One warm summer afternoon, we walked the Hudson River Park walkway down the Esplanade right below Brookfield Place to Mezze, formerly the Merchant River House, for outdoor dining.

The staff sat us in the smaller outdoor space near the entrance. I suggest requesting the more spacious outdoor terrace through the restaurant to that porch, where the views are more spectacular not blocked by the entrance.

Since it was restaurant week, one of us had the $60 3-course meal: grilled pita with baba ghanoush, lamb chops with mint relish and sauteéd kale, and lemon sorbet for dessert. The chops were minuscule but tasty; we left most of the kale as it was tough. 

We added the crab croquettes ($24) with harissa aioli and a fennel-grapefruit salad, and a side of fries to the offerings. Both were good, although the salad accompanying the crab was oddly dressed with little grapefruit or fennel. We left that, too.

Even with the menu items that we left on the plate, I would still recommend a meal at Mezze to enjoy an outside dining view of the Hudson.

Mezze
Hudson River Esplanade (between Liberty and Albany Streets)
375 South End Avenue
New York, NY 10280
(212) 432-1451
mezzeontheriver.com/