Midtown’s Hutong is distinct from many of the dim sum parlors that populate Chinatown and Sunset Park. For one, this Hong Kong-based chain is serving an impressive variety of dishes from Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, each with a modern twist. The yu xiang crispy pork mochi dumplings, for example, are dyed jet black, and Eater senior critic Robert Sietsema heartily recommends the roast Peking duck, served in half or whole portions. The Art Deco space is grand and quiet, with plenty of room for big groups.

One of New York City’s most esteemed Scandinavian restaurants recently reopened with a casual bar and a brand new design. The focus here is on local and sustainable ingredients, but chef Emma Bengtsson’s Arctic Bird’s Nest — a stunningly realistic-looking creation incorporating a honey nest, chocolate twigs, freeze-dried raspberries, brownie dirt, and shredded halvah — is worth the trip on its own. Though it’s possible to splurge with the $255 chef’s tasting, several price points are available, including a $115 prix fixe and an a la carte bar menu. 

Excellent, sufficiently numbing and tingly tasting Sichuan food is the draw here. Highlights include Madame Song’s seafood noodles, poached rabbit, and crispy tofu with roast chile and cumin. It’s all served in a white-washed space that’s polished and trendy.

A truly iconic stalwart of French haute cuisine, La Grenouille is Manhattan’s last remaining place to sample the fanciest of midcentury Gallic fare. It opened in 1962, and has been serving dover sole, pike quenelles, lobster bisque, and the laborious classical French ilk ever since.

This polished Italian place occupies the former Lever House, a power lunch den, inside the iconic midcentury modern Lever House building, built in 1951. It’s run by the same team as Sant Ambroeus, and both places serve chic Milanese fare. The menu is fancier at Casa Lever than Sant Ambroeus, and the walls here bear Warhol paintings for a particularly posh environment to eat gnudi, crudo, and vitello tonnato. On a nice day, have a leisurely lunch in the garden space.

Set in the historic former Four Seasons space, the Grill is the modernized yet still very luxurious revamp from Major Food Group. The Grill has been serving its midday menu since June 2017, replicating its splashy lunchtime roots with an expense-account-worthy spread of salads, sandwiches, steaks, and other carnivore-friendly fare. Request one of the booths on the main level to see and be seen.

Sunny, luxe Le Jardinier comes to Midtown East from chef Alain Verzeoli, who worked under the legendary late chef Joel Robuchon for years. Though not strictly vegetarian, Le Jardinier focuses on vegetables and seasonality with verdant dishes that bring plant and protein together to dazzling effect. In lieu of an amuse bouche, each meal here begins with a shot of juice, while the complimentary breads are gluten-free and the ice cream desserts are made using cashew and coconut milks. The Midtown newcomer scored a Michelin Star for its luxe and hyper-seasonal cuisine earlier this year.

This second location of popular East Village rice noodle shop Little Tong from Simone Tong brings a cuisine not often seen in this area. Yunnan Chinese soups such as the grandma chicken mixian (chicken broth, chicken confit, tea egg, black sesame garlic oil, flowers, fermented chile) are the hallmark here, but don’t miss the beef shank melt sandwich, with five spice-braised beef, milky curds, and spicy mayo folded into scallion pancakes.

Japanese restaurant and grilled eel specialist Unagi-Ya Hachibei ships its eels from central Japan and prepares them in two methods: Tokyo-style, where its soft, and Osaka-style, where the eel is crispier. Meal sets start at $55 at lunch and $65 at dinner, with rice, salad, soup, pickles, and dessert available in each. 

This beloved Midtown West ramen joint expanded east in 2014, serving its signature chicken broth-based bowls. The building is a veritable slice of ramen-slurping paradise; above the east side outpost of Totto lies Hide-Chan Ramen. But it’s not a competition between two noodle-slinging spots. They’re actually both owned by the same man, Bobby Munekata. Both Totto Ramen and Hide-Chan serve up Sun Noodles, cooked al dente; Hide Chan instead specializes in tonkotsu (pork bone-based) broth.

Head here for excellent Spanish fare at this offshoot of the popular Chelsea paella and tapas joint, which opened its Midtown East location in 2011 and has a Nolita outpost, too. In addition to its namesake dish of flavor-packed, pan-seared rice, this location serves up Basque pixtos (small, tapas-like dishes) and Spanish flatbreads. It’s also got a snug patio space. On weekdays, happy hour is offered at the bar from 4:30 to 7 p.m., and brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.

This breezy Italian spot on Second Avenue is in a beautifully designed space that feels decidedly more stylish than most dining options in the area. The pretty, pastel and white-filled digs are similar to the restaurant’s Nomad outpost. Head here for a plate of pasta and Aperol spritz.

Black Fox isn’t packed at all hours for no reason. This Australian-style cafe has one of the best daily coffee selections of any coffee shop in the city, but as workers in the Financial District already know, Black Fox is more than just an excellent flat white. The menu here is a bit more upscale than other coffee shops around town, with stand-out dishes like smoky scrambled egg sandwiches, spicy breakfast burritos, and a memorable chocolate chip cookie. Be warned: At only 850-square-feet, this is a small space that’s designed for eating while standing. There are only five seats at the cafe’s windows.

This Turkish spot in Turtle Bay turns out delicious cacik, a garlicky yogurt sauce akin to tzatziki, and a worthwhile fried eggplant cubes dish. Entrees include kebabs, richly flavorful casserole-like dishes, and rice pilaf. Other highlights include hot yogurt soup and the thick yet airy bread for slathering with everything.

Excellent views, accompanied by fancy cocktails, are the main attractions at this swishy cocktail lounge, located in a space with rich history. Perched on the 26th floor of the Beekman Tower, the rooftop bar has sweeping views of the East River, with outside space as well as an enclosed patio area. Drinks like the Ophelia’s Ascension (activated charcoal, bourbon, and Jamaican pepper-infused mezcal) are accompanied by snacks like steak tartare or prosciutto with persimmon jam. The digs were once frequented by Frank Sinatra, and, before that, served as a residence for young professional women formerly in sororities circa the 1920s, as evidenced by some historical ephemera encased in the bar’s surface. There are all sorts of eclectic antiques — such as stuffed peacocks — filling the high-ceilinged, navy-walled space with red banquettes, checkerboard floors, and massive windows.

This Michelin-starred Nordic place in Grand Central from restaurateur Claus Meyer and chef Jeppe Kil Andersen is a solid choice for a posh lunch, with a two-course prix fixe for $44 and three courses for $54 plus tax and tip. The prettily plated fare emphasizes vegetables, like with an endive and blackberry salad or roast chicken with celeriac, pear, and quinoa.

The iconic seafood destination, which opened in 1913, is nestled under soaring, beautifully arched and tiled ceilings in a subterranean space inside Grand Central Terminal. The environs, complete with massive U-shaped counter seating perfect for dining solo, is so special that the restaurant nabbed the Design Icon Award at at the James Beard Awards in 2017.  In addition to ordering up a platter of raw bivalves, don’t miss the epic oyster pan roast. All of the super-fresh seafood goes down smoothly with a stiff martini.

Overlook — a sports bar often populated by Chicago Bears, Cubs, or Islanders fans when a game is on — serves a particularly great burger, plus tasty wings. The pleasantly divey space is covered with a surprising treasure trove of cartoons on a huge wall, and the place was dubbed “the Sistine Chapel of cartooning” by The New York Times. There are 2-for-1 selected drinks on weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.

Tucked in a cool subterranean space below a Midtown office building, Sakagura serves up Japanese small plates, along with a wide selection of over 200 sakes. It’s been around since 1996, and touts itself a pioneer of sake selection and education in NYC, with events and tastings regularly offered. Food-wise, check out cold appetizers called shukou that are served solo or in any combination of three, plus tempura dishes, sashimi, stews, and grilled options, too.