If anyone had told us even 5 years ago that Rockefeller Center would be a hot New-York-dining spot, we would never have believed it. But, when Frenchette ventured uptown to open Le Rock, and 5 Acres came in from Brooklyn, the Rock Center earned its street cred. And now, with the Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center, we stand totally corrected. This is the review.

Atmosphere

Virtually every bar in the Rockefeller Center vicinity should be ashamed of themselves. Smith & Mills has taken a concourse space and created more ambience than almost any spot in the neighborhood for a drink. The decor takes the speakeasy feel of the original Tribeca location to the next level. The atmosphere is dark, moody and speakeasy-cool, albeit a little contrived. Case in point: they take that 1920s feel all the way to even the restrooms, with a sink you lift to drain as if you’re on a train car. Generally, given the location, Smith & Mills is a unique spot amongst the more generic Midtown-esque bars for a drink.

Food + Beverage

I’ll cut to the chase on the F&B at Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center: stick to the beverage part of the equation. I had the deviled eggs, cod croquettes and mussels. All of it was marginally edible – I’m just glad I didn’t order raw bar items. It’s pretty hard to screw up deviled eggs, so I commend them on the flavorless and runny filling that clearly wasn’t made fresh. It’s also difficult for deep-fried food not to have some flavor – and yet, the croquettes had no cod and were a creamy béchamel mess inside. I tried two just to make sure it wasn’t an anomaly, but unfortunately, it was the recipe itself. As for the mussels, the seafood was just not fresh. Good thing I have a stomach of steel.

With that said, the people around me had the right idea: sticking to drinks and a cheese plate. The atmosphere must make the sister restaurant proud, and the cocktails are comprehensive and well-executed. Although the food was a miss for me, if someone invited me to Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center, I would show up for a drink.

Service

I know it’s not fair to compare the Tribeca locale to Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center, but the service admittedly feels more forced at Rockefeller Center than the original location. The downtown servers, while not career restaurant folk, have an effortlessly cool, natural hospitality. At Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center, servers are dressed in their best formal speakeasy uniforms, which you would think would elevate the service (especially for the office set), but it doesn’t. Maybe it was just my visit, but the bartender could not have cared less if my food was okay. I know that, because she never asked how my food was, although more than half of each dish was left uneaten. That’s not to say that I was ignored or not provided food and drink upon request. However, the soul in the service that you get at the OG in Tribeca is absent at Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center.

Overall: 7/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center located?

A: Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center is located at the Rink Level, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112

Q: What are the hours of operation of Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center?

A: The hours of operation of Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center are as follows: