Few evenings are as quintessentially New York as taking in a performance at Lincoln Center and grabbing a bite to eat. From delightfully inexpensive to Michelin-starred cuisine, you’ll find a culinary experience to suit your wallet and taste buds in the eclectic Lincoln Square area.
1900 Broadway between West 63rd and 64th streets
Daniel Boulud’s casual Parisian bistro, located just across the street from Lincoln Center, is a cozy outpost specializing in seasonal French fare, a scrumptious selection of traditional terrines and pâtés, artisanal French charcuterie by award winning Parisian charcutier Gilles Verot, plus an impressive wine cellar. This Christmas Eve, Bar Boulud is offering a three-course prix fixe meal for $65 per person. Select dishes include hand-rolled potato gnocchi, pan-seared diver scallops, New York strip steak and dark chocolate Buche de Noel.
1900 Broadway between West 63rd and 64th streets
Café Fiorello (Image: Ralph Daily/Flickr)
Next door to Bar Boulud, Café Fiorello guarantees all the warm hospitality you’d expect at a traditional Italian establishment. They have an elaborate antipasto bar, plenty of pasta dishes, local fish, prime steaks and signature thin-crust pizza. Try the tordelli Bolognese with wild boar ragu and porcini, or if you dine after the show, give the salmon burger — part of their special late-night sandwich menu — a go.
10 Columbus Circle near West 59th Street
The Per Se kitchen (Image: Brandon Muramatsu/Flickr)
Chef Thomas Keller’s world-famous Per Se continues to impress, recently garnering yet another three-star Michelin Guide rating for 2017. The restaurant features a daily nine-course tasting menu using classic French technique and fresh ingredients, and the award-winning wine list boasts more than 2,000 bottles, ensuring can’t-miss pairing opportunities. This New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will offer three seatings with seven-, eight- and 10-course options priced from $350 to $950 per person.
1 Central Park West off Columbus Circle
Jean-George (Image: T. Tseng/Flickr)
Jean-Georges also maintained a three-star rating in the latest Michelin Guide. The Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed dining room is chic and intimate, providing lovely views of Central Park. Most importantly, the food is made from ingredients available at local farmer’s markets, guaranteeing the French-, American- and Asian-inspired dishes are as fresh as they are dynamic. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Jean-Georges will be offering a $168 prix fixe menu, as well as a $258 tasting menu, while on New Year’s Eve they’ll offer an $888 tasting menu.
1900 Broadway between West 63rd and 64th Streets
The Smith Lincoln Center (Image: The Smith)
With its raw bar, phenomenal steaks, lengthy craft cocktail list and hipster chic vibe, The Smith is an exquisitely comfortable choice for pre-concert dining. The menu features high-end pub fare including comforting mac ‘n’ cheese, pork chops and caramelized apple pie.
44 West 63rd St. at Columbus Avenue
Another casual spot, P.J. Clarke’s provides its share of steaks and burgers, and seafood is also in abundance, including a raw bar, lobster roll menu and a daily fresh selection from the Fulton Fish Market. There’s a wonderful wine list and the cocktail list features classics with a twist. We recommend the Tall Tommy Collins with Brooklyn gin, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice and club soda.