Terrace In the Sky

Great food. AWEFUL service. have had much better at the olive garden. Find another French restaurant, there are plenty.

Ate here for restaurant week two summers ago (before I discovered Unilocal!) and it looks like they have since closed! We came for the view, which we couldn’t enjoy because of a storm and then were seated inside right next to the 90-​year old harp player! Soup was cold, entrees were bland, the seat cushions had stains on them and the worst part is there was a fly flying around our table! Hope the new management makes necessary updates and takes advantage of that space!

If you go here, make sure to reserve a good table because we got seated with a close-​up view of the wall of the building next to us (instead of the fantastic view of the city skyline that we had hoped to get!)
After dinner, we walked around to the north side of the dining area and realized that there was a whole other section of seating, where people have a better view. The food is just average here, really nothing special at all.

I enjoyed my dinner here — beautiful view — I just love the area. The food was good, and I most enjoyed the desserts.

The view is fantastic.
The food was pretty good. I would say almost very good. But it’s veeery pricey. I know, you pay also for the view, but still… And you feel you are paying too much particularly when you consider the service. Less than optimal. Also the ambiance could be way better. It’s a good restaurant but it could be much better.

Me and my friend visited here today for dinner because we got the groupon deal.
The actual menu looked very different from the online menu: it was missing several dishes like duck risotto or organic chicken. We ended up ordering a salmon dish and a risotto, and they were sub-​par. The salmon was too hard on the outside and lacking flavor on the inside. The gravy it was served with had a weird sour flavor that I didn’t like. The risotto was ok, but it tasted really cheap. They were about $ 30 – 35 each: it is the most ridiculously overpriced place I have ever seen.
Even the environment was not terribly impressive. It’s kind of cool that the restaurant sits on the roof of a building and it has a nice, classy ambiance. But the view is not too striking, since it mostly just looks out to the harlem area.
Overall, I would have been very upset If I had to pay for all that food without a groupon. I would never go back and I advise everyone to stay away from this place.

Brunch is good here. I feel like I spent a bit much ($ 120) for brunch (for 2 people) due to wine and sodas.
The other not so favorable thing was, I wish they had umbrellas outside to shade the outdoor brunching… good sun tan spot I guess: o)
The ambiance was not bad especially with the view of the city, but I hoped the brick walls weren’t as high as they were… I had to peek above them at times to look at closer parts of the city.
Overall, it’s not that bad of a place.

We finally decided to use our Groupon here before it expired in August. When will start learning that Groupon restaurants are usually terrible? So we showed up on time, and the hostess immediately told us she’d have to seat us in the corner because there was a large party coming in and that she told us when we made the reservation. What? We booked it on opentable and never received any communication from the restaurant. Anyway, after learning that they were sold out of 4, yes 4, of their entrees, I decided on the risotto, and my husband the filet (no appetizers.).
The risotto was awful. It was a really salty rice dish in a cream sauce with absolutely none of the consistency found in a true risotto. The filet was slightly better, but also very salty. Usually food that salty means food that is not so fresh. The staff was snobby, and as they were clearing our first unused plate, he yelled out «just one course?!». It was very rude, and we should’ve just let the Groupon go to waste.

I must say I was very disappointed. Ive read many many good reviews but my experience was not as good as many others I guess.
Had the chicken breast, which was cooked nicely but tasted like any rotisserie chicken from Dallas BBQ, my boyfriends salmon on the other hand was dried and had no taste, even when we mixed it with the vinaigrette it was horrible.
The only thing worthy was probably the view.

Brunch here is amazing. I’ve been here before for dinner and found service to be somewhat uneven (waiter walking away too quickly before you get to ask questions, water service not great, etc), but brunch… brunch is a special thing.
It is wonderfully quiet for brunch (possibly due to the price tag — $ 35/​two courses — but it’s worth it). The quiet let us have a chance to take in and enjoy the peace of the beautiful views by the window. There was classical music over a set of speakers, and I felt happier just being there.
(Note for view-​seekers — they will offer you the balcony seating outside, but they don’t have umbrellas outside, which is tricky to accept in the hot summer sun. The views inside facing north are not quite as stunning as the views outside facing south, but they’re pretty nice, and they’ll also let you wander outside and explore the balcony after your meal if you wish.)
Brunch service is attentive and every single detail of the food preparation is perfect. The formality here is *not* stuffy the way it can be at dinner — it’s just nice.
Waffles came out on lovely heated white plates, decorated with splashes of top-​notch fruit (also warmed), and with maple syrup heated up as well. The strip steak, prepared with a red wine demiglace, was tender and delicious, with a nice sear on the outside, making the wine sauce come together really well. I also had a crème brûlée that made my eyes roll up in my head — the vanilla was intense, and the custard served in a nice shallow dish, allowing for the maximum crisp texture of caramel to come through with the custard.
In conclusion: wow brunch. It’s the top-​notch restaurant at brunch that it is sadly not at dinner.
(The review is 5 stars for brunch, but it’s about 3 stars for dinner, given its price range, so I’m averaging the two).

Back in 1976 when I was first dined here, my baby sister and I had the best Steak Diana and i had my first cappucin, The establishment was Butlers Terrace. Cuisine was predominately french back then. I recall the total bill set back my late mom a weeks pay but that is how much she loved us and taught us fine dining. It was nice to see the array of celebs of the time some who still lived in the neighborhood.
Although it doesnt cost me a weeks pay to take 4 people out it is certainly not the same quality and if youre going to require proper dress code, at least provide the formal waiting service and find another distributor for your meat. The panoramic view was never a big deal as other skyline restaurants have nicer views. Stay downtown.

I am honestly insulted that they have the audacity to charge as much as they do per plate given the poor service we received.
Some highlights of the low-​lights:
– When we were ready to order, the waiter just tipped his head to us, not even asking us any questions. This was one of the oddest things.
– The waiter first «asked» (i.e., tipped his head to) the one male diner before the two women at the table. Furthermore, one of the female diners was obviously the oldest of the diners and should have been asked for her order, first.
– The waiter reached from my left side across my body for the menu to my right. Big invasion of space.
– It took way over an appropriate amount of time to get our main dishes
– The wine glasses were presented to us were still wet. When I requested dry glasses, I did not even receive an apology or any surprise.
– Our bread plates and water glasses were chipped. The candle stick and the candle itself were crooked and broken. So shabby.
– The wine list is pathetic for this level of restaurant. The bottles are worth just around $ 10, and the list was short.
– The pistachio ice cream was lame and artificial tasting.
– The vegetables in all the dishes were way too salted. We could not even eat them.
There was a private party going on, and it was very obvious to us that 75% of their manpower was going toward the party with no care for us regular diners.
I strongly suggest you stay away.

The three stars are for the beautiful view and ambiance. My friend took me there for a birthday dessert treat and it was a nice experience but the service we received kept us desiring much more.
We had a groupon and we were quite full from our previous meal so we decided to stick to just appetizers and dessert. The wait-​staff were quite nice but the manager seamed quite rude. It took them a long time to take our orders. AND when we said we just wanted one appetizer and later want to look at the dessert menu, he just gave us a very derogatory look and walked away shaking his head. Seriously dude! We may be poor grad students with a groupon but we are still your customers!
Anyway, the food finally came. I will admit it was not bad. And the calming harp music and the candle light nursed our ego. But still, the portion size with respect to the price was quite miniscule. Oh well… that is what you get for gourmet.
The desserts on the other hand were more than satisfactory. My friends had the crème brûlée and chocolate tart while I had the new york style cheese cake. The price was ~10 and all were quite good although we were quite overwhelmed by the richness (pun absolutely intended).
All in all, the experience was good. The view from the terrace was spectacular and the music and flickering candle light added to the romantic environment. But, in case you are planning date there I have a few suggestions:
1/​Stay away from the manager
2/​Eat before you get there so that you wont be disappointed by the grossly over-​priced and yet absolutely tiny portions
3/​Have room for dessert
4/​Make sure you have something to talk about because it takes a while to get service

My loving boyfriend brought me here for a birthday dinner. At first I wasn’t going to review it because admittedly, not everything was perfect and I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Instead, let’s just say this review is going to highlight the positive things about my experience and you can message me if you want a more typical breakdown of the food and service (Steph C style… see my other reviews). Though I will preface by saying the dessert we had was decadent: a small but amazingapple/​almond financier– a moist, sponge cake filled with an equal touch of apple and almond, a la mode (vanilla ice cream. There might be an error on your menu indicating pumpkin ice cream). There isn’t anything airy or un-​flavoral about this sponge cake, which was surprisingly quite dense. A white chocolate bar was strewn on top.
A word on the star count: the good parts that I’m reviewing warrant a five star, but I leave it as above because I don’t want to falsely tip Terrace in the Sky’s meter a certain way it doesn’t deserve. My bf can adhere with that principal I’d hope since he himself said that he didn’t have a $ 40 steak.
Quite simply, the view of Manhattan is breathtaking, only to be complimented by some tall buildings downtown (The Standard or Hotel G perhaps in Meatpacking) but being that this is in Harlem practically (well in Butler Hall of Columbia U, ha), it gives the city a totally different look. The GW bridge is in sight… the Empire State Building (from the equally impressive rooftop) is far, far away — almost making you feel like you’re NOT in NYC, which trust me. can sometimes be a good thing. (We took a stroll through Morningside Park to get there… awesome hike!.. not in heels though.)
The place has a few rooms; most of the diners are associated with Columbia, but I’d say the place, given how romantic it is caters to couples but couples looking for sappy, formal time. And families. The restaurant also does private events like birthdays, weddings. pretty sure it’d be a decent ladies’ brunch place (i.e. baby/​bridal shower, mother’s day).
The décor is totally white, with flowers on each table (a rose and tall candle for us). The china is lightly adorned with flowers. I can’t remember if there was a lot of chandeliers but everything looked nice. I’d compare the feel to OIBLTIFS (you should know that is, foodies) but minus the history. There’s no carriage house– just a clean, modern look. On the same token, there are «oldies» elements to the place. a harp player (yes, a live harp player. nice touch)…really old sitting chairs outside the elevators. etc. and the clientele. Not sure if it’s jackets required, but most guys were wearing them.
They have a rooftop also, which wasn’t open when I went last Sat due to it being not warm enough out. I got to peak around a bit after dinner though, that was nice. It would have been equally as nice to dine al fresco, but the ambiance inside was still great. Plus I wouldn’t have gotten to listen to the harp!
Price=high. We had a Groupon.
Just BEAUTIFUL scenery.

So romantic its almost sappy… but I couldn’t help feeling just a little more in love as we walked onto the indoor «terrace in the sky.» The views really are great, however at night its hard to tell whats what among the sparkling lights. There are about 10 tables that line the floor to ceiling windows and then three in the middle. Despite my request (with my reservation) to have a window seat, we were sat in the middle. Kind of annoying, they apologized because «the party before us was taking a long time,» but the view was still nice.
Seared tuna appetizer was unbelievable… definitely not was I consider french– masago crackers and seaweed salad on top… but best part of the meal by far. My halibut (fish of the day) wasn’t bad… it was kind of drenched in oil, but my boyfriends scallops were delicious.
We stayed for a long time enjoying the cello music, the candles, and the view… even stepped outside for a bit on the way out.

This is a very romantic restaurant. Candle lit, with 3 rooms. I suggest you ask for the room on the right (better view) and don’t settle for the room connected to the bar room. Very nice setting with a live harp player, she even played some of my fav songs from the Phantom of the Opera.
This review is for my Winter 2011 Restaurant Week experience.
App
Terrine Foie Gras over a small salad and raspberry medley/​jam
Entrée
Petite Strip Steak/​Maine Sea Scallops/​Risotto
Dessert
Crème Brulee
First off, the restaurant week menu is worth it. I’m always skeptical of going to any $$$$ restaurant during this week but the portions were not that heavily discounted. I specifically ordered the same steak on the regular menu ($ 39) only to realize is was only 2 or 3 oz larger than the discounted entrée on the menu. The Sea Scallop entrée was one large scallops and 2 small scallops vs 3 large scallops. Risotto, no difference noticeable. I know this because I peeked at the table next to me who ordered off the regular menu. My loss is your gain. The food was wonderful and the service was pretty attentive even though the waiter knew we were not their typical clientele. I probably would’ve given this restaurant 5 stars if I was able to sit on the terrace but we’ll save that review for another day.

I decided to come here for the 2009, winter restaurant week menu. It was quite a find, I enjoyed the food and the service quite a bit. It was a great find, the view was great. My party and I plan to return during the summer to try the rooftop dining area.
One slight downside, was my wine glass was refilled without my permission whilst it was still half full and I got charged for it, other then that I loved the mannerism and service.

I went to TISK when I attended a program at Columbia Business– they had an engagement of about 50 guests in a different room than the restaurant that is available for more formal functions…
the views of the ballroom and terrace are absolutely gorgeous…
I had a lobster and edamame appetizer– did not like very much
and chilean sea bass with potatoes and spiced onions, that I loved
the desserts were also unique and delicious…
It was a nice place and I recommend going… not 4-​stars (and don’t know if my views on the place would change if we paid) but I did like the view (go if its a special occasion) — the restaurant-​side has a harp player

Goin’ up to a Terrace in the Sky (Terrace in the Sky)
It’s where folks go before they die (before they die)

I would give 3.5 stars. But, with the beautiful view I added extra 0.5 star.
I’ve been there many years ago a couple of times during the New York City Restaurant week. A friend of mine chose the place and we were pleasantly surprised to see this place existed. This is located in way uptown, middle of nowhere and on the top floor of a residential (?) building. Until you take off the old fashioned elevator to penthouse floor, you wonder what’s going to happen. Also, that is the reason why the visit might be a rare event than often. However, the place is classically elegant, spacious and the view is spectacular. The main dining room which could hold some parties, the roof deck with all glass windows with a panoramic open view of upper Mantattan and there is a door to a nice outside garden where some weddings could happen. Very romantic. I was thinking maybe one day?
Pricewise, it is fine dining so you get the idea. It existed glamorously for a while I would say up to early to mid 2000 or so. It did not lose its charm but a bit forgotten since all these new age fusion cuisines took the NEW York over the OLD York. We saw some senior regulars but well dressed in upper westside attire and eating alone — by the passing conversation, they definitely know the servers becasue they called them by their sir names. To eat regularly there, must have money because this is not a diner. We had the Restaurant week pre-​fixe special menu so $ 35 per person. The foods were A OK nothing to rave about but quite typical traditional french. The service was A OK as well. There was a lovely lady playing a harp.
I found this place good for a date. This is not Hudson Terrace nor 230 Fifth. Nor one of those hyped top and up & coming restaurants with famous chefs. But I like the romantic setting, not in a way to impress your date with I know places. It is more like I know this kind of places too. Cozy, view with wine, intimate conversations, music and etc… and the view again. you get the picture and it is worth a try.