The Lobster Club

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Midtown's Most Unexpected Address

The Lobster Club occupies the historic Seagram Building at 98 East 53rd Street — the onetime home of The Brasserie, a storied 1980s eatery famous for its around-the-clock energy and anything-can-happen atmosphere. That spirit has been deliberately preserved. What Major Food Group has built in its place is a glamorously laidback Japanese restaurant that, as the team puts it, brought downtown cool back to midtown.

The space itself carries its own distinction: The Lobster Club is the first restaurant in America designed by renowned architect Peter Marino, whose touch gives the room a character that matches the ambition of the food.

The Food and the Philosophy

The menu is wide-ranging and built for sharing. Japanese classics — gyoza, yakitori, katsu-style wagyu sandos — are rendered with care and personality. A defining signature of the kitchen is the extravagant array of sauces that accompanies every main, an indulgence that turns each dish into something slightly larger than itself.

The sushi program is serious: fish arrives daily from Tokyo's Toyosu market, one of the world's most respected seafood sources. Grilled entrées, meanwhile, elevate teppanyaki well beyond the expected. The result is a Japanese menu that feels both rooted and inventive, satisfying in the way only confident cooking can be.

Drinks Worth the Attention

The beverage program matches the food's ambition. The cocktail list is considered, the sake selection broad enough to suit different palates, and the wine list has earned recognition from Wine Spectator — a Best of Award of Excellence that places it among the most respected lists in the country. For guests who prefer to bring their own bottles, the restaurant accommodates with a corkage policy.

The Team Behind It

The Lobster Club is a Major Food Group restaurant, the hospitality company founded by Jeff Zalaznick, Chef Mario Carbone, and Chef Rich Torrisi. Their portfolio is built on the idea that each concept should define its own category while maintaining a shared commitment to exceptional food and a thoroughly contemporary sense of place. The Lobster Club does exactly that — a Japanese restaurant that feels entirely its own.