Crown Shy

Crown Shy opened in 2019 in the base of 70 Pine Street, the landmarked Art Deco tower built as the Cities Service Building, and it quickly became the Financial District's destination dinner. Chef James Kent, who spent eight years as chef de cuisine at Eleven Madison Park and later led the kitchen at the NoMad, opened it with partner Jeff Katz, and it earned rave reviews and a Michelin star. Kent died in 2024, and the restaurant carries on as part of the group he built, which also includes Saga near the top of the same tower. The dining room is big, buzzy and handsome without stiffness, and the cooking pairs fine-dining technique with flavors from the Middle East, Japan, Italy and India.

Featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025, Crown Shy is one of the best lunch options in a neighborhood that can feel all business at midday; the website lists a lunch menu with a prix fixe option as well as dinner. Recent menus have included Gruyère fritters, white bean hummus, a spicy tuna starter, beef kibbeh nayeh and pork katsu, with tandoori flatbreads at lunch and a roasted short rib built for sharing at dinner. Sticky toffee pudding for two is a fine way to finish. Dishes shift with the seasons, so read the current menu before you go, and book through the restaurant's website. Afterward, walk a few blocks to Federal Hall and Wall Street while the streets are quiet.