New York City offers tourists thousands of restaurants. Fast-food chains, diners, pizza parlors and five-star eating establishments pepper the Big Apple landscape. Visitors can enjoy ethnic cuisine in Little Italy and Chinatown or head to famous locales such as Katz's Deli and the Hard Rock Café. Tourists looking for an unusual dining experience or interesting atmosphere won't be disappointed.
Meet mad scientists and monsters at the Jekyll and Hyde Club. The restaurant's interior décor includes skeletons, gargoyles, a Sphinx and a giant Zeus statue. Various creatures and paintings with moving eyes cover the walls. Each of the restaurant's four floors features a different theme, including a laboratory and a library. Costumed characters wander around and interact with guests. A skeletal band, vaudeville act and "Frankenstein" show provide entertainment. The menu features sandwiches, pizza, pasta dishes, steak, chicken and seafood. A few items have horror-themed names such as Mummy Burger, Peach a Boo and Gorey's Demise. Call (212) 541-9505 for hours of operation.
Jekyll and Hyde Club
1409 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
(212) 541-9505
http://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/home.htm
Dine in a historical restaurant once frequented by George Washington. The Fraunces Tavern, built in 1762, contains several dining rooms with colonial decor. Guests can dine in rooms named after American Revolutionary War figures such as Gen. Daniel Bissell and Capt. Benjamin Tallamadge. The tavern features muskets, original American flags and a mural of the "Battle of Brooklyn."
The menu includes American cuisine such as New York strip steak and New England clam chowder, as well as British dishes such as Sheppard's pie and fish and chips. Guests can also see colonial works of art at the adjoining Fraunces Tavern Museum. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. Call (212) 968-1776 or visit the website below for reservations.
Fraunces Tavern
54 Pearl St.
New York, NY 10004
(212) 968-1776
http://www.frauncestavern.com/index2.htm
Enjoy a variety show while eating in a retro environment. Ellen's Stardust Diner, in midtown Manhattan's Theater District, features 1950s memorabilia, singing waitstaff, a "drive-in theatre" screen and an indoor train. The Miss Subways gallery pays tribute to past beauty queens. The menu includes classic American food with nostalgic names such as the Be Bop a Lula Burger and Love Me Tenders. The diner is open daily.
Ellen's Stardust Diner
1650 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
(212) 956-5151
http://www.ellensstardustdiner.com/
Experience Japanese culture in lower Manhattan at Ninja New York. The restaurant's interior, built to resemble a feudal ninja castle, features stone walls, torchlight and a maze-like design. Servers dressed as ninjas drop from the ceiling and wait on guests. Dining areas include a rock garden and 22 individual rooms. The menu includes Japanese cuisine such as sashimi, miso soup and teriyaki chicken. Guests can also enjoy a custard and piecrust dessert shaped like a Bonsai tree. Ninja New York is open daily. Call (212) 274-8500 or visit the website below to make reservations.
Ninja New York
25 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 274-8500
http://www.ninjanewyork.com/
