This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York City
There is a whole constellation of New York restaurants that thrives after 10pm. You won’t find them on “best of” lists. They mostly don’t have PR teams or impossible wait times, and they aren’t charging $12 for radishes or buttered bread. But the chefs who do run the city’s “best” restaurants — folks with excellent taste and terrible hours — know them well. These are the restaurants where they actually eat.
I should know. Alongside a career writing “best of” lists, I have the glorious misfortune of dating a chef — meaning, I reap the “good taste” rewards and suffer the “bad hours” penalties. I’m no stranger to midnight dinners, many of which involve splitting a burger (but not splitting a martini) at Blue Ribbon Brasserie — where we may run into Ed Szymanski (the chef and co-owner of Lord’s, Crevette and Dame) with a glass of white Burgundy after a taxing shift. On other nights, at Sake Bar Asoko, we’ll find half the team from the neighbouring Corima sipping sake and chatting with the bar’s owners.
New York chefs have excellent dining advice because they have trustworthy palates, and — at the risk of overgeneralising — a great sense of the city. They reserve equal affection for bar wings and caviar. They respect quality. And after long nights spent feeding other people, they show up to dinner hungry. So in post-pandemic New York, where late-night dining is increasingly rare, I reached out to 21 of the city’s most talked-about chefs with an important question: where do they eat after their shifts end?
Note: We made a Google Maps list of the recommendations below that you can save for when you next need them. (On your phone, click “Save list”. You can access it anytime in the “You” section in your Google Maps.)
For burgers and industry banter: Blue Ribbon Brasserie97 Sullivan STREET, Soho
There’s no finer venue for chef-ly gossip than the Union Square Greenmarket, but Blue Ribbon Brasserie comes a close second. With roomy booths and a discordant salad of artwork (think: a small bird portrait beside a large fluorescent lobster claw), it has been a bone marrow-rich haven for local chefs since its inception in 1992. Upon opening, its founders Bruce and Eric Bromberg pledged to stay open until 4am serving real food from bona fide French-trained chefs in unstuffy environs. Back then, its 48 seats were regularly occupied by the likes of Tom Colicchio, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain.
At Blue Ribbon Brasserie, you can get burgers and beef tartare at midnight . . . 
. . . or oysters at 1am
These days, the kitchen stays open until 2am. You can still trade secrets over burgers and oysters, but as the brasserie reaches the age of its average diner, a new graduating class of Manhattan chefs has taken up their rightful post-service place at the bar.
Maycoll Calderón, chef of Cuna at The Standard, lauds Blue Ribbon for what he calls “honest food” — not innovative, but reliably hearty and good. Ignacia Valdés, executive chef at Tokyo Record Bar, loves classics such as beef tartare, but says “a sleeper hit is the duck club sandwich with bacon, walnut raisin bread and French fries”.
Chef Ignacia Valdés with the roasted duck club sandwich, “a sleeper hit”
When Szymanski isn’t at the brasserie, he’s just down the street. “The sushi spot is my hang,” he says of the compact, unpretentious Blue Ribbon Sushi, which serves food until 1am from Thursday to Saturday. “I like to go eat uni and drink sake a few nights a week when I work really late.” While you’d be correct to question the quality of a sushi counter helmed by two brasserie brothers, they partnered early with the late sushi master Toshi Ueki, who made it a bedrock of today’s New York sushi culture. It has been going strong for 30 years. Website; Directions
Ed Szymanski eats late-night at Blue Ribbon Sushi on Sullivan Street a few times a week 
Server Kwo Shin Chang, known to many as Jack, has been with the restaurant for 15 years For comfort food with a side of clubbing: Wei’s145 Borinquen PlACE, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
In 2014, when Wei Chun Gao and his nephew Wei Ping Wang opened the charmingly named Wei’s in East Williamsburg, it was just a takeout counter. But over time, it transformed into an after-hours club-kid haunt for great music and Shanghainese dumplings. Pre-Covid, the paper lantern-lit spot served Chinese food and negronis until 5am (with the occasional live DJ), but now, the party stops at 2am.
Cold Sesame Noodles at Wei’s . . . 
. . . where the party stops and the kitchen closes at 2am
“I’ve eaten Wei’s peanut dumplings almost every night for the last four years after service,” says Jonathan Vogt, sous chef at Williamsburg’s I Cavallini, who became a regular at 19 after taking a job at the nearby Four Horsemen. “I formed a relationship with the bartender . . . and having a place that treated me like a friend was huge.”
Telly Justice, chef and co-owner of HAGS in the East Village, loves Wei’s, too, describing it thus: “Spicy food, big portions, a great drinks list and a great vibe.” Weekend nights can get crowded and rowdy, but school nights skirt away from the untz untz persuasion. Website; Directions
For fast-food specials: Taco Bell and 7-Eleven
Not all great culinary personalities have the stamina for out-and-about dining after a tough shift. Plenty prefer the post-service fast food approach — a meal often best consumed at home, horizontally.
Take Anoop Pillarisetti, owner of the New Orleans-inspired Strange Delight in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. “My love of Taco Bell and ‘living más’ started at a young age in Louisiana, between ordering cajun food and eating Indian home cooking,” he says. “When we were opening Strange Delight, I found myself craving something nostalgic and comforting and found myself in the warm embrace of The Bell once again.”
Not every chef wants to go out after a late shift. Plenty prefer a moment alone with a Doritos Locos Taco
For Rafiq Salim, managing partner at Rolo’s in Ridgewood, Queens, the best fast and unfussy fare is plated up — or plastic-bagged — at a convenience store. “My go-to late-night meal is a hot dog on the rolly thing from 7-Eleven,” he says. “Is it culinary bliss? No it’s not. Is it deeply satisfying? Absolutely. But it’s better than the usual street cart version: the dogs at 7-Eleven have been gently roasting for hours.”
For shawarma, borscht, pizza and birria: the quick-turn local spot
New York’s diverse proliferation of late-night halal carts, shawarma stands, and Middle Eastern joints remains an ironclad fixture of the city. Here’s where our chefs recommend:
Hen House NYC120 1st Avenue, EAST VILLAGE
Ham El-Waylly, executive chef of Strange Delight, champions Hen House NYC, an East Village Lebanese spot that’s open until 10pm. Often blasting loud old-school hip-hop, Arabic music or disco, the brightly lit counter is best known for its quick-turn chicken and lamb shawarma.
“As an older cook, I want something that straddles the line between soul-satisfying and ‘hey, this isn’t too bad for you!’” he tells me. “The Hen House chicken shawarma with extra toum and fries (in the sandwich!) gives me comfort, protein and just the right amount of junky delight.” Instagram; Directions
“Hey, this isn’t too bad for you!” The lamb shawarma pita at Hen House NYC Veselka144 2nd AVENUE, EAST VILLAGE
Then, there’s the great and storied Veselka — an Ukrainian institution in the East Village since 1954. The place now has a Williamsburg outpost, but never mind that. You’ll want to visit the original, a favourite of Jon Karis, chef at Tribeca’s Chambers, whose optimal post-work meal takes the heavenly form of pierogies.
“Veselka has always been a special place to me. Pre-pandemic, it was 24/7, and it’s now open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays,” he says. “It’s great for a quick bite, a bowl of borscht and some pierogies — or the larger deluxe meat platter.” Website; Directions
Joe’s Pizza7 Carmine STREET, West village
While few classic slice shops have endured — and none are immune to inflation — one is chief in name recognition, and arguably, quality. Joe’s Pizza now boasts nine locations in New York and beyond (including, questionably, Miami), though the best is the OG West Village counter, which serves classic slices until 3am (and 4am on weekends) — no trendy thin crusts or hot honey in sight.
The romance of a late night slice at Joe’s Pizza
“Joe’s is a staple in my neighborhood,” says Alexia Duchêne, chef and co-owner of Le Chêne, who often drops in while walking her dog post service. “I always go for a simple tomato-mozzarella slice.” Website; Directions
Birria-Landia491 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
For Eve Aronoff, chef and founder of Frita Batidos, late-night dining is best served at Williamsburg’s Birria-Landia truck. The franchise’s food trucks are also peppered across Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, including the original site in Jackson Heights, and serve much-lauded tacos, consommé, tostadas (almost all for little more than $5). At the time of its inception in 2019, lines stretched down the street — with diners from all five boroughs queueing up for its viral birria. “Literally anything there hits the spot,” says Aronoff. Website; Directions
For late night BBQ & banchan: KoreatownNew Wonjo23 WEST 32nd STREET, KOREATOWN
Whether it’s the siren call of hot pot, savoury-sweet Korean BBQ or cold soju, Koreatown is your late-night spot in Midtown, and many a chef favours New Wonjo. Once open 24 hours, the kitchen now closes at the modest hour of 4am.
With its inlaid tabletop charcoal grills and phone book-length menu, the dining room is often bustling with servers performing the lethal ballet of glowing coal delivery. Victor Rivera, executive chef of Bazaar Meat at the Ritz Carlton, particularly loves it. “After a long night in the kitchen, New Wonjo is soulful and exactly what our bodies need, whether it’s a bubbling bowl of seollongtang, a generous plate of japchae, or a simple spread of banchan and rice with sizzling beef,” he tells me.
A server cuts Gal Bi (BBQ short rib) on the grill 
Japchae, or glass noodles, at New Wonjo
Zack Zeidman, chef of uptown French spot Chez Fifi feels much the same. “I’ve spent many a birthday or a cook’s last day there with inevitably too much food, makgeolli and soju,” he says, noting that he’s often there between 1am and 4am, relishing his go-to order: cold nang myun noodles in an icy broth, seafood pancakes, and gejang (soy-marinated raw crabs with roe). Website; Directions
Chef Zack Zeidman recommends gejang, or raw crabs with roe, at New Wonjo Txikito240 9th Avenue, CHELSEA
Just outside the bounds of Koreatown is Txikito, where you may find Andrew Carmellini of Café Carmellini, Bar Primi and Locanda Verde fame. “After work, I love to stop at the bar for a sherry cocktail and a few snacks,” he says. Txikito closes earlier than most spots on this list, but Carmellini insists that “it’s criminally underrated, and often looked over for more sceney joints.” Website; Directions
For dumplings and dim sum: Chinatown
Plenty of the city’s dim sum parlours still serve late-night Michelin-worthy food across New York’s Chinatowns, often in venues with punishing lighting and praiseworthy Peking duck.
Great NY Noodletown28 Bowery, CHINATOWN
“I’m sure everyone’s going to say Blue Ribbon, but late-night for me is forever Great NY Noodletown,” says Sunny Lee, who helms the Dimes Square Korean restaurant, Sunn’s. The cash-only Cantonese spot has been serving local eaters, tourists and the occasional policeman for nearly half a century, with its mustard signage and glass-topped tables. “I go for the beef chow fun, sauteed pea shoots and BBQ pork,” she recommends. “Sometimes they have sauteed razor clams (always get them if they do). Plus there’s a crispy noodle dish that’s such a banger!” Website; Directions
Pan fried egg noodles with chicken . . . 
. . and the salt baked pork chop at Great NY Noodletown Dim Sum Palace27 Division Street, Chinatown
Nearby on Division Street, Dim Sum Palace serves noodles, dumplings and a half Peking duck for $33 until 3am. “Late at night, I love it, and it’s so close to my restaurant!” says Fidel Caballero, the Michelin-starred chef behind Corima and bakery Vato. (Caballero also plans to open a late-night spot in the area called Bar Chucho, which will serve just two types of taco.) “At Dim Sum Palace, ask for the truffle soup dumplings and the crystal shrimp dumplings. You will not be disappointed!” adds Christopher Colon, the executive chef at Carver Road Hospitality (the group behind spots like Emmy Squared Pizza and Starchild Rooftop).
For comfort queso and chili dogs: dives and dance floors
Among the sticky-countered bars that get overrun by young corporate happy hour crowds is Mother’s Ruin, a kitschy dive-adjacent spot on Spring Street that relaxes once the office hordes have gone home. “It’s my favourite because the kitchen is open until 3:30am, and I feel like no one knows it for its food,” says Emilio Cerra, an industry veteran in the process of opening a new spot, tentatively titled Nizuc.
Camari Mick, chef and owner of L’Atelier Ébène, concurs. “It’s my go to for late-night eats (other than cheese straight from my fridge),” she says. “I get the green chile queso — it’s worth the gassy stomach after.”
Chef Camari Mick loves the green chili queso (left) at Mother’s Ruin, whose kitchen is open until 3:30am 
Frozen Slushy at Mother’s Ruin (aka “The Slushy” or “Slushy du Jour”, which is served from a slushy machine named “Kathleen Turner”). The flavor changes weekly
For a dance floor with food, Hellbender’s Yara Herrera likes a spot near her restaurant in Ridgewood. “Recently, I’ve been enjoying Mr Nancy’s for burgers, chili dogs and fries,” she says, calling it a great place to dance and drink until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays — though the kitchen closes at midnight.
And for karaoke, head to the TV-littered Up Stairs Bar on Canal Street, which is full of groups pounding cocktails and belting out tunes by Nelly or Fall Out Boy (there are no private rooms . . . the approach here is more community-style). “I love the ribs and the pan-fried noodles with Chinese sausage,” says Sarah Goldstone, sous chef at Chez Ma Tante in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. “It’s a win-win: you go under the guise of singing and blowing off steam after work, but then they also have this amazing food.”
Eliza Dumais is a Brooklyn-based culture writer with a focus on food and wine. She just published her first novel, Grape Juice
You can read more of our New York guide here, including where to take your date, a film lover’s guide to the cinemas, Danny Meyer’s Union Square, a local’s food tour of Flushing Queens, and the best venues for a weekend of live music upstate
Let us know your favourite after-hours dining spots in the comments below. And follow us on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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