Let’s address the obvious question first. Yes, I am aware that “Blackbird” is also the name of several unrelated restaurants that have nothing to do with the app. No, this post is not about those places. If you searched your way here looking for a restaurant literally named Blackbird, I am sorry for the confusion, but stick around anyway, you might find something better.
If you are on the actual Blackbird app and sitting on credits wondering where to burn them, I have already done the hard work of eating my way through the answer.
These are five NYC spots I have personally visited, eaten well at, and would send anyone to without hesitation. All confirmed Blackbird locations. All worth fighting for a reservation. None of them are named Blackbird.
1. La Tête d’Or by Daniel
Modern French elegance on 23rd Street, which is a neighborhood I do not visit nearly enough because apparently my internal map of Manhattan ends somewhere around 14th Street unless properly incentivized.
The bar here makes solo dining feel like an event rather than a consolation prize. The Caesar salad comes with anchovies served on the side so you can calibrate your own anchovy tolerance like some kind of amateur scientist, the steak tartare is clean and well seasoned, and the steak frites at $58 for a 10 ounce tenderloin is a genuinely solid deal for the quality. The crème caramel converted me, and I am famously not a dessert person. Ask anyone. Ask my cardiologist specifically, he has opinions.
Read the full La Tête d’Or review
2. Hutong
The $68 dim sum brunch prefix is one of the better deals in Midtown, and I do not say that lightly since I have personally audited a concerning number of Midtown brunch menus in the name of journalism.
Unlimited dim sum, an entrée, sides, and a $25 Peking duck upgrade that is worth every penny, math I did very carefully with a full stomach and a slight martini buzz. The crab sticks and wonton dumplings are the standouts, and the room itself, chrome everywhere, spotless, not a single fingerprint anywhere, is genuinely one of the more stunning dining spaces in the city. I spent a real amount of time wondering about their overnight cleaning staff. That is not a joke. I think about it often.
3. Gage & Tollner
A Brooklyn steakhouse with real history behind it and a dry-aged menu that actually backs up the legacy, which is rarer than it should be for a place trading on its own name. Classic martinis, a proper steak program, and a second chance in downtown Brooklyn that it has fully earned.
Read the full Gage & Tollner review
4. Crown Shy
One of my all-time favorite restaurants in this entire city, Michelin star and all, and I do not throw that endorsement around casually because I am a man of very specific and occasionally unreasonable standards.
The spicy tuna looks like a painting, the seared scallops in corn puree are outstanding, and the mango tres leches converted me from a lifelong dessert skeptic in a single bite, which is the culinary equivalent of a religious experience. Sits at number two on my Best Restaurants in NYC list for a reason, and that reason is that it is consistently, almost annoyingly, excellent.
Read the full Crown Shy review
5. Trudie‘s Tavern
The newest addition to this list and already earning its spot, which is impressive considering it had to compete against four restaurants that have had significantly more time to win my affection.
A sidecar martini that is ice cold and spectacular enough that I ordered it twice in one sitting, a house-made pretzel worth ordering on its own merits, and a $39 roasted chicken with grandma-style potatoes that might be one of the best value plates in Brooklyn right now. The coconut carrot cake steals the whole show, and I say that as someone who walked in specifically for the chicken and left thinking mostly about cake. Priorities shift. It happens.
Read the full Trudie’s Tavern review
Final Thoughts
Five restaurants, five completely different vibes, one common thread: all worth your Blackbird credits without hesitation, and none of them will make you feel like you are cashing in a coupon at a chain restaurant, which is a real risk with some rewards programs.
This list will grow as I keep eating my way through the city one confirmed reservation at a time, so check back whenever you are staring at your Blackbird balance wondering what to do with your life.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.