A New Yorker’s Guide To New York: Dining Out

One of the amazing things about New York City is that you can get Peruvian, Mediterranean, Ethiopian and Thai food all in a two-block radius of each other. And yes, pizza. Whether you’re looking for a meal before a show, or something less casual for after, we’ve got you covered below with our tips for dining out!


Try Something New: Is there a chain restaurant here that you also have in your hometown? Skip it, you’re on vacation! There’s Bond 45 (221 West 46^th St), Sardi’s (234 West 44^th St), China Xiang (360 West 42^nd St), Trattoria Dell’Arte (900 7^th Ave), Toloache (251 West 50^th St) and Meske (468 West 47^th St) that are personal favorites of ours.

Do Your Research: Most restaurants have their menus available online, so you can not only look at the menu beforehand to see if you like the food, but you can also get an idea of the price point. After, you can head over to a review site like Yelp and see what other diners thought. If the reviews are positive, then you know this restaurant is a good choice. Take note of kitchen times too, since some places only have bar service after a certain time.

Make Reservations: We can’t stress this enough. It doesn’t matter if you’re a party of 2 or 12, the best way to make sure you’re not standing around for 45 minutes waiting to be seated is to make a reservation. If you’re traveling with little children or picky eaters, picking up the phone and inquiring about options for them is another smart move.

Curtain Call: You should of course leave plenty of time to make your show if you’re dining beforehand, but it’s also good to let your server know what time your show starts so they can ensure you get there in time for the curtain to rise.


The Show to See Now: Company


There’s nothing wrong with dining out by yourself, but it’s always better with some company. That’s why we’re recommending the newest production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy, Company! We promise that previous productions of Company can’t compare, because Tony Award® and Grammy Award® winner Katrina Lenk, and two-time Tony Award® and two-time Grammy Award® winner Patti LuPone are starring in this one. A show about navigating relationships while being alive in 21^st-Century New York, Company is mandatory viewing for a musical theatre lover.