Members Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Excellent food, attentive service, lovely room but pricey. My wife and I had the pickled appetizer, lamb, char, spinach, pommel frites and the soufflé and everything was thoughtfully prepared. The special drink for Valentine’s Day of Maker’s Mark with vermouth and pomegranate was delicious and my wife appreciated her wine. A great way to see the collection and enjoy a fine meal afterward.

Not impressed as they broke my cardinal rule; slow service when the place is empty. I understand how you can get backed up when the place is packed, I never get it when service is slow in an empty place. I am here alone for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and only 20% of the seats are full (15 tables including mine) and I counted a minimum of 10 wait staff, yet I had to wait 15 – 20 mins from the time I finished my appetizer to the time I was served my main course. I took another star of for the food. I had salmon with spaghetti squash and the salmon was incredibly bland, not to mention undercooked. The only real plus is the décor and view, but you need to be seated by the window to enjoy the latter.

The food is quite good, but the service is not. For example, I ordered beer A, they brought me beer B (which I liked ok and didn’t send back) and then charged me for beer C. The server brought the wrong thing twice. Otherwise, very slow service in addition to the confusion. But nice ambience and a nice break.

Like another reviewer, I can’t understand the negative reviews. This is a very special, elegant restaurant with fine service, beautiful décor and proximity to the greatest art in the history of the world.

Very very good food [pink snapper from NewZealand with 3 excellent dipping sauces].
OTT yummy manchego cheesecake ball coated in pretzel crumbs with a side of tart delicious
concord grape sorbet. Totally non hipster clientele — stodgy, even — and the place is expensive. [they have to pay all those servers that swarm about you if you even raise an eyebrow in their direction].

A lovely, if expensive, dining experience overlooking Central Park. Reservations definitely recommended, and say in the reservation if you want the window tables looking over Central Park. (I’d bet they probably don’t go to walk-​ins, especially on the weekends.)
Three and a half to four stars for the regular meal experience, plus one and a half for the assistance and consideration of the staff.
I’ve been going to the Members’ Dining Room for years and it has always been the perfect place to go a few times a year with parents and grandparents during a day at the Met. For me, it’s a special occasion type of place, I wouldn’t just go with my friends or by myself (the Cafés of cafeteria are more for that).
I don’t understand the other reviews calling the food bad. The portions aren’t as huge as you’d find elsewhere, but they’ve always been satisfying for our wide range of appetites. The presentation is lovely. The other reviews seem more annoyed by the price. It’s not the best food I’ve ever had, but neither I nor anyone in our many groups has ever left hungry, had a bad meal, or regretted a menu choice. The food and presentation have distinctively improved over the past ten years or so. Just go in knowing that the three-​course brunch is $ 49, and a lunch entrée is around $ 30 — prices are listed on the online menu.
What makes the place outstanding is the service I’ve received from waitstaff and hosts, particularly regarding food allergies and preferences. I’ve had to call ahead a couple of times and question waiters extensively on ingredients to make sure there was something I could eat but the staff never seems annoyed by it and really goes above and beyond the detail I’ve asked for to make sure I have what I need. Of all the restaurants I’ve been to since my dietary restrictions started three years ago, the Members’ Dining Room has been the most helpful. If you have a serious concern or allergy I recommend reservations, consulting the menu online, and calling at least a day beforehand. In the past they have made a separate serving for me during their prep if necessary, which means a lot, making me feel included instead of difficult or left out. I also noticed they have started indicating vegan options on their menus.
The décor is old, not bad enough to detract from the meal, but you can’t beat the view. I’m not sure of the policies regarding reservations and the necessity of being a museum member since a family member has always taken care of that, but I’m sure it’s listed on their website.

The two stars are for the food and it is unfortunate that the experience of such lovely food being slaved over by a talented kitchen staff is being marred by the abominable service of obnoxious, uninformed and poorly bred staff. Not only was our waitress rarely present but she was also rude and non-​compliant with requests for an extra fork or a side of dressing or whatever. She just never brought it and was then annoyed if we reminded her. Her constant puss was on display as her stature towered over us during her few appearances. The supporting staff was confused and running about with little direction and the managers were cowering in the background. If you read my other reviews you will rarely see a two star review from
me but with such horrible service, I was left with no choice. The good news is the food. Our salads and entrees were delicious and the cookie plate was to die for. The room and view are lovely but I will never subject myself or my friends to this again. Good luck to the Member’s dining room at the Met. They will need it.

Had Sunday brunch. Menu is limited and pricey as expected. Was not impressed with the décor. Very antiquated feel to furnishings and colors. For $ 49 I feel Coffee/​tea should be included
Everything is extra, a very stuffy crowd and feel to the place. Prefer brunch at the Historical Society. Brighter, friendlier and younger crowd

Unclear why there are a few negative reviews. This is a hidden New York City gem. I had brunch here and it was one of my best NYC brunch experiences. The food is 5 star and the service is exceptional. Not to mention panoramic views of Central Park.

Outrageously expensive for really mediocre food! The soup portion was tiny, the monkfish dish had only a few small pieces with one piece of fried carrot, and the dessert was a hodgepodge of all sorts of uncoordinated things and tastes. At upwards of at least $ 100/​person without drinks this is highway robbery!
It was as if the chef had left and someone told me I had to help out in the kitchen and arrange the plates to look gourmet. Tasteless food.
Is it that snob-​appeal has wanna-​bees overlooking just how bad this place really is?

This isn’t a review — it’s just what happened. Write your own review.
Got there at 1:00 with a companion on Super Bowl Sunday. No reservation. We were offered a table right at the entry. We asked for a table off to the side, and were told that they were all reserved. Pointed out the many tables for two that were not occupied. Manager told us they were all reserved, there was nothing he could do. We stayed until after the place closed for lunch at 2:30. No fewer than five of the tables for two were never occupied. Honestly, we were nice — not at all obnoxious. Neither was the manager, just insistent that all the tables for two had been reserved. I guess they keep all those tables set aside for the Koch brothers… Tacky.

Come here for: Pricey food, stuffy service, and a chance to rest your feet at the Met.
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At the height of tourist season, a Sunday at the Met can seem just as frenzied as Times Square (minus the sexual predators dressed up as big fuzzy children’s characters). There IS a way to avoid the crowds, however. On the fourth floor of the South Wing — off the printed map that you’re given with your admission ticket — is the Members Dining Room, a private club that’s just as stuffy as it sounds.
After the hostess checks your membership credentials, you’re ushered into a room that looks like a decorating time capsule, as if the Golden Girls had moved to the Upper East Side: light woods, organza curtains, floral carpeting and an explosion of ferns. At Sunday brunch, nothing is available a la carte. Instead, there’s a Classic Three Course Brunch menu starting at $ 48, with an upcharge for caviar and various other necessities.
Obviously there’s nothing remotely cool about the Members Dining Room, but if your parents are visiting from Lima, Ohio, they might be impressed. And, to be fair, the food is actually quite good, if you can past all the fusty conventions. I had Housemade Granola, Southwest Grilled Black Angus Flat Iron Steak, and Key Lime Meringue Pie, all of which were better than expected. In fact, if you served this food anywhere in Brooklyn, the press would be fawning.
Bottom line is, no one goes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art looking for a great meal, but if your stomach is hungry after a long day of feeding your brain, it’s good to know that you don’t have to settle for a hot dog or a bag of chips.