Grand Central Oyster Bar NYC is nestled within what is perhaps the world’s most popular railway station. Grand Central Station is a traditional setting with an elegant atmosphere, therefore you would expect the Oyster Bar to have a similar atmosphere, right? Not so quickly!
The Appearance of Grand Central Oyster Bar NYC
The restaurant is stunning when viewed from the outside in. Grand Central Oyster Bar is situated beneath Grand Central Station in New York City, a place that attracts businessmen and visitors. Consider that every day, hundreds of pedestrians pass through the railway station. When we visited the restaurant, it was relatively vacant, given how many people passed by it. In their defense, we went at about 3 p.m., when no one normally eats. Inside Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City, the architecture is exquisite, with arches supporting the restaurant’s framework and low lighting illuminating the inside.
Having said that, our initial impression upon entering was that it was quite unorganized and understaffed. We approached the host and request a table for two. The host has just informed us that we may seat at the counter or oyster bar. OK. Cool. What exactly does that imply, and where is it? No one escorted us to the table, so we wandered about unsure of where to seat. We ultimately sat at the counter, which was filthy, but it was the only accessible seat because the other counters displayed signs that stated “This counter is closed.” The waitress continued to wash off the table and then handed us our utensils. One of our spoons was smeared in honey, and we had to request a replacement (obviously).
The Food
The cuisine was rather simple. We got The New England Clam Chowder in addition to a seafood plate with fried scallops, entire belly clams, and french fries. Regarding the cuisine, we felt as though small nuances were neglected. For instance, the New England Clam Chowder lacked garnishes to make the meal stand out. Even chowder crackers, which are often served alongside the meal, were not included. Regarding flavor, the soup was adequate. It was not exceptional. The fish dish was similarly unremarkable. However, the scallops were cooked to perfection, so credit to them. What was the dish’s shortcoming? There was no lemons present. Who offers fish fried without lemons? That would be equivalent to serving steak without a steak knife. We were going to order oysters, but the Grand Central Oyster Bar was so filthy that we lacked confidence in them offering raw shellfish.
We had New York Cheesecake and Pumpkin Chiffon Cheesecake for dessert. Again, this is nothing extraordinary. It was good but not remarkable.
We feel that Grand Central Oyster Bar NYC is a place for stopover passengers, as it is the first restaurant they encounter. They must be quite hungry as well.
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