Dinner

Pizza

John’s of Bleecker Street- Greenwich village $$
- Not always on NYC top pizza lists but Reddit favourite
Prince Street - Nolita $
- Tried it during a late night work issue, it seems to be known for it’s cupped pepperoni which was good, but I found it to be too saucy and sweet in the pepperoni squares. The green machine pizza was completely underwhelming, too leafy of a taste without enough of a balance of cheese and the crust was on the doughier side.
Bleecker Street - Greenwich village $
- I tried the pepperoni slice and something else, but wow the pepperoni pizza was very good. Crust was light and crispy, and it was tossed with crispy pepperonis in abundance. Would definitely have again. The other slice was not memorable.

Densest good-food block in Midtown, and quietly the best Thai neighbourhood in Manhattan — five spots at 4.8+. All untested except Chalong.

Valla Table - Thai, 641 10th Ave $$
- 4.9 across 5,800 reviews. Candlelit, more of an occasion.
Jan Jao Kha - Thai, 830 9th Ave $$
- 4.9, only open a few months, small room. Reserve.
Elephant Ear - Thai fusion, 690 9th Ave $$
- 4.8 across 6,400. Crowd-pleaser — broader menu, generous portions, bar, open straight through 11:30am–11pm. The safe group pick vs Chalong’s higher variance. Pineapple fried rice comes in a carved pineapple.
Cheeseboat - Georgian, 747 9th Ave $$
- Khachapuri: bread boat of molten cheese with an egg stirred in at the table. Beef khinkali. Most unusual thing on the street, and four doors from Chalong.
Don Antonio - Pizza, 309 W 50th St $$
- The montanara — dough deep-fried, then baked. Michelin-recognized for it.
Empanada Mama - Colombian, 765 9th Ave $
- Open 24 hours. Check the bag before leaving, that comes up a lot.
Kashkaval Garden - Mediterranean, 852 9th Ave $$
- Mezze and fondue, hidden garden room in the back, open till midnight Sat.

Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing - Jewish deli, 631 Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint $
- 4.6/1,282. Pastrami egg & cheese is the signature. Closes 3:00 PM daily. Counter seating only, not a sit-down. G to Greenpoint Ave, four blocks. Medo’s pick, 2026-07-25.
Smorgasburg - open-air food market, free entry
- Sat: Marsha P. Johnson State Park, 90 Kent Ave, Williamsburg, 11–6. Sun: Breeze Hill, Prospect Park. Fri: the Oculus. 70+ vendors, Apr–Oct. Full skyline view across the East River from the Williamsburg site.

Worth keeping straight since it comes up whenever Medo visits.

⚠️ CORRECTION — ilili (NoMad) is NOT halal. Their own FAQ: the NYC location can only arrange halal meat for private events with 3 business days’ notice. The “all meat halal” claim applies to their DC location. I had this wrong previously.
Turkuaz - Turkish, 310 W 53rd St $$ — halal is in the registered name. The reliable “nice dinner” option near Times Sq.
Istanbul Kebab House - Turkish, 712 9th Ave $ — cosier, cheaper, till 11:45 PM.
Hyderabadi Zaiqa - Biryani, 785 9th Ave $ — 4.7.
Shah’s Halal - 537 9th Ave $ — 4.8, open till 3 AM.
Astoria’s Steinway St (“Little Egypt”) for a proper night out — Levant, Zyara, Mombar (cash only, chef cooks solo).
Au Za’atar - Lebanese, 1063 1st Ave, Midtown East $$$ — tableside shawarma carved at the table ($78–98, share it). Halal directories list it but the restaurant’s own site doesn’t say so and they serve alcohol — call (212) 625-3982 to confirm. Three blocks from the Roosevelt Island Tram, which is a normal MTA fare and a genuinely great cheap skyline ride.