NYC restaurant near Penn Station
 

Could anybody recommend a good, relatively quiet restaurant within walking distance of Penn Station? It never ceases to amaze me how little New Yorkers know of the city outside of their own neighborhoods! I will be there Tuesday for business and want to meet up with a friend who lives in Chelsea and works near the World Trade Center. His response when I asked him where to meet for dinner was "gosh, I can't think of anything around there!" I need to be near the station, as I will be tied up with work stuff until 5 and really want to make the 7 Acela home (the next train after that is a local at 7:30, and the next after that is 3 a.m.), but want to maximize dinner time without the risk of being stuck in a cab in traffic. Any suggestions most appreciated.

Maybe you can find something in Zagat in that neighborhood. My friend and I have been trying to find something around Penn Station and have not had any luck. I checked and could not find anything I liked under $35. There is a restaurant in the basement of Macy's but I don't know if it is any good.

A terrific online guide to neighborhood restaurants is New York Magazine's website.

The best restaurants around Penn Station are Korean restaurants, a Hangawi, a vegetarian Korean restaurant, is exquisiely quiet. But if you don't like Korean food, head toward Ninth Ave for places like Osteria Gelsi (38th and 9th, I believe).

There are also good restaurants in the area of Murray Hill, which is within walking distance of Penn Station. Park Ave. Bistro (at 28th, as I recall) is terrific.



But check out those New York Magazine recommendations.

PS: Given your early dinner time, a lot of restaurants won't even be serving, but any restaurant you find open will be very quiet (away from the bar).

Don't blame your friend for not being able to come up with a good restaurant next door to Penn Station. They are scarcer than hen's teeth in that neighborhood.

Maybe this will help (from the Washington Post):

http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/pennstation.html

Mangenaro should be quiet at that hour. Please note it is mainly a grocery store, so it is not white tablecloth dining but it's got a great old world ambience. Although the review only mentions sandwiches, I think they also have pasta.

Thank you, nessundorma, for the comments. I definitely don't blame my friend for his lapse - he never fails me on any occasion. It is only Amtrak that fails me this time - I don't get why there is no train to Boston between 7:30 p.m. and 3 a.m.! I know I've taken one in the past around 9 p.m. or so. Don't know what has happened to the schedule. I just can't bear the prospect of taking the Fung Wah bus - my bus days are over! I'm inevitably stuck next to someone carrying a plastic bag with a moving creature in it (presumably dinner).

Ben's Deli on 38th Street off 7th Avenue will be open early; decent corned beef, pastrami, etc etc. Keen's is also close, 36th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Il Campinello on 31st or 32 street is a
nice casual Italian restaurant for the area.I ate there recently and was pleasantly surprised,nice atmosphere,friendly service and the food was pretty good.Also there is a restaurant in the Garden which is in Penn Station that is pretty good,be sure to call first to see if it is open.Sorry I do not remember the name,Check out Il Campinello as it is one of the nicer restaurants in that dreadful area.

Nick & Stef's Steakhouse is directly above Penn Station at 9 Penn Plaza and is good. Also right there is Tupelo Grill, pretty good (especially for that neighborhood, at 1 Penn Plaza on 33rd and 8th Ave. Another more inexpensive is Tir Na Nog, an excellent Irish pub on 8th Ave between 33rd and 34th St., across the street from Penn Station.