Set in the center of an ever-evolving food scene, residents of One Manhattan Square on the Lower East Side find themselves in one of the city’s most desirable locations. With new restaurants opening each month, food aficionados looking for the next interesting thing need go no further than their own neighborhood.
Le French Diner | 188 Orchard Street
This compact eatery sits on a stretch of Orchard Street where the ghosts of pushcarts still linger, though its steak tartare draws more international visitors than local peddlers these days. Le French Diner’s twelve-seat counter and handful of tables create the kind of intimacy usually reserved for Paris’s tiniest bistros, but the kitchen’s handling of classics — particularly that hand-cut tartare, dressed with just enough shallot and capers to accent rather than overwhelm the beef — suggests ambitions beyond mere neighborhood spot. Order the tartare, yes, but don’t miss the perfectly seared bavette, which arrives with a heap of crisp frites that would make any Parisian proud.
Son Del North | 177 Orchard Street
The first thing you notice at Son Del North is the steady parade of tortillas being gently warmed — thin, stretchy discs imported from Sonora that develop a subtle flakiness when heated just so. These serve as the foundation for burritos that diverge markedly from New York norms. They are built without rice (a fact emphasized in bold letters on the wall) and filled instead with creamy mayocoba beans, chunks of perfectly ripe avocado, and your choice of protein — though the masterfully grilled steak, with its subtle char and rosy center, makes the strongest case for repeat visits. The narrow space, barely wider than its stainless steel counter, fills quickly during lunch hours with a mix of construction workers and creative directors, all drawn by the promise of a burrito that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Saigon Social — 172 Orchard Street
There’s a mural of Baby Yoda eating a bánh mì at Saigon Social, which tells you something about chef Helen Nguyen’s approach: playful but precise, pop-cultural but deeply respectful of tradition. Opening in the most improbable of moments — March 2020 — the restaurant’s evolution from pop-up darling to permanent fixture mirrors the neighborhood’s own transformation, though its soul remains firmly rooted in Vietnamese comfort classics. The garlic noodles with prawns have become a signature, their seemingly simple preparation belying the technical precision required to achieve that perfect sauce-to-noodle ratio, while the bún chả offers a masterclass in the art of char and caramelization.
Wildair | 142 Orchard Street
Wildair operates in a space that could easily hold twice as many tables, but doesn’t — a choice that exemplifies their overall approach. The small plates menu changes frequently, though certain dishes, like their beef tartare with smoked cheddar, have achieved something close to permanent status. Recently, they’ve turned their attention to desserts: an olive oil cake that’s become quietly influential among pastry chefs, and a chocolate tart that makes clever use of seaweed without announcing itself as clever. The wine list remains one of the neighborhood’s most interesting, focused on small producers and minimal intervention without being dogmatic about it.
When Brooklyn Fare opened their largest location to date downstairs at the One Manhattan Square condos, residents got access to legitimately good groceries without leaving the building — the shop’s wine selection alone justified the elevator ride. Consider it the final piece in a neighborhood that already has some of the city’s most interesting places to eat. Hungry for more? Contact our sales team today.