Gotham Lounge

Poor services. Not worth $ 70 a afternoon tea set. Cakes and sandwiches tasted cheap, and tea was just okay. Pistachio cake was stone hard. Chocolate cake was worse than average. Bread on sandwiches was dry. Won’t recommend to friends.

Yes. 5 stars. The Gotham Lounge has made me smile for 15 years now. It is terribly expensive, but in my opinion, worth every penny. The Peninsula is located in the heart of Midtown… on 5^th Ave. A perfect location for a nightcap (or a daycap that that matter!) This is not a place you will find short pants, flip-​flops, tennis shoes, t-​shirts or most tourists. It is a casual lounge in a formal hotel… and they make you feel special. The drinks are fantastic and their «small plate» food very tasty. Everyone should dress-​up a bit… hit the stores and finish the day with a drink and a bite at the Gotham Lounge. It is truly New York in every sense. Enjoy!

This is getting 2 stars for one reason only. We had walked and traversed the city for 13 hours and sought out the Peninsula for a nightcap. And we found a wonderful sofa open that gave us no choice but to sit on it. It was wonderful.
Everything else was atrocious. The drinks and wine markups are crazy, even by NYC standards. The service… well, the only waiter for the entire lounge was pathetic, snooty, irritating, slow, and came close to breaking a 10 year streak of not stiffing a server. My wife talked me into tipping, but it was nowhere near as generous as is my own personal rule.
The worst experience of our trip. Avoid at all costs.

Had very poor service, not indicative of Peninsula brand. However, even the manager while apologetic did nothing to make our experience good.
Service seemed like we were burdensome to them. They were not busy yet not attentive. Again– this location in NY is nothing like any Peninsula I have been to.
Was considering visiting regularly for afternoon tea and also going to the hotel for spa but totally turned off from this location.

Dropped in to Gotham Lounge for a spot of tea today. Typically we love the Peninsula Hotel and have had excellent experiences thus far (see my recent review of the Peninsula Paris, which was basically heaven on earth). Our experience today, however, was a different story.
First off, I’d like to say that the ambiance at Gotham Lounge is great. Love the décor and cozy feel of the room. Sofas are comfortable too.
Scones were tasty. Were they worth $ 6 each? Absolutely not. I understand that the Peninsula charges a premium, which I am happy to pay. But $ 6 for a relatively small scone is straight up ludicrous.
Our biggest issue, however, was with the service. Our server was curt and unfriendly, interrupted us when we were asking questions about the tea selection, seemed inconvenienced by our presence, and was basically the opposite of the friendly staff we’ve encountered at Peninsula Hotels around the world.
We were able to ignore his abrupt behavior, until another family was seated near us. Our waiter was a completely different person with this family — outgoing and talkative, pulling out their chairs and making additional space for their stroller. He even brought their son a Peninsula teddy bear — this after pretty much ignoring us and our daughter.
I mentioned the service disparity to the waitress who brought us our check, and she was very apologetic about the situation. She even mentioned it to the manager who also came over to apologize.
While we appreciate the apologies we are really just mystified by the entire situation — hence the two star rating.
Will we return? Probably not. There are too many good midtown hotels that offer afternoon tea to return to Gotham Lounge.

Afternoon tea at the Penninsula is something engrained into the minds of anyone who has lived in China — for some reason, it’s an obsession of the ladies that men happily indulge in. Running in excess of $ 70 a person after tax and tip, tea at the Penninsula is a luxurious and opulent experience that if I did every day would happily bankrupt me.
Service here is as professional and attentive as you would expect from such a prestigious hotel. We had a wide selection of teas — my companion and I both opted for a less traditional green tea, which was brought out with a filter to prevent any tea leaves from making it into our beautiful porcelain cups.
The food was served on the traditional three-​tier plate, and varied in quality — cucumber sandwiches and scones were not spectacular (the scones especially were a little stale), but the sweeter pastries and cakes were delicious.
After tea we took some pictures around the lobby, where they had some interesting light fixtures and very expensive bags on display. While I’m not keen on putting down nearly $ 200 on tea for two, I totally understand the obsession with «tea at the Penninsula» — perhaps I’ll repeat my patronage in Hong Kong where the prices are much more reasonable.

Disappointed!
Was waiting to be seated and then other people that came 10 minutes after I did got to be seated first. No explanation
I find it unacceptable

Came here for afternoon tea, of course! It was a last minute decision as we were out of ideas for going out on a holiday afternoon. I had very little expectations as I may be slightly biased from my past afternoon tea experience, however it was actually good. I liked the décor inside Peninsula hotel, festive, classy, and a bit of too luxurious, however the point is, I still like it. Food and tea are standard, didn’t fall below or exceed expectation; service was good, not genuine enough but it’s holiday, understandable. It’s quiet there, so it’s not a party spot but rather, suitable for catching up with some old friends and relaxing. Overall I think it was positive experience with some value in there.

We were looking for a great hotel bar away from the holiday crowd on 5^th Avenue. We decided to try the bar at the Peninsula Hotel which I had not visited in a number of years. We had a wonderful few hours. The nibbles are great — glazed mixed nuts, chunks of Parmesan cheese and olives. Our half bottle of Pinot was delicious albeit pricey. The lounge was filled but not crowded or noisy. Somebody in a review described it like having drinks in a beautiful museum because of the modern art on the walls. I wouldn’t go that far but we enjoyed the experience.

Not impressed! Place it’s small. Not enough outdoor heaters in the early spring. Staff is careless and despite the view being beautiful, the cosmopolitans are pure lemon juice. I do not recommend this place.

I love this bar and if I had more money, I’d come more than once a year. It’s like drinking in an art museum. Breathtaking. Decadent. Old school and old money (even if many of the guests are new money or foreigners).
I have never eaten here. Wines by the glass are typical of this sort of hotel (St. Regis, Gramercy Hotel etc).
But to treat yourself to a glass of wine for 19 (that’s the cheapest) and sit in this elegance once in awhile is lovely.

Love this bar. It is one of my favorites. Great service and wonderful location and atmosphere. Service is high level. We come here often for an evening cocktail.
Love the atmosphere and feel of this place and high quality service… Great bar… Beautiful too.
The tea is wonderful and such a great offering.

For the Peninsula, we expected good food. We got decidedly average food, a boring menu designed with little thought, poorly prepared (as simple as dry, overcooked tasteless chicken and not resting meat before it was served — bloody plate anyone?). Poor beer and spirits, up tight unknowledgeable staff and service. Frightfully overpriced (even for a hotel). If you’re in NYC don’t waste your time here, particularly when there are so many great choices just outside the door.

We decided to have a late lunch and this was one of the restaurants that was still serving! I loved the old school vibe in the Peninsula. The lounge was busy and we had to wait a few minutes before getting seated. We ordered the burrata, the peninsula caesar salad with chicken, the lobster cobb salad, and the truffle fettuccini.
The burrata was small, but a great appetizer with hints of truffle and some focaccia bread.
The main courses were huge! I ended up sharing my lobster cobb and it was amazing! First the dressing wasn’t a heavy blue cheese dressing, but more of a balsamic. It was presented like a regular cobb is usually presented! The caesar salad was less exciting. Mostly lots of lettuce. I think the dressing wasn’t very heavy either because it was suppose to be one of their lighter options. My favorite was the truffle fettuccini that came with lots of shrimp! This dish did not hold back. Also I thought it was also on the lighter side since there was no heavy sauce. Mmmmmm.
Overall lunch was great! Don’t forget to top it off with some Rose after a day of shopping!

Located inside the Peninsula Hotel, this lounge is gorgeous, but a tad pricey. Our bill for two girls (with 2 glass of wine) came to around $ 140.
Service was excellent and the portions were really decent. I even had enough to pack home! While most posh people wouldn’t pack a doggy bag, there was no way I’d let my $ 37 pasta go to waste! Plus, I just love leftovers.
Would I go back? Probably not. But I did enjoy my time here.

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The service here is flawless and it is a small and relaxed venue. I actually prefer this over Salon de Ning on the rooftop as the service and food quality is better here.
They also offer afternoon tea service — if I recall there are two versions, with the difference being champagne. Between the Peninsula, the London, and the Four Seasons, I think afternoon tea service here is the best.
We have also had drinks, desserts, and food here multiple times and I have to say that the food is «ok», nothing spectacular. The drinks and dessert however are great — the cheesecake here is absolutely superb.
We’ve come to know the staff here well and they really hook you up and take care of you.

Feeling old world fancy and have deep pockets to reach into? Then consider Gotham Lounge, if you seek a quieter, stuffier atmosphere. Who knows, you might run into a hooker or two to make your evening more interesting.
I’m a bigger fan of the bar upstairs Salon De Ning as well as King Cole Bar across the street, but I don’t mind it here. If anything, I’d love to try it for afternoon tea with the girls.
Still a solid, classy place to catch up with your favorite people in the world.

Although this bar does not quite have the nostalgia like the King Cole or Oakroom, this bar is very pleasant.
The best thing about this place is that the bartenders are very friendly and eager to help you out in every way. The serve some of the best drinks. Yes, it is expensive, but you don’t come to a place like this looking for Happy Hour specials! Oh, and their snack tray is amazing! Trio of olives, mixed nuts and cheese curds. Very yummy and if you like to really munch, go ahead, they will give you more!
My favorite drink here is the Side Car. I really love the way they present it here.
Luckily, all of my favorite «must try bars» are all within a few blocks of each other.

************* REVIEW 201 ****************
1 of the best address on 5^th Avenue, the Peninsula! & every thing located inside this hotel, the Gotham Bar.
On your right, second floor, this bar has the best Keylime Martini in town. Served with a snack the moment you sit down, nuts, olives, & cheese, so yummy.
Plenty of room between tables & did I mention the afternoon high tea? Blackberry sconces, apricot jam, & mini sandwich that fill you up so quickly!
I love the bartenders here, they are the best & extremely polite. 1 of the reason why I love staying here!