Restaurants near the Statue of Liberty

Delmonico’s has had several twists and turns in its 196 years as a hospitality enterprise. Expansion and retraction. Ownership changes and licensing agreements. Fires. Financial battles. And status grabs as the nation’s first fine dining destination, its largest, and as the originator of such august entrées as eggs Benedict.  It has occupied the distinguished tip of a triangle block downtown in one form or another for most of the time since 1837. Its last gap was during the pandemic. Then, another zag last winter, when news of its impending return was announced, then retracted, then proclaimed once more, with new owners and some cosmetic alterations attached. Delmonico’s reopened, replete with a ribbon cutting and a visit from the mayor, in September.  Like centuries, I suppose, 20 minutes can seem subjective, depending on how you spend them. I recently spent what ended up being 20 minutes waiting for my Delmonico’s reservation acquiring knowledge.  First, I learned that the delay had no estimated end because “a couple of tables” were “finishing up.” Second, I learned that I could beat it to the separate bar to wait for an undetermined period, but there might not be space because it was “pretty crowded.” Third, I learned that if you while away on the pretty blue settee near the entrance, instead, you will be walled off by a dense line of vacation-wear or business casual-clad people clamoring to retrieve their items from coat check. And finally, I eventually learned that 20...

Chef Daniel Boulud’s last NYC restaurant opening, Le Pavillon in May of 2021, seemed like a huge deal at the time. It was among the hospitality industry’s splashiest early post-vaccine pandemic premieres—it landed a lovely location in a flashy new midtown skyscraper and elected officials attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the occasion like it was some kind of midwestern supermarket, rather than the latest on a long list of a celebrity restaurateur’s Manhattan—and worldwide—ventures. The spendy spot’s fanfare was kind of quaint. Then, its mere existence launched a smattering of ‘the way we whatever whenever’ internet word casseroles, and the dining public responded by snapping up La Pavillon’s $125 (now $135) three-course tasting reservations.  Boulud’s Le Gratin had a more routine introduction to its Financial District address last month. It’s one of those returns to normalcy that people keep wishstablishing: that an excellent restaurant can open without ever severing a single ribbon must mean that New York is back, baby. Again.  Le Gratin’s sidewalk-level room at The Beekman hotel was previously occupied by Augustine. It feels more like a suite that can accommodate the shy side of 100. Crescent leather booths up front in view of the blushing bar that fit four and feel luxuriously roomy for two, banquettes, and untethered tables all awash in mild amber hues are quick to fill. Slightly fogged mirrors, dainty floral fixtures in handsome dark finishes, more blooms...

Last night at this time I was at Saga, I thought, 24 hours after riding the elevator to the 63rd floor of the Art Deco building at 70 Pine Street, ordering cocktails at its small, theatrically lit bar and stepping out onto the terrace into an unending skyline all before shattering my first course with the back of a spoon. New York  has more than its fair share of fine dining restaurants, and some are even good, but few inspire new measures of time like Saga. Chef James Kent’s follow-up to Crown Shy, located about 1,000 feet below, bookends the original.  Crown Shy opened in early 2019 to critical acclaim and topped local and national ‘best of’ lists by the end of the year. (This wasn’t unexpected considering that Kent’s previous tenure at Eleven Madison Park helped it earn its Michelin stars and a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.) Saga was going to open the following year, which turned out to be 2020.  Many months later, it’s finally here. Saga works unlike most other restaurants. You will be charged $553.49 for a party of two before you get anywhere near the place. Its multi-course seasonal tasting menu, one welcome cocktail and an engaging, orchestrated experience cost $245 per person before additional drinks, tax and tip. The average dinner here lasts about three-and-a-half hours and spans a few spaces. First you’re introduced to a bartender, who makes drinks with subtle variations on the classics like martinis with special vermouth blends and Manhattans with...

They make quite the glamorous pair: Augustine and Fowler & Wells, glowing and genteel on opposite ends of the grand atrium at the Financial District’s new Beekman hotel, a ritzy restoration of the late-19th-century landmark building known as Temple Court. Fowler & Wells—Tom Colicchio’s first new Manhattan restaurant since opening Colicchio & Sons six years ago—is less fanciful and luminous than Augustine but visually impressive nonetheless: The handsome brick-walled room is fitted with mohair-velvet banquettes, stained-glass wall panels and its own set of large custom chandeliers, which successfully distract from the industrial piping that also hangs from the restaurant’s lofty ceilings. With such classically good looks, it’s not a surprise that neither Augustine nor Fowler & Wells employ any highfalutin kitchen theatrics, and you won’t find any of the ingredients du jour—no black walnuts, Calabrian chilies or beer whey—on either menu. This may be the new Financial District, but it’s FiDi all the same, and hotel dining in FiDi at that. In place of gastro nerdiness, Colicchio and executive chef Bryan Hunt offer polished, straightforward American food at Fowler & Wells, the kind of plates on which a smattering of shaved truffle is considered spicing up the relationship. You’re here for seasonal, dependable cooking that’s informed by the past but without any schmaltzy kitsch: sautéed foie gras ($27), hot-smoked monkfish ($39) and a Wellington, made here out of venison and...

Amid the market bustle of Battery Park’s Le District lies this eight-table French tasting-menu restaurant, helmed by Daniel alum Nicolas Abello. Pulling produce and proteins from Le District’s market stalls, Abello puts together a six-course spread that includes dishes like organic-zucchini hand rolls with Crottin de Champcol goat cheese and kiwi chutney, a mille-feuille of roasted beets with 12-month Comté and aged balsamic, and cucumber cups with poached Maine lobster and makrut-lime leaves. Diners can view the cooking action through an open kitchen from the 28-seat dining room, fixed with marble countertops, copper light fixtures and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson River.

Head to Eataly’s market to shop for local produce, hard-to-find regional specialties of salumi and formaggi, fresh pasta and loaves of bread from their massive wood-fired oven. With a handful of counters for a quick bite, like pizza alla pala—a Roman street food—served hot at the Focacceria, or the prime rib sandwich from La Rosticceria, Eataly stands out as a downtown lunch destination.  If you’ve got time to sit and stay for a while, enjoy a full meal at La Pizza & La Pasta or La Piazza, where the market’s stunning ingredients are celebrated in bowls of fresh pasta, vibrant salads and rare wine selections. Grab a nightcap at Bar Firenze, where cocktails like the Firenze Old Fashioned and Tramonto Infuocato come with a tableside experience of torched orange and tequila set aflame.  With live music events, all-inclusive chef-curated tastings with live demonstrations and even pasta- and pizza-making classes, Eataly takes you on a guided tour of all 20 regions of Italy, right in the heart of NYC.

This surf-and-turf spot from Andrew Carmellini is a masterclass in pleasing a crowd. Plush booths, easy-drinking cocktails, mozzarella sticks with caviar (!) and the fun-and-funky aged, Gorgonzola-cured Wagyu striploin all make for a standout high-end chophouse experience in a city increasingly full of them.  The vibe: The wooden paneling, deep yellows and reds, plush curved booths and glowing lamps are giving “first 90 minutes of James Cameron’s Titanic” (complimentary). Expect lots of business associates, finance-meets-marketing Bumble dates and slices of birthday cake coming out of the kitchen.  The food: It is a chophouse, so don’t miss that Gorgonzola striploin. If you’re not a fan of the funk, skip the shareable steaks, too, which are both dry-aged, and go for the boneless rib eye or the center-cut filet mignon. For those who lean more “surf” than “turf,” there are grilled oysters, a classic jumbo Gulf shrimp cocktail and spicy lobster spaghetti.  The drink: House cocktails like the Granita (Campari, grapefruit, limoncello, vermouth, prosecco) and the Verde (Japanese whisky, Lustau Vermut, Genepy, basil) join an extensive list of aperitivi that showcase the breadth of bitters.  Time Out tip: If you’re not ready to splash out for a $155 steak, stop by on weekdays from 4–6pm, when happy hour features $11 “Tiny Mare’tinis” plus $2 oysters.

As if we didn’t put Danny Meyer on a pedestal enough, the successful restaurateur’s latest venture is perched up on the 60th floor of a building in Fidi, overlooking all of southern Manhattan and its waterways. On a recent evening, he could be seen walking around the dining room, welcoming guests and clearly kvelling. Of course he’s bursting with pride—he thought of every detail. Want to appreciate the views? They’ve got binoculars. Have your back toward the window? A mirror over the kitchen allows you to stare at the Hudson and ignore your dining companion. Want to have a party here? Manhatta has a private dining room, but there’s also an event space (the Bay Room) on the same floor for your next wedding or bar mitzvah. The menu in the dining room is made up of a three-course prix fixe, a format that can sometimes leave guests hungry at the end. Out of curiosity, I asked if we could tack on more courses; I was met with a stunningly soigné response from our server: “You can extend the experience however you want.” Though extending the experience isn’t remotely necessary, given ideal portions and the bottomless bread basket. Tender, house-made cavatelli is dressed in a bright tomato sauce, laced with specks of spicy sausage and clams bursting with brine. A fillet of turbot that flaked at the touch of a fork is served under a veil of creamy hollandaise and balanced with a verdant pop from fresh peas (the garnishes have since changed). The expertly seasoned Wagyu bavette (a...

FELICE's restaurants, and specifically, pasta always impress us so we extended an invite to join Time Out Market New York. Learn how our market curation works here, but basically we tasted the food, reviewed the restaurants and, ultimately, recommended FELICE for a coveted spot. Here’s why: This 60-seat trattoria in the Financial District’s Gild Hall Hotel is the third location from the team behind Felice Wine Bar and Felice Ristorante & Wine Bar. Diners tuck into signature Tuscan dishes, while the wine-bottle-lined walls, wine-jug chandeliers and tufted leather banquettes echo its uptown siblings' aesthetic. The Tuscan offering are plenty enough that you can choose your own adventure: light and vegetable forward or comforting and carb-heavy. Toast topped with kale and anchovies or burrata over roasted cauliflower make for vibrant starters that sing with acidic olive oil. Even the bread basket reads very Italian with tender slices of olive loaf, perfect for scraping your plates clean. Moving on to the filling pastas, there really isn’t a wrong option. Tender fettuccini in a rich and hearty veal bolognese is just as good of a choice as their creamy cacio e pepe or fluffy potato gnocchi. Each bowl was perfectly al dente while showcasing stunning sauces that read as both rustic and refined, giving the elevated sense of comfort we crave out of a spot like this. Whether you’re looking for a fun date night spot or a casual comforting meal, Felice brings all the cozy vibes and...

11 Hanover Greek is the first modern fine dining and vibrant Greek restaurant in Downtown New York, and more accurately, in the prestigious and esteemed Financial District.The freshest, most flavorful fish, vegetables and fruits, prepared in the subtlest way and served in an elegant, spacious setting..