Here’s where you can grab a bite before your next Broadway show
Times Square has never had a particularly stellar culinary reputation among locals; after all, this is the land of Bubba Gump and Olive Garden and Planet Hollywood. But a funny thing happened during the pandemic: As the theater industry struggled amid closures, exciting new restaurants and bars began to crop up in the area like flowers growing out of cracks in the sidewalk. From Rockefeller Center to Hell’s Kitchen, and the Garment District to the Theater District, these spots run the gamut from Florentine cult sandwich shops to Japanese chef’s counters to fast-casual dim sum spots, making for the ultimate pre- or post-Broadway dining experience.
All’antico Vinaio
First opened in Florence in 1989, this sandwich shop arrived on U.S. shores as a pop-up in the summer of 2019. A brick-and-mortar followed last fall, and crowds have lined up around the block ever since. Unlike overstuffed Italian-American subs, these are more elegant affairs, served on a Tuscan flatbread called schiacciata with fillings including prosciutto, pecorino, porchetta, and pistachio cream.
729 8th Ave., allanticovinaio.com
Nearest theater: One-minute walk to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
AweSum DimSum
Dumpling lovers should not miss this fast-casual Cantonese restaurant, the second location of a new chain owners Sze Yeung and Frank Yu hope will one day become the Shake Shack of dim sum. While dim sum is traditionally eaten in the morning, this spot for soup dumplings, BBQ pork buns, and turnip cakes is open until 8:30 p.m., with plans to eventually stay open 24/7.
612 8th Ave., awesumdimsum.us
Nearest theater: Four-minute walk to the Nederlander Theatre
Chai
Dedicated to regional Beijing-style cuisine, this new restaurant occupies prime real estate on West 46th Street, or Restaurant Row. In a space inspired by traditional siheyuan architecture, guests can try such unique dishes as stone pot tofu with sea urchin, braised pork trotter with abalone, and mushu lamb with vinegar sauce.
353 W. 46th St., chai-nyc.com
Nearest theater: Four-minute walk to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
The Chemistry Room at Sushi Lab
This intimate, 10-seat sushi spot inside the Sanctuary Hotel offers a $125, 13-course omakase menu with a subtle laboratory theme: Think smokey miso soup served in a beaker. Elsewhere, expect delicacies like A5 Wagyu beef with charcoal salt and truffles, an unagi (eel) “sando,” and roe-topped snow crab.
130 W. 47th St., thechemistryroom.com
Nearest theater: Two-minute walk to the Cort Theatre
Kaiseki Room by Yamada
Chef Isao Yamada’s 20-seat stunner is dedicated to the fine art of kaiseki, a multi-course Japanese dining experience showcasing only the freshest, hyper-seasonal ingredients. Your $300 tasting menu might include such decadent dishes as chawanmushi (egg custard) with Hokkaido uni and French black truffle.
145 W. 53rd St., kaisekiroom.nyc
Nearest theater: Three-minute walk to the Broadway Theatre
Lodi
Uruguayan chef Ignacio Mattos made a splash with his Michelin-starred downtown restaurant Estela, where the Obamas famously dined during a 2014 Big Apple visit. Last August, he brought his refined but breezy cooking to Rockefeller Center with this new spot inspired by Art Deco architecture and Italian aperitivo culture. New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells summed up its appeal with the headline: “Is Lodi Too Good for Rockefeller Center?”
1 Rockefeller Plaza, lodinyc.com
Nearest theater: Five-minute walk to the Cort Theatre
Mari
After his Hell’s Kitchen restaurant Kochi earned a Michelin star last year, chef Sungchul Shim opened this follow-up dedicated to Korean hand rolls in December. The $125 seasonal tasting menu—which includes rolls made with A5 Wagyu beef, salmon, and spicy tuna—ends with an upscale dessert inspired by the ultimate Korean convenience store confection, a Choco Pie.
679 9th Ave., marinyc.com
Nearest theater: Five-minute walk to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Nothing Really Matters
This neon-lit speakeasy, which started slinging drinks on New Year’s Eve, bills itself as “the greatest cocktail bar in the universe.” While we can’t vouch for that superlative, it definitely qualifies as one of the coolest located inside a subway station. To get here, just descend the staircase leading to the downtown 50th Street stop of the 1 train and look for the entrance before you reach the turnstiles.
50th St. and Broadway, instagram.com/nothingreallymattersbar
Nearest theater: One-minute walk to the Winter Garden Theatre
Osteria La Baia
An exuberant floral installation bursting out of the windows and roof of a little blue Fiat 500 marks the entrance to this new coastal Italian spot, which opened in November. You can’t go wrong with seafood dishes like lobster garganelli Calabrese or pan-seared skate with ‘nduja caper cream sauce, and the restaurant counts new mayor Eric Adams among its early diners.
129 W. 52nd St., labaianyc.com
Nearest theater: Four-minute walk to the Broadway Theatre
Sei Less
Look for a mural of a woman holding up a shushing finger (get it?) to find this Asian-inspired speakeasy, which opened in January. The vibe here is cooler than you’d expect in this long-ignored stretch of the Garment District. Need proof? Cardi B and Quavo have already dropped by. But you don’t need to be a hip-hop star to enjoy the pastrami egg rolls, edamame dumplings, or 60-day dry-aged Delmonico ribeye.
156 W. 38th St., seiless.com
Nearest theater: Four-minute walk to the Nederlander Theatre
