Perfect For A Park Day: Awesome Restaurants Near Central Park

You can’t explore the Park on an empty stomach!

The cold weather has finally let go of New York! Central Park has gone from a winter wonderland of ice skating and hot chocolate to a wonderful, larger-than-life vibrant garden perfect for enjoying the sun on the great lawns and sipping on iced teas and smoothies. It’s all about the fresh, light, and fragrant flavors of Summer.

Whether you are a wide-eyed tourist or a born and raised New Yorker, there is no denying that Central Park is an especially wonderful place to enjoy the lovely Summer weather. With just how vast Central Park itself is, even a mild tread along the cobblestones beside the great park can leave one with a worked up appetite. Thankfully, HungerPass is here to guide hungry city-goers to the perfect eatery within walking distance of the iconic Central Park.

 

 

Joanne Trattoria $$

70 W 68th Street, New York, NY 10023

If wandering Central Park leads you to the West Side and makes you work up a massive appetite, then the hearty Italian dishes at Joanne Trattoria will certainly cure your hunger pangs. Famously owned by Lady Gaga’s parents, located on W. 68th St. and walking distance from the park, this Italian eatery is a perfect place to rest your weary feet. For Antipasti, you can’t go wrong with dishes like Joanne’s Meatballs, which are made using the special Germanotta family recipe: Grilled Sea Scallops in cream sauce with baby arugula, fried calamari, and hot peppers. Pasta-perfection includes dishes like Linguine Primavera with fresh house vegetables in olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice; Joanne’s Seafood Mac & Cheese with penne, three kinds of cheese, scallops, and shrimp all baked together to form a truly heavenly dish; and Artichoke Walnut Ravioli served in a four-cheese sauce.

Other entrées include grilled Tuscan Ribeye, which is a bone in ribeye steak served with a baked potato; Lemon Artichoke Chicken, which is a fillet of chicken and artichoke hearts in a lemon butter sauce with pasta; and the staple Eggplant Parmesan, which has breaded eggplant topped with mozzarella and Parmesan in a rich tomato gravy. A trip to Joanne Trattoria is the perfect way to end a day after a walk through Central Park!

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Ashoka Indian Restaurant $$

 1718 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128

For an eatery that is within walking distance of Central Park and the iconic American Museum of Natural History, hungry tourists and seasoned New Yorkers alike can head over to Ashoka Indian Restaurant on Columbus Avenue. With vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, there is something on the menu to satisfy all kinds of palates. Appetizers include assorted vegetable fritters fried in chickpea flour batter and served with coriander chutney; Achari Paneer Tikka, which are marinated cubes of Indian cheese with bell peppers and onions barbecued in a clay oven; Chicken Samosas served with mint and tamarind chutney; and Hariyali Scallops, which are scallops marinated with fresh cilantro, roasted garlic, and tamarind and chutney.

Entrées include vegetarian options like Malai Kofta, which are Indian cheese dumplings simmered in creamy tomato sauce and dry fenugreek. Wonderful non-vegetarian options include their raved about Chicken Biryani; Lamb Saag, which has lamb cooked with fresh spinach, garlic, ginger, onion, tomato, and fenugreek seeds; and Mangalorean fish curry, which has salmon simmered in coconut, turmeric, tomato, chili powder, and fresh mango. For this Summer in New York, Ashoka’s menu has the fresh and tasty flavors city-goers are craving.

Members save up to 50% off at this Ashoka location!

 

Ginza $$

800 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10065

Sushi is the perfect springtime dish, and just a few blocks away from the Central Park Zoo stands Ginza on Lexington Avenue, a perfect eatery to get your sushi fix. Diners can enjoy sushi bar creations like the Fantasy Sandwich, with spicy tuna, peanut, avocado, scallion, and tobiko with the chef’s special sauce; King Crab Tartar, which is Alaskan King Crab with avocado surrounded by a luxurious jalapeno mango sauce with crispy leeks; and the new Sashimi Sampler, which has tuna, salmon, and yellowtail sashimi served with three distinctive sauces.

Special sushi rolls to try out include the aptly-named Ginza Roll which has blackened tuna, topic, asparagus, and radish sprouts topped with yellowtail, salmon, eel, salmon, scallions, crunchy tempura, and the chef’s sauce; the Viking Roll, which has eel and avocado inside and tuna, salmon, and yellowtail on top with spicy sauce; and the Snow White Roll, which has spicy Alaskan King Crab and asparagus inside and is topped with white tuna and black Topiko. This is just scratching the surface of what Ginza has to offer sushi cravers and guests can end their sushi feasts on a sweet note with desserts like Fried Green Tea Ice Cream, Banana Tempura, Mango Margie Ice Cream, and even a slice of creamy and crispy Fried Cheesecake.

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9Ten Restaurant $$

910 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019

If traditional American fare is what the heart and stomach desire, then hungry city-goers should head over to 9Ten restaurant located on 7th Avenue between Central Park and Carnegie Hall. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there is something on the menu that would definitely speak to your growling stomach! For breakfast, diners can enjoy fresh foods, juices, and eggs like Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce and their choice of spinach, Black Forest Ham, Smoked Salmon, or Crab Cake; and Omelets with cheese, veggies, lox, or onions, just to name a few options.

Lunch options include expertly-crafted sandwiches like roast beef with horseradish mayo, grilled onions, and Swiss cheese; the 9Ten Ruben, which has warm Schaller and Weber pastrami, gruyere cheese, tobacco onions, and house mediation dressing, all of which comes with a side order of fries. Main courses for dinner include Pomodoro with fresh homemade tomato Pomodoro sauce; Skirt Steak Frites, which is a 10-ounce chili cherry marinated skirt steak with sautéed broccoli rabe and french fries; and Chicken Milanese, which is a crispy Panko-breaded chicken cutlet served with a Panzanella salad. Classic and Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, Rice Pudding, or Apple or Blueberry Pie. 9Ten Restaurant is the “perfect 10” to dine at after exploring Central Park!

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NYC Health Bar $$

1319 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10021

If you’re looking for something light and sweet that you can grab quickly before exploring Central Park, then head over to NYC Health Bar, where healthy smoothies, juices, and acai bowls await. At NYC Health Bar, juice options include Sailor’s Elixir made with spinach, collard greens, celery, carrot, apple, and lemon; the Beet It juice made with beets, celery, carrots, and apples; and the Magnificent Purple made with carrots, apples, kale, beets, spinach, lemon, and ginger. Guilt-free smoothies to indulge in include the Blue Dream, made with almond milk, mango, blueberry, banana, and cashew; the Something Peachy made with peach, strawberry, banana, pomegranate, fresh orange juice, and plain sorbet; and the Mango Berrylicious made with mango, banana, blueberry, hemp milk, strawberry, and mango sorbet.

Acai bowls include the Let’s Detoxify with organic acai, coconut milk, banana, flax seed, kale, and spirulina; the Energy Emoji which is made with organic acai, hemp milk, flax seed, banana, strawberry, and pineapple topped with banana, bee pollen, goji berry, honey, strawberry, and mango; and the Krazy Nutty made with organic acai, almond milk, apple juice, banana, and peanut butter topped with almond, banana, honey, and strawberry. NYC Health Bar is a great light snack alternative that one can enjoy while they keep exploring the many hidden places in Central Park!

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Written by Raidah Islam