Where to Eat, Drink and Shop in New York’s Most Underrated Neighborhood

Where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Flatiron, New York’s best (and most overlooked) up-and-coming neighborhood.

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By Gear Patrol Studios

Published November 3, 2017

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Updated December 13, 2023

Formerly known as the Toy District, New York’s Flatiron neighborhood is undergoing a tech renaissance. Over the past decade, the 20-block stretch along Broadway, spanning from 14th Street to 34th Street, has experienced a boom of award-winning restaurants, notable stores and luxury hotels. The shift is being driven by the influx of TAMI (Technology, Advertising, Media and Information) companies, and has earned the area the moniker “Silicon Alley.” Centrally located and within easy reach of most subway lines, Flatiron makes for an excellent base camp — and has become a destination unto itself.

Where to Stay

The Ace Hotel

With a Stumptown coffee shop, Opening Ceremony store and renowned restaurants like The Breslin and John Dory Oyster Bar, the Ace Hotel is just as much a destination as it is a place to stay. The lobby, bustling with freelancers, feels more like a lounge, while rooms decorated with vintage furniture, Smeg refrigerators, turntables and acoustic guitars contribute to a curated, home-y feel.

The NoMad Hotel | Book Now
With luxe furnishings and high-ceiling lobbies, The NoMad takes a cue from old-world European hotels.

Where to Eat

Cosme

World-renowned chef Enrique Olvera’s first restaurant in the U.S., Cosme, landed on the World’s 50 Best list for the first time this year. The menu riffs on familiar Mexican dishes: take the justifiably hyped duck carnitas for two, or the Instagram-friendly corn husk meringue dessert. Served atop custom plates by Anfora and alongside cutlery by David Mellor, the restaurant’s dishes are just as considered as its design, which is marked by Scandinavian-inspired minimalism and warmed by wooden furnishings.

Eleven Madison Park | Learn More
The pinnacle of fine dining, with a refreshingly un-serious take on modern gastronomy.

Eisenberg’s | Learn More
One of New York’s last old-school lunch counters, serving up a mean tuna melt.

Hill Country Chicken | Learn More
Stick-to-your-ribs, Texas-style comfort food in the middle of Manhattan.

Upland | Learn More
A crowd-pleasing, vegetable-driven menu, plus a selection of pastas that are not to be overlooked.

Where to Drink

The NoMad Bar

From the brains behind Eleven Madison Park comes a bar that harkens back to old-school taverns, offering large-format cocktails, rare spirits, approachable wines and familiar (and coveted) beers, as well as very, very elevated pub fare.

The Flatiron Room | Learn More
A jazz lounge with a whiskey menu that runs more than 750 bottles long.

Haymaker | Learn More
A craft beer destination with more than a dozen draft lines and a constantly changing selection of bottles and cans.

Old Town Bar | Learn More
One of the oldest bars in New York, Old Town has been in continuous operation since 1882 and is worth a visit for the history alone.

Kat & Theo | Learn More
Impressively creative cocktails, featuring out-of-the-box ingredients like goat milk and mole bitters.

What to Do

The Frye Company

The Frye Company’s latest outpost brings a dose of classic, hard-wearing American style to Flatiron, a complement to the tech-driven area’s tireless ingenuity.

WANT Apothecary | Learn More
A riff on a 19th-century pharmacy, showcasing leather goods from WANT Les Essentiels alongside Byredo perfume and Acne jeans.

ABC Carpet and Home | Learn More
A six-floor goldmine, packed to the brim with one-of-a-kind furniture and linens, with carpets housed in a storefront across the street.