Now that you no longer need to be a member to dine there, I highly recommend the fourth-floor Met dining room while visiting the museum. This time I was with out-of-town friends who selected the “Look Again: European Paintings 1300–1800” installation.

Over lunch, we discussed that Vermeer—whom I am familiar with—wasn’t as prolific as the other Dutch masters. Only 36 of his approximately 60 paintings survived, compared to hundreds of Rembrandt’s.

The three of us shared two $85 four-course meals, which was a perfect amount of food for three people, plus a Paul Prieur Sancerre from the Loire Valley ($85).

Everything is recommendable.  We started with the braised octopus with pickled red onions and black garlic aioli and the grilled quail with bulgur.

Our pastas were the chitarra & shrimp and the non-creamy fettuccine duck “alfredo” with spring peas.

We selected the halibut with fava bean buckwheat tabbouleh and glazed duck with beets, buckwheat and blood orange for our mains.

I had no room for the dessert, but I did try a delicious bite of each maple panna cotta and the chocolate souffle.

I highly recommend a visit.

The Dining Room at The Met
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-570-3975
metmuseum.org/