Best of Midtown
Ten Midtown restaurants verified against the real city right now, from Le Bernardin's tasting menu to the original halal cart on 53rd Street.
Corrected
- Oct 3, 2026: We said Szechuan Gourmet holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. In fact it held one as recently as the 2023 guide, and the current Michelin Guide lists it as a recommended restaurant without one. Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4
- Oct 3, 2026: We said La Liste's 2026 ranking was Le Bernardin's ninth straight year at the top. In fact it did tie for No. 1 in 2026, but the restaurant's own November 2023 announcement called that year only its fourth time at No. 1 worldwide. Source 1, Source 2, Source 3
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- 1Midtown West · $$ · 7 Av (B D E) · 155 W 51st St
Also No. 1 on Best Seafood in NYC →
Eric Ripert's three-Michelin-star seafood temple.
Because it has held three Michelin stars continuously since 2005 and tied for the number one spot worldwide on La Liste's 2026 ranking.
Order The seafood tasting menu, it is the reason for the three stars.
Book a table a month out for dinner, or walk in and ask for a seat at the bar, which is not held for reservations and runs the full menu.
@lebernardinny ↗Le Bernardin
From @lebernardinny on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 2Midtown East · $$ · Grand Central-42 St (4 5 6 7 S) · 89 E 42nd St, Lower Level
Also No. 2 on Best Seafood in NYC →
Vaulted-tile raw bar and seafood restaurant inside Grand Central Terminal, open since 1913.
Because it has served the same Guastavino-tiled counter inside Grand Central Terminal since it opened in 1913, making it one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in New York City.
Order The pan roast, ask for it oyster style or lobster style at the counter.
Sit at the counter instead of a table, and go before noon or after 2pm to skip the commuter lunch rush from the terminal above.
@nyoysterbar ↗Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
From @nyoysterbar on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 3Garment District · $$ · 34 St-Herald Sq (B D F M N Q R W) · 72 West 36th Street
Also No. 2 on Best Steakhouses in NYC →
1885 chophouse famous for its mutton chop and 45,000-pipe ceiling.
Because The Infatuation gives it a 9.0 Best of the Best score, and it has operated as a chophouse on this same block since 1885.
Order The mutton chop, it is the dish the restaurant actually built its reputation on.
Ask to see the pipe collection lining the ceiling before you eat, it is free and worth the five-minute detour on your way to the table.
@keenssteakhouse ↗Keens Steakhouse
From @keenssteakhouse on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 4Koreatown · $$ · 34 St-Herald Sq (B D F M N Q R W) · 55 W 35th St
Also No. 4 on Best of Koreatown →
Michelin Bib Gourmand Korean restaurant specializing in housemade tofu.
Because The Infatuation rates it a 9.3 Best of the Best, and it has pressed its own tofu on this block of Koreatown since 1997.
Order The soondubu jjigae soft tofu stew, made from the tofu they press in house.
It is walk-in only with no reservations, so arrive right at open or plan on a short wait during peak dinner hours.
@chodanggol ↗Cho Dang Gol
From @chodanggol on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 5Midtown · $ · 7 Av (B D E) · SE corner of W 53rd St & 6th Ave
Also No. 1 on Best Cheap Eats in Manhattan →
The original halal cart, still working the corner that spawned a 100+ location global chain.
Because this is the actual cart three Egyptian immigrants started on this corner in 1990, the same corner that later spawned a chain of more than 100 locations worldwide.
Order The combo platter of chicken and gyro over rice with white sauce, the order that built the whole chain.
It is a cart, not a storefront, so expect to eat standing or walking, and know the line moves slower than the newer competing cart one block west.
@thehalalguys ↗The Halal Guys (original cart)
From @thehalalguys on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 6Midtown East · $$ · Grand Central-42 St (4 5 6 7 S) · 210 East 46th Street
Also No. 8 on Best Steakhouses in NYC →
Family-run steakhouse institution, open since 1966.
Because the founding Cetta family has run this steakhouse since it opened in 1966, five minutes' walk from Grand Central Terminal.
Order A dry-aged porterhouse for two, split it and add the creamed spinach.
The wine list is enormous and the staff will walk you through it, ask before defaulting to the house cabernet.
@sparkssteakhouse ↗Sparks Steak House
From @sparkssteakhouse on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 7Midtown · $$ · 5 Av (7 B D F M) · 21 West 39th Street
Michelin-recommended Sichuan restaurant.
Because the Michelin Guide recommends its Sichuan cooking, two blocks from Bryant Park's hotel row.
Order The dry-fried string beans and mapo tofu, order both and split them.
Point at the dishes marked spicy on the laminated insert menu, the standard English menu understates the heat for out-of-town diners.
- 8Times Square · $$ · 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal (1 2 3 7 A C E N Q R S W) · 229 West 43rd Street
Acclaimed taco stand's Times Square outpost, inside the former New York Times building.
Because The Infatuation rates the Los Tacos No. 1 concept an 8.2, and this outpost operates inside the former New York Times building one block off Times Square.
Order The adobada marinated pork taco, the one regulars order first.
Order at the counter and expect to eat standing, seating is minimal and the lunch line moves fast but constantly.
@lostacos1 ↗Los Tacos No. 1 (Times Square)
From @lostacos1 on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 9Theater District · $$ · 57 St-7 Av (N Q R W) · 236 West 56th Street
Family-run Italian-American restaurant, Frank Sinatra's favorite since 1944.
Because the Scognamillo family has owned and run this restaurant since Pasquale Scognamillo opened it in 1944, with Frank Sinatra a documented regular.
Order The veal Milanese, made the way the Scognamillos have served it for eight decades.
It is closed Mondays, and Friday or Saturday dinner reservations should go in at least a week ahead.
- 10Midtown · $$ · 49 St (N R W) · 136 W 46th St
Also No. 7 on Best Sandwiches in Manhattan →
Counter-service Cuban/Dominican lunch spot, cash-and-carry since the 1970s.
Because The Infatuation gives it a 7.7 and calls out the Cubano specifically, a sandwich only available before 4:30pm on bread that still holds up.
Order The Cubano sandwich, ordered before 4:30pm while it is still on the counter.
Go before 4:30pm if the Cubano is what you want, after that the sandwich comes off the counter and it is rice-and-protein plates only.
Photo: Jason Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0
Good to know
- What is the best restaurant in Midtown?
- Le Bernardin is the pick, Eric Ripert's three-Michelin-star seafood temple that has held those three stars continuously since 2005 and tied for the number one spot worldwide on La Liste's 2026 ranking.
- Where can I get a classic steakhouse dinner in Midtown?
- Keens Steakhouse has operated as a chophouse on the same block since 1885 and is known for its mutton chop and 45,000-pipe ceiling. Sparks Steak House, run by the Cetta family since 1966 near Grand Central Terminal, is the pick for a dry-aged porterhouse for two.
- Where can I eat near Grand Central Terminal?
- Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant has served the same Guastavino-tiled counter inside the terminal since 1913, one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in New York City. Sit at the counter and order the pan roast, oyster style or lobster style.