For decades, Amsterdam Avenue was the Upper West Side’s dodgier corridor — sandwiched between fashionable Columbus and bustling Broadway — but no longer. In recent years, swank new developments have brought an influx of hungry residents to the area, and more and more restaurants are opening up to feed them.
“Not a week goes by when I don’t get a call from a downtown restaurant person looking for space on Amsterdam,’’ says Don Evans, chair of the New Taste of the Upper West Side food festival.
Rafe Evans, a broker with Walker Malloy, & Co., agrees. While the avenue was once “a sketchier scene with a lot of dive bars,” he says “all that is changing.”
Have a look:
E’s Bar
511 Amsterdam Ave., 212-877-0961
Erin Bellard, director of private events for Tom Colicchio’s ’wichcraft, opened this neighborhood watering hole with delicious pub grub last spring. “[My business partner and I] are longtime Upper West Siders, and we liked Amsterdam because it’s a little bit grittier,’’ explains Bellard.
Luke’s Lobster
426 Amsterdam Ave., 212-877-8800
The latest in the chain of Maine seafood shops specializing in various crustacean rolls and soups was one of the early entries to the “new” Amsterdam when it opened in 2009.
Poulette
426 Amsterdam Ave., no phone yet
This soon-to-open French rotisserie, already in Hell’s Kitchen, brings its free-range chickens and healthy sides uptown in May. It shares an address with Luke’s but is adjacent to it.
Jacob’s Pickles
509 Amsterdam Ave., 212-470-5566
Though it’s been open a few years, it’s still tough to get a table at this quirky Southern spot, known for its homemade biscuits and wide selection of pickles. “Amsterdam was more attractive to us because it was less commercial, and it felt like classic Upper West Side, with a mom-and- pop feel,’’ says owner Jacob Hadjigeorgis.
Kirsh
551 Amsterdam Ave., no phone yet
Israeli couple Dan and Anat Kirsh plan to open a 24-hour bakery serving French toast with different toppings later this year.
Jin Ramen
462 Amsterdam Ave., 646-657-0755
“When we first opened, there was a line that stretched half a block,” says co-owner Richard Kashida of his popular noodle joint, which opened in January.
Treat House
452 Amsterdam Ave., 212-799-7779
This unique bakery, which opened in Augst 2013, offers 25 different varieties of colorfully decorated Rice Krispies-style treats.
Risotteria
375 Amsterdam Ave., 212-362-8731
https://instagram.com/p/wSWyoSjIzu/?taken-by=risotteria.nyc
The gluten-free restaurant, with a location on Bleecker Street, will start serving its risottos to Upper West Siders any day now.
Bustan
487 Amsterdam Ave., 212-595-5050
This stylish Middle Eastern spot became an overnight sensation when it opened a year ago. “There weren’t a lot of other restaurants on Amsterdam the way there were on Columbus, so we took a chance,’’ says managing partner Guy Goldstein. “It really paid off.’’
Meatball Shop
447 Amsterdam Ave., 212-422-1752
The sixth location of this juggernaut opened last summer, offering the Italian classic in beef, chicken or veggie forms, along with a choice of sauces.
As-yet-unnamed Mexican
320 Amsterdam Ave., no phone yet
Simon Oren, who opened Nice Matin on Amsterdam in 2003, plans to open a regional Mexican spot in June in the former Citron space.
Tessa
349 Amsterdam Ave., 212-390-1974
This chic Mediterranean restaurant opened last spring and serves up flavorful fare like asparagus soup flavored with black cardamom, and cod with ratatouille (pictured above).