Theater District

Budget

Budget
$
Cranberry Cafe
115 W 45th St
Always open.
1 block from Times Square

A huge variety of sandwiches, pizza, sushi, and udon. Hot and cold salad bars. Sandwiches are $4-$6. Very popular with local workers, so it gets very busy at breakfast and lunch time. There is ample seating upstairs.

Budget
$
Poseidon Bakery
629 9th Ave
+1 212 757-6173
between 44th and 45th Sts

Serves wonderful Greek pastries, savory and sweet alike. There is no place to sit, but the staff are very friendly and helpful, and you can have a delicious, cheap meal for takeout.

Midrange

Midrange
$$
Carnegie Deli
854 7th Ave
+1 212 757-2245
6:30AM-4AM daily
at 55th St

This popular deli is a place some love and some hate. They serves enormous sandwiches -- each of which could easily feed two hungry people. There is a $3 charge for sharing the sandwiches.

Midrange
$$
Meskerem
468 W 47th St
+1 212 664-0520
Entrees are $8-19.95
Noon-11PM daily
between 9th and 10th Aves

Delicious Ethiopian food, served on delightfully sour injera sour dough flatbread made from teff, an Ethiopian grain. The combos are the best values, and consider getting some tej mead to drink with the meal. Bottles are a good value at $18.

Midrange
$$
Ocha
350 W 46th St
+1 212 581-3198
between 8th and 9th Aves

Japanese restaurant with good sushi.

Midrange
$$
Vice Versa
325 W 51st St
+1 212 399-9291
$10-$25
between 8th and 9th Aves

Simple, but tasty Italian fare.

Midrange
$$
Ariana Afghan Kebab House
787 9th Ave
+1 212 262-2323 or +1 212 262-0065
About $20-30/person for a large 3-course meal with a non-alcoholic beverage
11:30AM-10:30PM daily
between 52nd and 53rd Sts

Very good food, which of course includes kebabs, but also peppery Aush a type of beany noodle soup, Badinjan Burani a fried eggplant appetizer garlic and yogurt, served with bread, etc. Salads, which come with main dishes, have a dressing which includes mayonnaise. Ask for no dressing and put the green hot sauce on them yourself.

Midrange
$$
Gazala's Place
709 9th Ave
+1 212 245-0709
Mezes: $5-$9.95; Soups: $4.50; Salads: $7.50-8:50; Breads and savory pies: $4.50-$5.50; Sandwiches: $3.50-6.00; Entrees: $8.95-$17.95; Desserts: $5.50-9.50
Sun-Fri: 11am-11pm Sat: 11am-midnight
Between 48th and 49th Sts.

Dependably delicious Israeli Druze cuisine. Their babaganush is categorically better than at most other places, with great smokiness. Their special meze platter, which is not on the menu but seems to always be available, is a fair deal at $20-something. The restaurant is a bit cramped, especially when you have to walk through the kitchen to the restroom, but for food this good at these kinds of prices this close to Times Square and helpful service, it's really worthwhile.

Top end

Top end
$$$
Aureole
135 West 42nd St
+1 212 319-1660
between 6th and 7th Aves
Top end
$$$
Barbetta
321 W 46th St
+1 212 246-9171
between 8th and 9th Aves
Top end
$$$
Gordon Ramsay at The London NYC
151 West 54th St
+1 212 468-8888
between 6th and 7th Ave

Times Square can seem infested with glorified, tacky, and overpriced versions of chain restaurants like McDonalds, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Red Lobster, and Applebee's that you can find anywhere else in America. These restaurants are more expensive than their suburban counterparts a Big Mac costs $6 However, there are better food options available in the area, especially if you get away from Times Square proper and explore other areas in the Theater District.