8 Best Restaurants in Meatpacking District, New York City

Despite the Gallic-sounding name, this bakery is all Swedish. There's nearly always a line out the door, and it's worth queuing up. The bread produced here is some of the best this side of the Atlantic. Baguettes, whole loaves, pastries—everything that comes out of the oven here is edible gold: the cardamom bun has become legendary. There's a small seating area in the back or get some goodies for take away and eat them at the tables scattered around the Meatpacking District. 

This innovative food hall opened in Spring 2023 to great fanfare. Run by the James Beard Foundation and set on historic Pier 57, the market boasts a lineup of 15 food stalls from James Beard Award–winning chefs. Some standouts include Bessou, a modern take on Japanese home cooking; Due Madre by Butcher Girls, serving up meaty sandwiches with an Italian accent; Lolo's on the Water, a New England and Caribbean seafood mashup; and Zaab Zaab, an outpost of the celebrated Thai spot in Queens. 

Long a mainstay in the Meatpacking District, Pastis shut down and reopened in this spacious new location in 2019 to much fanfare. The place looks like it's been here for decades and has all the signature Keith McNally elements: smoky mirrors, a long curving bar, floor-to-ceiling windows, and white subway tiles. French favorites are front and center, including toothsome steak frites with béarnaise, mussels steamed in Pernod, and a tasty apple tartlet with phyllo crust. The people-watching is stellar, and there's still a good chance you'll see a celebrity or two. Tables outside in nice weather are prime real estate. Locals and visitors are still drawn to this neighborhood mainstay so it gets busy at mealtimes.

Housed in a triangular building smack in the center of Meatpacking District action, this bi-level Mexican restaurant with ample outdoor seating does consistently solid fare. The menu boasts classic south-of-the-border staples like chicken enchiladas, variations on the theme of tacos, and nachos but the kitchen is at its best when churning out less-likely fare, such as yucca-stuffed croquetas, butternut squash and pumpkin soup, and plantain-and-black-bean empanadas. And, of course, you can wash it all down with one (or two) of several types of margaritas. 

The Kobrick family has been procuring and roasting coffee for four generations. So, if you want an expertly made cup of java, this family-run spot in the heart of the neighborhood is the perfect place for a pick-me-up. The café has become well-known for its booze-spiked coffee libations, including caffeinated takes on the Negroni, the martini, and the margarita. 

At a time when some pizzerias in the city are charging more than $25 for Neapolitan-style margherita pizza, Simò is a welcome bite of pizza dough. Most pies hover around the $12 mark, and here affordable does not mean bad quality. Simò's offerings, especially the margherita and the cacio e pepe pie, are excellent. In addition, there's wine and prosecco by the glass, also priced below $12. So stop in after a walk on the High Line and mangia, mangia! There's now a second location near Union Square on University Place and East 11th Street. 

Celebs, fashion-industry insiders, and the common folk, too, all cluster at this buzzy restaurant inside The Standard, High Line hotel. The menu is Gallic-accented comfort-luxe, with dishes like the heritage pork chop with burned apple sauce and wild salmon sausage. For dessert, there's the nearly obscene "Deal Closer": a chocolate mousse, devil's food cake, and vanilla whipped cream concoction for two. In warm weather, the spacious outdoor seating area is perfect for sampling creative cocktails; there's an indoor bar, too, and two dining rooms—a casual one in front and a larger room in back, with a floor whimsically made up of thousands of glittering pennies.