New York - Lever House
Spring 2009
Frank's view 
Good, but not Great
Lever House is a twenty-one floor building on Park Avenue, which was built in 1952 for Lever Brothers. It is historically important as New York’s first glass covered office tower.
Around the corner on 53rd Street is the low key entrance to Lever House, the restaurant. A sloping walkway leads to the underworld beneath, or is it a giant honeycomb?
The interior, by designer, Marc Newson, is truly extraordinary – it’s a little like entering the set of a 1970’s sci-fi movie. Take a look at the images on the Lever House web site.
We arrived at 7.30pm and the bar was packed with local office workers, most of whom had departed by 8.30ish. The restaurant was fairly quiet and we were shown to probably the best table in the establishment, the middle booth on the back wall. There are three booths along the back and four down the left side. The majority of the seating is in the centre and right side. I strongly suggest requesting a booth when you book.
Chef, Brad Thompson is highly rated in New York and the restaurant was strongly recommended to me by a local friend who regularly selects Lever House as the place to entertain some of his heavy-weight media associates.
I started with Arctic Char Tartare, accompanied by crispy seasonal vegetables ($17). The texture and flavour of the Char was good but the vegetables were a little too much. The Camel’s companion chose the Baby Beets salad ($15) – good, but not great.
To follow, I was I tempted by the Beef Short Rib, spice braised ($34). It wasn’t bad, but there was no ‘wow’ factor, unlike the lamb at Town, a couple of blocks away, which was sensational. The Duck Breast ($32) was also sadly, okay, but not exceptional.
The wine at Lever House is expensive, with one fine exception I noticed – Tourelles de Longuville, priced at $82. That might seem expensive but the ‘house’ Margaux was $89 and it was very disappointing.
Maybe we hit an off night, but I fear not. Despite being given the best table and enjoying excellent, attentive service, Lever House, simply, did not live up to expectations.
Lever House
390 Park Avenue
New York
+1 212 888 2700
http://www.leverhouse.com/
Around the corner on 53rd Street is the low key entrance to Lever House, the restaurant. A sloping walkway leads to the underworld beneath, or is it a giant honeycomb?
The interior, by designer, Marc Newson, is truly extraordinary – it’s a little like entering the set of a 1970’s sci-fi movie. Take a look at the images on the Lever House web site.
We arrived at 7.30pm and the bar was packed with local office workers, most of whom had departed by 8.30ish. The restaurant was fairly quiet and we were shown to probably the best table in the establishment, the middle booth on the back wall. There are three booths along the back and four down the left side. The majority of the seating is in the centre and right side. I strongly suggest requesting a booth when you book.
Chef, Brad Thompson is highly rated in New York and the restaurant was strongly recommended to me by a local friend who regularly selects Lever House as the place to entertain some of his heavy-weight media associates.
I started with Arctic Char Tartare, accompanied by crispy seasonal vegetables ($17). The texture and flavour of the Char was good but the vegetables were a little too much. The Camel’s companion chose the Baby Beets salad ($15) – good, but not great.
To follow, I was I tempted by the Beef Short Rib, spice braised ($34). It wasn’t bad, but there was no ‘wow’ factor, unlike the lamb at Town, a couple of blocks away, which was sensational. The Duck Breast ($32) was also sadly, okay, but not exceptional.
The wine at Lever House is expensive, with one fine exception I noticed – Tourelles de Longuville, priced at $82. That might seem expensive but the ‘house’ Margaux was $89 and it was very disappointing.
Maybe we hit an off night, but I fear not. Despite being given the best table and enjoying excellent, attentive service, Lever House, simply, did not live up to expectations.
Lever House
390 Park Avenue
New York
+1 212 888 2700
http://www.leverhouse.com/
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
