The Best Restaurants For A Rainy Day

We’ve reached that part of the summer when I find myself refreshing the weather page hourly, hoping each click somehow turns those grey Saturday-through-Sunday clouds into sunshine. It helps to get out of the house anyway. Here are some of our favorite places to sit and stare at the rain. —Sonal Shah

On a gray, wet day, what I really want to do is teleport to an ancient Irish pub on a windswept cliff in Dingle. But I’ll gladly settle for Molly’s, the century-old Gramercy establishment with a fireplace, worn wooden booths, a stick-to-your-ribs shepherd’s pie, and one of the best pours of Guinness in the city. Also, great name. —Molly Fitzpatrick

Maybe it’s just coincidence, but I always end up on the Upper East Side in the rain. I love popping into Heidelberg, a kitschy German restaurant where the steins are heavy and the sausage is plump. It feels like a tavern in a Grimm brothers story. It’s a nice spot to sit at the bar, but coming with a group, splitting a wurst platter, and leaving a trail of pretzel crumbs is my favorite way to enjoy this spot. —Will Hartman

If I wasn’t at a computer right now, I think I’d go out for a gloomy, leisurely lunch. Salvo’s comes to mind immediately, maybe because the last time I ate there I paired a sausage and gorgonzola sandwich with lunchtime wine (perfect to me). But Barker Cafeteria for a soup and sandwich, pasta at Via Carota, and The Odeon for a burger and, let’s be real, probably a martini, would also be considered. —Willa Moore

Absolutely any classic diner will do, but one of the most useful places to come out of the diner-esque restaurant trend a couple of years ago remains Revelie Luncheonette. They don’t take reservations, but it’s surprisingly easy to get a table given the location, opposite older sibling Raoul’s in Soho. Their easy cocktails, $55 bottles of wine, cheeseburgers, and haystack zucchini (which comes out in 20 seconds), are exactly what you want while discussing the movie you just saw at nearby IFC, Angelika or Film Forum.

For cafes, Hungarian Pastry Shop is my coziest pick, with old-fashioned cookies, a hot water dispenser to top up your tea, and squeezed-together communal tables where you can pretend to read while eavesdropping on the hopes and dreams of Columbia students. —SS

I hate standing in lines, but if I must, wet days are best. Raindrops tend to scare people away. Will I get some frozen yogurt at Madison Fare this week? Probably. I might also check out the latest Myka location, try some martini soft serve at Unnecessary, or see if I can grab a bar seat at Capitaine, a new West Village spot that was packed the last time I stopped by. —Bryan Kim

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