While Chelsea may be chock full of galleries, the far west neighborhood can often seem absent of decent places to eat after a Thursday night gallery hop. That’s why we've put together a list of restaurants — just in time for the new season — that we find worthy of a visit for post gallery grub. Bon Appetit!

WON'T BREAK THE BANK

* Grand Sichuan
229 9th Ave (between 24th St & 25th St)
An ARTINFO fave: Get away from the gallery crowd at this unpretentious Chinese restaurant known for their soup dumplings and extensive menu of both authentic Sichuan and Americanized chinese dishes. While the décor is classically kitschy, the food is the real thing and every meal comes with unlimited hot tea and a fortune cookie. However, it does get croweded on gallery nights.

* Co.
230 9th Ave (between 24th St & 25th St)
Jim Lahey of Sullivan St Bakery flexes his bread baking muscles at his trendy, casual pizza restaurant Co. (pronounced Company). The wood-burning oven, imported from Italy, churns out Roman style pizza with toppings that range from the iconic (margherita, meatball) to the creative (mushroom & jalpeno, shiitake). Plus, it’s a favorite of architect Richard Meier, whose New York firm is close by.

* Ovest Pizzoteca
513 W 27th St (between 10th Ave & 11th Ave)
While Ovest serves a full menu of Naples-style cuisine, including homemade pasta, the real reason to go to this tucked away eatery is the aperitivo italiano — a recreation of a traditional Italian happy hour. Free aperitivo are served at the small bar section in the front every weekday from 5-8pm. Pizza from the wood and brick oven is usually the first to go, but other dishes worth snagging off the bar include the asparagina (Grilled Asparagus, Frisée, Cherry Tomatoes, and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano in Balsmic dressing) and the arancini ai quattro formaggi (four cheese rice balls). The bar also has an enoteca selection of Italian wines and seasonal cocktails. It’s best to arrive early and snag a seat, as the bar tends to get crowded.

THE ART WORLD ESTABLISHMENET

* Bottino
248 10th Ave (between 25th St & 24th St)
Bottino was a much-needed addition to the barren Chelsea dining landscape in 1996 when it opened in partnership with Barbara Gladstone, Matthew Marks, and Metro Pictures galleries. While those galleries are no longer partners, the restaurant is still a neighborhood staple for Chelsea gallerists and their ilk. Owners Danny Emerman and Alessandro Prosperi offer up typical upscale Italian food in the dining room and the airy back garden.

* The Red Cat
227 10th Ave (between 24th St & 23rd St)
This Chelsea stalwart opened in 1999, when New York’s gallery scene was still transitioning to Chelsea. Now, the cozy restaurant is an art world dining institution. The red barn siding and oversized lanterns are reminiscent of New England while the food is Mediterranean-inspired American cuisine.The light tempura of green beans and sauteed skate are favorites.

* La Promenade des Anglais
461 W 23rd St (between 9th Ave & 10th Ave)
This French Riviera-inspired restaurant is named after the iconic seaside promenade in acclaimed chef Alain Allegretti’s hometown of Nice. A spot at the bottom of the London Terrace Building, just steps from the High Line, is the perfect place for wining and dining art world elite. The Mediterranean bistro features antique mirror-lined walls, a white marble bar, and a beach umbrella mural on the ceiling. The seafood-heavy menu mixes French and Italian cuisine; standouts include the zucchini flower beignets and the provençale fish soup.

* Cookshop
156 10th Ave (between 19th St & 20th St)
Executive chef Marc Meyer’s cozy Greenmarket restaurant is a popular place for Chelsea dealers to have power lunches, as well as a popular brunch spot for non-art folk. The restaurant does traditional American comfort food the right way with sustainably raised meat, fish, and poultry, and local produce. The menu changes seasonally, but highlights include simple dishes like rotisserie-roasted chicken with fire-charred fingerlings.    

DIM LIGHTING, CLOSE QUARTERS

* Tia Pol
205 10th Ave (between 22nd St & 23rd St)
Tia Pol serves up traditional spanish tapas and an all-spanish wine list in a simple, narrow restaurant where the dark wood tabletops will be crowded with a variety of small dishes that pack a punch. The menu has classic dishes like blistered green peppers with sea salt and fried chickpeas, but also more original options like squid in ink with rice and artichoke and manchego wrapped in serrano ham. (While Tia Pol is the most classic Chelsea choice for tapas, the neighborhood has plenty of small plate options. Table-less Tia Pol spinoff El Quinto Pino on 24th and 9th and the Basque-inspired Txikito on 9th between 24th and 25th are also great places to go for authentic tapas.)

* Trestle on Tenth
242 10th Avenue
This Swiss Brasserie makes upscale dining affordable and casual, just down the street from Bottino. While this restaurant also has a back garden, the atmosphere is cozier and the food is more meaty and down-home with dishes like calves’ liver topped with potatoes and caramalized onions or roasted pork loin with potato gratin.

* Izakaya Ten
207 10th Avenue
One of the few japanese options in the neighborhood, the restaurant’s close proximity to Chelsea galleries makes it a popular stop. Izakaya Ten has an impressive sake selection and a 2-for-1 happy hour after 11pm, Thursday through Saturday. The sushi selection is also vast, but don’t hesitate to try one of the house’s signatures — “Buta Kimchee,” a skillet full of stir fried pork belly and kimchee.

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To see food from ARTINFO's favorite Chelsea restaurants, click the slide show.