Ambiance

Inside the lavish Peninsula Hotel, in the heart of Midtown, is Clement restaurant. With its oversized arched windows, white cloth-covered tables, and framed mirrors outfitting the walls, Clement offers that upscale dining experience befitting the regal vibe of the hotel. That said, it’s the restaurant’s staff that truly elevates the experience. It almost feels like you are Batman and all the servers are your Alfred. There is no need that isn’t thoughtfully and elegantly responded to. The quality of care is so … impressive.

With a restaurant of this level of sophistication, they have lots of thoughtful activations. For example, on Mother’s Day, they will segment off a private portion of the restaurant to make a flower shop where guests who are mothers can come and build their own unique bouquets. As a mom, you know that one sounded extra special to me.

Cuisine

Equally as thoughtful as the restaurant is the attention put into the menu. When I visited with my family, the staff was eager to have us explore the new brunch tasting menu. Now, as we did, servers—to be clear, not the kitchen staff—were genuinely very interested in our thoughts. Did we like the portion sizes? Were the colors of each dish visually exciting? How were the flavors? Was the tasting menu filling? They were eager for genuine feedback. I almost felt guilty not having any notes that they could act on. The meal was thoughtful, delicious, and catered beautifully.

My Favorite Dishes

CLEMENT PASTRY BASKET chef’s selection of croissants, a chocolate croissant, a mini Danish, and a brioche

MALTED WAFFLE STACK with berries, coconut whip, maple

EGGS NORWEGIAN Catskill smoked salmon, English muffin, roe, hollandaise

KOREAN STYLE CHICKEN Brooklyn Hot honey, classic slaw

What To Wear

Dress smart. Contrary to most restaurants I recommend, this isn’t a place for looking edgy (pay no attention to my leather jacket in the photos above, ha!). This is a place to look clean and beautiful. If you must wear a jean, make it a dark jean. A blouse, collared shirt, or sweater is a perfect fit.

Kid Friendly

They are extremely welcoming to children. Families often frequent The Peninsula Hotel because of all of its suites, so to make their younger guests feel just as loved as their adult counterparts, Clement has catered a lovely experience for them. From the Peninsula-themed plastic cups to the crayons and kids menus in their own leather jackets like an adult’s menu, you will feel at home with your little ones. If your kids are like mine and love playing with cars, try to get a window seat, they will be endlessly entertained by the cars driving downtown on 5th avenue.