Restaurants in Meatpacking District (New York City)

Lotus

This three-floor space in the Meatpacking District features a dance club, a lounge, and a restaurant area serving urban Asian cuisine. Choose to start things off with a Vegetable Summer Roll and kick things into high gear with their excellent Roasted Penang Duck. Lotus is also known for throwing amazing parties, so people are lining up at night clamoring to get in here. If you make dinner reservations in the restaurant section, there is no cover charge to hang out on the other levels afterwards.

Fressen

This Meatpacking District hotspot serves excellent organic cuisine, but most people are really here for the scene. It is a great spot to go and mingle among the beautiful people. The incredibly slick décor, which includes minimalist concrete walls and bronze doors, was created from a space that was formerly a meat locker. Menu standouts include grilled fish and chicken dishes, all accented by the trendiest of greens. And everything is served up with an ample dose of downtown attitude. If you cannot get a table, the bar offers a similar experience.

Soho House Restaurant & Bar

Nobody knows where Soho House took its name from. Located in the Meatpacking District of New York City, the bar and restaurant are housed in the Soho House Hotel, and offer fine dining and drinking to its guests. Tourists and locals treat themselves to delicious contemporary dishes in the hotel's elegant restaurant. If you are here for a quick bite, simply order the special Soho House Cheeseburger, and munch on it as you simultaneously capture beautiful views of downtown Manhattan on your camera. Move over to the hotel's posh bar, sprawl on spongy sofas and chat with family and friends over few glasses of exotic cocktails. The restaurant also offers full meals.

One

Sensual and warm, One beckons you into its candle-lit confines. This restaurant and lounge woos you and your honey with its great ambience, groovy music and tasty American cuisine. Add some sizzle to your date with drinks from the champagne bar, while you take in the fashionable crowd and atmosphere. A separate communal dining lounge and a VIP area ensure that there are plenty of seating options. One is trendy, romantic and open till the naughty wee hours; dating just got hotter!

Pop Burger

With four dining areas each more chic than the last, a full bar staffed by expert mixologists, and a menu that is trend-settingly spartan, it is easy to understand why this ostensible burger joint is more high-end nightlife than greasy spoon. That said, the menu itself is a short-but-sweet ode to classic diner fare. Burgers are of the "mini" variety and served by the pair. A few sides and a couple desserts round out the food menu. The drink menu is another story—a number of specialty cocktails top a list that includes tons of draught beer, plenty of wine, nearly a dozen single malt scotches and more than a few small-batch bourbons. Enjoy your bites and libations at the bar, at the counter, in the lounge or in the pool room, all of which are marvels of architecture and design.

Nero Vino Bar Cucina

The Meatpacking district is transforming into this neighborhood with an increasing amount of chic restaurants and Nero Vino Bar Cucina is one of them. Authentic Italian cuisine is just what you'll find here. Prompt service, a dynamic wine list and the popular Skirt Steak is what keep the patrons returning for more. What's more, the owner gives personal attention to his guests and in case of something disappointing, is readily willing to compensate.

Hog Pit

This no-frills eatery serves good, old-fashioned Southern barbecue in a space thoroughly lacking in ambiance. What you will find is some flavorful favorites. Start with Hush Puppies or Baby Back Pork Ribs. Move on to chicken dumplings or meatloaf, but save room for the black-eyed peas. Wash it all down with one of their excellent beers. The service is friendly and helpful.

Restaurant Florent

While the Meatpacking District is not normally associated with either French cuisine or a family atmosphere, Restaurant Florent offers both. For breakfast, lunch or dinner, the setting is relaxed, the food is great, and the prices are reasonable. French American bistro food is available 24 hours a day, and a full bar is open at night. There is a large regular menu, and a three-course prix-fixe dinner at reasonable rates. Delivery and catering are available. No credit cards are accepted.

Pastis

This bistro situated in the meatpacking district is immensely popular due to its remarkably French atmosphere, fine food and attentive service. There is outdoor seating, and the dining room features tiles on the floor, antique mirrors on the walls and leather banquettes everywhere. A happy bar scene is ongoing in the lounge. Dishes of note include the house pate, onion soup gratinee, oysters on the half shell, roast leg of lamb, and the whole fish of the day. Pastis is owned by Keith McNally of Balthazar fame. Also check the website for timings.

ONO

The plush Ono Restaurant, located in the chic Gansevoort Hotel, exquisitly combines traditional and modern Japanese cuisine in a modern setting. Enjoy sushi that melts in your mouth and skewered meats that are grilled over an open flame in one of the semi-private tatami booths. Or indulge in one of the exclusive cabanas in the lush urban garden.

Chinghalle

Mark Strausman, the restaurateur behind Fred's at Barney's and the ever-popular Italian restaurant Campagna, has opened this brasserie-style eatery in the meatpacking district. The split-level former warehouse has plenty of polished wooden tables, a large bar area and an attractive clientèle. Modern French renditions of steak and game are featured at Chinghalle, most with an Italian flare. The name of this spot means 'Wild Boar', and not surprisingly, the dish is included on the menu.

5 Ninth

Those who savor the flavors of Asia will enjoy a meal at this eatery, but may be disappointed if they're ravenous, for the portions can be quite small! The ambiance is cheery enough, though – pretty curtains billow in windows that overlook the cobbled street, a great wooden door and pew-like seats add a quaint touch, and the garden patio, surrounded by vines, is a hot spot in summer. The slow-cooked Pork in Rhubarb-Lemon Sauce is a specialty, and noodles served with Chinese sausages are also quite popular. Chef Zakary Pelaccio is a master with meats, so muscle your way through some juicy ribs. Make your presence felt, as the staff is not too forthcoming. The wine list is decent enough - a recommended wine is the Valle Isarco Veltliner; it's surprisingly affordable.