“You will be pummeled by luxury,” my friend promised upon hearing that I’d be dining at The Grill with my brother and sister-in-law. Opened last year and tucked into the Seagram Building, The Grill is a “homage to midcentury luxe Continental dining” from the guys at Major Food Group (see: Parm, Carbone, Sadelle’s).

Living in L.A., where a handful of midcentury dining rooms are still operating and in some cases thriving, The Grill’s premise wasn’t exactly novel to me, but I was still excited to experience a contemporary take on the genre. Everything old is new again.

The Grill’s dining room is quite the golden, opulent site. The restaurant’s interior was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a landmark in 1989, and as a result it has remained largely unchanged since its construction in 1959. Hanging over the balcony and over the bar are shimmery sculptures by Richard Lippold (pictured above).

To start, a trio of irresistible breads (dinner rolls, pretzel breadsticks, and slices from a brown loaf) served with equally irresistible chive butter. This was the kind of bread basket that had us all reaching for more even though we knew better than to fill up so early on.

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