This winter, Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the New York Marriott Marquis hotel are putting a new spin on the View Restaurant & Lounge, New York City’s only revolving restaurant. The original View opened in 1985 atop the Times Square hotel—a popular spot for tourists and large events, including Wine Spectator’s annual New York Wine Experience—where it offered guests 360-degree views of the Big Apple skyline before closing in 2020.
Founded by leading restaurateur Danny Meyer (who now serves as the group’s executive chairman), USHG boasts several Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners, including Grand Award winner the Modern. With its convenient access to a birds-eye views of Times Square and the Theater District, the Marriott Marquis is as much a Manhattan entertainment destination as a hotel, hosting Broadway shows, New Year’s Eve celebrations and more.
“Both the New York Marriott Marquis and USHG were established in 1985, and each has played a pivotal role in reshaping New York’s hospitality landscape over the past 40 years,” said Meyer in a statement. “By combining culinary excellence with warm hospitality, we intend to create a destination dining experience and evening out—smack dab in the heart of the Broadway Theater District—that appeals to New Yorkers and visitors alike.”
Revolving restaurants have fallen somewhat out of fashion in the United States since the height of their popularity, which was spurred by the construction of Seattle’s Space Needle (and its namesake restaurant) for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. The View space has been with the Marriot Marquis since its debut, most recently serving as an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. USHG has been a partner of the hotel in recent years, supporting the Marriott Marquis’ catering program and dining options.
Design firm Rockwell Group—which has recently worked on projects like Gracious Hospitality Management’s COQODAQ and José Andrés’ Zaytinya in NYC—has put the brakes on the View’s spin while it reimagines the restaurant space, which spans the Marriott Marquis’ 48th and 47th floors.
USHG’s new concept will harken back to the supper clubs of yesteryear, and it will offer two separate experiences: Guests will enter on the 48th floor and be greeted by a 20-seat bar and lounge serving small plates and bites alongside raw bar options. A spiral staircase will bring diners down to the main dining room, where the menu will feature revamps of American classics, “theatrical” desserts and sophisticated cocktails. The USHG team plans for the new View to have “an extensive” wine program, with more details to come. At this time, neither an executive chef nor a beverage director has been named for the new project.
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