11 Best Restaurants Near Broadway for a Pre-Show Meal

Spending time in the Theater District is not always the vibe. Forever baking under the heat lamp of Times Square, this stretch of Midtown bustles with tourists and traffic, and many a dreaded tourist trap. And yet the cultured and culture-obsessed often find themselves in the area for one big reason: If you’re in town looking to see a marquee production, rather than a smaller something Off-Broadway or at BAM, this is where you'll be, and you might need to grab a bite before or after your show. To maximize leisure, it's advisable that wherever you dine be no more than a 15-minute stroll from your theater destination—and with the right information, finding somewhere convenient and worth eating at is, surprisingly, very possible.

Despite the reputation of the neighborhood, there are plenty of solid establishments hiding in plain sight, at which to fill your stomach before filling your ears, heart, and mind. Read on for the best places to eat before a Broadway show in New York City—or after, who's to say. You just might be moved to stick around.

Read our complete New York City travel guide here, which includes:

• The Best Restaurants in NYC
• The Best New Restaurants in NYC
• The Best Sushi in NYC
• The Best Steakhouses in NYC
• The Best Burgers in NYC
• The Best Jewish Food in NYC

Din Tai Fung

The long-awaited arrival of this beloved Taiwanese restaurant in New York City could not have been a buzzier or more consummate success, starring immaculate xiao long bao: delicate soup dumplings that swell with pork and broth. The location is great: this is the perfect place to fill your stomach before or after a show, and the chaos of the neighborhood gets completely shut out by the coolness of the subterranean dining room. You must, of course, place at least one order of the kurobuta pork xiao long bao, which gets you 10 dumplings for $18.50—you can also opt for pork and crab or ground chicken as your filling. Other highlights include the deceptively simple cucumber salad ($9) and the New York-exclusive black sesame espresso martini ($22), which is made all the richer by the addition of an egg yolk. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Russian Samovar

For not only dinner but also a show before your show, Russian Samovar is the red-soaked room to be in. Located on West 52, just across from the August Wilson Theatre and around the corner from the Gershwin, this super Slavic spot is a drinker’s delight. If you need to loosen or lighten up before whichever piece of theater you’re meant to take in, sample a few of their flavored vodkas (I’m partial to sipping the dill-infused option, which tastes like fresh grass in a refreshing way) or sip your way through any number of martinis and the like. The food isn’t half bad, and while it’s rather pricey it’s also hearty and well-portioned. The beef stroganoff, served with a heavy pile of egg noodles, is particularly fortifying. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Grand Central Oyster Bar

If you're hitting Broadway for a quintessential NYC experience, then ducking into this storied seafood spot in the beast of the belly that is Grand Central station is an iconic starting point—and particularly convenient if your journey to Broadway takes you via Grand Central. When you push through the river of commuters to reach the restaurant, turn right, in the direction of the diner-style counters (not the left, where the seating is sit-down; vibes are just better at the counter). Plop on a stool, and treat yourself to fresh oysters, seafood plates, and chowders made the old-fashioned way (I'm not sure exactly what the old-fashioned way is, but you can see the whole operation unfolding by the shellfish-shucking station). It's not cheap, in the way that seafood you can safely eat before a three-hour performance in New York City never is, but there are filling bites to be ordered strategically if you aren't up for a big splurge. If you just want a drink, continue past the counters to the swinging doors even further to the right—the bar, which feels somewhat like being below deck on a big ship, has a personality of its own. —Megan Spurrell, associate articles director

The View

New York City’s only revolving restaurant just so happens to double as prime Theater District dining. Recently reopened under the careful eye of restaurateur Danny Meyer and his trusty Union Square Hospitality Group, The View at the Marriott Marquis is a tourist’s delight that locals with any sense of joie de vivre will get a kick out of, too. The primary draw here, of course, is not the food but rather the ride you and your table take around Times Square (note: it seems that the tables closest to the glass are all two-tops, with four-seaters relegated to the next row in). It helps that the food and beverage ain't half bad, with some weird martinis and copious seafood alongside more standard burgers. All of this to say, it's extremely fun without being full-send tacky thanks to some swank, sexy design. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Yingtao

Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan isn’t exactly synonymous with haute contemporary cuisine; in the neighborhood, you’re more likely to battle for seats at drag bingo than a tasting menu. But this Chinese fine dining concept is a handsome arrival, bringing boat-loads of polish—a black marble bar and kitchen counter; brass chairs and tabletops; stealthy splashes of scarlet—and skillful focus. Chef Jakub Baster (an alum of Monsieur Boulud’s eponymous Daniel and La Dame de Pic at the Four Seasons Hotel Megève in the French Alps) offers only two options for dinner at Yingtao: the eight-course tasting menu ($165) or a four-course pre-fixe ($90), both of which you can customize with low- and no- ABV cocktails or the wine pairing (all of it brilliant, curated and served by the affable drinks director Bobby Snyder). As for the food itself: stunning. A Hong Kong-raised friend joined me for the full tasting and we were both mightily impressed by the techniques and inventiveness that remixed regional Chinese classics from places like Shanghai, Xi’an, and Guangzhou. I inhaled the kampachi—a.k.a. yellowtail or amberjack—topped with caviar; a silky tofu dish served with celery root; the crab noodles with a soy yolk and smoked flying fish roe; the hake with spring vegetables; and a coconut dessert of nian gao, a rice cake most often served during the Lunar New Year. The service is attentive and the kitchen well-oiled—the galley is open entirely to the dining room, a stage where diners can watch the cooks move efficiently and silently. All that said, any praise I have is secondary to the true vote of confidence and affirmation of Yingtao’s success that I witnessed during my visit: a large and festive group composed of Chinese mainlanders in their Crazy Rich Asians best, proudly taking photos with the crew, eager to spread the good word of Chinese American cooking at its finest. —Matt Ortile, associate editor

Gallaghers Steakhouse

There are plenty of steakhouses in the Theater District, but Gallagher's is the classic. Its wood-paneled walls are covered in old photographs (one of singer Perry Como had to be labeled “This is not Jeffrey Epstein” due to the resemblance shared between the two men). This is a place that’s as good for steak (and it really is good for steak) as for all of the accoutrements you may order alongside your meat, but it’s just as good for people watching. View, humble tourist, the businessmen downing post-work old fashioned after old fashioned (it’s an especially good cocktail to order here) like they’re sculptures in a museum. Observe the PR girls doing the same to smooth Vespers. In terms of food, it’s easy to order too much—not necessarily something you want if your takeout is going to be stewing in the theater with you for several hours thereafter—so don’t go too hard on the ample and fabulous sides. But do get the crab cakes. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Junior's Restaurant & Bakery

I'd love to pretend that I make a day of going to the theater, reveling in delectable appetizers and multiple rounds of drinks at whatever new place my coworkers are raving about—but more often than that, I'm hurriedly catching the 1 train uptown from work to scarf a quick dinner before elbowing my way through Times Square to make it to my (cramped) seat just as the lights go down. And the best meal for that can be found at Junior's Restaurant & Bakery. Known for their rich cheesecake, Junior's began its journey as a New York City institution in Downtown Brooklyn to which I went first, but since then, I've frequented the two locations in Times Square (one at 45th St and 7th Ave, the other at 49th and Broadway) more than maybe any one person would—or should—cop to. But the peace of mind that comes from knowing I can be seated, order, and get my food (often chicken tenders, sometimes a pastrami on rye, if I'm feeling celebratory) with plenty of time leftover to enjoy a slice of Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake (the best flavor, and I won't hear otherwise) before facing off with a grimy Elmo makes all my repeat visits worth it. —Taylor Eisenhauer, editorial operations manager

Grand Brasserie

This one may be most appealing to those coming into the city for a quick show: In the cavernous swath of Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall occupied until recently by City Winery, a grand brasserie has recently appeared. It’s called, aptly, Grand Brasserie, and it’s just about the perfect place to be plopped right smack dab within a major transit hub. The vibes are not quite intimate in this 400-seat dining room (a lower-lit bar in real with built-in booth seating is markedly sexier) but the lighting and open floor plan make this an unmatched hang-and-people-watch spot for when there’s time to kill before or after a train—I’m going to start building in time for it. The food is good, sometimes great in the case of my cassoulet special with a succulent duck confit on top (duck confit being available as its own menu item for $38). They're not reinventing the wheel here, but if you're passing through Grand Central you'd be hard-pressed to find something better positioned. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Los Tacos No. 1

For a quick bite before or after a show, Los Tacos No. 1 is one of my go-to picks. They serve the best tacos I've had in Manhattan—try at least one taco and one quesadilla (though don't expect American-style quesadillas—it just means there will be cheese melted onto your taco), and one of the agua frescas; the jamaica, a hibiscus iced tea, is my favorite. It's on 43rd Street between 7th and 8th Ave, so you won't have far to go to get to most theaters, and food comes out fast—don't be deterred by the line; it moves quickly and your food is made right in front of you. Finding a place to stand and eat can be tricky, but I've never had to hover for more than a few minutes; people are in and out. (Yes, there are a lot of caveats in here, but I promise this is a spot where the food is worth the effort!) —Madison Flager, associate commerce director

Frena

This is the farthest restaurant from the Theater District proper to make the list, and you might have to speed-walk off your meal to get across 10th and 9th Avenues in time for curtain. Chef Efi Naon opened the restaurant this past spring to pay homage to “the smells, spices, and recipes of [his] Moroccan-Israeli upbringing.” Naon was notably executive chef at the ever-popular Taboon, which tragically shut down after a fire a few years ago. He brought back its signature clay oven to Frena, which is integral in baking their fluffy homemade Frena Bread, brushed with olive oil, Maldon salt, wild dry za’atar, as well as their decadent Sambusak stuffed with feta cheese. Our meal kicked off with classic dips like baba ganoush and hummus, complemented by the crisp baby gem salad with root vegetables, and Jerusalem stone yogurt. As per our attentive waitress’s recommendation (the service was top notch), we ordered the butterflied branzino for our main, which was incredibly fresh and so simply delicious. Food aside, Frena’s florally-decorated interior paired with its impressive drinks program will transport you to a special place, and lends itself well to an aesthetically-pleasing girls' dinner or date night. The restaurant was buzzing on a Monday night, seemingly with plenty of locals and regulars, and we were more than glad to absorb some of that wholesome NYC energy. —Emily Adler, associate social media manager

Le Rivage

For some classic French on Restaurant Row, Le Rivage has been serving pre- and post-show patrons alike for 40 years. It’s giving cozy French countryside meets the big city in here, with exposed brick walls in a deep and dark space offset by twinkling Christmas lights and colorful landscape paintings in gilded frames. The vibe, therefore, is a bit on the romantic side, perhaps a place to take a date rather than the whole family pre-Wicked. The big hit here for all meat eaters is the French Onion soup cheeseburger, topped with caramelized onions and a hefty dose of Gruyere and nestled between an English muffin of all things, but other highlights include frog legs, beef bourguignon, and a solidly decent wine list. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor

Ootoya Times Square

It's fall or winter, you're hurrying to try and get a real meal before a show, you don't want to overpay or leave disappointed—you need to be ducking into Ootoya. This Japanese chain has spots throughout Asia, and amazingly, the stateside outposts (three in New York City) are satisfying, especially when you want actually respectable food in the culinary wasteland that is Times Square. You can choose your own rice or noodle set, with chirashi or steak perched on top, go hearty with karage and curry, or get a platter of sushi to share with your friends. It won't change your life, but you'll enjoy it. The food flies out of the kitchen at an impressive clip, so you'll be on your way well before the curtain rises. (For the record, it is open all year—but the cozy wood-paneled dining room sounds especially appealing, to me, in colder months.) —Megan Spurrell, associate articles director

See No Evil Pizza

The second-most casual entry on this list, this pizza joint is actually subterranean—it sits on the concourse level of the Downtown 1 station at 50th Street and Broadway. The pies here, 12 inches and thin crust, are at the nexus point of New York and Neapolitan. Order one, and you could be in and out in ten minutes or less—something to consider if it's crunch time before showtime. But the menu here is bigger than that, and you can augment your order with such thoughtful items as fresh sardines and caper-mint salsa on a toasted She-wolf batard or deviled eggs with tonnato and calabrian chili crisp. To keep in mind for matinees and post-show, there’s also a cocktail bar called Nothing Really Matters (which you’ll have to search for, its entrance is obscured) and café Tiny Dancer for pastries and caffeine. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor