Mandy Oser’s Hell’s Kitchen hangout remains a fine spot for a pre-theater glass of Spanish orange wine, French sparkling wine, and scores of other selections across the list. Also stick around for chorizo croquettes, smoked bluefish dip, shishito peppers, or spiced lamb skewers. Accepts reservations.

Find some of the city's best Cuban sandwiches, vaca frita (skirt steak fried to the texture of soft jerky), and mojitos. Warning: The mojitos are strong, which is especially dangerous on Tuesdays when they're just $6 apiece. Swing by after a show for live Cuban music every night. Reservations are available.

This is the go-to affordable Japanese late-night dining spot of choice in the Theater District. The menu is long, like at any izakaya, but highlights include the namesake rice bowls — try the one with soft eel — chicken katsu curry with a rich, beefy sauce, and sizzling crab omelets drenched in heady seafood jus. Note that tipping is included in menu prices. Reservations available.

Southern Thai restaurant that serves dishes including a spicy lumpu salad; jor pu, fried tofu skin, stuffed with crabmeat, shrimp, and pork; and khao yum, a fish dish with jasmine rice and crab roe. Chef Nate Limwong grew up in Surat Thani, on the coast of southern Thailand, runs the kitchen.

Hell’s Kitchen has long been a hotbed of Thai cooking; one of the top new additions to that community is LumLum, courtesy of sisters and owners Sommy and Mo Hensawang. Drop by for the squid ink soup, the branzino with bird’s eye chiles, and the regal Thai river prawns with chile lime dressing. Accepts reservations.

Meske offers breathtakingly flavorful and affordable Ethiopian fare and just a short walk from the Richard Rogers theater, home to the not-quite-affordable “Hamilton.” Keep it simple: Order an Ethiopian lager and the combination platter, a heady pile of berbere spiced lentils, collards, and meats on injera, the traditionally sour and spongy bread. No reservations.

This isn't one of those hip natural wine bars found in Paris or downtown Manhattan; this is a classic place to enjoy classic wines in expensive Zalto stems, a place where the entry-level Champagne runs $32. Also go for the charcuterie, the crispy duck leg, or the heady merguez sausage in pita. Reservations available.

Restaurant Row in the Theater District is where first-time restaurateur Jasmine Gerald and famed chef Basil Jones show off the multitudinous flavors of Jamaica and the larger Caribbean. Smoked jerk wings, spicy and pungent, are a good place to start. Then try out some tender brown stew chicken dripping in rich sauce. Also don’t miss the jazzy pasta, a creamy rasta pasta-style classic laced with peppers, jerk-style seasonings, and parmesan. Accepts reservations.

This is the definitive answer to “Where can I listen to live old time-y music in Times Square without a cover charge?” The dimly lit space in the Hotel Edison is an oasis of (crowded) civility on 47th Street, and while the kitchen offers a few small bites — popcorn and warm pretzels — the drinks are the draw, from a solid classic daiquiri, to a rum old-fashioned, to a non-frozen riff on the piña colada. No reservations.

This longtime Kosher spot remains a gem of a French steakhouse in the Theater District. Swing by for some of the city’s most tender beef jerky, buttery roast chicken, and a variety of steaks, the best of which is the exceedingly marbled butcher’s cut, a wonderfully fatty rib cap for $59. Accepts reservations.

This fast-casual taqueria is ideal for when the curtain call is in 20 minutes or less. If that sounds like too much of a concessionary recommendation, consider that Los Tacos is one of the city's most heralded taco stands. The right move is the al pastor, pork spinning on a spit, crisped on the griddle, stuffed into a corn tortilla, and garnished with pineapple. No beer or booze here: instead, there’s horchata, grape soda, and Fanta. No reservations.

This Central Asian spot might just be one of the best places to eat grilled meat in all of Midtown West. Owner Farida Gabbassova-Ricciardelli and chef Umitjon Kamolov serve serious charcoal-grilled shashlik; the chicken thigh skewers balance crisp skin with fatty juiciness and tender flesh. Be sure to try the Uzbek national dish that is plov, rice pilaf made sweet from aromatic carrots and funky with tender chunks of heady lamb. As of 2022, there’s also, a Fidi location, too. (For kosher Uzbek fare, check out the excellent Taam Tov in the Diamond District.) Accepts reservations.