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Union Square Cafe Pictured 

A lesser-known area for people, mostly locals, to eat, is the stretch between Union Square(14th Street and Park Avenue)  and Murray Hill(27th and Lexington Avenue). In this stretch you will find 20 great local restaurants. So if you want to go somewhere that you will usually get a reservation (I’d give it at least two days’ notice for some of these places), here is the list, starting from 14th Street (where you can stop in at the Union Square Holiday Market). There is a lot of food at the Market, but it is mostly fast food and dessert-like places. But yummy too.

This list of great local restaurants is a conglomeration of all styles and prices of food, from low-end fast food to fairly expensive.  I’ve been in a lot of them, and depending on what you want, you WILL find something you like!

Restaurant List (South to North)

  • Seahorse Oyster Bar – W Hotel: Brand new (open ~3 months). Elegant, appetizing seafood; definitely on the expensive side.
  • Los Tacos No. 1 – 19th & Park: Fast, cheap, extremely good, and TikTok-famous. Great quick stop.
  • La Boucherie – 225 Park Avenue South: French bistro. Worth making a reservation, but it’s often not overly crowded. Website: boucherieus.com
  • Oceans – 233 Park Avenue South: One of my favorite seafood restaurants—beautiful space, excellent food. Pricey; reservations recommended.
  • Union Square Cafe: (9th Street) Upscale but very welcoming; loved by locals. Reservations recommended but not difficult with 1–2 days’ notice. Website: unionsquarecafe.com
  • Momo Sushi – 239 Park Avenue South: Solid sushi spot with good quality and a comfortable setting.
  • Isabella’s Osteria – 245 Park Avenue South:  Italian with a warm atmosphere. A bit pricey, but the food and vibe are nice.
  • Barbounia – 250 Park Avenue South: Mediterranean (2oth Street). I LOVE this place—fantastic food, lively energy, and consistently great.
  • L’Express: Casual French bistro; dependable and relaxed.
  • Just Salad: Quick, healthy salads—great if you want something light.
  • Stretch Slices: Haven’t tried it, but it looks like a good pizza/flatbread option.
  • Upland: A restaurant I’ve wanted to try for a while—stylish Californian-inspired menu and highly rated.
  • John Devoy’s Bar & Kitchen: 377 Park Avenue South: Warm-looking neighborhood bar and kitchen; haven’t been inside yet. Decent and not too pricy of a menu.
  • Marinara Pizza: A casual pizza spot—straightforward.
  • Hillstone – Park & 27th: American fare. Not too overpriced and reliably good. Reservations recommended.

27th Street Cluster (off of park)

  • Tokuyatcha Onigirazu Bar NYC:  New location on  115 East 27.  Closes at 6PM Japanese café/hand-roll style spot—looks nice even though I haven’t tried it yet.
  • Turn Mill Bar & Grill – 119 E 27th Street: Casual spot; strong local pub energy, bar food.
  • Borgo: Seasonal, rustic Italian menu, with a bit of a twist. Upscale Italian dining.
  • SKEWR Mediterranean: A newer Mediterranean place on 27th; looks promising, not open as of this writing

27th Street at Lexington Avenue leads into Little India, where you’ll find many more Indian restaurants clustered along Lexington Avenue.

Hyderabadizaiqal is my favorite-perfect, simple, casual, and not too pricey.  Lexington between 31 and 32nd.