Here's another suggestion for a delightful lunch in midtown -- the tea salon at Takashimaya. Takashimaya is a Japanese department store on 5th Ave around 53rd Street. On the lower level, they have a lovely, quiet tea salon with yummy sandwiches, salads, bento boxes. A great lunch spot.

Takishimaya has a cafe?!?!?!? Who knew? Where is it? I go into the store all the time to buy SMN pot-pourri on the 6th floor. I have never seen a cafe.

Basement level -- love it!

Hi VickiB2,

I am a NYer and yes, driving in the City takes some getting used to. If you're understandably timid and aren't familiar with the area driving will be challenging and stressful.

If you're going to the Met, across Central Park on the West side is a great breakfast place called "Popovers" which features English style popovers that are crusty pastries on the outside and a bit soft and eggy on the inside. The restaurant also has numerous creative omelettes and other breakfast fare. The restaurant is located on Amsterdam, between 86th and 87th on the East side of the street. Other good breakfast choices in that same area are: "Barney Greengrass," which sells a lot of really good smoked fish (right next door to Popovers, "Good Enough to Eat (Amsterdam between 83rd and 84th)," which has some of the best bacon in the City, and "EJ's Luncheonette" (Amsterdam between 81st and 82nd), which is an old-style diner serving diner-ish breakfast, good burgers, and milkshakes.

Have fun!

Jay

Thanks for all the suggestions -- they are great!

The tea salon at Takashimaya really sounds nice, but, what exactly is a Japanese department store?

Vicki

vicki...i'll add my 2 cents worth if you are still reading. as a native ny'er i would say times square is my least favorite part of the city. even if i'm seeing a show i never eat in the neighborhood. that said i do agree with the earlier post - take a cab to union square or west village. great little cafes and one could care less if you eat alone! i love sitting at bars downtown for an afternoon drink alone. it's the city - anything goes. and i would also avoid taking the car - times square traffic is the worst even at midnite!

If it is a nice day you might want to consider lunch in Bryant Park 42nd street (5 and 6th ave) There is a stand there where you can order sandwiches (good too!) and watch the office workers having their lunch.

Another outdoor spot is the cafeteria situated next to the Boat House Restaurant in Central Park. I've only had coffee there so I can;t vouch for the food, but the setting is pretty.

have fun!

Since we've stared having these consecutive beautiful days here in NYC, sunny mid-60s to 70's, it makes me long for Shake Shack, Danny Meyer's outdoor burger stand at Madison Square Park (23rd and Madison). In the same park, there is also the newly-opened gelato stand, Gelotto, owned by the restaurant Otto (which, is one of Mario Batali's New york city restaurant).

Excellent weather, very good casual food, unlimited people-watching - can't be beat.

Vicki, For breakfast, I suppose it depends on what you like. Are you a big breakfast eater? I usually get muffins and hard boiled eggs at a deli and have a quick breakfast with coffee in my room.

When out for lunch I always have a crossword puzzle in my purse. Having something to do makes me feel a lot more comfortable about having no one to converse with.

I agree with all the other poster, eating alone in NY is no big deal. Often times I sit at the bar in fancier restaurants for lunch. Its nice to kibitz with the bartender or other patrons eating alone nearby.

Takashimaya is a very posh store. The 6th floor is devoted to perfume. One floor has baby clothes and toys. The ground floor sells cut flowers and precious little objects. You should really check it out. Many of the products are NOT Japanese.