Subway Station
8th Ave & W 23rd St (A, C, E trains)

7th Ave & W 23rd St (1, 2 trains)

The Red Cat
227 10th Ave
Not every artist is starving, and the ones with bank accounts and hearty appetites would do well to make this their home away from home among the West Chelsea galleries. Hanging lanterns, barn siding, and artwork contribute to the funky decor, and the bar is the roomy, welcoming sort that solo diners find appealing. It's hard to find a clunker on the Med-American menu. The quick sauté of zucchini with toasted almonds is something your mother would never have imagined–a vegetable that could spoil your appetite.

Cafeteria
119 7th Ave
The folks at Cafeteria have honed a surefire formula: amped-up comfort food plus an unquestionably hip Chelsea setting, times 24 hours a day. It’s a formula that works. Well-dressed boys and girls come for crispy-gooey cheddar-and-fontina mac 'n cheese, Cobb salad, and fried chicken with waffles–not to mention the prime people-watching location (you’re sure to run into someone you know, or at least recognize from US Weekly) and a downstairs bar to get you through the wee hours of a Saturday (or Monday) morning.

Empire Diner
210 10th Ave
Modeled after a gleaming, black-and-white Art Deco train car, the Empire Diner is a nostalgic nod to the forties that happens 24 hours a day, every day. The egg breakfasts are the menu’s closest hew to more conventional truck-stop fare. This place has carved out its own traditions instead, with a nightly crooning pianist in the corner, umbrella tables for sunny weekend brunches, and some higher-end versions of comfort food like spicy Jack’s chili sundae and pigs-in-a-blanket made with Vienna sausages and biscuit dough. This highbrow-lowbrow fusion has built a steady clientele among the neighborhood’s culture vultures and its club-going nighthawks alike. used as a set in many New York City films.

Shake Shack
Madison Square Park
One of the best summer eateries in NYC. Danny Meyer’s ode to casual American fare, in the shadow of the Flatiron building.

Pastis
9 9th Avenue
Meatpacking pioneer Keith McNally went to great pains to reproduce a 1930s Parisian brasserie for his highly anticipated Balthazar follow-up in 1999 by scouring overseas flea markets for the distressed mirrors, light globes, brass railings, and, mais bien sur, the newspaper rack. Contrary to the master's low-key intentions, the front café of this airy, cheerily lit restaurant still gets so crowded with walk-ins and latecomers that a velvet rope confines them to the pewter bar, where if they have nothing to add to the deafening buzz of conversation, they can admire cigarettes stacked into compartmental shelves. Those huddled over the two-tops nearby may find themselves wedged in between, on one side, a couple of tourists dreamily pouring a creamy béarnaise sauce over the steak frites and, on the other, an artist gossiping with his dealer as he peels off leaves of artichoke and she dips into the daily special of head-on sautéed prawns. Although the back dining room is a slightly less frenzied place, the long communal table (bookable for special events) says it all: Whether you're here for dinner or a bustling brunch of oysters and cocktails, you better think heaven is other people.

Blue Note
131 W. 3rd
Opened in 1981, the Blue Note is arguably the world's most popular jazz club. World renowned talent takes the stage for six day runs, with Mondays usually reserved for excellent local talent. Two sets are 9:00 and 11:30. Prices are $35 for table reservations + minimum, or $25 cover at the bar. There is $5.00 cover charge for the Friday and Saturday late night jam sessions. Sunday brunch served Noon - 6 PM. Show times at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM