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$$$$ | Midtown West |
Helmed by renowned chef Manish Mehrotra, this refined Midtown restaurant is arguably the Big Apple's best place for creative and classic Indian dishes. The menu, which has tantalizing vegetarian, meat, and seafood options, explores innovation by blending daring and seasonal flavors with traditional Indian cuisine. Dinner is a three- or four-course prix-fixe affair, with an excellent pretheater menu. The understated dining room puts the emphasis where it should be: right on your plate.
123 W. 56th St., New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Outstanding prix-fixe Indian dining
- Stuffed breads
- Flavorful vegetarian dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | Midtown West |
Bringing the best flavors of Greece and Turkey to the Times Square north area, chef John Fraser made Iris an instant Midtown favorite with his creative menu of seafood- and vegetable-forward dishes. Sophisticated service is attentive in the soothingly neutral-hue dining room and at the long, comfortable bar and small lounge area, where a daily happy hour (5 pm–6:30 pm) offers tasty deals on smaller bites plus Mediterranean wine and cocktails. Oysters and other raw-bar favorites stand out, along with shareable mezze and Aegean imports including flatbreads, grilled octopus, and unforgettable hummus and tzatziki.
1740 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Filling, flavorful Aegean dishes
- Spacious, elegant dining room
- Good raw bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
Head into the serene, teak-paneled dining room at this trendsetting French seafood restaurant, and let chef Eric Ripert work his magic with anything that swims—at times preferring not to cook it at all. Deceptively simple dishes are typical of his style, which has earned this restaurant many James Beard and other awards, including a rank among the world's top 20 restaurants and an incredible three Michelin stars. Expect to savor every bite of Le Bernardin's thrilling cuisine, along with exceptional cocktail and wine selections, and some of the finest desserts anywhere. The menu is expensive and prix-fixe only, but you can count on a truly unforgettable gastronomic experience. Along with a vegetarian prix-fixe option, there's also a marvelous chef's tasting menu of at least eight courses, and the option of an over-the-top wine pairing.
155 W. 51st St., New York, New York, 10019-6019, USA
Known For
- Splurge-worthy prix-fixe only
- Impeccable service
- Reservations essential well in advance
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | Midtown West |
A nod to Midtown's famed, former Legacy Recording Studios, this chic eatery with a focus on the cuisine of northern Italy is well worth a far-west-side walk to the edge of Hudson Yards. The culinary dream team here also operates downtown's Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones restaurants, bringing the talents of chef Ryan Hardy to these deco-style tables. Hardy focuses on the north's coastal regions and offers a crudo tasting menu, as well as more inventive dishes inspired by remote locales across Italy. The small bites and larger plates are sensational, elevated by the tantalizing cocktail program and enormous wine selection. The restaurant has a casual elegance thanks to its homey wood, leather, and brass details, with a compact dining room, lovely U-shape bar, and upstairs lounge (with limited hours).
517 W. 38th St., New York, New York, 10018, USA
Known For
- Crudo tasting menu
- Creative cocktail program
- Attentive service in casual but elegant setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
Large picture windows look out to expansive views of Central Park South at this upscale, elegant, seafood-focused Italian eatery. No expense is spared in importing the very best of the ocean's bounty, beginning with the crudo dishes—think scallops with orange, wild fennel, and arugula—that are the restaurant's signature. You'd be remiss, though, if you skipped the homemade pastas that helped make Marea famous. Whole fish, risotto, and antipasti are equally delightful. The international wine cellar here is spectacular, and service is flawless.
240 Central Park S, New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Baked branzino for two
- Memorable homemade pastas
- Reservations essential
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Midtown West |
This perennially packed Hell's Kitchen brasserie has been a magnet for burger lovers since day one. Though the menu offers a mix of flavors—including matzo ball soup, shrimp tempura, and salad bowls—the main attractions are the juicy patties, like the original 10-ounce patty melt with a tangle of onions, Gruyère cheese, and rosemary aioli. There's an option for everyone, including vegan options and a "Cali Reuben" turkey burger. For dessert, have an über-thick black-and-white malted milk shake.
630 9th Ave., New York, New York, 10036, USA
Known For
- Messy, delicious burgers of all kinds
- Deep-fried delights
- Wildly indulgent desserts
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
An island of fine modern American dining just a stone's throw from bustling Times Square and Broadway theaters, Aureole is the second act of a New York classic from famed chef-restaurateur Charlie Palmer and Executive Chef Chris Engel. The airy dining room, inviting thanks partly to the seasoned staff, offers an elegant prix-fixe menu with elevated American and international choices and optional wine pairing. In the front Liberty Room, enjoy a shorter pre-theater prix-fixe menu or à-la-carte courses, all while watching the Midtown clientele evolve from expense-account patrons to discerning diners. In warmer months, the Patio opens in the covered outdoor breezeway beside the restaurant, serving drinks and bar bites in its trio of seating areas.
135 W. 42nd St., New York, New York, 10036, USA
Known For
- Refined setting and dining
- Prix-fixe menu options
- Barroom with à la carte choices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
Expect to find Greek cuisine that celebrates the sea as deliciously as a seaside taverna at Avra’s Midtown West location, across from Radio City Music Hall (there are two more Avra outposts on the east side). The starters menu features wonderfully fresh salads, housemate hummus, grilled or lightly fried calamari, halloumi, and an excellent raw bar and entrées include both “from the sea” and “from the land” items. All dishes showcase Avra’s fine ingredients, though its sashimi and ceviche menu sparkle most thanks to delicate additions like cucumber chimichurri, micro cilantro, and perfect amounts of Mediterranean olive oil and sea salt. The lofty dining room is a welcome respite along this busy commercial corridor, with patio seating in warmer months. Avra’s three-course lunchtime prix-fixe, served 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, may be Midtown’s best dining secret.
1271 6th Ave., New York, New York, 10020, USA
Known For
- Authentic Greek specialties
- Unbeatable lunch menu
- Mediterranean-sourced cheeses and fish
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$$$ | Midtown West |
The two pricing scenarios at this Italian spot make bustling Becco a prime Restaurant Row choice for time-constrained theatergoers: one includes an affordable all-you-can-eat selection of salad, antipasti, and three pastas served hot out of pans that waiters circulate around the dining room; the other adds a generous entrée to the mix. The pasta selection changes daily but often includes gnocchi, ravioli, and fettuccine in cream sauce. The entrées may be braised veal shank, grilled double-cut pork chop, and rack of lamb, among other selections. Decor is somewhat basic here, and the exposed brick amplifies the volume during busy hours, but the convivial vibes prevail.
355 W. 46th St., New York, New York, 10036-3810, USA
Known For
- Cheerful atmosphere
- Gets noisy at busiest times
- Mains including veal shank and rack of lamb
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
The world's most famous French chef, Alain Ducasse, brings to New York a Right Bank bistro—with cozy, red-velour banquettes and wall lamps illuminating each table—plucked straight from the City of Light, with a menu that celebrates beloved French dishes rather than reinvents. And that's okay, especially when onion soup, pate, filet mignon and other classics are so well executed. It's not exactly cheap for bistro fare, but it is a delicious reminder that beloved flavors of Paris also sparkle in Manhattan.
60 W. 55th St., New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Elegant Parisian bistro decor
- Wine bar with small terrace
- Memorable French dishes
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$ | Midtown West |
This one-of-a-kind, college-style burger bar, clad in wood paneling and looking like a rec room straight out of Happy Days, sits inside a luxurious Midtown hotel. Tucked away in a lobby corner of the Thompson Central Park, with only a neon burger marking its entrance, it does such boisterous business that lines sometimes snake through the lobby. Inside this pocket joint, you can find semi-surly, grease-spattered cooks dispensing paper-wrapped cheeseburgers, shakes, and crispy fries. These burgers are straightforward, cheap, and delicious—just be ready to order once you're at the counter, or they'll send you back to the start of the line. (There are two more locations, one inside Moynihan Train Hall, the other in Brooklyn's Industry City.)
119 W. 56th St., New York, New York, 10019-3318, USA
Known For
- Not-so-secret spot for good-value burgers
- Come at off hours to beat the long lines
- Tasty beef and plant-based burgers
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$$$ | Midtown West |
Savvy New Yorkers reserve early for the affordable Italian meals at this large, busy Midtown eatery, where family photos lining the walls lend a sociable feel to the Times Square hubbub. Groups carbo-loading for a day of sightseeing or a night of Broadway theater are rewarded with mountains of such classic, toothsome viands as fried calamari, linguine with white clam sauce, chicken parmigiana, and veal saltimbocca.
200 W. 44th St., New York, New York, 10036-3906, USA
Known For
- Popular pretheater option
- Family-style portions
- Swift service
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
This sprawling, boisterous Brazilian shrine to meat, with its all-you-can-eat prix-fixe menu, is best experienced with a group of ravenous friends. Start with a trip to the gourmet salad bar, piled with vegetables, meats, and cheeses—but remember, there's about to be a parade of all manner of grilled meats and poultry, from pork ribs to chicken hearts, delivered to the table on long skewers. Everyone at the table gets a coaster-size disc that's red on one side and green on the other: turn the green side up when you're ready for more. Make sure to come hungry, and pace yourself so you can try all the different delicacies.
316 W. 49th St., New York, New York, 10019-7391, USA
Known For
- Arrive hungry to best enjoy this place
- Entertaining dining experience for groups
- Reservations essential
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Midtown West |
On the far West Side, just past Moynihan Train Hall, discover this spacious, lively, second-floor restaurant in the middle of the Manhattan West megablock. Chef Hillary Sterling earned instant raves (and a James Beard nomination) for her excellent homemade pastas and her balance of hearty, familiar Italian dishes elevated with seasonal ingredients and live-fire cooking. The large dining room is lined with big half-moon booths perfect for taking in the busy open kitchen, as well as the city views from the airy window wall. As splendid as the food is at this new establishment from well-known restaurateur Danny Meyer, the wine and cocktail assortment is especially fantastic, and so are the irresistible desserts.
440 W. 33rd St., New York, New York, 10001, USA
Known For
- Innovative cocktail program
- Attentive service
- Creative, compact menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | Midtown West |
In two elegant dining rooms, star chef Daniel Boulud's modern French bistro serves classic, exquisitely prepared dishes like Atlantic salmon, hanger steak, and the pricey "db" hamburger— stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffles and credited with kick-starting the gourmet burger craze. Although the bistro might not be the trendy destination it once was, it's still a worthy experience, especially for its three-course prix-fixe menu. The service is friendly without being overbearing, and the restaurant welcomes pre- or post-theater guests for dinner, cocktails, and dessert.
55 W. 44th St., New York, New York, 10036-6609, USA
Known For
- Prix-fixe option
- Modern twists on French classics
- Worth the price
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$ | Midtown West |
The name is Italian for "bait," and this restaurant lures you in with a long menu of delectable crudo preparations and then hooks you with bold entrées that might include whole salt-baked branzino, sea bass for two, or bucatini pasta with spicy baby octopus. The restaurant saw a few changes when longtime chef Dave Pasternack bought it in 2019, but its menu remains sharp, as does the adventurous Italian wine selection.
402 W. 43rd St., New York, New York, 10036-6322, USA
Known For
- Elevated, fresh, seaside, Italian fare
- Daily-changing menu
- Exciting wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Midtown West |
Entering the large, rustic-elegant dining room of Gabriel Kreuther invites a sense of calm as well as anticipation for a memorable meal—and it delivers. The renowned namesake chef celebrates his native Alsatian culinary influences with sublime tasting menus of three or four courses, or an inspired chef's tasting menu of at least seven courses (wine pairing optional, and worth the splurge). GK's haute cuisine, attentive service, and even its lovely handmade ceramic dishware are all part of an exceptional dining experience. Here's your chance to taste cuisine by a chef who's earned many of the world's most prestigious fine-dining accolades, including a James Beard award, Relais & Chateaux membership, and two Michelin stars. Note: if dinner is too pricey, enjoy a four-course prix-fixe lunch or à la carte menu, or opt for more casual dining in the inviting bar.
41 W. 42nd St., New York, New York, 10036, USA
Known For
- Elegant, cozy ambience
- Pretheater dining in the bar
- Award-winning menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$ | Midtown West |
Opened in early 2023, the star of the show here is the perfectly crisp fish (made with sustainable cod) and "natural" sea salt chips (fries for the Americans), but you can swap in shrimp or chicken for the combo if you prefer. Located right behind the Good Morning America studios, this is the perfect location for a quick bite (to go or dine in) before or after exploring Times Square. If you're feeling adventurous the chips are also served in three “dirty” options: truffle, Parmesan, and chives; chipotle, jalapeño, and crisp chorizo; or bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream.
1500 Broadway, New York, New York, 10036, USA
Known For
- Fish-and-chips
- Quick to-go service
- Biscoff milk shake
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$ | Midtown West |
Friendly, family-run Gregorys is a staple for hurried New Yorkers, who appreciate the quality coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches, and more from this and other Midtown locations. Gluten-free and vegan options also are on the menu. Expect some seating inside, but mostly aim to grab and go.
762 7th Ave., New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Some seats but mostly grab and go
- Reliable quality and service
- NYC-based chain
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$$ | Midtown West |
This little slice of Havana in the center of the Big Apple is a great place for reasonably priced group dining, as well as for sampling Cuban-Latino standards. Dig into dishes like garlicky chicken, hearty oxtail stew, authentic tostones (fried green plantains), pineapple-spiked chicken, and well-seasoned skirt steak with a cucumber-and-mango salad. There's a huge list of rums and a full menu of tropical-flavored mojitos, including coconut, blueberry, and passion fruit. At the Cuban brunch, don't miss the dulce de leche French toast.
151 W. 46th St., New York, New York, 10036, USA
Known For
- Lively, musical atmosphere
- Rum-driven cocktail menu
- Cuban brunch
