The front-of-house staff at Essential by Christophe mentioned that many of them had previously worked at The Peak, the restaurant located on the 101st floor of 30 Hudson Yards, near The Edge observation deck. They shared a not-well-shared fact: if you spend $40 at The Peak—whether in the Lounge or the restaurant—you receive free general admission to The Edge, which typically costs $40!

What New Yorker doesn’t like a bargain like that?!

The best part was that they offered to connect with their friend, the maître d’, to assist me in getting a reservation at the Lounge, which boasts stunning views along with cocktails and small bites in lieu of the $135 prix fixe menu.

One thing I’ve learned while living in the city and meeting people is to take advantage of opportunities quickly: if you don’t follow up within a week, they might forget who you are, as we all meet new people regularly.

I invited a few girlfriends, chose a date and made the reservation. That morning it was beyond overcast, but luckily, the clouds cleared, revealing a clear blue sky that afternoon as we arrived on the 101st floor where they seated us at a corner table.

We share a bottle of Alta Mora ($99) Etna Rosa, 2020. With that, we savored their scallops in a blood orange sauce ($37), their heavenly Hudson Valley foie gras ($35) and a cheese plate ($47) with some crisp flatbreads.

What’s not to be missed are their S’mores ($18), which are the classic chocolate with graham crackers topped with meringue (AKA marshmallow) and passion fruit sauce. We almost licked the plate. That good.

The Peak Lounge
Hudson Yards
30 Hudson Yards
New York, NY 10001
peaknyc.com/