When Michael Anthony, longtime chef at Danny Meyer’s celebrated Gramercy Tavern, was asked to head up the Waldorf Astoria’s new American brasserie-style restaurant, he didn’t see this chapter coming next in his career, he said.
“It was the result of a fortuitous encounter with the folks at the Waldorf, and I got really excited about opening a restaurant in a historic hotel,” said Anthony, who remains chef-partner at Gramercy Tavern. “Then when I heard the restaurant was going to be an American brasserie, fireworks went off. The Waldorf is an amazing platform to create this type of restaurant.”
The brasserie, named Lex Yard for its location over the railroad tracks leading to nearby Grand Central Terminal, opened in July after an eight-year restoration of the Waldorf—a restoration that artfully blends Gilded Age opulence and grandeur with a modern, more relaxed approachability. Lex Yard veers toward the approachable side, with an all-day menu and streetside entrance to be welcoming for both neighborhood diners and hotel guests.
Pre-restoration, the hotel was home to the legendary Oscar’s, the restaurant that popularized such iconic dishes as Waldorf Salad, Eggs Benedict and Red Velvet Cake. Anthony has updated those for the Lex Yard menu, but while the new restaurant respects tradition, it brings the Waldorf’s culinary focus into the 21st century. The hotel also boasts two other dining destinations: the famous Peacock Alley, an elegant cocktail lounge with chef-driven bar food, and the upscale Japanese kaiseki concept, Yoshoku. The Waldorf’s Executive Chef Patrick Schaeffer oversees all three to ensure a consistent hospitality experience.
But to fully appreciate the Waldorf Astoria’s contemporary food and beverage scene and monumental makeover, we need to take a step back into the hotel’s history.
“The Greatest of Them All”
William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel in 1893 during the storied “Gilded Age.” It was located on Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street adjacent to the Astoria Hotel, founded by his cousin and rival, John Jacob Astor. The two apparently made up and decided to unite the two hotels in 1897, connected by a walkway called Peacock Alley.
In 1929, that joint structure was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building, but by 1931, relocated to its present home on Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, occupying an entire square block in Manhattan. The famous Peacock Alley corridor and the historic Waldorf Astoria clock (originally commissioned by Queen Victoria) were incorporated into the new footprint.
The restored Peacock Alley features the original Waldorf clock and Cole Porter's piano.
At the time, the Waldorf Astoria was the largest, tallest and most expensive hotel in the world, prompting Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, to describe it as “The Greatest of Them All.” The new hotel was designed in the Art Deco style of the day and became an instant landmark, setting new standards for luxury hospitality.
Conrad Hilton was intent on owning the Waldorf Astoria one day, and acquired the name in 1949, eventually purchasing the property in 1974 to operate under the Hilton umbrella of brands. The hotel operated continuously until 2017, when it closed for renovations, finally reopening in July. Hilton Hotels no longer owns the Waldorf Astoria New York but still manages the hotel.
Inside the restoration
While this wasn’t the hotel’s first renovation, it is probably the first time it’s been returned to its former glory, said Danny Harpaz, assistant director of marketing for the Waldorf Astoria New York. “When the hotel opened in 1931, it wasn’t landmark protected, so anyone could come and say ‘I hate this mural or mosaic floor, so let’s put a carpet over it.’"
That actually happened, and the mosaic in the lobby was unearthed in 1980. Now everything that is structurally intact is landmarked and can’t be changed, he added, and the “Wheel of Life” mosaic is the focal point of the Park Avenue lobby.
While the furniture, carpeting and some décor are new, the pillars, metal work, marble and other original elements have been restored—some by the same crew that restored the Sistine Chapel, Harpaz said. The restoration was led by renowned architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who collaborated closely with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to preserve the property while positioning it for the future.
From a macro viewpoint, one of the most noticeable changes is the reduction in the hotel’s guest rooms from 1,400 to 375. There are now 372 private residences ranging from studios to four bedrooms, 43,000 square feet of event space including a dramatic Grand Ballroom and a 20,000-square-foot spa. New Yorkers now have more freedom to use the hotel as a “living room” and party space.
Lex Yard was carved out of the Lexington Avenue side of the hotel and designed by AvroKO’s New York Studio. It spans two levels, divided between a more refined dining room upstairs and a bar and more casual eatery on the ground floor serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The 220-seat restaurant also has two small private dining rooms. The overall design reflects the Waldorf’s original Art Deco vibe with warm woods, curved lines and brass accents.
The Jade Smash is one of Lex Yard's signature cocktails.
“Downstairs is a little more lively—it’s a space where a party could start at any second,” said Harpaz. “You can get an a la carte menu in either place, but upstairs you can also experience Chef Michael’s curated Market Menu. He says the seasonal menu with locally sourced food is how he likes to eat.” Although the Market Menu is coursed out like a tasting menu, “it’s far away from the tyranny of the chef,” said Anthony, who doesn’t want to label it that way.
Redefining the American brasserie
Anthony’s vision of a brasserie is “a restaurant that resonates with guests at all hours of the day and night, drawing people in anytime for any occasion,” the chef said in an interview. He aimed for Lex Yard to be all of that, infusing the menu with his culinary ethos.
“I was given the autonomy to bring in local producers that I’ve cultivated for more than 30 years,” he said. “My team goes to the [Union Square] Greenmarket several days a week, and we invite guests to join us to hear the producers’ stories.”
Slow Poached Halibut with beets, Swiss chard and radishes was inspired by the Greenmarket.
Anthony’s reinterpretation of the original Waldorf Salad reflects his ethos. “I feel a sense of connection to this dish, but habits have changed since 1890. I turned it into a craveable salad as opposed to an architectural salad.” The ingredients change seasonally, and sunflower seeds may replace the traditional walnuts, apple varieties rotate and the chef added New England cheddar cheese for earthiness and a lighter lemon vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise.
“My task was to create a menu that is completely different than Gramercy Tavern’s but was developed through the same lens of seasonality,” Anthony said. One common denominator is the burger—a must for an American restaurant, he added. Lex Yard’s version features a blend of American beef topped with cheddar, caramelized onions and Thousand Island Sauce on a house-baked seeded bun ($38). The chef is also serious about great sandwiches and developed a separate menu insert with a signature BLT (Benton’s bacon, heirloom tomatoes, gem lettuce and spicy mayo), a Reuben and a Smoked Turkey Club.
Lex Yard's Lobster Roll is a luxe version with caviar and truffles.
A good brasserie mixes familiar favorites with luxe ingredients and technique-driven dishes, and Lex Yard also offers items like a Royal Ocsiètre Gold Caviar Sando on toasted brioche with lemon cream (market price), a Lobster Roll with truffles and caviar ($53) and Slow-Poached Halibut with Borscht Sauce ($57).
Several items reinforce Lex Yard’s goal to forge a cultural connection to New York City. “Our elevated bagel service at breakfast is a direct reference to New York’s culinary history,” said Anthony. It includes house-made whitefish salad, hot smoked trout, cold smoked salmon, herbed cream cheese and caviar potato pancakes; it serves two people and is priced at $88. On the dessert side, Executive Pastry Chef Jenny Chu lightened up the Waldorf’s Red Velvet Cake into a Red Velvet Souffle Tart ($22); it’s served with cream cheese raspberry swirl ice cream and market berry coulis.
Red Velvet Cake has been reimagined as a Red Velvet Souffle Tart.
High-top cocktail tables and bar seating are attracting locals for pre-dinner drinks and light bites. Anthony puts a unique spin on fun comfort foods like homemade pigs in blanket and ham sliders on house-made biscuits, while the cocktail list—curated by mixologist Jeff Bell of NYC’s famed speakeasy, Please Don’t Tell (PDT)—includes both seasonal signatures and low- and zero-proof drinks. Highlights include the Jade Smash (botanist gin, lime, crème de cacao and green chartreuse); Red Dragon (tequila, doladira apertivo, lime, grapefruit, pomegranate and cinnamon); and Temperance Negroni (Seedlip spice, non-alcoholic amaro, orange aperitif and verjus rouge.)
A stroll through Peacock Alley
“A great way to start or finish an experience at the Waldorf is with a visit to Peacock Alley,” said Anthony.
Peacock Alley, the thoroughfare originally connecting the Waldorf and Astoria hotels in the late 1890s, was a space where people came to see and be seen, said Harpaz. “Visitors were known to dress in their best furs, outfits and jewels and kind of strut through the space. The media picked up on it and called it ‘peacocking,’ and the name stuck,” he said.
The 21st century Peacock Alley, connecting the hotel between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue, honors that glamorous legacy, tossing in some modern, sophisticated touches. The space now features a bar made of black lacquer and marble surrounded by intimate seating areas, the famous Waldorf clock, restored murals and brass finishes. The focal point is Cole Porter’s original piano, named “High Society,” built in 1907 and restored by Steinway & Sons. “We have a fun music series that we do Tuesday through Saturday, called 'Cole and Friends,'” said Harpaz. “We'll start on the piano with a pianist, and then we'll move into a live band and sometimes a singer will come in as well.”
Jeff Bell's Reserve Rob Roy is served in a cloud of ginger smoke.
Mixologist Bell also put together the cocktail list for Peacock Alley. Here guests will find more classic drinks, like the legendary Rob Roy, said to be invented here. Bell has reimagined the cocktail as the tableside Reserve Rob Roy, a mix of Yamazaki Distiller’s Edition Whisky, vermouth and benedictine that is finished with a cloud of ginger smoke; it sells for $75.
Other drinks are just a little easier on the wallet. There’s the Waldorf Martini ($40), Empire Old Fashioned ($35), Oscar’s Collins ($32) and Lombardo Spritz ($32.) “The cocktails here tend to be a little bit more spirit forward, leaning into the classics,” said Harpaz. And for the first time, Peacock Alley is serving food.
The Wheel of Life mosaic leads into Yoshoku from the Park Avenue lobby.
Walking from Lex Yard through Peacock Alley, you come to Yoshoku, the high-end kaiseki-inspired restaurant located next to the “Wheel of Life” mosaic. The seasonal tasting menu’s six courses ($188) pick up on the art, each representing a stage in the arc of life: Birth, friendship, struggle, love, wisdom and memory. Dinner may include grilled lobster with clarified butter and king crab with tosazu jelly. There’s also an a la carte dinner menu where toro tartare with caviar and a Wagyu strip loin may be on offer.
Hojicha Azelia Tart is on the kaiseki menu at Yoshoku.
The beverage program complements both formats with a selection of sakes, Champagne, Japanese spirits and signature cocktails like the Sendai made with malt whisky and yuzu bitters and the Tonikku, a mix of gin, creme de framboise and tonic.
A hotel renovation that takes eight years, scores of artisans, luxurious materials and new buildouts has to cost big bucks, but the price tag for the Waldorf Astoria’s restoration is top secret, we were told. Perhaps guests will help defray some of the costs. Menu items at the Waldorf’s restaurants are on the upper end, even by New York City standards, and drinks and glasses of wine range from the mid $20s on up.
The Waldorf Astoria may no longer be the most expensive hotel in the world, but stopping by for dinner or drinks is an extravagance. Factor in the beautiful surroundings and rich history, however, and the price seems worth the experience.