Manhattan Grill

By Kim Da-ye

Picture a movie scene where Wall Street bankers, politicians and socialites chat and conspire while cutting into thick steaks, and sip whisky on the rocks or smoke a cigar in a dimly lit cavern in Lower Manhattan.

You can replicate that scene in southern Seoul at Manhattan Grill, a classy steakhouse in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel. This is a place where businessmen want to come with their male colleagues for a proper gentlemen’s evening.

The restaurant’s interior is a combination of dark blue leather sofas and mahogany walls and makes the venue very New York-like. The black and white photos of the Big Apple’s skylines hang on the walls while jazz music plays in the background.

“We’ve adopted a New York-like atmosphere. It’s urbane as well as stately,” said Park Ji-yoon, marketing communications coordinator of the Renaissance Hotel.

It offers a classic menu, serving tenderloin, sirloin and rib eye steaks of different origins. The meat is sourced from Korea, Australia and the U.S., and Park boasts Kobe Wagyu beef imported from the U.S. exclusively for the restaurant on the menu that is pricier than premium Korean beef or hanwoo.

The restaurant also has an extensive list of seafood dishes including grilled red snapper, abalone, steamed king crab and Canadian lobster. It keeps a variety of wine from all over the world as well as a small collection of cigars.

The New York experience doesn’t come cheap, however. Steaks on the a la carte menu cost from 55,500 won (premium U.S. beef sirloin steak, 310 grams) to 105,000 won (hanwoo rib eye steak, 270 grams). Ten percent value added tax and another 10 percent service charge will be added to the bill.

Customers with tighter wallets can consider the reasonably priced lunch sets at Manhattan Grill. Two different courses ― one with Australian steak and another with seafood ― is 55,000 won plus tax and service charge. The set menu includes a buffet of appetizers along with a soup choice at the beginning and desserts at the end.

The buffet is an unexpected winner. It features a large prawn cocktail that has been steamed just right and an abundant, aromatic arugula leaf salad that is rare in Korea and therefore quite expensive.

One also shouldn’t forget the complimentary bread, famous among local epicures for its soft texture and moist warmth.

Address:

First floor, Renaissance Seoul Hotel, 676 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul

Direction:

Between exit 8 of Yeoksam Station and exit 5 of Seolleung Station on subway line 2

Phone number:

02-2222-8637

Price:

Lunch sets from 55,000 to 95,000 won. Dinner sets from 99,000 to 125,000 won. Steaks on the a la carte menu from 55,500 to 110,000 won. Prices are exclusive of ten percent VAT and a 10 percent service charge.

Opening hours:

Lunch service is between noon and 2:30 p.m., dinner is between 6 and 10 p.m. Open daily.

Parking:

The hotel has a parking lot and a valet is available.

Reservation:

Recommended, especially for private rooms

Private rooms:

Four private rooms named Central Park, Times Square, Broadway and Wall Street. Two room cater to four people each, another room to six and the other to eight.

Frequented by:

Celebrities, former Presidents and businessmen working on Tehran Road

Recommended by manager:

Tenderloin steak

Total seating:

73