230 Fifth Rooftop and my opinion about the brunch

Your experience in New York will be complete only if you see the city from above. Believe me, see all skyscrapers, hear the noise of the city and admire its colors is amazing and exciting. In addition to the observatories, there are other ways to see New York from above: the rooftops. They are bars that are on top of buildings – and to be on top, you can imagine the amazing views, right? One of the most famous and known by tourists is 230 Fifth.

I had seen many pictures of the place, but I had never been there. Then, I heard that, on weekends from 10am to 4pm, they offer a brunch buffet for $29 per person. I thought it was interesting and, a few days ago, we’ve been there. 230 Fifth is one of the largest and most famous rooftops of the city, and the reason is because the incredible view of Empire State.

We were there on a Sunday, around noon. The rooftop does not accept reservations for groups smaller than 12 people, but we had no trouble getting a table. The day was beautiful and the view is really sensational. The outdoor area has an amazing atmosphere and is full of seats. It is the perfect place to have a few drinks in the sunset or at night, I have no doubt.

O buffet do brunch fica no andar inferior, na parte interna do local. Você tem que descer as escadas, servir-se e voltar para a parte externa. Não é a coisa mais prática, mas também não é tão ruim. As bebidas você pede na mesa. Agora, falando da comida em si, sinceramente, não recomendo. Acho que não vale os U$29 pagos por pessoa. Há bastante opções sim – burger, saladas, panquecas, french toast, ovos, batata, macarrão, cookies – todos aqueles pratos clássicos de brunch. Mas a comida não tem nada de mais. Não achei os pratos saborosos e já comi em lugares infinitamente melhores. Meu marido, que é fã de brunch, também não curtiu. Jamais repetiria a experiência, porque, com U$29 por pessoa, eu consigo comer um brunch muito mais gostoso, com pratos preparados individualmente. Acho que a quantidade de comida, nesse caso, influencia direto a qualidade. Não foi o tipo de comida que eu provei e pensei: nossa, que coisa mais gostosa, preciso repetir. Não curti mesmo.

The brunch buffet is downstairs. You have to go down the stairs, serve yourself and return to the rooftop. It’s not the most practical thing, but it’s not so bad. You order the drinks at your table. Now, speaking about the food, sincerely, I don’t recommend. I think it doesn’t worth $29 per person. There are a lot of options – burger, salads, pancakes, french toast, eggs, potatoes, pasta, cookies – all those classic brunch dishes. But the food is not good. I didn’t think that it was delicious and I’ve eaten in infinitely better places. My husband, who is a fan of brunch, also didn’t like. I will not repeat the experience because, with $29 per person, I can eat a much better brunch. I believe that the amount of food, in this case, directly influences quality. It was not the kind of food I tasted and I thought “I need to get more of this”.

Speaking a little more about the place structure, it is worth remembering that 230 Fifth opens every day – even during the winter, because it has closed area as well. And it’s a really nice area with a neat lounge and tables placed next to windows that overlook the buildings in the city. I think 230 Fifth fulfills well its role of rooftop bar, for those who want to enjoy a nice view and take some drinks (the drinks cost $ 14 on average and beers are $ 9). But for brunch, there are other much better options.

Remember that access to the rooftop is free and you only pay for what you consume. It is also good to check the website – there is a dress code for Friday and Saturday night.