I have been doing research on this recently, going through menus and deal listings across the boroughs to find where the actual value is hiding. Here is what I found, organized by type.
French Prix Fixe: More Than You Would Expect for the Price
A French prix fixe lunch is one of the better known deals for people who work in Midtown, but most people do not realize how far the value actually goes. A fixed price gets you two or three courses during a midday window on weekdays. The rooms tend to be calm. The food tends to be real restaurant cooking, not a pared-down lunch version.
Here are the spots that stood out in my research.
| Restaurant | Neighborhood | Deal | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paname Petite Brasserie | Midtown East (2nd Ave & 56th St) | 2 courses $23 / 3 courses $26 | Daily, noon to 3pm |
| Boucherie West Village | West Village (7th Ave South) | 3 courses $33 | Mon to Fri, 11am to 4pm |
| Red Eye Grill | Midtown (7th Ave) | 2 courses $32 | Weekdays only |
| Copinette | Midtown East (1st Ave & 50th St) | 3 courses $34 | Mon to Fri, noon to 3:30pm |
Paname is the standout value on paper. Three courses for $26 in Midtown, with a menu that includes escargot, crab cakes, chicken paillard, and creme brulee. That is not a discounted menu. It is just an honest price for a French restaurant that wants to fill seats at lunch.
Boucherie gives you the widest window, 11am to 4pm, which creates real flexibility for either a late morning or early afternoon meal. Three courses includes soup or salad plus a main like mushroom ravioli or croque monsieur.
Copinette runs a strong three course menu with crispy tortellini, grilled branzino, and pappardelle ragu. Steak frites is available as a $15 supplement if you want to go further, but the base menu already looks like more than you paid for.
Pizza and Italian Casual: The Everyday Lunch
This is where the range gets wide. New York has hundreds of Italian spots running weekday lunch specials. Most of what I found lands between seven and fifteen dollars and includes a drink. The best of them are genuine meals, not just filler.
Here is what the menus show across the boroughs.
| Restaurant | Neighborhood | Starting Price | What Is Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big John’s Pizza and Pasta | Queens Village, Queens | $4.75 | Daily rotating hero or pasta special |
| Sicily’s Best Pizzeria | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $7.00 | Pasta or burger with fries, 11am to 4pm |
| Michelangelo’s Pizzeria | West Brighton, Staten Island | $8.50 | Wrap, gyro, hero, or personal pie with soda or water |
| Dino’s Pizzeria | Riverdale, Bronx | $9.00 | Hero or pasta with mini wedge, soda, and fries or salad |
| Plaza Pizza | Staten Island | $9.95 | Entree with drink |
| Joe’s Pizza and Pasta | Woodhaven, Queens | $9.99 | Pasta, entree, or panini with drink, 11am to 3pm |
| Genesis Pizza | Flushing, Queens | $10.40 | Hot hero, pasta, or wings with fries and free soda |
| Bklyn Pizza | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $11.56 | Heroes and pizzette, 11am to 3pm |
| Bari’s Pizza | Staten Island | $12.00 | Entree with drink |
| Rosebank Pizza | Rosebank, Staten Island | $13.50 | Wide selection with a can of soda |
| Goodfella’s Brick Oven | Hylan Blvd, Staten Island | $16.00 | Entree with side salad and beverage, 11am to 3pm |
Big John’s in Queens Village is the most remarkable thing on this list in terms of pure value. Their menu shows a different special every day of the week. Monday is meatball hero. Tuesday is chicken. Wednesday is eggplant. Thursday is sausage. Friday cycles back to meatball. Specials start at $4.75. In 2026, in New York, that number is striking.
Dino’s in Riverdale posts a $9 all in lunch that bundles a mini wedge, a soda, your choice of fries or salad, and a full hero or pasta. That combination of price and completeness is harder to find than it should be.
Genesis in Flushing lists hot heroes, baked pastas, or wings with fries and a free drink at $10.40 across the board. The menu is long and the pricing is consistent, which is usually a good sign.
What Makes a Lunch Deal Worth It
Not every lunch special is actually a deal. Some are just the regular menu with a fountain soda added at the same price as ordering them separately. Here is what separates a real deal from a dressed-up regular order.
| What to look for | What to avoid |
|---|---|
| The price is lower than ordering items separately | A regular entree plus a soda at the same total price |
| The special is available consistently throughout the week | Specials that disappear seasonally or change without notice |
| A drink is included, not just listed as an add-on | A drink listed at an additional charge that erases the savings |
| The window is long enough to eat without feeling rushed | A 90 minute technical window with obvious table-turning pressure |
The pattern in my research is that the best deals come from restaurants using lunch to fill seats during slower hours. French spots use prix fixe menus to attract the midday crowd. Pizza shops run specials to compete with fast food. The ones that do it honestly tend to also be the ones where the food and the room reflect some actual care.
My Current Top Picks by Category
| Category | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| French prix fixe | Paname Petite Brasserie | Three courses for $26 in Midtown including dessert |
| Budget Italian | Big John’s, Queens Village | Daily rotating specials from $4.75 |
| Midrange Italian | Dino’s Pizzeria, Riverdale | $9 all in with salad, soda, and a full entree |
| Upscale casual | Goodfella’s, Staten Island | $16 with salad and drink from a brick oven |
| Best time window | Boucherie West Village | 11am to 4pm, which gives you real flexibility |
This list will keep growing as I find more worth adding.
Jack Maguire 