11 NYC Restaurant Week Deals We’re Booking ASAP

It’s not always easy to live in New York City, with all the delayed subways, closet-sized apartments and $6 cold-brew coffees. But twice every year, the Big Apple gives us a reason to smile: Restaurant Week. During these two-week stints, hundreds of restaurants around the city offer discounted menus, giving us the perfect opportunity to eat Michelin-starred dinners and fancy brunches that we can actually afford. 

With so many options, it can be hard to decide where to dine, so we’ve simplified things by culling a list of the top 11 places to try. After all, you have from January 21 to February 9 to take advantage of $26 lunches and $42 three-course dinners, so you just might be able to sample them all. 

This Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, a short walk from the bright lights and theaters on Broadway, is one of those places that often flies under the radar. But every time we go to Taboon, we’re reminded of just how reliable and satisfying the food is. With its Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern menu of things like baba ghanoush, grilled cauliflower with whipped feta and za’atar, and grilled branzino, Taboon is the perfect spot for a pre-theater meal or a group dinner, since it offers lots of shareable plates.

773 Tenth Ave.; taboononline.com

When it comes to cozy restaurants, this rustic tavern-esque eatery—nestled beneath bistro lights in an alley right off the Bowery—is in a league of its own. Inside, you might feel as if you’ve been transported to a lodge in the Catskills, thanks to walls lined with wooden bookshelves…and the taxidermy decor. With a hearty menu featuring dishes like hot artichoke dip and Hudson Valley duck, Freeman’s is most suitable for omnivores. During Restaurant Week, you can take advantage of the special menu at weekday lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday dinner.  

Freeman Alley; freemansrestaurant.com

Set on a picturesque corner on Irving Place, Casa Mono and its neighboring closet-sized tapas spot, Bar Jamon, feel like a little piece of Spain in Gramercy. Stop by for weekday lunch at this Michelin-starred eatery for a two-course menu of Catalan specialties like cheesy cod croquettes, juicy chorizo with piquillo peppers, and pork belly with bean stew. Wine isn’t included in the Restaurant Week menu, but we’d strongly encourage you to take a peek at the all-Spanish wine list, spanning regions from Bierzo to Tenerife. 

52 Irving Place; casamononyc.com

If we became millionaires, our first course of action would be to become regulars at Union Square Café. The service is fantastic, the cozy booths and mahogany details make it feel cozy enough to be your living room (if you lived in a 10,000-square-foot mansion, that is) and the food is downright good. Go for a weekday lunch during Restaurant Week and choose from dishes like frascatelli in cream sauce, confit tuna and farro salad, and grilled trout with Brussels sprouts in mustard vinaigrette for a fraction of what you’d pay any other time of year.  

101 E. 19th St.; unionsquarecafe.com

There are certainly trendier places to eat near Washington Square Park, but when it comes to delicious Italian food, few places are like Il Mulino. The West Third Street location is dimly lit and old-school—full of business executives and regulars who have been dining here for decades—and the rich and decadent pastas come piled high on enormous plates. Il Mulino is usually a pricey joint, so the $26 two-course weekday lunch menu that includes dishes like eggplant rollatini, ricotta meatballs, and fettuccini in lamb ragù is quite the steal. Pro tip: For $20 more, you can opt for a wine pairing. You just might need a nap when you’re done.  

86 W. Third St.; ilmulino.com/downtown

We love a bunch of things about Hearth: the way the restaurant serves healthy-ish food that tastes satisfying, the warm and welcoming interior with its homey decor and exposed brick, and the fact you can usually get in without a wait. The one thing we don’t love is that a meal here can get pricey. That’s why Restaurant Week is the perfect time to book a table at this East Village establishment. The dinner menu is $42 for three courses (think broccoli cheddar soup followed by whole-grain fusilli with roasted cauliflower and pistachio). Hearth is also offering a $26 Sunday brunch of ricotta toast and pork sausage with poached egg. 

403 E. 12th St.; restauranthearth.com