What to Order at King

King is a French-Italian restaurant on King Street in SoHo, run by chefs Jess Shadbolt and Clare de Boer alongside partner Annie Shi, and open since 2016. The kitchen writes a new, tightly edited menu every day around a few nibbles, a handful of starters, and a short list of mains, all built from greenmarket produce. Because the menu changes daily, knowing the dishes that recur and the ones the room is built around helps you order well on a first visit instead of guessing at a table you waited weeks to get. It is one of the harder tables in Manhattan, so the meal is worth planning. DinnerElite tracks King and emails you the moment a table opens.

What should you order at King?

Start with the malfatti, the cheese-and-sage-stuffed pasta pillows that The Infatuation notes stay on the menu and calls excellent. The complimentary cracker crisps arrive first and set the tone. For mains, the chargrilled onglet is a signature, described by The Infatuation as one of the best steaks you have had in a while, and the roasted halibut with beans and greens is called about as exceptional as simply-executed fish can be. Order the rosemary potatoes on the side. Finish with the chocolate and walnut tart. Because the menu rotates daily, specific starters and mains shift with the market, so read the day's card, but the malfatti, a chargrilled steak, a simply cooked fish, and a tart are the throughlines. The Infatuation puts the meal at around $90 per person.

How should you approach the menu at King?

The menu is short by design, often around three nibbles, four starters, and three mains, shaped by a small kitchen and a commitment to daily freshness. That means you are not overwhelmed with choice, and it rewards ordering across the table so everyone tastes the pasta, a fish, and the steak. The cooking leans French and Italian, simple and ingredient-driven rather than showy, with much of the produce from local farmers markets. The room is formal, with white tablecloths and a mature crowd, so it suits a date, dinner with parents, or a considered solo meal. Trust the kitchen on the day's specials, since the whole point of King is what came in from the market that morning. Pace yourself across a nibble, a starter, and a shared main.

How do you actually get a table at King?

King takes reservations on Resy, and per its own rules the booking window opens 30 days in advance. The room seats walk-ins based on availability, and parties of seven or more go through a separate request. Two policies are worth respecting, arrive more than 15 minutes late and the table goes to a waiting guest, and cancelling within 12 hours or no-showing costs $50 per person. Per DinnerElite tracking data, tables here are claimed an average of 13 days before the reservation date, so cancellations are where many people actually get in. Set a free DinnerElite alert and it watches King around the clock, emailing you the instant a matching table opens from a fresh release or a cancellation. We send alerts and never book automatically. The one exception is our Expert plan, where a human on our team books hard tables on your behalf.

Frequently asked questions

What is King known for?

King is known for a daily-changing French-Italian menu built from greenmarket produce, run by an all-women leadership team of Jess Shadbolt, Clare de Boer, and Annie Shi. It opened in 2016 and has become one of the harder tables in Manhattan, praised for simple, ingredient-driven cooking.

What should you order at King for the first time?

On a first visit, order the malfatti pasta pillows, a main from the day's card such as the chargrilled onglet or the roasted halibut, the rosemary potatoes on the side, and the chocolate and walnut tart to finish. The menu rotates daily, so read the card and lean on those categories.

Does the menu at King change every day?

Yes. King writes a new menu daily around local greenmarket produce, typically a few nibbles, a handful of starters, and a short list of mains. A small kitchen and a focus on freshness keep the list intentionally concise, so expect specific dishes to shift with the season.

What is the vibe at King?

King is a formal French-Italian room with white tablecloths and a mature clientele in SoHo. The Infatuation frames it as a place well suited to date nights, dinner with parents, or a refined solo meal, quieter and more grown-up than its casual neighbors.

Does DinnerElite book the table for me?

No. We send alerts and you book the table yourself. The one exception is our Expert plan, where a human concierge books on your behalf.