Planning Your Visit
Per Se is on the fourth floor of a shopping centre, behind a blue door, above Columbus Circle. First-time visitors are almost always surprised — twice.
By The Reservation Desk Editorial Team · Published July 15, 2025 · Last updated · 9 min read
The restaurant occupies the fourth floor of the Deutsche Bank Center at Columbus Circle. Take the escalators or the lift; the entrance is the familiar blue door, which is a reproduction of the one in Yountville.
Allow ten extra minutes if you have never been. The building is large and the signage is discreet.
The dining room looks north and west over Columbus Circle and into Central Park. Window tables are limited and cannot be guaranteed, though requests noted at booking are considered.
An early-evening booking in summer buys you daylight over the park. A late winter booking buys you the city lit up. Both are worth choosing deliberately.
Arrive within five minutes of the reservation. The kitchen has sequenced the room and a late start compresses your meal rather than delaying everyone else's.
Allow three to four hours for the tasting menu. If you have theatre tickets, do not attempt both in one evening — this is the most common Manhattan scheduling error.
Jackets are required for gentlemen. New York reads slightly less formal than Yountville in practice, but the requirement is real and enforced.
Coats are taken on arrival, which in a New York winter is a genuine convenience.
Columbus Circle is served by the 1, A, B, C and D lines and is one of the best-connected points in Manhattan. Taxis and rideshare are plentiful, though the circle itself is congested on weekend evenings.
Walking home through the southern edge of Central Park after a late dinner is, weather permitting, the correct ending.
The building and restaurant are lift-accessible throughout, which makes Per Se materially easier than the historic Yountville building for guests with mobility needs.
Note any requirements at booking so the team can seat you appropriately.
The Reservation Desk Editorial Team — Independent research and editorial team
Our editorial team researches fine-dining access, booking windows and menu formats across the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Every guide is compiled from restaurant-published information, official reservation platforms and first-hand dining notes, then re-checked before each update.
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