Date night in NYC for under $100
How to wine & dine on a budget in "The Big Apple"
Okay…but how?!
Taking a date out is rarely a cheap excursion — especially in a city like New York. However, I’ve learned that there are many inexpensive ways to have a great date (for 2) in the city.
We’ll focus our efforts on the SoHo, Nolita, and LES neighborhoods for this date. Pulling data from about 20+ dates in these neighborhoods, I’ve learned that the best night for a date is Tuesday or Wednesday — the crowds and lines are low.
Transportation
2 people, $2.75 each way per person, $11 total — oh and you’re taking the train (MTA)
Image courtesy MTA Flickr
Yeah yeah yeah…I know you love the NYC subway system. It’s one of the best in the world and has flat rate pricing with free transfers between buses and trains. Just remember, never get on an empty train car by yourself.
There’s always a reason it’s empty.
Dinner: Ruby’s Cafe - 219 Mulberry St
Image courtesy Ruby’s Cafe Instagram
Established in 2003, Ruby’s prides itself on using fresh local produce balanced with Australian culinary influences to provide the local and international community with some of the best food, espresso coffee and drinks in New York City.
What you should order:
A burger.
My personal favorite is “Blueys” because I don’t eat beef — this is made of chicken breast, tomato, lettuce, sweet chili, mayo & cheese.
With that said, the best burger on the menu is the Classic Cheeseburger (pictured above—top right corner). Make sure to add some fries with truffle aioli on the side (to share with your date).
Small tip: You and your date shouldn’t order the same burger. Try different burgers.
Honorable mention: The Shrimp Pasta is the best non-burger option at Ruby’s.
Cost: $40
Blueys ($13) +
Classic Cheeseburger ($12.50) +
Fries w/ truffle Aioli ($6) +
2 Waters (save your drink appetite 😉) +
Tax ($2.75) +
$5 Tip (15% tip)
Plan to arrive here around 6PM to ensure the rest of the night goes as planned and to ensure you miss the late dinner crowd.
Note: I should mention that they do not take reservations.
Intermission Activity
After dining at Ruby’s Cafe plan to walk some of that food off on the way to grabbing drinks at my favorite bar, Las’ Lap.
But first, head south on Mulberry St towards Spring St. As you approach the next block, Kenmare St on Mulberry you’ll see the sign to the ultra-famous Little Italy district. The sign sits at the Broome St and Mulberry St intersection.
This is a perfect moment for a photo with your date 💚.
Continue your walk through Little Italy until you reach Grand St on Mulberry. Once you reach grand turn EAST and head towards Las’ Lap — it should still be happy hour (ends at 8PM).
Drinks at Las’ Lap
The walk to Las’ Lap is pretty nice on Grand St. You’ll pass the LES park on Grand St where you’ll see the quintessential NYC experience of folks playing Soccer, Handball, and bike polo.
Assuming you arrive at Las’ Lap around 730PM, you shouldn’t have to wait to get inside. However, after 9PM this becomes increasingly harder. With that said, they do take reservations.
At this point you’ve spent about $50. Which is perfect.
Image courtesy Las’ Lap
This means you’ll be able to order around 4 drinks at Las’ Lap from the Happy Hour menu. Or if you want to go slightly over budget — you’ll be able to grab 1 drink each during the final 30 minutes of Happy Hour and get a premium cocktail after.
Happy Hour cocktails are $10 and their regular cocktails are between $14-$20.
After 2 rounds of cocktails you’ve probably spent roughly $50 (including tax & tip).
What you should order:
Anything with Rum in it. Las’ Lap is a premium rum bar.
Personally, for the Happy Hour drinks I recommend Las Palmas & a Don Papa.
For the final 2 drinks, ask the bartender to for a recommendation or for their favorite drink to make.
You will not be dissapointed.
Oh, you might catch Michael B Jordan here on any given night.
Note: Their cocktail menu is seasonal.
That’s it! $100 date night in NYC
There are a ton of recommendations I could’ve given…but I wanted to make this simple for you. If you want my top secret $50 date in NYC — email me or reply to this blog.
Thanks for reading and please share this with your friends in NYC or travelling to NYC.
Ciao,
Corey