Nothing beats finding a new restaurant in your neighborhood that’s just a few blocks from home. We recently dined at Merchants NY in Chelsea. This casual family-friendly restaurant features classic American fare and signature crafted cocktails. The restaurant also feature a chic “Living Room” dining and drinking concept. We are excited to share Merchants NY, one of the best restaurants in Chelsea with you.
Best Restaurants in Chelsea in 2021
Merchants NY is located in Chelsea on 7th Avenue and 21st Street. This restaurant is part of Merchants Hospitality Property, a hospitality group founded by Abraham Merchant. We visited multiple sister restaurants Ophelia, Merchants River House and Merchants Cigar Bar. Merchants is open daily for dinner from 4PM to 10PM and for brunch on Friday to Sunday from 11:30AM to 4:00PM. Happy Hour is daily form 4:00PM to 7:00PM. Merchants NY also has a quaint sidewalk cafe, a living rom with a fireplace and old world charm as well as and several private party rooms. If you are looking for the best restaurants in Chelsea, stop by Merchants NY.
Best Restaurants in Chelsea: What to Order to Drink?
Marg my words… it’s happy hour. We started with strawberry and mango margaritas. If you get there before 7PM, definitely order a round of margarita. They are only $5 and delicious. Our favorite was the Mango because it had more unique flavors. It was mangonficent. If you are looking for happy hour spot, check out Merchants NY, one of the best restaurants in Chelsea.
Vodka time is it? We also recommend Merchant’s signature cocktails. We ordered the Make Way for the Queen and the Chelsea Star. Both cocktails have champagne, but our favorite was the Chelsea Star. This cocktail comes with a champagne side that you can pour into the cocktail or sip separately. It’s also made with passion fruit purée, which gives the cocktail a gorgeous marigold color.
The Make Way for the Queen has a gorgeous all natural violet color from the Empress Gin. We actually worked with Empress Gin on a Rosemary Pear Empress Gin Martini.
We also sipped on Sandeman Porto. This ruby port has aromas of red fruits, plums and strawberrie, and pairs well with chocolate desserts, fruit desserts and full flavored cheeses.
Best Restaurants in Chelsea: What to Order for Dinner?
You have guac to be kidding me. We recommend starting with the Avocado Fries. The avocado is tossed in a beer batter and fried. The fries are topped with Wasabi Aioli Drizzle. You’ll feel like a Wass Queen (or King). We tried these Avocado Fries for the first time at Merchants River House.
We also ordered the Fried Calamari. It was perfectly cooked. This wasn’t a good pairing with the Avocado Fries. We recommend picking one or the another along with a non-fried appetizer like the Cheese Board.
That’s pre-pasta-rous! For dinner, we also ordered the Pappardelle with Chicken Ragu and the Homemade Gnocchi. Our favorite was the Pappardelle. We don’t eat pasta often, but this was amazing and you have to order it. It even has red chili flakes, which is something we always add to our pasta. It is also topped with cherry tomatoes, fried quinoa and parmesan.
Just gnocch-ing around. The Gnocchi with Creamy Sage Sauce was always quite delicious. This Gnocchi is rich and creamy, so it’s best to share it. With creamy sage cream sauce and Romano cheese, it’s best to not count calories this day. Both dishes paired nicely with our cocktails.
Just another manic sundae. We finished up our meal with a rich Fudge Brownie Sundae and a Walnut Sour Cream Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Whipped Cream. It was the perfect way to conclude our meal at one of the best restaurants in Chelsea in 2021.
This year, grab dinner or drinks at Merchants NY, one of the best restaurants in Chelsea in 2021. The ambiance, drinks and food are fantastic at this Chelsea hidden gem. You can also check out our Outdoor Dining and Indoor Dining section for more recommendations.
There is no sincere love than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
I have never been to New York but these are seemingly impressive recommendations. The dishes looks really scrumptious and appetizing. Not to mention the IG-worthy ambiance. I will definitely put Mercants NY on my list
Thank you for sharing
Wow never been to New York but love those yummy foods and images. Thanks for sharing with us.
seems like they have great food and excellent selection of drinks. A great bar!
I love their ambiance, drinks and food too. Looks a really lovely place to try
I love all the food that you featured here. I wouldn’t mind jumping from one restaurant to the next one when I’m in New York.
I’ve never been to Chelsea but I hear nice things. It’s definitly going on my ‘to go’ list.
Ohh definitely saving this for my next trip to NYC! Thanks for sharing! x
I have recently really started to love port. It is rich in flavor and just so delicious.
Those cocktails are calling my name! They look so deliciously refreshing.
Looking at these pictures makes me hungry haha. It looks so good and delicious. Would definitely give it a try. Thank you for sharing!
Fransic – https://www.querianson.com/
I have never been here. The food looks great and delicious. I will take note of this so that I can try it out when I will be heading NY and nearby this area.
Everything looks so appetizing! I can’t wait to try it soon. Yum!
Hihi….with that saying, George Shaw was a truly wise man! Thanks for sharing this very valuable list!
I have never been to New York but thanks to millions of movies available about New York, it seems I am getting knowledgeable about the place. Hope to visit New York IRL when the pandemic is over, and explore your recommended restaurants 🙂
All of those dishes are looking absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this informative post with us and will keep those in mind.