The Best New Restaurants in New York City
The best new restaurants in New York City are not easy to identify. Openings are relentless—all across town, in Manhattan and beyond, eateries of every kind are flinging open their doors and proffering food of all cuisines. But the best are those that aren’t built just on buzz—they’re good enough to dedicate a night’s dinner to, even if your visit to the Big Apple makes you squirrelly about reservations at the long-established big names. The buzz is absolutely a component here, though, make no mistake. It’s exciting to get a table at these restaurant, to take a bite of a dish that’s still in its infancy on New Yorkers’ palettes. “Oh, that spot?” You can say when an acquaintance brings up somewhere they’ve been dying to dine, “It’s good. I recommend it.”
How we choose the best new restaurants in New York City
The best new restaurants in New York City stretch across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Every business on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has personally tried the restaurant in question. When choosing new restaurants, our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries that offer an authentic and insider experience of the city. We’re always looking for standout dishes, a great location, and warm service—as well as serious sustainability credentials. In terms of how we define ‘new,’ we've chosen to focus on restaurants that have opened within a year of the publish date. When you work your way through the list, check back in: We'll update this guide regularly as new restaurants open in New York City.
Now, here's our selection: find swanky Italian seafood joints, 11-seat omakase counters, and a Brooklyn neighborhood spot where you may already have to fight for a table—but we promise it's worth it. Here are the best new restaurants in New York City.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
OdrerestaurantOdre
$$At the East Village’s elegant pre fixe restaurant Odre, you’re going to be eating a three-course meal of Korean food made from local, seasonal ingredients with subtle and endearing twists. In the cold open (by this I mean, the first course, which is served cold), you might start with the refreshing (yes, you read that right) sesame chicken in mustard sauce, or the hwe platter with scallop, conch, and yellowtail in a bath of chojang. Next comes the warm appetizer—choose between the mung bean fritter with kimchi, mushroom, and pecorino cheese and the snow crab mandoo, or dumpling. The main event is ever changing, with such offerings at present as steamed monkfish and beef shank. You wouldn’t be able to get a bad bite in edgewise here, so don’t labor over your order too hard, and the limited menu’s brevity makes it all the easier to take a risk and try something new on at least one course. It’ll run you $42, plus an additional $12 for whatever dessert they’ve got that day if you’re keen (mine, a watermelon ice, was absolutely worth it) while drinks can also be ordered a la carte. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor
Jovani Demetrie/Gus and Marty'srestaurantGus & Marty's
$$I stumbled upon Gus and Marty’s, the new Greek spot in Williamsburg, a few Friday nights ago. The floor-to-ceiling glass entrance, right off McCarren Park, drew me in. As I approached, I asked a super-hip, local-looking guy sipping orange wine what the place was. Over the lively chatter of the dinner crowd, he giggled and echoed my overly-excited curiosity: “Right?” It turns out he was Demetri, a co-owner, and he graciously scored me two seats at the bar as others were leaving (rare luck at a place this swanky in NYC.) Curated by, and co-owned with, wife Sarah, both with Greek-American roots, the restaurant serves delectable and elevated traditional dishes. To start: the mezza, a velvety Taramasalata with trout caviar and the freshest fire-roasted lavraki as one of the dinner mains (of course, plated with perfect execution). It’s not your average blue-and-white taverna; the space has a cozy, lounge-like vibe with candlelight and framed family photos from the couple’s family in Greece from the ‘70s. Sarah and Demetri work together on the floor—chatting with local friends or new faces alike, all as if they’re family, making sure everyone has a smile on their face. At night, shadows from the tree leaves outside dance on the floor through the large window. Gus and Marty’s is exactly what this corner of Brooklyn needed—elevated yet un-fussy, an essence of real warmth, and genuinely great food. After three visits since its brand-new opening—no notes. —Jessica Chapel, commerce writer
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SEArestaurantSea
$$$The two questions I ask myself after a meal at any restaurant are: Is there a dish that will stay on my mind for weeks after? And would I go out of my way to return for more? A “yes” to the first usually means a “yessssss” for the second. And that’s how Sea, a new Southeast Asian restaurant in K-Town, made this list. Sea is ostensibly Thai in ingredient and flavor, but cut through its zab-zab-spiced crust and you’ll spot the underpinnings of other Asian cuisines. Not surprising, given it comes from chef-restaurateur Jungsik Yim, best known for the eponymously named, two Michelin-starred Korean fine-dining establishment Jungsik. At Sea, he fuses Thai flavors with Korean techniques—a playfulness he set off even within Jungsik’s more formal framework. That’s where the similarities end, though. Where Jungsik is all wood paneling, white tablecloths, and bright lights, SEA is a semi-casual spot outfitted with exposed brick, chartreuse velvet banquets, and moody lighting. The menu here is tightly curated—and decidedly not intended for vegetarians, which is a bold choice to make, I have to say—offering meaty delights such as the Sriracha Ribs with lime leaf and lemongrass ($19) that my husband noted slipped right off the bone, and a crackly-skinned fried branzino brightened up with an avocado salad and nam jim ($38). Don’t skip past the raw bar menu, even as small plates like the prawn spring roll ($18) draw your attention: I tried a zesty crudo with tomato and corn ($19) that screamed “everlasting summer,” but it was the herb granita accompanying the oysters ($24 for six) that left me wanting more. However, if I had to pick that one single reason for going back, the crab fried rice ($29) would be it: chunky, crispy-bottomed, and encased in a thick sheath of omelet. Long may it reign—on my mind and on my plate. —Arati Menon, global director, digital
Gentl & Hyers/KikorestaurantKiko
$$$Founded by husband and wife duo Chef Alex Chang and Lina Goujjane, Kiko is the newest—and hottest—spot to open in Hudson Square, a quiet industrial neighborhood sandwiched between Tribeca, Soho, and Greenwich Village in the midst of a (needed) rebrand. The menu features subtle twists on classic dishes like fried chicken and dry aged striploin that feel totally unique, but still can, and should, be returned to time and time again. Then there are special standouts, like the Dungeness crab served in-shell with sushi rice and nori for a do-it-yourself hand roll ($46) and the mafaldine pasta with Hano donko shiitake, black Maitake, fermented black bean, and brown butter ($34) that just explodes with umami. “Asian fusion” is a simplistic way to describe Chef Chang’s culinary inspirations: a Californian with Mexican and Chinese lineage, he was born in Hong Kong and has cooked in Los Angeles, Miami, Tokyo, and New York. Goujjane is an experienced restaurateur and sommelier of Sushi Noz, the Nomad, and Momofuku Group; you might know her family as the longtime owners of One If By Land, Two If By Sea, often cited as NYC’s most romantic restaurant. Together, they’ve cooked up something truly special—I’m already planning when I’ll go back next. —Hannah Towey, associate news editor
Christian Harder/Twin TailsrestaurantTwin Tails
$$$Velvet banquets. Marble floors. Mirrored walls. Sipping a Sambal margarita while savoring green curry escargot one might forget that this glitzy restaurant is… inside of a mall? Twin Tails recently opened on the third floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle from the team behind Zou Zou’s and Bad Roman (the latter also located at The Shops.) However, unlike Bad Roman, this restaurant’s menu doesn’t feel like TikTok bait. Instead, you’ll find a large variety of delicious Southeast Asian-inspired dishes. The menu truly has something for everyone, with an array of options per protein preference for larger dishes (fish, shellfish, steak, pork/fowl) and such a wide selection of small plates—raw items, salads, spring and summer rolls, satay—that you’ll actually have a hard time choosing. To help you tackle the menu, I suggest these standouts: decadent little King crab and uni buns served on a tiny silver cake platter ($29), cured Atlantic fluke with limey grapefruit and thai chili ($19) and, apparently, the crispy garlic shrimp ($39) which had already run out by the time I arrived. The restaurant is pricey (we opted out of the $175 beef shank khao soi, but will absolutely be revisiting to split the whole royal dorade sashimi for $55) and, unlike others you’ll find on this list, isn’t what I would necessarily describe as “cool”—but it does feel fabulous. Consider it the perfect place to wow your out-of-town friends after a day strolling Central Park. Plan to grab a drink in The Speakeasy bar before or after your meal: an intimate circular space with wall-to-wall mirrors and red lighting, just sexy enough to distract you from the fact that you will pass a Lululemon on your way out. —Mercedes Bleth, global associate director of social
GettyrestaurantEl Cedro
$I remember seeing something on Instagram about El Cedro when it opened—a Lebanese-Mexican spot, right in the strip of Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue where I go for Middle Eastern groceries (over at Damascus and Sahadi’s), great Yemenite stews at Yemen Cafe, and Palestinian food at al Badawi (their new uptown location recently appeared on this list). I had faith from the geography: it’s in good company. I was also intrigued because, as you may or may not know, there’s a huge Lebanese community in Mexico (that’s where the al pastor spit came from, after all), so it seemed like a pairing we should have been waiting for. The kismet was that, when I visited, I went with both a Mexican friend and an Armenian friend, and I got to watch the two of them delight at seeing their favorite childhood ingredients living beside one another on the same menu. There are gorditas made with labne crema and chicken cooked with sumac. There’s a quesadilla with gooey cheese and za’atar (a simple standout). The $17 Armenian torta, which has both a sujuk patty and cured basturma in it, is zingy with pickled cucumber as well. The space is casual, and you can tell they’re just getting into the swing of things—but the blend of food is beautifully satisfying, and (to me) totally creative. —Megan Spurrell, associate director, articles
SmørrestaurantSmør
$$The Brooklyn outpost of Nordic cafe Smør just opened a short walk from my home and I can already tell it will be a go-to for meeting friends over fresh, tasty little meals. On a Friday at lunch, the place was bustling: In the airy dining room, Brooklynites are grabbing cardamom buns and cinnamon rolls to go at the coffee bar; at tables inside and out, smorrebrød topped with fjord shrimp, lox, and pickled herring will make you wonder if you’ve bonked your head and woken up in Copenhagen. Don’t question it. Though lunch, essentially brunch, offers a menu that includes Danish pancakes and egg dishes, a couple coworkers and I beelined for the crispy shrimp sandwich, leafy greens topped with grapes and rye crumbs, and the aforementioned smorrebrød (dinner, meanwhile, is tighter and grown up, with a fluke crudo, gigante beans in broth, and a sesame schnitzel, among other things). I’ll own up to that fact that I haven’t ever had destination-of-origin smorrebrød, but my dining companions—Arati Menon, Scandinavia dining savant in my book; and Erika Owen, queen of Iceland in the travel journalism world—both approved in a way that affirmed what my taste buds felt: this is legit. Go with friends so you can likewise try a bit of everything and share. The good news is that even after tucking into the fried shrimp patty or dense rye, I felt light as a feather when I walked out—nothing feels greasy or heavy. As for beverages, I loved the made-to-order lingonberry and elderflower sodas, but I didn’t love that they came in a single-use plastic cup (Erika, who has been at Smør several times since it opened, says that our visit was the first time she’s seen that, but I know I’ll cast a glance at the bar before ordering next time). —M.S.
Jason Varney/Clemente BarbarClemente Bar
$$$If there’s someone in your life who you love and yet is under the impression that plant-based fine-dining are two-word hyphenates that cannot co-exist, bring them to Clemente Bar. It’s the latest brainchild of Swiss chef Daniel Humm, maestro of illustrious Eleven Madison Park, which Humm reimagined in 2021 to be entirely plant-based and became the first and only plant-based restaurant in Michelin Guide history to receive a three-star rating. That said, to do dinner at this white-tablecoth institution can feel like too much of an event for any skeptic of plant-based cuisine. And good luck getting a reservation. Enter Clemente, a cocktail bar and tasting counter that opened this fall in a space that resembles a very chic attic above Eleven Madison Park. Much like EMP, Clemente serves an entirely plant-based menu that manifests as sumptuous and savory bar bites. Some highlights: sake pickles with kohlrabi and cucumber, all crunch and brightness; decadent carrot tartare topped with tonburi, a type of edible seed sometimes called “land caviar”; inari (a pouch of seasoned fried tofu with sushi rice) topped with avocado; and the Agedashi Dog, fried tofu served in a potato roll and garnished with black truffles. The whole effect is that of Humm’s thesis statement on plant-based cooking: No need to be fussy; all this can just be plain ol’ fun. (The evening made me consider vegetarianism, but only fleetingly because I lack the skills and patience of Clemente’s—and EMP’s—brilliant cooks.)
Of course, not to be outdone are the cocktails, so well-bodied and round on the palate that they almost have a chew to them. The list is divided into sections like “light,” “bold,” and “clarified,” offering stars like the refreshing 5th Leaf, a pisco drink with smoked sunchoke, pear, and shiso; and the Clemente Martini, the cleanest dirty martini I’ve ever had—tasty and edgy, thanks to the green curry and saffron. They all pair well with the interiors designed by Francesco Clemente Studio, where frescoes depict Surrealist Lite fantasias and the dim lighting sets the mood for the savvy crowd and charming staff. —Matt Ortile, associate editor
Carl Timpone/BrassrestaurantBrass
$$$When it starts to get a little cold in NYC I find myself hankering after a brasserie—the kind of low-lit, banquet-lined spot that serves up a good martini and a rare steak with the same level of precision as a conductor directing their orchestra. Brass is just this spot. From Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, the team behind downtown’s Wildair, the restaurant recently opened inside the Evelyn Hotel in Nomad, along with the adjacent Tusk Bar. There’s a piano that a jazz musician might be tinkering with, white tablecloths, and Art Deco-style murals providing the backdrop. Waiting to be seated means hitching oneself to the bar and ordering the Classic Two Slippers—mini versions of time-tested cocktails like the Negroni, Manhattan, Sazerac, and of course, a dirty ‘tini. As for the food: One of the best things Stone and von Hauske Valtierra do at Wildair is seafood, so consider the raw bar a must (we ordered oysters and a shrimp cocktail); hors d’ourves and entreés include rich dishes like a crab and maitake mushroom tartlet and ricotta gnudi; mains are meat heavy like duck breast, pork shoulder, and a wagyu steak that slices like butter. My one desire was for a few more dishes that shared the delicacy of Wildair’s menu, but a creamy, cheesy bowl of the pomme dauphine promptly allowed me to forget that. —Lale Arikoglu, articles director
Evan Sung/Kellogg's DinerrestaurantKellogg's Diner
$For a long time, the first thing you saw when you emerged from the Metropolitan-Lorimer station in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg was the classic, neon-lighted Kellogg’s Diner on the same corner. When that 24/7 iteration shuttered last year, it seemed a sad end to casual, affordable eating in a neighborhood so overrated and overpriced that it can at times feel like a New York outpost of LA's The Grove. And while Kellogg’s, which reopened in September after a redesign of its space and menu, is now absolutely in the former category in ways both welcome (gold-hued mood lighting, a neutral palette that’s easier on the eyes) and less so (the present impossibility of getting a table being antithetical to the very concept of a diner, for one thing), the menu is available 24/7, mostly delicious, and well-priced. Chef Jackie Carnesi's menu is at its best with its traditional Tex-Mex options—eminently shareable nachos ($12, with or without steak), enchiladas with red chili gravy and rice and beans ($20). Pastry chef Amanda Perdomo’s cakes, pies, and other sweet treats shine brightest, displayed as they are in a glass case at the counter, in particular a passionfruit key lime pie ditty doused in cool whip. —C.H.
Tom Wilson/SmithereensrestaurantSmithereens
$$Leading the pack among my favorite new restaurants in New York this fall? Hands down, Smithereens. It identifies as a New England-inspired restaurant, a concept that made total sense once I took my seat in the moody dining room. Set in what was clearly a basement-level apartment in the East Village in not-too-ancient history, the ceiling of Smithereens is painted to resemble a blustery day at sea—there’s a take on chowder ($36; reimagined as hake and clams with a rich sauce), and a cocktail called the Ben Affleck ($18; bourbon, honeynut squash, coffee, which immediately evoked pap shots of the actor cowering over his Dunkin’ Donuts delivery). Like many menus du jour there are mainly small plates, and the sparsely worded descriptions might lead you to doubt that “beets, seaweed & rose oil” ($17) is something you need to order. It is. Just trust me that it is. Also: Raw tuna ($24), wrapped around pear slivers, is served with a light citrus sauce you’ll want to bathe in (or at least keep to dip your Andama bread ($9) into, despite how good the seaweed butter is). The dishes nod to the sea in ways both fresh and briny, cozy and buttery. The feeling is being on a blustery New England boat with salt air in your face, but with a warm Paddington-style jacket protecting you from the elements. As is true of most small plates-led menus, I think you could be quite happy playing around in just the top half of the menu. While I was really delighted by the salty beans, tossed with uni and little calamari ($32; second to last section), the hake (bottom “mains” section) took much longer to arrive and the celery float for dessert, while charming in concept and topping several tables around us, made me wonder if we overcommitted in the order (though maybe I simply learned that celery and coffee are too bold a take on the root beer float for my taste buds). Overall, I’d hurry back, though—and something tells me it’ll get better with time. —M.S.
- Brandon Rosenblum/Gettyrestaurant
Bridges
$$$From its unassuming Chinatown location to the lowkey wood and chrome decor, Bridges is seductively simple. And while it’s one of the most talked about openings right now, with reservations booked up for months, dining here still feels like being let in on a really good secret. The menu is deceptively short, with simple one-line dishes like “grilled oysters” and “lettuces, asian pear, and trout roe,” described anti-climatically, like that super secure friend who is much too confident in themselves to outwardly brag. But don’t let the sparing details fool you: every dish here has hidden layers—and that’s no metaphor. There are anchovies and peppers tucked between the sardines and toast; juicy dates and barely-there onions wrapped inside two types of tuna, dark maroon meat with slices of pink belly on top. The Comté tart—the most internet-hyped dish here—sits on a thin pastry base that contrasts satisfyingly against the creamy custard texture, finished with gorgeous chanterelle mushrooms. The king crab legs are barely seasoned but expertly grilled and dripping with salty sweetness, the kind that’s hard to wash off your hands. The highly controlled minimalism of it all ensures flavors are enhanced, not lost, and that each dish is designed to be tasted anew with each bite. It’s the trademark style of Bridges chef Sam Lawrence, previously the culinary director of Mattos Hospitality (the restaurant group behind Estela and Altro Paradiso). Bridges is fine dining in the purist sense, as in delicious food creatively constructed to evoke an experience. Pro tip: the bar is reserved for walk-ins only with plenty of available seating, for now. —H.T.
Dave Watts/ManuelarestaurantManuela
$$$Manuela, that just dropped on a bustling corner in Soho, is a whole vibe. Swipe past a bright yellow curtain in the entry vestibule and you’re stopped in your tracks by a giant anemone-like sculpture by Mika Rottenberg that hovers over its bar. It’s only the beginning: Wherever you look, museum-quality art will arrest your attention, from artists like Louise Bourgeois and Cindy Sherman. If it’s not the art, it’s the serpentine Kolho chairs by Matthew Day Jackson and the crayola-colored ‘Floating Tile’ tables by Mary Heilman. None of this exuberance is surprising, given Manuela is named for Manuela Wirth, who co-founded Artfarm (owner of Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands) with her husband Iwan Wirth—also co-owners of Hauser & Wirth, a mega art gallery with branches across the US, UK, and Europe. And like its sister restaurant in the Downtown Arts District of LA and its cousin, Mount Street in London, contemporary art and food combine to create a buzzy atmosphere.
The menu here is compelling, grounded by a commitment to seasonal, sustainably harvested produce. On a recent night, my dining companion and I shared a smoked albacore dip with dill and Carolina Gold rice crackers, Wellfleet oysters with apple vinegar and fig leaf oil, and scallops with chanterelle mushrooms and preserved lemon, among other dishes. We were told not to skip the cream biscuits, and you’d do well to follow—it’s a house classic perfected over years. While I didn’t have the time to visit the kitchen to view ‘The Rocket’, an in-house composter, I’m told it will supply Project EATS, a New York City-based non-profit organization that runs urban gardens across the city’s five boroughs. Maybe next time, because there will be a next time: Manuela is just the kind of dressed-up, fun spot you’ll want to return to. —A.M.
Alex Staniloff/Il TotanorestaurantIl Totano
$$$It's a bit of a time warp to enter what's ostensibly a new restaurant beneath one of those formal burgundy awnings that are largely bygone everywhere except hotels and Upper East Side co-ops. But Il Totano, the new coastal Italian restaurant from Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle that occupies the garden level of a brownstone in the West Village, melds elements of utter class with bright color. This is the first restaurant I've ever been in where the idea of a beach-inspired interior really landed—gray-blue plaster, happy orange booths, wicker chairs—although the low-ceilinged, window-free space is still a bit tough. Once you order, though, the food will whisk you away. The slate of crudos are excellent, with the dry-aged kona kampachi in a bright passionfruit colatura ($22) the raw fish highlight. A $49 halibut saltimbocca wrapped in crispy prosciutto and sage also really delivers. —C.H.
Laura Murray/Strange DelightrestaurantStrange Delight
$$In the way that, as a Netflix celebrity once said, “mac and cheese is something that can actually be so personal,” so can a seafood tower. At Strange Delight, the bounty of the sea can be plated for one: a $35 order of oysters, shrimp cocktail, remoulade, and crudo is evenly portioned for a solo diner. It even comes with crackers and bread. But the point of this buzzy NOLA-inflected joint on one of the yuppiest corners of Brooklyn (down Lafayette Avenue from the Brooklyn Academy of Music; a shrimp tail’s throw away from Greenlight Bookstore) is that you come here with pals for a convivial night in the pastel, 1950s Americana-tinted dining room. Besides, you’ll need a team to sample all the ways the kitchen serves oysters—cold, charbroiled, fried, “spicy BBQ,” and Rockefeller ($12–$64, depending on the preparation and quantity); and of course, the towers come in for-groups iterations as well, though you’ll need at least two of the $120 option to serve a hungry crowd of eight, as my friends and I learned when we celebrated a special occasion one June evening, complementing the three-tiered serving stands with crab dip ($35) and catfish nuggets ($24). But if you’re in the neighborhood and pop in alone (if the dining room is full, grab a spot at the open kitchen’s counter), you’ll have plenty of options in the sandwich menu, which stars more oysters, shrimp, and catfish, as well as mushrooms for the vegetarians ($24–$28)—and of course the personal seafood tower. —Matt Ortile, associate editor
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Adam Friedlander/HellbenderrestaurantHellbender
$$$If you’ve spent time in Ridgewood, Bushwick’s further-out, still-finding-itself sister, you know about Rolo’s. They’ve got great cocktails and Italianish small plates, with a cool crowd and laidback vibe. So when chef Yara Herrera peeled off and opened Hellbender just around the corner—which has a similar concept, with a Mexican-American menu—I knew I had to check it out. Suffice to say, you now have two go-to spots in Ridgewood. Hellbender’s space is lovely, whether you’re inside the stylish space at the bar, or at a sidewalk table (indoors, keep an eye out for the stuffed (fake?) leopard in a massive diorama). The team is great, and I felt like a regular on a first visit (the people at the table next to me were already regulars, and it hasn’t been open a year). Most importantly, the food is bright, shareable, and super tasty. Simple dishes like the guacamole hit harder than you expect, and I nearly drank the leftover brine from the kampachi aguachile. The branzino was totally delicious—but the real star of the show was the jello of the day (believe it!) which that night was a peanut butter and jelly confection that I’m still thinking about. Picture grape jello, a peanut butter flan-type of base, and a texture you will crave the minute you finish. You could pop in just for one of those at the bar and it’d be worth the journey. My only pain point: As with most small plate spots, everything is about $5 more than I wish it were (I would probably skip the $33 branzino on the next go-around—it’s quite dainty given the rate). —M.S.
Flyfish ClubrestaurantFlyfish Club
$$$This members-only restaurant by VCR group (the same team as Little Maven) has finally opened. Originally, one could only gain membership by purchasing one of VCR's limited NFTs, but membership can now be purchased traditionally. Unlike other member clubs in the city, the atmosphere here is vibrant, colorful, and unfussy. While, yes, the idea behind Flyfish Club is an exclusive dining experience—with their main restaurant, an omakase speakeasy, and a bar all under one roof—you can also dine as a non-member so long as you’re with someone who is (and, let’s be honest—in a well-connected place like NYC, finding a friend of a friend in order to try a new restaurant is probably easier than you’d think.)
The menu here touches many cuisines: Asian, Italian, and some Mediterranean dishes too. We started with the salmon crispy rice ($25) and a few sushi rolls, and then went right to a delicious rendition of cacio e pepe called Squaccio e pepe ($24)—a riff on the Roman dish with a hint of sweet squash puree throughout the cheese-y sauce. Our entree was the Chicken Caesar ($36), a large plate of crispy chicken Milanese with a mountain of crunchy Caesar salad. It was one of those places where we were “oooh”ing and “aaah”ing at each dish that passed by—really nothing on the menu looked bad. For dessert, we devoured VCR group’s classic $23 banana split sundae with brûléed bananas, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a dramatic chocolate drizzle. From now on, I think I’ll need a banana split sundae to cap off every meal. —Emily Adler, associate social media manager
Good GuysrestaurantGood Guys
$$This is not the first time that I’ve been compelled to put a place that’s more bar than restaurant on this list, but rest assured that I always do so for good reason—namely, that it’s possible to put together a very good meal of caloric fullness from the regular menu. As a benefit, eateries that fit into this category are guaranteed to be paired, if you so wish, with an excellent cocktail. Good Guys, right next door to venerated sister establishment Attaboy (no food), is a happy wine and aperitivo bar with a striped awning and really great sips and bites, the latter pulled largely from the realm of tinned seafood (fittingly, consulting chef Jesse Parnell has Russ & Daughters on his resume). While smoked trout dip is perhaps best shared, as the one here very much can be, it goes down pretty easily for a party of one or two, as do the pan con tomate and oil-drizzled boquerones. This is light fare that you should just let keep coming as you sip and drain lambrusco cocktail after lambrusco cocktail. —C.H.
Max Flatow/Malka DumborestaurantMalka
$$$Malka has opened its newest outpost on an iconic corner in Brooklyn’s Dumbo—right across the street from the famous under-bridge photo opp—and while its moody candle-lit ambiance alone is reason enough to go, the menu will make you want to run there as soon as possible. Eyal Shani is adding another Malka location to his roster of highly successful Mediterranean and Israeli restaurants around New York City, including recently Michelin-starred Shmone, HaSalon, and Port Said. The new DUMBO location features some Brooklyn-exclusive specials like tomato farro risotto, but mostly stays true to the classics, like the “very Israeli hummus so close to perfection” and “the most famous Malka schnitzel filled with mashed potato marrow”—and yes, that is indeed how those dishes are officially listed on the menu. Other favorites are the yellowtail sashimi paired with a tangy and refreshing horseradish sauce, and their tender ribeye—unexpectedly the best bite of the meal. The space is rustic, surrounded by windows and crowned with tall ceilings, and is a must-visit dinner spot to end a day strolling about an iconic Brooklyn neighborhood. —E.A.
Jason Varney/Din Tai FungrestaurantDin Tai Fung
$$The long-awaited arrival of this beloved Taiwanese restaurant in New York City could not have been a buzzier or more consummate success, starring immaculate xiao long bao—delicate soup dumplings that swell with pork and broth. The location is great: this is the perfect place to fill your stomach before or after the evening’s Broadway show, and the chaos of the neighborhood gets completely shut out by the coolness of the subterranean dining room. You must, of course, place at least one order of the kurobuta pork xiao long bao, which gets you 10 dumplings for $18.50—you can also opt for pork and crab or ground chicken. Other highlights include the deceptively simple cucumber salad ($9) and the New York-exclusive black sesame espresso martini ($22), which is made all the richer by the addition of an egg yolk. —C.H.
Armando Rafael/FrenarestaurantFrena
$$While Hell’s Kitchen is definitely not one of New York’s most notable culinary hotspots, Frena is a Mediterranean haven that begs to differ. Chef Efi Naon opened the restaurant this past spring to pay homage to “the smells, spices, and recipes of [his] Moroccan-Israeli upbringing.” Naon was notably executive chef at the ever-popular Taboon, which tragically shut down after a fire a few years ago. He brought back its signature clay oven to Frena, which is integral in baking their fluffy homemade Frena Bread, brushed with olive oil, Maldon salt, wild dry za’atar, as well as their decadent Sambusak stuffed with feta cheese. Our meal kicked off with classic Israeli dips like baba ganoush and hummus, complemented by the crisp baby gem salad with root vegetables, and Jerusalem stone yogurt. As per our attentive waitress’s recommendation (the service was top notch), we ordered the butterflied branzino for our main, which was incredibly fresh and so simply delicious. Food aside, Frena’s florally-decorated interior paired with its impressive drinks program will transport you to a special place, and lends itself well to an aesthetically-pleasing girls' dinner or date night. The restaurant was buzzing on a Monday night, seemingly with plenty of locals and regulars, and we were more than glad to absorb some of that wholesome NYC energy. —E.A.
Evan Sung/IkigairestaurantIkigai
$$$The evening got off to a solid start. Ushered through an unremarkable below-ground door, we walked past a chef’s counter, and into a courtyard styled like a Japanese tearoom, complete with shoji screens and potted Japanese maple. Seated, we received a cold towel (one of the kindest acts on an NYC summer day) and a cup of rhododendron kombucha—followed by a course of pillowy milk bread. I later found out that this ritual was devised to hedge against late entrants—an extended grace period before service begins. Ikigai, which opened in Fort Greene in July, isn’t afraid to do things a little differently. The owner Dan Soha is a first-time restaurant owner; the kaiseki tasting menu, courtesy of Rafal Maslankiewicz (ex-Masa and -Eleven Madison Park) carries Polish influences; and Ikigai will be run as a not-for-profit enterprise with any profits going to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, an organization that redistributes food waste to food-insecure communities. On the night we visited, Maslankiewicz’s menu included an okra risotto with sea beans and a quail-egg-in-a-hole topped by uni. But nowhere was the hybridization more evident, and less expected, than during dessert—a delicious knedle-mochi dumpling with raspberry and sour cream. The plating (and service) here is unfussy, so don’t come expecting lavishness—the price tag at $165 a head occupies a more sensible middle ground, too. Do expect a tight wine pairing; although you can go off-piste and get your bevvies à la carte. I was thrilled to see Yamilé on the menu, a delightful non-alcoholic sparkling rosé made in Copenhagen. Ikigai is the kind of place where you notice the small details: the cool indie playlist, the under-the-table shelf for your purse, and most of all, the calm energy that sits around you. Two hours later, I pushed past the door into a still-light, busy Lafayette Avenue and winced a little. —A.M.
Cecchi'srestaurantCecchi's
$$It’s fitting that I slipped into Cecchi’s on my first night back in New York City after weeks of travel. This is where you go to remember why you live in the city; it’s also where you should bring your visiting friends who can’t help but mention how “New York” your life is. The menu, which owner Michael Cecchi-Azzolina says comes from researching decades of New York restaurant menus and their iconic dishes, will remind you exactly where you are. Start at the bar, where drinks range from the cheeky (cosmos! appletinis!) to great pours of Sancerre and Beaujolais. If you’re having a great time, chatting with seatmates and bartenders, stay there and order the New York Happy Meal ($25 martini and fries, offered everyday from 5-6 p.m. and late night). When you’re ready to migrate to a table, you’ll hope you brought enough dining companions to really explore. Starters like the stuffed mushrooms go down easy, but it’s bold reincarnations of the classics like the “Not a Wedge” salad (which comes as finely chopped as Farmer in the Deli sandwich innards, and is cravably tangy) that I would go beeline to in the future. You should like meat if you’re eating here (or be taking advantage of a cheat-day from your efforts at a more plant-based diet—who’s with me?), because the apricot-glazed ribs, the steak-frites, and the burger all deserve your attention. The food is rich, so under-order to start. And make sure to look around the room between bites, as the atmosphere and constant din of spirited conversation is the most New York thing about this place. —M.S.
Francesco Sapienza/The GrouprestaurantOmakase Room by Shin
$$$I’ve spent years in New York wanting to go for an omakase at a price I won’t feel deeply guilty about later. It’s a tall order. But when I heard about Shin’s omakase, which will run you $175 for 14 courses, my ears perked up. Then, I ate my way through a meal of sweet seasonal clam broth, gorgeous sea bream nigiri, a decadent hand roll stuffed with Japanese uni, plus 11 other tasty things, and I realized I’d found what I’d been looking for. Chef Shin, for starters, is a subtle comedian, and a tactile teacher—so sitting at this intimate sushi bar not only means delicate, fresh seafood, but good chats; and questions about ingredients might mean a hunk of wasabi or a tray of artfully arranged shiso flowers is thrust into your hands for you to sniff, taste, and inspect. The Midtown location, on a cut-through between W 53rd and W 54th, is surprisingly laid-back for this part of the city, but really convenient if, say, you’re splurging on dinner-and-a-show for a special occasion: Broadway is just around the corner. —M.S.
Michael Carnevale/Parcelle Greenwich VillagerestaurantParcelle Greenwich Village
$$If you step into a wine bar and see that every seat comes equipped with exquisite slim-stemmed Zalto glasses (gift a pair to your favorite oenophile, when you can), you know that place means business. But a wine bar, this is not—not technically. It’s a wine bar-plus, the plus being extremely good food. A new restauranty iteration of Parcelle arrived this July, right on the border of NoHo and SoHo—so, you know, on Houston. Compared to its older sibling in Chinatown, a drinks-and-bites dispensary with emerald green couches for early-evening flirting, Parcelle Greenwich Village is a full-service 45-seat joint and already a bona fide hot spot—not only because the AC was under repair when I went (I’m told it’s now been fixed), but because it was packed on opening week with a who’s-whomst of Manhattan’s culinary and media crowd. Set your Resy alerts for this place because the kitchen here is doing extremely fine work, with a menu that’s tight in scope and pure in vision: bar fare with substance. The prosciutto ($24) came with cracker puffs for a delightful contrast in textures; the yellowtail tartare ($24) was bright as day; the herbed tomatoes with stracciatella ($24) made my mouth pucker—into which I poured an array of gorgeous wines, pulled from a studied list of bottles over 500 strong. (For those inclined toward spirits, they have a streamlined list of those too.) The rigatoni with fermented tuna and Calabrian chili ($24) soaked up my pet-nats and sparklers, and I’m hearing great things about a crab, heart of palm, and hollandaise dish ($25), already on my list for my next visit. Cap the evening with a digestif and something sweet; I had a bread made with sweet corn, polenta, and condensed milk, topped with whipped crème fraîche ($20). Whether you’re picking wine to go with your food or vice versa, let the charismatic staff guide you every step of the way (when you go, say hi to Scottish Jamie for me). They’re a knowledgeable and stellar bunch, the types to fold your napkin and place them on the table if you’ve stood up to go to the loo or say hi to friends at a neighboring two-top. The vibe is convivial and chic: You come here with friends and run into more, in a burled-wood space that looks like the dining room of a fabulous pal who lets even her messiest but best friends use her good wine glasses. —M.O.
Eel BarrestaurantEel Bar
$$I’ve been a long time fan of the team behind Eel Bar—two of their spots, Hart’s and The Fly, are within walking distance of my Brooklyn apartment, supplying me with many a martini, clam toast, or basket of rotisserie chicken over the years. Their new restaurant on the Lower East Side follows a similar blueprint to its sister spot Cervo’s on Dimes Square: namely, a casual tapas-style menu, simple and classic cocktails (with the occasional twist), and European-style décor that tricks you, for a second, into thinking you might be going for dinner in Basque country. We over-ordered and were glad for it. A few highlights: the gildas, a salty pintxo dish of skewered olives and anchovies; a bowl of crispy fried squid; potato salad with trout roe; and the black rice with tuna and tomatoes. Wash it all down with a couple of Wet Martinis, one of the prepared vermouths that packs a punch thanks to the sharp splash of orange bitters. —L.A.
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