Restaurants in Midtown West
See all Restaurants in ManhattanBLT Market
1430 Sixth Ave., at Central Park South; (212) 521-6125 Lunch, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; brunch, 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun.; dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5:30-10 p.m. CUISINE Seasonal New American VIBE Farmhouse chic OCCASION Family dinner, pampered affair DON’T MISS DISH Veal-and-pork ricotta meatballs, American kobe skirt steak. PRICE Appetizers, $12-$21; entrees, $26-$38; desserts, $9-$11. RESERVATIONS Recommended. When the chef launched BLT Steak, he lured with freshly baked popovers just as suavely as he persuaded with a succulent porterhouse. Now Laurent Tourondel runs a booming corporation: BLT Fish, BLT Prime and BLT Burger are all notches on his rapidly expanding belt. At BLT Market, he bows to both seasonal and artisanal themes. It’s impossible to miss the signs. Just check in at the hostess stand; whitewashed shelves are stacked with artisanal goods: domestic olive oils, as well as vinegars and syrups from...
Read MoreThai Select
Address: 472 9th Ave., at 36th Street Phone: 212-695-9920 Cuisine: Modern Thai Vibe: Buddhist-Zen Hours: Sun-Thu: 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11:30am-12am First Bite Impressions: Unexpected delight Note to Self: Order the mojito Don’t Miss Dish: Tamarind Duck- Crispy duck served with smoked tamarind soy sauce over a bed of baby bok choy Price: Appetizers, $5-10; Entrees, $9-18. Reservations: Reservations recommended. A diamond in the rough you might say, at 36th Street & 9th Avenue there lives a quaint and nondescript new Thai restaurant that is anything but mundane Woks abound with jumbo shrimp – plump & delicious – glass noodle pad thai’s and the duck I dare contend is as crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside as any you’ll find in Chinatown. Pad Thai spring rolls are double-rolled for an extra crunchy effect and even gimmicky pork poppers with...
Read MoreNatsumi
Address: 226 W. 50th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Aves. Phone: 212.258.2988 Cuisine: Japanese-Italian fusion Vibe: Typical modern Asian Scene: Times Square escapees Hours: Sun – Mon, 11:30am – 11pm, Tue – Fri, 11:30am-11:30pm. Sat, 12pm-12am. Scoop: Separate bar & lounge with sushi-slanted lounge menu. Price: Appetizers, $2.50-$15. Entrees, $16-38. Reservations: Reservations accepted. www.natsuminyc.com Times Square’s a tricky stretch to open an ambitious restaurant. The late 7Square, a modern chophouse with Lespinasse-trained chef Shane McBride, quickly comes to mind. With Ruby Foo’s, Carmine’s & the relentless bowl of pasta at the Olive Garden, tourists & theater-goers are pretty much covered. But with numerous successes under their belt, restaurateurs Barbara Matsumura & Haru Konagaya seem to know how to please the public at large. Inspired by a recent trip to Italy, their newest gig is a bold move: a Japanese-Italian...
Read MoreAmalia
204 West 55th St., btwn. 7th & Broadway Aves. 212-245-1234 TYPE: Mediterranean-American VIBE: Whimsical opulence OCCASION: Chichi date or group gathering DON’T MISS DISH: Roasted sea bass with rock shrimp DON’T BOTHER DISH: Stuffed ribeye steak DRINK SPECIALTY: Aperitifs & global wine list PRICE: $55 & up HOURS: Dinner, Sun – Mon, 5 PM-10 PM; Tue – Thu, 5PM-11PM, Fri & Sat, 5 PM – 12 AM. Lunch daily, 11 AM – 3 PM (Start date TBD). INSIDE SCOOP: Lounge open with a separate 55th St. entrance, Sun – Wed, 5PM – 2AM, Thu-Sat, 5PM- 4AM (Start date TBD). RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 5.5 on food, 8 on atmosphere FINAL WORD: While undeniably posh, this well-heeled newcomer leans on style over substance: the cuisine slightly falters. When in midtown, drop into Amalia for exotic desserts & handcrafted...
Read MoreThe London Bar
151 West 54th Street, nr. 7th Ave. (212)468-8889 website TYPE: Asian-inflected French VIBE: Modern elegance OCCASION: A mature date or civilized family affair DON’T MISS DISH: White onion veloute with duck ragout DON’T BOTHER DISH: Peekytoe crab with avocado & sweetcorn sorbet DRINK SPECIALTY: An extensive wine list & classic cocktails. PRICE: $70 & up HOURS: Breakfast, lunch & dinner, 365 days a year, 6AM – 11PM in the London Bar. High tea served every afternoon at 4 PM. Dinner only in Gordon Ramsay at the London, beginning at 5:30 PM. RESERVATIONS: Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner. Be prepared to dial two months before you actually care to dine. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 (pretty good) FINAL WORD: A royal mess – The London Bar was wildly inconsistent on opening night. Still, it’s well worth a visit...
Read MoreRussian Tea Room
150 West 57th Street (between 6th & 7th Aves.) (212)581-7100 TYPE: Pan-global with a Russian bent VIBE: A grand theatrical affair OCCASION: A nostalgic trip down memory lane, family dinner or special occassion. DON’T MISS DISH: Foie gras pelmini DON’T BOTHER DISH: Soy butter poached maine lobster DRINK SPECIALTIES: Vodkas a plenty, classic cocktails and an elegant wine list. PRICE: $80 & up HOURS: TBD RESERVATIONS: Reservations recommended. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 7 (very good) FINAL WORD: Travel back in time to the historical Russian Tea Room for an evening of elegance and a noteworthy taste of Gary Robin’s gifted cuisine. On the highly anticipated opening night of the Russian Tea Room, doormen amiably guarded the red carpeted-entrance of the famed institution. As I passed through the original revolving door, it was like entering a time warp, a...
Read MorePinkberry
7 West 32nd Street (btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.) (212)695-9631 Hours of Operation: 7 days a week, 11 AM – 11PM daily NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Though curiously under wraps, I managed to coax owner Daihwan Choi into divulging that the medium (8 oz.) is 200 calories. All of the yogurt here is non-fat, but carbs have yet to be disclosed. INSIDE SCOOP: Pinkberry hopes to open locations on the UES (82nd & 2nd Ave.), Nolita (Prince & Mulberry), and Meatpacking (20th St. & 8th Ave.). INSIDE SECRET: There’s an off-the-menu mochi topping for in-the-know yogurt addicts or bi-coastal Pinkberry loyalists. PRICES: Original flavor – Small, $2.95, M $3.95, & L $6.45 Green Tea flavor – Small $3.90, M $ 4.95, & L $8.25 One topping is an additional $.95, $1.50 for three toppings Still reeling from the disappointment of yesterday’s...
Read MoreFIKA – NYC’s First Swedish Espresso Bar
41 West 58th Street (btwn. 5th & 6th Ave.) (212)832-0022 Website TYPE: Swedish espresso bar VIBE: Sleek coffee oasis OCCASION: A fika (Swedish for coffee break) DON’T MISS PASTRY: Vanilla dreams cookie DON’T MISS CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate-covered lingonberry PRICE: $2-4 for coffee; $2-4 for chocolates & pastries; $8-10 for a sandwich or salad HOURS: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM-9 PM; Sunday 7 AM-6 PM. SEATING: No tables, just 7 generous counter seats and take-out. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 9 FINAL WORD: FIKA gives new meaning to the concept of the coffee break. And if you’re not a coffee drinker, you might want to pick up the habit. Starbuck’s beware: there’s a new coffee shop in town and this Swedish arrival takes its coffee very seriously. With modern trimmings – white walls, steel counters, wood stools and black & white...
Read MoreBurgers & Cupcakes
458 Ninth Ave. (btwn. 35th & 36th Sts.) (212)643-1200 VIBE: Cafeteria cool OCCASION: Breakfast or your lunch break GO WITH: Co-workers or go it alone DON’T MISS DISH: Beef Burger DON’T BOTHER DISH: Fresh squeezed lemon Fizz PRICE: under $ 10 INSIDE SCOOP: Will deliver anywhere in the city if you pay the cab fare HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 8-9 PM, Sat. & Sun. 10-9 PM RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 FINAL WORD: What could be better? You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven at Burgers & Cupcakes if only it weren’t in Hell’s Kitchen with a window view of Lincoln Tunnel traffic. This simple, but perky cafeteria-style luncheonette with pink & brown painted walls invites you to rediscover your inner child, bringing you back to a time of blissful naivete when calories and carbs didn’t matter. I took the...
Read MoreQuality Meats
In a midtown littered with pre-theater menus and mega-delicatessans (Carnegie Hall), Quality Meats emerges as an unlikely dining destination that may just revolutionize the concept of The American steakhouse. After an impressive 22 year seafood-stint as the Manhattan Ocean Club, Alan Stillman, legendary restaurateur of The Smith & Wollensky group, has decided to do what he does best — steak. He’s even handed the restaurant’s reigns over to his son, Michael Stillman, who has magnificentally transformed the space into a butcher shop chic steakhouse with a greenmarket vibe. Teaming up with AvroKo (designers of Stanton Social & Public), they’ve stripped the restaurant down to its original exposed brick walls and steel columns, adding authentic meat locker accents by way of butcher block stairs and chandeliers fashioned from meat hooks, pulleys and Edison bare bulbs. Oh,...
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