The Gold Room — Restaurant in New York

The Gold Room at Lotte New York Palace possesses a picturesque dining experience, but suffers from a lack of standout cuisine and constant crowds. While the staff is courteous and the ambiance is appealing, the overall dining experience feels more like a social media spot than a culinary destination. 3/5.

Full Review: My visit to the Gold Room at Lotte New York Palace left me with mixed feelings. While the restaurant offers a picturesque dining space and courteous staff, it fell short in several key areas.

One of the main issues we encountered was a shortage of ingredients, leading to multiple items being unavailable on the menu (though, given the difficulty of running restaurants, especially with more and more supply shortages and the like, I am looking to overlook such an error, as I doubt it is the fault of the staff). This was disappointing, as it limited our choices and detracted from the overall dining experience. Despite this setback, the Gold Room was filled to capacity before, during, and after our visit, indicating its popularity and in-demand status.

The dining area itself is beautifully designed, with a luxurious ambiance that adds to the overall appeal of the restaurant. However, the lack of adequate space and the overcrowding detracted from the dining experience. In general, it felt more like a social media spot than a culinary destination.

The cuisine at the Gold Room was decent, but not exceptional. While the dishes were well-prepared and decently presented, there was nothing truly exemplary about them. For places like this, the vibe, the architecture, or the well-plated food is more superficial than anything. Like using gold as a culinary embellishment, where an artist simply adds glitter to a painting. While it may enhance the visual appeal and convey a sense of luxury or opulence, it doesn't necessarily elevate the overall quality or flavor of the dish. The addition of gold (or any other glitzy backdrop, expensive item that is pricey just for the sake of it, etc.) may create a perception of high-art or exclusivity, but for those who prioritize substance over style, it may seem like a superficial addition.

The Gold Room at Lotte New York Palace offers a visually appealing dining experience with courteous staff and decent cuisine. While it may appeal to those looking for a trendy spot to dine and snap photos for social media, it falls short of being a truly exceptional dining destination.

You can find me on Insta:...

I have never written a poor review of anything. That I felt compelled to do so in light of my visit here should tell you something about this place.

My experience in this cocktail lounge was a disaster almost from top to bottom (besides a kind and responsive hostess and a serviceable bartender who served us).

The prices here are upper end Manhattan cocktail lounge prices ($24-26 cocktails, $30-40 appetizers, a mandatory 15% service charge on everything (even 1 cocktail)), so with that in mind you would expect top end service.

What we received is the worst service I’ve had in New York. After getting our first round of cocktails (no complaints about the cocktails here, they are decent, though overpriced) and putting in a 3-appetizer order we were moved from the bar to a table. There we sat waiting at the table for 45 minutes before realizing none of our food had yet come out (we ordered jamon, chickpea arancinis and FRIES). No one came by to check if we wanted fresh cocktails, a water refill, or to clear our empty cocktails.

After asking about our food we waited for another 30 minutes or so for our first plate to come out (just one), the fries. Which were completely cold.

I almost never send the food back but not one apology had at this point been uttered for the atrocious service received so far. And these fries were colder than room temperature. So we sent them back. The manager apparently handled getting us warm fries, though he barely spoke to us and treated us like roaches for having the temerity to complain about 65 degree fries.

We waited another 10 minutes for mediocrely warmed fries to come out (mind you these are $20 fries), and then another 10 or 15 to get mediocrely warmed chickpea arancini and the jamon slices (basically raw ham slices with toast that some how to 1.35 hours to plate). In total we waited about an hour and 35 minutes to get all of our food (3 appetizers).

At the end we were asked if we wanted a water refill and more cocktails, which we ordered.

Paying the 3.60 mandatory tip on each of those cocktails was the ultimate insult to be added to our injury for the night.

Avoid this place like the plague, the beautiful environs are utterly sullied by the disaster that is the operation of...

I’ve been taking people here for years! The Gold Room is one of my favorite places to take friends when they visit the city.

As a huge fan of New York's history, the entire experience is very special from entering the courtyard of the Villard Houses (built in 1884 and originally called Cathedral Court because it faces the back of St. Patrick’s Cathedral), which any Gossip Girl fan will recognize as the residence of the Van der Woodsen family, to ascending the stairs inside to the right and entering The Gold Room itself, which is located in the southern wing of the Villard Houses.

Walking into The Gold Room is like stepping into a gilded jewel of New York’s architectural past. Its shimmering surfaces, classical artistry, and hidden musical balcony create an unforgettable, timeless atmosphere, perfectly blending history with modern elegance. It’s one of the most iconic settings in the city, both visually and experientially.

They have a wide variety of drinks, many with names calling back to New York's past and pop culture such as The Commodore (referring to Cornelius Vanderbilt), The Carnegie, The Mrs. Astor (referring to Caroline "Lina" Astor, who led the Four Hundred, New York City's high society during the Gilded Age of the 1870's - 1900), and Gossip Girl.

Whether you're enjoying a cocktail in the evening or just admiring the space during a quiet moment, The Gold Room is a rare gem. It’s like stepping into another era of opulent, elegant, and unforgettable grandeur. Every detail, from the gilded ceilings to the finely crafted cocktails, feels thoughtfully preserved and beautifully reimagined.

Also to note: The courtyard often has great decorations year-round that are great for photos. If you visit during the holidays, there is a beautiful Christmas tree and other lights and decorations which make the courtyard one of the best areas to visit during the holidays if you love that...