NYC\u2019s hottest street of eats isn\u2019t in Soho or Chinatown, it\u2019s in Midtown South, where office workers are hungry for options. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great mix of different concepts and different levels of hospitality plus the location is as accessible as it gets,\u201d said Lee Block of the leasing firm RTL, who has matched restaurants to spaces along this short block of East 20th Street in the Flatiron District between Broadway and Park Avenue South.<\/p>\n
NY Post photo composite<\/p>\n
Almost every address on that block is now an eatery and for restaurateurs, a space is becoming so coveted that they\u2019re paying upwards of $200 per foot \u2014 which rivals pricing on the avenues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a dish for every palette on that block,\u201d said Adelaide Polsinelli of Compass, who sold 27 E. 20th St. to the co-owner of Italian restaurant Rezd\u00f4ra. \u201cIt\u2019s like the United Nations of dining.\u201d<\/p>\n
902 Broadway: Aqua<\/a><\/p>\n Looking for up-\u201cscale\u201d dining? The eyes have it, at Aqua. Courtesy of Aqua<\/p>\n This opulent outpost features vibrant mix-and-match seasonal menus from Aqua Roma Italian and Aqua Kyoto Japanese \u2014 along with Aqua Spirit\u2019s extensive bar menu. The cocktails and and DJs go from 8 p.m. till 2 a.m. on Thursdays for Kyoto After Dark.<\/p>\n No. 25: Devoci\u00f3n<\/a><\/p>\n Brick walls and greenery create a cozy cafe. Its Columbian beans are roasted in Brooklyn for 10 days to make what they claim is the world\u2019s freshest coffee.<\/p>\n No. 27: Rezd\u00f4ra<\/a><\/p>\n Chef Stefano Secchi is behind the plates of Rezd\u00f4ra. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n Michelin-starred Chef Stefano Secchi and his partner David Switzer celebrate the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna as \u201chead of household\u201d \u2014 the nonna who hand rolls pasta. Offerings include the delightfully titled \u201cGrandma Walking Through Forest in Emelia,\u201d which is actually cappelletti verdi with roasted, saut\u00e9ed leeks along with black mushroom puree. In other words, divine.<\/p>\n No. 29: Just leased<\/p>\n The last remaining hole on the block was 1,800 square feet and it just leased to a healthy cafe concept with dine-in and grab-and-go options. \u201cIt\u2019s a very intriguing restaurant,\u201d Block said.<\/p>\n No. 30: Antidote<\/a><\/p>\n Make a new friend out of what was once known as Nemesis. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Leased through RTL and open about a year as Nemesis, the owners are retooling the spot with their Williamsburg Asian concept, Antidote.<\/p>\n No. 31: \u2019Ino<\/a><\/p>\n The former home of Singapura was leased by RTL to the owners of Chelsea\u2019s Bottino. It\u2019s Italian with inspiration from owner\/chef James Kenyon\u2019s British upbringing.<\/p>\n No. 33: Sugarfish<\/a><\/p>\n Nothing\u2019s sweeter than sushi at Sugarfish. Courtesy of Sushi Nozawa, LLC<\/p>\n This was Los Angeles-based Sushi Nozawa Group\u2019s first location in New York. \u201cSimply great sushi\u201d is the tagline.<\/p>\n No. 34: Nar Restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n Donning the Turkish name for pomegranates, Nar brings modern flavors and halal cooking to eggplants, zucchini blossoms, kebabs, quail, baklava and Turkish delight lava cake.<\/p>\n Nar bears the Turkish name for pomegranates. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n No. 35: Opto<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s \u201cnot your yia yia\u2019s Mediterranean,\u201d said Chef Alex Tubero who offers whipped sheep\u2019s milk ricotta and suckling pig shoulder along with fresh honey-spiced carrots and Moroccan rice pudding.<\/p>\n No. 36: Passerine<\/a><\/p>\n Passerine is a kid-free oasis helmed by Chetan Shetty. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Here, seasonal Indian fare by Michelin-starred Chef Chetan Shetty blends mom\u2019s Pune spices with Union Square Greenmarket\u2019s produce. Both meat and vegetarian tasting menus are available along with tasty dinners and a drawing room bar with its own menu. Kids under 10 and strollers are verboten.<\/p>\n No. 40: LenLen<\/a><\/p>\n Enjoy retro-Thai with neo-noir ambience. Jared Dangremond<\/p>\n A new retro-Thai restaurant opened in this 3,541-square-foot retail condo, which was marketed by Block and purchased for $3.1 million. \u201cThey put in a great concept and, as owners, they are very excited to put their best foot forward,\u201d he said. Come for cocktails, stay for noodles.<\/p>\n No. 41: Mari Vanna<\/a><\/p>\n Come for Eastern European fare with cozy, vintage d\u00e9cor \u2014 think LoveShackFancy meets the Victorian Age. Founded in her kitchen in St. Petersburg and now global, Maria Ivanovna opened the first restaurant in 2003 and in this spot in 2009 with a full bar, brunches, dinners and an after-hours palate imbued with Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian and Uzbek flavors \u2014 all mixed with her \u201csecret ingredient\u201d (love).<\/p>\n No. 42: Gramercy Tavern<\/a><\/p>\n Get your meat-and-bun fix at Gramercy Tavern. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n The block\u2019s long-standing star is Danny Meyer\u2019s soulful casual Tavern \u2014 with burgers, beets and broccoli \u2014 and an upscale dining room with seasonally focused offerings like roasted oysters, the vegetarian strozzapreti \u2014 kale, ricotta and basil \u2014 plus concord grape sundaes.<\/p>\n No. 43: Saint Urban<\/a><\/p>\n The French-inspired fine regional-seasonal cuisine is by Chef Jared Ian Stafford-Hill (from upstate). Come for the four- to eight-course prix fixe menus at pricing from $148 to $230 that rises to $290 with wine parings.<\/p>\n