An upscale restaurant in New York has been accused of discriminating against Asian diners. The allegation has been levelled against One if by Land, Two if by Sea restaurant by a TikToker named Annie, who says it has separate seating for Asian diners on the second floor, separating them from others on the first floor, according to a report in New York Post. Her accusations have been confirmed by Asian diners on Yelp, who claimed the restaurant treated them poorly, the outlet further said.
"Lets cut to the chase: One if by Land, Two if by Sea racially discriminates against nonwhite people, particularly Asians," the Post quoted the TikTok user has saying. This is a serious charge against One if by Land, Two if by Sea, voted one of the most romantic restaurants in the world by Architectural Digest.
The restaurant has not responded to the charges so far.
In the video, Annie, an Asian, said she was asked to sit on the second floor when she recently visited the restaurant with her boyfriend, according to the Post. The woman said she noticed she was among the only Asian diners.
Annie further said that the second floor has a lackluster ambiance compared to the mosaic-clad walls beaming with natural light on the first floor, the outlet further said.
She also showed the photo of the first floor of the restaurant - pulled from Yelp - along with the second floor to present a comparison.
"I want to preface by saying, I have no issue dining with other Asian people. I don't care. What I do care about, and have an issue with, is people of color being separated from white people by white people in higher-end establishments," Annie said in the TikTok video, as reported by New York Post.
According to the restaurant's website, it was established in 1973. It claims more people have announced their engagement here than any other restaurant in Manhattan.
