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A street view of New York City’s Theater District with many billboards of Broadway shows and a busy street filled with cars. — Broadway is back and many restaurants are ready to seat diners, from the pre- and post-theater crowd to neighborhood locals.

The Definitive Guide to Theater District Dining

From a quick bite to a leisurely meal and everything in between

by Ryan Sutton Updated Sep 12, 2022, 2:05pm EDT

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Broadway is back and many restaurants are ready to seat diners, from the pre- and post-theater crowd to neighborhood locals.

| Andrey Bayda/Shutterstock.com

by Ryan Sutton Updated Sep 12, 2022, 2:05pm EDT

Broadway’s fall season is already underway and scores of great Midtown West restaurants are ready to accommodate bustling pre- and post-theater crowds. There is no shortage of disappointing tourist trap establishments in this part of town, but consulting this list will ensure that you eat and drink well across the culinary spectrum. Remember: It’s okay to let servers know if you have a musical or play to catch when first sitting down, but consider arriving earlier than usual as many restaurants remain short-staffed. Be sure to tip — at least 20 percent or more — at any of these establishments.

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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If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Marea

Marea is a serious rich person’s hangout, with pastas at $42 per person and a moneyed crowd, but make no mistake: the food here is as fantastic as ever under longtime chef Lauren DeSteno. Start off with stellar crudi like bass with sturgeon caviar or raw langoustines with crustacean oil, then move on to the pastas — most of which are available as half portions. Try the gnocchetti with shrimp and rosemary oil, squid ink lobster ravioli with coral bottarga, and of course the grand fusilli with octopus and bone marrow.

240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Gnochetti with shrimp sit on a white plate in an overhead shot — Gnochetti with shrimp at Marea.

Also featured in:

Ardesia Wine Bar

Mandy Oser’s Hell’s Kitchen hangout remains a fine spot for a pre-theater glass of Spanish orange wine, French sparkling wine, and scores of other selections across the list. Also stick around for chorizo croquettes, smoked bluefish dip, shishito peppers, or spiced lamb skewers. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

510 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Where to Find Great Food in Hell’s Kitchen

Guantanamera

Find some of the city's best Cuban sandwiches, vaca frita (skirt steak fried to the texture of soft jerky), and mojitos. Warning: The mojitos are strong, which is especially dangerous on Tuesdays when they're just $6 apiece. Swing by after a show for live Cuban music every night. Reservations are available.

939 8th Ave, New York, NY

Visit Website

A Cuban sandwich lies on a white plate on the left, while a plate of vaca frita lies on the right at Guantanamera — A spread of dishes at Guantanamera.

Also featured in:

Donburiya

This is the go-to affordable Japanese late-night dining spot of choice 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, and sizzling crab omelets drenched in heady seafood jus. Note that tipping is included in menu prices. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

253 W 55th St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Scallions lie over an opaque brown broth for tantanmen ramen — Tantanmen ramen at Donbuirya.

Torishin

This is where you go for very good skewers of charcoal-grilled chicken for a set price of $100. Eater NY awarded three stars in a review, praising the foot-to-beak approach to poultry cooking. Expect nuggets of crunchy knee bone (yes, eat it), medium-rare breast meat (it's totally safe, probably), and “main arteries” (edible rubber bands). If none of this sounds appealing, let the chef know and the chicken experience will be more mainstream. Reservations available. There’s also a $180 option at the select counter.

362 W 53rd St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Tori Shin — An assortment of starters at Tori Shin.

Also featured in:

Totto Ramen Hell's Kitchen

Totto Ramen, quite simply, is one of the city’s best joints for paitan ramen, more or less the chicken broth analog to fatty, creamy, porky tonkatsu. Vegetarian ramen is also available. No reservations.

Open in Google Maps

464 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Vida Verde

Located on the border of Hell’s Kitchen and the Theater District, Vida Verde is a staple late night Mexican spot, with a capable kitchen that slings solid nachos and birria tacos. Expect excellent margaritas and classic cocktails. Must be 21 to enter; reservations available.

248 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Three beef birria tacos sit on a plate next to a cup of consomme and salsa de arbol — Birria tacos at Vida Verde.

Also featured in:

Danji

Hooni Kim’s charming little restaurant remains a great Korean option for pre-theater dining. Expect kimchi fried rice, soy garlic chicken wings with pickled daikon, and bulgogi beef sliders with spicy pickled cucumber. Reservations available.

346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Also featured in:

LumLum

Hell’s Kitchen has long been a hotbed of Thai cooking; one of the top new additions to that community is LumLum, courtesy of sisters and owners Sommy and Mo Hensawang. Drop by for the squid ink soup, the branzino with bird’s eye chiles, and the regal Thai river prawns with chile lime dressing. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

404 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

A whole fish on a green fish-shaped plate. — Whole fish at LumLum.

Also featured in:

Gallaghers Steakhouse

The Prohibition-era bar and steakhouse continues to serve some serious cuts of meat and solid classic cocktails. Be sure to start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged rib-eye with fries and a blue cheese-drenched wedge salad. The Prime rib roast is first come, first served and often sells out, so go early if that’s the craving. Accepts reservations.

228 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus. — Prime rib at Gallaghers.

Also featured in:

Meske

Meske offers breathtakingly flavorful and affordable Ethiopian fare and just a short walk from the Richard Rogers theater, home to the not-quite-affordable “Hamilton.” Keep it simple: Order an Ethiopian lager and the combination platter, a heady pile of berbere spiced lentils, collards, and meats on injera, the traditionally sour and spongy bread. No reservations.

Open in Google Maps

468 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

dell'anima

Chef Andrew Whitney’s counter spot at Gotham West Market is a staple Italian option in the Theater District, even if it’s a bit of a walk from some of the shows. Notable dishes include burrata with blueberry puree, charred octopus with chorizo, and great pastas like tajarin alla carbonara and bucatini alla arrabbiata. Accepts reservations.

600 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Spaghetti arrabbiata sits in a bowl next to a glass of red wine on a black placemat — Spaghetti arrabbiata at Dell’anima

Also featured in:

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

This isn't one of those hip natural wine bars found in Paris or downtown Manhattan; this is a classic place to enjoy classic wines in expensive Zalto stems, a place where the entry-level Champagne runs $32. Also go for the charcuterie, the crispy duck leg, or the heady merguez sausage in pita. Reservations available.

151 W 51st St, New York, NY

Visit Website

A cream-colored couch sits below overhead lights in the Aldo Sohm dining room — The dining room at Aldo Sohm.

Also featured in:

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

Restaurant Row in the Theater District is where first-time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald and famed chef Basil Jones show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica and the larger Caribbean. Smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then try out some tender brown stew chicken dripping in rich sauce. Also don’t miss the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta-style classic laced with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and parmesan. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

371 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Gnochetti with shrimp sit on a white plate in an overhead shot — Gnocchetti with shrimp and rosemary oil.

Also featured in:

Le Sia

The owners behind the acclaimed Chinese-Cajun shellfish boil spot shuttered their original East Village location during the pandemic, but the Hell’s Kitchen sequel remains open. Expect pretty much everything that made the original great: meat skewers (lamb, kidneys, tendon, sausages), traditional appetizers like spicy mung bean noodles, and of course, piles of shellfish for face-melting seafood boils — laced with chiles, rice cakes, and crispy youtiao. Options for the boils include crawfish, snow crab, whole lobster, whole Dungeness crab, and king crab legs. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

651 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Pink shrimp and red crawfish are arranged in an alternating fashion in a bowl at Le Sia, shot from overhead. — Shrimp and crawfish at Le Sia.

Also featured in:

Joe Allen

It would be hard to envision a Theater District guide without this mainstay that’s been feeding both Broadway-goers, stars, and stagehands for decades. Grab a seat at the bar, order a strong Manhattan or martini, get a solid burger, and toast to the end of the night at in one of the greatest cities in the world — you may even see some Broadway stars. Don’t miss the homemade banana cream pie. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

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

Also featured in:

The Rum House

This is the definitive answer to “Where can I listen to live old time-y music in Times Square without a cover charge?” The dimly lit space in the Hotel Edison is an oasis of (crowded) civility on 47th Street, and while the kitchen offers a few small bites — popcorn and warm pretzels — the drinks are the draw, from a solid classic daiquiri, to a rum old-fashioned, to a non-frozen riff on the piña colada. No reservations.

228 W 47th St, New York, NY

Visit Website

The Rum House

Also featured in:

Le Marais

This longtime Kosher spot remains a gem of a French steakhouse in the Theater District. Swing by for some of the city’s most tender beef jerky, buttery roast chicken, and a variety of steaks, the best of which is the exceedingly marbled butcher’s cut, a wonderfully fatty rib cap for $59. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

150 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Los Tacos No. 1

This fast-casual taqueria is ideal for when the curtain call is in 20 minutes or less. If that sounds like too much of a concessionary recommendation, consider that Los Tacos is one of the city's most heralded taco stands. The right move is the al pastor, pork spinning on a spit, crisped on the griddle, stuffed into a corn tortilla, and garnished with pineapple. No beer or booze here: instead, there’s horchata, grape soda, and Fanta. No reservations.

229 W 43rd St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Two al pastor tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 with pineapple and red salsa in an overhead shot — Al pastor tacos from Los Tacos No. 1.

Farida

This pan-Central Asian spot might just be one of the best places to eat grilled meat in all of Midtown West. 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 try the Uzbek national dish that is plov, rice pilaf made sweet from aromatic carrots and funky with tender chunks of heady lamb. As of 2022, there’s also, a Fidi location, too. (For kosher Uzbek fare, check out the excellent Taam Tov in the Diamond District.) Accepts reservations.

498 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Visit Website

Shashlik assortment on a white plate at Farida — Shashlik from Farida.

Also featured in:

21 Times Square Restaurants Where New Yorkers Actually Eat

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Marea

240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019

Marea is a serious rich person’s hangout, with pastas at $42 per person and a moneyed crowd, but make no mistake: the food here is as fantastic as ever under longtime chef Lauren DeSteno. Start off with stellar crudi like bass with sturgeon caviar or raw langoustines with crustacean oil, then move on to the pastas — most of which are available as half portions. Try the gnocchetti with shrimp and rosemary oil, squid ink lobster ravioli with coral bottarga, and of course the grand fusilli with octopus and bone marrow.

240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Gnochetti with shrimp sit on a white plate in an overhead shot — Gnochetti with shrimp at Marea.

Ardesia Wine Bar

510 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Mandy Oser’s Hell’s Kitchen hangout remains a fine spot for a pre-theater glass of Spanish orange wine, French sparkling wine, and scores of other selections across the list. Also stick around for chorizo croquettes, smoked bluefish dip, shishito peppers, or spiced lamb skewers. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

510 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Guantanamera

939 8th Ave, New York, NY

Find some of the city's best Cuban sandwiches, vaca frita (skirt steak fried to the texture of soft jerky), and mojitos. Warning: The mojitos are strong, which is especially dangerous on Tuesdays when they're just $6 apiece. Swing by after a show for live Cuban music every night. Reservations are available.

939 8th Ave, New York, NY

Visit Website

A Cuban sandwich lies on a white plate on the left, while a plate of vaca frita lies on the right at Guantanamera — A spread of dishes at Guantanamera.

Donburiya

253 W 55th St, New York, NY

This is the go-to affordable Japanese late-night dining spot of choice 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, and sizzling crab omelets drenched in heady seafood jus. Note that tipping is included in menu prices. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

253 W 55th St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Scallions lie over an opaque brown broth for tantanmen ramen — Tantanmen ramen at Donbuirya.

Torishin

362 W 53rd St, New York, NY

This is where you go for very good skewers of charcoal-grilled chicken for a set price of $100. Eater NY awarded three stars in a review, praising the foot-to-beak approach to poultry cooking. Expect nuggets of crunchy knee bone (yes, eat it), medium-rare breast meat (it's totally safe, probably), and “main arteries” (edible rubber bands). If none of this sounds appealing, let the chef know and the chicken experience will be more mainstream. Reservations available. There’s also a $180 option at the select counter.

362 W 53rd St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Tori Shin — An assortment of starters at Tori Shin.

Totto Ramen Hell's Kitchen

464 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

Totto Ramen, quite simply, is one of the city’s best joints for paitan ramen, more or less the chicken broth analog to fatty, creamy, porky tonkatsu. Vegetarian ramen is also available. No reservations.

Open in Google Maps

464 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Vida Verde

248 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Located on the border of Hell’s Kitchen and the Theater District, Vida Verde is a staple late night Mexican spot, with a capable kitchen that slings solid nachos and birria tacos. Expect excellent margaritas and classic cocktails. Must be 21 to enter; reservations available.

248 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

Three beef birria tacos sit on a plate next to a cup of consomme and salsa de arbol — Birria tacos at Vida Verde.

Danji

346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Hooni Kim’s charming little restaurant remains a great Korean option for pre-theater dining. Expect kimchi fried rice, soy garlic chicken wings with pickled daikon, and bulgogi beef sliders with spicy pickled cucumber. Reservations available.

346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

LumLum

404 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019

Hell’s Kitchen has long been a hotbed of Thai cooking; one of the top new additions to that community is LumLum, courtesy of sisters and owners Sommy and Mo Hensawang. Drop by for the squid ink soup, the branzino with bird’s eye chiles, and the regal Thai river prawns with chile lime dressing. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

404 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

A whole fish on a green fish-shaped plate. — Whole fish at LumLum.

Gallaghers Steakhouse

228 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

The Prohibition-era bar and steakhouse continues to serve some serious cuts of meat and solid classic cocktails. Be sure to start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged rib-eye with fries and a blue cheese-drenched wedge salad. The Prime rib roast is first come, first served and often sells out, so go early if that’s the craving. Accepts reservations.

228 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Visit Website

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus. — Prime rib at Gallaghers.

Meske

468 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Meske offers breathtakingly flavorful and affordable Ethiopian fare and just a short walk from the Richard Rogers theater, home to the not-quite-affordable “Hamilton.” Keep it simple: Order an Ethiopian lager and the combination platter, a heady pile of berbere spiced lentils, collards, and meats on injera, the traditionally sour and spongy bread. No reservations.

Open in Google Maps

468 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

dell'anima

600 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Chef Andrew Whitney’s counter spot at Gotham West Market is a staple Italian option in the Theater District, even if it’s a bit of a walk from some of the shows. Notable dishes include burrata with blueberry puree, charred octopus with chorizo, and great pastas like tajarin alla carbonara and bucatini alla arrabbiata. Accepts reservations.

600 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Spaghetti arrabbiata sits in a bowl next to a glass of red wine on a black placemat — Spaghetti arrabbiata at Dell’anima

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

151 W 51st St, New York, NY

This isn't one of those hip natural wine bars found in Paris or downtown Manhattan; this is a classic place to enjoy classic wines in expensive Zalto stems, a place where the entry-level Champagne runs $32. Also go for the charcuterie, the crispy duck leg, or the heady merguez sausage in pita. Reservations available.

151 W 51st St, New York, NY

Visit Website

A cream-colored couch sits below overhead lights in the Aldo Sohm dining room — The dining room at Aldo Sohm.

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

371 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Restaurant Row in the Theater District is where first-time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald and famed chef Basil Jones show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica and the larger Caribbean. Smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then try out some tender brown stew chicken dripping in rich sauce. Also don’t miss the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta-style classic laced with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and parmesan. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

371 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Gnochetti with shrimp sit on a white plate in an overhead shot — Gnocchetti with shrimp and rosemary oil.

Le Sia

651 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036

The owners behind the acclaimed Chinese-Cajun shellfish boil spot shuttered their original East Village location during the pandemic, but the Hell’s Kitchen sequel remains open. Expect pretty much everything that made the original great: meat skewers (lamb, kidneys, tendon, sausages), traditional appetizers like spicy mung bean noodles, and of course, piles of shellfish for face-melting seafood boils — laced with chiles, rice cakes, and crispy youtiao. Options for the boils include crawfish, snow crab, whole lobster, whole Dungeness crab, and king crab legs. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

651 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Pink shrimp and red crawfish are arranged in an alternating fashion in a bowl at Le Sia, shot from overhead. — Shrimp and crawfish at Le Sia.

Related Maps

Joe Allen

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

It would be hard to envision a Theater District guide without this mainstay that’s been feeding both Broadway-goers, stars, and stagehands for decades. Grab a seat at the bar, order a strong Manhattan or martini, get a solid burger, and toast to the end of the night at in one of the greatest cities in the world — you may even see some Broadway stars. Don’t miss the homemade banana cream pie. Reservations available.

Open in Google Maps

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

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

The Rum House

228 W 47th St, New York, NY

This is the definitive answer to “Where can I listen to live old time-y music in Times Square without a cover charge?” The dimly lit space in the Hotel Edison is an oasis of (crowded) civility on 47th Street, and while the kitchen offers a few small bites — popcorn and warm pretzels — the drinks are the draw, from a solid classic daiquiri, to a rum old-fashioned, to a non-frozen riff on the piña colada. No reservations.

228 W 47th St, New York, NY

Visit Website

The Rum House

Le Marais

150 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

This longtime Kosher spot remains a gem of a French steakhouse in the Theater District. Swing by for some of the city’s most tender beef jerky, buttery roast chicken, and a variety of steaks, the best of which is the exceedingly marbled butcher’s cut, a wonderfully fatty rib cap for $59. Accepts reservations.

Open in Google Maps

150 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Visit Website

Los Tacos No. 1

229 W 43rd St, New York, NY

This fast-casual taqueria is ideal for when the curtain call is in 20 minutes or less. If that sounds like too much of a concessionary recommendation, consider that Los Tacos is one of the city's most heralded taco stands. The right move is the al pastor, pork spinning on a spit, crisped on the griddle, stuffed into a corn tortilla, and garnished with pineapple. No beer or booze here: instead, there’s horchata, grape soda, and Fanta. No reservations.

229 W 43rd St, New York, NY

Visit Website

Two al pastor tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 with pineapple and red salsa in an overhead shot — Al pastor tacos from Los Tacos No. 1.

Farida

498 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018

This pan-Central Asian spot might just be one of the best places to eat grilled meat in all of Midtown West. 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 try the Uzbek national dish that is plov, rice pilaf made sweet from aromatic carrots and funky with tender chunks of heady lamb. As of 2022, there’s also, a Fidi location, too. (For kosher Uzbek fare, check out the excellent Taam Tov in the Diamond District.) Accepts reservations.

498 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Visit Website

Shashlik assortment on a white plate at Farida — Shashlik from Farida.

Related Maps