For my birthday this year, my husband surprised me with an epic New York date: We visited Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and then dined at The Modern, a two-Michelin-starred contemporary American restaurant.
The restaurant is housed within the museum, overlooking a sculpture garden, and surrounded by the lively Bar Room and the outdoor Terrace—both of which share a separate menu. (Tip: For a super snazzy event, The Modern offers the Kitchen Table, a front-row seat in the restaurant’s kitchen for up to four guests “with an enhanced tasting menu by Executive Chef Tom Allan.”) We dined in the Modern’s main atrium, our chairs turned slightly toward the garden view.
Our review? Worth it—for people who love food, enjoy a long dining experience, and like an attentive server. I will note that this restaurant had a slightly more casual feel that some of the other fine dining experiences we’ve tried over the last few years. For the most part, I enjoyed that distinction. The servers weren’t stuffy in the slightest, and I loved chatting between courses. It was perhaps the bathroom that was the strangest part. I couldn’t quite get the door to lock or find the trash can. But I’m not a restaurant critic, and I don’t really care if your bathroom is chaotic as long as I get a killer cocktail.
If you’re interested in dining at The Modern, or just want to see some fun photos, keep on scrolling. I’ve also sprinkled in some tips for getting the most out of your meal.
Visiting The Modern in August 2023
Reservations
The Modern restaurant accepts reservations up to 28 days in advance. The website turns over at noon (East Coast Time), and available spots fill up quickly. For example, on September 9th, the farthest you can book in advance is October 7th starting at 12:00 pm ET.
Payment and Tipping
The Modern runs like a typical restaurant, with the check dropped at the end of the meal sans tip. The one exception is if you’re dining at the Kitchen Table, the exclusive behind-the-scenes space with an enhanced menu. To book this option, you’ll be asked to pre-pay for your meal. This is currently listed at $325 per person.
The current prices for The Modern’s main dining room are $250 per person for the tasting menu (six main courses, two desserts, and a surprise or two) and $195 for the wine pairing. We opted for cocktails over wine, which cost $20 each. There is also a prix fixe option during lunch for $150 per person.
We enjoyed a $100 discount via the inKind app, a platform that allows you to acquire bonuses for dining at select restaurants in the United States. The best part was that the Modern didn’t make the discount awkward. It was very simple to use the app, and our server was happy to assist if we had any questions. Here’s more information about the inKind app (and a bonus!).
Dress Code
Jackets are not required, but most men were wearing one. Business causal seemed to be the norm. A formal dress code isn’t currently listed on their website or in the reservation confirmation.
Food & Drinks
There were a few stand out dishes—one of which is the chef’s famous “Eggs on Eggs on Eggs.” It’s composed of an egg yolk, sturgeon caviar, and egg sauce presented in an egg-shaped dish with a crispy bread slice for dipping. This was phenomenal, and probably the part of the meal I remember most. Other favorites were the sweet corn and peekytoe crab and the roasted lobster with lemon grass and summer squash. Ryan doesn’t always prefer lobster to other meats, but this was perfectly cooked and sitting in a delicious froth. The duck was also both crispy and tender. Every time I eat at a fancy pants place (not often), I forget that well-cooked duck is pretty magical. Ryan could have gone for a scoop or two more of few of things; I was in a comfortably full place.
The chef’s signature dish: “Eggs on Eggs on Eggs”
I didn’t think I’d care much about the sorbet, partially because I usually lose steam by the dessert, but the summer melon and verbena course was so refreshing. I had no idea was verbena was—if you’re in the same boat, it’s a flowering plants in the genus Verbenaceae, comprised of 150 different species. The sorbet had a light, lemony taste that paired well with the richer melon flavor.
We sampled four cocktails. Of the two I tried, the Paper Plane was very tasty, but I have a friend who makes them to perfection and he’s spoiled me on ordering them in restaurants. The Martini from their Classic menu was my favorite. It was mixed with “Brooklyn Gins, Vodka, Dry & Blanc Vermouths, Pear Eau de Vie,” and garnished with an apple that tasted both sweet and salty. I still think about that garnish, and I wish I’d had two!
I didn’t leave a single drop of this broth! There’s a lobster hiding under the summer squash.
Service
We really enjoyed our server, Steve. He was both very knowledgeable and personable. At some tasting menus, the waiter doesn’t have a spot of personality, or you’re seeing new faces throughout the evening and don’t have the opportunity to connect.
A happy birthday message from “The Modern Team”
Museum
This date night was made all the more fun with a trip to the MoMA prior to dinner, which I hadn’t visited since their renovation. The museum reopened in October 2019 with a new collection space, but the world shut down soon after due to the pandemic. The museum is currently open until 7 pm on Saturday and 5:30 pm the rest of the week. We arrived about an hour and a half before our 6 pm dinner. This gave us time to see the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition and much of the 5th floor. There’s a connecting hallway between the Modern and the MoMA on the first floor.
Visiting New York?
Attractions within walking distance include Rockefeller Center/Top of the Rock, The American Girl Place, Radio City, The Plaza Hotel, and Central Park. Times Square is about a 12-minute walk south.
Here’s a few things to consider packing for your trip:
Paper MTA map – Yes, Google Maps is great. But it’s not reliable underground. Either take a picture of the subway map and keep it handy on your phone, or get a cheap paper map.
Portable charger – My phone always runs out of juice when I travel. Here’s the portal charger I use for my iPhone (cables included).
Comfortable shoes – And don’t wear flip flops. There is a high probability someone will unknowingly step on the back of your sandal, break it, and leave you shoeless in Times Square.
Outlet converter – If you’re traveling from another country, don’t forget to get a travel adaptor. You can find a “universal” one for about $25—I’ve been using this outlet converter for about 10 years.
Layers – New York can occasionally get all four seasons in one day. Be sure to pack accordingly, and consider water-resistant shoes if lots of rain is in the forecast.
“The main facts in human life are five: birth, food, sleep, love, and death.”