Mon 19 Oct
This was Monday, October 19.
Five return guests tonight, every policy line re-read at each room’s own site this afternoon. A weekday room on the 50 Hudson Yards mezzanine that books nobody, a First Avenue branch where the door beats the booking book, a Greenpoint bar firing pies with nothing between you and a stool but the sidewalk, the Delancey soba counter that has never taken a reservation, and the 1972 burger cottage that keeps its lights on until 3am. Monday night, no card and no login — the door is the reservation.
We never hold, resell or book a table. Availability moves minute to minute, so go early rather than late.
Bar Torino
Hudson Yards
An Italian café and bar hiding in plain sight on the mezzanine of the 50 Hudson Yards tower — cornettos and quiche through the morning, an evening menu through the office exodus, and a Hudson Boulevard entrance most of the neighborhood walks past without looking up. The weekday hours are the point: a room built for whoever is already inside the building, not for a booking book.
The way in
walk in — no reservations are needed; the room is first come, first served, and on weekdays the doors run 8am to 9pm
Why we say so
Their own page states “No reservations needed...Bar Torino is first come, first served,” with hours of “Monday – Friday 8am to 9p” — re-read at their site today. The room sits on the mezzanine of 50 Hudson Yards; their page says to enter through the West lobby off Hudson Blvd East.
Westville Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The first-avenue branch of the neighborhood-American family — market sides, grilled fish, the zucchini fries people order twice, and a four-to-six happy hour of eight-dollar cocktails and half-price appetizers for the early crowd. Nine rooms across the city, and this one keeps its doors open to anyone who climbs the block off the 6.
The way in
walk in — walk-ins are always welcome and on weekdays the doors run 11:30am to 10pm; happy hour pours 4 to 6
Why we say so
Their own page pairs its booking note — “Book a table at Westville Upper East Side online or call us directly” — with the line “Walk-ins are always welcome,” and hours of “Mon – Fri 11:30 AM – 10 PM” — re-read at their site today.
Me and Paul's
Greenpoint
The walk-in bar in the Paulie Gee's family — wood-fired Neapolitan pies landing from a kitchen a few steps away, a proper pour behind the bar, and nothing standing between you and a stool but the sidewalk. The Monday that starts here rarely stays quiet.
The way in
walk in — the room takes no bookings at all; walk-ins only, and on weekdays the doors run 2pm to 2am
Why we say so
Their own site states “Walk-ins Only.” beside hours of “Open 2 pm to 2 am Monday-Thursday and 12 pm to 2 am Friday – Sunday” for the Greenpoint room — re-read at their site today.
Cocoron
Lower East Side
The little soba house on Delancey Street where noodles are cut fresh and the broths do the talking — hot duck soba, cold dipping soba, a counter seat and a warm bowl sixteen steps from the door. It is the walk-in sibling of a noodle group whose other rooms are reservation-only, and it intends to stay that way.
The way in
walk in — no reservations are accepted at cocoron; the counter seats whoever arrives, and today it runs 12pm to 3:10pm and 5pm to 10:30pm with last order at 10:00
Why we say so
Their own site states “No reservations are accepted at cocoron” on their contact page, and their location page prints “12:00pm - 3:10pm / 5:00pm - 10:30pm (L.O. 10:00pm) / Open everyday” for the 16 Delancey room — re-read at both pages today.
J.G. Melon
Upper East Side
The cottage on 74th Street that has served the city’s benchmark burger since 1972 — leather banquettes, cottage fries, a raw bar in back, and a room that feels like a club you didn’t need a member card for. A Monday here runs to 3am, long after the neighborhood has gone home.
The way in
walk in — the pub takes no reservations; Monday runs 11:30am to 3am with the kitchen closing at 2:30am
Why we say so
Their own site prints “Monday-Saturday: 11:30am to 3am (mon-thurs kitchen closes at 2:30am; fri & sat kitchen closes at 2:40am)” and, just below the schedule, “No Reservations.” — re-read at their site today.
None of these work tonight? Tell us what does — $12.
Your party, your neighborhood, your hour. One person researches tonight and sends three to five rooms with the way in, under 10 minutes.
We loaded every one of these pages ourselves before writing this. Check their hours again before you put your coat on.
Tonight’s five are here.