Zagat editor James Mulcahy stopped by the historic Palm Court to check out the recent improvements. He filed this report for NY1.

We visited the new and improved Palm Court at the iconic Plaza Hotel.

Celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian has taken the reigns of this landmark space where he has managed to keep the venue's historic charm while adding a few key new elements, including a centerpiece cocktail bar.

"First thing when they said we're going to renovate and take it over, it was like we have to have a bar. I mean this is 59th and 5th; you are at the center of the world here. We wanted to keep it open at night so that bar allows us now to keep it open at night," says Zakarian.

The city’s Landmark Preservation Commission protects the space and while elements like the bar and palm trees could be added, a big overhaul was not possible. Thankfully, in a room like this, it was not necessary.

"The good thing and bad thing about these buildings are, the good thing is they're landmarked, the bad thing is they're landmarked - because you can't do much to them. You can't touch the ceiling; you can't touch the dome, who would want to anyways? We kept a lot of the old feel but we just updated it," says Zakarian.

The tea service that many people associate with the Palm Court was also kept intact with a little refresh. It is now served alongside a new menu of plates and bar snacks.

"We really built a new tea program from scratch,” Zakarian says. “In New York City, tea is not what it is in London. But we do several hundred teas a day here so we do have that presence. What I wanted to do was make something very New York-ish, very New York centric, so when you come here it's like special. We added a huge snack program. We do not have the kitchen capacity to do dinner so we decided to do snacks, real fun snacks that you can have with cocktails. A great beverage program, everything's fresh and it really speaks to what this room should be - a great place to come and have a cocktail."

The tweaks certainly make the Palm Court feel fresh, but the old school charm is ever present at this venue and it should speak to new generations of visitors for years to come.

"There's only one Plaza,” says Zakarian. “When you're in this building you just feel the bones here, it's fantastic. I love old projects, I love making old things relevant again. There is no need to take these buildings down and put more buildings up. They are just gorgeous. We wanted to do something here that in 25 years or 50 years is relevant."

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