Let’s meet in the middle.
From Rockefeller Center to Grand Central Zone to Hudson Yards, Midtown Manhattan has become a high-profile culinary hub. This year has seen a slew of restaurant and lounge openings from renowned chefs in prime locations.
Here’s a look at six notable newcomers.
Hwaro | 776 Eighth Ave.
Go to Hwaro hungry. You’ll need your appetite for the phenomenal 12-course tasting menu created by chef Sungchul Shim of NYC’s Michelin-starred Mari and Kochi restaurants, among others.
Named after the traditional Korean brazier, a gathering point for shared meals, this gastronomic journey takes place in a private, wood-lined room within Gui, Shim’s elegant Theater District steakhouse. Guests sit at a 22-chair marble chef’s table overlooking the center island, where the culinary team prepares gorgeously plated delicacies.
Inspired by Shim’s Korean heritage and the classic French cuisine he perfected at Le Bernardin and Per Se, the ever-evolving menu is seasonal and unique. A few highlights include a layered foie gras gâteau, a charcoal-grilled dry-aged lamb saddle, and a smoked persimmon served with Meyer lemon sorbet and a dollop of chevre sabayon. Reserve about three hours for an insanely delicious dinner.
Saverne | 531 W. 34th St.
Revel in la dolce vita at Giulietta, the new coastal Italian destination from Mark Barak of La Pecora Bianca Group. Decorated with sun-kissed orange-and-white striped furnishings and a leafy faux lemon tree, this hot spot brings the Med to the MetLife Building. Big and buzzy with a glamorous bar and Cinecittà-level lighting, it seats 275 inside and 100 outside.
The kitchen is led by culinary director Ed Scarpone, who helmed Washington, D.C.’s Michelin-starred Fiola and worked for Daniel Boulud for a decade. Here, gusto is a key ingredient. Share the Riviera green beans with pistachios, smoked ricotta salata and herb vinaigrette (an amazing combination), truffle pizza, or lobster spaghetti “fra diavolo” featuring a 2-pound lobster, sweetened with a tall slice of lemon meringue tart. Next month will see the opening of the Giardino at Giulietta, a seasonal outdoor aperitivo bar with seating for more than 150 guests.
Salute!
The food world is ablaze with excitement: Chef Gabriel Kreuther, whose namesake restaurant in Bryant Park boasts two Michelin stars, just opened a new restaurant in the Spiral, Tishman Speyer’s office building in Hudson Yards.
The modern brasserie is named Saverne after the historic town in Alsace’s Bas-Rhin region of France, at the foot of the Vosges mountains, not far from the farm where Kreuther grew up. The open kitchen, steered by executive chef Andy Choi and executive pastry chef Nicolas Chevrieux alongside Kreuther, showcases wood-fired ovens stoked with oak, cherry, and applewood.
Menu highlights include bluefin tuna with black garlic anchoïade, cured venison with blistered cherries, and a vanilla crème brûlée topped with fresh raspberries. The polished yet warm ambiance is reflected in the timber theme, featuring patterned wood floors and rosewood-hued paneling. This place is definitely lit.
Double Knot NYC
With two sceney levels and options for both sushi and robatayaki skewers, Double Knot NYC is twice the fun. This supersized import from Philly—considered “the best” by locals—fits perfectly in the Rockefeller Center neighborhood. Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and television personality Michael Schulson of the acclaimed Schulson Collective has assembled tasty signature dishes: crispy Japanese fried chicken, black cod fried rice, A5 wagyu beef and Kobe beef skewers, alongside small plates like wagyu soup dumplings and big-eye tuna rolls.
Paired with sake or a Knot cocktail, this izakaya offers an unforgettable umami experience. Enjoy the lively atmosphere at the two bars, sushi and skewer counters, or the chic dining rooms.
Bar Rocco
Home (cooking) is where the heart is, and that’s one of the philosophies at Bar Rocco, the convivial new Italian-American brasserie from charismatic chef, TV personality, and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Rocco DiSpirito. Located in the new Kimpton Era Midtown New York hotel near Rockefeller Center, it’s all about market-driven ingredients and authentic recipes, some passed down through generations. Savor Mama’s Meatballs, oysters “Rocco-Feller” on the half shell with guanciale and herbal broth, and pappardelle Genovese with 24-hour smoked short rib ragù while enjoying the iconic streetscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Make dinner here a tradition, just like Mama Nicolina’s cooking.
Da Toscano
Da Toscano has found debonair new digs. The celebrated Greenwich Village Italian institution has moved from Minetta Lane to the historic Iroquois Hotel, opening in a bijou glass-roofed room along with Lantern’s Keep, a swanky Italian aperitivo and antipasti bar.
Chef Michael Toscano—who trained under Thomas Keller and Mario Batali before becoming executive chef of Manzo at Eataly and opening Perla in the Village—brings his culinary expertise to this new location. Here, you’ll find favorites like octopus carpaccio with pickled eggplant and lamb-neck agnolotti, along with veal New York strip parmigiana featuring mozzarella di bufala, tomato sugo, and basil. Don’t skip dessert: the tiramisu gelato sundae is divine.