Very good place! Food is delicious, big plates, atmosphere is super-friendly. All staff team is so nice, fast and attentive that you’ll definitely feel yourself significant. And maybe have a chance to meet a celebrity as we did ;)Halibut is a great choice for all fish-lovers, broccolini plate is so big so you’d better share it with someone and chef’s burger needs no words to describe. And above all, key-lime pie is a must-try, highly recommend!

Nice little old-school diner, next to the high line in the heart of Manhattan. The cocktails are good, food is tasty and with big portions. We tried the pig blankets and chillies for starters, and the meatloaf for mains. Both good. One tip, dont add sides, youll struggle to eat them, as the portions are quite big! Overall, worth a try!

This place was everything! The food really was amazing. A group of us went and ordered a few things. The mushroom toast was delicious, the burrata is a must, and the beet salad so good. The service was great as well. Loved it and would most definitely come back.

Fun place to eat outside! Classic diner look with more upscale food. We got the mushroom toast, mac and cheese, and the short rib. Everything was great. The mashed potatoes were a highlight. They serve warm biscuits with butter that were amazing. Would recommend if you are in the area.

Had the burger and fries. Really tasty and such a cool vibe. Super close to the High Line so if you are out walking I recommend dropping in and grabbing a bite.

This is not a typical diner, except for the design, the food is way better if your average diner, they have a good selection of alcohol and service is super! Very happy with this place:)

Update: under New Management and totally delicious. Upscale in terms of flavors and prices but a dinner menu worth eating your way through. They sit you down with a warm biscuit. The pea toast, beets, carpaccio, and chicken fried steak are awesome. Great service, delicious food. Everything we order is always wonderful. The outdoor patio is a great way to enjoy a brunch on a Saturday morning. They are dog friendly as well and we sat next to pups of all sizes.

I gotta say this place pleasantly surprised me. Not the typical diner food to say the least. Kale salad was lush and fresh with lots of tasty feta. And the roasted beets were awesome, lots of flavor. Decor adds to the 50s vibe and makes for a great experience.

Many variations over the years but it’s still a classic diner that’s rare to find in NYC. Sit inside or on the sidewalk outside. Good for groups of 4 or less. A solid choice in Chelsea and the food is good and nothing fancy. Exactly what I wanted.

Terrific food, and nice selection of beers. (Devilled eggs, roasted beets, and crispy artichokes with a Montauk Wave Chaser)Technical difficulties with the first table, reseated immediately, in another room upstairs. High quality service, in a very busy space.

They did a great renovation, the place is very beautiful inside with the classic diner look outside. The iceberg lettuce salad is amazing, artichoke appetizer pretty delicious, the Mac and cheese is a bit too much soup like, but all other food very nice. More on the upscale side, and a little pricey, but worth the extra cost!

A fancy diner with really good food. The waffles were probably my favorite, but the pancakes and the biscuits were quite good too.

Food is ok. But a little bit pricy for such a quality.

We had Chicken Waffle and a smoothie here after our walk at The Highline. Great atmosphere, top-notch food. Great service. Thank you Joe!

Great Service!Clean Establishment !Friendly waiters and waitresses!We got charged 8.50 for distilled water, so we made sure to take the remaining water in the bottle with us.The food was decent, but everything was made fresh which made up for any issue I may have had .

The best burger and the best pastrami I’ve had in NY. The place is cozy and you feel like in a movie. Definitely would go back.

Got the Empire burger, which came with the herb fries. The burger was good - I think the meat was a little overdone, sort of dry, but they didnt ask for how I wanted it cooked, and well done seems like their default. The fries were mostly bad, very thinly-sliced and fried to death, little or no actual potato on the inside. The rest of my family seemed to like their food, though. Service was also very good, with friendly servers and management coming over to address any questions we had about the menu themselves.

Delicious breakfast. Attentive service, and quickly satisfied my need for coffee. Would recommend and go back again.

Exceptional. Enough said. Five stars for service and quality!

Delicious food, great service, deco design. Would have appreciated it being mentioned that every refill of ice tea (though it was in the same glass with the same straw, same ice, and same lemon) would be an additional $3.50 each.

Cute retro diner perfect for brunch. Impressive use of space as well! My boyfriend and I sat at the bar and noticed how the servers were very busy yet efficient. Efficiency is great, but I would have appreciated a more friendly staff. Would try again!

Their omelette is the soft, buttery, smooth omelette I have been trying to find elsewhere. Currently, this is my favorite omelette (out of ~50) in Manhattan.

We went the for Lunch, fantastic food fantastic atmosphere thanks Scott

Good place for reading a book and enjoying a glass of wine while you get some people-watching done.Their terrace has sunshine in the afternoon which makes it perfect to sit outside.The wine menu is decent and reasonably priced. They are easy to find, just below the big street-art mural.

Delicious selection (much healthier options than a traditional diner) with a lovely ambiance.

Lovely service from the start. Super cool interior. Great food. Love this place.

Upscale diner with a very nice interior design. Great food and wine selection. I went for the burger which was perfectly cooked although the fries werent the best!

Nice decor and friendly service on a busy Sunday morning. Portions were good although priced above average. Overall good experience.

Fantastic. Enough on the menu to cater to anyone but not too many options to confuse. All done amazingly well. When in doubt have the burger. Its amazing

The menu was nice and service was fine. But 4 out of 5 people in our group got stomach aches and mild diarrhea right after eating here.. Would not be back...

So far so good ... I will update review once I actually get to eat here. They really need to keep this place open 24/7 like Chelsea Square! Originally they use to be open like 7-11

I’ve had mixed experiences here. The first time it was delicious, but the second time my toast came out soggy and the poached eggs were way overcooked. Still, the soft scramble cacio e pepe is very good.

Been to the reopened Empire Diner 3 times. Drinks and some light apps the first time, brunch twice more... The food is decent, the decor is great - basically an upscale/ scandinavian diner vibe. The service is lacking - seems overstaffed but everyones always in a frenzy... The first time we went for brunch had to.wait nearly 10 mins just to get our check and that after waiting just as long to order. Sat at the bar the second time and watched the bartender knock down a couple of glasses, the tea container, and a few other things... And no water all through the meal - until I asked for it. She was perfectly friendly and responsive when I asked for something, though!

The strip steak was absolutely phenomenal, and the devilled eggs were among the best I have ever had.

Solid food. Cocktails arrived after we finished eating. Slow bar service

The restaurant is an old dinner that has been revamped with taste. The food is good we were happy with all our orders.

Best food in Chelsea hands down and they are dog friendly too!! Photo credit @otisandetta on Instagram

Makes the 10th Avenue shine brighter. The best breakfast in NYC for a reasonable price. When I asked who wanted to go there This woman was the first one to raise her hand.

American food and the atmosphere at this location is great. Two thumbs up for this place. Next time Ill be back with my coworkers. I see why this place has so many great reviews.

Mediocre. Flavors was just OK. Granola came plain (they have no berries) plus they missed a couple of orders :/

Great place!! Very nice environment and my food was delicious!!

Its better food than the usual diner and consequently pricier. The Empire Special Blend Burger was good.

Yum food, beautiful setting, great service!

Great place the drinks are super

Amazing food and great location. Outstanding service. I felt like I was in a movie.

Cute n classic. delicious n fantastic. prices are a tad dramatic, but nothing too drastic. mac n cheese is aromatic. might be organic. makes me ecstatic.

Good food and service! Doesnt have many seats.

Love this place!!! If you’re looking for the perfect indoor or outdoor diner, then do this.

Nice avacado toast if you are in the area.

Excellent! There was 6 of us & we had breakfast. So delicious! We thought their sausage, fingerling potatoes, jam, coffee, carrot muffin & all our eggs (we had poach, scramble & sunny-side) perfect, made to perfection!!! All came out on time & hot. We will all go back again soon. Enjoy!

One of my preferred places for tasty american food. I was super full. Ambience reminds me of Colorado Springs area.

Great diner close to high line, crowded during weekend but wouldn’t have to wait long since they got plenty tables.

A beautiful classic art deco style diner that is generally fairly quiet in the mornings for breakfast and much busier in the evenings for dinner. That should give you an idea as to what this place is like because in many ways its too nice and too smart to get the authentic New York neighborhood diner experience if that is what you are looking for. It looks like a diner but leans more towards trying to be a classy restaurant. Having said that breakfast was great and if you snag a window seat its a great spot to watch the world slowly go by.

Delicious food, friendly service. Napkins made of fabric.

Awesome breakfast 🥞

Ok location for tasty American food. i had a cousin come into town and asked me to take him back here.

This review would have been 4-4 1/2 - BUT our waiter was less than mediocre. We arrived at 10:02 (not busy at ALL; offered in or outdoor seating). When our food arrived @10:45, 2/3 meals were cold to touch and my meal (steak and eggs) was missing - def does not take long to make medium steak. When we informed the waiter, he did not even apologize.. instead he shrugged and stated, “I don’t know what to say, I put in your order right away.”My meal came (not medium steak.. BUT it was hot) so I ate it. A female manager approached us (pretty, kind.. looked like the girl from Brave) and apologized and her customer service was extremely better + genuine. The other meals came out approximately 15 minutes after we complained. Food was tasty.Unfortunately, the waiter was not attentive.. and from the looks of it, ONLY provided quality customer service to those who are Caucasian, versus us minorities.

Loving it here. I’ve just eaten three breakfasts in one sitting. Bloody delicious.

I DID NOT DO MY RESEARCH; and i am quite happy about that.I was looking for a New York, chromium adorned, vinyl seated experience like you see in the movies.It is that, but also not.This is not the place for pancakes and bacon. It is an old-school diner with a hipster twist. A fabulous modern restaurant inside a beautiful classic shell. I would recommend.

The selection of sausage are fantastic and the service is outstanding. We had a smoked lamb and a veal with leek and onion sausages. Both were great. We also had the German potato salad and that was also tasty. It is really nice that you can order and go to Toranado next door. We will be regulars.

Late night stop. Classic, trendy, great drinks and mac

Had a great experience here.Girlfriend and I stumbled in here after getting good and wet across the street. We were looking for something sweet. My girl took the espresso Martini. I took a black & white milkshake. And we both got this torte thing that was really great.The staff was definitely on top of there game. Host greeted us immediately on entering and directed us to a place to sit at the counter. Bartender immediately acknowledged us and was very personable.Had a great time!

Girlfriend and I ate lunch at the Italian place next door and decided to walk over here for dessert and coffee. She got the strawberry shake and I got the key lime pie. The key lime pie was really good.The milkshake, on the other hand, was a joke. I dont think there was any ice cream in it. It was the thinnest milkshake weve both ever had. It tasted like whipped strawberry milk. Like powdered Quick, milk, and a blender. We were tempted to send it back, but neither of us could work up the nerve after we both tried a few sips and drained half of it. Thats how thin it was. Two sips and we took a huge chunk out of it. It was hilariously sad how bad this shake was, especially considering it was $8.I dont think well come back.

An old classic...but very current. Al fresco dining, an eclectic wine list and all the diner faves with a elevated spin. This is not your ordinary diner but a comfortable dining experience in a familiar space that never disappoints!

Three of us promptly seated inside today around 3pm. Menus on the table immediately then the wait, wait wait. No acknowledgement by our waitress who seemed to ignore us. She passed our table many times. A couple sat at the table next to us. That same waitress asked them for their order before us even though they arrived 10 minutes after us. WTF is going on at Empire. We left. The one star er generous since we were not served. I spoke to the hostess. She DIDNT even reply to me. She should have said Im so sorry. Please sit back down and beverages are on me. I guess $70-$80 for lunch before tax and tip is not enough.

World famous. Seen on Law and Order

I walked in around breakfast and sat at the counter. The greeter was friendly; the restaurant area was clean. I ordered eggs and the service was reasonably attentive. Just about when I thought to ask about my order, the food came out. The vibe in the place was kind a bit hip. A young professional man was giving career and entrepreneurial advice to a younger woman, and other folks came in and conversed and ate breakfast.

As the stars say, Empire Diner is okay. Thats a good description.The avocado toast was pretty decent, nice bread and seasonings.The omelet was not so good. There were veggies added after it was cooked which makes for a strange texture.

It was so much better back in the day. Things like the hedonist special and the gloppy pie. Bring back the cool food and people. It was a great place after a show or a night on the town, especially when you realized you were out way too late.

Beautiful space, great food, and friendly staff! I ordered the breakfast sandwich and it completely filled me up! The fingerling potatoes were delicious as well. Joe, our waiter, was very attentive, quick, and helpful when we asked for shopping recommendations. Its also right across the street from the High Line which was very cool! 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

Had the meatloaf ... fantastic. Drinks were strong and tasty. Staff was super fun and friendly. Would definitely recommend.

A classic look diner that feels authentic and provides good food. Really enjoyed brunch there with my nieces family including two young girls. The kids were happy with the kids menu, the crayons and their treatment by our server. Nice outing for all of us.

Service was really good, nice spot to sit on the street and people watch. Food was pretty good too. We also arrived right on happy hour so had some cheep drink specials which was a bonus.

I was going to give this place 3.5. I had the omelette and fingerling potatoes and the eggs were cooked so beautifully. The fingerling potatoes were lightly seasoned and were crispy on the outside..delicious! My sister ordered medium steak and got well done steak, yikes! It was chewy and inedible. The wine was pretty decent for a diner and the server was very attentive although considering the steak, Im not so sure lol. I would definitely recommend and I would try it again.

Ordered a pastrami on rye, came with fries for $23.95 plus gratuity. Sandwich was meek to say the least. Educated guess, less than a quarter pound of pastrami. All the same, the sandwich was decent but not for that price!Ordered to go from barkeep and time out of the door was less than 5 minutes. Quick turn around

The food and service were above my expectations. I truly enjoyed the environment of this restaurant. Wonderful place to take my family out for dinner.

Great looking place. Limited menu. Food is good enough. Fries are very thin and small. Just dont sit outside theres a lot of crazy homeless and thieves. A homeless man was yelling at everybody. Stay indoors. The hamburger was real though. It tasted how real hamburgers should taste like.

A civilized upscale diner in Chelsea. Go, eat breakfast, and tour the surrounding art galleries fir the rest of the morning.A perfect Manhattan experience.

Had a great lunch there with our 2 kids! The food and the cocktails were amazing!. The staff were very welcoming and kids like it too.

Very nice place

I am making ky signature all natural un seasoned cassarole from. Scratch entree

Superb!Great choice.Reasonably priced.Quickly and friendly service.Stylish surroundings.Good music too.

I did a run by while running to class and needed breakfast... It was a bit pricey for 1 fried egg with cheese, 2 strips of bacon, some potatoes and toast. It came to 20 dollars... I was annoyed at first but when I got to class and ate it... It was well worth it! Best potatoes Ive had in a while! The egg was fried perfectly and tasted seasoned. I have no complaints about taste. Just wish it was more bacon and maybe at lease one more egg.

Great food. Layout and service werent optimal but its an NYC restaurant in a tight area near Chelsea so not unexpected. Prices were a bit high but quality of food justified them. A good brunch spot if you are near the High Line. Not a must-do, but a great option nonetheless. Will probably do again at some point.

What a save! I had an altercation with the hostess due to the fact we were 12 minutes late and shed given away our table. Her tone and attitude were not gracious and we were ready to leave. However, a lovely man -- the manager? - swooped in and sat us a couple of minutes later. The waiter was also very sweet. The food was good. Loved the fried artichokes. I had a tasty poke bowl. There others had dishes with pastrami salmon and enjoyed them. The desserts were very good, especially the strawberry chiffon.

American food at its best. Food is seasonally fresh, service is prompt and friendly. There are several vegetarian plates available. We had the empire omlette it was yummy. The worst thing on the plate was the toast but who could compare that to the buttermilk biscuit and the ginger scone. I would give the place a 4.5 but thats not an option. Im an old lady. I would prefer it if it were a bit quieter.

This place is another see and partake stop. Much happens here. Great food, great atmosphere. This diner is, I believe, one of the oldest diners in the city. It has been used for many TV and film locations, including one of my fav movies Men in black two.

Been here at least 5 times and have always been satisfied. The omelettes are great and my friends have enjoyed the scones too.Only thing to watch out for is that there is sometimes a wait during brunch hours on weekends. Typically not as bad as really trendy NYC brunch places but worth being aware of.

Raised from the dead, and they finally got it right! Feels chic, fun, nostalgic, and wait till you see their comfort food menu. Top notch diner with a good looking staff. There’s definitely a wait but it’s worth the while! Try everything, my favorite is the burger!!!

Food was very good.Its a little too fancy, and the prices are not that of a diner. Especially the after the Spike & Eagle Empire Diner that we all knew and loved!Great for tourists coming off the HighLine.

Classic diner, known from movies such as Home Alone 2 and Men in Black 2 and from the Tom Waits album Asylum Years. The place looks great and also the burger was very good. Cool place to have visited.

First time customer, love the old school look of the Diner and the food is delicious, Im having the Empire Omelette and Im in love with the taste and flavor of the eggs and greens. Great combo. Visit this place, staff is really nice.

The name diner is misleading. This food is sophisticated and delicious. Great cocktails. Our server was a sweetheart

Nice

We were here for early dinner & thankfully it wasnt packed. I could see people outside taking pictures of the building where we were in. I had their pretty looking pastrami sandwich plus a coffee. It was good. Their fries are good, by the way. Service was ok and friendly.

Lovely diner.

My family and I never even got to eat here. It was by no means busy, so we requested a booth for our family of five. They said they would call us in when it was cleared. Twenty minutes passed and my husband went in to check on the table. They had completely forgotten about us. I may have given them a pass if we hadn’t been waiting right outside of the CLEAR GLASS window! It’s actually funny how inept they were! So, maybe they just don’t care to have families there. Many other restaurants to choose from on the same street.

THIS IS NOT A CHEAP EVERYDAY DINER. It is a classy, borderline snobby restaurant. The host behaves like Elektra from Pose (a compliment and constructive feedback at the same time) the rest of the staff are delightful. The food is excellent and the chicken style Steak is AMAZING. Highly recommend restaurant for a nice and different experience in the heart of Chelsea.

Ive lived a block away from this place for the past 13 years. We used to go there regularly for brunch. It was great 2 incarnations ago, but since then it has never regained its former glory. The food and service is far better at CookShop down the street. At todays Empire, the wait staff seems rather frazzled and disorganized. Until its next incarnation, I suggest you go for pictures outside if you are a tourist rather than the food or service.

Eating here for many years. Right on the corner, 22nd St./ Chelsea. The Empire appeared in numerous Films and is a Manhattan classic. Jack Doenias, a friend, was one of the owners. Timeless Deco and great food.