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$$ | Upper East Side |
Roughly the size of a studio apartment, this homey bar and restaurant is the epitome of a neighborhood spot; just keep in mind that reservations aren't accepted. The short menu of comfort foods—hamburgers, a pasta, macaroni and cheese—changes frequently, but the lobster macaroni and cheese never fails to impress. With only one table for four people, Heidi's House is better suited to smaller parties. Reservations aren't accepted for this often-crowded spot, but it does have a charming little bar next door where you can have a drink while you wait for a table and a same-day call-ahead list starting after 5 pm.
308 E. 78th St., New York, New York, 10075, USA
Known For
- Skillet mac and cheese
- Wait for a table at Ed's Elbow Room bar next door
- Nice selection of beer, wine, and cider
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$ | Red Hook |
The smell of barbecue will have your mouth watering even before you get in the door of this cavernous hall, which many say serves the best BBQ around. Head for the counter to order meats by the pound, chicken, sandwiches, tacos, and sides. It's all outrageously good, but the brisket is a must.
454 Van Brunt St., Brooklyn, New York, 11231, USA
Known For
- Best BBQ around
- Lines are long on weekends
- Live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Lower East Side |
Ivan Orkin's improbable but true story is one of the many layers that make New York City's restaurant scene so exciting, authentic, and delicious: the self-described "Jewish kid from Long Island" moved to Tokyo and became a ramen-making master, achieving near legendary status in the Japanese capital. In 2014, he opened this Lower East Side temple to ramen, where highlights include the triple pork, triple garlic mazemen, a type of near-brothless ramen.
25 Clinton St., New York, New York, 10012, USA
Known For
- Japanese fried chicken appetizer
- Rye-based ramen noodles
- Fun Tokyo-style decor
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$$ | Upper East Side |
The self-described “saloon with food” has been serving hearty drinks, hefty burgers, thick sandwiches, and its famous cottage fries to a local crowd since 1972. Its decor is warm and woody, the tablecloths are checkered and the tables are packed close together (so it’s noisy when crowded), and there’s an everybody-knows-your-name vibe. Save room for dessert, because the chocolate chip cake and pecan pie are worth the calories. This place also is known for its late hours—the kitchen is open until after midnight daily.
1291 3rd Ave., New York, New York, 10021, USA
Known For
- Classic burgers
- Late hours
- Cash only
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$$ | East Village |
In Serbia, a kafana is a neighborhood tavern with a menu of hearty Serbian staples like ćevapi, finger-sized minced beef sausages, or karadjordjeva, a tubular pork schnitzel stuffed with ham and rich, creamy kajmak cheese. This rustic cash-only Serbian eatery, located in the wilds of the East Village on Avenue C, has excellent artery-hardening fare and an impressive list of natural wines from Serbia. Top off your meal with a shot of rakia, the potent fruit brandy that is ubiquitous in the Balkans.
116 Ave. C, New York, New York, 10009, USA
Known For
- Friendly Balkan service
- Serbian natural wines
- A menu not made for the Lipitor crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Greenpoint |
Of all the Polish restaurants in this Polish neighborhood, family-run Karczma is the best, so dig in and order the pierogis—fried, not boiled—and one of the Polish, Czech, or German beers served in giant glasses. The farmhouse-style tavern is easygoing and fun, with oversized picnic tables, camping lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and waitresses wearing traditional folk dresses from the mountain region in southern Poland. This restaurant is a great value for the price, so come hungry and prepare to feast.
136 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11222, USA
Known For
- Polish cuisine
- Fun atmosphere
- Great value
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$$ | Lower East Side |
Everything and nothing has changed at Katz's since it first opened in 1888, when the neighborhood was dominated by Jewish immigrants: lines still form for the giant, hand-carved corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, soul-warming soups, juicy hot dogs, and crisp half-sour pickles. You get a ticket when you walk in and then get it punched at the various stations where you pick up your food; don't lose it, or you'll have to pay the lost-ticket fee.
205 E. Houston St., New York, New York, 10002, USA
Known For
- Pastrami sandwiches
- Formica tables and vintage deli decor
- Weeknights are more laid-back
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$$ | |
The eponymous small grocery that used to occupy this space has been completely transformed into an intimate restaurant serving inventive fare for brunch (during the week as well as weekends), lunch, and dinner. The daily-changing menu might include anything from breakfast gnocchi to a shrimp po'boy to steak with chimichurri, and snacks like simply prepared seasonal vegetables, homemade charcuterie, or chicken liver pâté. The marble bar in the front room is a convivial spot for drinking or dining, and there are a few tables inside and out.
231 Prospect Park W, Brooklyn, New York, 11215, USA
Known For
- Weekday brunch
- Market-fresh menu
- Late-night happy hour
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Tues.
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$$ | |
Brooklynites make summertime pilgrimages to L&B's outdoor garden for squares of Sicilian-style pizza—the crunchy crust has a thin layer of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and just a drizzle of olive oil on top. L&B Spumoni's is three restaurants in one: a pizzeria, an informal Italian restaurant, and an ice-cream shop. The restaurant serves classics like fried calamari, Caesar salad, and marinara, Bolognese, carbonara, and Alfredo pastas. Whatever you come for, don't leave L&B without a scoop of spumoni ice cream.
2725 86th St., Brooklyn, New York, 11223, USA
Known For
- Old-style Brooklyn-Italian dining
- Namesake ice cream
- Sicilian square pizza
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$$ | West Village |
The New York outpost of the 134-year-old pizzeria in Naples that the travel memoir "Eat, Pray, Love" single-handedly turned into a must-visit stop on the tourist trail, this West Village pizzeria opened in late 2022 and has managed to quickly become one of the best Neapolitan-style pizzerias in the city. The menu here is much more expansive than the original, treading into all-encompassing trattoria fare, such as pastas and salads, but stick to the classic Margherita pie and you'll walk out of here a very happy eater.
81 Greenwich Ave., New York, New York, 10014, USA
Known For
- One of the best pizzerias in the city
- Open early for Italian-style breakfast
- "Eat, Pray, Love"
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$$ | Chelsea |
Brought to you by the pasta company Pastaficio di Martino from the renowned pasta-making town of Gragnano near Naples, Italy, La Devozione is: (1) a retail shop where you can purchase packages of the company's 126 different pasta shapes and (2) an exquisite restaurant, complete with an oval-shape table setting around the open kitchen, so diners can watch their four-course lunch or seven-course dinner get made. The menu changes regularly and is not listed on their website so it's always a surprise. Diners who don't want to commit to a long tasting menu can sit at other tables and choose from the à-la-carte options like the classic Roman dish bucatini all'Amatriciana.
75 9th Ave., New York, New York, 10011, USA
Known For
- Huge dried pasta selection for sale
- Amazing circular table around the kitchen
- Pasta-tasting menus
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$$ | Cobble Hill |
The accent at this diminutive restaurant with exposed-brick walls and ample bar space is on Spanish tapas with Moorish and Jewish influences. Choose among many tasty small plates, including eggplant with cheese, fried artichokes, and a daily selection of savory croquettes. The suckling pig is excellent, especially when accompanied with a glass of sangria in the pretty garden area.
268 Clinton St., Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
Known For
- Authentic Spanish tapas with flair
- Intimate atmosphere
- Garden seating
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays, No lunch weekdays
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$$ | Stapleton |
Staten Island has one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside the South Asian nation, which means it's the perfect place to taste its cuisine. Along an unassuming strip of restaurants and groceries is this acclaimed, stand-out restaurant, tastefully adorned with Sri Lankan curios. During the week, different curries accompany à la carte dishes known as lamprais, kottus, and hoppers, however, on weekends there's an all-you-can-eat buffet of greatest hits for $15.95.
668 Bay St., Staten Island, New York, 10304, USA
Known For
- Deviled chicken and shrimp
- Eggplant motu and coconut samabol
- Popular cash-only weekend buffet
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Midtown West |
A nod to Midtown's famed, former Legacy Recording Studios, this chic eatery with a focus on the cuisine of northern Italy is well worth a far-west-side walk to the edge of Hudson Yards. The culinary dream team here also operates downtown's Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones restaurants, bringing the talents of chef Ryan Hardy to these deco-style tables. Hardy focuses on the north's coastal regions and offers a crudo tasting menu, as well as more inventive dishes inspired by remote locales across Italy. The small bites and larger plates are sensational, elevated by the tantalizing cocktail program and enormous wine selection. The restaurant has a casual elegance thanks to its homey wood, leather, and brass details, with a compact dining room, lovely U-shape bar, and upstairs lounge (with limited hours).
517 W. 38th St., New York, New York, 10018, USA
Known For
- Crudo tasting menu
- Creative cocktail program
- Attentive service in casual but elegant setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$ | Harlem |
When Harlem resident Susannah Koteen opened Lido in 2011, she became one of the pioneers of Restaurant Row, which blossomed along Frederick Douglass Boulevard. A laid-back, yet classy restaurant with boundless appeal, this authentic Italian eatery is a neighborhood go-to for a casual dinner and the perfect date spot. The restaurant prides itself on its locally sourced ingredients and has become one of the most popular brunch spots in Harlem. Try the tuscan crostini with burrata and poached pears drizzled with honey and topped with sage as a starter and wash it down with a truly spectacular cocktail known as the Kiwi Breeze, made with coconut rum, kiwi puree, brown cane sugar, and white grapefruit juice. For brunch, don’t skip the braised short rib hash or spaghetti with veal meatballs. And to top it off, add bottomless mimosas for $20.
2168 Frederick Douglass Blvd., New York, New York, 10026, USA
Known For
- Bottomless mimosas for brunch
- Friendly service and excellent daily specials
- Patio seating
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$$ | |
The changing menu at this romantic, dimly lit restaurant is short but always stellar. The chef has an expert hand, whether exploring unexpected flavor combinations like candied bacon alongside shaved fennel and watermelon or putting together classics like chicken under a brick or the rave-worthy cheeseburger with duck-fat fries. The Sunday Supper (for $35) is a favorite: it's a set, multicourse menu featuring anything from fried chicken and hush puppies to sausage- and shrimp-studded gumbo.
687 6th Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11215, USA
Known For
- Romantic atmosphere
- Sunday supper
- Great burger
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
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$$ | Prospect Heights |
Yakitori—tasty morsels on skewers—has long been a staple of Japanese cuisine. As the name would suggest, this restaurant takes the age-old concept and runs with it in a faintly Gallic direction, its open kitchen churning out grilled bites on skewers, artfully arranged on plates, or, in the case of the pommes dauphines (crispy spheres of potato), wrapped in paper cones with a delectable dipping sauce. Don't miss the cocktails on tap and delicate desserts, both of which also have a creative East-West slant.
626 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11238, USA
Known For
- Inventive grilled skewers
- Sceney vibe
- Fun cocktails
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$$ | Meatpacking District |
This innovative food hall opened in Spring 2023 to great fanfare. Run by the James Beard Foundation and set on historic Pier 57, the market boasts a lineup of 15 food stalls from James Beard Award–winning chefs. Some standouts include Bessou, a modern take on Japanese home cooking; Due Madre by Butcher Girls, serving up meaty sandwiches with an Italian accent; Lolo's on the Water, a New England and Caribbean seafood mashup; and Zaab Zaab, an outpost of the celebrated Thai spot in Queens.
25 11th Ave., New York, New York, 10011, USA
Known For
- Good to Go by JBF, a food incubator for female and BIPOC chefs
- A diverse array of edible offerings
- Run by the James Beard Foundation
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$$ | Williamsburg |
With its green-and-white-striped awning, this place looks like a vintage grocery store, but don't let that fool you. This a buzzy bistro from restaurateur Andrew Tarlow is a destination for in-the-know foodies, featuring locavore cuisine on two different menus. The grab-and-go daytime menu includes pastries, gourmet sandwiches, and salads, while the sit-down night menu features creative plates celebrating the bounties of local fishermen and farmers.
81 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York, 11249, USA
Known For
- Pioneering restaurateur
- Inspired locavore fare
- Vintage grocery store–inspired design
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$$ | East Village |
David Chang's first restaurant, a riff on the Japanese ramen bar, opened back in 2004, and it's still a strong crowd favorite for the daily changing menu of ramen, steamed buns, and various other innovative options. The spare, bright space has plenty of counter seating and a few low tables that you might end up sharing communal-style.
171 1st Ave., New York, New York, 10003-2949, USA
Known For
- Creative noodle options from a famous chef
- Lines out the door at meal times
- Pork buns
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
