1. Books Kinokuniya
9.4
1073 Avenue of the Americas (btwn W 40th & W 41st St), New York, NY
Bookstore · Midtown East · 202 tips and reviews
Carmen N: Kawaii stationery in the basement, great pens, and awesome picture book selection.
Aileen P.: love the cute notebooks, plushies, stickers in the basement. they also have moleskines and nice japanese stationaty. for a full range of japanese comic books, check upstairs! sweets at zaya bakery...
Yasmin Mohamed: The place is huge. And it has so many Japanese books and magazines, and then books in English. Great gift ideas I'm the basement and the 1st floor!
2. Sakagura
9.1
211 E 43rd St Lowr Level (btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave), New York, NY
Sake Bar · Turtle Bay · 223 tips and reviews
Eatocracy: A taste of Tokyo is hidden in the basement of a Midtown East office building -- your friends will be impressed you found this place. Go for lunch and sake -- their platters are a multi-course steal.
nina: This charming izakaya is hidden in the basement of an office building. Dinner is great, order anything! And save room for black sesame creme brulee.
Dina: A secret restaurant hidden inside the basement of an office building. Great, authentic Japanese food. Everything is delicious. Extensive sake list. Reservations essential.
3. Blue Bottle Coffee
8.3
1 Rockefeller Plaza Suite N (at W 49th St), New York, NY
Coffee Shop · Rockefeller Center · 247 tips and reviews
Kevin Dudley: Located in the basement of the building. The mocha is amazing, but be aware that it is nowhere near as sweet as its competitors (which is why it is so good!)
David ☕️ Klein: Hard to find down in the basement but don't give up looking. The coffee is worth it. West Coast represent.
Tiffany: In the basement floor. Very hard to find, but definitely rewarding once you find it.
Truong Nguyen: This place is in the basement of the Plaza Hotel. I recommend getting the green tea crêpe cake. The plain and strawberry just taste like butter...
Sabrina Wang: this Lady M is in the basement food court of Plaza Hotel.
Tom: Best crepe cakes outside of Japan! Lady M has a couple of locations, this one is in The Plaza Food Hall on the basement floor. Seating is very limited in this hall.
6. Tomi Jazz
8.8
239 E 53rd St, New York, NY
Jazz and Blues Venue · Midtown East · 73 tips and reviews
Anna Frenkel: Hidden in a basement. Ring the doorbell and wait to enter through the huge silver door. Perfect for when you're in the mood for jazz and sake on a weekday evening.
Denise L: Basement jazz, yamazaki sour and mentaiko pasta. One of the better combinations in life. Try the crab omelette omu rice and house plum wine too.
Minji Kwon: Jazz, sake, food, ambience = 10/10
8. Chrysler Building
8.4
405 Lexington Ave (at E 42nd St), New York, NY
Structure · Turtle Bay · 91 tips and reviews
Sara Y: Secret amazing cobbler in the basement!
Norman Ellis: If you'd really like to see what the view looks like from the top, make an appt with one of the dentists on the top floors. Get a cleaning and enjoy the view.
HISTORY: The Chrysler Building was built at an average rate of four floors per week & was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931.
12. Rockefeller Center
9.0
Rockefeller Plaza (btwn W 49th & W 50th St), New York, NY
Plaza · Rockefeller Center · 848 tips and reviews
Chris Pollone: Go inside 30 Rock and go to the basement. Lots of dining options. With back facing Starbucks, bathrooms are down the hall on the right.
Jason Brew: The best kept secret is the blue bottle coffee in the basement
Jon Morris: Iconic plaza, but can get very packed when the tree is up. Take a trip around the corner and go up to Top of the Rock, they have the best views in the city!
14. Bergdorf Goodman
8.8
754 5th Ave (btwn E 57th & E 58th St), New York, NY
Department Store · Midtown East · 241 tips and reviews
WineCountryMuse: Cafe has moved to the basement but the salads are still simply divine!
Alexandra Greenawalt: The cafe is my favorite spot for a cozy bite. The chocolate carousel cakes isn't on the menu but its to die for.
Bravo: I love to work with Charles in Fendi and Tina in Personal Shopping. I love the Bergdorf shoe selection, and their gowns are among the best in the city. I always treat myself to lunch on 7th floor. Ask