10 Delicious Pre-Theatre Restaurants in NYC’s Theatre District

Pre-theatre dining in NYC's Theatre District near Times Square.

I work in the Theatre District, and I see a lot of Broadway shows (29 this year alone, most via lottery wins – more on that here). One question I often hear is where to eat in the Theatre District (i.e., Times Square area) that is delicious and not totally touristy.

The Broadway musical Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge!

Enter, my list of 10 restaurants in the Theatre District that I recommend. I frequent each of these restaurants often and can confirm the food is good and they are not geared exclusively to tourists.

Of course, dinner is only half of it – you still need a ticket. Here is how we saw 31 Broadway shows for about $47 a seat, almost entirely through the digital lotteries and rush.

My 10 Pre-Theatre Restaurant Picks in the Theatre District

1. Cuerno, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, upscale, resy required.

Cuerno is an incredibly delicious Mexican steakhouse located on 50th Street between 6th and 7th. I love, love, love this place, and I go here pretty regularly pre-theatre and otherwise. The food and drinks are incredible. Open daily, reservations are usually necessary. Go for an upscale, delicious meal pre-theatre. Cuerno is a bit pricey compared to other options, but it offers a $37 three-course lunch during the week that is a steal.

A coupe of sparkling Mexican rose at Cuerno, a Mexican steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan.

Sparkling Mexican Rose at Cuerno. Who would have thought this is in Midtown Manhattan?

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MetLife Stadium World Cup Match Day: Transport, Food & Insider Tips (2026)

Made it to the game!

Dan & I attended the FIFA World Cup match at MetLife Stadium (or “NY NJ Stadium”) on Monday, June 22 between Norway and Senegal. This post details our entire experience, from getting to the stadium, to food and drink, and finally, the match! Read if you are heading to a match at NY NJ Stadium or just curious!

Norway versus Senegal World Cup match at MetLife Stadium

Norway v. Senegal!

Along the same lines, we went to Philadelphia on Thursday for the Curaçao v. Côte d’Ivoire match. You can read about our experience in Philadelphia here.

HOW WE GOT WORLD CUP MATCH TICKETS

We purchased face value tickets directly from FIFA during one of its Thursday ticket releases in April 2026. If you are still looking for World Cup tickets, you can go through the FIFA app’s Resale/Exchange Marketplace to buy on the secondary market (all of which transactions on this app are backed by FIFA). Per the app, all other tickets are currently sold out. We sat in the 300 level of MetLife Stadium, which were the only tickets available when I purchased them. The views and experience were better than expected.

View of the pitch from 300 level seats at MetLife Stadium

View from our seats in the 300 level.

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