Spyglass Rooftop Bar — Restaurant in New York

If you're in search of a cozy place with a breathtaking view of the Empire State Building, look no further! While it may not be the highest rooftop bar in the city, it offers a relaxed, chilled and inviting atmosphere, along with some great drinks. During my visit, the service was not particularly warm or overly friendly, but I have to admit that they certainly know how to make delicious drinks!

The bar's size may be smaller compared to others of its kind, but it more than makes up for it with its captivating view. Part of the deck is open, providing an unobstructed sight of the Empire State Building and a portion of Midtown. However, what excited me the most was the outdoor seating. From the bar seats and glass table, you can immerse yourself in the vastness of the concrete jungle, feeling like you're sitting in the front row of a blockbuster movie! I could easily spend hours here, staring at the majestic Emperor.

For a better appreciation of the view, binoculars are installed at the deck. Although the idea is fantastic, their positioning could use some improvement. As a relatively tall adult, I found myself bending my body into uncomfortable angles just to look through them. A slight redesign would be appreciated.

One aspect that posed a challenge was the sharp lighting embedded in the floor. Not only did the light reflect unflatteringly on my and my friends' chins, but it was also very blinding.

Overall I did enjoy my time here and would not hesitate to visit again. Visited in June 2023....

Spyglass Rooftop Bar is a place to unwind and enjoy incredible views. Definitely not a place to be if you are scared of heights like I am lol, I will be breaking down the review by category.

Food: I gave the food a 4/5 just because my girlfriend and I only had 2 items. (Calamaris & Baked Clams) Calamari was pretty good, typical good calamari, my girlfriend had the baked clams which she states that they were very big which is not something you get in most spots. they were not fishy at all, the bread crumbs on top of the clams were perfect. overall pretty decent appetizers. Definitely recommend those.

Service: My lowest rating of this place will be from service 3/5. I made reservations which once my girlfriend and I got there we were seated immediately. However, It had to take me physically walking to the bar and asking if we are coming up to them to order or they come to us to get some sort of service. to their credit, the place was packed and it seemed like one person was waiting too many people. Maybe just having more staff on rotation for waiting could help in the future, until then my rating stands at 3/5.

Atmosphere: 5/5 easily, The view is the most incredible view I have ever seen living in new york. (lived here my whole life) I recommend coming here towards the sunset to see the empire state building light up!

Overall, A great experience here, I will definitely come back to try an actual meal and enjoy the view...

We got engaged here shortly before Christmas and it was truly magical. We visited NYC from England and my partner had been planning to propose here in front of the empire state building. Unfortunatly there was a large conference and our booking was moved to the back room, the staff had been attempting to contact me, however i had no phone reception in the states due to being on a UK sim. This did put my partner on edge slightly, however the staff were amazing and even filmed the proposal! We understand that large parties would take priority over us booking for just a few drinks, however, we were then very kindly escorted round the back to have engagement photos taken in front of the empire state building and even given flowers, drinks and deserts to celebrate. I will never forget that evening and want to thank all the staff for making it as special as it was. We definitely plan on visiting NYC again in the future and this is such a special place for us now, we will definitely be coming here for...