We often get emails that say things like “there is no good food above 96th street.” To which we say “We’ve lived in rural Virginia. You don’t know from bad restaurants.”
Thankfully for the food-starved, new restaurants have been sprouting up in Manhattan Valley in the past few years. They are generally inexpensive, and sometimes feature items like crunchy pig ear that you can’t easily get at your local pizza joint. Some are starting to get the buzz that they deserve.
(Manhattan Valley’s borders are somewhat debatable, but we consider it to be located between Amsterdam and Manhattan Avenues from about 100th to 110th street. Feel free to quibble with this definition in the comments.)
Reviewer Robert Sietsema wrote on the food website Eater that Manhattan Valley “appears to be on the culinary upswing.” He listed six restaurants to check out, though he noted that there are several other good eateries he didn’t list. Some of his picks have been around for awhile, including the Hungarian Pastry shop, which draws a heavy Columbia crowd (and is maybe a bit too far North to be considered Manhattan Valley). He included New Young Fish Market, Roti Roll, the Hungarian Pastry Shop, Taqueria Y Fonda, Saiguette and Curry King. Saiguette, a small Vietnamese spot, is one of the new restaurants and already seems to have a nice following, getting lots of love on Yelp too.
Josh Goldblatt also previously reviewed Doaba Deli (pictured above) and Gujrat Deli for us. And not all of the new eateries have an international flavor: other new spots include bakeries like Baconery and One Cup Two Cupcakes.
The food is helping spur real estate prices in the area, according to the Wall Street Journal. “First-time business owners are turning the avenue below 110th Street into an incubator for small and interesting dining never seen in the area before. Five restaurants currently under construction will join those that opened between 109th and 104th streets in the past year…Planned arrivals include an Italian restaurant at the corner of 109th and Columbus, and farther south, Thai, Mexican and pizza restaurants that are under construction. Chef Toni, a farm-to-table event space for families, is slated to open this month.”
The article notes that as the area gets more desirable, real estate prices are going up, although they remain lower than the rest of the neighborhood: $953 a square foot versus $1,250 for the area from 72nd to 100th.
What do you think? Does Manhattan Valley sate your appetite?
I had to laugh when i read your statement, “We’ve lived in rural Virginia. You don’t know from bad restaurants.”
I moved here from Virginia ten years ago, and used to roll my eyes at the people who criticized the food on the UWS. We could only get delivery from Pizza Hut and Dominos where I lived in Virginia!
Of course, 10 years later, and I am doing my fair share of complaining about the lack of food choices around here! Thanks for reminding me from whence I came…
“(Manhattan Valley’s borders are somewhat debatable, but we consider it to be located between Amsterdam and Manhattan Avenues from about 100th to 110th street. Feel free to quibble with this definition in the comments.)”
Okay, I’ll quibble: Is there some sort of legitimate, geographical reason Broadway is not in the boundaries? What’s the area on Broadway/Riverside between 96th and 110th then? UWS proper? Morningside? That’s a curious amount of zig-zagging boundaries just so yuppies can feel like they’re in a separate neighborhood from the working class areas…
Eem, The high ground from 96th and 110th is Bloomingdale, thus the Bloomingdale branch library, the Bloomingdale School, etc.
The boundary seems to change as the area improves north of West 96 Street. 30 years ago the area started at 96 and now for some reason it’s West 100 Street.
The 1st outside cafe opened at Lura this week on Columbus Avenue. What place on the UWS has a ‘cave’ where one can dine and listen to live jazz? Or a Rock bar just down the street that commands a huge crowd? Several cafes have received permits for outside dining and this is just the beginning of a lively community. Within a few years this will be the hip area that will draw people from south of West 96 Street.
The area has blown up with great restaraunts. I have lived up here for 15 years and it has just gotten progressively better along with the real estate values. Still a great buy!
Don’t forget about Gastronomica Culinaria at 53 West 106th! Delicious food (pizza, pastas, salads, etc.), friendly people, nice atmosphere, beautiful bathroom (there’s a very cool sink). https://www.gastronomiaculinaria.com/
saigette – yum,yum
Does anyone know more info on the mexican place? This area is in desperate need of a good spot, not tex mex or taqueria’s…
Siaguette is amazing, Their spicy broth is the stuff of legend already. So glad vietnamese food is making headway in the city.
I live on this block. Thanks to eateries such as this one, I am never wanting for a cab! They all park right on the block in droves. It used to not be this way so I am very appreciative.