Dining out During a Pandemic: NYC

I went to New York City this past weekend to have lunch outside. Other than a quick trip to Ample Hills Creamery one night, where I was barely out of my car, this was the first time that I had been back to NYC since COVID. It was weird. To say the least. To start things off, we found street parking no problem. Usually, I would never drive into the city. Especially because there is a train that leaves from a station 5 minutes from my house. However, with the pandemic, I was trying to limit my time on public transportation. We left WAY earlier than necessary because I was so worried about finding parking on the Lower East Side. It turned out that that was not a problem at all. So we parked, and began walking to our lunch destination: Ivan Ramen.

Ivan has two locations: one on Clinton St. (the one we went to), and a “Slurp Shop” on 11th Avenue; however, only the Clinton St. location is open to sit down at. If you’re interested in reading more about what we got for lunch and how it was, click here for my review of Ivan Ramen. They had two patios, one in front and one in the back. The back patio, which I assume was more shaded and quieter (as you’re not directly on the street), was full when we got there, so we were seated out front. We were the only people out there, which made me feel much more comfortable. Their menus were on QR codes, which also limited touching. I will say, it was HOT. If you are not prepared to be sweating through your meal, then don’t dine out in NYC in the summer when your only option is outdoor seating. Our server was wearing a mask the whole time which made me feel very comfortable.

I will say, that I have heard that at a lot of restaurants in NYC, the tables are as squished together as they normally would be. I have put together a list of tips to keeping yourself, and others, safe while dining outdoors in NYC during the pandemic:

1. Do your research: look into the restaurant you want to go to and try to figure out how much they are adhering to guidelines about keeping customers safe. Look them up on Yelp to try to find pictures of their tables to see if they are six feet apart.

2. Don’t be afraid to say no: if you get there and are uncomfortable with the layout of the tables, then just go somewhere else. Especially in NYC, there are plenty of places to choose from. While supporting restaurants if you can right now is important, it is not more important than your safety.

3. This one might sound self-explanatory but, bring your mask & hand sanitizer. Wear your mask up until you sit down at your table and make sure to sanitize your hands after touching the menu (if you have one).

4. Don’t go out if you are feeling the least bit sick. It is so easy to find other ways to support restaurants. Don’t risk it.

5. Tip well & be kind to your servers. The people working at the restaurant are risking their lives so that you can eat out. They are working through intense heat wearing a mask to help protect you. The least that you can do is be kind & understanding and tip them nicely.