Grand Brasserie
Grand Brasserie is a large French restaurant located in the Grand Central Terminal. It’s situated in the historic Vanderbilt Hall. The main parts of the restaurant have an open area view to the Grand Central hall, so you can see the chandeliers and some of the nice subtleties of the terminal. The main interesting aspect of this restaurant is they have a “green room” which used to be the former Michelin Star restaurant “Agern” before it closed during the pandemic. I was easily able to make a reservation for 2 for 5:30 PM.
Ambiance & Service
The check-in spot is in the hall, and to get to the green room, you have to walk through the bar area and the main dining room. Towards the back is the “green room”, which is slightly more intimate. The noise level here was far less noisy. There is a bar area in this room, which can also feel intimate as well since it’s dimly lit and somewhat posh.
The service was very quick, and they bring a card reader to pay.
Food
We ended up getting the Pre-Theatre Menu (3 courses for $60). This is available 7 days a week from 4 PM to 6 PM.
The Grapefruit Juice ($6) tasted like it came from a bottle you could get from the grocery store.
The Zinfandel Blend ($21) came from Quilt ‘Threadcount’, California 2023. This was primarily Zinfandel grapes blended with Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Merlot. This had a lot of oaky notes along with raspberry and spice. This was definitely bold, rich, and more full body.
The Onion Soup tasted like a normal French Onion soup. The soup itself was not as sweet as other onion soups. The cheese was pretty decent, and the broth wasn’t super salty.
The Steak Tartare was surprisingly good. The beef tasted fresh and met expectations.
The Steak Frites came with a 8 oz prime skirt steak, cooked medium rare. The steak was actually very tender, and it had a nice char on the side.
The fries came on the side and tasted like McDonald’s fries. They were crispy and salty.
The Roasted Half Chicken also came with fries. My partner had this and didn’t enjoy it. They mentioned there was some seasoning that tasted strange, but when I tried it, it reminded me of a typical French-style roasted chicken. The skin was very thin and somewhat crispy. The meat was overall decent but also not memorable.
The Creme Brulee came with caramel brittle. This was nothing special and your average creme brulee.
The Apple Tarte Tatin came with caramel sauce. The apple tarte had a flaky crust on the bottom, and the apple sheets themselves tasted good.
Overall Impression
Grand Brasserie was the epitome of your average French restaurant, just conveniently located in Grand Central. I probably wouldn’t make a special trip here, but if you’re near the area, the food is decent.
Yelp & Google Jabs
If you’re in the area or have a train at Grand Central, you can definitely have a good meal at Grand Brasserie. Or, if you just have a little time, get a drink at one of the two swanky bars in the restaurant.
If you’re a frequent traveler in the area, I can see how this restaurant can be a return trip for some people. It feels like it complements The Campbell, where the lighting is bright and airy, whereas the latter is dark and more stuffy.
What a treasure of a spot. Obviously it’s in Grand Central so a lot of foot traffic and a shit ton of people but some of the best food I’ve had in such an amazing atmosphere. Had dinner there and breakfast. Great service. Delicious food. Everything made in house. I will be back.
Most of the food is nothing special, so being made in-house wouldn’t say much. The food doesn’t have much charm unless you’ve never really had French food before.
Revisions
- May 8, 2026 - Initial revision.