Rudy’s Bar & Grill

The red pig at Rudy’s door is an easy landmark for a Hell’s Kitchen bar whose appeal is deliberately informal. The Ninth Avenue business dates to 1933 and still puts beer, a jukebox and its complimentary-hot-dog tradition at the centre of the visit.

Choose a drink and treat the hot dog as part of the bar experience. It is a different proposition from seeking out a specialist hot-dog counter or reserving a restaurant dinner. Rudy’s belongs in the guide because a modest bar stop can be as recognisably New York as a tasting menu, with a very different spending commitment.

The long bar and booth seating give the room its character. This is an adult social stop, so the choice depends on wanting the bar as well as the food offer. Guests looking for a full sit-down meal or a family restaurant should choose another kind of venue.

Rudy’s can make a relaxed Hell’s Kitchen evening around a drink and a simple bite. Keep the meal allowance proportionate to that role, and use the current offer at the bar for the conditions attached to the hot dogs.