A Local's Guide To Restaurants Near Times Square That You'll Actually Want To Eat At

Regardless of what anyone tells you, even me on a bad day, it's totally acceptable to visit Times Square — once. I have covered the best restaurants and bars in the five boroughs as a journalist for nearly two decades, so I'm particularly qualified to tell you that, barring administrative tasks or theater tickets, there are just better places to be once you've checked Times Square off your tourism list. You certainly don't need to eat under the shadow of the M&M'S store.

I also understand by now that, even as a professional, getting out-of-towners to visit my favorite spots outside Manhattan can be tough. But you really should venture beyond the boundaries of Times Square. Each of my favorite restaurants nearby are worth your dining dollars and feel considerably more transported than they really are from the web of LED lights, selfie sticks, and "I heart NY" shirts that actual New Yorkers love to hate.

Easing our way just a little bit east, Le Rock's address is in another area that sounds familiar to many: Rockefeller Center. It's also plenty touristy — it even rivals Times Square at certain times of year — but it's the superior of the two locales. It's an architectural marvel, the city's own little showbiz hub, even the biggest Grinch has to smile at the darling ice rink around Christmas time, and Le Rock has become its crown jewel.

Le Rock opened in 2022, but its Art Deco style is convincing enough to pass for a real deal Jazz Age icon. You twirl through its revolving doors and into a soaring space that's particularly adept at creating intimacy for romantic dinners (which is what I use it for when I'm off the clock). The beautiful backlit bar is up front, which is a great place to grab a drink if you can actually nab a seat (you have a better chance at securing a spot by making a reservation for the sprawling dining room). I love Le Rock's pâté de campagne, garlicky escargots, and steak frites. There's also an impressive rotisserie lobster on the menu, and a burger. For dessert, Le Rock makes the best baba aux Chartreuses in town.

Le Rock is located at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10111.

Valerie is a few blocks south of Rockefeller Center and about halfway between Times Square and yet another geographical touchpoint, Grand Central Terminal. These coordinates, and the abundance of subway lines nearby, make it ideal for groups of sightseers, Metro-North commuters, and straphangers from closer locales alike, plus it's convenient enough to take the edge off of being in midtown to begin with. Valerie also has enough space inside, and a long enough menu, to accommodate everyone.

Valerie has a couple of bars and a few different seating configurations across two floors, all awash in flattering honeyed light. It's as easy to pop in for a few drinks as it is for dinner, which is not a given just anywhere. I always opt for a martini; Valerie has a whole gin library for shaking and stirring them, plus it offers all the other expected cocktails, wine, and beer. A broad variety of items, including crispy shrimp bao buns, harissa grilled octopus, oysters, burgers, salads, steaks, chops, and pastas, populate the food menu.

Valerie is located at 45 W 45th St, New York, New York 10036.

Don Don, which opened in 2023, keeps us inching even farther south, but it's still parallel with Times Square. I've been a fan of owner Sungchul Shim's other work – the considerably more expensive Kochi and Mari — for years. Shim is truly one of the best in the biz, and Don Don, his Korean barbecue spot, is a terrific place to sample the chef's magic for a little less cash than his Michelin-starred restaurants.

Don Don has plenty of a la carte options, but my money's on the chef's feast for $79 (I said you spend a little less, not nothing). This includes all the requisite sides (called "banchan"), an outrageously good egg soufflé, your choice of sensational stews, a few more little extras, and five cuts of pork (loin, jowl, belly, collar, and Ibérico secreto) that you grill on your tabletop with assistance from the staff. A truncated version is available for $49. Don Don also has a great selection of makgeolli and soju. I typically order Red Monkey makgeolli anywhere I see it, and Don Don's got it stocked. Should you wish to bring a bit of Don Don's deliciousness home, Shim has previously shared with us his expert tips for making kimchi in your own kitchen.

Don Don is located at 37 W 43rd St, New York, New York 10036.

Continuing our trip down midtown, Keens has been serving big cuts of prime rib, T-bones, and mutton chops since 1885. Keens' prevailing mood is wood, with a distinguished wood bar, hardwood floors, and paneling that envelops the dimly lit dining room. Weathered old photos make up much of the decor, in addition to the occasional bit of taxidermy. Keens is also known for a collection of pipes once puffed by the likes of Babe Ruth, Albert Einstein, Grace Moore, and other luminaries from days of yore. It's exactly the kind of place out-of-towners want to tell their friends back home about.

I like to have my steaks (I always covet a chateaubriand, which Keens serves in portions intended for two) with martinis or red wine, but it's okay to get what you like instead. Seafood and chicken options also populate the otherwise beefy bill of fare.

Keens is located at 72 W 36th St, New York, New York 10018.

Szechuan Mountain House is barely a block west of Times Square, where the neighborhood becomes Hell's Kitchen. That's a lot closer than the Queens original, where I always bring friends when they visit New York City (and there's a third location downtown). It's a relief to have a Szechuan Mountain House in the area when, for whatever reason, you simply must remain within the orbit of Times Square.

The whole place is great, but I prefer upstairs, which is equipped with roomy booths and its own bar. You order everything from goofy tablets, and many of the satisfying selections appear at all three spots. I'm a sucker for mala, and Szechuan Mountain House has the spicy, numbing sensation across offal, lobster, crab, beef, and prawns. I am also physically incapable of saying no to comforting mapo tofu, or the fire of a la-zi chicken and its signature bright, red peppers — but know the latter is plated on the bone here.

Szechuan Mountain House has multiple locations across the city. The closest to Times Square is located at 353 W 46th St, New York, New York 10036.