Restaurant in New York City, United States
Serious wine list, low booking friction.
Electric Lemon sits on the 24th floor of Hudson Yards and earns OAD Casual North America recognition (#504 in 2025) without the booking difficulty that usually comes with that tier. Chef Kyle Knall runs a seasonal New American kitchen at $$$ pricing, backed by a serious 400-selection wine list with depth in Burgundy, Champagne, and California. Easy to book, harder to match for wine-forward casual dining in the area.
Getting a table at Electric Lemon requires almost no effort — reservations are easy to secure, and the restaurant operates across three daily services most days of the week. That accessibility is part of the pitch, but do not let the low booking friction fool you into underestimating what is on offer. Electric Lemon, on the 24th floor of 33 Hudson Yards, has earned back-to-back recognition from Opinionated About Dining — ranked #504 among Casual restaurants in North America in 2025, up from #561 in 2024, and recommended in 2023 , which puts it in a rarefied tier for a restaurant that asks nothing heroic of you to visit. If you are a food and wine enthusiast who wants serious quality without the reservation warfare, this is one of the stronger plays in the city right now.
Chef Kyle Knall runs a New American, seasonal kitchen under the Stephen Starr restaurant group. The cuisine pricing sits at $$$, meaning a typical two-course meal runs $66 or more before beverages and tip. That is a meaningful number for a casual format, but the OAD ranking suggests the kitchen is delivering at that price point. The seasonal focus means what you eat in winter will differ from what arrives in spring , a feature worth considering if you are planning around a specific visit rather than a general category check.
The location inside Hudson Yards is worth flagging for planning purposes. Hudson Yards is a purpose-built development on the Far West Side of Manhattan, and the 24th floor position means the room likely carries a skyline or Hudson River view , though Pearl does not confirm this from verified data. What the address does confirm is that this is not a neighborhood-walk-in kind of restaurant. You are going with intention, which changes how you should think about the visit: build it into a broader Hudson Yards afternoon or evening rather than treating it as a spontaneous stop.
This is where Electric Lemon earns its most concrete credential for explorers. Wine Director Luba Shmeleva oversees a list with 400 selections and an inventory of 3,110 bottles, with particular strengths in France (Champagne and Burgundy), California, and Austria. The list is priced at $$$, meaning many bottles cross the $100 mark, and the corkage fee is $50 if you bring your own. For comparison, a wine list of this depth and geographic range would not be out of place at a considerably more formal dining room. Getting a Burgundy or Grower Champagne alongside a seasonal New American menu at a casual-tier venue is genuinely good value for the format. General Manager Antonio Lazar oversees operations, with Shmeleva's program acting as a significant differentiator against peers in the Hudson Yards area.
Electric Lemon runs breakfast (7–10:30 am weekdays, 8 am weekends), lunch (11:30 am–3 pm, weekdays only), and dinner (5–10 pm Sunday through Thursday, 5–11 pm Friday and Saturday). Dinner runs later on weekends, which is useful if you are coming from elsewhere in Manhattan. Weekday breakfast and lunch are practical for business visits or pre-travel meals given the proximity to the Javits Center and Hudson Yards offices. For wine-focused visits, dinner is the obvious choice , the full list will be in play and the kitchen will be in full service mode.
Electric Lemon sits in a productive middle zone that serious diners often overlook. It is not chasing Michelin tiers or destination-dining prestige, but the OAD recognition and the depth of the wine program place it well above the average Hudson Yards hotel-restaurant. For visitors who want to eat well in New York without committing to the $300-plus-per-head format, it is worth placing alongside options like Craft or ABC Kitchen in your shortlist , all three play in the seasonal New American space, all three are easy to book relative to the city's most competitive rooms, and the quality floor is high across all of them. See our full New York City restaurants guide for the broader picture, and if you are building a full trip, check our New York City hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Lemon | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #504 (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: France, Champagne, Burgundy, California, Austria Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $50 Selections: 400 Inventory: 3,110 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: American, Seasonal Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Luba Shmeleva:Wine Director Wine Director: Luba Shmeleva General Manager: Antonio Lazar Owner: Stephen Starr; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #561 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Recommended (2023) | — | |
| Le Bernardin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Masa | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Per Se | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Electric Lemon and alternatives.
For seasonal New American at a similar $$$ price point without destination-dining pressure, Gramercy Tavern is the more obvious comparison — better name recognition but harder to book. If the wine program is the draw, Electric Lemon's 400-selection list with France, Burgundy, and California strengths competes well against most mid-tier New York rooms. For pure prestige, Per Se and Le Bernardin operate at a different tier entirely, with pricing and booking difficulty to match.
Lunch is the lower-commitment entry point — weekdays only, 11:30 am to 3 pm, and easier to walk into than a prime dinner slot. Dinner runs later on Fridays and Saturdays (until 11 pm), which makes it the right call if you want to pair the full wine list with a longer meal. First-timers testing the room should start at lunch; the wine program rewards a return dinner visit.
Electric Lemon sits on the 24th floor of 33 Hudson Yards, so the address alone takes some navigation. Reservations are easy to secure across all three services — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — so there's no need to plan weeks ahead. The kitchen runs seasonal New American under chef Kyle Knall, and the $$$-priced menu means a two-course meal runs $66 or more before drinks. The wine list, overseen by director Luba Shmeleva, is the standout feature and worth factoring into your budget.
The database does not include specific dietary accommodation details for Electric Lemon. Seasonal New American kitchens generally have flexibility on dietary needs, but confirm directly with the restaurant before booking, particularly for allergy-specific requirements.
The venue data doesn't specify a dress code, but a 24th-floor Stephen Starr restaurant in Hudson Yards at $$$ pricing points toward neat, put-together attire rather than casual wear. Business casual to smart casual fits the room's positioning; avoid activewear or beachwear. When in doubt, call ahead — no dress code information is listed publicly.
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