The Spruced Up Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel Has Less Gold But is as Grandiose as Ever

The grand Palm Court at the Plaza is back with its fancy (and very pricey) tea service, now overseen by Geoffrey Zakarian. After a two month renovation, the re-do of the iconic room looks as old New York as ever, a little like the Titanic, pre-sinking. The large, backlit stained glass ceiling is of course intact, and now tinges green, and four tall palm trees (plus multiple potted palms) still line the room. But now there's new dark carpeting, plush velvet seats, and mirrored tabletops, plus a little round bar in the middle. It's formality rarely spotted in New York restaurants these days, sadly that attention to tradition doesn't translate into the new all day menu. There's a Philly cheesesteak, pastrami tea sandwiches, and a house burger. To make diners forget that, there are several $25 cocktails.