Where to eat New Year's Eve
 

We have tickets to Proof on New Years Eve and will be staying at the Hilton N.Y., so I am wondering where we can have dinner after the 7 PM performance without paying for "The Celebration" itself, just the food. I suppose that we will be eating at 9 PM, but I don't know if that is a problem as well.

The entire Times Sq. district will be shutdown and blocked off that night. Police and barracades everywhere. It is best to head north and east once the show is over. There are many restaurants in the high 50s, Seventh Ave. area that might be open and serving. That is a tough night to get around midtown that is why most Broadway shows are closed on New Year's Eve.

Wish I had a good suggestion for you, but let's face it. Any restaurant that has a special New Year's Eve deal (and that's most of them) will not let you come in at 9 PM except as part of that celebration.

One year we went to a neighborhood Chinese Restaurant. It was fun, festive and easy, and none of the "Reservations only" business.

Don't know if they'll have a special thing going on, but try the Sea Grill in Rockefeller Center. Should be very nice on New Years Eve.

How about a 1/4lb. with cheese at my place, McDonalds. Good and cheap have some fries and a shake too!

The running time of "Proof" is 2 hours, 20 minutes, so it will probably be 9:30 before you're on the sidewalk. It would be best to have a reservation someplace to your liking, as many restaurants will have "seatings" and/or "limited menus" (shorter versions of their regular menus, probably prix fixe with three courses, and much pricier than usual). You'll want to select a place away from Times Square. You may want to consider Streeters Cafe (which is located in the Sheraton, one block south of the Hilton). The food is good with nice views of 7th Ave. You can reserve through OpenTable. Or, you could head over to 8th Ave and walk north, where there are lots of possibilities, though likely to be mobbed at 10PM New Year's Eve. There's a nice "Market" restaurant within the Hilton (best to make a reservation). And, if all else fails, there's a 24-hour convenience store on 53rd, right across from the garage entrance to the Hilton, with a fabulous hot/cold buffet (good idea to check earlier in the day just to be sure they don't have other plans for that day). The food is really good! There are tables or you can pack your own to go and enjoy it in your room. Again, a reservation will be essential, as it will be mobbed everywhere, there will be shows that let out earlier, or folks not attending the theatre, and a table for dinner will be hard to come by, especially if you're not interested in a place with "celebration" menus.

Just walk over to 9th Ave in the 40's and 50's - there are many dozens of restaurants in every imaginable price range and cuisine type. You should have little problem getting a table at most in short order or with a short wait.

Why not eat before the show? <BR><BR>Whenever we're in the City we scoot down to China Town (Little Viet Nam is now our favorite)or Little Italy and have a feast... <BR><BR>Then take a cab or the subway uptown in time for the show. This way no one will hear your stomach making noise during the show. <BR><BR>P.S. I'm making similar plans for New Years Eve in NYC.

Good luck trying to find a restaurant. The ones that do take reservations are sold out.

I would suggest you make reservations somewhere EAST of Times Square. You'll probably have to take a circuitous route after the theater (i.e., walk up Eighth Avenue to somewhere in the 50s and then go across town). I suggest dinner there, because if you have dinner on the other side of Times Square, it'll be hell getting back to the Hilton (on 6th Avenue) after dinner.<BR>There's an excellent Italian restaurant, Remi, right next to the Hilton on West 53rd Street (212-581-4242).

There are soooo many restaurants in NYC that you will not have trouble finding one that can accomodate you on New Years Eve. Of course it won't be a dressy or 4 star type place, but you can find Italian, Chinese, diners, plenty of places to eat.<BR>Have a great time!

I undertand that they barricade the area around Times Square on New Year's Eve, but from where to where?<BR>When we watch the apple fall on TV there seem to be hoards of people in the streets; how do they get there?<BR>If I have to walk back to the Hilton after the show or after eating don't the police have to let me through. (naive question, probably).

They will let everyone through before and after the ball drops. <BR>The barricades are just crowd control and to keep vehicles out.<BR>