Our Visit to Rolf’s
The Garlands, the infinite ornaments, the… creepy Victorian Dolls?
If you follow any New York based Influencer or Blogger, you’ve likely seen your fair share of holiday posts from Rolf’s Restaurant.
Endless rows of garland, warm lights twinkling off of thousands of brilliant ornaments- it’s definitely a sight to behold. But here’s the question: is it worth it?
Located in Gramercy (281 Third Ave, to be exact), Rolf’s is a German restaurant known for their incredible Christmas decor during the holiday season.
The Space
Rolf’s is intimate. And by intimate, I mean deceptively small.
From photos all across Instagram, this place looks much larger in pictures than its actual size in person. If you’re looking to sit down and have a meal, a reservation is a must.
The Ambiance
The photos don’t lie; there’s a reason this place is a Mecca for festive photo-ops. The decor is wild, over the top, and fills you with warm holiday cheer.
And then there are the Dolls… hey, maybe Victorian dolls are your thing and you find them charming; I find them creepy (lol). At first, I noticed just one, then another, then it became somewhat like a creepy doll hunt- they were everywhere!
The Food & Drinks
I gotta be honest- we didn’t come for the food. Maybe not many people do and that’s why the drinks are so expensive (more on that in a minute). But if Yelp wasn’t already steering us away from this option, we had some friends who dined here recently tell us to skip the meal all together and just stick with drinks at the Bar.
As far as the drinks go, we had some tap beers and tried the Eggnog. The eggnog was tasty- not too creamy and garnished with a cute little cinnamon stick; really puts you in that Christmas mood.
But the priceeee… my goodness!
Being from New York, I am no stranger to overpriced drinks. I love me a rooftop in the summer and know to expect certain places to be a bit pricey. We did not think this was one of those places!
Now, I say this as a disclaimer because, odds are, you’re planning on coming here with some family. Caveat Emptor- that lil Eggnog will cost you a cool $24USD! Yes, $24 for one beverage- bah humbug!
The Takeaway
Is it a fun place to visit around Christmas? Yes
My recommendation? Stop in, have a drink, take some photos and bounce uptown to the Bryant Park Winter Village for some extra photo opportunities, warm drinks, and small business shopping.
New York has so many fun and unique holiday happenings! Rolf’s is nice but its more of a pit stop than a final destination.
Happy Holidays!