Historic Central Park Boathouse Restaurant Is Reopening This Month

The historic Loeb Boathouse and its accompanying restaurant at Central Park has announced that it will finally be reopening its doors at the end of March for the first time since the city initially shut down due to the pandemic one year ago. The restaurant has started taking reservations for picturesque lakeside lunching on weekdays and brunch on the weekends starting on Monday, March 29, according to its website. West Side Rag reports that it will be offering rowboat rentals again as soon as the weather allows.

The reopening news follows a tumultuous year for the NYC destination. The restaurant furloughed its staff in March during the initial citywide shutdown, and then permanently laid off its 163 employees last fall. A restaurant spokesperson said at the time that the boathouse was looking to reopen in the spring, but there has been no date set until now.

The 67-year-old restaurant is a classic Central Park fixture that has drawn countless tourists and locals for decades. The waterfront patio is a wedding destination in the city, and the site has also made plenty of appearances in well-known romantic comedy movies, including When Harry Met Sally and 27 Dresses. Current owner Dean Poll spent $2.9 million to renovate the boathouse in 2018, including adding more indoor and outdoor seating and expanding the bar. The establishment has been shuttered since restaurants and bars were first ordered to shut down their dining rooms last March due to the pandemic. According to the Boathouse’s website, it will be open noon to 4 p.m. during the week and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

• Central Park Boathouse Reopening on March 29th — and the Rowboats Too! [West Side Rag]