NYC Guides, Murray Hill/Gramercy

Below, you will find restaurants/specialty shops that have been categorized by their respective cuisines.  I have only included venues where I have personally either dined-in or ordered-out.  

*For listings without links, please refer to Menupages or New York Magazine for further information.

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American 

• ABC Kitchen
• Blue Water Grill 
• Craftbar
• Eleven Madison Park  Uber gourmet tasting menus created by Chef Daniel Humm~beautiful, bright and airy dining room following the art deco design~great spot to celebrate something special
• Giorgio's of Gramercy  Giorgio's shines with flawless service and Mediterranean/continental fare~I have yet to make it to the restaurant, but I've heard wonderful things
• Gramercy Tavern 
• Houston's / Hillstone
• Live Bait
• Rodeo Bar  Fun, kitschy atmosphere with a kitchen serving up Southwestern & Southern fare~great chips and salsa, fried pickles and cheap ritas...Not too much beyond that
• The Black Duck

Asian fusion

• Chinese Mirch  Indian and Chinese fusion cuisine~spicy, unique and delicious~think dishes like Chili Paneer, Szechuan Prawns & Chili Garlic Noodles
• The Hurricane Club  Hawaiian

Bagels

• Pick A Bagel On Third
• Vic's Bagel Bar  this is probably the coolest concept I've seen in the longest~create your own bagel spread with a wide array of fresh ingredients~kosher~sweet and savory bagels

BBQ

• Blue Smoke  BBQ & Southern fare served in a casual, kitchy & fun environment~screw the 'que and order the best mac n' cheese, hush puppies and creamed spinach in Gotham~I hear they've got the numero-uno burger in the city

Belgian

• Resto 

Burgers

• Rare Bar & Grill  Some of the best damn burgers in town~three types of insanely decadent French fries~wonderful side sauces to accent your burger
• Shake Shack  Though I think that waiting in ANY sort of line for more than thirty-minutes is absurd (unless you're at the DMV), Shake Shack fans don't seem to mind~good burgers, fries & shakes served in a kiosk in Madison Square Park~Does The Belle think it's worth the wait? Nope.

Chinese

• Cafe China
• Evergreen Shanghai
• Great Sichuan  orgasmically delicious "Dan Dan" noodles 
• The Cottage  Nice Americanized-Chinese restaurant with good food and legit prices~The Belle appreciates their use of fresh ingredients and non-greasy meal executions

Diner

• Big Daddy's Diner  Shockingly good food served in a kitchy old-school atmosphere~the "Holy Moses" salad is so good, you'd think you were eating at a Greek restaurant!
• Chock Full O' Nuts Cafe 
• Coffee Shop
• Sarge's Deli
  

Food truck

• Luke's Lobster  lobster & seafood sandwiches

French/bistro

• Almond  The new Ameri-French restaurant to grace the famously cursed space at "12 E. 22nd St." Great atmosphere, service and food make me confident that Almond will break the previous spell of bad luck.
• Artisanal  French bistro and famous fromagerie serving the best cheese fondue in the city~charming, spacious and old-fashioned atmosphere~make sure to get an order of gougeres (mini puff pastry balls filled with cheese) for the table!
• L'Express  24/7 French bistro/diner with solid grub~home of The Lunch Belle's favorite croque monsieur
• Les Halles  The restaurant that made Anthony Bourdain famous~delicious steaks, frites, soups, charcuterie and desserts~the noise is a bit overbearing, but the food makes it worth the decibel

Fro-yo

• Berrywild
• Red Mango

Greek/Mediterranean

• Barbounia 
• Ethos  Delicious Greek with wonderful delivery~great dips, grilled meats, moussaka, Greek salad...everything!
• Pita Joe
  

Indian

• Devi 
• Dhaba
• Tamarind  Haute Indian served in a modern, chic and beautiful dining room~pricier than most, but the food is worth the extra dollars
• Tamba
• Tiffin Wallah
  

Italian

• A Voce  Excellent Italian served in a haute 70's chic space~outstanding service~make sure to order the sheep's milk ricotta starter
• Ciano
• Maialino
  
• Novita
• Stuzzi
• Via Emilia  Delicious bread basket, homemade pastas and great prices served in a modernly casual setting~Note that it is cash only

Latin American

• Sophie's

Malaysian

• Laut

Mexican

• Caliente Cab Co.
• Choza Taqueria
  
• Dos Caminos Park  Young, expensive and trendy Mexican with great ritas and solid food
• El Rio Grande  Delicious Tex-Mex cuisine served in a "white-tablecloth" atmosphere~make sure to begin your meal with an order of chile con queso~great service and reasonable prices, to boot!
• Mexico Lindo
  
• Q'doba  Q'doba makes a damn good white cheese dip dotted with green chiles and served with freshly-made tortilla chips
• Rosa Mexicano  Modern Mexican served in a spacious and gorgeous atmosphere~strong ritas, phenomenal guacamole, and some of the best cheese enchiladas with green sauce in the city~perfect place for a celebration

Middle Eastern

• Ravagh  Delicious Persian cuisine serving wonderful grilled meats, dumplings, breads & dipping sauces

Novelty/concept

• The Meatball Factory

Pizza

• Totonno's  Dishing out some of the city's best pizza pies~great penne a la vodka, chicken/eggplant/meatball parmesan sandwiches, house salad & homemade tiramisu

Russian

• Mari Vanna

Sandwiches/salad/soup

• Carl's Steaks  Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
• Chop't  Make-your-own salads with an array of amazing ingredients~go as healthy or as unhealthy as your heart desires
• Cipriani Le Specialita  The world's best tea sandwiches~wonderful salads and cold pastas
• Food Trends  This bodega/cafe/catering-house extraordinaire serves some knockout "anything you want" food~management are perfectionists, making event planning a breeze
• Irving Farm
• Lamazou
  
• Le Pain Quotidien  Belgian bakery/cafe serving great sandwiches, salads, soups & pastries~eat-in or take-out
• Organique  Home of the freshest make-your-own-salad ingredients that I've come across in the city~truly delicious, high quality and healthy fare
• Zaro's Bakery
  

Steakhouse

• BLT Prime
• Wolfgang's Steakhouse

Sushi

• 15 East  Japanese served in a simply lovely atmosphere (think dim lighting, modern decor and romance)~unbelievably fresh fish
• Haru
  
• Mizu Sushi  Decent sushi served in a young and hip atmosphere~eat your rolls while Justin Timberlake blares through the speakers
• Sushi Samba Park  This mini-chain gets a lot of hate, but I'm a fan of their mojitos and lobster tempura roll~fun and modern atmosphere
• Sushi Sennin 
• Yama  I'm no sushi expert, but Yama makes some of my favorite rolls in the city~casual, bright and cramped quarters~beware, you will leave Yama reeking of tempura (which I actually find pleasing in a twisted gluttonous way)

Tapas

• Pipa  Tapas served in a gorgeous atmosphere~drink your sangria and eat your patatas bravas surrounded by crystal chandeliers, dark wood planked floors and an overall romantic essence
• Wined Up  Hidden gem located on the second floor of a restaurant~accessed via two steep flights of stairs~beautiful space with plenty of elbow room~great wine list and light bites

Turkish

• Ali Baba Turkish Cuisine  The best food delivery in town~arrives at your door as fresh and hot as it would be in a restaurant~The Belle is obsessed with the potato-stuffed pide, Sheppard's salad & baklava

Vietnamese

• Bao Noodles  The Lunch Belle loves the beef stew!