Lia’s Neighborhood Guidebook

Food scene

David Burke Tavern

135 E 62nd St

The Bar Room

15 abantu bendawo batusa

The Bar Room

117 E 60th St

15 abantu bendawo batusa

Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter 2

22 abantu bendawo batusa

Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter 2

156 E 64th St

22 abantu bendawo batusa

The East Pole

The original T.G.I. Friday’s opened as a singles bar on 63rd and 1st in 1965, apparently so that the owner could meet women. (Please take a moment to imagine the pick-up lines shared over an appetizer sampler.) Then that location closed down, leaving the east 60s without a place for people to socialize, eat calamari, drink martinis, and tastefully proposition others for casual sex. That is, until The East Pole opened in 2014. Unlike any T.G.I Friday’s we’ve ever graced, The East Pole takes up the first two floors of a beautiful brownstone. It’s the sort of classy place where servers look forward to emphasizing the “heritage” when they talk about the heritage pork chop with chicory greens. Heritage or not, The East Pole’s American food won’t spin you into ecstasy or outrage. It’s all about seven dollars more than you want it to be (there’s a decent kale pesto cavatelli for $24 and better-than-decent grilled snap peas for $16, for example). The East Pole’s greatest quality is its reliability as a social epicenter. So even though the Scottish salmon tartare might not blow your mind, keep this spot in your mental restaurant rolodex the next time you’re meeting up with a date in the area or you want to sit at the bar, drink a cocktail, and imagine what went down at the first-ever T.G.I. Friday’s.

20 abantu bendawo batusa

The East Pole

133 E 65th St

20 abantu bendawo batusa

The original T.G.I. Friday’s opened as a singles bar on 63rd and 1st in 1965, apparently so that the owner could meet women. (Please take a moment to imagine the pick-up lines shared over an appetizer sampler.) Then that location closed down, leaving the east 60s without a place for people to socialize, eat calamari, drink martinis, and tastefully proposition others for casual sex. That is, until The East Pole opened in 2014. Unlike any T.G.I Friday’s we’ve ever graced, The East Pole takes up the first two floors of a beautiful brownstone. It’s the sort of classy place where servers look forward to emphasizing the “heritage” when they talk about the heritage pork chop with chicory greens. Heritage or not, The East Pole’s American food won’t spin you into ecstasy or outrage. It’s all about seven dollars more than you want it to be (there’s a decent kale pesto cavatelli for $24 and better-than-decent grilled snap peas for $16, for example). The East Pole’s greatest quality is its reliability as a social epicenter. So even though the Scottish salmon tartare might not blow your mind, keep this spot in your mental restaurant rolodex the next time you’re meeting up with a date in the area or you want to sit at the bar, drink a cocktail, and imagine what went down at the first-ever T.G.I. Friday’s.

Amali

The idea at Amali is farm-to-table Mediterranean cuisine, which probably doesn’t tell you much, unless you’re a big fan of olives from upstate New York. What we can tell you is that the food is both interesting and delicious, which makes Amali stand out from the rest of the overpriced stalwarts of the Upper East Side. Add that up with a friendly staff and the aforementioned music selections, and you’ve got yourself a place we remain very high on, even after several years. Some tips - go heavy on the vegetables section of the menu, and order something you might not usually go for. Translation...skip the fish this time. You might as well get some excitement for your money.

9 abantu bendawo batusa

Amali

115 E 60th St

9 abantu bendawo batusa

The idea at Amali is farm-to-table Mediterranean cuisine, which probably doesn’t tell you much, unless you’re a big fan of olives from upstate New York. What we can tell you is that the food is both interesting and delicious, which makes Amali stand out from the rest of the overpriced stalwarts of the Upper East Side. Add that up with a friendly staff and the aforementioned music selections, and you’ve got yourself a place we remain very high on, even after several years. Some tips - go heavy on the vegetables section of the menu, and order something you might not usually go for. Translation...skip the fish this time. You might as well get some excitement for your money.

Serendipity 3

123 abantu bendawo batusa

Serendipity 3

225 E 60th St

123 abantu bendawo batusa

Donohue's Steak House

Dining at this family-owned steakhouse is like revisiting old New York. Regulars, from locals to literary types, hold court at the black leather booths or sit at the long bar sipping cocktails. The menu includes the usual cuts of steaks but other old-time items include chopped steak and chicken pot pie.

Donohue's Steak House

845 Lexington Ave

Dining at this family-owned steakhouse is like revisiting old New York. Regulars, from locals to literary types, hold court at the black leather booths or sit at the long bar sipping cocktails. The menu includes the usual cuts of steaks but other old-time items include chopped steak and chicken pot pie.

Maya

41 abantu bendawo batusa

Maya

1191 1st Ave.

41 abantu bendawo batusa

Avra Madison Estiatorio

17 abantu bendawo batusa

Avra Madison Estiatorio

14 E 60th St

17 abantu bendawo batusa

Club Macanudo

26 East 63rd Street

Altesi Madison

26 E 64th St

Aperitivo

Serving thin crust pizzas, homemade pastas, and other Italian dishes.Americano pizza, Meatballs, and Tortellini Ala Norma.

Aperitivo

279 5th Ave

Serving thin crust pizzas, homemade pastas, and other Italian dishes.Americano pizza, Meatballs, and Tortellini Ala Norma.

maman

Maman offers a selection of delicious baked goods, coffee, fresh breakfast and lunch options, and seated lunch, brunch. They serve a broad menu of hearty farm fresh salads, quiches, sandwiches, and of course pastries and sweets - their famous nutty chocolate chip cookie, named one of ‘Oprah’s favorite things’ for 2017 and one of the best chocolate chip cookies in new york from ny magazine.

maman

667 Lexington Avenue

Maman offers a selection of delicious baked goods, coffee, fresh breakfast and lunch options, and seated lunch, brunch. They serve a broad menu of hearty farm fresh salads, quiches, sandwiches, and of course pastries and sweets - their famous nutty chocolate chip cookie, named one of ‘Oprah’s favorite things’ for 2017 and one of the best chocolate chip cookies in new york from ny magazine.

Majorelle

28 East 63rd Street

TBar

Bobby Van's

131 E 54th St

Urbanspace at 570 Lex

Little Collins, Go Fish, Pita Yeero, Playa Bowls, Robertas, Takumi Taco, Bull Chicken, Dorado, Little Biggs. Bao by Kaya, Lekka Burger

Urbanspace at 570 Lex

570 Lexington Ave

Little Collins, Go Fish, Pita Yeero, Playa Bowls, Robertas, Takumi Taco, Bull Chicken, Dorado, Little Biggs. Bao by Kaya, Lekka Burger

Casa Cruz

Casa Cruz makes Soho House look like WeWork. The original location of this semi-exclusive restaurant and clubhouse is located in London, but you’ll find a second outpost on the Upper East Side. It occupies an entire six-story townhouse, and even the elevator has parquet floors. Membership costs about as much as a factory-fresh Lamborghini, but if you aren’t a member, you can still eat here. In addition to an indoor dining room with velvet furniture and shiny copper accents, there’s a little terrace at the top where you can sit on a pink banquette and eat upscale New American food. Obviously, the food is pricey (entrees are $30-$80), but—for what is essentially a country club on steroids—the dishes aren’t bad. Try the smoky strip steak cooked in a coal-fired oven, or, ideally, save a little money and just make a trip to the second-floor bar when you feel compelled to check this place out.

Casa Cruz

Casa Cruz makes Soho House look like WeWork. The original location of this semi-exclusive restaurant and clubhouse is located in London, but you’ll find a second outpost on the Upper East Side. It occupies an entire six-story townhouse, and even the elevator has parquet floors. Membership costs about as much as a factory-fresh Lamborghini, but if you aren’t a member, you can still eat here. In addition to an indoor dining room with velvet furniture and shiny copper accents, there’s a little terrace at the top where you can sit on a pink banquette and eat upscale New American food. Obviously, the food is pricey (entrees are $30-$80), but—for what is essentially a country club on steroids—the dishes aren’t bad. Try the smoky strip steak cooked in a coal-fired oven, or, ideally, save a little money and just make a trip to the second-floor bar when you feel compelled to check this place out.

India Palace

At India Palace (401 East 62nd Street), you’ll find the customary staples that most Indian restaurants offer, such as complimentary papad (crispy black gram flour-based chips) with accompanying assorted chutneys (sauces); samosas (deep-friend potato pastries); tandoori chicken; and channa masala (chickpeas cooked in a tangy spicy sauce). What sets this Indian restaurant apart from many others in the area, however, is that in addition to the authentic conventional dishes that will remind Indians of home, it also serves typical Western dishes with an Indian twist. For example, you could get chicken wings as an appetizer, but these are not your ordinary chicken wings. Instead of the barbecue sauce you might be expecting, you’ll taste a curry-like sauce made with Indian spices. You can also try the restaurant’s onion rings (listed on the menu as onion pakoda), but with a slightly smoother texture than typical Western onion rings and a galore of Indian spices. If you’re craving a combination of seafood and vegetables, the Bengal shrimp with asparagus would be the perfect option for you—a recipe that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Are you a vegetarian looking for a good mix of protein and vegetables? Then you’ll definitely want to try to daal (lentils) broccoli. The unique array of dishes served at India Palace represents a blending of different cultures—quite reminiscent of the city in which the restaurant finds itself—making it a spot where almost anyone can find something that appeals to them.

India Palace

At India Palace (401 East 62nd Street), you’ll find the customary staples that most Indian restaurants offer, such as complimentary papad (crispy black gram flour-based chips) with accompanying assorted chutneys (sauces); samosas (deep-friend potato pastries); tandoori chicken; and channa masala (chickpeas cooked in a tangy spicy sauce). What sets this Indian restaurant apart from many others in the area, however, is that in addition to the authentic conventional dishes that will remind Indians of home, it also serves typical Western dishes with an Indian twist. For example, you could get chicken wings as an appetizer, but these are not your ordinary chicken wings. Instead of the barbecue sauce you might be expecting, you’ll taste a curry-like sauce made with Indian spices. You can also try the restaurant’s onion rings (listed on the menu as onion pakoda), but with a slightly smoother texture than typical Western onion rings and a galore of Indian spices. If you’re craving a combination of seafood and vegetables, the Bengal shrimp with asparagus would be the perfect option for you—a recipe that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Are you a vegetarian looking for a good mix of protein and vegetables? Then you’ll definitely want to try to daal (lentils) broccoli. The unique array of dishes served at India Palace represents a blending of different cultures—quite reminiscent of the city in which the restaurant finds itself—making it a spot where almost anyone can find something that appeals to them.

ARORA - L'art Du Cocktail

The Pho Lexington

LENWICH

Korean Express

sweetgreen

TAO Uptown

73 abantu bendawo batusa

TAO Uptown

42 E 58th St

73 abantu bendawo batusa

All'Antico Vinaio

Bagel Point

Just Salad

Cafe Sabarsky

This Viennese cafe in the Neue Galerie is useful for a fancy breakfast or lunch near Central Park, especially if you like the sound of drinking bracingly strong kaffee creme next to a Bösendorfer grand piano. We usually order wienerschnitzel (the best in the city) or bavarian sausage served with a soft pretzel, and sweets like sachertorte and apfelstrudel.

25 abantu bendawo batusa

Cafe Sabarsky

1048 5th Ave

25 abantu bendawo batusa

This Viennese cafe in the Neue Galerie is useful for a fancy breakfast or lunch near Central Park, especially if you like the sound of drinking bracingly strong kaffee creme next to a Bösendorfer grand piano. We usually order wienerschnitzel (the best in the city) or bavarian sausage served with a soft pretzel, and sweets like sachertorte and apfelstrudel.

Bohemian Spirit

This New York institution with cottage fries and green-checked tablecloths has been serving its simple, classic burgers since TGI Friday's was nothing more than a swinging singles bar down the street. If you haven't been to this iconic burger establishment, there are a few things you should know: it will inevitably be crowded, it’s cash-only, and you need to order the chili and a martini in addition to your burger. And once you’ve been, you’ll think about going back every time you feel overwhelmingly sad, happy, or drunk.

Bohemian Spirit

This New York institution with cottage fries and green-checked tablecloths has been serving its simple, classic burgers since TGI Friday's was nothing more than a swinging singles bar down the street. If you haven't been to this iconic burger establishment, there are a few things you should know: it will inevitably be crowded, it’s cash-only, and you need to order the chili and a martini in addition to your burger. And once you’ve been, you’ll think about going back every time you feel overwhelmingly sad, happy, or drunk.