The 28 Best Restaurants in New York City
Nearly three years after COVID forced the city that never sleeps to dim its lights, New York’s restaurant scene feels like it’s back to its old self. Many of the beloved classics on this list, like Italian charmer Via Carota, Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, and pizza destination Lucali, can now say they made it to the other side. And with the addition of outdoor dining, some now have even more seats to welcome guests. There are also new genres of restaurants—like Contento, which works to be truly accessible to all, and the wildly spicy Dhamaka that opened during the pandemic and persevered—establishing themselves as important contenders among the best restaurants in New York City.
With tourism numbers back up, the best tables in the city have once again become highly coveted commodities. Be sure to book them in advance, swing by early, or try your luck at the end of the evening for an open seat at the bar.
Read our complete New York City travel guide here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Will EllisrestaurantDhamaka
$$Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef/partner Chintan Pandya have taken the city’s dining scene by storm in the past few years with a string of openings that, without question, match their company’s name: Unapologetic Indian. Their West Village spot Semma, which recently received a Michelin star, is often rightfully in the spotlight, but Dhamaka is the cool older sibling that has their own thing going on. Dhamaka is not a restaurant of restraint, it’s one of abundance and exuberance. Pandya and his team’s cooking looks deep into regional cuisines of India to share dishes we rarely see on menus in the U.S like the restaurant’s acclaimed rabbit dish from Rajasthan, which must be ordered in advance. It’s marinated for 48 hours in spiced yogurt and then slow cooked for hours. There is also doh khleh, a chili-laced pork salad with cilantro and ginger from Meghalaya near Bangladesh and chenna poda, a baked cheese dessert from a state in eastern India below Kolkata. Some dishes like the exceptional goat neck dum biryani, which is served in a pot that’s sealed with a thin flatbread, are larger, so check in with your server about the number of items to order.
Courtesy TerangarestaurantTeranga
$$Teranga is run by the acclaimed Senegal-born chef and cookbook author Pierre Thiam. Offering a culinary lens into Africa through African-grown ingredients and flavors that date back to before colonization, the restaurant is as much a place to dine as it is an integral part of The Africa Center. The name Teranga translates to "good hospitality" in Senegalese, and although this is a fast-casual spot—bowls and all—the team here is indeed warm and welcoming.
Courtesy BuvetterestaurantBuvette
$$$You're back in that one Paris café you particularly loved, right down to the tiny tables and soft lighting. Your most important move is to order the anchovies on warm toast slicked with cold butter. After that go for hearty mains like cassoulet or one of the croque monsieurs, and maybe skip the buzzed-about chocolate mousse—we found it not worth the hype—in favor of sweet tarte tatin. Also, in case it wasn't clear from the jump: you’re drinking wine. Chef-owner Jody Williams takes a lot of pride in her list. Go for rosé with friends over brunch or open a well-priced bottle of something from the Loire Valley to sip with charcuterie in the evening.
Gary HerestaurantCote
$$$Head 10 blocks south of New York’s Koreatown (see an itinerary of the neighborhood here), and you'll find Cote, one of the city’s best and buzziest Korean restaurants. There’s no shortage of a la carte options, but the prix-fixe Butcher’s Feast is where diners should start. For $65 a person, you're treated to seasonal ban-chan, savory egg soufflé, two stews (including spicy kimchi stew), and the house selection of beef, including USDA Prime and Wagyu, cooked on the table with smokeless grills.
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Cervo'srestaurantCervo's
$$Cervo’s has been around since long before Dimes Square's new dining buzz, and it continues to be one of the area's best restaurants. The kitchen looks toward the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula—but the vivacious, tightly-packed space and the seasonal outdoor seating on Canal Street feels distinctly New York. The regularly changing menu always leans heavily into seafood and vegetables with lots of bright and briny touches like bottarga shaved atop heirloom tomatoes, watercress salads soused with vinegar, and those little Manila clams cooked in vinho verde. While there are larger plate options like a fried skate wing and a lamb burger, the best meals at Cervo’s are the ones made up of many small plates you can leisurely work your way through. Like the food menu, the wine offerings are inspired by Spain and Portugal, with a number of orange bottles and other natural options. There’s also vermouth service with seven vermouths on offer, and an excellent spritz.
Liz ClaymanshopMercado Little Spain
$$Mercado Little Spain is New York’s most ambitious ode to Spain, and most recent entrant to the NYC food hall wars. It comes courtesy of founders Jose Andres and brothers Albert and Ferran Adria. While there are only a couple spots open to dine in—La Barra, Spanish Diner (tortilla de patata or croquetas de del día anyone), and Leña & Mar—the well curated pantry is available to take away including an ocean's-worth of tinned seafood, olive oil, and oh so much meat. Andres worked to bring specialists from Spain, meaning the churros are crisp, the paella is properly cooked, and the jamon is sliced by an expert hand.
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Evan SungrestaurantDame
$$$What started as a pop-up is now a hit British-leaning seafood restaurant for golden-brown fish and chips plus broiled oysters with green chartreuse hollandaise, elegant squid and scallion skewers, blowfish tales with chili butter, and a creative wine list divided into two sections: “What Austin Powers is Drinking” and “What James Bond is Drinking.” Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski's tight menu looks to his British roots for inspiration with dishes like kedgeree rice with curried crab, “proper English chips,” as the team calls them, and desserts like sticky toffee pudding, but the Englishness of it all isn’t so overt that you feel you’re dining in the British countryside. There are also elegant raw scallops with preserved lemon and nardello peppers, and tuna tartare on toast that’s topped with bottarga. Tables at Dame are coveted, so while the restaurant can seat parties as large as six, if you can't snag a reservation then it’s best to plan an evening with just one dining companion, or dine by yourself at the bar that looks into the kitchen.
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Albert CheungrestaurantWildair
$$Peer into this narrow space, with tall stools, high tables and be forgiven for thinking, “All this excitement…for a wine bar?” It is, in a sense, but before visions of big bills and dreadful food dance in your head, know that this food is some of the best in a city with some of the best food in the world. As is true of a famous album, several singles on this menu have their fans. There’s one man eating the little gem–pistachio salad and raving about it. A few stools down, a woman goes wild for clams with XO in an almond broth. And they'll bar the doors if you try to leave without trying the tartare.
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AtoboyrestaurantAtoboy
$$Inspired by banchan, but more voluptuous and satisfying in delivery, the refined food at this Korean eatery (not to be confused with LES food-free cocktail temple Attaboy) is made by a hotshot, Michelin-starred chef. Think: beet and smoked yogurt, octopus with chimichurri and potato, pork belly and enoki, or duck with chanterelle and quince. Desserts tend to be bright, floral eye-openers for the night ahead. Wine is the focus of the drink menu here, with a tightly curated list that leaves room for experimentation alongside the classic Californian and French numbers.
Noah FecksrestaurantAdda Indian Canteen
$$New York’s neighborhoods are dotted with Indian takeout spots that serve a rotation of standards like chicken tikka masala and paneer. Adda, in Long Island City, Queens is not part of this club. Run by Roni Mazumdar of Rahi and executive chef Chintan Pandya, Adda offers, as they say, “‘unapologetically’ authentic Indian food.” That includes the housemade paneer. There’s also junglee maas, or goat curry, and snacks that come with a fair warning on the menu: “highly addictive.”
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Courtesy Raoul'srestaurantRaoul's
$$$At this old-school SoHo institution, the white tablecloths, pressed tin ceilings, and $58 steak au poivre belie a long history of button-pushing and rule-flouting. The top-secret item? The burger au poivre. Burger hounds obsess over it and its drippy, creamy St.-André cheese topping. For desserts, the banana coconut bread pudding has its devotees. Come here when you’re curious about old, bad New York—when the SNL cast would roll out for dinner at 1 a.m., and people might end up dancing on the tables—and to see a slightly more sedate version today.
Photo by Evan SungrestaurantOlmsted
$$$Here are passionate eaters delighted that the chef once cooked at Alinea and a bevy of Instagram-loving locals and tourists, all at the ready with their cameras. Chef Greg Baxtrom understands vegetables, but his skills are diverse, and extend to fish and game. And if you skip the chocolate mousse dessert—or the autumnal option of make-your-own s’mores in the garden—you're a damn fool.
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Courtesy Don AngierestaurantDon Angie
$$$Italian-American food may seem a dime a dozen in New York City—but this is the sort of place you'll need to return to at least four or five times to eat everything on the menu you want to order. The husband-and-wife chefs, Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito, have been cooking together for nearly a decade—before this they were at Quality Italian in midtown—and they're not just whipping up chicken parm with a side of ziti. This is some next-level Italian-American: Think a stuffed garlic flatbread starter, with cheese oozing out of every tear; a take on Chrysanthemum salad generous with grated cheese; and a garganelli giganti pasta, cooked in a salty, delicious guanciale and pecorino ragù that's basically the spaghetti and meatballs of your dreams. Drinks stand up, too: a Nonna's Little Nip, a blend of grapefruit, Campari, and prosecco, or a Pinky Ring, a swirl of bourbon, Carpano Antica, Galliano, and Campari, are just what you need to take the edge off.
Lizzie MunrorestaurantGage & Tollner
$$$Gage & Tollner is more than 100 years old, but somehow manages to feel exactly like a Brooklyn restaurant of today should: inviting, thoughtful, and bustling—with a dose of history mixed in for good measure. It’s the type of restaurant that reminds guests why New York is a great city to dine in. The landmarked interior at Gage & Tollner is lined with mirrors and cherry wood arches and lit by brass chandeliers. It’s precisely the type of place to order a classic cocktail, like one of the seven martinis on offer or a Manhattan. The menu leans into steakhouse classics like New York strip steak and shrimp cocktail, but there are more modern touches here too like clams kimsino, made with bacon-kimchi butter, and crispy hen of the woods mushrooms with black garlic aioli and house Sriracha. No matter your dinner order, make sure you save room for the baked Alaska by Caroline Schiff, who was recently named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine. Under a large singed meringue coat sits layers of fresh mint, dark chocolate, and amarena cherry ice cream and chocolate cookie crunch.
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Photo by William Hereford/Courtesy Le BernardinrestaurantLe Bernardin
$$$Long known as one of the best restaurants in New York City and the world, Le Bernardin has graced New Yorkers with its presence for decades. What you want to do here is go all in for superstar Eric Ripert's tasting menu. The fish that dominates his prix fixe is largely untouched, save for the best flourishes, so you put yourself in the very capable hands of his sauciers. And don’t skip dessert—not at a restaurant the New York Times has awarded four-stars consistently since it opened in 1986. The service is also what you'd expect from a restaurant of this reputation: Everyone is so attentive it can almost be daunting (in a good way, in a good way).
Photo by Noah FecksrestaurantCharlie Bird
$$Seafood, pastas, and a famous farro salad are the main draws at this buzzy, energetic spot that comes with a definite Milano café vibe. Wellfleet oysters with tomato or apple vinaigrettes tend to be super-fresh and high-end, and might come with a tomato water mignonette. Take some time with the wine list: It’s rather famous and quite satisfying, with lots of half bottles for those on a budget. (If not, no worries: There’s a $250 bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée with your name on it.)
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Photo by Evan SungrestaurantLilia
$$$This Williamsburg paean to pasta is in a former garage with exposed-beam wooden ceilings. Chef-owner Missy Robbins is one of New York’s finest pasta chefs. People come here for all sorts of carby stuff: rigatoni diavola, gnocchi, and ravioli. Start, though, with some cacio e pepe fritelle, gorgeous fried balls decked out with salty cheese and pepper, and move on to seafood, another Robbins strong suit. Maybe today’s the day for grilled clams flecked with Calabrian chilies? Cured sardines with capers? It’s all good. But, the absolute must-order dish is the mafaldini, a rippled noodle spiked with pink peppercorns. Reservations are hard to come by (you may need to book a month in advance) but snagging one is well worth the constant refreshes of Resy.
Ben HonrestaurantRaku
$$Duck down Macdougal Street on the western edge of SoHo and look for a small white square sign with artfully drawn Japanese characters and Raku spelled out in small Roman letters below. If you elect to dine inside, you’ll be greeted by a calming and transportive dining room and some of the city’s best udon (The latter you'll have your fill of outside, of course). The lengthy menu at Raku can be a touch overwhelming for a first-time visitor, so first decide if you want your udon warm or cold, then concentrate your efforts on that section. Raku is one of those rare New York restaurants that’s impressive, transportive, consistently excellent—and (most importantly and surprisingly) easy to get a reservation at.
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Courtesy Los Tacos No. 1restaurantLos Tacos No. 1
$A reality check: New York City doesn't have the taco cred of a city like Los Angeles or San Diego. That said, it's not without its standouts. The menu at Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market is short, but hits all the high points with a tight selection of tacos made on corn or flour tortillas laced with lard. There are also quesadillas and mulas filled with proteins like pollo asada and adobada, or marinated pork topped with a pineapple. Fresh chips, salsa, and guacamole round out a meal. The lack of seating makes Los Tacos No. 1 ideal for a snack or light meal while you’re exploring the area.
Photo by Daniel Krieger/Courtesy Sushi NakazawarestaurantSushi Nakazawa
$$$Daisuke Nakazawa—the apprentice from Jiro Dreams of Sushi—cooks here, and in an ideal world, you’re sitting right at his counter. You’ll pay a little extra to do so, but oh, what he can do with fish. The man must daydream in texture and temperature, because whether mackerel, smoked skipjack, or shrimp are on his menu, they are seasoned lightly, brought to a very precise warmth, and served to transcendent effect. People who have heard the four-star raves are here, whether they have sushi cravings and have their saved their pennies or just have money to burn.
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Melanie DunearestaurantFrenchette
$$$Frenchette, from Keith McNally veterans Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, isn’t quite a mirror of France; rather, it’s their take on what a French restaurant in New York City should be. Diners well acquainted with the French culinary canon will find many familiar friends on the menu here, including foie gras, poulet roti, and cote de boeuf, but the menu isn’t limited to these items. Nasr and Hanson have also worked in their own interpretive dishes such as smoked trout beignets with ranch’ette, apples, and spaetzle.
Evan SungrestaurantLucali
$Henry Street in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn is home to Italian families who have lived here for generations, the stroller set that moved in more recently, and Lucali, one of the city’s best pizzerias. Dining here takes patience and planning. Every afternoon a line forms outside of Lucali for “the list.” The team’s website explains it simply and best: “Show up before 5. Put your name on the list. Go have a drink. We'll call you when your table is ready.” It might be an hour, it might be three: Lucali is worth surrendering an evening for.
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Photo by Damien LafarguerestaurantThe Four Horsemen
$$$A chirpy staff helps it feel cozy—as does the knowledge that James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem) runs the joint. This is the sort of place, though, where you may consider inverting your drinking and dining budgets. Maybe you throw down 70 bucks for wine and 14 on butter beans in ham broth, deciding to listen to both sides of whatever album they're spinning, drink the whole bottle, and grab a slice of pizza later. The place is co-owned by four wine geeks and you see it all over the ludicrously long menu: There’s a whole page of orange wines, for example. The list shifts pretty much day to day, and the staff will alert to you to what’s just in and what’s almost gone—a real oenophile’s dream. The Champagne section of the menu is simply extraordinary.
Eduardo CerrutirestaurantVia Carota
$$Sparsely decorated yet warm and inviting, with plenty of wood and exposed brick, Via Carota is the kind of place where you might run into celebrities, but where you’ll feel totally comfortable sitting next to them in jeans and a T-shirt. But they don't take reservations here, so the flip side of all that cool is that waits at peak times can push three hours. The menu is full of supremely delicious creations from Rita Sodi and Jody Williams, who between them run Buvette in NYC and Paris, I Sodi a couple blocks away, and Bar Pisellino across the street. Even the relatively straightforward vegetable dishes, like the pear and gorgonzola bruschetta with walnuts, are remarkable in their fresh simplicity.
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restaurantCafe Kashkar
$At the end of the B and Q subway lines sits Brighton Beach, one of the city’s most overlooked dining neighbors (its position at the very edge of the city is responsible for this unfortunate reality). When visitors do make it down here though, they can find their way to plates of perfect sour cherry vareniki at Varenichnaya, baklava shipped from Istanbul at Brighton Güllüoglu Baklava Cafe, and an endless array of prepared foods, including rich blintzes, at Brighton Bazaar. The first stop though should be Kashkar Café, serving Uzbeki-Uyghur food rich in cumin, lamb, beef, and noodles.
ContentorestaurantContento
$$The five partners at Contento are deeply committed to hospitality for all: Contento was given Bon Appetit’s prestigious Heads of the Table Award—for those working to make the food space more inclusive—for its wheelchair-accessible bar seating, menu QR codes to a spoken version of the menu for diners with low-vision, and a Wines of Impact list of offerings from Indigenous-, Black-owned, and mission-minded wineries. Executive chef Oscar Lorenzzi, who was born in Lima, leans into Peruvian flavors with dishes like classic ceviche, Peruvian barley with roasted mushrooms and winter truffles, arroz con pato with pickled fennel and onion, and roasted scallops with pumpkin stew and Peruvian corn. Whether you come to Contento for its accessibility, a thoughtful wine list, or Peruvian-inspired cooking, you’ll enjoy your evening. There’s space for everyone here.
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Win Son
$$There’s a lot on the menu at Taiwanese Win Son, and little of it disappoints. Start with marinated cucumbers and clams & basil. Then move onto fried eggplant with black vinegar; pan-griddled pork buns; tofu stir-fried with garlic chives and yunlin black beans; and sesame noodles made with black sesame, mushrooms, snow pea leaves, and peanuts. For dessert, there’s just one option: tian miantuan, which is a fried doughnut with vanilla ice cream and condensed milk.
Photo by Molly YehrestaurantKatz's Delicatessen
$Tourist destinations in New York rarely make it into regular rotation with locals. Katz’s is an exception. What started as a deli called Iceland Brothers has been slicing exceptional pastrami, corned beef, and loaves of rye bread on the Lower East Side since 1888 (and made the famous “I'll have what she's having” cameo in When Harry Met Sally). While the menu offers tuna fish, burgers, and even a cheesesteak, stuck to the deli classics like pastrami, corned beef, and beef tongue sandwiches. Round out your order with a knish, a bowl of matzo ball soup, or cheese blintzes.
