The coveted Central Park Boathouse has reopened its cafe and is slated to reopen its full restaurant in late summer or early fall.
The establishment was formerly operated by restaurateur Dean Poll from 2000 until fall 2020, when he decided to permanently close it because of rising business costs. After a competitive bidding process, New York’s Parks Department selected Legends Hospitality, who also runs the concessions at Yankee Stadium, to take over operations. The nearly 70-year-old landmark cafe and restaurant offers 80-seats at its outdoor premises on the eastern edge of Central Park Lake. It will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with prices ranging from $2.50-$16 for beverages and $4-$25 for food. Its row boat rentals are also now available.
Its consulting chef Dave Pasternack, formerly with the now-defunct southern Italian seafood spot Esca in Hell Kitchen’s Theater District, helped create the new menu. It includes pastries ($4-$5), breakfast sandwiches ($7-$9), salads ($12-$16), mains such as a griddled hotdog ($6), fish sandwich ($15), lobster roll with chips ($25), signature Boathouse burger ($13), toasted sandwiches with gluten free alternatives ($12-$13) and desserts ($5-$8). It will also offer a select kids menu ($8).
The cafe offers a range of hot and cold coffee, tea and juice beverages ($3.50-$6), as well as beer, wine and seltzer by the glass ($12) and cocktails ($16).
The main dining room can be found on the north side of the establishment. It has large windows facing the patio with a horseshoe counter to place orders, which can be packaged to go.
Legends will also be operating the park’s row boat rentals, which are available daily from 10 a.m. to dusk at an hourly rate of $25. It will soon be available to reserve online via OpenTable. Walk-ins are also welcome on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The original boathouse was born in 1874 when Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the two-story Victorian-style building for visitors to purchase refreshments and take boat rides. However the structure burned down and was renovated by benefactors Carl and Adeline Loeb. The duo renamed it The Loeb Boathouse Central Park and reopened it in 1954.
