Dinner in Midtown Manhattan: A Practical Guide to AYZA

Choosing where to have dinner in Midtown Manhattan is harder than it should be for a neighbourhood with this much food in it. Between the chain restaurants on the avenues, the hotel dining rooms and the places built entirely for tourists, the useful question is not what is good. It is what is good, close to where you already are, and still serving at the hour you want to eat.

This is a practical guide to AYZA Wine & Chocolate Bar at 11 West 31st Street: what is on the menu, what it costs, when to come and who it suits.

Where it is, and why that matters

11 West 31st Street, between Fifth Avenue and Broadway. Three blocks from Herald Square, four minutes from the Empire State Building, about eight from Madison Square Garden, and a short walk from Penn Station. Being one block off the main avenues is the useful part: you get Midtown convenience without Midtown volume.

Practically, that means a group can arrive from four different subway lines without anyone making a special journey, and you can walk to a show afterwards. It also means the room fills between 6 and 8 pm on event nights and empties again, which is worth knowing when you pick a time.

What is on the dinner menu

The kitchen is European leaning and built around sharing rather than three courses each. The dinner menu splits into boards, cold plates and warm plates.

Boards for two

The Fromage Board is $35 with Tête de Moine, French Brie, Parmigiano Reggiano and Shropshire Blue. The Maison Board is $39 and adds Prosciutto di Parma and bresaola. Either one takes 15 percent off any bottle of wine, which is the best value on the menu and the reason most tables start here.

Cold plates

Empire Steak Tartare at $21, hand cut with a quail egg. Watermelon and Mint Salad at $16 with feta, baby arugula and balsamic. Classic Hummus Dip at $11. Blue Cheese Caesar at $14. Steak or avocado can be added to the salads for $12 and $5.

Warm plates and mains

What dinner actually costs

Two things move that number more than anything else. Ordering a board unlocks 15 percent off a bottle. And arriving before 6 pm Sunday to Friday puts you inside happy hour, where selected wines are $7 a glass or $25 a bottle, selected cocktails are $10 and beer is $6. Saturday is the one day it does not run.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free

There is no separate vegan menu, but dishes are marked. Vegetarian options include the Hot Artichoke Dip, Blue Cheese Caesar, Truffle Waffle Fries, Avocado Fritters and Pici Cacio e Pepe. Vegan and gluten free options include the Classic Hummus Dip, the Watermelon and Mint Salad and the Cauliflower with Wild Mushrooms. The Braised Short Rib and Roasted Chicken are gluten free.

For desserts, the Coconut Flan is gluten free and a three piece vegan M. Jardine chocolate selection is $14. If someone at the table has an allergy rather than a preference, tell the team when you book and again when you order, so the kitchen can confirm ingredients and cross contact rather than working from a menu symbol.

What to drink with it

The cocktails and wines menu runs about $13 to $21 by the glass and shows bottle prices alongside, which makes it easy to work out whether a second round is better as a bottle. The New York section is the distinctive part: Dr. Konstantin Frank Grüner Veltliner, Brotherhood Riesling, Keuka Cayuco Brut, Keuka dry rosé and Bully Hill Cabernet Franc.

Simple matches from the menu: the Cabernet Franc with the short rib or the tartare, the Grüner Veltliner with the hummus or the Caesar, the Riesling with the hoisin glazed chicken skewers, and the Cayuco Brut with the truffle fries. If you would rather not choose, the $33 Wine Flight pours three 3 ounce tastes. Four house cocktails are $17 and two mocktails $14.

Dessert, which is the reason people come back

The Sweet Treats menu is not a formality. Two fondues for two, at $31 and $29, with a choice of Belgian milk, Belgian white or 70 percent Ecuadorian dark chocolate. Chocolate cake at $14, a gluten free coconut flan at $14, affogato at $12 and olive oil gelato with hot honey at $11. Boxes of chocolates run $14 to $17.

Then there are the Chocolate Martinis, which have been the house signature since 2007: Classic, Espresso, Raspberry and White Chocolate at $19, the No. 19 at $26, or six minis for two at $57. Fondue is made to order, so ask for it before the kitchen closes rather than after.

When to book, and where to sit

Two rooms to choose between. The dining room sits under the light installation and carries the energy of the bar. The heated garden behind it is quieter, filled with flowers and usable well into the cold months. Request either when you book and treat it as a preference; if the seat is central to the occasion, call instead.

Groups of six or more go through group dining, and the room can be booked privately for up to 20 seated or 40 standing from $69 per person through the events page. One thing to be clear about: AYZA does not serve brunch, and the doors do not open before 4 pm, so this is an evening restaurant.

Dinner in Midtown Manhattan: FAQ

Book a table

For dinner in Midtown Manhattan without the queue, book a table, start with a board, and take the 15 percent off the bottle. Walk ins are welcome when there is space.

Menu items, prices and hours were checked against ayzanyc.com on September 9, 2026. Dishes and prices change, so confirm anything that matters before you visit.