A grand project by a grand toque, Le Pavillon is master French chef Daniel Boulud’s seventh restaurant in New York City (he presides over a culinary empire, The Dinex Group, with outposts in Dubai, Singapore and beyond). Situated on the second floor of the One Vanderbilt skyscraper — erected in 2020, it’s Midtown’s tallest structure — Le Pavillon celebrates the golden age of French fine dining with lush, oasis-like interiors and picture-perfect contemporary French cuisine by co-executive chefsMichael Balboni and Will Nacev.
Designed by Isay Weinfeld, the bar and lounge provide a contrast to the main dining room’s Zen feel with dramatic floor-to-ceiling views of Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building. Paying homage to the Vanderbilts as well as the original Le Pavillon by Henri Soulé, a New York temple of fine French cuisine that operated from the 1940s to the 1970s, this contemporary French tasting menu restaurant delights with a seasonal, seafood and vegetable-forward menu.
- Featuring lush greenery and a Zen architectural aesthetic, Le Pavillon’s dining room feels like a sanctuary in the heart of bustling Midtown.
- Sip a cocktail (like the Pamplemousse with Aviation Gin, blackberry, Betty Buzz sparkling grapefruit) at the bar and lounge, peer out of the 50-plus-foot windows and admire spectacular unobstructed views of Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building. Come at sunset for the best views.
- If you want an indulgent dining experience, this New York City restaurant is tasting menu only. For lunch, choose from a two-, three-, or five-course tasting. For dinner, a three- or six-course menu tasting is offered.
- The wine list features more than 650 selections overseen by noted Dinex Group wine director Daniel Johnnes, with strong representation among the best Châteaux of Bordeaux and Domaines of Burgundy.
- A signature dish is the oysters Vanderbilt — oysters gratinée with hazelnut, bacon and a seaweed crust — created specifically for the restaurant as an homage to the Vanderbilts, the building, and Grand Central Terminal’s famous oyster house.
- Designer Weinfeld worked closely with Boulud to execute the vision for Le Pavillon — both as a space of meeting and gathering, à la the public pavilions in France, and as an homage to New York’s original Le Pavillon restaurant by Henri Soulé.
- A highlight of the design is the dramatic glass chandelier by Andy Paiko, which hangs above the bar and is framed by cityscape views behind it.
- In the main dining room, lush foliage frames a muted palette of pale grays and natural wood for a naturally calming effect that brings you back to nature.
