Ode to Midtown: Neighborhood Guide with Top Restaurants, Bars & Things to Do
While Midtown Manhattan has many negative stereotypes among New Yorkers, the neighborhood is full of top-notch restaurants, vibrant bars, and phenomenal activities!
In this article, we’ll focus on what we call ‘Upper Midtown,’ or the area from 50th Street to Central Park South and 8th Avenue to 5th Avenue.
We’ll look at our four favorite spots in Midtown Manhattan for:
Let’s get to the Midtown neighborhood guide. 👇
Note: This article was written by a real human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸
Best Midtown Manhattan Spots & Neighborhood Guide Podcast Episode
Want to hear more podcasts like this? Head here.
Top 4 Things to Do in Upper Midtown
Midtown Manhattan has a surprising number of fun things to do, most notably Central Park!
Here are our four favorite things to do in Midtown:
- Central Park
- MoMa
- Radio City
- Carnegie Hall
Central Park
We could write about Central Park all day long. It’s beautiful, expansive, and lives up to every last bit of hype.
You absolutely must explore the park if you’re coming to NYC, even for at least 10-15 minutes!
Learn about how to get around Central Park here.
You can watch this video walking tour of our favorite loop in the park.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The Museum of Modern Art boasts 708,000 square feet of total floor area, with five floors and thousands and thousands of art pieces. It also averages over 2 million visitors per year!
Some of the popular pieces at the MoMA include:
- Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night
- Henri Rousseau’s The Dream
- Pablo Picasso’s Boy Leading a Horse
- Henri Matisse’s L’Atelier Rouge
- Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans (as of October 2023)
- And many, many more
It is also home to my personal favorite art piece, Monet’s Water Lilies. That room at the MoMA is the definition of peaceful.
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Musical Hall is as breathtaking as it is iconic.
We’ve been lucky enough to see comedy shows, concerts, and the classic Rockettes performances at Radio City!
Even if you just want to walk by, be sure to check it out as part of your Midtown explorations. And if you want to go to a show, know that even the nosebleed seats are just fine!
If you want to buy tickets to a show at Radio City, we recommend Vivid Seats since you’ll earn free tickets through their rewards program.
Carnegie Hall
Along the same lines, Carnegie Hall is one of the most famous concert halls in the world!
While it’s currently covered in scaffolding (as of Summer 2025), the exterior is still an iconic slice of Midtown.
Again, just viewing it from the street is special, but seeing a show inside is even better. See ticket options here.
Bonus Thing to Do in Midtown: Architecture Tours
Midtown is home to some beautiful, unique, and historical buildings.
While you can always explore on your own, guided tours help you make the most of your time and learn the most. Check out a few popular options below. 👇
Top 4 Restaurants in Upper Midtown
While many Midtown restaurants can be expensive due to the corporate crowds, some phenomenal spots are worth checking out.
Here are our four favorite restaurants in Midtown:
Sugarfish
Sugarfish is one of the most affordable omakase sushi options in Manhattan.
Get one of the omakase options; we usually get the Trust Me.
It is also a no-tipping establishment! 🙌
Quality Italian
Quality Italian is a higher-end Italian restaurant in Midtown that does not disappoint.
Every dish we had was phenomenal. We loved the Lobster alla Vodka and the whipped ricotta, in particular.
If you like an after-dinner drink, you must try their homemade sambuca!
Related Reading: Our 10 Favorite Italian Restaurants in NYC
Kin Ramen
Kin Ramen in Midtown Manhattan just might be our new favorite spot in the neighborhood!
It not only has unique cocktails and delicious ramen (amongst other foods), but the ambiance makes it one of the coolest ramen restaurants in all of New York City.
Oh, and it has the most well-decorated bathroom in the city (seriously).
Bengal Tiger
Bengal Tiger is our go-to Indian restaurant in Upper Midtown. Their lunch special makes for a perfect meal before enjoying the MoMA or exploring Central Park. For about $17, you get a tasty appetizer, like the soup above, and an ample-portion entree.
You have to try their coconut naan, too!
Top 4 Coffee Shops in Upper Midtown
Blue Bottle
Blue Bottle has locations throughout the city, but their Midtown location’s coffee is delicious and perfect for grabbing on the way to Central Park.
Zibetto Espresso
Zibetto Espresso Bar has top-notch coffee served from a tiny counter in Midtown. They also offer some tasty pastries and small bites.
Ground Central Coffee Company
Ground Central Coffee Company has multiple Midtown locations, all with a cozy vibe and plenty of seating options. Their WiFi is hit or miss, so don’t bank on that if you need it!
Flavor Taste Bodega – The Cheapest (but still good) Coffee in Midtown
While all the others on this list have phenomenal coffee at a more premium price, the Flavor Taste bodega is probably the cheapest coffee in Midtown.
It’s only a few blocks from Central Park, and you can get a coffee for $1.99. 🙏
Related Reading: NYC Cheap Eats: 10 Meals for $10 (or Less)
This Episode’s You’ll Have to Check It Out Segment – The Ribbon
The Ribbon is a cozy spot near Central Park West on the Upper West Side, with friendly staff, a phenomenal happy hour, and plenty of TVs with sports. They offer delicious drinks & their top-notch chicken tenders are probably our favorites in NYC.
Their happy hour, daily from 4-7 pm, includes $7-$13 bites (including the chicken tenders) and $6 beer, $10 well drinks & wine, and $12 specialty cocktails, including a margarita, old fashioned, and pineapple mule.
Check out The Ribbon on 72nd Street here.
Top 4 Bars in Upper Midtown
Midtown Manhattan is home to phenomenal cocktail bars and plenty of happy hour spots!
Valhalla
Valhalla is our favorite bar in Midtown. If you’re looking for a down-to-earth, fairly priced, and cozy bar in the Hell’s Kitchen area, you’ll love Valhalla.
Not only is the staff always friendly, but they have plenty of tables and seating options for one person up to large groups.
And to round it out, you’ll find a large selection (48, according to their website) of craft and unique beers. Many are on tap!
Tanner Smith’s
Tanner Smith’s is a bustling Midtown bar famous for its happy hour and bottomless brunch.
Their brunch is $35 with the purchase of an entree and gives you unlimited drinks for 90 minutes, available on the weekends!
Haswell Green’s
This bar is named after Andrew Haswell Green, an influential city planner for NYC. Green was responsible for Central Park, the New York Public Library, the Bronx Zoo, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The bar itself boasts two levels, both offering craft cocktails, delicious bites, and live music almost every day of the week.
We love their Espresso Martini flight!
PS- It’s also the Cleveland Browns supporters bar!
Faces & Names
Faces & Names is a bustling, happy hour spot in the heart of Midtown. There’s also a great trivia set up every Tuesday night where you can win prizes like free drinks, appetizers, and gift cards!
Solid food options include mini tacos, burgers, and pretzel bites.
Top 4 Places to Shop Upper Midtown
- 5th Ave/Rockefeller Center
- Nordstrom
- The Shops at Columbus Circle
- Tj Maxx on 57th street & 8th avenue
5th Ave/Rockefeller Center
5th Avenue has a massive array of shopping options, ranging from high-end boutiques to a massive Nike store and an Uniqlo shop.
Rockefeller Center also boasts some epic stores like the Lego Store and the Nintendo Store with a fantastic display of all the Nintendo devices over the years (see picture above)!
Nordstrom
This is a massive Nordstrom in the heart of Midtown, five floors!
The store is divided up with mostly women’s clothing and home goods on one side, and a men’s store on the other side of the street.
Shops at Columbus Circle
The Shops at Columbus Circle offers some excellent shopping options, including:
- Whole Foods
- Fleet Feet Running Store
- Lululemon
- Williams Sonoma
- & so many more
There are also some decent food options and even a live performance center inside The Shops at Columbus Circle.
T.J. Maxx on 57th Street
When it comes to affordable shopping, the T.J. Maxx in Midtown takes the cake. This is a go-to spot for candles, lower-priced clothes, and even great dog toys at a great price.
Here’s a haul of dog toys I got for less than $5 each.
Midtown Neighborhood Guide & Best Spots Recap
Midtown Manhattan is an underrated neighborhood, no matter what the online haters say. 😜
Hopefully, you can check out all of these phenomenal bars, restaurants, and things to do!
Before you leave, sign up for our newsletter! You’ll also get free access to our Ultimate NYC Transportation Guide AND our curated collection of categorized Google Maps lists. 👇
Devin Stagg
As long-time lovers of New York City we made the plunge to move across the country to NYC in early 2021... with our 3 dogs at the time (RIP Buddy). We consider ourself experts in exploring new restaurants, finding the best-rated bars, and activities actually worth doing. Plus, my Google Maps organizational skills are 2nd to none. 😜
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