Cozy Chic Luxury at the New Queensyard in Hudson Yards

We’re eating our way through Hudson Yards, dear reader (it’s very rigorous work, but someone has to do it!) Our latest stop was Queensyard. And we’re giving it two thumbs up. Here’s our review of Queensyard, one of the many new restaurants to open in New York City at the new Hudson Yards.

the restaurants of hudson yards

It’s still very early days at the new Hudson Yards – when we dined at Queensyard after climbing The Vessel, the restaurant had been open less than two weeks. So there were some hiccups and some growing pains. Kudos to the eatery’s management for fixing the little glitches and making us feel like royalty. In the end, it was a delightful experience.

our review of queensyard restaurant at hudson yards

The location

You’ll find Queensyard at the top of an escalator on the 4^th floor of Hudson Yards. It’s prime real estate, with a spectacular view of Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel, the Shed Arts Center and the Hudson River.

The décor

Think English-chic. Lots of greenery, a rich color palette of forest green and gold with color pops of martial red and nautical blue. The layout is inspired by the rooms of an English country home.

The restaurant is divided into 4 distinct areas: the Restaurant, the Bar, the Kitchen, and the Café.

There’s also a gorgeous Private Dining Room. 

The vibe is casual-swanky: everyone is relaxed, but polished and there’s a sense of refinement that permeates the space (and the patrons).

There’s a spectacular view of The Vessel.

The dining room is filled with light, and has ample foliage to suggest an English garden.

American artist Sarah Moore has created two vibrant murals, entitled St. James Park and Somerset Countryside, as a nod to the tradition of British landscape painting.

There’s a charming bakery with carry-out service and cafe tables.

The service

As we mentioned, when we went the restaurant had only been open for 12 days. So perhaps unsurprisingly, there were a few mis-steps.

At one point, two different waiters seemed to think they were covering our table at the bar, so we got asked every question twice (which is much better than being ignored, of course). Our appetizer made an appearance after we were almost done with our entrees. And the dessert we ordered to share (after asking one of our waiters whether it was good, and asking for 2 forks) was so small that even one of us would have found it insufficient.

Happily, an observant manager asked us how our experience had been, and we reluctantly explained the kerfuffles. He insisted on reversing the charge for the appetizer and for dessert. And he was genuinely interested in hearing the good, the bad and the ugly from us on our experience (there was no ugly, and nothing dramatically bad, by the way).

The mark of a luxurious experience, large or small, is how quickly errors are addressed and corrected. On that front alone, we give Queensyard top marks.

But what about the food?

We visited mid-day and opted for the bar, which was a great choice for a lighter lunch. The menu is short, but the options are all good ones. Four appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts.

We ordered the peekytoe crab as an appetizer.

Then a burger, fried chicken, and mac and cheese (all in the interest of research, of course). My companion gave the crab his endorsement – it disappeared before we could nab a bite of it.

We made do with the bread and butter provided – which suited us just fine.

The burger was just what a burger should be, and the fries are crazy-good.

Ditto the fried the chicken, to our surprise. We were highly skeptical that a British eatery would deliver a proper bite of Southern-fried goodness. But when you dip the chicken into the accompanying aoli, it wakes up your palate in a satisfying way.

The mac and cheese is nothing like what we expected. It’s a hearty, rustic dish served in a ramekin. The pasta is pappardelle, and it’s topped with béchamel sauce, woodland mushrooms, and a shower of Pecorino. It’s comfort food of the highest order. The only downside? If you order this along with a glass of wine, you’ll leave really happy and really sleepy. Content, and ready for a nap. Which might be just what you’re hoping for.

The dessert

About that tiny dessert. It’s meant to be an elegant little snack. Under no circumstances should you order it with the intention of sharing.

Having said that, it’s really good. My companion and I agreed that it was one of the loveliest little New York-style cheesecakes we’ve had in while.

In fact, we liked it so much that we repaired to the Bakery and ordered two of the cheesecake tarts to go, and devoured them after we strolled on the High Line for a hour.

Bottom line?

Really nice atmosphere, attentive service, good food and chic but not stuffy. Nice job, Queensyard. We’ll be back.

tips on food and drink options at hudson yards

One insider tip if you’re planning to visit Hudson Yards anytime soon. Everyone wants to see it, and everyone wants to have a bite to eat. But all of these establishments are brand new, and nearly all of them are experiencing some of the normal opening-weeks issues.

For example, we tried to visit the Hudson Yards Grill at mid-day on a weekday, and there was a 45-minute wait because they didn’t have sufficient serving staff. We spotted lots of empty tables, but they couldn’t be used because they couldn’t cover them. The line for Shake Shack was out the door. And there aren’t that many places that are serving lunch right now.

So word to the wise: either make a reservation, or don’t show up hungry. We’re guessing that in a couple of months, a lot of this will resolve itself. But right now, the excitement about the new mall in town is causing some strain on the food and drink establishments.

Overall, though, we remain really happy with our Hudson Yards adventures. The purists can argue that it’s not “real New York.” We say take your luxury where you can find it. This is a spectacular place. Don’t over-think it. Just have fun.

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