West Bank Cafe

The West Bank Cafe is an essential gathering place for the theatre community and I am so grateful to its new owners, Tom and Michael D’Angora, and its former owner Steve Olsen, for making it such a home for so many!

Such a welcoming historic and legendary restaurant that must survive!  It should be landmarked!  The first show I saw there was Joan Rivers in the Laurie Beechman Theatre downstairs — front row seat.  Delicious food and drinks, happy staff. You’ll never know who you'll run into there — besides the illustrious Steve Olsen, of course! 

I used to go there every Friday with a friend. We just enjoyed the place because it was so welcoming and homey. People are very friendly.

A warm, friendly atmosphere and a good place to meet friends for drinks and dinner. It’s a Theater District fixture.

Steve is an amazing host, the food is divine and the atmosphere is delightful. I also see many friends when I go there.

The food is excellent and the ambiance is cozy and theatrical. It was Chita Rivera’s favorite neighborhood place. I would often see her there. This past Thanksgiving, she was there with her family. We spoke and toasted the holiday, and that was the last time I saw her. As usual, she was supportive and full of life. Steve, the owner, is a nice man and wonderful restaurateur. The Laurie Beechman Theater downstairs is where I celebrated my 50th birthday. One day I’ll book it again and perform my one-woman show there…Hey Steve, wink wink.

“Where everybody knows your name…” It’s always fun to see theatre folks, eat great food and feel welcomed. WBC does that so well.

It’s an iconic staple of the neighborhood as well as the theater community! The staff, the warmth, the amazing wine selection and the fresh food. It also serves as a regular coffee klatch and meeting place for many performers of TV, stage and screen.

I always feel at home there. Steve Olsen is a great host and the food is always on point.

Owner Steve Olsen is the Saint of Hell’s Kitchen. Don’t know what we’d do without him. He treats everyone like family. The food is fantastic and the ambiance is so beautiful and comfortable.

West Bank has a lively atmosphere and excellent food. I like their Caesar salad and salmon a lot. It is right around the corner, so very convenient for me.

The West Bank Café is the perfect pre-theatre dinner choice. It’s equidistance to the best of Broadway, off-Broadway, and cabaret. They are famous for their risotto balls, but my favorite thing on the menu is their chicken Caesar salad (unless the pork chop is on the specials). Best Aperol Spritz in the city. They have a ridiculous happy hour at the bar and a great staff all around. I will always have a special place in my heart for the West Bank Café because Steve and Janet, the owners, went out of their way to bring cabaret back IN PERSON to New York during the pandemic. As soon as restaurants were allowed to reopen with outdoor dining, they brought their piano from the downstairs cabaret venue, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, rolled it up to the window and provided live entertainment for their customers. They not only provided gigs for all of us out-of-work entertainers, but they fed us too! I was honored to be a part of their talent roster…and because of them providing us with these opportunities, my friends Michael Garin & Mardie Millit and I became eligible and even won MAC Awards for our appearances there during the pandemic.

West Bank Cafe is THE PLACE in HK. End of story. The food is great and reasonably priced. The ambience is warm and inviting. Casually upscale. You will see EVERYONE from the neighborhood there. And Steve and Janet treat everyone like family.

A mainstay of the theater community, Manhattan Plaza, and HK. Westbank is a neighborhood treasure, the food is always fantastic, the service is spot-on, the bar and bartenders — perfect.

The best food and service in the city! It's my favorite place in NYC. It's our second home. I highly recommend "Tom's Pork chop" it's delicious.

The owner Steve is wonderful. The room is so welcoming. The food is delicious. We had a gala at the Laurie Beechman Theatre downstairs.

Steve Olsen is an old friend and he's cared for the theater community for over 40 years.