The menu of the Rainbow Room focuses on Modern American cuisine and in 2017 was rated by Zagat as "very expensive". This stems from its legacy as a lunch club, where New York's more elite and influential figures could gather to socialize over cocktails, dine on fine cuisine, and dance on the revolving floor. A 1965 "New York Times" article stated that the dinner choices included "coquille joinville, steak marchand de vin, and parfait au liquers". In 1984, "New York" magazine wrote that the menu of that time was very similar to the original menu, since "very little has changed over the years except the prices". Smoked salmon, oysters/clams, onion soup gratinee, bay scallops saute, coffee, and sherbet were among the foods from the original menu that appeared in the 1984 menu.