Restaurant in New York City, United States
Reliable steakhouse format, worth booking.
The Palm at W 50th St is a midtown steakhouse with three consecutive years on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list, reaching #450 in 2025. It's a practical, well-executed choice for business lunches and occasion dinners, with easy booking and daily hours from 6:30 am. For a stronger historical identity, Keens is the comparison to make first.
If you've eaten at The Palm once, you already know the format: a classic American steakhouse doing the things a steakhouse is supposed to do, with enough longevity and OAD recognition to suggest it isn't coasting. The question on a second visit is whether there's a reason to return over the competition on the same block. The answer is yes, but with conditions.
The Palm at 250 W 50th St holds a 4.3 on Google across more than 1,000 reviews, and it has appeared on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list three years running: Recommended in 2023, ranked #469 in 2024, and climbing to #450 in 2025. That trajectory matters. OAD's list is assembled from votes by frequent, serious diners, not a single critic's visit, which makes upward movement a more reliable signal than a one-time award. For a midtown steakhouse, that's a meaningful credential.
The Palm is a steakhouse built on repetition done right. The format is familiar: large portions, a room with energy, and a kitchen focused on getting the core product, the beef, right rather than trying to reframe what a steakhouse is. In a city where steakhouses frequently over-promise on concept and under-deliver on the plate, that discipline has value. Compared to Keens, which has a stronger historical identity and a more distinctive menu anchor in its mutton chop, The Palm trades that specificity for a broader, more accessible format. Compared to Benjamin Steak House, The Palm's OAD ranking gives it a clearer third-party quality signal. Against 4 Charles Prime Rib, the downtown alternative for a more intimate room, The Palm is the better choice if you're in midtown and don't want to commute for dinner.
Hours run 6:30 am to 10 pm daily, which means The Palm is one of the few steakhouses in this category where a working lunch is genuinely practical. That early open is useful context: this is a restaurant built around the midtown business diner as much as the evening occasion crowd, and the room and service model reflect that. If you're returning specifically for a dinner occasion, plan to arrive before 8 pm if you want the room at its leading energy without the late-night wind-down.
Booking here is direct. With a location at W 50th St and a large-format room, walk-ins are more viable than at tighter downtown rooms. For a guaranteed table at peak dinner, booking 3 to 5 days ahead is sufficient in most cases. For weekend evenings or a group of four or more, give it a week. This is not the kind of restaurant where you need to set a calendar reminder 30 days out, which is an advantage over more tightly-held tables at places like Bowery Meat Company downtown.
For context beyond New York, the same tradition of serious American beef cookery runs through venues like Capa in Orlando and internationally at A Cut in Taipei, both of which offer their own take on the steakhouse format. Within the US, if you're travelling and want a comparison point at a different level of ambition, The French Laundry in Napa or Alinea in Chicago operate in an entirely different register, but for the specific category of a well-executed American steakhouse with no surprises, The Palm delivers a reliable experience.
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Quick reference: 250 W 50th St | Open daily 6:30 am–10 pm | Booking: easy, 3–7 days ahead recommended | OAD Casual North America #450 (2025) | Google 4.3 (1,062 reviews)
Against the top tier of New York dining, The Palm operates in a different category entirely from Le Bernardin, Per Se, or Eleven Madison Park. Those are destination meals where the format, the tasting menu, the ceremony, the price point, is the point. The Palm is a different decision: you're not choosing between The Palm and Per Se for a Tuesday dinner unless you're actively comparing steakhouse tradition against French-influenced fine dining. The Palm wins on accessibility, booking ease, and format flexibility.
Within the steakhouse category specifically, Keens has the stronger historical identity and the mutton chop gives it a signature that The Palm doesn't have. If you want one definitive New York steakhouse experience and you've never been to either, Keens edges it on distinctiveness. But if Keens doesn't fit your geography or availability, The Palm's OAD ranking and consistent Google score make it a credible alternative rather than a fallback. Bobby Van's Steakhouse is a closer competitor in the midtown business-lunch bracket, but The Palm's 2025 OAD ranking gives it a clearer quality signal than Bobby Van's carries.
For diners weighing whether a steakhouse is the right call at all, Atomix and Masa represent entirely different commitments of time, money, and format. If the question is simply where to eat well in midtown on a business schedule or a return visit, The Palm answers it more directly than any of those alternatives.
Yes, with caveats. The Palm's OAD recognition and consistent guest scores give it enough credibility for a business occasion or a celebratory dinner where the format matters more than the wow factor. For a milestone birthday or anniversary where you want a more theatrical or personal experience, it may not reach as high as the occasion demands. Book it for a meaningful dinner with colleagues or a celebration where a classic steakhouse room feels right, not for a once-in-a-decade event.
The kitchen is a steakhouse, so the beef is the reason to be here. Beyond that, specific dish recommendations require verified menu data we don't have at this time. The OAD recognition signals that the core product is being executed well, so trust the classics and ask your server what's performing leading on the current menu rather than ordering off a list written months ago.
It works better for solo than many New York steakhouses of this size, largely because the midtown location and business-lunch format mean single diners are a normal part of the room. The hours, 6:30 am to 10 pm daily, also make it practical for a solo working lunch. For a solo evening experience, bar seating at a venue like Bowery Meat Company may feel more socially comfortable, but The Palm is a reasonable choice.
Booking here is easy relative to the broader New York dining market. Three to five days ahead covers most weeknight dinners. For weekend evenings or a group of four or more, a week out is safe. This is one of the more accessible reservations in the midtown steakhouse category, which is a practical advantage if your schedule is unpredictable.
Keens is the first alternative to consider if you want a stronger historical identity and a signature dish. 4 Charles Prime Rib is worth the downtown trip if a more intimate room matters to you. Bobby Van's Steakhouse is the closest midtown competitor. For a broader look at where to eat across the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide.
Lunch is a legitimate reason to visit here, which is not true of every steakhouse in this category. The 6:30 am opening and the midtown location mean the lunch service is designed for working diners with a schedule, not as an afterthought. Dinner will give you a fuller room and more energy, but if your schedule makes lunch easier, The Palm handles it more capably than most competitors.
As a full-service American steakhouse with daily hours and a large room, The Palm is more likely to accommodate dietary requests than a fixed-format or tasting-menu restaurant. We don't have verified data on specific accommodations. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you have specific requirements, rather than assuming a steakhouse format can flex to significant restrictions.
Bar seating at steakhouses of this format is typically available, though we don't have verified floor plan data for The Palm specifically. Given the midtown location and the business-lunch volume this restaurant handles, bar seating for a solo or duo visit is likely viable. Call ahead if you specifically want a bar seat at a peak time.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm, The | Easy | — | |
| Le Bernardin | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Masa | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Palm, The measures up.
Yes, with caveats. The Palm's large-format room and classic American steakhouse format work well for celebratory dinners where the group wants a reliable, energetic setting rather than an intimate one. It carries Opinionated About Dining recognition (ranked #450 in Casual North America for 2025), which signals consistent kitchen execution. For a more intimate or prestigious occasion, a smaller room would serve better.
The Palm is a steakhouse, so the steak is the order. Beyond that, the kitchen's reputation is built on large portions and repetition done right — classic steakhouse sides are the safe play. Avoid over-ordering; portion sizes here are generous by design.
Workable but not the strongest solo format. The large-format room at 250 W 50th St is oriented toward groups and business dining. If bar seating is available, that's the better solo option; the room itself can feel oversized for one. Solo diners who want a more counter-focused experience should consider smaller steakhouses downtown.
Less lead time is needed here than at tighter Midtown rooms. The W 50th St location has the capacity to absorb walk-ins more readily than smaller steakhouses, particularly at lunch. For a weekend dinner or a group booking, a few days' notice is sensible; weekday lunch can often be same-day.
For a step up in prestige and occasion-dining weight, Eleven Madison Park or Per Se are in a different category entirely. Within the steakhouse format specifically, NYC has a competitive field — the choice comes down to room size, price point, and whether you want a classic Midtown institution or a tighter, more chef-driven room. The Palm's Opinionated About Dining ranking (2025) puts it in the mid-tier of recognised casual dining, not at the top of the steakhouse category.
Lunch is the more practical visit. The Palm opens at 6:30 am daily, making it an unusually early-access option for Midtown, and the lunch format suits the business-crowd setting around W 50th St. Dinner brings more energy to the room, but the core kitchen output is consistent across both services according to the venue's positioning.
The Palm is a traditional American steakhouse, so the menu is protein-forward by design. Vegetarian or pescatarian diners will find fewer options than at a more varied kitchen. If dietary restrictions are a primary concern for your group, this format is not the strongest fit — confirm with the venue directly before booking.
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