5 Establishments I Would Recommend to Somebody Visiting Midtown Manhattan For the First Time
New York City is massive. Out of all the places I’ve been in the world, this city is still my favorite city on the planet that I’ve been to so far. I’m fortunate enough to have a lot bringing me down to the city pretty often with a big percentage of my friends living there. Naturally a lot of hobbies that I love dearly bring me to this city really often when big events start to roll around. One of the most important things to me on any trip is the food. A lot of my most fond memories when I’m out and about are centered around the time and conversations I get to have with my friends as well as the food I get to enjoy with them. Visiting New York City for first time visitors can be extremely overwhelming. You can spend A LOT of time in one portion of the island and still feel like you have more you want to do. Midtown is without a doubt the busiest segment of the city. This particular area is where you’ll find a lot of well-known points of interests such as Time Square, Bryant Park, K-Town, the New York Public Library, the Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden. Just to name a few. Naturally, a lot of incredible establishments are going to be within these parts. I love food. So bad. If I can share the joy some of these places I’ve had the joy of eating at and make everyone else understand why the dining experience is such an integral piece of visiting this wonderful city, then I have done my job. Without further ado.
Smith & Wollensky
797 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022
I’ve had a lot of really good steak in my time. I would genuinely be really hard pressed to think of a dining experience that I enjoyed more than I had during my visit to this steakhouse. Smith & Wollensky is located in east Midtown and the atmosphere is terrific. Dimly lit. Personal. Extremely intimate. On top of that you feel like you’re in an old mafia movie and all of the servers who are employed in this establishment really give off that old school and noir demeanor. Despite that exterior, the service I was given here was top notch. The man who served us wore a really cool monocle and he was loaded with swagger. The environment created by this steakhouse gives you a real taste of what New York is about at its heart. You should be prepared to spend a lot of money in this establishment. However, if there’s one thing I do not think people should skimp out on while they’re traveling, it’s a good meal. I had the Cajun Rib Steak which they price at $85 and to be quite frank I would’ve paid $200 for it if I had to. For appetizers we also ordered their Clams Casino, Steamed Broccoli, and Fried Calamari. For 4, the meal ran us about $450.
Let’s Meat BBQ
307 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016
Come here hungry. Really hungry. The hungriest you have ever been. I think every single person on this planet should experience the wonder in all you can eat Korean Barbecue. There is something so deeply personal about walking around for hours and building up such a nasty appetite that festers into hanger and being able to alleviate it with barbecued meat. Also, pro-tip: prepare for the wait. Let’s Meat does not take reservations. I have frequented this restaurant more times than I can count. Legitimately every single time I have made a stop here it was at least a 45 minute wait. So if you want to eat at 7:00PM, I would highly recommend showing up at 6:00PM and getting your name down for a table. Do not worry about boredom. There will be plenty of things for you to do while you wait. The classic all you can eat option is currently priced at $47/per person and you have a time limit of 100 minutes to feast. Typically what I like to do when I take people to this restaurant is start with three meats and continue ordering three meats until we start to feel ourselves slowing down. They also include a bunch of sit down appetizers and vegetables for you to enjoy with your barbecue that do a wonderful job of keeping your palette fresh. You need to be really mindful about overeating as well. Anything you do not eat is subject to an extra $15 charge per person.
Nana’s
1250 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
Quick caveat - I love matcha and I like it strong. If I can’t taste the blades of grass that were cultivated to make the matcha then I consider it a miss. In the U.S., it is genuinely really difficult to find a reliable matcha spot. However, Nana’s knocks it out of the park. Located right in K-Town, they have a wide variety of desserts and beverages all built around matcha. Nana’s tends to get pretty packed in the evening but it’s somewhat less busy during the day. The space itself is large with plenty of seating and the ambience is very soothing. The interior offers a really homy and welcoming area for you to sit and relax or even do some work if you need to. My goal some day with this particular establishment is to complete their menu. I’m quite a ways away unfortunately but there is hardly anything I’ve tried here that I did not like. To a first time visitor, I would highly recommend something simple but unique enough for you to get a good taste of what this wonderful group stands for. A matcha float with mochi hits that mark in teriffic fashion. This particular menu item will be a matcha latte with a scoop of matcha ice cream as well a generous serving of mochi.
Tonchin
13 W 36th St., New York, NY 10018
Objectively speaking, from a pure food quality standpoint, this will be the highest quality establishment that is going to be on this list. Tonchin is a ramen shop that has earned a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand which, if you do not know, is an honor awarded to establishments of moderate pricing but of great culinary caliber. For ramen enthusiasts, I highly recommend coming to this spot before you try anywhere else in the city. To me, this is the cream of the crop. Tonchin does just about everything correctly that you’re looking for in ramen. I would reccomend keeping it simple here and ordering their Tonchin Classic Tokyo Tonkotsu if you are a first time visitor. I believe this particular item on their menu takes a very standard set of ramen toppings and elevates it to a level that makes you feel like you’re eating something far more grand than what ramen is “supposed” to be. The broth is incredibly rich. The chashu is perfectly cut. The scallion, egg, menma, and seaweed are also of extremely high quality.
La Grande Boucherie
145 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
I have an extremely personal relationship with this establishment. Of the restaurants on this short list, La Grande Boucherie is the most fond to me. During my first trip to New York City as an adult with my brother, our friends took us here and I was treated to my first ever “nice” meal. I will never forget what it felt like to have a good steak at a French restaurant for the first time as a 19 year old kid. Six years later, I’m still taking the opportunity to visit this spot during a trip, time allowing. Somewhat similar to Smith & Wollensky in the sense that the establishment gives you a feel for what New York is really about, it’s also inherently different because as I mentioned, it is French. Everything about this establishment is incredibly well put together. The decor is classic, the lighting is warm, the constant low murmur of other patrons, the sound of plates, glasses, and utensils hitting the tables as well as the pitter patter from the bottom of the dress shoes of the servers all combine to make it a sensory masterpiece. With all of that in mind, the food is also incredible. At the heart of it, my first experience at this restaurant played a massive part in making me fall in love with New York City.
