The Modern

About The Modern

The Dining Room at The Modern looks straight onto the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, a wall of glass between your table and a Rodin. Thomas Allan has run the kitchen since 2020 and holds its two Michelin stars, cooking contemporary American food for Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group at the Museum of Modern Art. The dinner choice is two tasting menus: Impressions at $175 and the longer Abstractions at $275. The eggs on eggs on eggs is the dish regulars come back for.

The Kitchen

Thomas Allan cooks a refined, slightly playful contemporary American menu, framed at dinner as a choice between two paths: Impressions, a tighter run at $175, and Abstractions, the full signature experience at $275. The most-ordered dish is the eggs on eggs on eggs, and the seasonal lineup moves through chilled lobster with shiso and green radish, sea bass with crab and squash blossom, and foie gras with morel mushrooms.

The address is 9 West 53rd Street, inside MoMA, with a four-guest Kitchen Table at $345 for those who want the cooking in front of them. The dated proof is two Michelin stars, held under Allan since he took the kitchen in 2020, within Danny Meyer's hospitality group whose service standard is the city's benchmark. See it among the best fine dining worldwide, the full New York dining guide, or plan a working dinner with our best New York restaurants to close a deal.

The Room

The Dining Room is bright and serene, the sculpture garden doing the decorating through floor-to-ceiling glass; by dusk the room glows and the garden lights come up. Sound is conversation-easy, tables generously spaced, the Union Square Hospitality service warm and exact. Dress is smart; jackets are common at dinner though not required. Seating is unhurried, sized for couples and small business tables, with the separate Bar Room offering a livelier a la carte option. For a deal, the Dining Room is the quiet, flattering choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Modern worth it?

Yes, especially for a business dinner or special night. The Modern holds two Michelin stars, Thomas Allan's contemporary American cooking is precise, and the Dining Room's view over MoMA's sculpture garden is one of the best in Midtown. Service from Danny Meyer's group is the city's benchmark. At $175 for Impressions or $275 for Abstractions it is a splurge, but the room and the polish justify it.

How hard is it to book The Modern?

Moderately hard. The Dining Room books two to four weeks out on Resy, with prime evenings going first. The four-seat Kitchen Table at $345 is the hardest get and worth planning around. If the Dining Room is full, the adjoining Bar Room takes a la carte bookings and is far easier. Set a Resy alert for your date.

What is the dress code at The Modern?

Smart. Jackets are common at dinner in the Dining Room but not required, and the room reads as polished rather than stuffy. Dress as you would for a two-star New York dinner. The Bar Room is a touch more relaxed. Smart-casual is the floor for either space.

What should I order at The Modern?

At dinner, choose Abstractions at $275 for the full signature run, or Impressions at $175 for a tighter evening. Look for the eggs on eggs on eggs, the dish regulars return for, plus the chilled lobster with shiso and the foie gras with morels. The wine pairings are strong if the occasion warrants them.