of patrons had to be above 70. I suppose I need more seasoning to get better seating. Something to consider when booking.
You can’t take home your leftovers. My wife left half of her dinner because she was full. You can’t substitute things you don’t like. Dinner is a timed event by design. Not a real problem but it felt strange to move so quickly through such a rich dinner.
So you will have to do your own QPR for the elegant surroundings, location and relative dinner service and quality.
I may do another meal here but would definitely book a better seating ahead and lower my expectations.
Overall an average high dining experience with potential for a much better service.

This is where old people go to die. Their last meal is picked from a menu consisting of soft delicate items (wont ruin dentures) only to be complimented by a wait staff wanting to know the details of your last few moments on earth. However, our waiter did not want to know anything about us. The hosting staff was more attentive to our needs than our clueless waiter. The rest of the staff seemed in tune to their tables, we were just unlucky…
For the price, the food lacks any culinary creativity, again backing up my theme of old people with their last meal… waiting to die. The décor also was extremely poor, especially for a venue like Lincoln center. Felt more like the Holiday inn… just with two massive paintings hanging above the room.
So, If your in your 20’s taking someone out before a performance… don’t come here. There is a high probability you might witness a stroke, heart attack, or someone break a hip. But if that is your thing… enjoy the over priced Gerber food.
Tip: I think people above the age of 80 are able to communicate through telepathy… because it was damn quiet in the restaurant.

My fiancé and I had a double date w/​our good friends at this restaurant prior to seeing Carmen on a Saturday night. I was looking for a good restaurant prior to the show and decided to pick this restaurant b/​c the reviews (via opentable) were very good and I liked the idea of having our dessert during intermission.
1) The hostess was very on point for this type of restaurant (4 people = ~over $ 500).
2) Ambiance — This restaurant needs some renovations. My opinion — it seemed like the ambiance of a cruise ship. I think putting candles on the tables would lift it up a bit. Maybe dim the lights?
3) Waiter — our waiter seemed a bit flustered in the beginning, but he picked up over time. To be very nit picky — the waiters need an update on their wardrobe (again, for this type of restaurant).
4) Food — it was good, but not great.
5) Coat check = $ 3 each ?
Possibly, my reviews are also based on the fact that I had dinner at Del Posto a few nights beforehand and a couple years ago, we ate at Picholine prior to watching La Traviata. Both restaurants were above average (in all categories), whereas I found The Grand Tier to just be ‘average’.
Would I chose this restaurant again prior to seeing another opera show? No. I will search for a nearby restaurant.