Dowling's at The Carlyle

"Chef Sylvain Delpique cooks a three-course prix fixe for $165 per person. Seatings are from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m reserved on Tock. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m." - Melissa McCart

"Celebrate a new era of dining with the introduction of Dowling’s at The Carlyle. Newly appointed Executive Chef Sylvain Delpique (formerly of 21 Club) has created a menu that features his interpretations of timeless New York favorites and throwback dishes from another era. This latest addition to The Carlyle family is named after Robert Whittle Dowling, former owner of The Carlyle and an influential urban planner known for his passionate efforts over half a century ago to revitalize the city that never sleeps. He acquired the hotel in the 1940’s and was instrumental in turning it into the institution it is today and putting it on the map as a fashionable destination attractive to celebrities, politicians, royalty and tastemakers alike. It is through his whimsical vision that The Carlyle embodies a distinct sense of place, offering a welcoming, intimate and eclectic atmosphere for New Yorkers and visitors alike."

"The famed Bemelmans Bar may garner all the attention at the Carlyle, but it’s not the spot for a proper sit-down dinner. The hotel’s restaurant, once simply called the Carlyle, was closed for nearly two years before it reopened in fall 2021 as Dowling’s. The kitchen, under the direction of former 21 Club chef Sylvain Delpique, nods to fine dining in the 1930s and 1940s with dishes like steak Diane and salt-crusted branzino filleted tableside." - Bao Ong

"The city’s many hotels are also home to some of the best dining rooms fully decked out for the holidays. Dowling’s at the Carlyle is the newest entrant and is perfect for diners seeking a cushy, sophisticated experience. Chef Sylvain Delpique, whose cooking celebrates timeless and nostalgic dishes, is serving a menu with classics like quiche Lorraine, croque-madame, and buttermilk waffles with caramelized apple pecan marmalade for brunch." - Beth Landman

"Dowling’s at the Carlyle — named for Robert Whittle Dowling, an urban planner who acquired the hotel in the 1940s — is all about mid-19th century nostalgia. It is helmed by Sylvain Delpique, the former executive chef at the legendary, now-shuttered 21 Club. The atmosphere in the 80-seat room, and many of the new dishes, are a nod to throwback Manhattan fine dining traditions in the 1930s and 1940s, with Dover sole and salt-crusted branzino filleted tableside. A flambe station adds dramatic flair to dishes like steak Diane, set on fire with a pour of cognac; and a flaming Grand Marnier sundae. A “butcher’s cut” section of the menu includes three cuts of steak alongside roast chicken. A pumpkin ricotta raviolo in hazelnut sage butter, containing egg yolk that bursts in diners’s mouths upon contact, is Delpique’s play on a much-lauded favorite at now-defunct Manhattan fine dining spot San Domenico. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a carving station for prime rib — a weekend brunch highlight. “We are bringing back dishes that might have been forgotten,” says Delpique. “And there is a lot of interaction with guests, which is something many places don’t do anymore.” Under Delpique’s watch, the restaurant is making everything in-house now, from the bread to the smoked salmon, and foie gras terrine. The hotel with its adjoining restaurant, cafe, and bar is a NYC celebrity hotspot, having hosted such bold-faced names as Tom Cruise, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Anthony Bourdain, Lenny Kravitz, Princess Diana, and — just last month — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Controversial filmmaker Woody Allen has not only featured the hotel in his movies, but he has regularly performed with a jazz band at Cafe Carlyle on Monday nights. Prints and paintings from Ludwig Bemelmans adorn the walls in both the bar and — in a special addition for the reopening — the restaurant, too. Dowling’s at the Carlyle is open daily from 7 to 10:30 a.m.; 12 to 2 p.m.; and 6 to 10 p.m. The restaurant is open on Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m. Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are available via Tock." - Beth Landman