Here’s the dirty little secret about Times Square - New Yorkers don't like it. Well, not anymore. Not since the sex shops, peep shows, and seedy bars were replaced with suburban mall stores and fast food chains. The gentrified pimps and prostitutes are now dressed as Elmo and Mickey, shaking down unsuspecting tourists to give them cash for selfies. But Times Square is iconic. It’s a place worth seeing and experiencing (if you don’t mind getting swallowed up in packs of slow-walking teen tours).

In spite of the over-abundance of food court restaurants, there is still good food to found and even a few hold-out dive bars. There aren’t a lot of places, so we have expanded the range to include Hell’s Kitchen. Skip the Sbarro pizza and Bubba Gump Shrimp and walk the extra block or two to eat where the pros eat and drink where the pros drink.

MORNING | Coffee

Blue Bottle

Located underneath Rockefeller Center, this midtown location has a drip bar, iced drinks, and pastries baked at the Blue Bottle roastery in Brooklyn.

"Blue Bottle has several stores throughout the city and all live up to their name."
FED Pro > Pastry Chef Christina Tossi of Momofuku Milk Bar

1 Rockefeller Plaza, Concourse Level, Suite D, New York, NY 10020
bluebottlecoffee.com

Zibetto Espresso Bar

Owner and barista Anastasios Nougos trained at espresso bar Sosta in Stockholm. With clean lines, a marble bar, and no laptops, it's a mixture of modern Swedish design and the warmth of a traditional Italian espresso bar.

1221 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10017
T: 646.838.6364 | www.zibettoespresso.com

Cafe Grumpy

Located where Times Square hits the Fashion District in a historic Art Deco building. They serve lots of coffee, but have no wi-fi.

"They have been central to the renaissance of NYC’s coffee culture and devoted to highlighting the very best that each origin coffee has to give."
FED Pro > Q Grader John Moore of Dallis Bros Coffee

200 West 39th Street, New York, NY 10018
T: 646.449.8747 | cafegrumpy.com

BREAKFAST

Sullivan Street Bakery

Near Hell’s Kitchen, James Beard award-wining baker Jim Lahey makes breads, Roman-style pizza, rustic Italian pastries and cookies. They also sell coffee. It's only a small space with a few seats.

"For the quality of their bread."
FED Pro > Chef Mike Price of Market Table, The Clam

"Sullivan Street is tops, stem to stern, these people just know how to bake."
FED Pro > Pastry Chef Julian Plyter of Melt

533 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.265.5580 | www.sullivanstreetbakery.com

City Sandwich

Chef Guerrieri was born in Italy and raised in Portugal. His sandwiches are made with yogurt and olive oil, instead of mayo, and served on fresh-baked Portuguese bread.

"They do a very good breakfast. The cod and scrambled egg sandwich is really delicious."
FED Pro >  Chef David Santos

649 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10036
T: 646.684.3943 | www.citysandwichnyc.com

CULINARY SHOPS

La Boite

Former chef Lior Lev Sercarz is the master spice blender to the city’s top chefs who have him on speed-dial for his customized concoctions. You can buy bottles of his spice blends at his Hell's Kitchen studio and shop. In addition to spices, he also makes biscuits (cookies) and offers classes.

"If you're a food geek, this is a must-stop visit. Lior Lev Sercarz is an amazing chef. He is the man every chef and every restaurant goes to for their spices. He does wonders with spice blends, like you wouldn't believe. I would highly recommend paying him a visit at his shop on the west side. It's a little out of the way but, the best things are found with a bit of adventure, right?"
FED Pro > Chef Seamus Mullen of Tertulia, El Colmado Bar de Tapas

"At Le Bernardin, we only get our spice from Lior. He is a true magician with spices."
FED Pro > Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin

724 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
T: 212.247.4407 | laboiteny.com

LUNCH

Ippudo

The uptown sister to the East Village's Ippudo. Expect their signature Tonkotsu ramen and Hirata Buns, but they also feature different ramens from downtown, as well as new appetizer dishes.

"For noodles, pork buns, pork and tofu in this very hot stone, and any of the ramen are delicious."
 FED Pro > Missy Robbins of Lilia Restaurant

"Ramen at its best."
FED Pro > Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Untitled

321 West 51st Street, New York, NY 10019
T: 212.974.2500 | www.ippudony.com

Tabata Ramen

Located in the shadow of Port Authority, slip into the this Midtown noodle house for pork dumplings, shumai and flavorful ramen soups. Chef Maung Htein Linn apprenticed in Japan and is originally from Myanmar, Burma, so expect unique twists like added coconut milk.

“The owner used to live in Japan, where he learned to make ramen. He is from Burma in Southeast Asia. His ramen is very delicate, very Japanese and not too salty or greasy.”
FED Pro > Chef Ito Shigeru of Benkei Ramen

40 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10018 | T: 212.290.7691
557 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018 | T: 212.465.2418
 www.tabatanewyork.com

Tehuitzingo

They started serving tacos in the back of a Mexican grocery store and have expanded. This is their second location and is a sit down restaurant for tacos, quesadillas, sopes, tostadas, burritos, and breakfast.

"I'm a sucker for the braised tongue, the heat, and the goat meat tacos."
FED Pro > Chef Hadley Schmitt

578 West 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10036
T: 646.707.3916 | www.tehuitzingo.net

AFTERNOON SNACKS & SWEETS

Bouchon Bakery

Chef Thomas Keller's casual bakery and cafe serving sweets, sandwiches and salads.

"I love the coffee cakes and the pain au chocolat."
 FED Pro > Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini

"You can take home macarons from here and experience chef Thomas Keller's distinctive cuisine in a casual setting."
FED Pro > Chef Jesse Schenker of Recette, The Gander

Rockefeller Center, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020
T: 212.782.3890 | Website

COCKTAILS

INTIMATE SETTING | Lantern's Keep

Hidden in the back of the Iroquois Hotel, this is a tiny salon devoted to the art of the craft cocktail.

"This is a jewel of a spot with flawless cocktails. Have something regal."
FED Pro > Bartender Tom Richter of Dear Irving

"When I'm in midtown, I always have to stop by Lantern's Keep at the Iroquois Hotel and the bartender make something strong. They are quite the wizes with the stirred stuff."
FED Pro > Bartender Matthew Piacentini of the Up and Up

"It's a great bar and the cocktails are wonderful."
FED Pro > Bartender Tristan Willey of Long Island Bar

49 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.453.4287 | www.iroquoisny.com/lanternskeep

DIVE BARS

Jimmy's Corner

One of the last vestiges of Times Square before the Disneyfication factor. Owned by former trainer Jimmy Glenn, the narrow bar is a shrine to the boxing world.

"This is one of those places that I don’t really like, but I definitely appreciate it. If I am in that neighborhood, and I spend a lot of time in that neighborhood, it is certainly a place I go. They put pictures of the regulars that come here on the bar top itself. The bar is literally about the people who come here. It is super skinny and incredibly uncomfortable, but it is still dirt cheap. You still see Jimmy sometimes shuffling around."
FED Pro > Bartender Michael Neff of Holiday Cocktail Lounge

"Jimmy's Corner in Times Square is probably the best bar in New York City. It's owned by Jimmy, who was Muhammad Ali's corner man. The old story goes that Muhammad Ali gave him $50,000 in 1972 to open a bar near the Garden and that's what he opened. It's floor to ceiling boxing memorabilia throughout the whole place. Jimmy is still there and there will be fighters in there sometimes, and you could still get an Amstel Light for $3."
FED Pro > Bartender John Bush of Talde, Pork Slope

140 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.221.9510

Holland Bar

An old school NY dive and cocktail bar with 60 years of history, most of it all stuck to the walls. You'll find a mix of local barflies, suits, construction workers, and even a few tourists.

"It's a super dive bar with $2 straight pours. I was a regular there and my picture might still be on the wall."
FED Pro > Bartender Dave Arnold of Booker and Dax

532 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
T: 212.502.4609

DINNER

KOREAN | Danji

Chef Hooni Kim prepares contemporary and classic variations on Korean dishes. Previously, Kim worked at Michelin three-star restaurants Daniel and Masa. The dishes are meant to share.

"Chef Hooni Kim really brought the modern-esque Korean tapas style dishes to a new level which definitely helped with the Korean food movement in New York."
FED Pro > Chef Esther Choi of Mokbar

"Everything that chef Hooni Kim does is delicious, from Yook Hwe (steak tartare with quail yolk) to spicy K.F.C. (Korean fire chicken wings) to Bossom (braised pork).  When it's on the menu, I never fail to order Golbaengi Moochim (spicy whelk and soba salad). Thankfully, it is also on the lunch menu with a bigger size!"
FED Pro > Pastry Chef Pichet Ong

346 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019
T: 212.586.2880 | www.danjinyc.com

MEXICAN | Toloache

Pronounced toh-lo-AH-tchay, this is Mexican-born chef Julian Medina's contemporary take on Mexican cuisine. The broad selection of tequilas are worth a try too.

"This is a very good Mexican restaurant. It's more fine dining Mexican with great ingredients, well prepared and well presented."
FED Pro > Bartender Xavier Herit of The Wallflower

251 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019
T: 212.581.1818 | toloachenyc.com

STEAKS & CHOPS | Keens

They opened in 1885. Come here for the history, the wooden bar, and the famous mutton chop.

"It's just delicious, period. I always get the Porterhouse Steak. It's the combination of two favorite cuts of meat, the filet mignon and the New York strip with the bone in the middle. High quality meat. But I think the first time I went here what struck me was the history behind it. Being in Herald Square, they used to be in the old theater district and were known for their mutton chops and there was a period of time, I believe in the '30s or '40s, where no women were allowed. Then what made the mutton chop famous was a female Broadway performer snuck in or got in and she was accepted. That changed the whole game and she ordered the mutton chops and that's how still to this day they're famous."
FED Pro > Chef George Mendes of Aldea, Lupulo

"For their steak, the atmosphere and the history."
FED Pro > Butcher Jake Dickson of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats

72 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018
T: 212.947.3636 | www.keens.com   

Wondee Siam & Wondee Siam II

Hell's Kitchen Thai with a classic greatest hits menu.The two Wondee Siams are across the street, but one has an expanded menu and more seating.

"The most consistent Thai in my opinion in terms of quality and taste. Go for more unique dishes such as Crispy Basil Duck, Chive Cakes, or Yen Ta Fo. Even their standards like Pad Thai or Panang are delicious. When there is no room, larger branch Wondee Siam II is also good, with more selections such as catfish salad with green mango."
FED Pro > Pastry Chef Pichet Ong

"For #1 Duck Kra Prow (Spicy crisp duck, garlic and onion)."
FED Pro > Chef Michael White of the Altamarea Group

Wondee Siam | 792 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 | T: 212.459.9057
Wondee Siam II | 813 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 | T: 917.286.1726

SEAFOOD | Esca

FED Pro chef David Pasternack's Esca translates to mean bait. A perfect names for a restaurant that showcases Pasternack's love for seafood. The menu features crudo, crispy smelts, and great selection of whole fish.

402 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.564.7272 | esca-nyc.com

ETHIOPIAN | Queen of Sheba

Chef Philipos Mengistu gained his first culinary experience at the restaurant his parents operated in Addis Abeba in the early 1970s and he brings his heritage and native cuisine to NYC at this Ethiopian restaurant.

"I love to order the kitfo. It's an Ethiopian steak tartare with freshly minced extra lean beef. It reminds me of visiting my wife's home village."
FED Pro > Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster Harlem

650 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.397.0610 | www.shebanyc.com

LATE NIGHT

JAPANESE | Sake Bar Hagi

Subterranean izakaya with flat screen TVs. It's the Japanese version of a sports bar. While the location is underground, Hagi isn’t anymore so be prepared to wait for a table. Write your name on the list, give them your phone number, and they'll call you when seats are available. They now also have a second location.

"Sake Bar Hagi is one of my favorite restaurants. They are open late and always packed. Try the eel tempura with plum salt."
FED Pro > Chef Joseph Ogrodnek of Battersby

"I like the yakitori here. I love this place, it's a gem and it's open late."
FED Pro > Chef David Pasternack of Esca

"My late night cravings lead me directly to Sake Bar Hagi."
FED Pro > Chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Untitled

Open until 3am
152 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019
T: 212.764.8549 | Website

Open until 2am
358 W 46th Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.956.2429 | www.hagi46.com

The Halal Guys

Look for the street cart with a bright yellow and red umbrella and the line of people. This is the cart next to the Hilton Hotel serving an array of Middle Eastern food. Everyone loves their chicken and rice.

"For me street food is chicken and rice at the food cart near the Hilton. I love to pick up food here late at night."
FED Pro > Chef Gurav Anand of Bhatti indian Grill and Awadh

Until 4am
Corner of West 53rd Street & 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
thehalalguys.com