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Times Square
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

18 Times Square Restaurants Where New Yorkers Actually Eat

A Neapolitan pizzeria, a standout new Sichuan spot, and more of the best restaurants in Times Square

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Times Square
| Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

Times Square is the heart of New York, a tumultuous scene thronged from early morning until late into the night with theatergoers, thrill seekers, skateboard riders, hustlers dressed in idiotic costumes, wedding guests, sanitation workers, and just plain tourists. It may come as no surprise that most New Yorkers who don’t have to work in the immediate vicinity avoid it like the bubonic plague.

Well, that’s not strictly true. Times Square is home to some of the city’s most desirable eateries at a wide price range — if only you can find them. Here is Eater NY’s guide to places worth braving Times Square to eat in.

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Victor's Cafe

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Victor’s Cafe — certainly the grandest Cuban restaurant in town — was founded on the Upper West Side in 1963. Subsequently it moved to 52nd Street, where it boasts a nightclubby ambiance, thanks to a renovation, and still turns out magnificent versions of ropa vieja and lechon asado, plus smaller snacks to go with a mixed drink as empandas and salt-cod croquettes.

Ropa vieja sits in a cast iron skillet next to a pile of rice.
Ropa vieja at Victor’s Cafe.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Gallaghers Steakhouse

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The Prohibition-era steakhouse continues to serve solid classic cocktails alongside some serious cuts of meats grilled over hickory. Start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged rib-eye with fries and a blue cheese wedge salad. Those who seek the excellent prime rib roast should call ahead as it is not offered every night. Finish with key lime pie — and expect a serious crowd.

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus.
The prime rib at Gallagher’s.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

Don Antonio

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Times Square might not be the first place you’d think of to cop a perfect Naples-style pizza flying from a wood-burning oven with a char-stippled crust and dots of mozzarella made with real water-buffalo milk, but there it is, right near the 50th Street stop on the C and E trains. Lots of other pizzas are available made from the daughter of pizza legend, Roberto Caporuscio, Giorgia Caporuscio, who now helms her own place. Don’t miss the deep-fried montanara topped with porchetta.

A round pizza with dots of char on the crust.
A margherita pizza in the Naples style from Don Antonio.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

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This is where first time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald, and longtime chef Basil Jones, show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica — not typically represented in Times Square. Lightly smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then move on to tender brown-stew chicken dripping rich sauce. Don’t overlook the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta flecked with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and Parmesan.

A pile of penne with colorful ingredients strewn on top.
Rasta pasta at Jasmine’s.
Jasmine’s

Hainan Jones

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Urban Hawker Market is a collection of Singapore-style food stalls just east of Times Square that is a tourist attraction onto itself. Best of all, perhaps, is Hainan Jones, which sells mildly spiced Hainanese chicken from far southern China in a set meal with rice, vegetables, dipping sauces, and a cup of the best chicken broth you’ve ever had.

Chickens pale and browned hang in a line from hooks.
Hainan Jones at Urban Hawker.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

E.A.K. Izakya

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E.A.K. Izakaya is a go-to option for good Japanese noodles in the Theater District, which overlaps with Times Square. The Japanese chain serves excellent lekei ramen — a blend of fatty pork-based tonkotsu and soy-based shoyu ramen, with wonderfully firm noodles.

Slices of pork and noodles sit in a large bowl, alongside a sheet of seaweed onto which the words “But First Ramen” are printed
A bowl of ramen at E.A.K.
E.A.K. Ramen

Playwright

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Playwright is Times Square’s best Irish bar, a multi-building complex that spills onto the sidewalk and climbs the stairs to a second floor. The neon alone is impressive, but the literary theme of the menu is edifying, and the burgers top notch. Seafood is a focus, too, and you can nearly always get a seat here with no reservation.

A cross section of a burger held aloft by a hand.
The James Joyce burger incorporated Irish bacon.
Robert Sietsema/Eater

Joe Allen

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Founded in the 1965, Joe Allen is one of those colorful and not too expensive New York City bars that every tourist hopes to stumble on, and then excitedly tell their friends about back home. The brick-lined establishment is sufficiently dark and plain and the walls plastered with poster of bygone Broadway shows — all of them flops, as part of the humorous ethos of the place. A sleeper dish on the menu is the liver and onions.

A darkened room with people sitting around tables and posters on the brick walls.
The brick lined interior of Joe Allen.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Lagos TSQ

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This Nigerian main-floor bar and restaurant and second-floor nightclub is the highest profile West African establishment Times Square has seen yet. The premises is glitzy and the fare runs from meat-and-potato American food to accurate versions of West African fare — including fufu, joloff rice, and goat pepper soup that’s appropriately hot as hell.

A room with a bar and series of booths awash in colorful lights.
The colorful bar and main dining room downstairs at Lagos TS.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine

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This corner storefront shop near the north end of Times Square hit the neighborhood like a ton of bricks recently. From the outside it looked like an ornate library. Inside, the cans of sardines were arranged like multi-volume sets of books, some with historical themes, some aimed at partygoing youngsters. You can’t actually eat the sardines there. but you could sit in the nearby TKTS bleachers and eat them with crackers acquired from a deli.

The inside of a Times Square sardine store.
The Portuguese Sardine store is a must-visit.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sky Pavilion

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This exciting new Chinese restaurant comes from a highly praised NYC vet, Zhong Qing Wang, whose restaurant shuttered during the pandemic, with this new one opening several months ago smack dab in Times Square earlier this year. The menu is vast and exciting; if the specials selection is too offal focused, veer toward your preferred categories on the main menu, be it vegetables, seafood, poultry, pork, or noodles.

Chunks of light meat with green and red chiles.
A dish from Sky Pavilion.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Taam Tov

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Nestled on the third floor of a Diamond Street building, the kosher and Uzbek Taam Tov continues to rank among the city’s top hidden gems. This is where you go for succulent grilled kebabs, especially the chewy and fatty lamb ribs. Also don’t miss the excellent plov with sweet carrots and saffron. Note: Taam Tov closes 2 p.m. Friday and is closed on weekends.

A second story premises with a bright blue sign.
Taam Tov is in the Diamond District just east of Times Square.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Los Tacos No. 1

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This Chelsea Market favorite established an outpost right in Times Square in the old New York Times building, with the same slender roster of tacos and other tortilla-based dishes. A favorite is the adobada mula, with spit-roasted pork sandwiched between a pair of soft flour tortillas filled with gooey cheese. Spoon on salsa and a fiery chile or two. Don’t overlook the excellent flour tortillas.

Patrons standing, waiting for dinner in the brightly lit room at Los Tacos
Patrons waiting at Los Tacos.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Via Brasil

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The neighborhood east of Times Square along 46th Street is known as Little Brazil, and is the site of an annual festival. Once there were a dozen restaurants, now few remain. The best is Via Brasil, a semi-formal, old-fashioned place where classic Brazilian fritters, the national dish feijoada, and a handful of Afro-Brazilian dishes like shrimp muqueca are served. The cane liquor called cachaca flows freely.

A restaurant with a green awning and outdoor seating.
Via Brasil is a vestige of Little Brazil.
Robert Sietsema/Eater

The Lambs Club

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Under chef Jack Logue, the retro clubhouse Lambs Club, formerly a theater club from 1905, is now an 80-seat restaurant with a steakhouse menu along with offerings like ‘nduja carbonara, salmon Wellington, and more. The red leather banquette-filled dining room with a five foot tall fireplace is one of the best retro dining rooms in New York. Be sure to check out the bar that’s the scene of many a celebrity sighting, before, after, or in lieu of, dinner.

A giant porterhouse with sides.
The Lambs Club porterhouse.
Lambs Club

Burgermania

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Across the street from the New York Times headquarters southwest of Times Square, this halal burger joint without much seating serves currently stylish smash burgers, plus a plethora of other burger formations, and the delicious smells drift down West 40th Street. Chicken sandwiches and sliders are also available.

A yellow storefront with big windows.
Burger Mania lies near the Port Authority.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Empanada Mama

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This is where to go for some of Manhattan’s top Colombian fare. Highlights include sancocho de cola (oxtail soup with corn, yucca, and cilantro); empanadas filled with beef, shredded chicken, or fragrant shrimp; and juicy grilled skirt steaks with red beans and rice. Also, try the larger nearby location in Hell’s Kitchen with a more substantial menu.

A golden Viagra empanada sits on wax paper.
Viagra empanadas at Empanada Mama.
Gary He/Eater NY

AperiBar

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Charlie Palmer’s ode to casual Italian focuses on the fare one would eat after sipping prosecco or Negronis: Arancini, salads, pastas, pizzas, and sweets. It’s casual dining that’s easy to share and not terribly expensive (two course lunch for under $30 per person, and most dishes between $14 and $25) for a Times Square location.

Two plates with cocktails at AperiBar.
Appetizers from AperiBar in Times Square.
AperiBar

Victor's Cafe

Victor’s Cafe — certainly the grandest Cuban restaurant in town — was founded on the Upper West Side in 1963. Subsequently it moved to 52nd Street, where it boasts a nightclubby ambiance, thanks to a renovation, and still turns out magnificent versions of ropa vieja and lechon asado, plus smaller snacks to go with a mixed drink as empandas and salt-cod croquettes.

Ropa vieja sits in a cast iron skillet next to a pile of rice.
Ropa vieja at Victor’s Cafe.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Gallaghers Steakhouse

The Prohibition-era steakhouse continues to serve solid classic cocktails alongside some serious cuts of meats grilled over hickory. Start off with the bacon-studded clams casino, then pair a funky dry-aged rib-eye with fries and a blue cheese wedge salad. Those who seek the excellent prime rib roast should call ahead as it is not offered every night. Finish with key lime pie — and expect a serious crowd.

An overhead shot of the rosy pink prime rib, sitting in brown jus.
The prime rib at Gallagher’s.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

Don Antonio

Times Square might not be the first place you’d think of to cop a perfect Naples-style pizza flying from a wood-burning oven with a char-stippled crust and dots of mozzarella made with real water-buffalo milk, but there it is, right near the 50th Street stop on the C and E trains. Lots of other pizzas are available made from the daughter of pizza legend, Roberto Caporuscio, Giorgia Caporuscio, who now helms her own place. Don’t miss the deep-fried montanara topped with porchetta.

A round pizza with dots of char on the crust.
A margherita pizza in the Naples style from Don Antonio.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

This is where first time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald, and longtime chef Basil Jones, show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica — not typically represented in Times Square. Lightly smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then move on to tender brown-stew chicken dripping rich sauce. Don’t overlook the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta flecked with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and Parmesan.

A pile of penne with colorful ingredients strewn on top.
Rasta pasta at Jasmine’s.
Jasmine’s

Hainan Jones

Urban Hawker Market is a collection of Singapore-style food stalls just east of Times Square that is a tourist attraction onto itself. Best of all, perhaps, is Hainan Jones, which sells mildly spiced Hainanese chicken from far southern China in a set meal with rice, vegetables, dipping sauces, and a cup of the best chicken broth you’ve ever had.

Chickens pale and browned hang in a line from hooks.
Hainan Jones at Urban Hawker.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

E.A.K. Izakya

E.A.K. Izakaya is a go-to option for good Japanese noodles in the Theater District, which overlaps with Times Square. The Japanese chain serves excellent lekei ramen — a blend of fatty pork-based tonkotsu and soy-based shoyu ramen, with wonderfully firm noodles.

Slices of pork and noodles sit in a large bowl, alongside a sheet of seaweed onto which the words “But First Ramen” are printed
A bowl of ramen at E.A.K.
E.A.K. Ramen

Playwright

Playwright is Times Square’s best Irish bar, a multi-building complex that spills onto the sidewalk and climbs the stairs to a second floor. The neon alone is impressive, but the literary theme of the menu is edifying, and the burgers top notch. Seafood is a focus, too, and you can nearly always get a seat here with no reservation.

A cross section of a burger held aloft by a hand.
The James Joyce burger incorporated Irish bacon.
Robert Sietsema/Eater

Joe Allen

Founded in the 1965, Joe Allen is one of those colorful and not too expensive New York City bars that every tourist hopes to stumble on, and then excitedly tell their friends about back home. The brick-lined establishment is sufficiently dark and plain and the walls plastered with poster of bygone Broadway shows — all of them flops, as part of the humorous ethos of the place. A sleeper dish on the menu is the liver and onions.

A darkened room with people sitting around tables and posters on the brick walls.
The brick lined interior of Joe Allen.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Lagos TSQ

This Nigerian main-floor bar and restaurant and second-floor nightclub is the highest profile West African establishment Times Square has seen yet. The premises is glitzy and the fare runs from meat-and-potato American food to accurate versions of West African fare — including fufu, joloff rice, and goat pepper soup that’s appropriately hot as hell.

A room with a bar and series of booths awash in colorful lights.
The colorful bar and main dining room downstairs at Lagos TS.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine

This corner storefront shop near the north end of Times Square hit the neighborhood like a ton of bricks recently. From the outside it looked like an ornate library. Inside, the cans of sardines were arranged like multi-volume sets of books, some with historical themes, some aimed at partygoing youngsters. You can’t actually eat the sardines there. but you could sit in the nearby TKTS bleachers and eat them with crackers acquired from a deli.

The inside of a Times Square sardine store.
The Portuguese Sardine store is a must-visit.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sky Pavilion

This exciting new Chinese restaurant comes from a highly praised NYC vet, Zhong Qing Wang, whose restaurant shuttered during the pandemic, with this new one opening several months ago smack dab in Times Square earlier this year. The menu is vast and exciting; if the specials selection is too offal focused, veer toward your preferred categories on the main menu, be it vegetables, seafood, poultry, pork, or noodles.

Chunks of light meat with green and red chiles.
A dish from Sky Pavilion.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Taam Tov

Nestled on the third floor of a Diamond Street building, the kosher and Uzbek Taam Tov continues to rank among the city’s top hidden gems. This is where you go for succulent grilled kebabs, especially the chewy and fatty lamb ribs. Also don’t miss the excellent plov with sweet carrots and saffron. Note: Taam Tov closes 2 p.m. Friday and is closed on weekends.

A second story premises with a bright blue sign.
Taam Tov is in the Diamond District just east of Times Square.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Los Tacos No. 1

This Chelsea Market favorite established an outpost right in Times Square in the old New York Times building, with the same slender roster of tacos and other tortilla-based dishes. A favorite is the adobada mula, with spit-roasted pork sandwiched between a pair of soft flour tortillas filled with gooey cheese. Spoon on salsa and a fiery chile or two. Don’t overlook the excellent flour tortillas.

Patrons standing, waiting for dinner in the brightly lit room at Los Tacos
Patrons waiting at Los Tacos.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Via Brasil

The neighborhood east of Times Square along 46th Street is known as Little Brazil, and is the site of an annual festival. Once there were a dozen restaurants, now few remain. The best is Via Brasil, a semi-formal, old-fashioned place where classic Brazilian fritters, the national dish feijoada, and a handful of Afro-Brazilian dishes like shrimp muqueca are served. The cane liquor called cachaca flows freely.

A restaurant with a green awning and outdoor seating.
Via Brasil is a vestige of Little Brazil.
Robert Sietsema/Eater

The Lambs Club

Under chef Jack Logue, the retro clubhouse Lambs Club, formerly a theater club from 1905, is now an 80-seat restaurant with a steakhouse menu along with offerings like ‘nduja carbonara, salmon Wellington, and more. The red leather banquette-filled dining room with a five foot tall fireplace is one of the best retro dining rooms in New York. Be sure to check out the bar that’s the scene of many a celebrity sighting, before, after, or in lieu of, dinner.

A giant porterhouse with sides.
The Lambs Club porterhouse.
Lambs Club

Related Maps

Burgermania

Across the street from the New York Times headquarters southwest of Times Square, this halal burger joint without much seating serves currently stylish smash burgers, plus a plethora of other burger formations, and the delicious smells drift down West 40th Street. Chicken sandwiches and sliders are also available.

A yellow storefront with big windows.
Burger Mania lies near the Port Authority.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Empanada Mama

This is where to go for some of Manhattan’s top Colombian fare. Highlights include sancocho de cola (oxtail soup with corn, yucca, and cilantro); empanadas filled with beef, shredded chicken, or fragrant shrimp; and juicy grilled skirt steaks with red beans and rice. Also, try the larger nearby location in Hell’s Kitchen with a more substantial menu.

A golden Viagra empanada sits on wax paper.
Viagra empanadas at Empanada Mama.
Gary He/Eater NY

AperiBar

Charlie Palmer’s ode to casual Italian focuses on the fare one would eat after sipping prosecco or Negronis: Arancini, salads, pastas, pizzas, and sweets. It’s casual dining that’s easy to share and not terribly expensive (two course lunch for under $30 per person, and most dishes between $14 and $25) for a Times Square location.

Two plates with cocktails at AperiBar.
Appetizers from AperiBar in Times Square.
AperiBar

Related Maps