Not really sure how soup, a sandwich, and two salads could possibly take 30 minutes in an empty restaurant. Even after they brought the food out the order was wrong. Plenty of other restaurants in the area, bland food, ridiculously not worth it. read more

Well, with reservation in hand, we didn't even get upstairs. We were in town visiting our daughter. Two weeks prior to our visit she made a dinner reservation. It was a special dinner to celebrate her father's birthday. We were rudely greeted at the museum level by a person who told us there was no admittance because of a private party. My daughter explained that we had a reservation and the "guard" snidely told her that she must have made the reservation at another Robert because this private party had reserved over a year ago. Have they even been there that long? My daughter then called the restaurant directly and was told that this party had made the reservation a week ago; so I could see what kind of an operation this is. She found my daughter's reservation and told her that they had her down as a "no show" several days after she made the reservation, in the previous month, no less. So consider the integrity of this establishment and how important your reservation is prior to making one. With so many other great restaurants in this City... read more

amazing view, got a table on the window for my boyfriend's birthday, food was good not great, panna cotta was way too firm and lacked flavor, good service very nice waiter read more

Robert was AMAZING! My boyfriend and I went to celebrate our anniversary and it was the perfect place. We were staying next door at the Mandarin Oriental New York and Robert was a quick walk across Columbus Circle - definitely ideal. We mentioned it was our anniversary when booking the reservation and they definitely remembered and had something special planned for us. They sat us in a beautiful corner table at the windows overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. They wished us a happy anniversary throughout the night and even decorated our plates accordingly for dessert- each saying "Happy Anniversary" in beautiful script with a candle! While the food and special treatment were amazing, our waiter was the best part! His name was Byron and he made our night even better! He was so friendly and funny from the start and warned us he knew everything about every item on the menu and we made sure to put him to that test! I am vegetarian and my boyfriend enjoys trying any type of cuisine and the menu catered to both of us. We both had so many options to choose from and weren't sure which to pick! We would ask Byron for advice and not only would he tell us which he preferred, he would describe each dish to us, listing the ingredients and how the chef prepared each dish. Not only was this very informative but very entertaining! We were so happy with the decisions Byron helped us make and we had the most amazing anniversary dinner. We're counting down the days until the next special occasion where we can have the excuse to dine at Robert again! And we most certainly will be asking to have Byron as our waiter! You all should as well! read more

Last night you made our special graduation dinner even more special. It's not only with the food , which was fantastic. Not even with the cool atmosphere and relaxed elegance or the view - which are all obviously pretty spectacular. But the quality of the service and amazing attitude of all the people who contributed to our son's special evening. It was quick, attentive, sensitive but all along staying in the background. Not only that you surprised us with an amazing sitting - I had no hope that we will have a window table when I called this morning, knowing that those are booked months in advance - but as I mentioned that it is a graduation dinner, you made it possible that we would have an intimate , still close to the window table with the spectacular view, that everyone hopes for when coming to this restaurant - AND with a surprise gesture in the end ( a candle with small desert bites for each of us, on a plate that was written : congratulation!) when we have been already touched deeply by your way of treating us. Thank you - it will be my favourite restaurant from now on - and I will try to make reservations a bit more in advance... ;-) Great food, cool atmosphere and an amazingly professional staff with the so rarely experienced emotional touch. Bravo! And thanks a million - you made a huge difference for us last night!!! read more

you have to try the cocktails here!!! yummy and pretty! i had a watermelon martini-type drink. the cheese plate is also good. :) a great place for a late night date with your special someone :) read more

Our birthday party of seven was greeted by being told we'd have to vacate our table in an hour and half. Our bread did not arrive until asked for, the heater was blowing HOT air on us, the waiter had attitude when we could find him, and we had to continually ask for water and the bottle of wine we selected to be brought to the table and poured. It was kept elsewhere. The lamb was decent, not exceptional, but at $42 priced high for four small medallions. The octopus was less than tasty. Filet mignon and salmon fair. Seven people and a total of $780 with tip, it was certainly NOT worth it for the atmosphere and attitude that accompanied our meal. The view was the only saving grace. The piece de resistance was the staff telling us none of our four charge cards offered would clear. We paid in cash and checked with our bank the next day who said there was no attempt by the restaurant to charge our cards. Definitely would not go here again or suggest anyone else do so. Too many nice restaurants in the Time Warner building to give this one a second thought. read more

I used to love this place until today!...My relatives came to spend their holidays with me and it was their first time in New York so I decided to take them to Robert because i absolutely love their food but what I love even more is the view!. We walked in and the host didn't even smile she just asked for my last name and took us to our table. When we sat down the waiter came around introduced himself and was very polite, after 3 minutes he came around asking for orders but we weren't ready so we asked for a few minutes. He came back once again but we were missing two people because they went to the bathroom, Im guessing he got annoyed and in a very rude way he said " Well just to let you know the kitchen closes at 3" and walked away. What is even worse he didn't come back to our table, he sent another waiter to take our orders. The food was amazing like always we drank wine, enjoyed the environment. At the end of our lunch he came back gave us the check and left!. I'm sorry i can't give more than 3 stars because i loveee this place, but to be honest i could be in the worst restaurant of New York but if the staff is polite and nice i wouldn't mind it. But if you come to such a nice place, with family and friends to have a good time but the staff is not welcoming and nice, it automatically ruins the experience for me. Sorry! read more

Fine food, lovely waitstaff, but our meal was ruined at its completion by a manager (dressed in clownish blazer), who rudely gave my table of three "the bum's rush" as we paid the check. Awfully rude and unacceptable. Assuming our window table was needed for the next sitting, which we understood from our original reservation, all the fellow needed do was ask us to retire to the bar area for our after dinner drinks. Of course, we would have accommodated. Instead, said manager hung over me like a vulture, clawing at my credit card, treating me as some sort of miscreant. Terrible treatment considering I was paying a $500+ meal, plus 20% tip (which I insisted upon giving the waiter). In the past, I've recommended Robert to NYC visitors and, as well as out of town friends treating me to a meal. Sadly, such shoddy treatment as I received tonight at Robert informs me that upper management poorly trains it's floor management. Sadly, I will never again speak a positive word for ROBERT restaurant. Such a pity, that untrained managerial staff succeed, by poor manners, in spoiling an otherwise fine eating establishment. Thankfully, Manhattan offers many alternative dining opportunities where one may dine well and graciously. The view is good, but why end an evening with such upset? read more

It is more of a pricy hotel top floor lounge for tourists with airline food than even a semi-serious restaurant. The only inspiration they drew from the Museum of Arts below is the art of camouflage. Shiny pink menus (at lunch time) that reflect on the bad taste of the decor that may look nice but it is not after the second look. Piano in the dining room near an exposed wine cellar (faking sophistication) for "performances" at dinner. Even the amazing view could not compensate for the lousiness of the food that is ordered from these pinky menus. Sub-par waiters. Portions are tiny for the high price. They were generous only with the quinoa (yeah, red quinoa, not just the white one, we are "upscale") under the tiny portions of chicken-or-beef-or-fish in that salad (it does not really matter). The "Nicoise" Tuna Salad ("Tuna Nicoise: seared tuna loin, black olive, fingerling potato, haricot vert, quail egg, white balsamic vinaigrette $28!) had 4 tiny thin squares of tasteless tuna but "we are sophisticated - we use white balsamic vinegar not only to enhance the taste of this dish but also paying attention to matching colors" - hilariously deceptive considering the results . Poor cheese (on a "nicely" arranged plate). Horrible deserts (sure, with a nicely decorated bad Panna Cotta). The ultimate tourist trap (how could it not be so...?). read more

Overall my one experience dining here for dinner was very positive. The service was pretty good, not incredible, but definitely satisfactory. We had the mussels and chorizo appetizer which was delicious, but the mussels were a tad sandy. The broth and chorizo were delicious, however. For an entree i had the gnocci which was absolutely incredible. The sauce was rich and creamy, the homemade gnocci was tender, and the presentation was beautiful as well. We passed on dessert but we were brought a complimentary dessert plate nonetheless. The assortment was a bit strange, but it was complimentary and apparently a new dessert dish they were contemplating adding to the menu and simply wanted feedback on. Overall the food was very tasty, the service was satisfactory, and the ambience was really tasteful. There is a great view overlooking the park depending on where your party is placed. I definitely recommend checking it out for dinner read more

My third visit to Robert, this time for Sunday brunch, coincided with the NYC Marathon. The roads around Columbus Circle were closed, but the restaurant had provided our name to the street police, so we had no trouble getting in. This is a wonderful restaurant for viewing Central Park and the upper East and West side skylines. We only made a reservation a few days before, so we were not able to reserve a window table. When we arrived, we were given the choice of a window table where we would have to leave after an hour, or a table a few feet from the window, which was fine with us. All of the staff was extremely friendly and solicitous without being intrusive. When I asked for fresh hot coffee they brought it immediately. They provided extra plates so we could share a salad. And the food was fresh and tasty. We were meeting our daughter-in-law, who was visiting NY from South America for the weekend, so we wanted a tranquil place where we could easily talk. This was perfect. Quiet, and relaxed, and the addition of a pianist around noon added to the congenial environment. We were very grateful that we could sit and talk for quite a while without being pressured to leave. The menu was varied, with both brunch and lunch selections. Dishes ranged from under $20 to around $30, so it's quite possible to spend relatively little for a lovely view of the park, top-notch service and nice-size portions of excellent food artfully presented. read more

I emailed Roberts to let them know we were celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary, my birthday and my husbands birthday all which are within two weeks of each other. They called to confirm our reservation and I mentioned the above again and they said they would try to accommodate us. We arrived and were greeted with a wonderful table by the window with incredible views of Columbus Circle and Central Park. The staff was very attentive and made great menu suggestions. Our meal was outstanding and was complemented by a pianist with a wonderful singer. My husband ordered dessert which seemed to take a bit of time which we didn't mind since we were having such a wonderful evening. It turns our they brought us three dessert plates, each one celebrating our different occasions. We were very impressed by their attention to detail and how they treated their guests! The food, atmosphere and staff created a magical evening for us. Thank you Roberts! read more

gorgeous space, hip crowd, amazing views. food is elegant and subtle. perhaps a bit too subtte for me, mild flavors. beautifully cooked but delicate. Also extremety expensive. Great wines, great service though, and nice for a special date. even the bathrooms are gorgeous. really.. read more

We went there on January 1st with high expectations considering other reviews. The decor is very nice, although a bit worn out. The service was good. The view was nice, but not breathtaking. And that's where the good things stop. We order ricotta pancakes and steak with eggs. The pancakes were fluffy, but just like the cream/sauce and maple sirup were completely tasteless. You could only feel a sweet flavor, but that's it. The steak was also poor and didn't have any taste, and it came garnished with poorly prepared fries and very underwhelming salad. The basket of bread they greet you with tries to be fancy, but doesn't deliver in taste . And the cocktail we tried (smokyrita -- basically a margarita with some smoky whiskey) was really not very interesting. Is it worth to pay 50% more than other diners in the area for a food that doesn't deliver even 50% of what it promises? Unless you're out of option, or you really need some panoramic (but very partial) view of the city and you have no time to go elsewhere, stay clear of Robert. With the location they have, they could do sooooo much better. read more

This was a real disappointment. On arrival our party of 4 had a rather perfunctory indifferent greeting as we were ushered to the rear reaches of the dining room.I do understand that park view tables are limited even with advance reservations. So, we all looked forward to a delightful dining experience to balance the evening. It didn't happen. Service was slow and not particularly attentive, given an only partially filled dining room. Our cocktails were fine and that's where it ended. Our tuna tartare was bland and tasteless. The pork loin that two of us ordered was large, tender but tastelessly bland and artlessly presented. Dessert was not memorable but the final check was and overpriced. A captain/maitre D. perfunctorily circulated about and managed to bypass us. The overall dining room decor was strikingly contemporary but punctuated by too many worn chairs. As we left the restaurant the one or two greeters didn't raise their heads as we exited. Please note that we dined here on several prior occasions and what we experienced on this evening did a disservice not only to our palates but to the creativity of the marvelous Museum of Art and Design. Time for a new chef and dining room staff. read more