Hell’s Kitchen is home to Restaurant Row, the block of West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues that is lined with eateries. However, it is hardly the only section of Midtown West and Hell’s Kitchen where you can be assured of a tasty meal. Below are just five of the recent additions to the area’s restaurant scene.
credit: Jay Wennington/Unsplash
This spacious French brasserie, which opened in July 2022, is determined to prove that Rockefeller Plaza is not only for tourists. Small plates such as tablier de sapeur, escargots Bourguignons, and dauphine potatoes with a caviar dip demonstrate the depth and breadth of the menu’s foray into French cuisine. Spiced duck, halibut in vin juane, and bison au poivre are among the entrées. In addition to an eclectic wine list, Le Rock offers vibrant cocktails such as the Bouquet Garni, made with rum, génépy, lime, and herbs.
Le Rock. credit: Gentl + Hyers/Le Rock
Like Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square is often overlooked by New Yorkers. Gatsby’s Landing aims to appeal to both locals and tourists with a New American menu emphasizing seasonal ingredients. Squid ink tonnarelli with blue crab, saffron, Calabrian chili, and bottarga is one example of the restaurant’s eclectic approach; more-classic entrées include filet mignon, brick chicken, and Berkshire pork chop with fennel orange slaw. Brick-oven pizzas and a raw bar are available as well. Those with a sweet tooth will want to save room for Gatsby’s Chocolate Salami, a sort of turbocharged s’more, or come by for Froot Loop pancakes during Sunday brunch.
Gatsby’s Landing. credit: Gatsby’s Landing
Naming a restaurant specializing in Colombian cuisine El Cartel may seem cheeky. However, this colorful Hell’s Kitchen spot, which opened in June 2022, takes its food seriously. The cazuela de mariscos, a traditional Colombian stew packed with shrimp, mussels, clams, and octopus in a coconut-milk-based broth, is a must; those who equate dining out with steak will relish the churrasco with homemade chimichurri. Vegans aren’t left out, with options such as tostones rellenos: cups made of fried plantains filled to bursting with guacamole, vegetables, and roasted-jalapeño sauce.
El Cartel. credit: El Cartel
As befits a space adjacent to MoMA, 53 is stunning to behold. Golden light bathes the curvaceous furnishings of the three-story restaurant, which opened in June 2022 and includes an ever-changing gallery of artworks. Equally artful is the contemporary Asian cuisine served here. Start with a lobster spring roll, duck pie tee, or toro tartare accompanied by a half-ounce of golden Kaluga caviar. Proceed to halibut steamed in mushroom broth and ginger, grilled rib-eye with green papaya and chimichurri, or kung pao quail. End your meal with matcha ganache, a vintage port, or a cup of chrysanthemum tea.
53. credit: 53 NYC
This Thai seafood restaurant, which opened in May 2022, is more laid-back and traditional than 53, but no less satisfying. Favorites such as tom kha kai, pad thai, and a variety of khao pad options are available. So are lesser-known dishes such as tue ka ko (taro fritters served with sweet chili sauce), khai jeaw poo (a crispy crab omelet), and sauteed Thai basil with bird’s-eye chili and fried preserved duck eggs. In addition to alcohol-free beverages such as butterfly-pea-and-yuzu soda, you can opt for one of the enticingly named house cocktails: a Pha Ngan Full Moon, anyone?