Looking for unique wedding venues with exceptional food in New York? Look no further and read on for five of the most remarkable restaurants in New York with both food and ambiance to match.
The River Cafe, Brooklyn
History of the Restaurant
Restaurateur Michael “Buzzy” O’Keefe had a vision in 1962 to build a high-end, romantic, and sustainable restaurant at the bottom of the Brooklyn Bridge. At that time, it was a desolate and dangerous area that no one wanted to go to, and the bordering East River was a dirty mess. He didn’t give up his dream, and after 12 years of lobbying and 3 years of renovations, The River Cafe opened to the public in 1977. Since then, it’s not only retained its Michelin star since 1988, but has garnered many accolades and remains one of New York City’s most exceptional food experiences. Not to mention, it was listed as one of the most romantic restaurant wedding venues in NYC by the Michelin guide in 2023.
The Romantic Views
The views from all around the restaurant will leave you breathless. You can see the entirety of the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as a large span of the New York Harbor and Manhattan skyline with Wall Street and Tribeca just across the river.
The Food
No other American restaurant has trained and featured as many top chefs. It even coined the term “free-range chicken” to represent chicken that roams freely. As proof, their menu proudly displays classic American cuisine that sources locally from Hudson Valley foie gras, Nantucket Bay scallops, Brooklyn ricotta gnocchi, and California steak and rabbit to name a few.
Wedding Venue Rooms and Capacity
Two rooms are available to host the romantic restaurant wedding of your dreams. First, the Terrace Room can hold up to 100 guests easily. Second, there is the Main Room, which contrary to its name, is actually a small private room with a maximum capacity of 8 people. You’re able to see the Manhattan skyline from either room.
Manhatta, Financial District
The Romantic Views
Manhatta is located sixty floors high in a skyscraper with breathtaking sweeping views of the city from the Financial District. To note, they have 10 different rooms to host a romantic restaurant wedding that’s unmatched in food and ambiance. Making it one of the most coveted wedding venues with an exceptional food experience. Firstly, the rooms range from 690 square feet (64 sq. meters) to 22,000 square feet (2,043 sq. meters). Secondly, the rooms can host from 32 to 250 guests. Lastly, the views of New York range from: East River, the Brooklyn skyline, Manhattan and Williamsburg skylines, Hudson river and the bay, New York Harbor, and the Statue of Liberty.
The Food
Executive Chef Justin Bogle (youngest chef to be awarded two Michelin stars), oversees the constantly changing menu at Manhatta. He takes inspiration from his international influences, to provide a globally influenced menu. Their regular dinner menu features hamachi, black truffle dumplings, barbecued eel, and Hudson Valley trout to name a few. Their wedding package has caviar, lobster rolls, poached halibut, and braised short ribs. On top of that, they have a line-up of decadent desserts including coffee or molasses orange cupcakes, cookies n’ cream cake, apple bites, passion fruit lemon bars, fruity or sweet tarts, various cookies, and French financiers and macarons.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Upstate NY
The Food
Blue Hill‘s motto: “For thirteen years, Blue Hill has cultivated a reputation for refined farm-to-table cuisine, generous hospitality and elegant design.” Despite having preserved two Michelin stars since 2019, they do not have a set menu. Instead, they offer guests a feast with ingredients from their farm and other local Hudson Valley farms to provide the best local and sustainable dishes. What a thrilling feeling to experience such an exceptional food experience on a farm, without knowing what’s on the menu!
Wedding Venue Rooms and Capacity
I had the joy of capturing an uniquely candid New Year’s Eve wedding here. Blue Hill Stone Barns in Upstate New York offers romantic restaurant wedding accommodations in three ways. In fact, there is a private dining room for up to 12 guests, a main dining room for 125 guests, and the Hayloft room for up to 260 guests. The entire property sits on a gorgeous farm with views of their vegetable gardens and pastures. Secondly, their sister restaurant in Greenwich Village in New York City, Blue Hill, offers a garden room that seats 14 and a main room that seats 40 guests. Lastly, they have launched an on-the-road catering service that can come to you!
Palma, West Village
History of the Restaurant
“Food nurtures the soul as well as the body. It is essential for us to feed our guests as we would our family” – Palma, owner and operator. The restaurant is nestled in West Village and provides an intimate and unique ambiance like no other. To start, Palma, a first generation Italian, and her husband Pierre, a Parisian, instantly fell in love when they met in 1987. Next, they started out catering food to entertainment events, but opened Palma in 2001 to steadily host diners as if they were family friends. Their spirit and love shines through, making this one of the most romantic restaurant wedding venues with an exceptional food experience in New York.
The Food
The menu highlights Italian classics such as: focaccia and arancini for antipasti, spaghetti and pappardelle for primi, Pesce and Pollo for secondi, and tiramisu and ricotta for dolci. Palma believes that “every season provides the body with what it naturally craves and needs.” As such, they obtain fresh produce from bio-dynamic farms and farmers’ markets. What’s more, their pasta and focaccia are home-made, in house using traditional recipes. Additionally, they feature sustainable and wild fish, and humanely raised meat and eggs whenever possible.
Wedding Venue Rooms and Capacity
Just because they are in a cozy space doesn’t mean that they don’t have variety – they have six rooms to choose from! To start, the Courtyard Garden is the heart of the restaurant that connects all of the rooms. It has a retractable roof, allowing the space to be open year round, hosting up to 40 guests. Secondly, the Carriage House Kitchen is located in the ground floor of their early 19th century house. Its decor captures the essence of an old kitchen with its hearth and ovens, and hosts up to 16. Thirdly, the Carriage House Library on the second floor holds up to 22, and will make any book-lover swoon. Fourthly, the Terrace is a private outdoor space that overlooks the Courtyard Garden. It hosts up to 10 guests, but is closed from November through April to respect the neighbors. Fifth is the Aperitivo which fits 12, and is located next door. The space looks out onto Cornelia Street through a flower filled window. Finally, the Street-side Garden with flowering plants, ivy, and reeds fill up this outdoor space holding up to 16.
Purslane, Prospect Park Boathouse
The Focus
Purslane is the sole private caterer for the Prospect Bark’s boathouse venue in Brooklyn. “Our expertise lies in creating beautiful, seasonal dishes with an eye toward local and sustainable sourcing.” They are truly pioneers in local sourcing and sustainably because they are New York’s first zero-waste, carbon-neutral catering company. As such, they send nothing to landfill, instead processing their waste through recycling, composting, up-cycling and reuse. Additionally, they invest in carbon sequestration initiatives to align with their values towards prolonging the future of our planet.
The Romantic Views
The boathouse sits on a lake and has views of Prospect Park and the city in the background. Up to 150 guests can freely flow indoors to outdoors through its French windows onto the Beaux-Arts patio. I’ve had the pleasure of capturing several weddings on-site. In fact, one of my favorites was for the fashionable same-sex couple, Oliver and Nick, featured on the Knot.
The Food
Nothing screams a wedding venue with exceptional food experience quite like the food offered by Purslane. As proof, they have a vegetable-forward approach with vegan and gluten-free options, and always with an eye on sustainable and seasonal treats. What’s more, they offer a plethora of foods: bar snacks, hors d’oeuvres, stations (pasta station, raw bar, carving station, taco bar, Mediterranean station, pan-Asian station, sushi station), seated meals (3 courses), small plates (salads, pastas, seafood), and desserts.
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