Inside the Coziest Restaurant in Hudson Yards

Now that winter is coming (though it feels like it's already here), we're on the hunt for cozy places to go where we can snuggle up with a nice and relaxing meal, far from the drafty winter air. Located on the fourth floor of the Shops and Restaurants, Hudson Yards Grill may very well be that ideal spot; not only is it far, far, far away from the cold, but it serves up the kind of classic American foods you'll want to hunker down with once the temperatures drop.

Certainly it was the right place to go on the first brisk  day of the year this week, when we hosted a cocktail hour reception for our residents. Guests enjoyed an open bar and tastings of Executive Chef Michael Lomonaco's classic dishes straight from Hudson Yards Grill's menu.

While many of the restaurants in Hudson Yards offer more of a formal dining experience, Hudson Yards Grill is very much intended to be a casual, American brasserie, according to Lomonaco.

"We saw an opportunity to serve people who weren’t being served by the other restaurants that are more upscale," he says, "We are the restaurant that everyone can come to at some point in their day."

Hence, the menu features classics like a Prime Beef Bacon Cheddar Burger – made a special blend of Pat LaFreida beef created for Lomonaco – a Caesar Salad, clam chowder and a vanilla sundae, as well as some more unexpected – but still beloved – favorites like sushi and quinoa risotto.

The burger at Hudson Yards Grill (credit: Alexa Bendek)

Lomonaco is a native New Yorker, who has cooked at many iconic places in the city; he also runs Porter House Bar & Grill in the Shops at Columbus Circle, and has also worked at 21, Guastavino’s and Windows on the World. Cooking at Hudson Yards – which he calls "the most exciting thing to happen to New York in decades" – feels like the next logical step.

"Maybe it’s my New York roots that make me feel that I want to be part of something that is part of the fabric of New York City, part of the actual lifeblood of New York City," he says, "I get a lot of personal satisfaction in that association."

Still, what sets Hudson Yards Grill apart from the other restaurants in Hudson Yards, according to Lomonaco, is that it is intended to be a neighborhood spot, where locals can come enjoy an easy, delicious meal any day of the week.

"Our customers are not just the shoppers in the shopping center or the visitors coming to see Vessel, but it’s actually the people who live across the street," he said, "The local neighborhood is who we serve, first and foremost."

Michael Lomonaco in Hudson Yards Grill (Credit: Alexa Bendek)

Lunch Hours
Monday-Sunday 11:30am-4:00pm

Dinner Hours
Monday-Sunday 4:00pm-10:00pm

Location: Level 4 of the Shops and Restaurants

The Related Life is written and produced by Related Luxury Rentals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest events, news and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.