New York City is famous for its museums, architecture, entertainment, and diverse food culture. For visitors who want to combine art with an upscale dining experience, The Modern offers an unusual setting inside one of Manhattan’s most recognizable cultural destinations: the Museum of Modern Art, commonly known as MoMA.
Located at 9 West 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, The Modern is a contemporary American restaurant led by Executive Chef Thomas Allan. The restaurant overlooks MoMA’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden and offers several distinct dining experiences, including the main dining room, The Bar Room, and The Kitchen Table.
The Modern has been part of New York’s fine-dining scene since 2005 and currently holds two Michelin stars. Its menus focus on refined contemporary cooking, seasonal ingredients, and carefully designed presentations.
Where Is The Modern Located?
The Modern is located at:
9 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
The restaurant is situated inside the Museum of Modern Art complex in Midtown Manhattan.
Its location is particularly convenient for visitors who are already exploring central Manhattan. Guests can combine a visit to MoMA with lunch or dinner at the restaurant, creating a day that brings together art, architecture, and contemporary cuisine.
One of the restaurant’s defining features is its view of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which provides a distinctive backdrop for the dining room.
The History of The Modern
The Modern opened in 2005 as part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group.
From the beginning, the restaurant was designed to connect food with the cultural environment of MoMA. Over the years, it developed a reputation for contemporary American cooking, professional hospitality, and an ambitious wine program.
According to the restaurant, The Modern has received two Michelin stars, a three-star review from The New York Times, the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, and four James Beard Awards.
Its long association with MoMA has also helped establish The Modern as a restaurant where the surroundings are an important part of the overall experience.
Chef Thomas Allan
Executive Chef Thomas Allan leads the kitchen at The Modern.
The restaurant describes Allan’s cooking as refined, contemporary, and playful. His menus emphasize exceptional ingredients and seasonality while allowing the kitchen to experiment with combinations of flavors and textures.
Rather than relying on one traditional regional cuisine, The Modern’s menu reflects a contemporary American approach.
This gives the kitchen flexibility to work with seafood, vegetables, meat, grains, fruit, dairy, and other ingredients depending on the season.
What Type of Food Does The Modern Serve?
The Modern is categorized by Michelin as a contemporary restaurant. Its cooking combines modern techniques with high-quality seasonal ingredients.
The current dinner menu offers two tasting experiences called Impressions and Abstractions. The restaurant notes that its nightly menu changes frequently, meaning the dishes available to guests can vary.
Recent menu examples have included dishes featuring tuna, radish and shiso; summer squash with gooseberry and chèvre; lobster with green tomato and frozen cucumber; Hokkaido scallop with eggplant; halibut with fava beans and sweet corn; and heritage chicken with broccoli and black truffle.
These examples demonstrate the restaurant’s emphasis on seasonal ingredients and carefully constructed combinations.
The Impressions Tasting Menu
The Impressions menu provides a shorter tasting experience compared with the restaurant’s more extensive option.
The current listed price is $185 per person, although menus and prices can change. Recent dishes have included seafood, vegetables, a Parker House roll with cultured butter, and a choice of halibut or heritage chicken.
Dessert is also included as part of the progression, with recent examples including peaches and cream.
For diners who want a structured fine-dining experience without choosing the longer menu, this format provides one of the restaurant’s main options.
The Abstractions Tasting Menu
The Abstractions menu provides a more extensive dining experience.
The current listed price is $285 per person. Recent examples from the menu include tuna, summer squash, lobster, scallop, dry-aged duck, Australian lamb, yuzu and grape, and peaches and cream.
Because the restaurant describes its nightly menu as frequently changing, these dishes should be considered examples rather than a permanent menu.
This approach allows the culinary team to respond to seasonal ingredients and continually develop the dining experience.
Lunch at The Modern
The Modern also offers lunch.
The current lunch menu includes a three-course prix fixe option listed at $115 per person, as well as an eight-course tasting menu listed at $285 per person. Wine and beverage pairings are available separately.
Recent lunch dishes have included summer squash, crab with tomato and cucumber-nori vinaigrette, grilled scallop with cauliflower and sea urchin, halibut with lobster, and heritage chicken.
The lunch menu is particularly suited to visitors who want to experience the restaurant during the daytime while exploring Midtown Manhattan.
The Bar Room
The Modern is not limited to its formal dining room.
The Bar Room provides a more casual and lively alternative while maintaining the restaurant’s contemporary culinary style.
The current Bar Room menu includes items such as summer squash with smoked trout and almonds, raw scallop with bonito cream, wagyu steak tartare, spicy octopus fusilli, crispy salmon, sea bass with clams, confit duck leg, and double lamb chop.
The Bar Room also offers desserts and smaller snacks.
According to the restaurant, the marble bar is open daily from 11:30 AM, and walk-ins are accepted in the Bar Room, lounge, and bar.
This makes the Bar Room a different option for visitors who want to experience The Modern without necessarily choosing the full formal dining experience.
The Kitchen Table
For guests interested in seeing the restaurant’s culinary operation more closely, The Modern offers The Kitchen Table.
This experience places guests in the heart of the restaurant’s kitchen, providing a close view of the team as the meal is prepared.
The restaurant describes The Kitchen Table as an enhanced tasting-menu experience for up to four guests. Its current listed price is $345 per person.
Because of its small capacity, this experience is particularly different from sitting in the main dining room.
The Sculpture Garden View
One of The Modern’s most distinctive features is its relationship with MoMA’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.
The restaurant’s dining room overlooks the garden, giving guests a view that is unusual for a Midtown Manhattan restaurant.
This setting creates a connection between the meal and the museum environment.
Instead of dining in an isolated restaurant space, guests are surrounded by architecture, art, and one of the museum’s outdoor spaces.
Wine and Beverage Program
Wine is an important part of the dining experience at The Modern.
The restaurant describes its wine program as extensive and says it includes wines from both classic and emerging regions.
Wine pairings are also available with the tasting menus.
For visitors who do not drink wine, the restaurant provides other beverage options, including cocktails and non-wine choices through its beverage program.
Michelin Recognition
The Modern currently holds two Michelin stars.
The MICHELIN Guide’s 2025 New York City selection lists The Modern among the city’s two-star restaurants and categorizes its cuisine as contemporary.
The restaurant itself also identifies its two Michelin stars among its major accolades.
Michelin recognition has helped establish The Modern as one of the notable fine-dining destinations in New York City.
Awards and Recognition
Michelin stars are only part of the restaurant’s history of recognition.
According to The Modern, it has received:
- Two Michelin stars
- Three stars from The New York Times
- Wine Spectator’s Grand Award
- Four James Beard Awards
The James Beard recognitions listed by the restaurant include awards connected with Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Wine Service, and Outstanding Restaurant Design.
These awards reflect different aspects of the restaurant, from cuisine and hospitality to wine and design.
What Makes The Modern Different?
Several characteristics make The Modern distinct within New York’s restaurant scene.
1. Its Location Inside MoMA
Few fine-dining restaurants have such a direct relationship with a major art museum.
2. Multiple Dining Experiences
Guests can choose between the main dining room, Bar Room, and Kitchen Table.
3. Seasonal Cooking
The restaurant’s menus change frequently and are built around seasonal ingredients.
4. Contemporary American Cuisine
Rather than focusing exclusively on one traditional cuisine, the restaurant uses a modern approach to American fine dining.
5. Michelin Recognition
The restaurant currently holds two Michelin stars.
Planning a Visit
Visitors planning to dine at The Modern should consider which experience they want before making a reservation.
The main dining room provides the restaurant’s formal tasting-menu experience.
The Bar Room offers à la carte dining, cocktails, snacks, and a more relaxed atmosphere.
The Kitchen Table provides a smaller, kitchen-focused experience for guests who want to watch the culinary team at work.
Checking the official menu before visiting is also useful because the restaurant states that its menus change frequently.
Reservations
The Modern welcomes reservations.
The main dining room offers reservations for its dining experiences, while The Bar Room accepts both reservations and walk-ins.
Because menus, prices, hours, and reservation policies can change, visitors should confirm the latest information directly with the restaurant before planning a special trip.
Is The Modern Suitable for a Special Occasion?
The Modern’s formal dining room, location inside MoMA, seasonal tasting menus, and professional service make it a natural setting for guests planning an important meal.
Possible occasions include:
- Anniversaries
- Birthdays
- Business dinners
- Romantic dinners
- Celebrations
- Food-focused trips to New York
- Museum and dining experiences
The Bar Room can provide a less formal alternative for visitors who want to enjoy the restaurant’s food without selecting the full tasting-menu experience.
The Modern for Tourists Visiting New York
For tourists, The Modern has an advantage that many restaurants do not: it can be combined with a museum visit.
A visitor can spend part of the day exploring MoMA’s exhibitions before having lunch or dinner at the restaurant.
Its Midtown location also places it close to other major New York attractions, hotels, shops, theaters, and business districts.
This makes the restaurant an interesting option for travelers who want food to be part of a broader cultural itinerary.
Final Thoughts
The Modern is an example of how a restaurant can combine food, art, architecture, and hospitality into one experience.
Since opening in 2005, the restaurant has developed a strong reputation for contemporary American cooking and seasonal ingredients. Under Executive Chef Thomas Allan, its menus continue to evolve while maintaining an emphasis on precision and creativity.
Its location at the Museum of Modern Art gives it an especially distinctive setting, while the multiple dining options allow guests to choose between formal tasting menus, à la carte dining, and an intimate kitchen experience.
With two Michelin stars and a history of major culinary and design awards, The Modern remains an important part of New York City’s fine-dining landscape.
For travelers interested in combining contemporary cuisine with one of Manhattan’s major cultural institutions, The Modern offers a dining experience closely connected to the character of New York City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Modern restaurant located?
The Modern is located at the Museum of Modern Art at 9 West 53rd Street in New York City.
Who is the chef at The Modern?
Thomas Allan is the Executive Chef at The Modern.
How many Michelin stars does The Modern have?
The Modern currently has two Michelin stars according to the 2025 MICHELIN Guide New York selection.
What type of food does The Modern serve?
The restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on seasonal ingredients.
Does The Modern offer a tasting menu?
Yes. The restaurant currently offers tasting-menu options for both lunch and dinner.
Can I visit The Modern without having a formal tasting menu?
Yes. The Bar Room offers an à la carte menu and accepts walk-ins as well as reservations.
Does The Modern have a view of MoMA’s sculpture garden?
Yes. The main dining room overlooks the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.
How much does dining at The Modern cost?
Prices vary by dining experience and can change. Current listed examples include $185 per person for the Impressions dinner menu, $285 for Abstractions, and $115 for the three-course lunch prix fixe.
