Grand Central Oyster Bar
New York
Kort fortalt
Anmeldelser
The Grand Central Oyster Bar Restaurant is a New York landmark, located on the lower level of the amazing Grand Central Terminal. They're open Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM. I dined here with a childhood friend. We were celebrating our 55+ years of friendship & it was a truly memorable celebration! I've always wanted to visit Grand Central Terminal aka Grand Central Station. It's even more spectacular than I'd envisioned! We decided to splurge for dinner & our choices were absolutely delicious. We shared everything & there wasn't a crumb left on our plates! Our servers were welcoming & attentive. They made our dinner even more special. Hopefully, we'll get to enjoy this wonderful restaurant again in the near future.
This was great tbh. Daily menu refresh. HUGE variety. More oysters than I knew what to do with. We asked the kitchen to just prepare us a platter. Free bread & butter. The bread was a biscuit and a cracker. Biscuit was a bit dry. Butter was a bit too cold. Cracker was pretty good. A fresh sourdough would have been really good. LOVED the atmosphere. They did a great job for a windowless restaurant. Red checker table cloths and lighting was lovely. Easy to walk in for a table on a Friday at prime dinner time
Four stars for an institution that earns the visit on history alone. The 1913 Guastavino-tiled vaults are a genuine New York landmark — and there's a herring-bone pattern overhead, which felt apt given the occasion. We came for the Dutch Herring festival. The herring was fresh and properly done, served the traditional way with finely chopped onion and chives. The fried oysters were perfectly fried, and I've no reason to doubt the raw ones are just as good — this is a serious seafood kitchen. But the prices. $12.50 for the herring plate, with a "double portion" available for — you guessed it — exactly double the price. $30 for the oysters. The quality is real; the markup is steep. Come for the room and the occasion, eat selectively, and make peace with the bill before it arrives.
My boyfriend and I came here while waiting for our train since there is nowhere to sit at Grand Central Terminal. I do remember the days there was a place to sit down at GCT, however, and this place might have still been around. Suffice it to say, a somewhat hidden gem, the Oyster Bar reigns supreme in both atmosphere and hospitality. When you first walk in, it is easy to miss. We let the hostess know we were just there for drinks, and she pointed us toward a small sign under an exit sign that led to the saloon. Tucked behind those doors is the bar area, and it felt like discovering a little secret inside Grand Central. The drinks were beautifully done. I had a French 76, crisp and refreshing, and my boyfriend ordered one of the specials, the New York High Tea, which did not disappoint. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but given the setting, it feels expected. The bartender was attentive without being overbearing, and I loved the decor. Already looking forward to going back.
A mixed experience. The highlight was definitely the freshness of the seafood some dishes were well-prepared and delivered on quality, particularly the oysters and the shrimp cocktail. However, not everything met the same standard. A few dishes felt underwhelming and didn’t justify the premium pricing, which was a bit disappointing given the restaurant’s reputation. Service was another area that could use improvement. While not poor, it lacked consistency and attentiveness at times, which detracted from the overall experience. That said, the location is undeniably special. Dining in such an iconic, historic setting adds a unique charm that’s hard to replicate and is worth experiencing at least once. In summary, great atmosphere and fresh seafood, but execution and service don’t always match the price point.
