Luthun is a restaurant that draws upon Chef Nahid Ahmed’s inspirations from traveling around the world and embracing his Indian Bengali heritage. He has spent time working in many kitchens around the world, and this is his restaurant. The reason I picked this restaurant was due to many reviewers saying the food is very good, arguably much better than some Michelin starred restaurants in the city. Also, making reservations was quite easy and not pretentiously bothersome. We made a reservation for 6:30 PM on a Friday night, and the meal lasted roughly 2.5 hours.

Opto has been on my list for quite a bit, and we just never really had an opportunity to try it out until now. The Flatiron area continues to experience turnover and restaurant transitions, and this Mediterranean place was the latest. When it first opened, reservations were definitely needed, but over time, it seemed the need thinned out. We were able to walk in for 2 at around 6:00 PM on a Sunday evening.

We were walking around in the upper east side along Madison Ave, where there are higher end shops. It has a slight Beverly Hills vibe, but my partner wanted to see something at the Ralph Lauren store. After, we desired for an early dinner, so I ended up finding this place because it had lasagna. Without any vetting, we walked in for 2 around 4:30 PM on a Saturday late afternoon.

I actually went to Le Coucou many years ago, around 2017. In my previous notes, I said, “Amazing place. The baked alaska and veal tongue were really good. It’s also not too expensive.” and nothing more. Now many years later, I went here again with my partner to properly celebrate. Coincidentally the day we ate here is nearly their 10-year anniversary. Because reservations for 2 at 6:00 PM were easily obtained the same day, it was very hassle free and no pressure.

We were meeting a friend in town, so we frantically looked for a restaurant near their hotel. We stumbled onto this randomly because it offered burgers, which seemed like an easy success. Our friend previously lived in NYC, but they were under a budget. I was able to make a same day reservation for three people at 6 PM on a Sunday evening without any issues. The restaurant is located right across the street from Madison Square Garden.

Jean-Georges is a highly rated French-ish restaurant owned by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It has garnered two Michelin Stars, and in his empire, this is his flagship restaurant. We’ve already been to several, including Jojo, Four Twenty Five, and The Fulton. This restaurant is also very easy to get a reservation a few days in advance, so you don’t really need to snipe unless you want a very popular time. Just a note that this is located across the street from Columbus Circle.

The Iron Bar and Lounge is located in the middle of the Theater District along 8th Avenue and 45th Street. We walked into this restaurant because my partner was craving for a burger, and it was between this and Junior’s. Because the World Cup festivities have just begun, there were a lot of people inside just coming early to watch sports on TVs. We were able to walk with 2 people around 4:30 PM without any reservations.

The Independent is a New American joint that is close to the Theater District. Because we had a show to catch and running out of options, we walked into this restaurant on a late Saturday afternoon without reservations. The restaurant has a pretty small menu, and it’s slightly different than your pub style food. For the price, we thought this could be a quick and good way to try this out.

Bartolo is a Madrid-style taverna in the West Village area, and it is a nod to chef/owner Ryan Bartlow’s nickname when he was working at Michelin-starred Akelarre in Spain. The restaurant when it opened was wide open for availability, but quickly became impossible without planning to get a reservation. Coincidentally the week prior, I was randomly trying to find a place to try, and I was able to book a reservation for 2 for 5:00 PM on a Friday evening. I was curious to see what this one had to offer considering we’ve been to several Spanish restaurants in the city already.

Dumpling Wang was a new restaurant that opened in Long Island City pretty recently. With the large influx of new Chinese restaurants opening, this whole area is starting to become like a mini-Flushing area. The caveat is the prices are not Flushing prices, so you’d have to wonder if the value proposition is comparable and if the food also is decently tasting. When Dumpling Wang first opened, there were large lines, and people were complaining about the service. We were able to walk in at 4:30 PM on a Sunday without any wait or issues.