New York City has some of the best rooftop with the most beautiful views. Nothing like seeing the skyline at sunset, or in plain day light. Ophelia NY is one such places and a delight to have Sunday brunch at. Located atop the Beekman Tower in the Upper East Side, just a few minutes away from the United Nations, it’s now become one of my favorite places in NYC.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Ophelia is the location. It feels a bit random, not gonna lie, as most rooftop bars typically aren’t located in that area of Manhattan. But that’s one reason that makes the place so unique and the views are absolutely breathtaking. On one side is Manhattan itself and on the other are Roosevelt Island, the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and Queens.
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Something else that makes Ophelia NY so unique? It’s beautiful ceiling of course! As you get out of the elevator on the 26th floor of Beekman Tower, look up and you’ll see hundreds of pearls, lights and snowflakes dropping from the ceiling for a magical effect. I am betting it is even more spectacular at sunset or during golden hour.
As I am preparing to leave New York City and move back to Edinburgh, I am trying to cross as many places off my bucket list as I can. That has included Blue Box Café, Alice’s Tea Cup and now, of course, Ophelia NY. Besides the views and Instagrammable decor, one thing that really made me want to go to the rooftop was their Sunday brunch offering: Top of The Tower.
Top of the Tower is only available on Sundays, from 12pm to 4pm. It is Ophelia’s signature 3-tiered brunch tower for two, filled with sandwiches, tartines, quiches and fresh fruits. There are different options available, starting at $49 per person and going up to $79 per person. We personally went for the Beekman Tower, the $49 option and it was more than enough food.
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I would not call this an afternoon tea even though the format is somehow similar. That’s the 3-tier cake stand I guess. But if I wear to compare with previous afternoon teas I have been too with similar offering on the cake stand, I would say that Ophelia ranks very high in terms of quality and quantity. The savories were so good and I loved the scones. They are smaller than what I am used to but were delicious. I think having fresh fruits on there is also a brilliant idea.
The cocktails were lovely too. I got the Ophelia’s Mimosa which was so so good; and my husband got the watermelon refresher. I am usually not a fan of Bourbon-based cocktail but this one was absolutely delightful. Service was great and fast. We got our drinks pretty much immediately after we ordered and the brunch towers followers just a few minutes later. All in all, it was a very nice experience and now one of my favorite places in New York City.
We were seated outdoors on a high top table and had a fantastic view of the Queensboro Bridge and East River. I recommend booking early and adding a note regarding getting an outdoor table, as I believe that really enhanced the experience. In conclusion, I absolutely recommend Ophelia NY for brunch and would be very curious to give it a go at sunset on a date night!
What do you think of Ophelia NY? Have you been there before? Are you planning to go? For brunch or for a date night?
Thanks a lot for stopping by. Hope you liked this post.
See you soon,
Love,
Corinne.
