Straight outta 1981. Happy Birthday to us! We celebrated at Parker’s in The Thompson Central Park New York. Parker’s is a sophisticated, modern lounge named for jazz legend, Charles Parker. The decor, food, drinks and music are spectacular. Best of all the hotel and lounge are just a few steps from Central Park. We are excited to share our fine dining experience at Thompson Central Park with you.
Best Group Dining in NYC
Every year, we celebrate our birthday with a fabulous group dinner. It’s not easy to find great restaurants for group dining in NYC, but lucky for you, we pulled together some of our favorite restaurants.
Thompson Central Park New York Hotel
Thompson Central Park is located in Midtown on 56th Street between 6th and 7th Ave. The hotel was purchased by the Hyatt brand in 2019. You might recognize the location- the hotel is the former iconic Le Parker Meridien New York hotel. We often went to the Burger Joint for lunch, and lucky for us this restaurant is still open today. The Thompson Central Park lobby is quite stunning. The modern lighting is inspired by horn instruments and the walls are adorned with images by renowned music photographers.
Thompson Central Park Restaurants: Parker’s
Parker’s is located on the lobby level of Thompson Central Park. This contemporary cocktail lounge celebrates jazz and New York in one incredible combination. Parker’s also features a fantastic lineup of jazz musicians to entertain guests each week. You’ll enjoy anything from jazz, soul and blues to the modern hits of Broadway. The lounge is open from 6:30AM to 12AM Monday to Thursday, 6:30AM to 1:00AM on Friday and Saturday and 6:30AM to 11:30PM on Sundays.
There are 4 banquettes located in the lobby that accommodate up to 16 guests: 4 at each table and 8 on each side. The tables which can be pushed together on either side for a maximum of 8 seats at one table and 8 seats on the other side. Parker’s printed custom birthday menus at each place setting. We also sprinkled coral rose petals for an added pop of color to the graphite colored tables. There’s a grocery store right across the street and they have roses in a variety of colors.
Parker’s: What to Order to Drink?
Sip me baby one more time. Parker’s has an incredible cocktail menu with drinks named after jazz songs performed by New York City artists. These traditional cocktails are crafted with high-end spirits and seasonal touches. Think A Tisket, a Tasket, Come Fly with Me, Boplicity and more. We started with a glass of Prosecco.
Trust me, I’m a Cosmopolitologist. We also ordered a traditional Cosmopolitan because why not, right?
Parker’s: What to Order to Eat?
Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Parker’s has a scrumptious menu of American dishes that complement the cocktail menu. Guests had their choose of 3 starters, including: Burrata, Apple Endive Salad and Bone Marrow. We both chose the rich, cream burrata, served with tomato, tomato vinaigrette, peppery arugula and pesto. It was a great way to kick off our birthday dinner.
Will you marrow me? The most adventurous starter choice was the Bone Marrow, served with roasted garlic, horseradish gremolata and rustic bread. We heard it was delicious.
I apple-laud your efforts. The vegetarian option was an Apple Endive Salad, served with crisp apple, Belgium endive, sweetie drop peppers and lemon emulsion. This salad was beautiful, fresh and delicious.
Chick to chick. The Mains included: Herb Chicken Breast, Bronzini and Pan seared Nebraska Sirloin. We shared the chicken and fish. Of the two, our favorite was the chicken. It was served with garlic potato puree, roasted local mushroom and roasted bird jus.
Well it’s oh-fish-ial. We also enjoyed the Bronzini with coconut rice, garlicky Bok Choy miso glaze and chili crisp.
Steak me home tonight. The red meat eaters went for the Sirloin, which was served with summer panzenella, blue moon acres mache and churmuri.
Slice to meet you. The dessert course included: NY Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Dobas and a Berry Tart. We shared the cheesecake and Dobas. Of the two, our favorite was the cheesecake. It was rich and creamy and paired nicely with the fresh berries.
Nuts about you. If you like peanut butter, we recommend the Peanut Butter Dobas.
You stole my tart. The Berry Tart had a buttery, flakey crust with a delicious berry sauce.
Life’s batter with cake. You can’t celebrate a birthday without a birthday cake. We were surprised with a Milkbar cake. So yes, we had two rounds of dessert and loved every bite.
It’s all fun and games until somebody puts the candles out. This year, stop by Parker’s at The Thompson Central Park New York for drinks or dinner. You can also check out our NYC Restaurant section for more recommendations.
Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
Walt Disney
Parker’s looks like a fantastic place. It would be so perfect for a date night for me and my husband.
Such an amazing place to eat it. I would celebrate my birthday here too and would have two rounds of desserts!
The food is so yummy and would love to check this park soon in the future. Thank you for sharing !
I love a good restaurant. These plates look absolutely delectable.
Ooo going to have to try out Thompsons. How have I never heard of them? Everything looks so yummy!
Hihi….”Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional”. I love this statement a lot. You all turned out sleek!
The pictures of the food look really delicious. I’d love to try them!
Looks like you guys had tons of tun there! The good just looks so delicious, it was like I could taste it from the screen. Wish I could visit some time.
Looks like a great place to drink and unwind with friends 🙂