Midtown -Dining

Eating in midtown can be a confusing mix of options. There are lunch spots catering to office workers and tourist traps looking to exploit whoever walks through the doors, but finding a drink at someplace other than an Irish pub can be a challenge. As a general rule, the best cocktails in midtown can be found in the bars of boutique hotels, often hidden in plain view. Midtown is home to many of the city’s iconic steakhouses like Keens, Gallagher’s, and Strip House, which provide a timeless experience. But the midtown renaissance has brought with it new names to the restaurant scene. Here are a few recent openings: 

 

Bronze Owl

David Rabin, Chef Franklin Becker, and Stephen Loffredo teamed up to open this chic new cocktail bar just off Herald Square. The bar’s vintage aesthetic draws on the Mad Men era for inspiration and features a menu of small bites, toasts, and pizza. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to return to the office just so you can grab an after-work cocktail on an expense account.

 

Café Ginori

Located in Bergdorf Goodman, this newly opened cafe celebrates the porcelain of Ginori 1735, the leading Italian tableware manufacturer. The cafe offers an Italian-inspired menu for lunch, tea, and aperitivo all served on the beautiful Italian dishes. From the wallpaper to embroidered textiles, the signature elements of the cafe offer a unique dining experience.

 

Roberta’s

The Bushwick pizzeria that popularized Neapolitan-style pies in New York City has just opened a midtown location next door to Penn Station. The location at 1 Penn Plaza is home to both Roberta’s slice joint, R Slice, and an upscale, full-service restaurant. R Slice sells traditional New York pizza slices, albeit with upscale toppings. The Fire and Ice slice topped with stracciatella and spicy ‘Nduja is worth the trip. The upstairs of the Penn Plaza location features Roberta’s Neapolitan-style pies. 

 

 

Burmese Bites

The first location of this halal-friendly restaurant opened in the Queens Center Mall, featuring noodle dishes and curries from Myanmar. The midtown location is focusing on lunch crowds and opened earlier this spring for take-out and dine-in.

 

Bento By Point Seven

Chef-owner Franklin Becke’s Point Seven opened last year in the MetLife building and quickly became known as one of the city’s best seafood destinations. Bento by Point Seven offers the same high-quality fish served in Japanese-style Bento boxes marketed as an omakase to-go experience. These luxury sushi boxes feature creations from chef Robby Cook.

 

Van Leeuwen

 The Brooklyn-based ice cream chain opened in Grand Central Terminal earlier this year. The high-quality, French-style ice cream is probably still the best in the city. And for the lactose intolerant, the chain also has a full line of vegan flavors too.