The Socially Distant Restaurant Guide

In June, New York entered Phase 2 which allowed outdoor seating at restaurants. Some of us have already participated in outdoor dining but for those who have not here is what you need to know: Mask is required for restaurant staff, you’ll have to wear a mask when not seated at your table, and all tables must be 6 feet apart. Also, party sizes will be limited to no more than 10 guests seated at a table, although some restaurants have tighter restrictions be sure to call ahead of time. Most restaurants also have time limits for sit down meals.

Here is a short guide to where to enjoy a meal while you are socially distant this summer.

If you are like me then you missed brunch during the quarantine. Luckily Essex offers outdoor dining for their bottomless brunch. However, they are reservation only. You can make the reservation directly from their website.

 

  • Weekend Happy Hour: Eves

We all looked forward to dining out, but I could not wait for happy hour to come back. Unfortunately, a lot of restaurants do not offer happy hour at the moment due to being closed during the quarantine. Fortunately, Eves still offer their happy hour specials during the week and even on the weekends. Did I also mention they are black-owned! No reservation needed.

Summertime in NYC always calls for rooftop dining (it’s actually a must). Randolph Beer opened their rooftop seating this summer that overlooks NYC skyline. Randolph beer is only accepting reservations for their rooftop and they are going fast. 

Whether you are looking for a date night spot or you missed fine dining, Catch NYC is still closed but Catch Steak is now opened. Their Chelsea location is serving sushi, seafood, and steak 7 days a week. They are only allowing dining times up to 90 minutes for smaller groups, and up to 2 hours for larger groups. You can make reservations directly from their website.