NYCGuide

The Best Restaurants In Nomad

Where to eat above Madison Square Park.
The Best Restaurants In Nomad image

photo credit: Kate Previte

Nomad is a part of town just above Madison Square Park, with a bunch of hotels, in addition to new condos that are probably going to end up being more hotels. Maybe you're in this area because you work nearby, or maybe you just like looking at the first ever Shake Shack. Whatever the reason, here's where to get Korean small plates, smoked brisket, vitello tonnato, and more when you get hungry.

THE SPOTS


photo credit: Kate Previte

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Nomad

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Koloman serves decadent, inventive Viennese food with a French twist. The open kitchen gives major Ratatouille vibes, the service is tight, and every dish has a surprising element, from starters like a celery root tartare to a duck egg crème brûlée for dessert. Come hungry, and be sure to get the whole roasted chicken. It's dry-aged for over 90 days and served with the fluffiest, butteriest spätzle we’ve ever had.


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If you’re looking for dinner, and you’re looking for dinner right now, Atomix won’t be a possibility. It’s an impossible reservation, and we think you might be laughed at if you tried to walk in. But the $450, 11-course tasting menu is still one of the best dining options in the area, so remember it the next time you want to try really, really hard at something. If you do manage to secure a reservation, expect things like langoustine with kimchi and fermented rice, and rockfish with corn husk tea.


Atoboy is a Korean restaurant from the team behind Atomix, and a bunch of other spots on this guide (Hojokban, Her Name is Han). And like a lot of those places, the narrow, windowless, mostly-concrete space has a minimalist feel to it. Your only option is a four-course $75 (gratuity included) dinner, with plenty of possible add-ons. Dishes change often, but your meal might include a plate of meaty yellowtail with green mustard and some shrimp mandu in a lobster broth. This is one of the top prix-fixe options in the city, and it's always a fun, impressive, and surprisingly casual experience.


At LittleMad, you can add caviar, uni, and/or truffles to every dish, sort of like how you’d add parmesan crisps to a salad at Sweetgreen. But this isn't fine dining. The mostly concrete space has an industrial feel—with scuffed floors and an open kitchen—and the menu is full of French and Korean-inspired small plates. Want a prime short rib galbi with (optional) bone marrow? Or how about a chou farci-mandoo mashup in a silky lobster sabayon with a big dollop of caviar? The correct answer to both of these questions is yes.


Her Name is Han is a cool, casual Korean restaurant on 31st Street that looks like a cross between a library, an East Village apartment, and a movie studio. As for the food, everything from the seafood stews to the spicy pork and noodle soups tend to be memorable. We've sent a lot of people here, and the texts we get after they eat always say something along the lines of: “Holy sh*t.”


It seems like Upland was put on this planet to please as many people as possible. This restaurant works well for almost any occasion, whether it's a casual lunch or a celebratory night out. The expansive dining room feels like the world's nicest Williams Sonoma, and the California-inspired menu includes pasta, pizza, and lots of veggies. Our orders here usually include the spaghetti al limone and the cheeseburger (one of the best in the city), which is only available at lunch or brunch.


The next time you need to meet a friend for dinner after work in the area, head to Hojokban. Here, you can eat galbi served atop a carved wooden pedestal, which feels more special than eating off a regular platter. There’s an order of this house specialty on every table, along with other Korean comfort food, like budae jigae laden with Spam. It’s a casual spot, but one where you can linger over return-to-office drama in between bites of ribs and scallion salad.


When José Andrés isn’t busy trying to save the world, he’s opening restaurants like Zaytinya (a DC import) in the Ritz Carlton. The spacious setting, with its blue and white accents and indoor trees, will make you feel like you’re at a seaside resort even if it's the dead of winter. Prioritize seafood mezze, like the smoky grilled octopus and sweet pieces of cold shrimp in a creamy mustard sauce. If you get two to three items per person, you’ll get to sample a good variety of flavors, and amount of food for the price.

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If you see a line out the door near 28th Street and Broadway, it's probably for KazuNori, a sushi hand roll specialist from the team behind Sugarfish. Once you finally get a seat at the long, U-shaped counter, pencil in your order on a paper menu. Most people opt for one of the set menus (three to six handrolls for $18 to $34), and we suggest you do the same. The rolls are filled with things like toro, yellowtail, and bay scallops, and we always order an extra crab roll.


The specialty at this Japanese spot is yakitori, but there’s also a literal binder full of other dishes, ranging from a sushi roll with shaved parmesan to chicken liver pâté served with ginger and little pieces of baguette. Plan on ordering a ton of small things, all of which will come out of the kitchen at lightning speed.


Hill Country works for just about any situation, assuming you’re looking to eat dry-rubbed, slow-smoked meat off of butcher paper. The upstairs part of this massive spot has outdoor, bar, and communal seating, and the equally large downstairs area has a stage for live music. You can get a combo platter with a variety of meats and sides, but we recommend focusing your attention on the brisket and spicy sausage, which, along with the cornbread, are the best things here.


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When you look around at this huge upscale Lebanese restaurant, the walls and ceiling will bring to mind a Mondrian painting, and you'll notice that an entire bowling lane (or two) could probably fit into the dining room. There's also a very long bar, and it's a great place to enjoy some arak alongside fattoush and duck shawarma. Come here when you know you'll have a large party, or when the headcount for an outing unexpectedly triples.


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If you work in Nomad, you should know about Lupetto. Its velvet banquettes are crowded with coworkers,  forming unbreakable bonds over a steady stream of red wine and red meat. Like its sister restaurant, La Pecora Bianca, Lupetto is a highly unobjectionable place, and also highly accommodating. The first three pastas can be made gluten-free, dietary restrictions are catered to, and the wood-fired Italian steakhouse also has chicken and fish “because we have to," a server told us. Come here for your next work dinner, and trust that everyone in your party will be very satisfied.

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