Shared Plates and Supper Rooms From Murray Hill to Midtown

Start at Bubo if small plates beat a headline queue. Keep this first night in Murray Hill before ranging north. Order Mediterranean plates, then choose a cocktail pairing. Ask about the bar versus the hidden back area before settling. The lounge setting earns the detour; an unverified drop does not. Check the current menu before building a larger shared order.

Trade bar chatter for a French bistro at Deux Amis. Choose this stop for a slower table after Monday’s lounge. Ask about couscous first, then consider roasted duck. Keep Southern France as the reference point for the menu. Favor the meal over a claimed launch. Confirm what’s available before ordering, and photograph the table without interrupting dinner.

Settle into La Gioconda for handmade pasta and conversation. Give midweek to regional Italian recipes before Friday’s pizza table. Start with cold cuts and cheeses, then choose pasta. Make the regional dishes the ordering guide rather than a bottle label. Ask which plates suit sharing. Keep the meal focused instead of chasing an unverified special.

Build Thursday around food first, cocktails second.

Start at Yumpling with dumplings or a thigh-meat fried chicken cutlet. Save room instead of ordering every bowl. Take a short walk toward Yakuni when ready. Make oolong punch the drink to ask about. The basement room fits about twelve; skip crowding in for a photograph. Check both menus before setting this two-stop evening.

Bring a small crew to Sofia for pizzas and platters. Put this social table after the more focused tasting nights. Begin with meat and cheese, then decide whether pizza belongs. Let the shared order set the pace rather than a rumored line. The room can get busy. Ask the bartender for a wine by the glass before committing everyone to one bottle.

Change the pace Saturday with a room worth lingering in. Pick No Work Allowed for Thai- and Japanese-inspired dishes with live jazz. Ask about the savory menu before saving space for sticky mango rice. Keep the music as part of dinner, not background for endless filming. Confirm the current set before leaving. Skip a long photo session once the musicians begin.

Finish with a group meal at Philippe by Philippe Chow. Choose the Beijing-style kitchen after six nights of smaller orders. Start by discussing Peking duck; compare it with glazed spare ribs. Give the duck the first ordering conversation, not an assumed sellout deadline. Ask which dishes suit the group today. Photograph the spread, then put the phone away while the food is ready to eat.