Steak Frites is one of the best restaurants in Hell's Kitchen, NYC

The Best Restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC: A Local’s Guide

If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, you’re already thinking about food the right way. This neighborhood on the west side of Midtown Manhattan is home to some of the best restaurants in NYC. While many visitors only pass through on their way to Times Square, locals know Hell’s Kitchen is where you’ll find some of the city’s best food.

I lived in Hell’s Kitchen for more than 12 years and spent more time than I should admit eating and drinking my way up and down 9th Avenue and beyond. The neighborhood has changed a lot since then, but the core of what makes it such a great place to eat has only gotten better. Today you’ll find Michelin starred Korean tasting menus, some of the city’s best Italian restaurants, outstanding Thai and Chinese food, and a three decade old institution hidden inside a grocery store that remains one of New York’s most distinctive dining experiences.

Most visitors stay near Times Square, which makes geographic sense. But Times Square itself is filled with chain restaurants and tourist traps that most New Yorkers avoid. Walk a few blocks west into Hell’s Kitchen and you’ll find everything from cheap eats and neighborhood favorites to Michelin starred restaurants.

If you’re determined to eat in Times Square, at least make it count. I cover the handful of restaurants that are actually worth your time in my guide to the best restaurants in Times Square.

Otherwise, keep reading. Hell’s Kitchen has some of the best restaurants in New York City.

Table of Contents

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of my links, then I may earn a small commission. But don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you!

Top Picks for Best Restaurants in Hell's Kitchen, NYC

Hell’s Kitchen has no shortage of great restaurants, but if you are short on time or just want a starting point, these are the four I would send anyone to first. They cover a range of cuisines, price points, and dining occasions, but all of them are worth going out of your way for.

BEST SPECIAL OCCASION

Brooklyn Fare

One of the most distinctive dining experiences in New York City is hidden inside a grocery store on a quiet stretch of 37th Street. Walk past the produce, find the back corner, and you’ll discover an 18-seat counter restaurant that held three Michelin stars under its original chef and currently holds two under its new team. The tasting menu changes daily and skews heavily toward seafood and luxury ingredients. Plan well in advance — reservations open early and move fast.

BEST KOREAN TASTING MENU

Kochi

Hell’s Kitchen’s most celebrated restaurant is also one of its most approachable. Chef Sungchul Shim holds a Michelin star for his 8-course Korean skewer tasting menu, but the room is casual, the counter seats face an open kitchen, and most of the food is meant to be eaten with your hands. At $145 per person it is serious dining without the stuffiness that usually comes with it.

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Becco

Lidia Bastianich’s longtime Restaurant Row institution has been one of the best Italian restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen since 1993. The Sinfonia di Paste, featuring unlimited tableside service of three rotating daily pastas for $36.95, remains one of the best dining values in Midtown. Don’t skip the house-made meatballs, finished tableside with freshly grated Grana Padano.

BEST THAI

Chalong

Southern Thai cooking is rarely done well in New York City, and Chalong on 9th Avenue does it better than almost anywhere. Chef Nate Limwong grew up in Surat Thani and built a menu around the bold spices and fresh seafood of her home region. The Michelin Guide agreed, awarding it a Bib Gourmand in 2025. The coconut crab curry and the crab and shrimp dumplings are essential orders.

Best Restaurants in Hell's Kitchen, NYC

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Whether you’re looking for Michelin starred tasting menus, neighborhood Italian restaurants, outstanding Thai food, or a late night bite after a Broadway show, these are the best restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen. I’ve eaten at every restaurant on this list, and each one stands out for a different reason.

Kochi

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New York City has seen a wave of excellent Korean restaurants open over the past several years, and Hell’s Kitchen has earned its place in that conversation. Kochi is the reason why.

Chef Sungchul Shim was born in South Korea and trained in some of the most demanding kitchens in the city — Le Bernardin, Per Se, and Morimoto — before opening Kochi as his first solo project in late 2019. He earned a Michelin star in 2021 and has held it every year since.

The name kochi means “skewer” in Korean, and that runs through the entire 8-course tasting menu ($145 per person). Most dishes arrive on skewers or are meant to be eaten with your hands, which gives the meal a casual energy that doesn’t quite match the Michelin pedigree, which is a good thing here. The courses change with the seasons, but recent dishes have included butter-poached halibut, ibérico katsu with black garlic sauce, and American wagyu. An optional beverage pairing ($110) mixes wines with Korean spirits, and you can add caviar, uni, or white truffle to certain courses if you want to go all out.

The space is small, around 35 seats, with a long chef’s counter where you can watch the kitchen work. If you can get a counter seat, take it.

Reservations are on Resy and are more available than you’d expect for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Book a few days out and you should be fine.

KOREAN CUISINE | TASTING MENU | MICHELIN STARRED | CHEF’S COUNTER | RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Becco

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Meatballs with Grana Padano at Becco restaurant in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Meatballs at Becco

Becco has been on West 46th Street since 1993, which in New York restaurant years is practically an institution. Located on Restaurant Row, the stretch of 46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues that has been feeding theatergoers for decades, it remains one of the best Italian restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen.

The restaurant is owned by Lidia Bastianich and her son Joe. Lidia needs little introduction if you follow the New York dining scene. She previously owned Del Posto, one of the city’s great Italian restaurants, and is also a partner in the Eataly empire.

The biggest draw is the Sinfonia di Paste ($36.95), which includes a Caesar salad or antipasto followed by unlimited tableside service of three rotating daily pasta dishes. The pastas change every day and, honestly, can be a little hit or miss depending on the selections. But when they’re good, they’re excellent. Regardless of which pastas are being served, the meatballs finished with freshly grated Grana Padano are one of the best things on the menu.

Becco is one of the most popular restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen before Broadway shows, so reservations are highly recommended if you’re dining before curtain time. If you don’t have one, arriving after 7 p.m. usually means the theater crowd has started to thin out.

ITALIAN CUISINE | RESTAURANT ROW | PRE-THEATER | UNLIMITED PASTA | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

LumLum

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Fried toro fritters at LumLum Thai seafood restaurant in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Fried Toro Fritters at LumLum

9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen has no shortage of Thai restaurants and everyone has their favorite. I honestly cannot count them all at this point. Most are great for a quick weeknight meal, but two stand above the rest. LumLum is one of these two best restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen for Thai food.

The restaurant describes itself as a Thai seafood bar, which tells you something about where its priorities are. You’ll find the familiar noodle dishes like Pad Thai and Pad See Ew, but the more interesting stuff is the seafood. The squid ink soup is worth ordering, as is the spicy lemongrass soup with tiger prawns. The appetizers are excellent across the board: fried toro fritters, grilled cuttlefish, and crispy pork belly are all hard to skip. For a main, the whole branzino prepared Thai-style is the move if you’re hungry and willing to share.

The space is small and it gets loud, which is typical for the block. Tables are close together and you will absolutely overhear your neighbors’ conversation. That said, the food more than makes up for it.

Reservations are available and worth making, especially on weekends.

THAI CUISINE | SEAFOOD | DATE NIGHT | SHAREABLES | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Chalong

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Interior of Chalong, one of the best Thai restaurants in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Chalong

Chalong opened on 9th Avenue in 2023 and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025, which for a two-year-old Thai restaurant in a neighborhood already crowded with Thai options is a real statement.

Chef Nate Limwong grew up in Surat Thani, a coastal province in southern Thailand, and the menu reflects that. Southern Thai cooking is less familiar to most New Yorkers than the central Thai dishes that dominate most menus around the city, and Chalong is one of the few places in NYC doing it seriously. The food leans heavily on seafood and bold spices. The coconut crab curry and the crab and shrimp dumplings should absolutely be on the table. The grilled Hor-Mok made with seabass is one of the more distinctive dishes here. It has curry paste with Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves, wrapped and grilled in banana leaf, arriving at the table still in the leaf. The chicken wings and the southern-style Mee Pum Riang, rice noodles in a coconut curry cream with shrimp, are both worth ordering.

One thing to know going in: the kitchen does not dial down the spice level on dishes marked as spicy. That is worth knowing if you are sensitive to heat.

THAI CUISINE | SOUTHERN THAI | SEAFOOD | MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Mari

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If Kochi got you interested in Chef Sungchul Shim, Mari is the logical next stop. It’s his second Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, just a block away on 9th Avenue, and it earned its own Michelin star independently of Kochi. This says a lot given how different the two places are.

Mari means “roll” in Korean, and the 13-course tasting menu ($145 per person) is built almost entirely around hand rolls. Each one is two bites, filled with marinated fish or meat and topped with pickled daikon, with Korean sauces and spices worked into every roll rather than treated as an afterthought. Recent fillings have included soy-marinated salmon with caviar, spicy tuna with crispy shredded potato, A5 wagyu, and mackerel. The meal starts with a hansang, a small tray of amuse-bouches that sets the tone for the rest of the evening, and closes with a few dessert courses.

The space is built around a four-sided chef’s counter surrounding an open kitchen, with a small dining room in the back. Counter seating is the better choice if you can get it. The whole meal moves at a reasonable pace and doesn’t drag on for three hours, which is a genuine selling point for a tasting menu in this city.

A beverage pairing of Korean spirits and wine is available and I consider it a worthwhile add-on.

Reservations on Resy. Book ahead, especially on weekends.

KOREAN CUISINE | HAND ROLLS | TASTING MENU | MICHELIN STARRED | CHEF’S COUNTER | RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Chi

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Spicy cumin lamb at Chi restaurant in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Cumin Lamb at Chi

Hell’s Kitchen isn’t a neighborhood most people associate with great Chinese food, but Chi has changed that since opening on 9th Avenue. It’s now one of the best Chinese restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, combining traditional Szechuan cooking with dishes inspired by other regional Chinese cuisines. The restaurant is a collaboration between Chef Tom Lo and Chef Tom Lei, a Szechuan specialist, and the menu reflects that expertise.

While Szechuan flavors are the focus, the kitchen also draws from Cantonese and Hunan traditions, with seasonal specials that rotate throughout the year. Start with the smashed cucumber salad dressed in a Szechuan peppercorn vinaigrette and the dan dan noodles, both of which are among the best versions you’ll find in New York City. The spicy cumin lamb and braised beef in chili sauce are two of the menu’s standout entrées.

The Chongqing spicy chicken is another excellent choice, and if you’re dining with a group, the whole fish and lobster preparations are worth considering.

The restaurant has a cocktail bar at the front, making it an easy place to stop for a drink before dinner. It also offers a late night happy hour Tuesday through Saturday until 1 a.m., which is a nice bonus in a neighborhood that doesn’t have many late night dining options.

Prices are a little higher than you’ll find at many other Chinese restaurants in the area, but the quality easily justifies the difference.

CHINESE CUISINE | SZECHUAN | COCKTAIL BAR | LATE NIGHT | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

The Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare

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One of the more memorable dining concepts in New York is tucked into the back corner of a grocery store on a stretch of 37th Street that doesn’t give the appearance of hosting one of the country’s best restaurants. But it’s a short walk from Hudson Yards. You walk into Brooklyn Fare, make your way past the produce and prepared foods, and find an 18-seat dining room built around a walnut counter facing an open kitchen.

The restaurant originally earned three Michelin stars under chef César Ramírez, making it the first restaurant outside Manhattan to reach that level. After a legal dispute between Ramírez and founder Moe Issa led to a closure and reopening in late 2023, it currently holds two Michelin stars under new co-executive chefs Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins, both of whom worked under Ramírez and have kept the spirit of the place intact.

The tasting menu runs $360 per person before drinks, tax, and tip, and changes daily based on what is available. It skews heavily toward seafood and luxury ingredients. This is not the kind of place you casually drop into on a Tuesday night. Reservations open well in advance, and for a lot of serious food people, this is the kind of restaurant you plan your NYC trip around.

Plan well in advance because reservations open early and disappear fast. Set a reminder and be ready to move quickly.

TASTING MENU | MICHELIN 2-STAR | SEAFOOD | COUNTER DINING | RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Danji

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Danji has been on West 52nd Street since 2011, when Chef Hooni Kim opened it as his first restaurant and it became the first Korean restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. It closed in 2023 after a fire next door damaged the space, and quietly reopened in 2024 essentially unchanged. Same 36 seats, same moody room, same menu built around Korean comfort food in small plate format.

I haven’t been since the reopening, but Danji has been on my list since I lived in the neighborhood and people still speak about it the same way they always have. Chef Kim trained at Daniel and Masa before opening here, and the cooking reflects that background applied to Korean flavors rather than French ones. The menu splits between traditional dishes and modern riffs. The pork belly bossam with aged kimchi is the thing most people point to, along with the glazed tofu, scallion pancakes, and Korean fried chicken wings. The bulgogi sliders show up on almost every table. There’s also a “Greatest Hits” tasting menu if you want the kitchen to make the decisions for you.

It works well as a pre-theater option given the 52nd Street location, and early reservations on weeknights tend to be available without much planning.

KOREAN CUISINE | SMALL PLATES | MICHELIN STARRED | PRE-THEATER | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Steak Frites

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Cote de Boeuf for two at Steak Frites French bistro in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Côte de Boeuf at Steak Frites

The part of 9th Avenue south of 42nd Street gets less foot traffic than the blocks further north, which is probably why Steak Frites has stayed a bit under the radar since opening in 2022. That works in your favor, because it’s one of the better French bistros in the city and reservations are easier to come by than they should be.

Chef Adam Schop and restaurateur Stephane Bibeau set out to build a reliable neighborhood bistro rather than a destination restaurant, and they largely succeeded. The menu reads like a classic Parisian playbook: escargot, onion soup gratinée, moules frites, steak tartare, and a solid French wine list. The hanger steak is the best value on the menu. The Cote de Boeuf and Chateaubriand are the showpieces, both meant for sharing and both worth the splurge if you’re in the right company. Save room for the baked-to-order soufflé if you want dessert because it’s one of those things you have to commit to at the start of the meal and it’s worth it.

The room is cozy and a little cramped in the way that good French bistros tend to be. It gets loud on weekend nights. The bar seats are a good option if you’re eating solo or just want a glass of wine and something small.

Open for lunch and dinner daily, and weekend brunch.

FRENCH CUISINE | BISTRO | DATE NIGHT | OUTDOOR SEATING | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Ippudo

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321 W 51st St

www.ippudous.com

Ippudo started in Fukuoka, Japan in 1985 and is credited with touching off the ramen craze that spread across the country and eventually the world. The Westside location on 51st Street has been in Hell’s Kitchen since 2013 and still serves one of the better bowls of ramen in this part of Manhattan.

The ramen is Hakata-style, built on a rich pork tonkotsu broth. The three main options are the Shiromaru, the classic version with pork chashu, bamboo shoots, and scallions; the Karaka, which adds a spicy kick and garlic oil; and the Akamaru, a miso-forward version with the kitchen’s own umami paste worked into the broth. All three use thin noodles and you can order an extra serving mid-meal by asking for kae-dama, which is worth knowing about before you finish your bowl. There’s also a vegetarian ramen on the menu for those who need it. The pork buns are the appetizer to get.

The room has energy and the staff greet every customer loudly in Japanese when they walk in, which either charms you or doesn’t. It can get busy and waits happen during peak hours, but reservations are available and the easiest way around it.

I haven’t made it back here since moving out of the neighborhood, but it remains one of the most consistent ramen options in Hell’s Kitchen and comes up on nearly every serious list of the area’s best restaurants.

JAPANESE CUISINE | RAMEN | CASUAL | PRE-THEATER | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Molyvos

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Molyvos has been one of the better Greek restaurants in Manhattan since 1997, and after closing its longtime 7th Avenue location in 2021 it reopened in 2022 in the former Esca space on 43rd and 9th, putting it squarely in Hell’s Kitchen. The new space suits it well, with a rustic dining room, a bar area, and a large outdoor pergola that is one of the best outdoor dining options in Hell’s Kitchen when the weather cooperates.

The food sits a step above most of the casual options on 9th Avenue without reaching the price level of the tasting menu restaurants earlier on this list. The menu focuses on seafood, grilled meats, and seasonal vegetables rooted in Greek tradition. The grilled octopus, ouzo flamed haloumi saganaki, and spreads like tzatziki and tirokafteri are the right way to start. Whole fish and lamb chops are the main event. The kitchen has been consistently good at them for years.

The wine list is the other reason to come. Molyvos carries the most extensive selection of Greek wines available in the United States, with over 350 labels and around 30 wines by the glass that rotate regularly. If you want to explore Greek wine beyond the handful of bottles you typically see in the city, this is the place to do it.

Good pre-theater option given the 43rd Street location, and weekend brunch is available if you want a more relaxed visit.

GREEK CUISINE | SEAFOOD | WINE BAR | OUTDOOR SEATING | PRE-THEATER

Norma

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Norma is one of the best Italian restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, but it’s also one of the few that focuses specifically on Sicilian cuisine rather than Italian cooking as a whole. That distinction matters. Chef Salvatore Fraterrigo grew up in Trapani in western Sicily and opened the original location in Murray Hill in 2016 before bringing a second restaurant to 9th Avenue in 2021. The Hell’s Kitchen location is always busy, the room is small, and the tables are close together, making it feel like the kind of neighborhood Italian restaurant every New Yorker hopes to have around the corner.

The pasta is the biggest reason to come. The Pasta alla Norma, made with roasted eggplant, garlic, tomato sauce, and ricotta salata, is the signature dish and consistently the one people recommend first. The Busiate al Pesto Trapanese is just as good, featuring a Sicilian pesto made with fresh tomatoes, basil, and almonds instead of the more familiar Genoese version. If you’re looking for something heartier, order the Anelletti Siciliani, ring-shaped pasta with beef ragù, peas, eggplant, and pecorino. Start the meal with the whipped ricotta drizzled with orange honey and served on crispy bread. Norma also makes a strong case for serving some of the best pizza in Hell’s Kitchen.

Pricing is very reasonable for one of the best Italian restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen NYC. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so arrive early or be prepared to wait.

ITALIAN CUISINE | SICILIAN | NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE | OUTDOOR SEATING | NO RESERVATIONS

BEA

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Interior of BEA restaurant in Hell's Kitchen NYC showing exposed brick walls and film projection
BEA

BEA is a place that can work for pre-theater or as an option after a show. The space is the draw as much as anything else. A large square bar sits at the center of the space with seating on all four sides, classic black and white movies project onto the walls, and the whole thing has a warmth to it that most bars in this part of the city don’t bother with.

The menu gives you shareable plates like charcuterie and cheeses alongside full entrees like baby scallops, which are indeed tiny, lamb chops, and pastas. The food is good, but this is also a place I would often visit just for the bar. I would grab a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine, enjoy the ambiance, and sometimes talk to the person beside me.

Hell’s Kitchen has no shortage of late night bars, but BEA is one of the best alternatives for something a little more low key. It stays open until 2am, which is useful to know for a post-show drink or a late dinner.

MEDITERRANEAN | COCKTAIL BAR | LATE NIGHT | DATE NIGHT

Chez Josephine

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Interior of Chez Josephine restaurant in Hell's Kitchen NYC with red chandeliers and Josephine Baker portraits on exposed brick walls
Chez Josephine

Chez Josephine has been on West 42nd Street since 1986, which makes it one of the longest-running restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen. It was founded by Jean-Claude Baker as a tribute to Josephine Baker, the legendary African-American entertainer who became one of the most celebrated performers in Paris during the 1920s and 30s. Jean-Claude was one of her thirteen adopted children and devoted his life to keeping her memory alive, including through this restaurant.

The decor features red velvet walls, a blue tin ceiling, chandeliers everywhere, and vintage portraits of Josephine Baker covering nearly every surface. It feels genuinely unlike anywhere else in the neighborhood, or the city for that matter. There is live piano music nightly and at Sunday brunch, which adds to the atmosphere without being intrusive.

The food is French bistro classics and solid enough for a pre-theater dinner without being the main draw. The prix fixe menu is good value if you are heading to a show nearby. Steak frites, duck, and French onion soup are the reliable orders.

If you come primarily for the ambiance and the music rather than a destination meal, you will leave happy.

FRENCH CUISINE | LIVE PIANO | PRE-THEATER | DATE NIGHT

Empanada Mama

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Spicy chicken and pernil empanadas from Empanada Mama in Hell's Kitchen NYC
Empanada Mama

Empanada Mama is about as far from the tasting menus earlier in this list as you can get, and that is exactly the point. This 24-hour Colombian spot on 9th Avenue stays busy at all hours.

The menu has over 40 empanada varieties in wheat, corn, and baked formats. Classics like the spicy chicken and pernil are my two favorites, and they end up in probably every order I place. Then I round out the order with more creative options like curried chicken with chickpeas, the Viagra (seafood stew with tiger shrimp and crab meat), and even a Hawaiian with ham, sautéed pineapple, and mozzarella.

There are dessert empanadas too if you want to finish sweet. The best approach is to order a few different ones and split them. Beyond empanadas there are tapas and a few heartier dishes, but the empanadas are the reason everyone is here.

It gets a genuine late night crowd, the kind that shows up after midnight when most of the other options on 9th Ave have closed. If you find yourself hungry at 2am in Hell’s Kitchen, this is a top spot to go.

LATIN CUISINE | CASUAL | LATE NIGHT | 24 HOURS | NO RESERVATIONS

Uncle Ray's Chicken Rice

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Hainanese chicken rice is one of Singapore’s most iconic dishes, and Uncle Ray’s on 9th Avenue is one of the few places in New York City focused on doing it properly. The restaurant opened in May 2025 in the former Tradisyon space and is run by Chef Raymond Kiang, formerly of Lou Yau Kee, a beloved chicken rice spot that has since closed. The restaurant is named after his late father, Sergeant Kiang, whose version of the dish became well known in Singapore.

The chicken rice set is the reason to come. Poached or roasted chicken is served with fragrant ginger rice, a light savory broth, and house-made sauces. If it is your first visit, order the combo plate with both poached and roasted chicken.

Beyond the signature dish, the menu includes other Singaporean favorites like coffee pork ribs, char siu pork, grilled pork chops, seafood porridge, and shredded chicken congee. The house-made chili sauce is worth adding to just about everything.

Uncle Ray’s has quickly become one of the more notable recent additions to Hell’s Kitchen, bringing a dish that remains surprisingly difficult to find elsewhere in New York City.

SINGAPOREAN | HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE | CASUAL | LUNCH

Where to Eat in Hell's Kitchen, NYC by Occasion

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Best Pre-Theater Restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen

Whether you’re looking for a pre-theater dinner, a date night restaurant, or a late night meal after a Broadway show, these Hell’s Kitchen restaurants are some of the neighborhood’s best options for each occasion.

Becco: Classic Restaurant Row Italian and one of the best dining values in Hell’s Kitchen.

Danji: Michelin starred Korean small plates just a short walk from Broadway.

Chez Josephine: French bistro with live piano and classic Theater District charm.

Molyvos: Upscale Greek restaurant with one of the best wine lists in Manhattan.

Best Date Night Restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen

Kochi: Michelin starred Korean tasting menu centered around creative skewers.

Mari: Intimate Michelin starred Korean hand roll tasting experience.

Steak Frites: Cozy French bistro that’s ideal for date night.

LumLum: Lively Thai seafood restaurant with excellent shareable dishes.

Best Late Night Food in Hell’s Kitchen

Empanada Mama: Twenty four hour Colombian favorite that’s busy well past midnight.

Chi: One of the best Chinese restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen, with late night happy hour Tuesday through Saturday.

BEA: Cocktails, Mediterranean food, and a quieter atmosphere than many neighborhood bars.

About Hell's Kitchen

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Hell’s Kitchen sits on the west side of Midtown Manhattan, running from 34th Street to 59th Street and from 8th Avenue west to the Hudson River. It goes by Clinton on official zoning maps and often the generic Midtown West on real estate listings. But as a local, I will always call it Hell’s Kitchen.

The neighborhood sits directly west of Times Square and the Theater District, which is why so many restaurants here double as pre-theater options. The main restaurant strip runs along 9th Avenue, particularly between 42nd and 57th Streets, with Restaurant Row on West 46th filling in the gap between 8th and 9th Avenues. Despite being a short walk from one of the most chaotic intersections in the world, Hell’s Kitchen has a genuinely residential feel, and has been safe and walkable for many years.

If you are figuring out where to eat in Hell’s Kitchen, the 9th Avenue strip between 42nd and 57th Streets is the best place to start, with Restaurant Row on West 46th rounding out the options.

More Hell's Kitchen and Midtown West Guides

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Hell’s Kitchen is one of the top neighborhoods in New York City for food, and this list covers the best places to eat in Hell’s Kitchen across a range of cuisines and price points. We have barely scratched the surface though. If you are staying in the area or heading to a Broadway show, check out our guide to the best hotels in Hell’s Kitchen for where to stay without paying Times Square prices.

And if you do find yourself wandering east of 8th Avenue toward Times Square, not all hope is lost. Some genuinely good restaurants exist over there too, and I cover the best of them in my guide to the best restaurants in Times Square.

I will continue adding to this list as the neighborhood keeps evolving. Hell’s Kitchen has been changing fast and new restaurants worth knowing about keep opening.