Center Cut
44 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
212-956-1288

Review
Vegetarianism is so 1998, making steakhouses en vogue for today’s date-minded individuals. And so, we recommend to you, our faithful DateSpacers, the latest creation from China Grill management, the firm that brought you such NYC staples as Asia de Cuba, Kobe Club, and Ono…and now, Center Cut.

This new steakhouse has just opened at the Empire Hotel, and it’s literally a stone’s throw away from Lincoln Center. In fact, the only restaurant closer to that grand cultural forum is the overpriced and understaffed PJ Clarkes.

While Lincoln Center patrons and tripping over each other in line to get into places like Gabriel’s and Cafe Fiorello, Center Cut remains a hidden gem. The restaurant boasts a $39 pre- or post-theater 3-course dinner (if you count the delicious homemade cookies to-go as a dessert course), and we can promise you that once Center Cut gets reviewed by the big boys at the Times and New York Magazine, the no-reservation-required mantra will no longer be the norm. Dim lighting, spacious tables, classy old-time charm, delicious aromas from the kitchen, and all this in a quiet environment create the most romantic of settings.

If you find yourself at Lincoln Center for an evening at the opera, The Nutcracker, the Christmas Tree-lighting ceremony, the final weeks of South Pacific, the New York Philharmonic’s winter concerts, or any of the other amazing performances that are happening in December, plan on eating well and for under $100 at Center Cut.

Do we hook you up or what?

Date-ability Breakdown
Original? No
Low-Key? Yes
Collaborative? No
Good for Conversation? Yes
Romantic? Yes