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New York Fashion Week runs through September 15, bringing a week of runways, parties and extremely ambitious outfits to the city. Even if you’re not holding a show invitation, you can still catch the fashion set in its natural habitat: ordering ice-cold martinis at the bar.
From a Champagne-fueled fried-chicken palace to a discreet Japanese favorite in Soho, these seven restaurants deliver excellent food with a side of outfit reconnaissance. Here's where to spot the well-heeled and famous while dining out during NYFW.
7 stylish restaurants for people-watching during New York Fashion Week:
1. Omen Azen
This longtime Soho Japanese restaurant is a fashion-industry favorite precisely because it doesn’t try too hard. Its understated dining room attracts editors, designers and models for home-style dishes—and reliably interesting people-watching. Secure a table, keep your eyes open and pretend you’re only admiring the food.
2. Ambassadors Clubhouse
A relative newcomer in NoMad, Ambassadors Clubhouse has already earned see-and-be-seen status. The Punjabi-inspired menu arrives amid jewel tones, sumptuous textures and intimate dining spaces modeled after the party mansions of Northern India. It’s a natural fit for industry dinners that may (or may not) end up on Instagram.
3. COQODAQ
Fried chicken and Champagne is already a fabulous pairing; during Fashion Week, it may as well be a dress code. COQODAQ’s theatrical Flatiron dining room serves Korean fried chicken alongside caviar, oysters and an extensive selection of bubbles. Expect groups, celebrations and plenty of dramatic entrances.
4. Sake No Hana
Hidden inside the Moxy Lower East Side, Sake No Hana offers low lighting, velvet booths and a Japanese menu built for sharing. Order sushi, robata-grilled meats, Wafu Carbonara or the milk-bread Wagyu sando, then settle in with sake or a cocktail to watch the post-show crowd arrive.
5. Corner Bar and Swan Room
Nine Orchard has become one of downtown’s most dependable fashion magnets. Corner Bar handles the dinner portion of the evening with bistro fare in a warmly polished room; next door, the grand Swan Room is ideal for Martinis, small plates and studying every coat that passes through the door.
6. Cathédrale
The soaring, dramatic dining room at Cathédrale in the East Village understands the assignment. The French menu includes black truffle fettuccine, rotisserie chicken and filet mignon au poivre, while the bar offers oysters, lobster rolls, Champagne and a tableside Sgroppino made with lemon sorbet and Blanc de Blancs.
7. Blue Ribbon Brasserie
When the last runway has wrapped, but nobody is ready to call it a night, this Soho institution remains a trustworthy late-night landing pad. Its sprawling menu covers oysters, fried chicken and classic comfort food. Take a seat at the bar: the after-hours fashion show here may be better than the official one.