Z J

Review of Rainbow Room

Not since The Windows on the World existed have we...

Not since The Windows on the World existed have we had such an extravagant, beautiful, glamorous, delicious, and, yes, extraordinarily expensive brunch option in NYC. This is not your ordinary weekend brunch spot but, rather, a place for special celebrations or once-in-a-lifetime visits to NYC to experience the beautiful views over Manhattan, the glamour and charm of 1940s New York, and the beautiful, abundant, and decadent food. There is also live music (which was outstanding) at every brunch which varies from week to week but all of which has that '40s vibe.

We went recently for an 80th birthday celebration and had 3 generations of our family there. Though children over 12 are considered adults, they kindly only charged my two teenagers (15 and 17) the child price of $65 (adults are $125 per person). My 12 year old, who has multiple food allergies and who, therefore, did not eat any of the food they served (I brought all of his for him) was served free-flowing beverages at no charge (I did let them know of his situation in advance). Also, my 2 older children have life-threatening food allergies to all peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. I informed the restaurant a few days in advance. They could not have been more wonderful. The chef personally spoke to us about options from the menu that were ok for them, the pastry chef came out at dessert time and went through every single dessert option on the buffet (it is enormous) and told them every item they could have and what they could not have. Our waiter was fabulous and took extra care to make sure they were comfortable with the food being served and made sure to give lots of attention to my youngest because he could tell being in such a food-crazy environment had to have been tough on him.

And let's not forget about the very demanding 80 year old birthday boy who frequently takes issue with restaurants. He was pleased as punch and had the most wonderful birthday. He was especially happy to see how caring the entire staff was toward his grandchildren.

If you live in the NYC area and want a really special experience or, if you're visiting and want a taste of an iconic New York City experience, get online or pick up the phone and make your reservation now! Not to be missed!