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Ready to take a bite out of New York? Hope you've come hungry. In a city where creativity is expressed in innumerable ways, the food scene takes center stage, with literally thousands of chances to taste what Gotham is all about. Whether lining up at street stands, gobbling down legendary deli and diner grub, or chasing a coveted reservation at the latest celebrity-chef venue, New Yorkers are a demanding yet appreciative audience.
Every neighborhood offers temptations high, low, and in between, meaning there's truly something for every taste, whim, and budget. No matter how you approach dining out here, it's hard to go wrong. Planning a day of shopping among the glittering flagship boutiques along 5th and Madison Avenues? Stop into one of the Upper East Side's storied restaurants for a repast among the "ladies who lunch." Clubbing in the Meatpacking District? Tuck into a meal at eateries as trendy as their patrons. Craving authentic ethnic? From food trucks to hidden joints, there are almost more choices than there are appetites. Recent years have also seen entire food categories, from ramen to meatballs to mac 'n' cheese, riffed upon and fetishized, and at many restaurants you find an almost religious reverence for seasonal, locally sourced cuisine.
And don't forget—New York is still home to more celebrity chefs than any other city. Your chances of running into your favorite cookbook author, Food Network celeb, or paparazzi-friendly chef are high, adding even more star wattage to a restaurant scene with an already through-the-roof glamour quotient. Newfound economic realities, however, have revived appreciation for value, meaning you can tap into wallet-friendly choices at every level of the food chain. Rest assured, this city does its part to satisfy your appetite. Ready, set, eat.
If you've ever imagined that you lived in the French countryside, your dream home would probably look like this rustic counter-serve spot, and if you were lucky, your French maman would turn out baked goods as delicious as what you'll find here. Croissants, cookies, and moist loaf cakes share the display case and there's a short menu of salads, sandwiches, and quiches.
Enter and check in at street level, then rise 60 stories to experience exceptional menus and incomparable views at this 2018 addition to the upscale Financial District restaurant scene. The nouveau-American dinner experience is available as a three- or four-course tasting menu (excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity). À la carte menus are available for lunch and at the bar. Allow time dining here to savor nuanced, carefully prepared dishes featuring seasonal ingredients and delicate touches of French flair. The open kitchen is decidedly modern, while the sophisticated dining-room atmosphere works for chic executives, special occasions, and discerning downtown visitors. Reservations are essential, but a spontaneous visit may still be accommodated at the bar, which serves fine libations (including nonalcoholic cocktails), with north-facing views of Manhattan as the backdrop.
Large picture windows look out to expansive views of Central Park South at this elegant, seafood-focused Italian eatery. No expense is spared in importing the very best of the ocean's bounty, beginning with the restaurant's signature crudo dishes. Along with the homemade pastas that helped make Marea famous, whole fish, risotto, and antipasti are fresh and delightful. The international wine cellar here is spectacular, and the daily afternoon apertivo menu offers smaller tasting options.
From the team that brought the West Village the Little Owl comes this all-day spot, offering a menu that combines culinary elements of Japan, California, and the Mediterranean. Think hamachi crudo with Tokyo turnips and charred avocado, braised chicken cacciatore ravioli, and roasted tilefish served with forbidden rice. The bar program has a similar philosophy, shaking up classic and signature cocktails using liquor and other ingredients from Japan and the Mediterranean.
The upscale-hacienda appearance of this justifiably popular restaurant showcases some of the best Mexican food in the city, courtesy of Mexican chef Richard Sandoval. Begin with a fresh mango margarita, then tuck into lobster corn empanadas, or the unusual octopus chicharron appetizer. Next, indulge in adobo birria (stew) made with adobo braised, tender roasted pork short rib. The daily happy hour, only at the bar and lounge, gets busy with specials on house margaritas, wines, and Mexican beers, along with tacos, nachos and other small plates. The dessert menu features its own roster of drinks, including Mexican coffee and a 1942 tequila. The bottomless brunch on weekends can get loud, but with unlimited cocktails and dishes you can see why.
New York's first full-service meatball restaurant has a pedigreed chef, a professional waitstaff, a wine list, and a hip crowd. And the meatballs, oh, the meatballs: choose beef, pork, chicken, veggie, or "special" ball options that range from chili cheese to Greek lamb to Buffalo chicken; then decide if you want them served in sliders or a hero, as a salad, or as a platter.
"Born, bred, and buttered in Harlem" is how founder Melba Wilson describes herself. After working at New York City mainstays like Rosa Mexicano and the legendary Sylvia's, she decided to venture out on her own, opening Melba's in 2005. Here, she doesn't serve appetizers, but rather "comfortizers," like spring rolls stuffed with rice, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cheddar cheese. The portions tend to be large enough to almost spill over the edge of the plate, so feel free to go straight for entrées like the Jamaican oxtail, country-fried catfish, or the food-coma-inducing fried chicken and eggnog waffles with strawberry butter and maple syrup.
At the base of the Shops at Hudson Yards is this sprawling love letter to Spanish gastronomy, helmed by chef José Andrés and team. You can eat at self-serve tables; dine in full-service restaurants, Mar, Spanish Diner, or Leña; or pull up a stool at La Barra to sample delectable tapas (with vegetarian and seafood selections) and terrific wine and cocktails. The venue features fresh market (mercado) stands of produce, cheese, jamón (ham), pasteles (pastries), and more, as well as dedicated seafood and paella outposts.
Part of Alsatian superchef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's culinary empire, the celebrity-laden front room of this SoHo spot in the Mercer Hotel is as much about scene as cuisine, which isn't a bad thing since both are top of the line. Dishes here look toward Italy, using simple ingredients and pairings.
Adding to downtown’s destination-dining scene is this contemporary-American restaurant helmed by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, located on the lobby level of the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center. Its creative dinner menu reinvents, and in some cases, perfects, classic dishes with the freshest ingredients and touches from Italy, Mexico, Japan, and the Caribbean. Lunch features familiar and especially well-made dishes at good prices. Specialty cocktails read as unusual, but often are delightfully tasty, such as the toasted-sesame Manhattan. The space itself is reason enough to visit Metropolis, a serene escape with a small and comfortable bar, outdoor terrace, and spacious dining room adorned with original art, earth-tone furnishings, and undulating backlit wood ribbons across the ceiling. The restaurant also serves snacks and libations to Lobby Stage guests attending its always-free performances.
Named after the Montréal neighborhood known for its bagels, Mile End serves takes on Jewish deli staples, the Montrealer way: with smoked meat. Hearty sandwiches include the Eli Reuben (smoked meat, corned beef) and the Lipitorminator (liver and onions with smoked meat). Diners come not just for sandwiches, but for their matzo ball soup, or the quintessential Quebecois dish, poutine.
The tiny East Village location of this combination bakery and ice-cream parlor is just steps away from the original, which began serving pastry whiz Christina Tosi's innovative treats back in 2008. Swing by for a slice of the famed "candy bar pie" (caramel, peanut-butter nougat, and pretzels atop a chocolate-cookie crust), a compost cookie (made with pretzels, potato chips, and chocolate chips), or some of the creatively flavored soft-serve ice cream (cereal milk, lemon verbena).
A hip, cozy place for pizza and small plates, this exposed brick eatery is filling the gap for wood-fired pizza in Astoria. Milkflower's origins hail from New Jersey, where owners Pete and Danny worked in their uncle's pizzeria for 10 years. They noticed there wasn't a pizza joint on their block in Astoria, and so they made the coolest one in town. Enjoy wood-fired, Neapolitan, 12-inch pies with charred crusts with playful names like “Marky Marc” and “Wu-Tang Clam." Pizza isn't the only thing wood-fired here; their wood-fired veggies, crab cake, and tiger prawns are ideal accompaniments.
From uptown church ladies to former president Bill Clinton, Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too attracts a diverse clientele with a common goal—to enjoy a hearty helping of comforting soul food. The uncluttered interior is mostly beige, with family portraits hanging on the walls, and former model and best-selling cookbook author Norma Jean Darden uses passed-down recipes to create mouthwatering dishes like fried or smothered chicken, fried or baked catfish, barbecue ribs, collard greens, and baked macaroni and cheese. Save room for dessert like sweet potato pie and homemade peach cobbler.
A one-man show, Mombar is run solely by chef-owner (and also, host-server) Moustafa el-Sayed. He's been serving up cuisine as authentic from his hometown of Alexandria, Egypt, in Astoria since 2000. Set in a quirky, art-laden atmosphere (some of which was also made by the owner himself), the menu rotates daily, but you can expect offerings like couscous, lamb shank, koshary (the hodgepodge of Egyptian cuisine, made with Ditalini pasta, fried onions, lentils, chickpeas, and tomato sauce), hummus, and fish Tajin. Since it is just one person running the restaurant, patience is key when dining here.
Ignore the official name—Momoya Soho—of this stellar bi-level sushi spot that is technically in NoLIta, and focus on having an affordable sushi feast. Getting high-quality sushi in Gotham means forking out a chunk of change, but 100-seat Momoya turns that idea on its head by slicing high-quality sushi for a lower price. The various sushi and sashimi combos are a good deal and the sleek space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, is inviting.
With about 50 flavors to choose from, everyone is going to scream for ice cream at this popular spot, frequented by locals and visitors alike. There are the classic flavors and the not-so-classic scoops like Vietnamese coffee, salt-and-pepper pine nut, Arnold Palmer cobbler, and peanut Butterfinger.
There's typically a crowd waiting outside for one of the copper-top tables at this casual, neighborhood, Middle Eastern restaurant. The focal point is the perfect pita that accompanies tasty salads like lemony chickpea and spinach, hearty lentil and bulgur, or falafel. Also delicious is lahambajin, spicy ground lamb on a crispy flat crust (hence the name "Pitza"). For entrées, try the juicy baby lamb sandwich or merguez–sausage sandwiches. Service is slow but friendly.
This Filipino spot opened to great fanfare at the end of 2023. That's because it's brought you by the team from impossible-to-get-into Indian eateries Semma and Dhamaka. The top toque, Manila-born Eric Valdez, offers a lavish multicourse tasting menu in the 20-seat dining room in the a back and more affordable à la carte options in the 18-seat front bar room. Some of the dishes can be challenging for nonadventurous eaters—cow testicle or pig brains, anyone?—but there is also excellent fried chicken, bison rib-eye steak, and unctuous pork belly.
