Where to Eat (and Drink) in New York City’s NoMad

Disclaimer: This photo wasn’t taken from the neighborhood but is a representation of the atmosphere. :)

North of Madison or the NoMad in Manhattan has become one of my favorite culinary neighborhoods in New York. Over the past few years, this area has grown a concentration of high-quality restaurants offering diverse culinary experiences for tourists and locals alike.

Here’s my short list of favorites—including a spot that may not technically be in NoMad but is equally notable in Flatiron. Please excuse the phone photos!

Ferris

44 West 29th Street

Ferris’ kitchen gives diners an open view of executive chef Greg Proechel at work.

Ferris is a New American restaurant offering creative dishes in a charming and cozy hotel basement. What I love at Ferris are their vegetable offerings: I expected nothing outside of typical leafy, vegetable sides — only to be amazed by exciting flavors and textures. Now this might not sound appealing to some, (umm, basement and vegetables?!) but I guarantee you’d book the place again after trying it once. (And they also have meats.)

Atoboy

43 Eest 28th Street

I didn’t think fast, casual, and fine dining could be used in the same sentence to describe a restaurant—but Atoboy is exactly these things. How could you not love Atoboy for making fine dining more accessible? With its affordability, you get introduced to Korean cuisine and flavor combinations that might be foreign at first, but gradually feel like they’ve always belonged together. My recommendation: any dish with uni (sea urchin)!

The NoMad Restaurant

1170 Broadway

The two occasions I’ve been to the NoMad were nothing short of excellent. When I’m at a restaurant, I pay attention to two things: service and quality of food; The NoMad is excellent at both, their attention to detail is meticulous. I normally don’t order chicken when eating out but the NoMad’s chicken will be the best chicken you’ll ever have. The restaurant’s dimly lit, elegant interior also elevates the dining experience with their plush, comfortable seats, lovely atrium, and a stellar bar.

ilili

236 5th Ave

ILILI has a wide selection of drinks and offers seasonal cocktails.

Mediterranean cuisine has become my new comfort food: hummus, lamb, yogurt, kebabs, baba ghanoush. These are just some of Ilili’s strong suits, served either in a high-ceilinged dining room for big parties or in a cozy backroom upstairs for a quiet, intimate atmosphere. My favorite? Their brussel sprouts made with grapes, fig jam, walnuts and mint yogurt—a must try!

Flatiron Room

37 West 26th Street

Prepare to be transported to the old, 1920s New York when you enter the Flatiron Room. This classic jazz bar is reminiscent of my romanticized version of New York City where women wear glitzy dresses, men wear hats and own pocket watches; The sax fills the room and everyone is into whiskey.

KazuNori

15 West 28th Street

Kazunori is a testament to how much New Yorkers love sushi. This place is the Chipotle of sushi hand rolls. You walk into the restaurant, get seated at the bar, order all of the hand rolls you want—and can eat, and watch as sushi chefs prepare your chosen hand rolls in front of you. It’s a new kind of fast food in America and I absolutely love it.

The Dessert Bar

20 West 23rd Street

Rarely do desserts get the spotlight at restaurants. They’re often an afterthought, something to maybe consider to end a meal. But not at Patisserie Chanson's Dessert Bar. Here, desserts get center stage with a six-course tasting menu. You come here for dessert—and nothing else. Now these desserts are not the type you’d find at amusement parks. These desserts are the grand, buttoned-up, prepared-with-tweezers kind, primed for the sophisticated palate. Regardless of your affinity for extra fine desserts, you can’t deny that Dessert Bar’s are fun, memorable, and delicious.