

Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson is a vibrant contemporary American restaurant from Marcus Samuelsson within the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Metropolis is the culinary anchor of this new cultural cornerstone of Lower Manhattan and is honored to play a role in the final chapter of rebuilding the World Trade Center site. Its menu explores the rich culinary traditions of New York City through a modern lens with theatrical cocktails, a fun and worldly wine list, and gracious hospitality. Designed by David Rockwell, Metropolis features a dazzling and yet warmly inviting dining room and a bustling bar, a landscaped outdoor terrace and a lobby lounge featuring free-to-the-public artistic programming.
Address and Contact Information
Address: Located in, Performing Arts Center, 251 Fulton St, New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 266-3018
Website: https://www.metropolisbymarcus.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
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Related Web Results
Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson: Home
The Metropolis: Apartments in Midtown East, NYC
Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson – Perelman Performing Arts Center
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Reviews
One important heads-up: Because it is inside the PAC, there is a security screening upon entering the building. Don’t let this deter you—it’s quick, and honestly, it makes the venue feel a bit more exclusive.
We stopped in after work and ordered from the Happy Hour menu (5-7 PM). The cocktail list is solid ($10 drinks in this area is a steal), but the bar bites stole the show.
The Metropolis Burger is excellent and comes with a signature “M” branded onto the bun—a nice touch. The Berbere Fried Olives and Red Cornbread with goat’s milk butter were perfect for sharing.
Definitely save room for the dessert; the presentation is fantastic.
The live DJ was the cherry on top. It was pleasantly unexpected and created a relaxing backdrop for unwinding—energetic but not too loud for conversation.
If you work near the World Trade Center and want a sophisticated place to decompress, this is it. Just be ready for the brief bag check!
What was good:
-The food. We ordered the cornbread, the salad and the steak tartare.
-The cornbread was hot and fresh with a crunch on the outside and delectable moistness on the inside. The red miso spread that came with it was actually inspired. Brilliant and delicious.
-The salad was not only the prettiest salad we ever did see, but it was also inspired. Never knew cabbage could be so good.
-The steak tartare was unique in appearance but it was delicious. My dinner partner is a connoisseur of tartare and he said it was one of the best he’s ever had.
-The lighting and flatware were thoughtful and well-designed.
What was bad:
-We were sat at a half chair half booth table. The booth seats are too low for the table. I’m 5’4 and if I hadn’t used my coat to form myself a booster seat, my chest would have been parallel to the edge of the table.
-Our first dish arrived before our water. We also had no napkins and had to ask for them.
-Our second dish arrived before our cocktails. We decided to let it sit awhile, hoping the cocktails would arrive. After some time, we flagged the waitress and she said they would be out soon.
-Our third and final dish, the steak tartare, arrived but the runner said it was steak and eggs. We asked him to clarify mentioning that we ordered the steak tartare and he said “oh yeah, same thing.”
-The Jerusalem bagel that came with the tartare was TOUGH. If we hadn’t been on the clock to get to a play in the building, I would have mentioned it to the staff. We had to wrench it with our teeth like stale taffy. My partner gave up. I tried a little longer, and my teeth hurt the rest of the evening.
-Our cocktails only arrived to the table after the 3rd dish was placed down and my friend’s drink order arrived incorrect. He asked for a bone dry martini. It arrived with vermouth. He didn’t even order it “bone dry” He specifically said “no vermouth”
I had wanted to try the “Ebenezer’s Cap” but when it arrived, I saw that it should have been placed on the After Dinner drinks list because it was nightcap-esque (I probably should have deduced this from the name and the ingredients). So, I decided to save the drink for the end of the meal and placed an order for a martini.
-Halfway through our final course, I checked on the status of the martini and was asked “Would you like your martini now?” I expressed my confusion over the question. The waitress then explained that they have to-go drinks for the theater. I was not aware of this and it was not what I asked for. The martini then only arrived after we finished our meal.
-We asked to split the check. The waitress put the whole thing on my friend’s credit card.
When the martini arrived after our meal, I asked if the restaurant could make things right. They did eventually remove one of the drinks from our bill, which was very appreciated, but there was a certain lack of hospitality that we had to inquire.
Booked a reservation for two for my significant other’s birthday. My partner and I try to out-do each other every year with amazing dining experiences but thanks to Metropolis by Marcus, I think I have him beat for at least the next few.
Menu:
-Concise number of menu options that all work together. We ordered the Steak and Eggs (which our amazing server, Ira, described as a take on a traditional Ethiopian dish), the Cornbread, the Sugar Hill Nights (the juiciest fried chicken I’ve ever had outside my mother’s kitchen), and the M Steak. Every dish was not only delicious but also intriguing as there were various tastes, textures, colors, and fragrances all beautifully plated.
Ambiance:
-Walking up the staircase to enter the restaurant, we felt as though we were a part of the city yet entering a specially curated experience. The security staff were thorough and friendly.
-A live music performance by a lovely songstress (apologies I did not get her name but she performed 05/02/25) began around 5:30PM. She sang one of my favorite songs, Allen Stone’s Give You Blue, and I was sold!
Hospitality:
-Our main server Nelly was absolutely excellent. She communicated effectively, inquired about allergies, checked in, and even made sure we left on time to travel from the restaurant to our Broadway play on time.
-Ira who I mentioned earlier was kind and very informative about the menu’s intention and design.
-Isaiah politely stopped us on our way out to invite us to return soon on a Thursday-Saturday evening and enjoy once again.
-There was a gentleman at the entrance who confirmed our reservation and escorted us to our table who was very kind and made us feel welcomed!
Absolutely recommend, run—don’t walk! See attached photos if you’re a foodie 🙂
They offer a happy hour deal Tuesdays to Saturdays from 5 to 7, which includes drinks for $10 or less, and small bites.
Price: $156 w/ tip (split for 2)
I walk by this spot on my way to work weekly and have been wanting to check it out for awhile. I’m not familiar with the theater which is my mistake, bc I did come in thinking the audience would be more… cultured. When I sat, it felt like I was with a few tourists to realize it’s the lobby of the theater inside.
My friend and I had a reservation around 6 which I understand is early for the crowds. Okay. But we didn’t get served until 6:25 and it took a lot of eye contact with the host, waiters, for someone to come by. I am not still fully convinced we even had a waiter assigned to us because there were a few other times it was questionable. Things we ordered:
– Oysters: 0/5 – do not get. These taste weird.
– Fluke crudo: 5/5 – absolutely delicious
– Brussel sprouts: 4/5 – nothing special
– Seaport lasagna: 6/5 – mouth-watering so good
– Crispy snapper: 4.5 / 5 – good but the curry was meh
I also went online and just noticed we didn’t get served their happy hour menu. Very interesting. I’m glad I went because I would always wonder, but this place isn’t worth it to me based on the poor service.
Just an update, the restaurant is very good on responding and apologizing to those of us with expensive bad experiences, yet with a 4.2 rating nothing ever changes. We were at the restaurant on a Friday night and no one was there. There’s a reason for that. Unless Samuelson gets a grip on this place, can’t imagine it will last very long.