The Resy Guide to Treating Yourself in New York — on a Budget

Across from the ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Center you’ll find NARO, one of the newest restaurants from the dynamic duo behind favorites like Atoboy and Atomix. While NARO is known for its tasting menu, it has a separate à la carte menu at the bar and its new indoor terrace, showcasing some of the greatest hits from said tasting menu, plus some exclusive items.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, so if you find yourself in Midtown and in need of a midweek pick me up, the bar or indoor terrace is an ideal option. The menu changes seasonally, but the Naro Bap, a luxurious take on the classic bibimbap, and the Kkwabaegi dessert, starring a Korean twisted donut fried to order, are not to be missed.

Gabriel Kreuther’s elegant temple to French cuisine is an oasis amidst the busyness of 42nd Street. The lounge area, with direct views of Bryant Park, has floor-to ceiling windows, high ceilings, and comfortable banquettes. The bar and lounge menu features many of their signature dishes, such as the tarte flambée, with most of the à la carte prices in the $20 to $40 range. While the bar is held for walk-ins only, reservations can be made in advance for lounge seating.

The bar at L’Abeille is the first thing you’ll see when you walk into the restaurant, with its royal blue velvet cushioned seats. At the bar, you’ll be able to select from the à la carte menu. While there are some big-ticket menu items, such as their A5 Wagyu or caviar service, the Japanese-inspired French food feels fancy without the price tag of the chef’s tasting menu.

Prior to the pandemic, the Tavern at Gramercy Tavern was only available for walk-ins, making it a gamble as to whether you’d be able to get a seat on any given day. Now, it’s possible to reserve a table in advance, and you should definitely take advantage of it.

The Tavern is more casual than the dining room, but the seasonal menu has something for everyone. Amidst the ever-changing, market-driven menu, there are a few classics — the roasted oysters, the tavern burger, and the chocolate pudding cake — that never come off the menu for a reason.

Housed in a three-story brownstone, One White Street offers a wine bar menu on the first and second floor. The space is intimate yet buzzy, and it’s a more casual version of their tasting menu. The à la carte wine bar menu highlights local, seasonal ingredients, and changes often. The shaved fennel salad has been on the menu since the restaurant’s opening, and the focaccia is not to be missed. On Mondays, it’s BYO wine for only $10 corkage. Pro tip: One White Street also serves its à la carte for lunch Fridays to Sundays.

Sharing a kitchen with Jean-Georges, Nougatine is the sister restaurant adjacent to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s eponymous flagship restaurant. It’s one of the few fine-dining restaurants open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, and offers the same attentive, warm service with views of Central Park. The sea trout crispy sushi, tuna tartare, and signature warm chocolate cake are favorites here.

There are two sides to Momofuku Ko: the bar and the tasting counter. At the bar, the menu is handwritten in a notebook each day, and the kitchen frequently serves up new dishes. But there are also some bar classics you don’t want to overlook: Be sure to order the iconic cold fried chicken, which comes complete with white gloves to keep your fingers clean. Going to the bar as a group of four or more means you can likely make it through almost the entire menu, too. Also, don’t miss the hamburger with foie gras which, hopefully, will never leave the menu.

Oiji Mi received a Michelin star in its first year of opening, and deservedly so — the cooking is thoughtful and creative, and the sleek space elevates the dining experience. The restaurant offers its take on modern Korean American cuisine and boasts one of the most stunning bars in town, where many dishes on the $145 prix-fixe menu are available à la carte, allowing you to have a few quick bites and a drink or two. The chili lobster ramyun is a particular standout.

The best part of the bar room menu at The Modern is the snacks section, where there’s a delightful bucket of fried chicken and fries that can only be ordered on this side of the restaurant. The service is energetic and warm, and they offer some of the best complimentary bread service in town.

While peak-hour dinner reservations at Le Bernardin are still difficult to come by, the lounge at Le Bernardin is available for walk-ins. The lounge menu highlights the stunning seafood dishes for which the restaurant is known, and desserts, at $28 each, are also available. Pro tip: Don’t miss The Egg, an off-the-menu chocolate pot de creme served in an eggshell. If you’re more inclined to sit in the dining room, do note that on weekdays there’s a lunch pre-fixe for $120 per person; it’s a pricey lunch, for sure, but less than half the price of the chef’s tasting at night.

For half the price of the dining room tasting menu, the three-course prix-fixe menu at the bar at Oxalis gives you a taste of the season’s offerings. The bar is in the enclosed atrium, which gets beautiful natural light if you dine early, and it also turns into one of the most romantic spots in Brooklyn as the night goes on. The bread-and-butter service at Oxalis is one of the finest in the city. Reservations can be made in advance for the bar, but walk-ins are also welcome.