Shake Shack
Madison Square Park; 212-889-6600
A couple of burgers, a half-bottle of Ridge Zinfandel, a moonlit sky—it doesn’t get better than this.
Financier Patisserie
3–4 World Financial Center; 212-786-3220
Ideally situated for Hudson River Park picnics. Grab some cheese, a sandwich, and a lavish tart or two, and stake out your own private patch of green.
Frankies 457 Spuntino
457 Court St., nr. Luquer St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn;718-403-0033
Escape the madding crowd by requesting a table in the gravel-strewn backyard. Then soak up the peace, the quiet, and the pasta.
The Stanton Social
99 Stanton St., nr. Ludlow St.;212-995-0099
Sleek, sexy, and built for sharing. Taste your way through the multiculti menu, then retire upstairs to the low-key lounge.
Freemans
End of Freeman Alley, off Rivington St., nr. Chrystie St.;212-420-0012
To impress your most hip-conscious date, snag a table at the end of Manhattan’s most-trafficked alley—or at least a bar stool, where you can while away an evening with classic cocktails and Estonian meat pies.