Polo Steakhouse Opens Inside Long Island's Garden City Hotel

Polo Steakhouse has officially opened in the dark wood-laden dining room in the legendary Garden City Hotel, located in the heart of Garden City, N.Y., about a 45-minute drive from Midtown Manhattan. It's as good as any steakhouse you'll find in New York City, and the folks behind it have quite a pedigree.

The space used to be home to Reign, but over the past couple of weeks it's been completely revamped. It's now a classic steakhouse, and it looks like one, too, with walls covered in dark wood, mahogany herringbone floors, red leather Chesterfield-style chairs, a separate lounge, high ceilings, and impeccable service.

We had the opportunity to attend the restaurant's preview dinner last night, and were presented with a rib-eye steak that took up the entire plate. It was cooked perfectly, crusty, and full of aged steak flavor from an in-house 28-day aging process, and the sauces served with it — Béarnaise, green peppercorn, and umami-rich house steak sauce — weren't even necessary. On the side, four-cheese macaroni and cheese, roasted mushrooms and onions, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach were fresh, well-seasoned, and had nothing worth complaining about. Other steaks offered are a signature bone-in filet mignon, Kansas City strip (same cut as a New York), and a porterhouse for two. All beef comes from the same supplier as Peter Luger, so you know that what you're getting is top-notch.

Chef Michael Mandato has worked with the likes of Jean-Georges Vongerichten at New York's Brandywine, and the cocktail list has been developed by Frank Caiafa, an industry vet who's developed cocktail menus for New York's Vault at Pfaff's and the Waldorf-Astoria's Peacock Alley.

If you're in the mood for a leading steakhouse-quality steak but don't feel like dealing with the hustle and bustle of New York City, take our word for it: the level of service, décor, professionalism, and, most importantly, food at Polo can stand up to any of Manhattan's finest steakhouses.