New Yorkers live at the edge of improbability. We push the boundaries wherever and whenever possible—not just to show off, but to remind us all that imagination is your only true limit. So if I was to tell you that one of the most quiet and relaxing Manhattan meals awaits you on a second floor terrace overlooking Times Square, you'd be surprised, right?
Image: The Times Square EDITION
And yet that's precisely the case at the Terrace and Outdoor Gardens, now offering up a tasty new spring menu. Here, the Manhattan rat race is strictly a spectator sport as you unwind with a glass of wine or any one of a number of refreshing cocktail choices. We sampled the Highline Sunset Spritz (made with De Una Raicilla mezcal, aperitif Mommenpop Seville orange, vanilla, and prosecco) and the Signature Old Fashioned (rye whiskey, dark rum, strawberry citrus oleo saccharum, and grapefruit bitters). On a hot summer evening, they were like sitting in front of an open refrigerator with a portable AC ruffling your hair from behind. Sublime.
Image: The Times Square EDITION
The steak tartare with cognac, capers, dijon, and cornichons was a thick hash of delicately seasoned beef; the shrimp cocktail ample and chilled to perfection. The Empire Caesar salad hit all the right notes for when you prefer flavor to being stuffed, and the steak frites and parmesan-crusted lamb chops would stand tall among any entree in the area.
Image: The Times Square EDITION
The view from the second story is breathtaking (and they do an insanely busy reservation-required business around New Year's Eve), but don't you dare leave without trying their signature chocolate soufflé.
Image: Nitzan Keynan
All in all, a perfect spot for a first date, an anniversary, or anytime you've earned yourself a treat.
Image: The Times Square EDITION
The kitchen at the Terrace and Outdoor Gardens is helmed by award-winning chef John Fraser, inside The Times Square EDITION, 701 Seventh Ave., 9th floor; 212-261-5400, terraceatedition.com
