American Girl Lunch at American Girl Cafe in New York City

Conveniently located on 5th Avenue, American Girl Place New York City is a little girl’s dream. I booked a lunch reservation in the cafe on New Year’s Day since we were on a mission to pick up Girl of the Year, who becomes available for purchase on the day.

And, here she is—Grace, the Parisian-inspired baker and entrepreneur in her uber-expensive bakery.

We enjoyed afternoon tea at American Girl Place NYC a few years ago and at the time, the store seemed so massive. It is, but I think American Girl Place Los Angeles is a bit bigger. My senses might be have been off because it was so crowded on New Year’s Day that it was difficult to navigate the store without running into someone. 

Unlike the Los Angeles store, this one lets everyone in at the same time to buy Girl of the Year and all of her lovely accessories. Why there was a gigantic line outside before the store opens, I have no idea.

The upshot is that there were a number of freebies and crafts on offer in celebration of Grace’s debut like scavenger hunts and DIY Grace luggage tags.

The Cafe itself is well done and the experience is more or less just as it is at the other American Girl Cafes.

Because it was a holiday, they were understaffed and a little flustered though we were in an out in about 90 minutes. The dolls are given their own high chairs, of course, and there’s the little trivia game on the table to play.

The food is pretty good, considering it’s a cafe in a doll store. Plus, you can order wine, bellinis and other adult beverages at reasonable pricing for New York City. We ate (click on a photo to see the slide show):

The signature mousse usually comes in a flower pot but today it was in a plastic cup with plastic spoon. I am not sure if that is because they were understaffed or not. We didn’t care either way.

Of course, if you’re traveling like we were and don’t have a doll handy, there are plenty of good options to borrow.

Also, Girl of the Year was debuted on Good Morning America in Times Square. Lucky passers-by could probably see the New Year’s Eve segment through the studio’s floor-to-ceiling windows though the vibrant area is prepping for the ball drop and a bit crazy on the day.

It’s pretty safe to say that we’ll return to American Girl Place New York, which is walkable from Four Seasons Hotel New York. I definitely recommend it as a thing to do in New York City with kids, then you can hit the shops on 5th Avenue.

Can’t get enough American Girl Doll? Check out the American Girl Place Los Angeles Packages.