Robert Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Modern Classic Above the City

Perched atop the Museum of Arts and Design at 2 Columbus Circle, Robert Restaurant occupies one of the more singular dining rooms in New York City. The views alone — Central Park stretching north, Columbus Circle turning below — would be enough to draw a crowd. But Robert earns its place on a curated list of recognized restaurants through something more considered: a commitment to design, atmosphere, and modern American cooking that holds up well beyond the scenery.

Chef Armando Cortes leads the kitchen, shaping a menu that the restaurant describes as celebrating "culinary delights" alongside beauty and design. The space itself is an extension of that philosophy. Commissioned artworks are woven throughout the room: Johanna Grawunder's suspended orange Lucite boxes titled Tangerines line the windowed perimeter, her Cherry Blossom chandelier — a mobile-like installation of LED-lit Lucite panels — hangs overhead, and Phillip Michael Wolfson's sculptural steel Sound Wave anchors the social center of the room with a 15-foot communal table bisected by a six-foot wave form. Teresita Fernández's Night Writing (Equator) adds a quieter, more contemplative note. Dining here is, in effect, dining inside a gallery.

The Atmosphere

Robert calls itself "elegant, sexy, and romantic" — and the setting supports all three. Signature cocktails are as much a part of the experience as the food, particularly at sunset on weekends when the light over the park shifts and the city does what it occasionally does: becomes briefly beautiful in a way that stops conversation. Live music runs regularly through the week, with performers scheduled most evenings and Sunday brunch sessions, giving the room a warmth that keeps it from feeling purely aspirational.

Recognition and the Wine List

Wine Spectator recognized Robert with its Award of Excellence, a distinction that reflects genuine depth and curation in the cellar. For a restaurant that also functions as an event venue — corporate gatherings, weddings, private celebrations — maintaining a wine program at that level signals that the kitchen and bar are taken seriously across all occasions, not just during regular service.

Private Events and Versatility

The space accommodates private events with the same backdrop that makes the dining room compelling: the skyline, the park, and the art. Chef Cortes's menu carries through to private dining, and the room's design — already conceived as an integrated artistic environment — translates well to celebrations that want something more than a standard event space.

For modern American cuisine in a setting that genuinely earns the word remarkable, Robert delivers on its own terms.