The hottest new picnic spot on Fifth Avenue isn’t at the usual suspects like Bryant or Madison Square Parks. Instead, 22 stories high with views of Central Park and some iconic skyscrapers is Terrace de Ning at The Peninsula New York. This intimate new picnic experience, available from happy hour through sunset, lets you unwind on top of the city on a lush lawn with pruned bushes that offers a top-of-the-world park vibe in your own semi-private seating area—no picnic blanket required.
New Yorkers and visitors can enjoy a five-star hotel meal without feeling cooped up indoors or waiting for the next course to be served so you can catch the sunset at your own pace. Up here, it’s very chill, very elegant, and very New York. Cue Frank Sinatra as you relax on the plush sofas and luxuriate in the twenty-second floor breeze.
“The whole concept of the basket is that we want guests to have a luxurious experience and enjoy what New York can offer,” says David Joo, executive sous chef of the Peninsula New York. The basket, presented at the beginning of a self-paced two hour picnic experience, is a tasting menu of some of the best products and signature flavor combos the city is known for.
The Terrace de Ning picnic basket includes cheese purveyed from Murray’s Cheese, such as Vermont Creamery’s decadent Cremont, a charcuterie plate from Maestri, plus duck and fig pate and more elegant but easy-to-eat chef creations. The basket itself comes with silverware and china—no flimsy plates here, so you’re truly dining al fresco (and no cleanup required).
“We’re highlighting different products special to New York,” Joo says. “For example, we have our take on the classic New York reuben, a beautiful pastrami sandwich with thinly sliced meat from Schaller & Weber, our own homemade whole grain mustard relish, classic rye, a little swiss, and horseradish made in house.” Served cold, this sandwich can be enjoyed during the entire picnic and even packed up to go if you can’t munch on all the generous gourmet nibbles.
Other specialties for the picnic include smoked salmon flatbread on grilled pita bread from Aladdin Bakers in Brooklyn, spread with triple cream crème fraîche and topped with smoked trout caviar, house-made pickled red onions, crispy capers, and herbs. Albany red and green lettuce salad features chickpeas cooked in vegetable bouillon, heirloom cherry tomatoes slightly confited, little sliced cucumbers, and a toss in house vinaigrette.
Along with the high-end picnic basket, the rooftop package also comes with an oversize beverage cooler filled with an icy bottle of Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut, Vie Vite rosé wine or Keller Estate Chardonnay, New York local beers, and unlimited soft drinks and water. Each rooftop section accommodates up to 12 guests at $250 per person.
“Whether you’re a guest or visitor, get a classic New York dining experience without a full meal,” Joo says. “You’re at your leisure to eat what you want, how you want, in a five-star hotel setting.”
