One thing I can assure you: there is a New York for every type of traveler. That is, there is a New York kind of affordable, and there is also a New York for those who have no budget limit. Demystifying some assumptions about the city is one of my goals here on the blog and one of the things that I always talk about is about eating in the city. The cheap options are not just about fast food and pizzas, or the Times Square chain restaurants – please stay away from them, we’ve talked a thousand times about that, right? After 5 years of writing about this city, I always see people asking about how much money should they have for food and I always see the same advice: $ 100 per day. Well, with $100 a day you can eat very well in the city, but you can eat very well and spend less than that! As dinner is usually more expensive than lunch here, I set myself a challenge and, today, I bring 6 restaurants to have dinner for up to $ 15.
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Morini – this restaurant is perfect for a romantic dinner. Sophisticated atmosphere, great staff. And the best: delicious pasta and well-served portion. Complimentary bread is delicious! Also, from Sunday to Thursday, from 8:30 p.m., Morini has Pasta Night, where pasta costs only $12 (just the right column on the pasta menu, you’ll see, ask about Pasta Night!). The Tagliatelle Bolognese is simply fantastic! At other times, the pasta cost between $22 and $32. Highly recommend making a reservation.
Address: 1167 Madison Avenue.
UPDATE: Morini is closed! You can check the other location in Soho and they have a pasta special on Monday nights.
6 Italian restaurants to visit in New York City
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Playa Betty’s – Playa’s Betty’s is located in the Upper West Side – it’s a great spot for anyone going to the Museum of Natural History or Lincoln Center and want a good place to eat in the area. The place serves California-style Beach Food, with a Mexican influence. The tacos are the specialty here, with choices based on meat, fish, pork, chicken and even vegetarian. Each taco costs, on average, from $ 4 to $ 5. They are super stuffed and I would say three tacos are enough to leave you satisfied. And there’s more: on Tuesdays, at Taco Tuesday, the promotional price of the tacos is $3 each!
Address: 320 Amsterdam Ave.
Gyu-Kaku – Gyu-Kaku is a chain specialized in Japanese barbecue. Under normal circumstances, I would say that to have the barbecue experience itself, the spent is, on average, from $ 25 to $ 30 per person. But as we are talking about a Japanese restaurant and the idea is dinner with up to $15, there are other dishes like noodles and ramen priced from $9 to $11 in super generous portions.
Locations: Times Square – 321 W. 44th St. Unit 103 – Midtown (805 3rd Ave., 2nd Floor)East Village (34 Cooper Sq.).
Il Corallo Trattoria – another Italian option, because it’s hard to go wrong when we talk about pastas and pizzas! This restaurant is in Soho and the prices are very good. The atmosphere is very simple but the service is great and the menu includes various types of pasta – from $12 – and pizzas – from $10 – and the overwhelming majority of the options are below $15! The dishes are also super well served!
Address: 176 Prince Street.
Yum Yum Too – if you like Thai food, New York offers a lot of options! And this restaurant is great for anyone looking for a meal before or after a Broadway show. The Hell’s Kitchen area has several cool restaurants in the area between Eighth and New Avenue between 40th and 58th Streets. Yum Yum Too is one of them. Among the options, there are classics like Fried Rice – in super generous portion – for under $ 15!
Address: 662 9th Ave.
Bareburger – since we’re talking about New York, I needed to include a burger option on this list right? BareBurger has been for four consecutive years among the city’s top 10 hamburgers in a Zagat election. And the hamburgers have very different recipes and lots of great ingredients. They are options from $ 11 – and there are even vegan versions!
Locations: check out on the Maps the nearest location.
- I chose to show places for dinner where you can sit down, have table service and such. Obviously, if you opt for fast-casual restaurants, you may even spend less and you will not have to pay tips, but the idea here was to have a special dinner.
- Remember: prices are only considering the main course, no drink, appetizer or dessert, considering that these main dishes are more than enough to satisfy your hunger!
- Do not forget that it is necessary to include taxes (about 9%) and tips (at least 15%). Yes, this may increase the bill a little bit, but taking into account a base price of up to $15, it still gets a fair price, especially speaking of New York.
If you want to save money in New York City, check out my e-book New York on a Budget.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
