anniversary dinner near Booth Theater NYC?

August 1, 2019 6:37 AM

Any recommendations for a fancy anniversary dinner that I could do before a 7pm (I know) show at Booth Theater?

I feel like any nice Michelin place would take 2-3 hours, though I was leaning Japanese and I’d love to do a nice kaiseki.

I don’t know NYC well. How far can I travel for dinner or should I eat somewhere close? Booth Theater does seem to be in a touristy space? Anything good by there?

Any cuisine is fine but something special or celebratory required.

posted by inevitability to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

Marseille on 9th and 44th?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:41 AM on August 1, 2019

I mean, if you wanted to opt for classic New York, there is Sardi's. It may not be the best or most progressive food in the city (spoiler alert: it isn't!) but the onion soup is still amazing, the cosmos are great and the meals are solidly good. They do both a pre-theater dinner menu and a post-theater supper and the location can't be beat; call for reservations.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:50 AM on August 1, 2019

Inakaya is a good spot 5 blocks south of there, and good celebration spot if you let them know it's your anniversary.

Ipanema is another favorite not too far away, but is Portuguese/Brazilian, not Japanese.
posted by Grither at 8:04 AM on August 1, 2019

Bond 45, straight through the Marquis breezeway. I’ve only had dinner there once, but it was fantastic! If not dinner there, they have a late-night post-theater happy hour in the bar downstairs that is wonderful.
posted by mollymayhem at 8:38 AM on August 1, 2019

It's close to the major transit hub of Times Square, so you really could go most places in Manhattan, limited only by your willingness to eat dinner early and/or be rushed. Complication is that most fancy places won't be open before 5 or 5:30, so even if it's right next door, you're going to be rushing it (or being force-marched through a pre-theater menu, which admittedly may be necessary). Boulud Sud opens at 5 and would be a quick cab ride (~1 mile away). It also has a pre-theater menu. Of all restaurants semi-nearby, it wouldn't be my top choice, but given your constraints, it might be.

I feel ethically obliged to report that Jean-Georges opens at 5 on Fridays and Saturdays and is a little closer, also fancier, so would otherwise be a superior choice, but...it's in a Trump building.
posted by praemunire at 9:39 AM on August 1, 2019

Response by poster: Sigh, I know @praemunire. That’s my issue of finding something fancy that I can squeeze in comfortably before a 7pm show.

Thanks all!
posted by inevitability at 10:14 AM on August 1, 2019

Could you wait til after the show to have dinner? If you need something to tide you over, maybe grab a drink at a bar that has some good small plates just before heading to the theater.

That 7pm curtain makes it unlikely you'll find early enough seating anywhere for kaiseki in particular, but also for a lot of places in general that might fit your requirements of 'special' and 'fancy'.

If pre-show dinner is non-negotiable, and you're down for the classic Restaurant Row experience, you could try Orso or Barbetta, both of which are venerable pre-theater options.

For a less traditional pre-theater meal, you could try Danji on W52nd between 8th and 9th. It's sort of a Korean version of izakaya. The food is excellent, but the atmosphere may not be what you've got in mind for a fancy anniversary dinner.

If dinner post-show is a go, kaiseki can be found at any of the following (note that some of these close as early as 10pm, but that doesn't mean they'll kick you out in the middle of your meal):
Okuda
Kyo Ya (give them a day's notice for the tasting menu)
Suzuki (late seating is at 9:30)
Uchu
posted by theory at 10:21 AM on August 1, 2019

Not kaiseki, but Yakitori Torishin is a great (and pricey) yakitori restaurant with a Michelin star. The catch is that it's up on 53rd St and opens at 5:30, which isn't really going to work for your timeline. They're fast and it doesn't need to be a 3 hour place—I've eaten there at 5:30 and made an 8pm show with plenty of time to spare, but an hour and a half including the walk, it wouldn't be a very special meal. If your party is amenable to snacking somewhere early and eating there after the show, it would tick a lot of your boxes to go there late.

For another Japanese option, I had a fairly good meal at Koi by Bryant Park once (several years ago). They open at 5:30, should be able to get to the theater in around 15 minutes, probably can get in and out in an hour if you order right away and ask the waiter to rush it, but I'm not sure that counts as comfortably.

Inakaya does open at 5, making it at least seem possible. I haven't been to the one in New York though, so I can't say how rushable it is.

My inclination would be to try to hold out for the nice meal after the show if possible, but if not, the dang 7pm constraint is really what the standard pre-theater restaurants are for, not-entirely-special as they may be, and I'd probably end up at Bond 45.
posted by zachlipton at 10:26 AM on August 1, 2019

Best answer: 701 West is a 5 minute walk away from the theater, opens at 5, and just got a three-star review in the NYT.
posted by neroli at 10:44 AM on August 1, 2019 [3 favorites]

Hi. I've lived in NYC for 20 years, worked in theater for 15 of those years, and spent a serious chunk of time seeking out all the great Japanese food in NYC. Is it possible for you to eat after the show? If so, you can find world-class Japanese food - but not in the theater district. Is my research correct - you're seeing "Gary"? It's a 95 minute show with no intermission - you'll be on the street before 9pm. Investigate some of the links above, or consider Kajitsu, a mind-bendingly good vegan kaiseki place on 39th and Park where the last order of the night is at 9pm - which you can make if you are diligent about it.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 10:48 AM on August 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

I love Indian Accent - high-end Indian food not far from the north end of Times Square. Definitely celebratory, great drinks, and if you go at 5 you can be out at 6:45 without feeling too rush if you let them know. I've done pre-theater dinner there on a number of occasions.
posted by slide at 10:51 AM on August 1, 2019

Not that walking through Times Square is my idea of fun, BUT, if you do decide to go for your anniversary dinner after your show, and, you know, you need some sustinence beforehand in the neighborhood, i can say that Upside Pizza on 8th and 39th (maybe an 8 min walk) is exemplary - its a "new-school take on an old-school slice shop", and they do a great job. The Mushroom slice (The Falcowitz) is amazing but you cant go wrong with any of their slices.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:28 AM on August 1, 2019 [3 favorites]

I think Neroli has the winner! (Unless you find a lot of wine pretension offputting, which admittedly I do, but having read that review, I'd still try it over my own suggestions.)
posted by praemunire at 12:50 PM on August 1, 2019

fingers_of_fire, Gary closed at least a month ago.
posted by mollymayhem at 7:19 PM on August 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: We’re watching freestyle love supreme!

Thanks again everyone. 701 West looks great and I’ll try and snag a reservation! Also bookmarking the other recommendations for next time. (Meeting friends after the show so can’t do it after, alas.)
posted by inevitability at 6:46 AM on August 2, 2019