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A bartender stands behind a tropical-themed bar pouring drinks while a crowded dining room is visible beyond the bar.
The decked-out bar at Singapura.
Emilio Pandika/Singapura

15 Noteworthy Restaurants in Flatiron and Gramercy

Michelin-starred fine dining haunts, the Shake Shack outpost that started it all, and more

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The decked-out bar at Singapura.
| Emilio Pandika/Singapura

Conveniently perched between uptown and downtown Manhattan, the neighborhoods of Flatiron and Gramercy often function as that agreeable meeting point for a dinner that feels like a safe middle ground. Despite its convenience, the area doesn’t have a reputation for being a restaurant destination. But there’s a lot more to discover in these adjacent neighborhoods besides seemingly every fancy salad lunch chain: there are fine dining establishments like Gramercy Tavern, classic burger joints like Joe Jr., and excellent Georgian fare at Chito Gvrito. A little research provides plenty of options for a noteworthy meal.

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Shake Shack

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The O.G. location of Danny Meyer’s hit burger chain is this humble stand inside Madison Square Park. And while there are now locations scattered all over the city (and the world), there’s something special about the very first outpost, especially when the weather is nice. It’s hard to top the simple pleasure of a Shack burger eaten outside. On nice days, expect a long line, but it moves.

A close-up photo of a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomatoes in a paper sleeve.
The one and only.
Nhat V. Meyer/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images

If you’re in the neighborhood and need a bowl for lunch, stat, this is it. Milu — run by former Eleven Madison Park chef Connie Chung — serves some of the best bowl food in the city, including Sichuan-spiced cauliflower, soy-roasted chicken with garlic ginger, and fluffy pineapple buns that work just as well for dining in or takeout any time of day.

Crispy duck leg sits over rice next to a watercress salad and chile cucumbers; a small ramekin of chile crisp sits next to the dish in this overhead shot.
Crispy duck leg over rice at Milu.
Gary He/Eater NY

Cote Korean Steakhouse

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This stylish, Michelin-starred Korean-American steakhouse comes courtesy of former Piora owner Simon Kim, who decided to apply the American steakhouse genre to Korean barbecue. The menu’s got a mix of chophouse standards with subtle Korean flavor nods, made with beef that’s dry-aged on site and cooked tabletop. Opt for the butcher’s feast, priced at $64 per person and featuring four different meat cuts, banchan (small dishes with various pickled or fermented vegetables), salads, two stews, egg souffle, and soft serve. For a la carte ordering, there’s a range of steak plus options like bibimbap and kimchi stew.

A circular beef-filled tabletop grill sits at the center; around that gold-rimmed grill are small banchan, including kimchi and egg omelet
A feast at Cote.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Maki Kosaka

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Maki Kosaka, the more affordable offshoot of Michelin-starred omakase spot Kosaka, is one of the neighborhood’s top options for downing sushi in a pretty, flower-filled space thanks to the plant shop connected to the restaurant. There’s over a dozen versions of stuffed temaki rolls and “grab” sushi served with sheets of toasted nori seaweed for customers to use to scoop up the fish and rice. Or, let the restaurant do the choosing for you with two different under-$50 set sushi meals.

A curving plate sits on a bar with a seaweed-covered roll of temaki placed on top with ginger and wasabi on the side.
Temaki from Maki Kosaka.
Maki Kosaka

TKK Fried Chicken

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This KFC equivalent in Taiwan opened up its first NYC location as a combination TKK and Kung Fu bubble tea shop in November 2018. Expect an extra-crunchy exterior and skinless, tender meat on these birds. Besides the namesake chicken, there are equally decadent add-ons, available a la carte or in combos, like biscuits and kwa kwa bao, a TKK invention comprised of mushroom sticky rice cloaked in chicken skin, then fried.

<span data-author="-1">Fried chicken at TKK</span> Adam Moussa/Eater

Tacos Güey

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Tacos Güey breezed into the neighborhood last summer with a lineup of inventive raw seafood plates and expertly assembled tacos that turned some heads right away. Tuna crudo gets a zippy finish with serrano pepper, prawn ceviche is punched up with tomatillo and yuzu, and the tacos — from juicy carnitas to beef tongue — arrive on delicate corn tortillas made on the premises.

Three tacos cradling blocks of fried fish in each nearly obscured by a thick red sauce.
A trio of fish tacos at Tacos Güey.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Hawksmoor NYC

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This U.K.-based chain’s first stateside location garnered attention for its steak menu and opulent dining room inside the restored United Charities Building in Gramercy. But what shouldn’t be overlooked, as Eater critic Ryan Sutton notes, are the more affordable steaks — including a dry-aged rump roast that currently goes for $32 — that are not only a good value but stand up to some of the best steakhouses in NYC. Dessert should also not be skipped.

The charred rump steak sits on a white plate.
The rump steak at Hawksmoor.
Hawksmoor

Rezdôra

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One of the most popular restaurants in the city for Italian food, Rezdôra is not easy to get into. For diners patient enough to score a seat, however, chef Stefano Secchi serves a rustic menu that nods to the northern Italian region Emilia Romagna, and has been praised by critics across town. One of the most popular dishes here is the Grandma Walking Through the Forest in Emilia, where green-colored morsels filled with leeks sit on a bed of earthy mushrooms. For those who don’t want pasta, the menu also includes dry-aged ribeye and whole fish.

Uovo pasta, cappelletti, tagliolini al ragu sit on elegant blue and white plates at Rezdora.
A series of pastas at Rezdôra.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Singapura

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At first glance, Salil Mehta’s Singapura may appear to focus on the food of Singapore, but the menu actually highlights many dishes that are prominent throughout Southeast Asia. The chef features classics like sting ray laced in spicy sambal and wrapped in a banana leaf; Hainanese chicken rice, and various noodle dishes, including bak chor mee (braised noodles topped with ground pork and liver, chiles, and mushroom), popular at hawker stands. The drinks side of the menu draws on a tiki bar vibe with tropical cocktails to pair with the food.

A colorful dining room with red, blue, and purple patterns on the walls and green plants positioned around the room.
Singapura’s dining room.
Singapura

Gramercy Tavern

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While Union Square Cafe is technically Danny Meyer’s oldest establishment, Gramercy Tavern — opened in 1994 — is an essential part of his sizable empire. Chef Michael Anthony offers a tasting menu at dinner in the more formal dining room that’s elegant, where the white-tablecloth space feels very special occasion-worthy. The menu evolves seasonally, but light, elegant seafood and vegetable-based dishes are the main attraction. There’s also the more casual tavern space up front with an a la carte menu available at lunch and dinner.

Union Square Cafe

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Danny Meyer’s first restaurant, which opened in 1985 and has been an important part of the NYC dining scene ever since, moved northeast of its original 16th Street digs in 2016. The newer space is a bit bigger and fancier, with all of the same art (and cream walls) as the original location. Don’t miss the strong pasta game here, and be sure to stop by sister cafe Daily Provisions for to-go coffee and baked goods like an on-point cruller.

A saucy pile of lobster ravioli on a white plate with a wine glass to the right.
Ravioli at Union Square Cafe.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

GupShup

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Modern Indian fare is served up in a vibrant, pattern-packed space at GupShup, which opened in November 2018. The decor aims to look like a fictitious Bombay family’s abode, circa the ’70s, while the creative food — including a pulao dish with a rack of lamb chops and barberries — comes courtesy of executive chef Gurpreet Singh, an alum of Indian Accent and Punjab Grill.

Chito Gvrito

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If the recent rise of Georgian restaurants in New York City had to be traced back to one dish, it would no doubt be khachapuri adjaruli. The hollowed out bread that looks like a boat filled with molten cheese, butter, and sometimes a raw egg yolk is a star dish at Chito Gvrito. But there are nearly a half dozen versions of khachapuri here along with lamb chops and eggplant rolls that make this spot stand out among the recent spate of Georgian establishments opening across the city.

A round bread with two opposing bread handles and cheese and an uncooked egg yolk in a pool in the middle.
Khachapuri at Chito Gvrito.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Joe Jr.

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At this low-key diner-coffee shop, frequented by locals and looking blissfully untouched by time, resides one of the city’s best burgers. The no-frills, griddled burger here is crafted from seven ounces of fresh ground chuck. A standard white bun encases the juicy, crumbly patty, which is accessorized with the classics: lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and, if desired, American cheese.

An open-faced burger and fries on a white plate with tomatoes, lettuce, and a pickle on the side Nick Solares/Eater

So Do Fun

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Just north of the East Village, where a spate of upscale Chinese restaurants have opened in recent years, the first American outlet of So Do Fun has opened with a focus on presenting Sichuan food for Cantonese tastes. As Eater critic Robert Sietsema reported, some dishes like stir fried double-cooked pork belly are straightforward interpretations of Sichuanese cooking while other parts of the menu focus on fusing chile-laden recipes with Canto fare, like the maoxue wang, a dish full of red chile oil teeming with pork liver, tripe, and slices of spam.

A white porcelain bowl filled with eggs, sauce, shrimp, and broccoli.
Steamed eggs with shrimp at So Do Fun.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Shake Shack

The O.G. location of Danny Meyer’s hit burger chain is this humble stand inside Madison Square Park. And while there are now locations scattered all over the city (and the world), there’s something special about the very first outpost, especially when the weather is nice. It’s hard to top the simple pleasure of a Shack burger eaten outside. On nice days, expect a long line, but it moves.

A close-up photo of a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomatoes in a paper sleeve.
The one and only.
Nhat V. Meyer/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images

Milu

If you’re in the neighborhood and need a bowl for lunch, stat, this is it. Milu — run by former Eleven Madison Park chef Connie Chung — serves some of the best bowl food in the city, including Sichuan-spiced cauliflower, soy-roasted chicken with garlic ginger, and fluffy pineapple buns that work just as well for dining in or takeout any time of day.

Crispy duck leg sits over rice next to a watercress salad and chile cucumbers; a small ramekin of chile crisp sits next to the dish in this overhead shot.
Crispy duck leg over rice at Milu.
Gary He/Eater NY

Cote Korean Steakhouse

This stylish, Michelin-starred Korean-American steakhouse comes courtesy of former Piora owner Simon Kim, who decided to apply the American steakhouse genre to Korean barbecue. The menu’s got a mix of chophouse standards with subtle Korean flavor nods, made with beef that’s dry-aged on site and cooked tabletop. Opt for the butcher’s feast, priced at $64 per person and featuring four different meat cuts, banchan (small dishes with various pickled or fermented vegetables), salads, two stews, egg souffle, and soft serve. For a la carte ordering, there’s a range of steak plus options like bibimbap and kimchi stew.

A circular beef-filled tabletop grill sits at the center; around that gold-rimmed grill are small banchan, including kimchi and egg omelet
A feast at Cote.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Maki Kosaka

Maki Kosaka, the more affordable offshoot of Michelin-starred omakase spot Kosaka, is one of the neighborhood’s top options for downing sushi in a pretty, flower-filled space thanks to the plant shop connected to the restaurant. There’s over a dozen versions of stuffed temaki rolls and “grab” sushi served with sheets of toasted nori seaweed for customers to use to scoop up the fish and rice. Or, let the restaurant do the choosing for you with two different under-$50 set sushi meals.

A curving plate sits on a bar with a seaweed-covered roll of temaki placed on top with ginger and wasabi on the side.
Temaki from Maki Kosaka.
Maki Kosaka

TKK Fried Chicken

This KFC equivalent in Taiwan opened up its first NYC location as a combination TKK and Kung Fu bubble tea shop in November 2018. Expect an extra-crunchy exterior and skinless, tender meat on these birds. Besides the namesake chicken, there are equally decadent add-ons, available a la carte or in combos, like biscuits and kwa kwa bao, a TKK invention comprised of mushroom sticky rice cloaked in chicken skin, then fried.

<span data-author="-1">Fried chicken at TKK</span> Adam Moussa/Eater

Tacos Güey

Tacos Güey breezed into the neighborhood last summer with a lineup of inventive raw seafood plates and expertly assembled tacos that turned some heads right away. Tuna crudo gets a zippy finish with serrano pepper, prawn ceviche is punched up with tomatillo and yuzu, and the tacos — from juicy carnitas to beef tongue — arrive on delicate corn tortillas made on the premises.

Three tacos cradling blocks of fried fish in each nearly obscured by a thick red sauce.
A trio of fish tacos at Tacos Güey.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Hawksmoor NYC

This U.K.-based chain’s first stateside location garnered attention for its steak menu and opulent dining room inside the restored United Charities Building in Gramercy. But what shouldn’t be overlooked, as Eater critic Ryan Sutton notes, are the more affordable steaks — including a dry-aged rump roast that currently goes for $32 — that are not only a good value but stand up to some of the best steakhouses in NYC. Dessert should also not be skipped.

The charred rump steak sits on a white plate.
The rump steak at Hawksmoor.
Hawksmoor

Rezdôra

One of the most popular restaurants in the city for Italian food, Rezdôra is not easy to get into. For diners patient enough to score a seat, however, chef Stefano Secchi serves a rustic menu that nods to the northern Italian region Emilia Romagna, and has been praised by critics across town. One of the most popular dishes here is the Grandma Walking Through the Forest in Emilia, where green-colored morsels filled with leeks sit on a bed of earthy mushrooms. For those who don’t want pasta, the menu also includes dry-aged ribeye and whole fish.

Uovo pasta, cappelletti, tagliolini al ragu sit on elegant blue and white plates at Rezdora.
A series of pastas at Rezdôra.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Singapura

At first glance, Salil Mehta’s Singapura may appear to focus on the food of Singapore, but the menu actually highlights many dishes that are prominent throughout Southeast Asia. The chef features classics like sting ray laced in spicy sambal and wrapped in a banana leaf; Hainanese chicken rice, and various noodle dishes, including bak chor mee (braised noodles topped with ground pork and liver, chiles, and mushroom), popular at hawker stands. The drinks side of the menu draws on a tiki bar vibe with tropical cocktails to pair with the food.

A colorful dining room with red, blue, and purple patterns on the walls and green plants positioned around the room.
Singapura’s dining room.
Singapura

Gramercy Tavern

While Union Square Cafe is technically Danny Meyer’s oldest establishment, Gramercy Tavern — opened in 1994 — is an essential part of his sizable empire. Chef Michael Anthony offers a tasting menu at dinner in the more formal dining room that’s elegant, where the white-tablecloth space feels very special occasion-worthy. The menu evolves seasonally, but light, elegant seafood and vegetable-based dishes are the main attraction. There’s also the more casual tavern space up front with an a la carte menu available at lunch and dinner.

Union Square Cafe

Danny Meyer’s first restaurant, which opened in 1985 and has been an important part of the NYC dining scene ever since, moved northeast of its original 16th Street digs in 2016. The newer space is a bit bigger and fancier, with all of the same art (and cream walls) as the original location. Don’t miss the strong pasta game here, and be sure to stop by sister cafe Daily Provisions for to-go coffee and baked goods like an on-point cruller.

A saucy pile of lobster ravioli on a white plate with a wine glass to the right.
Ravioli at Union Square Cafe.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

GupShup

Modern Indian fare is served up in a vibrant, pattern-packed space at GupShup, which opened in November 2018. The decor aims to look like a fictitious Bombay family’s abode, circa the ’70s, while the creative food — including a pulao dish with a rack of lamb chops and barberries — comes courtesy of executive chef Gurpreet Singh, an alum of Indian Accent and Punjab Grill.

Chito Gvrito

If the recent rise of Georgian restaurants in New York City had to be traced back to one dish, it would no doubt be khachapuri adjaruli. The hollowed out bread that looks like a boat filled with molten cheese, butter, and sometimes a raw egg yolk is a star dish at Chito Gvrito. But there are nearly a half dozen versions of khachapuri here along with lamb chops and eggplant rolls that make this spot stand out among the recent spate of Georgian establishments opening across the city.

A round bread with two opposing bread handles and cheese and an uncooked egg yolk in a pool in the middle.
Khachapuri at Chito Gvrito.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Joe Jr.

At this low-key diner-coffee shop, frequented by locals and looking blissfully untouched by time, resides one of the city’s best burgers. The no-frills, griddled burger here is crafted from seven ounces of fresh ground chuck. A standard white bun encases the juicy, crumbly patty, which is accessorized with the classics: lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and, if desired, American cheese.

An open-faced burger and fries on a white plate with tomatoes, lettuce, and a pickle on the side Nick Solares/Eater

So Do Fun

Just north of the East Village, where a spate of upscale Chinese restaurants have opened in recent years, the first American outlet of So Do Fun has opened with a focus on presenting Sichuan food for Cantonese tastes. As Eater critic Robert Sietsema reported, some dishes like stir fried double-cooked pork belly are straightforward interpretations of Sichuanese cooking while other parts of the menu focus on fusing chile-laden recipes with Canto fare, like the maoxue wang, a dish full of red chile oil teeming with pork liver, tripe, and slices of spam.

A white porcelain bowl filled with eggs, sauce, shrimp, and broccoli.
Steamed eggs with shrimp at So Do Fun.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

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