NYC'S TOP 3 HIDDEN GEMS

These New York City’s must-tries are destinations offering an air of exclusivity by hidden doorways, fake-out facades and mysterious staircases.

CREDIT:LA NOXE

LA NOXE

Only 600 square feet and adjacent to the 28th Street subway station, you can only access the restaurant by first finding its buzzer on 7th avenue and descend a staircase to the improbably sumptuous cocktail lounge that can only accommodate up to 35. This hidden gem offers multiple tapas options and signature cocktails like the almost aptly named mezcal-based Secret Garden in the MTA’s finest de facto waiting area.

CREDIT:KARASU

KARASU

This Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar recently reopened inside Walter’s. The moody spot is lined with midnight-blue walls, wooden kumiko screens, shelves of 1950s jazz records and a curved marble-and-mahogany bar appointed with all manner of spirits and vintage glassware. Karasu’s menu includes oysters and clams, sashimi and a prime ribeye for two.

CREDIT:GAONNURI

Gaonnuri Korean viewstaurant hovers over midtown from the 39th floor of an otherwise nondescript office building. Its menu also rises above its similarly situated peers that rely on skyline tableaus to keep the crowds coming. The menu includes must-tries such as a japchae that stir-fries glass noodles with beef, mushrooms or seafood, barbecue options such as ribeye, bulgogi and duck and entrees such as spicy kimchi and pork stew or soybean and beef stew.

These gems are must-tries for those looking for an extra adventure while visiting the Big Apple and offer exceptional wonderous joy as well as authentic inviting menus.