The Resy Guide to New York Theater District Dining

For a drink or two

This spot is as glamorous and fun as the midnight blue upright piano it houses would suggest. Come for happy hour (5 to 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays) to try their On Broadway cocktail and an order of pigs in a blanket, or sit down for a full meal if you have the time. They also have a Broadway industry night happy hour on Thursdays from 10 to 11:30 p.m. No matter what, make sure to come ready to hear someone sing — there’s always something happening here on the keys.

While the Monkey Thief takes a temporary hiatus, you’ll now find this lovely spot from the same team, complete with a seafood-centric menu and a selection of soju, vermouth, and shochu-forward cocktails. The Peter Piper Martini with pickled peppers and sudachi is a particular standout. You’ll also find wines by the glass and oysters topped with mezcal granita, perfect for a quick bite before you head to the theater.

Whether you add up the Notifies or book out weeks in advance, a Resy at Pebble Bar is worth the effort and more. This cocktail bar housed in a landmark townhouse with a secret entrance promises a sceney crowd (the investors range from an SNL cast member to a Grammy-winning musician), seafood towers, and expertly shaken and stirred cocktails.

When the master sommelier at Le Bernardin opens his very own wine bar, you go. Because Aldo Sohm celebrates the vine in all its glory, in an elegant and comfortable space with more than 40 wines available by the glass. Oh, and as for the drinking snacks, they’re from Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin.

The Midtown location of one of Manhattan’s foremost cocktail bars, Dear Irving on Hudson is one of the best places to go for pre-theater drinks. Plus, this glitzy locale boasts 360-degree panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, so prepare to sink into a plush booth and let yourself be swept away.

If you’re looking for a pre-theater drink experience that feels truly luxurious, this is where you’ll want to be. Designed as an homage to Henry Villard, the Gilded Age railroad tycoon who built the houses that would ultimately become the Lotte New York Palace hotel, it’s dimly lit and decked out in sumptuous brocades and dark, lustrous wood finishes. True to its name, Rarities specializes in rare wines and spirits — there are no cocktails on the menu — with a menu of special offerings that range from relatively approachable to extremely scarce.

For one of Midtown’s best happy hours (5 to 8 p.m. daily), head to the Broadway set’s speakeasy, a sprawling underground space hiding below 9th Avenue clocking in over 1,000 square feet of marquee lights. Expect half off daily appetizers, tiki cocktails, and live music (nightly, of course) that covers everything from Broadway sing-alongs to jazz and blues.

Italian wines and Venetian small plates are the way to go at this taverna that oozes with charm — think exposed brick and beams, walls lined with bottles of wine. And it just happens to be helmed by a James Beard award-winning chef, so you’re going to want to order the lobster ravioli.

As Midtown’s favorite laid-back wine bar, Ardesia does many things right: A tight and affordable wine list (including great by-the-glass options), a killer happy hour, and an excellent pineapple galette a la mode, should you require something to soak it all up.

Casually delicious

Tuck into spicy feta, cauliflower hummus, and an order of homemade merguez at Frena, a warmly decorated spot with the service to match. If you planned ahead (and we really think you should) to have enough time for dessert, go for the knafeh or the halva sundae.

Downtown’s Golden Diner team has ventured uptown with Golden Hof, a Korean pub and grill with bites like gochujang-glazed fried chicken wings, rice cakes à la carbonara, and some exceptional raw bar selections. Whatever you’re eating, make sure to get a glass of very cold beer to go with. P.S. You can get a mini version of Golden Diner’s famed honey butter pancakes here, too.

Any spot that inspires famed restaurant critic Ruth Reichl to write a haiku about its bulgogi sliders is a must visit in our book. Head to Danji for those aforementioned sliders, yes, but also kimchi bacon fried rice, handmade pork and chive dumplings, and one each of the banchan before rolling yourself down the street to your show.

At Chatti, you immerse yourself in the colorful culture of a toddy shop, the Kerala mainstay named for the fermented palm drink they all serve. Chatti comes to us from one of India’s most well-known chefs, Regi Mathew, here cooking up a menu of “touchings,” or small plates you can mostly eat by hand, like chile-roasted calamari and fried chicken marinated in fennel, garlic, and chile.

At Mitr, you can choose dishes from four different Thai regions, conveniently broken up thusly on the menu. It’s hard to go wrong, but do know that the crispy duck salad and the pan-fried roti with Massaman curry dipping sauce should definitely be on your table.

This spot has been serving up their menu of homestyle Japanese cooking since 1958 in one location or another, and luckily for you their Times Square spot is perfect for a pre-theater meal. Order the gyoza and chawanmushi (egg custard) for the table, and then maybe their signature hotpot with udon, chicken, beef, pork belly, shrimp, and much more (yes, really) for everyone to enjoy.

For excellent Mediterranean food, look no further than Mémé. Helmed by chef Jacob Cohen and in tribute to his mother, the eponymous Mémé (who still ships him spices all the way from Israel), this restaurant plates tagines, kebabs, shakshuka, shawarma, and the like to delicious effect.

Sichuanese in spirit with a New York vitality, MáLà Project is a seriously stylish temple to Sichuan dry pots that redefines fiery. Pick through an endless list of ingredients for your dry pot (pork belly, rice cakes, shrimp balls, lotus root) and prepare to have your mouth set ablaze in the best of ways.

Plant-based and sophisticated, PS Kitchen knows its way around a burger, and best yet: 100% of their profits are donated to their charity partners. Pro tip: Every meal should begin with their Buffalo maitake wings.

For all of your Italian cravings, head to this liquor store-turned-restaurant, where a chorus of usual suspects — all of your favorite saucy pastas and charred pizzas — hit the spot. Don’t sleep on the cocktails.

Relaxing at the beach before your show? If only. Lumlum is your next best bet, with their tropical décor and playlists and a menu that specializes in Thai seafood. Don’t skip the turmeric coconut crab curry or the mixed seafood tom yum soup. The cocktails are equally tasty and equatorially minded, so plan accordingly.

Impress both out-of-towners and jaded New Yorkers with Spice Symphony’s long menu of Indo Chinese favorites. Keep it interesting with Chinese bhel, a crispy fried noodle dish with sweet-and-sour sauce, and their bright-red paneer Szechuan. Only in New York, you might say.

Wine and Dine

Play it old school with one of the city’s most classic theater industry spots. The Lambs Club was originally a members-only establishment, and it still attracts a wide range of celebs for dinner. They offer a two- or three-course prix-fixe for pre-theater diners which includes choices like steak tartare and ‘nduja carbonara.

At Gabriel Kreuther, you know you’re in for a treat. It’s a two Michelin-starred, many times awarded restaurant from a chef that’s close to a household name. Here, they have a pre-theater menu priced at $155 per person should your heart desire something more luxurious than some hastily eaten theater candy — you can choose from dishes like sturgeon and sauerkraut tart, duck breast, and the cheese cart for dessert.

Book an early bird dinner if you’re looking for something a bit more tranquil. But if you’re here for HaSalon’s wild ride of a dinner party (which turns into a full-blown dance party), a late-night Resy is the key. Don’t quite know what to expect? This is what a night out at HaSalon looked like in 2019.

Head to this family-run restaurant for exceptional Greek seafood and a wine list that features Greek varietals you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Pro tip: If you’ve got an early show to catch and want something quick beforehand, they open at 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 4 p.m. on Sundays, when you can choose from the meze like hummus and spanakopita to crispy calamari and Greek fries.

One step in and you’ll feel as though you’ve entered the set of a period movie: Blue Willow bottles 1920s China, and the cinematic décor will leave you breathless. As for the food, expect Hunanese cuisine rooted in tradition (the house-smoked bacon is a must) and uncompromising Sichuanese specialties. Do stop by the apothecary-like bar.

A family-run restaurant since 1963, Victor’s Cafe is one transportive and luxe love letter to Cuban cuisine: a lush dining room filled with Cuban art and sky-lit ceilings, classic dishes like ropa vieja and lechón (slow roasted pig), and some of the best mojitos in town. Pro tip: Head to the Cuba Lounge if you’re looking for drinks and a party.

A slice of Tokyo in New York, Yakitori Torishin grills poultry like you wouldn’t believe. Veer for the chef’s omakase at the counter, where you’ll be transfixed by chefs ceremoniously cooking skewers over a binchotan charcoal grill.

Allot yourself 2.5 hours for your meal in the hands of chef Sungchul Shim. At Mari, the Michelin-starred chef of Korean royal court-inspired cuisine Kochi brings his focus to handrolls, building a $145 12-course chef’s tasting that features spicy tuna, scallop, and eel delicately set atop soft beds of rice wrapped up in crisp seaweed.

Helmed by Food Network and Iron Chef star Alex Guarnaschelli, Butter is the place to go to for seasonal new American classics executed to the nines, from smoked double-cut Berkshire pork chop to pan-seared branzino. Even better if you’re seated in one of their cozy booths.