NYC landlord asking $20K a month in rent — and offering $20K credit at posh restaurant downstairs

Forget free rent. How about free food?

A Manhattan landlord is is asking an admittedly steep $20,000 a month to rent a three-bedroom apartment in Midtown — but meanwhile dangling a $20,000 monthly food credit at the posh restaurant downstairs to entice a hungry tenant, Side Dish has learned.

The fully renovated, 2,000-square-foot apartment at 330 W. 46th St. in Hell’s Kitchen takes up the entire top floor of the four-story row-house building owned by a shell company linked to Enrico Malta of New York City Restaurant Group, which owns 17 neighborhood eateries. 

While Manhattan rents have hit record highs this year, the amount sought is nearly double the average of $11,000-a-month for a three bedroom in the neighborhood, Douglas Elliman broker Elan Gabai admitted in an interview with Side Dish.

Nevertheless, the odd, gut-busting perk will allow the renter or renters to use the upscale Sicily Osteria as their own private kitchen for food and drinks — a concession that more than evens things out, according to Gabai, who snagged the deal and helped cook up the offer.

“You can use it as a place to take your clients, or to throw your own dinner party,” Gabai said.

The menu – from co-chefs Asi Maman, formerly of Osteria Morini and Marea, and Heather Pelletier, formerly of Osteria Morini and Chumley’s – features a $48, 14-ounce bistecca. A couscous pescatore with clams, shrimp, mussels, sea bass, and scallops comes in a spicy broth for $39.

High-priced vintages include a $275 bottle of Brunello Di Montalcino Gaja

“If there are three young people in a three bedroom and they have girlfriends and boyfriends, it’s almost like they have [an American Express] Black Card — you walk downstairs and you have a house account,” Gabai added. 

The deal comes with a few caveats. The 150-seat Restaurant Row eatery is not open for breakfast, so the tenant would have to spend an average of $666 a day on lunch and dinner for all 30 days of the month to take full advantage of the perk.

The monthly food credit is only available at Sicily Osteria and does not carry over. The landlord also notes that while tax is included, tips are not. 

As for the apartment, it features exposed brick, arched entryways, three decorative fireplaces, skylights, high ceilings and wide plank wood floors. It also includes a chef’s kitchen — although it’s not clear how much use it would get.

There is only one other unit in the building that will soon hit the market for around $18,000 a month, with the same $18,000 a month food-and-alcohol concession, Gabai said. 

One young person who is currently renting a penthouse with two friends for far less says the food and alcohol ‘dollar for dollar’ credit is intriguing but that ultimately, he’d pass.

“It’s very interesting, but you have to tip? It would be a dealbreaker for me,” he said. 

Other landlords have used unconventional giveaways to lure tenants.

Famed real estate broker Dolly Lenz remembers when one of her clients ‘threw in’ a Rolls-Royce for a luxury condo. 

“All the attention helped find the right buyer,” she said. 

“It’s always difficult to have a listing stand out from the crowd,” added broker Jenny Lenz. “This new twist is clever and interesting — and it should get a lot of attention. It’s like you get a great package, room and board, all in one.” 

 “I think the restaurateur’s gimmick could appear desperate and yet here we are talking about it,” one broker who did not want to be identified told Side Dish. “In 2023, there is no more shame in ‘desperate,’ and food is always a great draw.” 

“Everybody loves food and real estate,” Gabai said. “It was a slow month and we needed to make something happen.”