4. Tavern on the Green
Housed inside a Victorian Gothic building built in 1871, Tavern on the Green is nestled inside Central Park where it offers creative takes on seasonal American fare and classic cocktails. Although the restaurant shuttered briefly and was temporarily used as a gift shop and public bathroom, it was reborn again in 2014 with a completely redesigned space and menu.
According to CBS Local, the renovation efforts totaled $20 million — roughly double the original estimated cost — as the only piece of the restaurant that was salvageable was the wood beams. When it was built, Tavern on the Green was known as The Sheepfold, which was regarded as one of the park’s exquisite nineteenth-century structures. At the time, the building was used to house sheep, who would graze on Sheep Meadow, as well as the shepherd and his family.