Astor Court

This restaurant is located in the St. Regis hotel. It used to be called the King Cole Salon. When I saw that name disappear and get replaced with Astor Court, I got confused and had to do research to see if this is still the same place as King Cole Salon. Turns out, it is.
I don’t like to rush to judgement on bad reviews. Sometimes they just have a bad night. This review describes one particular night, but I’ve been here many times before and so the rating is really based on my overall experience – not just the most recent visit.
I pass through St. Regis every few months. The restaurant is attached to the hotel and is convenient. Despite the name, this seems to be the same people and place as before and so I’m going to just assume that it is for the purposes of this review. Historically, this place has always had good food, but the service has always been been hit or miss. When they hit, it’s exactly what you would expect of a high end place. When they miss, they miss. For example, one time they forgot to bring my entrée… Totally lost the order, despite writing it down on paper. That type of scenario might be unsurprising at a low end place, but this restaurant has no business charging the prices they do when service is that inconsistent and poor.
One thing that has always annoyed me about this place is that the hostess who greets you never seems to smile and sometimes has an attitude. I often eat here alone, usually dressed business casual attire, and I always feel like I’m being judged whenever I walk in. One time I was standing in line to check in and I was ignored in favor of a bunch of folks standing behind me in suits. The hostess sat them first and left me standing there. When she got back, I asked her if I was invisible. Some manager type ran over when he heard me say this and sat me immediately. This time it wasn’t me but my guest who received the attitude. They wouldn’t seat them without a name and room number. Had the name, but didn’t know the room number, so they were sent away until I arrived, even though the place was empty. Unacceptable.
Once seated, we chose what we wanted, closed the menus and put them down on the table, where they sat for 20 more minutes. About 10 minutes in, they asked if we want water – I pointed out a stain on my glass. He took my glass, poured my guest’s water and never returned with a new glass or water for me. They did eventually bring bread, however. They also eventually got to taking the drink order, which they got wrong. To their credit, they did bring out the right one a couple minutes after I pointed it out. By the time we got to actually order food, we had killed at least 30 minutes. We decided to skip appetizers in the interest of time and just order the entrees. Those came out maybe 50 minutes after sitting. The waiter only came to the table for the basics: drink order, food order, bread, and bringing the check at the end. He never really made any appearances beyond that.
The food was good, although it was completely overshadowed by the slow and poor service. By the time we were done, we had one course, two drinks, and an hour and 15 minutes had elapsed. We just wanted to get out of there. We skipped dessert, got the check and left.
We came on a Monday night and the place was empty. I’m not coming back to this restaurant and I may not even come back to the hotel either. Maybe it’s time to try one of Manhattan’s other high end restaurants next time I’m staying in town.

This review is for the AFTERNOON TEA.
If you are going for the St. Regis afternoon tea experience, you should be aware that you will not find anymore the same luxury service that made this place famous. I doubt Salvador Dali’ would spend his time here if he was still alive.
You can check photos on Google to see how the Astor Court has been converted into a regular hotel lounge.
The price for the tea is still $ 55 and the harp is still there, but the tea room is gone and there are now black square glossy tables that look cheap and do not even have table linens! No more waiters with white gloves, no more all-​you-​can-​eat pastries.
I was there this week. There were only two waiters for the entire room and they looked tired and annoyed. The room is now packed with square tables only few inches apart. Lot of tourists with shopping bags, coats everywhere (what’s wrong with checking your coat?), making phone calls and sitting just for an espresso and a glass of water. Nothing wrong in principle, but the for $ 55+tax+tip, I expect table linens and not the same service of a guy who comes just for a $ 5 espresso.
This place is living out the name and if you cannot be satisfied if you are familiar with other tea rooms or the lounges at top hotel like the Mandarin Oriental.

So I went to meet some friends for a very special occasion for tea at the Astor Court in the St Regis. I am so very glad I had this experience. We ordered the tea with champagne. The service was a bit brusque. The food was something else all together. The savory sandwiches: cucumber, roast beef, mini quiche and some others were fresh and delicious. The scones and pastries were served with jam, whipped cream and lemon curd. We sat, we snacked, we talked and then did more of the same. The harpist added to the laid-​back atmosphere. Great thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

We were disappointed with our afternoon tea on Presidents Day, 2014. After having tea at the St. Regis a number of times, we found our experience this day just ok for the following reasons.
Our table was never wiped down from the previous diner, had crumbs all over and wasn’t set up. No table cloth, no liner, nothing. The waiter put our silverware down on the dirty table, thus making us pick up our silver and wiping it down from germs. I did appreciate the black napkin for lint reasons though. Our Champagne came which was delightful and we asked for iced water. Instead came our sandwiches, which were hard and not attractively presented. We asked for water again, and our tea came. My husband had to get up and go to another unset table to get sugar for his tea. When the treats came, it was on a grimy tower, not the regular silver, and basically had nothing but left over petit fours from Valentines Day on it. The clotted cream was attractively presented and tasted fresh. The scones tasted like they were sitting in a warming drawer for a while. We waved down an employee and asked for more hot water. Our waiter was pleasant, but must of had a station somewhere else as well as he wasn’t readily available. The manager did stop by and ask how everything was, so surely he must of seen that out table had never been set up. We felt like we were getting the leftovers from Valentines Day and the St. Regis was simply taking shortcuts. We will go back as we’ve had much better experiences, but for nearly 200 $ for tea for 2, it may be a while. We hope the St. Regis goes back to the standards they had a few years ago.

OK — I get that this place is in the St. Regis, but even taking that factor into consideration, this place is just too egregiously overpriced. $ 9 cappuccino? $ 14 orange juice? Seriously? Did unicorns, leprechauns, and other mythical creatures prepare the food? I really did not care as it was a business meeting and this was not out of my pocket, but as a matter of general principle, the prices were just offensive.
And it was not like as if the food was so memorable that I must eat here every day. Here is the problem — even if you have money to burn and can afford to eat here every day, you can probably buy better for the same price. And if you could not afford to eat here every day, then there is no reason to come here for that special occasion you’re looking to splurge on because there are better places to go.
So on that basis, I can really think of no other redeeming reason to go here… Pass.

Bf enjoyed our afternoon tea here. However, we didn’t think that it was truly worth the $ 55. Sandwiches were quite good as were the scones. The other desserts were okay. Only gets three stars because my jasmine green tea was way too strong. I drink my tea pretty strong to begin with but after steeping for just a few minutes, the green tea was already extremely bitter. The waiter definitely put way too many tea leaves in. It was disappointing because for $ 55, I would expect perfectly brewed tea.

This review is for breakfast/​brunch at Astor Court in the St. Regis, not the accommodations. The five stars are based on my satisfaction following the meals I’ve had here, considering the whole experience and not primarily the food.
This is a great place to go for a classy breakfast or brunch, whether for an intimate celebration or a vacation treat in old world elegance. Astor Court is good for those who appreciate a calm and elegant dining experience. Sure, you could get a good breakfast from a diner but it wouldn’t be served this way. The relaxed atmosphere makes everything taste better. Isn’t that the way a meal should be?
From the beginning, I’ve never had a problem getting a table. Coats are checked, as they should be.
The tables adjacent the windows are large and bright (when the scaffolding isn’t there), while the tables in the main area are serene and comfortable. There are cozy booths and small tables in the center of the room where they recently removed the old carpet to expose the dark hardwood floors.
The table service has ups and downs. It might appear luxurious to have several people tending to your needs at the table, but it seems like too many hands at times. The food comes quick despite being high-​end, but the water refills come slow.
The silver cutlery (Tiffany) and coffee/​teapots are perfectly polished. The china is old but so is the hotel. The linens are fresh, as are the flowers.
The menu is extensive for a formal breakfast, but everything I have had has been very fresh and delicious albeit expensive. A proper, American, complete breakfast for one is about $ 40 – 43 including coffee, toast, and fresh squeezed juice (normally about $ 14 a la carte for juice alone) plus gratuity.
I’ve had a few different menu selections here:
Poached egg with caviar and asparagus — egg was poached perfectly, and the serving of caviar is heaping and generous! Worth it!
Scrambled eggs with salmon — fresh and delicious, not over cooked or runny, which can be a challenge with this mix. Poached egg with caviar was better.
Breakfast potatoes are done right and flavorful although simply fried.
Pancakes — thick and fluffy but not too dry; good syrup although I’m not sure where it’s from
Brioche — a bit dry, but the chive cream cheese makes up for it.
Orange juice — amazing, but probably worth more like $ 5, not $ 14.
Coffee — a bit like Starbucks, but served in silver so you feel better drinking it.
Tea — loose leaves in a silver teapot with separate silver strainer. It could be Lipton for all I care; again, it’s a treat with the silver service.
Every time I’ve been here, the bathrooms have needed some attention.
Despite the areas that could use some minor improvement, I have no complaints and will return happily when a bit of indulgence is appropriate to escape the masses outside.

I enjoyed the piano music most of all, which transported me to Old New York, Gershwin, Cole Porter, etc. The food was impeccable and the presentation was mesmerizing. The décor is grand.

Really Expensive Meal here including the $ 14 Orange Juice. However, dining at Astor court is an one-​of-​a-​kind experience.
The atmosphere for this place is truly an old world elegance. From real floral decoration, chandeliers, to china and silverware that they use are all top of the line.
I was here few days in a row to grab breakfasts and I did enjoy my meal here and I am surprised there are so little reviews of this place. Their egg dishes area really good. From the standard scramble egg/​over easy egg to the fancy Poached egg with American caviar. I also liked their bread baskets, steak and eggs, and fruit platters. This is much finer dining experience in comparison to other hotel breakfast, and they will make things for you even if its not on the menu.
However, their breakfast items are rather limited. I wish they can offer more variety in their breakfast items.

This place is really fine and fancy, love the service and the elegant atmosphere. I also love the high tea because the sandwiches of the afternnon tea are so awesome.

«Great love affairs start with champagne and end with tisane.»
These are the words of Honoré de Balzac which gives you a proper greeting to the Astor Court Champagne Tea. A true test of an afternoon tea is to look at the tea selection. If you see Tealeaves or «T» then rest assured you are on the right path to having a lovely tea time.
St. Regis has an amazing selection of one of my favorite teas – Tealeaves – with choices of Black, Green, Oolong, White, Herbal Infusions and Fruit Tisanes. I typically go for a white or green in the afternoon but I decided to take my cue from Monsieur Balzac and pick a tisane. How could I say no to «Old Blue Eyes» which is a whole fruit infusion tea or tisane. It smells like delicious berries and when you sip it for the first time you are introduced to a hint of vanilla and caramel. When I added my honey, I accidently moaned out loud because I briefly forgot I was in public – thank goodness for the harpist!

It’s on par with the better places that I’ve had afternoon tea at. We did try to get into another place first, but they were all booked up. This is not a shabby second. Not sure why this place doesn’t have very good ratings.

Aaah, the Astor Court! A wonderful place for afternoon tea or a light lunch. The King Cole Bar is adjacent if you want to sit at a bar and have a snort or two. The Maxfield Parrish mural is wonderful (there’s only one other bar with a M.P. mural [Pied Piper] and that’s in San Francisco)
This is NOT the place to go if you like to wear baseball caps and/​or think that tablecloths are uppity.
Splendid, civilized and courtly. Superb service.

I brought a friend visiting from out of town here for afternoon tea. There were about 3 other tables taken. When the waiter came by, I said, «Oh, I think we’ll get this tea option, but not sure what tea we want yet.» He was ridiculously put out.
Then he just ignored us until he brought out the sandwiches, which we thought we hadn’t ordered yet. When we asked him what was in the sandwiches, he looked at us like we were incredibly unsophisticated. Don’t even get me started on how he reacted to the «we are vegetarians and can’t eat that» comment.
Then he just left with the sandwiches, not even giving us a chance to order our tea. When we got our replacement sandwiches, we had to stop him before he bolted away to actually order our tea, and it was so awkward. He acted surprised and like we were acting way out of order.
Except when he was forced to interact with us by bringing the food, he completely ignored us. I’m sorry, but if I pay $ 75 for tea, I expect some respect and a high level of service. Even if we were incredibly obnoxious, high maintenance, and had all sorts of special requests, you should still at least make an effort to pretend. I get better service at the deli down the street.

Just had to write an update on this place. It is expensive but the quality of service is unsurpassed.
The food is always fresh and presented nicely.
It is nice to just sit in the restaurant and grab a newspaper or talk to your other dining partners in such a beautiful room. The hotel is beautiful as well. A must see as it is voted the best hotel in the USA and one of the top ten in the world!

Astor Court, located inside the St. Regis Hotel, is one of the most serene and elegant places to have tea or lunch in all of New York City. The St. Regis is an old New York institution that prides itself on first class service and and superior elegance.
I had a phenomenal experience at the Astor Court for lunch. They have a very international menu that ranges from Tuna tartare to Sheepsmilk Ricotta Ravioli.
My waiter was the best, and it didn’t hurt that he was very generous with pouring our glasses of wine and actually gave us a glass on the house ;)
I had a great experience here, and when I’m looking for that Old World New York feel again, I’ll find myself back at the St.Regis.

Astor Court is divine.
The doorman gave the revolving door a push to usher me indoors. Men take note: the two places you should enter prior to a lady is a revolving door and a taxi. It’s hard to keep that illusion of elegance when pushing a door and/​or scooting across a taxi backseat
Our table of three consisted of one generously sized banquette, two tall chairs, and a large round table. Perfect for a breakfast meeting, we’re not all sitting too close to each other and there’s room for documents/​magazines if need be. I ordered the frittata (eggs, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes) and my hosts had the American breakfast and cream of wheat.
Everyone should always order frittata. It’s always the envy of the table.
The china and silver were immaculate and the service beyond reproach.
The St. Regis may not be sleek and modern, but it has old world charm, and most importantly an abundance of class.

I had a wonderful time at afternoon tea with my friend on a chilly Saturday afternoon. We started the tea service off with a glass of champagne. I was impressed with the tea selection listed on the menu.
Once we placed our tea order, the waiter brought over each of us a plate of six petite finger sandwiches. Since my friend doesn’t like fish, we swapped sandwiches. The four types of sandwiches that I tried were very good. When we finished our sandwiches, the waiter brought us a tray of delicious scones and petite fours.
During the meal, there was a harpist playing some beautiful music. It made the experience even better. The service was outstanding. Our waiter came over regularly to fill our tea pot with hot water as well as check in on us.
The meal was complimentary for the both of us, courtesy of the St. Regis. I had an excellent time and would recommend!

I am a big fan of hotel brunches. Regular brunches are ok, but snobby high-​end overpriced hotel brunches are where it’s at.
I made a mistake of making a res here on a day of 95 degree heat, as well as the day that happened to be the puerto rican independence day thing. Of course, the St Regis is on the corner of 5^th ave. As we approached, I said something like, «If this parade disturbs my snobbrunch I will be very upset.» Luckily, the hotel is well insulated.
Brunch for two was about $ 155, including two $ 18 Bloody Marys (aka Red Snappers — this place supposedly served the first bloody marys in the country many hundreds of years ago). The food was quite good, though I wouldn’t say amazing, and the service was decent, though also not amazing.
Had there been some sort of live jazz or just a tad more atmosphere, it woudl’ve moved it into the four star range, but I’m going to have to stick with three for now.
The search for the ultimate NYC hotel brunch continues.

I had afternoon tea here this past Sunday and they’ve really changed. Though the experience was great, drinking tea with friends and great staff, they’ve gone downhill as far as afternoon tea goes.
I ordered the Chinese Flower tea because I wanted something with a floral aroma. The tea was bitter and I’ve had better. Also, they didn’t have the regular and brown sugar cubes which is a must when I have afternoon tea. We each got four pieces of finger sandwiches which I thought was a bit pricey. I didn’t think it tasted great either but it was too little. I asked if we’re allowed to ask for more sandwiches and our waiter gave us 2 extra plates (that’s 8 finger sandwiches on the house); I can’t say enough about the staff, they were really attentive. The scones weren’t that great; again, I’ve had better for a far much cheaper price. I think they had all these short cakes and dessert goodies but nothing dazzled me. It was just okay. My friends and I agreed that we’ll go try afternoon tea at the Plaza next.
It’s a shame really, because before, they gave you as many finger sandwiches as you wanted but they’ve sacrificed that in order to become more trendy. Thumbs down for food but, again, great service.