The market/retail space at Herb N' Kitchen offers local NY-based products, as well as fresh dishes such as flatbreads, soups, and salads
Last week on Sept. 24,
Hilton Worldwide officially debuted its newest food-and-beverage (F&B) concept, Herb N’ Kitchen, at the
New York Hilton Midtown, the largest hotel in Manhattan. The new quick-service dining concept, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is “ideal” for meeting attendees, said Beth Scott, vice president, global product development, food & beverage, for Hilton Worldwide during an on-site tour of the new eatery. “It gives travelers, especially time-strapped meeting attendees, more choice than ever before.”
The space, which used to be a traditional dining room, was transformed into a variety of different spaces — an upscale casual restaurant and a culinary market — each of which accommodates meeting attendees very well, said Scott. In total, Herb N’ Kitchen comprises the following spaces: Arrival, a retail-like space where guests can purchase fresh foods and snacks; Barista, a space that offers quick coffee drinks, pastries, fruits, and yogurts; Oven, an area devoted to serving flatbreads and burgers; a breakfast buffet; and an open dining room for lunch and dinner.
“Meeting attendees who want to grab a pastry or coffee in the morning can do that easily here, and when it’s time for lunch, they can quickly order something fresh and grab a seat in the dining area to hold a quick meeting in between sessions,” said Scott.
The fare at Herb N’ Kitchen was inspired by fresh, local ingredients, said Scott. For that reason, guests will find such items as Pat LaFreida burgers, seasonal cheese plates from Greenwich Village’s Murrays Cheese Bar, and Kings Country Jerky, among other items. “We still want you to feel like you’re in the city that you’re in,” Scott explained.
While not all menu options are considered to be “healthy,” she said, the available options are more healthful than not. Menu items also include gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly options. Dishes include gluten-free corn arepas, an Indian chicken tikka sandwich, Margherita flatbread, and Mediterranean chopped salad. “People want to know where their food came from and to be able to see the ingredients so we make sure that we label everything very clearly,” Scott said. That extends to “communication with meeting planners,” she added.
The dining room at Herb N'Kitchen features a communal table
Scott said that the dining room, which can accommodate up to 215, can also be used by groups for private meetings, cocktail parties, open kitchen-style events, and other types of meetings and events. “Herb N’ Kitchen is great for attendees to get outside of the ballrooms and the meeting rooms,” Scott explained. It’s also great for on-site lunches and breaks that do not have to be included in the contract for the main F&B bill, she said.
The Herb N’ Kitchen at New York Hilton Midtown is the first of its kind globally, and it also replaced the 50-year-old property’s traditional room service. Earlier this year, it was rumored that the New York Hilton Midtown had completely done away with room service. Instead, Scott explained, all room service dining is now offered and packaged through Herb N’ Kitchen, and can be delivered to each room.
During our on-site tour of the new restaurant space on Sept. 25, dozens of on-site meeting attendees gathered at Herb N’ Kitchen, quickly filling up its seats as they chatted with fellow meeting goers. Many also took advantage of the free Wi-Fi in the restaurant to work on their tablets, laptops, and smartphones.
Herb N’ Kitchen’s gourmet restaurant and market concept is an optional model for individual Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties around the globe, and will be opened in select properties that choose to include the new dining venue.