NYC Restaurant Week is Back

New York City today kicked off the 30th anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week. New York City Restaurant Week is a fun time to try out new places, and make some of the more expensive restaurants a bit more affordable. NYC Restaurant Week has been a twice annual dining tradition since 1992.

This summer’s edition, running 30 days from July 18 through August 21, highlights more than 650 restaurants across all five boroughs with more than 60 different styles of cuisines in 85 neighborhoods.

This year’s prices are up, but you can save up to $30 if you have a Mastercard credit or debit card. Let’s see how it all works and how to maximize your savings for NYC Restaurant Week.

NYC Restaurant Week

Running Monday through Friday (with the option to participate on Sundays), NYC Restaurant Week offers a multitude of options for dining enthusiasts to enjoy.

Participating restaurants will be offering either a two-course lunch or three-course dinner prix-fixe menu of classic, favorite and new menu items. Inclusive price points are $30, $45 or $60 per person, depending on the restaurant. This pricing structure was created to ensure establishments from all five boroughs can participate, from neighborhood eateries to fine dining. More than 100 restaurants will also offer $30 bottles of wine to commemorate the 30th anniversary, available on participating menus. 

Diners can browse participating restaurants by filters including “location,” “cuisine,” “has menu,” “$10 Mastercard rebate,” “accessibility,” “ownership,” “weeks participating,” and “meals.” Collections will also be available at nycgo.com/restaurantweek to help consumers choose restaurants by interest, including “Restaurant Week Classics,” “Lunch Break,” “Summer Vibes,” “Impress Your Followers,” “Dress for the Occasion,” “James Beard Honorees,” “Wine Spectator Winners” and lastly, “Make it a Stella,” a collection from Stella Artois, the official beer sponsor of NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2022.

A list of participating NYC Restaurant Week eateries is available at nycgo.com/restaurantweek.  

Get $10 Back with Mastercard

Mastercard cardholders can pre-register here to receive an exclusive $10 statement credit on each transaction of $45 or more while dining on-site (for up to three (3) transactions, totaling a $30 rebate), when dining out through July 31.

• General reservations for all other cardholders will begin on July 6, 2022. NYC Restaurant Week will take place from July 18, 2022 through August 21, 2022.
• Credit will post within approximately ten (10) to fifteen (15) business days of the date of qualifying purchase.
• Takeout and delivery are not eligible for statement credit.
• In order to get the statement credit, you must first register your eligible Mastercard card at: dinewithmc.com. You must register your card prior to paying for an eligible purchase with your Mastercard (at a participating merchant) in order to receive any statement credit for the Promotion.
• The Promotion ends July 31, 2022 (or while supplies last)

Guru’s Wrap-up

I usually visit a couple of restaurants during NYC Restaurant Week. This year’s promotion is pricier than usual, with meals for $30, $45 or $60. To get the $10 Mastercard discount you need to spend at least $45. Either a meal for $45, or two for $0 total should be enough to trigger it. For some of the most popular places, it’s best to book early.

This latest edition seems to have more participating restaurants than in the past. But takeout and delivery are no longer eligible. I see some restaurants that are also listed in the Seated app. That could get you addition savings. If you’re not sure which card to use, check out my list of best credit cards for restaurant purchases.

There are also savings for getting around NYC. You can get $1 off every subway or bus ride with the Cash app.