The 10 best restaurants near Bryant Park

Making its debut at the tail end of 2024 is La Tête d’Or, the first steakhouse from Daniel Boulud. Fusing French traditions with a classic steakhouse feel, you can get all the usual trappings: caviar, seafood on ice, tableside Caesars and many (many) steaks. One of the most popular cuts, you may just see traversing around the dining room. Of course, we are talking about the Prime Rib Trolley. Order one for a stop at your table. 

Just a few blocks south of the park, Cafe China’s relatively new (since 2021) location a few doors down from its previous, decade-old, Michelin-starred address, is a formidable contender for lunch or dinner in the area—or when traveling in from anywhere. Add its attractive environs, room for groups and great drinks to its lengthy menu of hits like spicy soft shell crab and cumin lamb, and it all adds up to a real midtown winner. 

Keens is one of NYC’s oldest and most famous steakhouses, known by carnivores worldwide for its dry-aged steaks, mighty chops, “legendary” mutton chop and throwback decor. Tobacco pipes are among Keens’ most notable nostalgic design elements, including those purportedly puffed by Babe Ruth and Teddy Roosevelt. 

Venture five blocks south of the park to find Sushi 35 West—if you can! The fantastic sushi spot is through a smoke shop entrance and up a staircase. There are only two tables inside, so hope to get lucky, or prepare to take excellently sourced à la carte items like sea urchin, Spanish mackerel,  striped jack, lunch sets and a $115, 35-piece omakase, S35W's highest-priced item, to go. 

On the go? This Mexican favorite fits the bill. Carne asada, pollo, and adobada (marinated pork) are for the meat-eaters, nopal (catcus) if you're meat-free. Remember, bring a friend so one can pick up the order from the counter, while the other can snag a coveted high-top counter. 

To borrow from oft-exaggerated real estate parlance, L’Adresse is but steps from the park’s south west corner. It’s an easy choice due to its proximity, but also for its large interior and crowd-pleasing, seasonal menus at breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. It also has “social hour” from 3-6pm, when select wines and cocktails are $12. 

A few blocks north, Valerie is awash in honeyed hues and golden light across its ground floor dining room, long bar and stylish lounge up a grand staircase. Its a multi-duty choose-your-own adventure, equally suited to sit-down lunch, après-work cocktails, something for everyone dinner and, recently, brunch, for when you just can’t get enough of midtown. 

Take a scenic stroll past Times Square and into Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine. Its warm, vibrant interior, eponymous cuisine and mojitos, margaritas and rum punch are the finest way to warm up after a few turns around the ice rink, or even just the fifteen minute stroll from the park. 

While this isn't the original outpost of the old-school Italian sub shop—that goes to the Soho location, founded in 1986—the Bryant Park locale has been around for a decade. And that is reason for celebration. Breakfast sandwiches feature fresh mozz and truffle cream, while the midday menu is all about its two-handed grinders. 

First opened in 1913 with some ups and downs along the way, Grand Central Oyster Bar is back in action on 42nd Street. Sidle up and reel in dozens of oyster varieties, even more wines by the glass and mains from land and sea.