Aretsky's Patroon

"Full disclosure: this place is an expensive Midtown restaurant, where the food is decent, but tastes a lot better if someone else’s corporate card is paying for it. But things change if you book a table on the second-story, open-air roof. Surrounded by twinkling lights and green shrubbery, you can appreciate the juicy lamb chops and thick, pillowy crab cakes—dishes that needed a breather from the suit-and-tie crowd downstairs to feel fresh again. To be honest, the suits are up here too, but their ties are loose enough not to harsh the vibe of a wind-down dinner or rooftop date. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, molly fitzpatrick

"Aretsky’s Patroon is a white-tablecloth restaurant on 46th Street with pricey but good American food, like lamb chops and cobb salad. It’s the kind of place where you ideally only eat when someone else is picking up the check - but the three-story space also has a rooftop bar where you can just hang out and drink with a group." - hannah albertine

"Aretsky’s Patroon is a white-tablecloth restaurant on 46th Street with pricey but good American food, like lamb chops and cobb salad. It’s the kind of place where you ideally only eat when someone else is picking up the check - but the three-story space also has a rooftop bar where you can just hang out and drink. It’s a great spot in Midtown to avoid the big crowds you usually find at rooftops, and there’s plenty of room for groups. If you want to really fit in here, dress business casual. And if you don’t know what that means, just look at your closet and think, “What would I wear to a bar mitzvah?”" - bryan kim

"Aretsky’s Patroon is an upscale restaurant in Midtown where you go to eat a pricey rack or lamb and hope someone else pays for it, and it has a relatively casual rooftop that’s great for after-work drinks. It isn’t very high, but it has a big outdoor space with round tables and shrubbery, and it’s great for when you want to have a low-key martini and complain about The Mets or your job with a few people who are dressed business casual. There are also some snacks like fries and tuna tartare, if you need to pick at something." - Bryan Kim

"The first thing to know about Aretsky’s Patroon is that this place is very expensive. It’s nice inside - with leather booths, a long wine list, and good service - but it’s not a place we’d send you to spend your own money, unless you have so much that you can’t actually remember how much you get paid every month. If you’re getting lunch or dinner on your corporate card, though, that’s a different story. The large plates on the meat-focused menu, like rack of lamb or suckling pig, are fine, but the best dishes here are actually the sides, especially the wild mushrooms over blue cheese grits. If you don’t quite finish talking shop at the table, continue over some drinks on the roof." - Matt Tervooren