NYCGuide
Where To Eat Near The High Line
photo credit: David A. Lee
In the mid-twentieth century, the High Line was home to an elevated railroad. Now, it's a public park where you can take a walk, sniff a few flowers, and enjoy some nice scenery that mostly consists of high-end condos. The park extends from Meatpacking to Manhattan West, running the entire length of Chelsea, where there are plenty of great restaurants to check out. If you're looking for food to take on the High Line or trying to find a place where you can eat before or after your stroll, here's where to go.
THE SPOTS
Get brunch at Cookshop, then take a walk on the High Line. That's a classic formula, and it's what a quarter of the people in Chelsea do on any given weekend. Cookshop has a big, bright, plant-lined dining room, and you can stop by for all the brunch greatest hits: pancakes, huevos rancheros, a burger, etc. If it's nice out, grab a seat on the outdoor patio that gets busy in the summer. Once you finish up, you'll only have to walk a few blocks north to the nearest High Line entrance.
photo credit: Carina Finn
Chelsea Market gets a bad reputation for being kind of touristy, but if you’re on the High Line, there’s at least a 50% chance you’re with a tourist, so just embrace it. There are multiple floors of good food here that will impress both out-of-towners (the pasta omakase at La Devozione) and native New Yorkers (Alf Bakery). You might have to deal with some people who don’t understand the rules of walking down a busy corridor, but it’s worth it.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Though it's located in Chelsea Market, this original location of Los Tacos No. 1 deserves special mention. This counter-service spot is home to some of the best tacos in the city (largely thanks to the house-made tortillas), and it draws a crowd—but the line moves fast, and the wait is always worth it. Get an agua fresca and a few adobada tacos, and be sure to accessorize your food with lime and salsa. There's no seating, so you might as well plan a picnic on the High Line.
It's becoming harder and harder to find a place where you can get a meal for under $10. But if you stop by Dil-e Punjab Deli on 9th Ave, you can get a few vegetarian Indian dishes scooped into a box for around six bucks. Options rotate daily, and they tend to include things like daal, sarson ka saag, and a mildly sweet aloo gobi. There isn't really any room to eat inside of the tiny space, but just take your container of food a few blocks to the High Line entrance at 23rd Street.
For a fun, casual group meal near the High Line, Shukette is our top pick. It's also apparently the top pick for everyone else in the neighborhood. Reservations can be tough, so try to book a few weeks in advance. The narrow dining room (which has a long bar that's great for solo dining) is always lively, and the Middle Eastern food is creative and satisfying. Start your meal with a few house-baked breads, then get the half chicken and "fish in a cage" for the table.
At the northern end of the High Line, you'll find a shiny new development with vaguely dystopian undertones. It's called Manhattan West, and it's home to a few glitzy restaurants that are much better than their surroundings suggest. Ci Siamo, an Italian spot from Danny Meyer, is one of those of those restaurants, but if you want to grab an impressive meal with a group, go to Zou Zou's. The menu is full of fun twists on Eastern Mediterranean food like Moroccan fried chicken and a pistachio-covered duck borek, and everything's great for sharing. There's also a big bar at the front of the cavernous space where you can grab a post-walk spritz.
Right next to Manhattan West (and also at the tail end of the High Line), there's another fancy new development known as Hudson Yards. You've probably heard of it. It's essentially a giant upscale mall with some offices and an Equinox, although it does have a few redeeming features. One of them is Mercado Little Spain, the Spanish food hall from José Andrés. Here, you can walk around and pick up Spanish goods and snacks at various kiosks, and there are also a few sit-down spots where you can have a full meal. We're partial to La Barra, the tapas place in the middle of the market serving things like patatas bravas and Madrid-style beef tripe stew.
photo credit: Kate Previte
Back when Forsyth Fire Escape was a pop-up, you had to reserve your food online then pick it up at a bodega in Chinatown. Now that there's a brick-and-mortar location in Olly Olly Market, things are less complicated. Forsyth still only sells one item: a scallion pancake burrito stuffed with pernil, guacamole, and lemongrass chili crisp. A mashup of Chinese, Thai, and Dominican flavors, the burrito makes for a rich, hefty lunch, and you can easily eat one while you take a long walk.
If you want to spend your whole day outside, you could always head to the Frying Pan or grab a drink at Le Bain after you call it quits on the High Line. But if you go to one of those spots, an intern will probably spill a vodka soda on you. So try Gallow Green, the bar and restaurant on top of The McKittrick Hotel. It's one of the more civilized rooftops around, and you can easily make a reservation. Drink some frosé and eat a cheeseburger or some calamari on the big, leafy outdoor patio.
Once you walk the length of the High Line and stare into the windows of some multi-million-dollar apartments, exit the park at 23rd Street and take a breather at this tapas spot. Tia Pol is about the size of a single subway car, with brick walls and a chalkboard full of specials, and it's a nice place to hang out with glass of wine, especially if you're on a date. To accompany your wine, order some creamy croquetas, gambas al ajillo, and little triangles of jamón stuffed with manchego.
