Hell’s Kitchen – Dining

Hell’s Kitchen has become a destination for eating and drinking. Be warned, though, the proximity to the theater district means many of the restaurants fill up before the shows, typically until curtains go up at 7pm or 8pm. Many restaurants will accommodate fast service if you’re trying to make a showtime. Otherwise, it’s best to show up at the tail end of the Broadway rush to more easily find a table and dine with less pressure. The late-night bar scene has also grown exponentially more upscale in recent years. Many of the city’s dive bars were once on 9th Avenue, but most have closed (Rudy’s still has complimentary hot dogs). The neighborhood has developed into a hotspot for gay bars, with options ranging from modern dive bars like 9th Avenue Saloon, performance venues like Balcon Salon, and combination sports bars / dance bars such as Boxers.

 

 

Gotham West Market

An upscale food court, Gotham West Market offers a casual way to please everyone whether they want Italian, tacos, ramen, or more. Petee’s Pie Co offers up sweet treats to finish off any meal. The hall can also be booked for private events.

 

Turnstyle

There’s an entire mall food court hidden in an underground passageway connecting the Hearst Tower with the Columbus Circle subway entrance. The food stands here mostly peddle eat-on-the-go snacks like Korean hot dogs, donuts, empanadas, and fried chicken in a cone. The food hall has some healthier options like poke bowls and pressed juice, but there’s nothing like snacking on pretzel bites while shopping – and there are plenty of little shops here too hawking gifts and other oddities.

 

Din Tai Fung

This Taiwanese dumpling chain opened in Manhattan this past July attracting crowds eager to be among the first at the new location. There’s now a reservations-required policy in place, though now those seem to be easier to land with a few day’s notice. The global, family-owned chain has been operating since 1958, but this is New York’s first location which might explain why many people made a pilgrimage to dine here. Grub Street says the dumplings are worth the hype.

 

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant

 This classic red sauce restaurant is decidedly traditional Italian American cuisine. Operated by the Scognamillo family since 1944 – and not to be confused with Patsy’s Pizzeria – the menu is authentic red sauce with traditional dishes like penne vodka, linguine puttanesca, fettuccine alfredo, steak pizzaiola, and veal parmigiana.

 

Mari

Michelin-starred Mari is a contemporary Korean restaurant centered around seafood and hand rolls (mari is the Korean word for roll). Chef Sungchul Shim previously worked at Kochi, another Michelin-starred restaurant. Mari’s tasting menu is relatively affordable compared to some other Michelin restaurants, and there is also a wine pairing that can be added on.

 

Mémé

The restaurant is named in honor of the mother of owners Alon and Jacob Cohen, who emigrated from Morocco to Israel before setting up in the city (there’s another location in the West Village). Offering lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, the menu is a mix of modern Mediterranean dishes and features tapas, seafood, and kebabs.

 

LumLum

Hell’s Kitchen never had a shortage of Thai restaurants, but they all more or less offered the same take on the same dishes. Then in 2022, LumLum opened on West 49th Street, specializing in seafood and “northern” Thai cuisine. Some of the dishes are inspired by the recipes from the owners’ grandmother, who owned a restaurant north of Bangkok. Eater recommends squid Ink soup and the whole fish dishes.