Residents from other parts of the city tend to overlook the Upper West Side as a dining destination. That’s great news for the locals, who don’t have to compete as feverishly for a seat at the neighborhood’s many stellar restaurants. Recent openings specialize in cuisines from around the globe, including Mexican (El Gallo), Vietnamese (Plum), and Mediterranean (Dagon). Which is not to say that the UWS dining scene wasn’t already eclectic, thanks to much-loved standbys such as Shun Lee and Old John’s Diner (formerly Old John’s Luncheonette). And no discussion of neighborhood eateries can be complete with mentioning Barney Greengrass, founded in 1908 by the eponymous “Sturgeon King” and a must-visit for weekend brunch.
Looking to expand your comfort-food horizons beyond mac-and-cheese? Since autumn 2021, Wau has been offering Upper West Siders the comforts of Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine. Because Malay culture is a melting pot of Asian influences, you’ll find chicken satay, wonton soup, and curries on the menu. But you can also explore the likes of charred lobster tail with Singapore-style noodles, penang fish, and of course nasa lemek, Malaysia’s national dish, a cornucopia of rice cooked in coconut milk and accompanied by chicken, shrimp, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, and peanuts.
This bistro has been providing French-style comfort food since 1983 and is now as much of a neighborhood institution as Lincoln Center. You cannot go wrong with the French onion soup, a croque monsieur, the roasted half-chicken with chestnut-croissant bread pudding, moules frites, or yes, macaroni and cheese with cheddar, Gruyère, and gouda. End your meal on a sweet note with the crème brûlée or a lemon tart.
Having started with an Upper East Side wine bar in 2007, Felice opened its seventh restaurant, on Columbus Avenue, in summer 2021. The primarily Tuscan menu includes lasagna with homemade spinach pasta, veal ragù, and béchamel; chicken with radicchio, walnuts, and roasted butternut squash; and the house ravioli, made with spinach and ricotta, accompanied by a butter-and-sage sauce and topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Negroni aficionados will want to make the bar their second home, as it offers not only 20 variations but also a mix-and-match option, where you can choose your base, bitters, and vermouth or liqueur.
Omakase sushi, in which the chef decides what to serve and presents each piece one at a time, has become synonymous with <i>expensive</i> and <i>elitist.</i> Sushi W, which opened in December 2021, aims to make it more accessible but still sublime. The omakase seatings are a reasonable one-hour each and consist of 12 nigiri pieces and 2 hand rolls (“basic”) or 15 nigiri pieces and 2 hand rolls (“premium”). À la carte dishes are available as well.
Given its proximity to Lincoln Center, it’s no surprise that Boulud Sud has become known for its three-course pre-theater prix fixe menu, though it also offers an à la carte dinner menu after 7 p.m. Both menus, as well as its wine list, celebrate the sun-warmed dishes of the Mediterranean, with starters such as Spanish-style octopus with almonds, arugula, and Valencia orange; entrées such as chicken tagine; and dishes to share including fried anchovies.
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