Restaurant in New York City, United States
High-energy Asian Fusion, reliable and bookable.
Buddakan is a reliable, mid-price Asian Fusion dinner in Chelsea's Meatpacking District, rated 4.4 across 5,481 reviews and ranked by Opinionated About Dining in 2025. Booking is easy, cuisine pricing runs $40–$65 per head, and the wine list is France-forward with 170 selections. A solid call for groups or first-timers who want atmosphere without a tasting-menu price tag.
Buddakan has held its ground in the Chelsea Market corridor for long enough to become a fixed point in the Meatpacking District's dining map. That 4.4 Google rating, drawn from over 5,000 reviews, is not the score of a novelty venue coasting on atmosphere. It is a signal that this STARR Restaurants property keeps delivering on a consistent basis. The New York City restaurant scene is unforgiving of mediocrity, and Buddakan's 2025 Opinionated About Dining Casual ranking (#578 in North America, up from #591 in 2024) suggests it is moving in the right direction.
For a first-timer, the core proposition is Asian Fusion at a mid-range price point (cuisine pricing lands in the $$ tier, meaning a typical two-course dinner runs $40–$65 per person before drinks). That is a reasonable ask for Chelsea, where comparable large-format dining rooms frequently charge more for less. If you are used to the approachable price structure of Dimes but want something more formal, or if you find Hortus NYC too health-forward, Buddakan positions itself as the middle path: crowd-pleasing, dramatic in scale, and priced for a regular dinner out rather than a once-a-year splurge.
The kitchen is led by Chef Zachary Taylor, with wine direction from Mikayla Cohen and operations overseen by General Manager Dragana Bjelica. The wine list runs to around 170 selections with an inventory of 2,000 bottles; France is the program's strength, pricing falls in the $$$ range (many bottles above $100), and the corkage fee is $35 if you bring your own. That corkage rate is fair for New York. If you are a wine-first diner, the list is worth exploring, but if you want to keep the bill controlled, a cocktail or two is the more economical entry point.
Service runs dinner only, which is relevant if you are planning around a Chelsea afternoon. Monday through Thursday, doors open at 5 pm and the kitchen runs until 11 pm. Friday and Saturday extend to midnight, with Saturday opening an hour earlier at 4 pm. Sunday also opens at 4 pm and closes at 11 pm. Book for an early Saturday slot if you want the room at its leading without fighting late-night noise levels.
Booking is rated Easy here, which is genuinely useful in New York. You do not need to plan weeks in advance the way you would for Smyth in Chicago or The French Laundry in Napa. That accessibility is part of what makes Buddakan work as a Meatpacking District anchor. It handles groups, walk-ins are more realistic here than at most comparable venues, and the scale of the room means a last-minute table is not out of the question on a weeknight.
At 75 9th Avenue, Buddakan sits inside the Chelsea Market building, one of the most foot-trafficked blocks in lower Manhattan. This is not incidental. The location functions as a natural endpoint for a High Line walk, a dinner destination attached to a food-market afternoon, or a pre-theatre meal for nearby venues. Large-format Asian Fusion restaurants at this price point are not common in the immediate neighbourhood. Tao offers a comparable dramatic-room experience further uptown, but the Chelsea Market context gives Buddakan a distinct logistical pull. You come here because the neighbourhood and the format both make sense on the same evening. For more options in the area, the full New York City restaurants guide covers the broader field.
For comparison internationally, Dos Palilos in Barcelona and Aalto in Milan both work the Asian Fusion format in European contexts. What Buddakan does differently is scale: it is a large room designed for the energy of a full house, and that is exactly the experience it delivers.
If you are planning a full evening in the neighbourhood, the New York City bars guide, hotels guide, and experiences guide are worth cross-referencing. The wineries guide is less directly relevant unless you are planning a broader trip.
Buddakan is the right call for a first-time visitor who wants a reliable, mid-price Asian Fusion dinner in a high-energy room without the booking difficulty or price ceiling of New York's tasting-menu circuit. The OAD ranking, the consistent Google score, and the accessible price tier all point in the same direction: a dependable night out rather than a transformative one. If that is what you need from Chelsea tonight, book it.
Quick reference: Dinner only, $$ cuisine pricing ($40–$65 per head), $$$ wine list, 170 selections, corkage $35, open from 4–5 pm daily, closes 11 pm (midnight Fri–Sat), booking rated Easy.
Expect a large, dramatic dining room, Asian Fusion cooking at a $40–$65 per head price point (before drinks), and an easy booking process. It is dinner-only, so plan accordingly. The wine list skews toward France and runs into $$$-territory by the bottle, but the meal itself is priced accessibly for Chelsea. Arrive at 4 pm Saturday if you want the room without late-night crowd noise.
The venue's database record does not include specific dietary restriction policies or a menu breakdown. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you have specific requirements. Asian Fusion menus typically include options across protein types and cooking styles, but soy, shellfish, and gluten are common ingredients in this cuisine format, so advance confirmation is advisable rather than assumed.
Dinner only. Buddakan does not offer lunch service. Doors open at 4 pm Saturday and Sunday, 5 pm Monday through Friday. If you want the room at its most manageable, early evening on a weekday is your leading window. Friday and Saturday nights run to midnight and will carry higher energy levels throughout.
Specific menu items are not confirmed in the venue data, so Pearl cannot recommend individual dishes. What is confirmed: Chef Zachary Taylor leads the kitchen and the cuisine is Asian Fusion. If you are a wine-first diner, the 170-selection French-leaning list is the most detailed thing we know about the beverage program. Ask staff for the current kitchen highlights when you arrive rather than relying on an outdated dish recommendation.
Tao is the closest like-for-like alternative: a large-format, high-energy Asian restaurant in Midtown with a comparable dramatic room. For something more refined and Korean-focused at a higher price tier, Atomix is the serious option. If you are looking for lighter, plant-forward Asian-adjacent eating, Hortus NYC is a quieter alternative. For more options across the city, the full New York City restaurants guide covers the full range.
Yes, within limits. The OAD Casual ranking and $$ cuisine pricing make it a credible choice for a birthday or group dinner where you want atmosphere without a $200-per-head commitment. The room is dramatic enough to feel like an event. If the occasion demands a finer-service experience, step up to Le Bernardin or Atomix. For a group meal or a relaxed celebration where the vibe matters as much as the food, Buddakan is well-suited.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the venue data. Given the scale of the room and STARR Restaurants' standard operations at similar properties, bar dining is typically an option, but this should be confirmed directly with the restaurant. If a walk-in bar experience is your priority, call ahead before making the trip.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddakan | Asian Fusion | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #578 (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: France Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $35 Selections: 170 Inventory: 2,000 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Asian Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Wine Director: Mikayla Cohen Chef: Zachary Taylor General Manager: Dragana Bjelica Owner: STARR Restaurants; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #591 (2024) | Easy | — | |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Buddakan measures up.
Buddakan is a large-format Asian Fusion restaurant inside Chelsea Market at 75 9th Avenue, run by STARR Restaurants. Dinner is the only service offered, and the room runs loud and energetic — go in expecting a social atmosphere, not a quiet meal. Cuisine pricing sits at $$, meaning a typical two-course dinner runs $40–$65 per head before drinks, which is reasonable given the setting and the 4.4-star rating across more than 5,000 Google reviews. Book ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday when the kitchen runs until midnight.
Buddakan's Asian Fusion format typically spans meat, seafood, and vegetable-forward dishes across a sharing-style menu, which gives the kitchen flexibility to accommodate dietary needs. check the venue's official channels before your visit to confirm specific requirements — the team is led by Chef Zachary Taylor and General Manager Dragana Bjelica, both experienced in high-volume service. Communicating restrictions at the time of booking is the most reliable approach.
Dinner is your only option — Buddakan does not serve lunch. Hours run from 5 pm on weekdays and 4 pm on weekends, with late closing times on Friday and Saturday (midnight), making it a workable choice for post-theatre or late-evening dining. If you want the full energy of the room, a Friday or Saturday dinner from around 7 pm is when the space operates at its most animated.
Specific menu items are not documented in the available data, so no dish-level recommendations can be made here without risking inaccuracy. What is confirmed: cuisine pricing sits at $$, suggesting a sharing-plate format across two courses lands around $40–$65 per person. The wine list runs to 170 selections with 2,000 bottles in inventory, with strength in French wines and a $$$ pricing tier — expect many bottles above $100, with a $35 corkage fee if you bring your own.
If you want a step up in formality and price, Atomix operates at a tasting-menu level with a Korean fine-dining format. For a true splurge, Per Se or Masa are in a different category entirely — multi-course, multi-hour, and multiple times the spend. Buddakan sits in a practical middle ground: more occasion-ready than a neighbourhood spot, less demanding than a tasting-menu commitment, at $$ cuisine pricing with a walkable Chelsea Market address.
Yes, with the right expectations. The room is dramatic enough to feel like an occasion, cuisine pricing at $$ keeps it from requiring a special-occasion budget, and the 4 pm weekend opening gives you flexibility for early dinners before other plans. It works best for groups celebrating something loosely rather than an intimate dinner for two — the energy skews lively rather than romantic. Ranked on Opinionated About Dining's Casual list in North America (#578 in 2025), it has the credibility to anchor a celebration without the pressure of a tasting-menu format.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the available data, but given Buddakan's scale as a high-volume STARR Restaurants venue inside Chelsea Market, walk-in bar dining is worth asking about directly. The late closing times on Friday and Saturday (midnight) make it a plausible option for a drop-in later in the evening. Call ahead or check availability on the day rather than assuming.
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