Outdoor dining on a budget in NYC

Frying Pan

The outdoor scoop: After a renovation and a relocation north on the Hudson River, this 1929-built lightship is once more open for summertime business. Camp out one of the decks with a pitcher of sangria or a couple icy Coronas, and there’s no better way to let hot days disappear. The river-fronting location makes for cooling breezes, while the Technicolor sunsets over Jersey are so awe-inspiring they’ll make you appreciate New York’s sister state.

Alfresco steal: For a real bargain, patronize the Pan during lunch (dinner prices go up a couple bucks). Our favorite sunny-weather meal is the $8.30 BLT salad. A thick wedge of iceberg lettuce is paired with chunks of ripe tomatoes and crunchy smoked bacon, then drizzled with chunky blue-cheese dressing.

Frying Pan
Pier 66 at W. 26th St. at West Side Highway
212-989-6363