Per Se

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Thomas Keller's New York Flagship

Per Se is Thomas Keller's New York City expression of the same obsessive precision that built his reputation at The French Laundry in Yountville. Situated on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle, the restaurant looks out over Central Park through generous floor-to-ceiling windows — a view that frames every meal before a single course arrives.

A Room Built for the Long Table

The two-tiered main dining room holds just 16 tables, a deliberate restraint that keeps the atmosphere intimate without feeling hushed or stiff. Large windows ensure that every seat carries the view, and the modern space — clean lines, warm service, no unnecessary theatre — lets the food and the occasion do the talking. For those not committing to the full experience, the salon offers à la carte ordering without a reservation, including a couch facing Central Park South that has quietly become one of the better-kept open secrets in Midtown Manhattan.

Menus That Never Repeat

Per Se offers two tasting menus, and both change every single day based on what is fresh and seasonal. The kitchen works directly with farmers and foragers, meaning the menu that arrives at your table tonight has never existed before and never will again. A full sitting runs approximately four hours — unhurried, deliberate, and structured around the rhythm of the meal rather than the clock.

This commitment to seasonality and daily reinvention is central to what Keller's team has built here. It also explains why Per Se holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating and carries Wine Spectator's Grand Award — recognition that reflects not a single brilliant night but a sustained, repeatable standard across the full arc of the American fine dining experience.

French Technique, American Ingredients

The cooking sits at the intersection of French classical technique and American produce, a pairing that Keller has made his own across decades. The sourcing is rigorous, the execution precise, and the service — trained to anticipate rather than intrude — matches the food in its attention to detail. Per Se is also a member of Les Grandes Tables du Monde and Relais & Châteaux, affiliations that place it within a global network of restaurants held to the highest standards of hospitality.

Private dining and event spaces are available for those looking to bring a group into this world on their own terms.