Philly izakaya opens huge Manhattan outpost: city diners get a new late-night hotspot

Show summary Hide summary

• From Philly to a Midtown corner
• A two-level dining stage
• An izakaya with range
• Cocktails, sake and service hours

Michael Schulson’s izakaya, Double Knot, opened in New York on Wednesday, Feb. 18, bringing a 12,000-square-foot, two-level dining concept to 1251 Avenue of the Americas, across from Rockefeller Center. The arrival marks the Philadelphia chef’s first Manhattan outpost and arrives as Midtown seeks new momentum in its restaurant scene.

From Philly to a Midtown corner

Schulson is best known for building a string of restaurants in Philadelphia; Double Knot first debuted there in 2016. The New York location represents a deliberate next step, not simply geographic growth. He describes this iteration as a more refined, mature version of the original — a 2.0 that reflects years of running large-scale operations.

His culinary résumé reaches back to New York training at the Culinary Institute of America and kitchen stints at high-profile hotels and cafés, followed by a move to Philadelphia where he later collaborated on early menus for Stephen Starr’s projects. That background informs the scale and polish of the new Double Knot.

A two-level dining stage

The 12,000-square-foot space is arranged across two floors and seats more than 350 guests. Upstairs houses the main bar, a sushi counter and the principal dining room; below, a dimmer, atmosphere-driven area called the Amber Room contains a robatayaki counter and a small pocket bar meant for late-night service.

Designed by Parts and Labor, the layout intentionally reads like an evening itinerary: first drinks and sushi, then grilled skewers and larger plates for the table. Service, lighting and sound are calibrated so the meal itself feels like the night’s central event.

An izakaya with range

Double Knot frames itself as an izakaya that spans snacking, sharing plates and full entrées. Schulson urges guests to mix dishes across categories rather than sticking to one section of the menu.

• Cold/starters: albacore with onion ponzu ($16), tuna tartare with avocado ($19), hamachi carpaccio ($17)
• Small plates: edamame ($8), wagyu soup dumplings ($15), pork gyoza ($15), broiled oysters with yuzu nori butter ($18)
• Robatayaki skewers: miso eggplant ($5), chicken thigh ($8), lamb chop ($14), kobe beef ($15)
• Larger dishes: Japanese fried chicken ($18), pork tonkatsu ($31), grilled Japanese wagyu ($83), broiled seabass ($35), ora king salmon ($29)
• Fried rice sides: black cod ($19), mushroom truffle ($16)
• Sushi & sashimi (per piece): tuna ($9), toro with caviar ($12), A-5 kobe ($19), premium uni ($21); rolls from $15–$19

The menu’s price points reflect Midtown expectations: higher-end seafood and premium sushi sit alongside more modest small plates and skewers, allowing for both quick shared bites and full-course dinners.

Cocktails, sake and service hours

Drinks lean Japanese in influence while covering classic bar territory. The house cocktail called Double Knot (a smoky bourbon/rye/vermouth mix) is priced at $19; there are also nonalcoholic options, an array of Japanese whiskies, and a broad sake list available by carafe and bottle.

Double Knot opened for dinner service, beginning at 4 p.m. and running until roughly 10 p.m. to midnight depending on the night. Reservations can be made through Resy.

Address	1251 Avenue of the Americas (at W. 50th St.), Midtown Manhattan
Square footage	Approximately 12,000 sq ft
Seating	More than 350 seats, bi-level
Opened	Wednesday, Feb. 18
Reservations	Available on Resy

What this means for diners: Midtown gains a large-scale izakaya option that mixes theatrical dining with sharing-driven plates — a format that suits both tourist-heavy evenings near Rockefeller Center and neighborhood dinners for New Yorkers. For the restaurant market, Schulson’s arrival continues a trend of high-profile chefs from other cities bringing established brands to Manhattan, increasing competition but also expanding choices for diners.

Expect the dining room to be busiest on weekend nights and during pre-theater hours; for quieter experiences, aim for early evening or weeknights. And if you go, consider combining sushi, robata skewers and a larger fish or meat course to get a full sense of the menu’s breadth.