The Lobster Club

"What It Is: The brightly-colored Japanese restaurant in the same building as The Grill Perfect For: See and Be Seen, Corporate Cards The Lobster Club is the third and final new restaurant in the Seagram Building in Midtown, along with The Grill and The Pool. The food is Japanese, the seats are bright pink and green, and the atmosphere is sort of “if Austin Powers actually had good taste.” While everything we tried was good, we liked the cooked food, like the wagyu and uni starter or dishes from the teppanyaki grill, more than the sushi. Although they serve things like a sushi roll topped with foie gras and truffle, it’s a more relaxed experience than The Grill, and it feels like a place to hang out, rather than to celebrate something - other than having the kind of money that would allow you to hang out here. Stop by the bar if you want to check it out without committing to dinner. The Verdict: It’s fun, and the food is good - and for that, it makes our Hit List. You’ll probably have to make your own call about whether this is the kind of place you want to spend your time and money." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren

"Located in the former Four Seasons complex, this Japanese brasserie  — also run by the Carbone dudes, but less of a scene — is one of midtown Manhattan’s most impeccably designed restaurants. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost recently attended a party here, where I imagine Johansson enjoyed their lobster dumplings, wagyu beef, and spicy toro rolls. If you go, don’t even think about asking if they serve California rolls." - Deuxmoi

"Perched at the end of the famed Santa Monica Pier, The Lobster is the kind of place that'd show up in the dictionary under "tourist trap." There's no denying the panoramic ocean views from the dining room, but you'll pay for it in the form of middling, overpriced seafood dishes. Whatever you do, don't get suckered into buying the overcooked lobster (flown in from Maine). If a sunset pier moment is on your bucket list, you're better off grabbing a burger and a beer at Big Dean's a few steps away." - Garrett Snyder

"According to an Eater report in 2013, the team had originally wanted the space to function as a sandwich shop called the Lobster Club (the team later opened the Lobster Club as a Midtown full-service restaurant)." - Emma Orlow

"The Lobster Club marks the third act in the revamping of the old Four Seasons dining room, housed within the landmark Seagram Building. The interior now looks like a mod Japanese brasserie, thanks to a white onyx bar counter, pink and chartreuse upholstery, as well as walls hung with bold artwork. Chef Tasuku Murakami’s menu may be sizable, but it repeatedly returns to Japan for inspiration. Sample an array of teppanyaki, such as scallops, first grilled, then brushed with savory sauce and toasted sesame seeds; or charred vegetables like king oyster mushrooms and shishito peppers. Other favorites include seafood mains like gently cooked black bass in an herbaceous yuzu sauce.Japanese whisky aficionados should head to the bar as it pours over 30 labels." - Michelin Inspector