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22 Times Square Restaurants Where New Yorkers Actually Eat

A Long Island transplant, new ramen, Jamaican fare, weekday prix-fixe deals, and more good food amid the hordes of tourists

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Times Square sits in the heart of New York’s Theater District, where Broadway shows are finally back. One would be forgiven for falling prey to the doughy aromas of a very shiny Krispy Kreme flagship, or for succumbing to the branded allure of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., but hidden among all the tourist traps are very good establishments known to folks who work in or live near the area.

Here are Eater NY’s favorite dining spots in and around Times Square. For more detailed selections in the greater Times Square area, take a look at Eater’s maps for the Theater District and Hell’s Kitchen.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Donburiya

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This a reliably delicious and affordable Japanese late-night dining spot in the Theater District. The menu is long, like at any izakaya, but highlights include the namesake rice bowls — try the one with soft eel; chicken katsu curry with a rich, beefy sauce; spicy tantanmen ramen, and sizzling crab omelets drenched in heady seafood jus.

Crimson chile broth sits in a black bowl garnished with green scallions; noodles peek out from below the surface
Tantanmen ramen at Donburiya.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

Victor's Cafe

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Victor’s is definitely a spendier Cuban option than, say, Guantanamera, but it has the benefit of being located closer to the center of Times Square and the Theater District. Try the Cuban sandwich, that classic layering of ham, Swiss, lechon, and pickles. For something heartier, order the excellent ropa vieja, slow-cooked and pulled prime Angus skirt steak in a pepper sauce laced with garlic, tomato, and onions. Mojitos are $16, or a few dollars more for a version with a hefty 3.5-ounce pour of rum.

Ropa vieja sits in a cast iron skillet next to a pile of rice.
Ropa vieja at Victor’s Cafe.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Gallaghers Steakhouse

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The Prohibition-era bar and steakhouse, now run by Dean Poll, continues to serve some serious cuts of charcoal-grilled meats and solid classic cocktails. Start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged ribeye with fries and a blue cheese-drenched wedge salad. Those who seek the excellent prime rib roast should call ahead as it’s not offered every night; it can sell out too. Finish with key lime pie and have another martini at the circular bar, which affords views of the entire restaurant. Expect a serious crowd

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus.
The prime rib at Gallagher’s.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

Pelicana Chicken

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This South Korean chain has been expanding its presence throughout the city, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it serves some very good fried chicken. To be fair: Sometimes the wings can turn out a bit bland, in which case you’ll need to add a touch of salt or soy. Every night, however, patrons can expect spicy drumsticks with such an impressively crunchy crust they don’t even lose their textural snap during delivery.

Assorted Pelicana fried chicken sits on a paper-lined metal tray
Pelicana fried chicken.
James Park/Eater NY

Rosevale Kitchen

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This new restaurant and bar within Manhattan’s Civilian Hotel, is taking a global approach to the menu with matzoh ball soup, shrimp chips, and steak tartare made with larb seasoning. The bar with two outdoor terraces is perched up a spiral staircase. There’s also a Broadway prix-fixe menu weekdays for $59 per person.

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

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This is where first time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald and longtime chef Basil Jones show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica — not typically represented well in the Theater District — and the larger Caribbean. Lightly smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then move on to tender brown stew chicken dripping in rich sauce. Don’t overlook the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta-style classic flecked with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and parmesan.

A small pile of jerk wings sit on a patterned blue plate.
Jerk wings at Jasmine’s.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

The owners behind the Chinese-Cajun shellfish boil spot shuttered their original East Village location during the pandemic, but the Hell’s Kitchen sequel remains an excellent alternative. Expect pretty much everything that made the original great: meat skewers (cumin lamb, kidneys, tendon, sausages), and of course, piles of shellfish for face-melting seafood boils. Options for the boils include crawfish, snow crab, whole lobster, and more expensive king crab legs.

Spicy crab legs, boasting an orange hue, with Chinese breadsticks at Le Sia is photographed from above
Spicy crab boil at Le Sia.
Louise Palmberg/Eater NY

E.A.K. IZAKAYA

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E.A.K. Izakaya is a go-to option for good Japanese noodles in the Theater District. The Japanese chain serves excellent iekei ramen, a blend of fatty pork-based tonkotsu and soy-based shoyu ramen, with wonderfully firm noodles.

Slices of pork and noodles sit in a large bowl, alongside a sheet of seaweed onto which the words “But First Ramen” are printed
A bowl of ramen at E.A.K.
Lily Brown [Official Photo]

Kyuramen - Times Square

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With locations in Flushing, Park Slope, and Union Square and now here, this solid option offers lots of variations on ramen as well as straight or wavy noodles. Our favorite, the mega, features both sliced pork and shrimp in a pork broth. The menu also lists snacks like okonomiyaki as well as rice- or ramen burgers.

Joe Allen

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New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie.

The dimly lit dining room at bar at Joe Allen.
The dining room at Joe Allen.
Joe Allen

The Rum House

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Rum House is your staple spot for good cocktails, vibrant crowds, and live music close to the heart of Times Square. Drop by — with your photo ID, often checked at the door — and order a cold daiquiri, dark & stormy, mojito, mai tai, or any other number of classic drinks. Food options are limited in the dark and shouty space; try the warm pretzels or assorted empanadas.

Patzeria Perfect Pizza

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Patzeria is situated right across the street from Hamilton, where crowds used to snake along the sidewalk as you selected your slice. The plain Sicilian slice is particularly cheesy, but then there’s the lasagna slice, the three-cheese slice, the fresh-mozzarella grandma slice, and the multi-veggie slice. But don’t neglect the heroes made to order, both cold and hot, and the breakfasts. Open until midnight every day.

A typical pizzeria counter with pies on display under glass, with three red capped employees behind the counter.
Pizzas at Patzeria.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Tim Ho Wan

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Hong Kong-based chain Tim Ho Wan — which famously attracted hour-plus waits when it debuted in the East Village — now boasts a Hell’s Kitchen location, where the queue is more reasonable. The smart play is a plate of steamed shrimp har gow, filled with delicately cooked crustaceans, and an order of barbecue pork buns, which are crispy on the outside, doughy within, and stuffed with an ample supply of sugary swine.

<span data-author="-1">Three round barbecue pork buns photographed from above</span>
Barbecue pork buns at Tim Ho Wan.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

Taam Tov

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Nestled on the third floor of a Diamond Street building, the kosher-Uzbek Taam Tov continues to rank among the city’s top hidden gems. This is where you go for succulent grilled shashlik (kebabs), especially chewy, fatty lamb ribs. Also don’t miss the excellent plov with sweet carrots and saffron. Note: It closes 2:30 p.m. Friday and is closed on weekends.

Los Tacos No. 1

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This Chelsea Market favorite established an outpost right in Times Square in the old New York Times building, with the same slender roster of tacos and other tortilla-based dishes. A favorite is the adobada mula, with spit-roasted pork sandwiched between a pair of soft flour tortillas filled with gooey cheese. Spoon on salsa and a fiery chile or two. Don’t overlook the excellent flour tortillas.

Patrons standing, waiting for dinner in the brightly lit room at Los Tacos
Patrons waiting at Los Tacos.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Star Lite Deli

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This modest spot is good for a sandwich on the run, or a selection from a steam table that offers pastas, stews, chicken cutlets, and other hot dishes, most in a Latin or Italian vein. Perhaps its most notable accomplishment apart from looking like it persists from a bygone era, is the $9 hot pastrami sandwich. Yes, the meat is often sliced first and heated on the griddle, but it’s still good, the pastrami salty and smoky.

A pastrami sandwich, cut in half, sits on wax paper
A pastrami sandwich.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

MáLà Project

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Amelie Kang’s midtown restaurant remains a fantastic spot to enjoy the wonders of Sichuan dry pots. Patrons build their own bowls filled with fiery blends of any number of ingredients, including (but not limited to) beef tenderloin, tripe, tendon, tongue, squid, crab stick, tofu skin, rice cake, enoki mushrooms, and spam. Also consider the wonderfully slippery liangfen mung bean noodles as a starter.

A spread of dishes at MáLà Project, including dan dan noodles, shelled peanuts in a cup, and dry pot in a wooden bowl
Dry pot and other assorted dishes at MaLa Project.
Anthony Bui/Eater NY

Gatsby's Landing

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A Times Square location for a Roslyn-based restaurant, the place serves lush salads, flatbreads, sliders, brick-oven pizza, and entrees like pork chops and burgers in a dining room that feels a bit dressed up, with sparkly chandeliers, brass fixtures, and a mirrored bar with pearlescent accents.

This pan-Central Asian spot is one of the best places to eat grilled meat on the West Side of Manhattan. Owner Farida Gabbassova-Ricciardelli and chef Umitjon Kamolov serve serious charcoal-grilled shashlik; the chicken thigh skewers balance crisp skin with fatty juiciness and tender flesh. Be sure to sample the Uzbek national dish that is plov, rice pilaf made sweet from aromatic carrots and funky with tender chunks of lamb.

Shashlik assortment on a white plate at Farida
Shashlik at Farida.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Empanada Mama

Copy Link

This is where to go for some of Manhattan’s top Colombian fare. Highlights include sancocho de cola (nourishing oxtail soup with corn, yucca, and cilantro); empanadas filled with beef, shredded chicken, or fragrant shrimp and crab sticks; and juicy grilled skirt steaks with red beans and rice. Also, try the larger nearby location in Hell’s Kitchen with a more substantial menu.

A golden Viagra empanada sits on wax paper, sliced in half, on the lower right-hand side of the photo, while a whole empanada lies on the upper left; a ramekin of green salsa sits in between
Viagra empanadas at Empanada Mama.
Gary He/Eater NY

AperiBar

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Charlie Palmer’s Aperibar, has opened in Luma Hotel Times Square, with pizza and Italian small plates (cheese, salumi, antipasti, and vegetables with a handful of mains) while drinks highlight apertivi and over 20 selections of prosecco and Italian sparkling wines.

A selection of prosecco bottles on ice.
Prosecco is the star at Charlie Palmer’s Aperibar.
Charlie Palmer

Best Sichuan

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The concentration of Sichuan restaurants in the blocks south of Times Square is nothing short of amazing, especially since these places tend not to stint on Sichuan peppercorns. One of the finest is Best Sichuan. Anchoring the menu are standards like dan-dan noodles, spicy tripe, spicy dry pots, and braised fish with soybean paste. The semi-plush interior features high ceilings and a dining balcony at the rear.

Spaghetti like noodles with ground meat sauce and chopped scallions
Dan dan noodles at Best Sichuan.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

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Donburiya

This a reliably delicious and affordable Japanese late-night dining spot in the Theater District. The menu is long, like at any izakaya, but highlights include the namesake rice bowls — try the one with soft eel; chicken katsu curry with a rich, beefy sauce; spicy tantanmen ramen, and sizzling crab omelets drenched in heady seafood jus.

Crimson chile broth sits in a black bowl garnished with green scallions; noodles peek out from below the surface
Tantanmen ramen at Donburiya.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

Victor's Cafe

Victor’s is definitely a spendier Cuban option than, say, Guantanamera, but it has the benefit of being located closer to the center of Times Square and the Theater District. Try the Cuban sandwich, that classic layering of ham, Swiss, lechon, and pickles. For something heartier, order the excellent ropa vieja, slow-cooked and pulled prime Angus skirt steak in a pepper sauce laced with garlic, tomato, and onions. Mojitos are $16, or a few dollars more for a version with a hefty 3.5-ounce pour of rum.

Ropa vieja sits in a cast iron skillet next to a pile of rice.
Ropa vieja at Victor’s Cafe.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Gallaghers Steakhouse

The Prohibition-era bar and steakhouse, now run by Dean Poll, continues to serve some serious cuts of charcoal-grilled meats and solid classic cocktails. Start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged ribeye with fries and a blue cheese-drenched wedge salad. Those who seek the excellent prime rib roast should call ahead as it’s not offered every night; it can sell out too. Finish with key lime pie and have another martini at the circular bar, which affords views of the entire restaurant. Expect a serious crowd

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus.
The prime rib at Gallagher’s.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

Pelicana Chicken

This South Korean chain has been expanding its presence throughout the city, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it serves some very good fried chicken. To be fair: Sometimes the wings can turn out a bit bland, in which case you’ll need to add a touch of salt or soy. Every night, however, patrons can expect spicy drumsticks with such an impressively crunchy crust they don’t even lose their textural snap during delivery.

Assorted Pelicana fried chicken sits on a paper-lined metal tray
Pelicana fried chicken.
James Park/Eater NY

Rosevale Kitchen

This new restaurant and bar within Manhattan’s Civilian Hotel, is taking a global approach to the menu with matzoh ball soup, shrimp chips, and steak tartare made with larb seasoning. The bar with two outdoor terraces is perched up a spiral staircase. There’s also a Broadway prix-fixe menu weekdays for $59 per person.

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

This is where first time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald and longtime chef Basil Jones show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica — not typically represented well in the Theater District — and the larger Caribbean. Lightly smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then move on to tender brown stew chicken dripping in rich sauce. Don’t overlook the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta-style classic flecked with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and parmesan.

A small pile of jerk wings sit on a patterned blue plate.
Jerk wings at Jasmine’s.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

Le Sia

The owners behind the Chinese-Cajun shellfish boil spot shuttered their original East Village location during the pandemic, but the Hell’s Kitchen sequel remains an excellent alternative. Expect pretty much everything that made the original great: meat skewers (cumin lamb, kidneys, tendon, sausages), and of course, piles of shellfish for face-melting seafood boils. Options for the boils include crawfish, snow crab, whole lobster, and more expensive king crab legs.

Spicy crab legs, boasting an orange hue, with Chinese breadsticks at Le Sia is photographed from above
Spicy crab boil at Le Sia.
Louise Palmberg/Eater NY

E.A.K. IZAKAYA

E.A.K. Izakaya is a go-to option for good Japanese noodles in the Theater District. The Japanese chain serves excellent iekei ramen, a blend of fatty pork-based tonkotsu and soy-based shoyu ramen, with wonderfully firm noodles.

Slices of pork and noodles sit in a large bowl, alongside a sheet of seaweed onto which the words “But First Ramen” are printed
A bowl of ramen at E.A.K.
Lily Brown [Official Photo]

Kyuramen - Times Square

With locations in Flushing, Park Slope, and Union Square and now here, this solid option offers lots of variations on ramen as well as straight or wavy noodles. Our favorite, the mega, features both sliced pork and shrimp in a pork broth. The menu also lists snacks like okonomiyaki as well as rice- or ramen burgers.

Joe Allen

New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie.

The dimly lit dining room at bar at Joe Allen.
The dining room at Joe Allen.
Joe Allen

The Rum House

Rum House is your staple spot for good cocktails, vibrant crowds, and live music close to the heart of Times Square. Drop by — with your photo ID, often checked at the door — and order a cold daiquiri, dark & stormy, mojito, mai tai, or any other number of classic drinks. Food options are limited in the dark and shouty space; try the warm pretzels or assorted empanadas.

Patzeria Perfect Pizza

Patzeria is situated right across the street from Hamilton, where crowds used to snake along the sidewalk as you selected your slice. The plain Sicilian slice is particularly cheesy, but then there’s the lasagna slice, the three-cheese slice, the fresh-mozzarella grandma slice, and the multi-veggie slice. But don’t neglect the heroes made to order, both cold and hot, and the breakfasts. Open until midnight every day.

A typical pizzeria counter with pies on display under glass, with three red capped employees behind the counter.
Pizzas at Patzeria.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Tim Ho Wan

Hong Kong-based chain Tim Ho Wan — which famously attracted hour-plus waits when it debuted in the East Village — now boasts a Hell’s Kitchen location, where the queue is more reasonable. The smart play is a plate of steamed shrimp har gow, filled with delicately cooked crustaceans, and an order of barbecue pork buns, which are crispy on the outside, doughy within, and stuffed with an ample supply of sugary swine.

<span data-author="-1">Three round barbecue pork buns photographed from above</span>
Barbecue pork buns at Tim Ho Wan.
Ryan Sutton/Eater NY

Taam Tov

Nestled on the third floor of a Diamond Street building, the kosher-Uzbek Taam Tov continues to rank among the city’s top hidden gems. This is where you go for succulent grilled shashlik (kebabs), especially chewy, fatty lamb ribs. Also don’t miss the excellent plov with sweet carrots and saffron. Note: It closes 2:30 p.m. Friday and is closed on weekends.

Los Tacos No. 1

This Chelsea Market favorite established an outpost right in Times Square in the old New York Times building, with the same slender roster of tacos and other tortilla-based dishes. A favorite is the adobada mula, with spit-roasted pork sandwiched between a pair of soft flour tortillas filled with gooey cheese. Spoon on salsa and a fiery chile or two. Don’t overlook the excellent flour tortillas.

Patrons standing, waiting for dinner in the brightly lit room at Los Tacos
Patrons waiting at Los Tacos.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Related Maps

Star Lite Deli

This modest spot is good for a sandwich on the run, or a selection from a steam table that offers pastas, stews, chicken cutlets, and other hot dishes, most in a Latin or Italian vein. Perhaps its most notable accomplishment apart from looking like it persists from a bygone era, is the $9 hot pastrami sandwich. Yes, the meat is often sliced first and heated on the griddle, but it’s still good, the pastrami salty and smoky.

A pastrami sandwich, cut in half, sits on wax paper
A pastrami sandwich.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

MáLà Project

Amelie Kang’s midtown restaurant remains a fantastic spot to enjoy the wonders of Sichuan dry pots. Patrons build their own bowls filled with fiery blends of any number of ingredients, including (but not limited to) beef tenderloin, tripe, tendon, tongue, squid, crab stick, tofu skin, rice cake, enoki mushrooms, and spam. Also consider the wonderfully slippery liangfen mung bean noodles as a starter.

A spread of dishes at MáLà Project, including dan dan noodles, shelled peanuts in a cup, and dry pot in a wooden bowl
Dry pot and other assorted dishes at MaLa Project.
Anthony Bui/Eater NY

Gatsby's Landing

A Times Square location for a Roslyn-based restaurant, the place serves lush salads, flatbreads, sliders, brick-oven pizza, and entrees like pork chops and burgers in a dining room that feels a bit dressed up, with sparkly chandeliers, brass fixtures, and a mirrored bar with pearlescent accents.

Farida

This pan-Central Asian spot is one of the best places to eat grilled meat on the West Side of Manhattan. Owner Farida Gabbassova-Ricciardelli and chef Umitjon Kamolov serve serious charcoal-grilled shashlik; the chicken thigh skewers balance crisp skin with fatty juiciness and tender flesh. Be sure to sample the Uzbek national dish that is plov, rice pilaf made sweet from aromatic carrots and funky with tender chunks of lamb.

Shashlik assortment on a white plate at Farida
Shashlik at Farida.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Empanada Mama

This is where to go for some of Manhattan’s top Colombian fare. Highlights include sancocho de cola (nourishing oxtail soup with corn, yucca, and cilantro); empanadas filled with beef, shredded chicken, or fragrant shrimp and crab sticks; and juicy grilled skirt steaks with red beans and rice. Also, try the larger nearby location in Hell’s Kitchen with a more substantial menu.

A golden Viagra empanada sits on wax paper, sliced in half, on the lower right-hand side of the photo, while a whole empanada lies on the upper left; a ramekin of green salsa sits in between
Viagra empanadas at Empanada Mama.
Gary He/Eater NY

AperiBar

Charlie Palmer’s Aperibar, has opened in Luma Hotel Times Square, with pizza and Italian small plates (cheese, salumi, antipasti, and vegetables with a handful of mains) while drinks highlight apertivi and over 20 selections of prosecco and Italian sparkling wines.

A selection of prosecco bottles on ice.
Prosecco is the star at Charlie Palmer’s Aperibar.
Charlie Palmer

Best Sichuan

The concentration of Sichuan restaurants in the blocks south of Times Square is nothing short of amazing, especially since these places tend not to stint on Sichuan peppercorns. One of the finest is Best Sichuan. Anchoring the menu are standards like dan-dan noodles, spicy tripe, spicy dry pots, and braised fish with soybean paste. The semi-plush interior features high ceilings and a dining balcony at the rear.

Spaghetti like noodles with ground meat sauce and chopped scallions
Dan dan noodles at Best Sichuan.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Related Maps