272 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

With Indian dance music on the speakers and tabloid pages papering the walls, Adda broadcasts a hip, fun vibe, though the trendy decor almost steals the show from what comes to the table: authentic Bombay-style dishes packed with freshly ground spices that draw inspiration from Grandma's cookbook and Mumbai street-style fare. The Chacha’s lamb chops, marinated with garam masala spices and grilled to perfection in the clay oven are a must-try, as well as the flavorful halka phulka (snacks) like dahi batata puri, a delicately fried puff pastry meant to be eaten in one bite and filled with yogurt, chutneys, and baby potatoes. The garlic naan and black dal are noteworthy as sides, but for something totally different, try the bheja fry (goat brains in a thick, vibrant chili sauce with ginger and red onion).

Famous for their southern-style comfort food, Amy Ruth’s is all about “cooking with love” with heaping portions. The original owner (Carl Redding) learned to cook at his grandmother’s side during the summer months in Alabama, and he opened the Harlem restaurant on Mother’s Day in 1999. Chef Jannette Robinson, a South Carolina native but longtime New Yorker, has been serving up their famous chicken and waffles and various other dishes, all of which are named after prominent Black figures.

There are plenty of great Thai restaurants in Elmhurst, but this oft-packed spot tops them all (in fact, it's opened a branch in Manhattan's Chelsea Market). Operating out of two side-by-side storefronts (you go wherever there's a table), Ayada serves fiery, flavorful Thai favorites, as well as some dishes you've probably never heard of before. A favorite appetizer is raw shrimp served with a slice of garlic, bitter melon, and chili paste that will knock your socks off. The e-sarn sausage (made with fermented meat) is served with sliced ginger and peanuts, and, for a table of four, the succulent whole fried fish is a bargain.

Since 1908, this local landmark has been known for brusque waiters serving stellar platters of smoked salmon, sturgeon, whitefish, and pickled herring to a happy crowd packed to the gills at small Formica tables. Split a fish platter with bagels, cream cheese, and other fixings, or get your velvety nova scrambled with eggs and buttery caramelized onions. If still hungry, go for a plate of cheese blintzes or the to-die-for chopped liver. Be warned that the weekend brunch wait can exceed an hour, so you may want to get food to go or come during the week.

Set in a gorgeous restored fieldstone cottage in Fort Tryon Park, just minutes from The Met Cloisters (the restaurant takes its name from the medieval cloister and herb garden here), this is a welcome addition to one of upper Manhattan's most beautiful parks. It offers French à la Northern California cuisine, a curated wine list, a contemporary but character-filled space with 14-foot ceilings, crisp white tablecloths, and a leafy outdoor terrace to enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch while you listen to the cacophony of birdsong around you. Dinner highlights include the mussels in tarragon white wine broth with a crusty baguette and the grilled whole trout. In summer, grab a delicious homemade ice cream to stroll the park. Live music (or a bartender taking requests for record selections), candlelight, and excellent service add to the specialness of this little gem in the woods.

Named for the bustling food market in Barcelona, Boqueria was part of the city's first wave of tapas restaurants when it opened back in 2006 and its popularity has never waned, thanks to the seasonal, creative, and delicious food. There are leather banquettes lining the main room and a few seats at the bar, but if you want to make friends, opt for the communal table running down the center of the dining room. This original spot in the Flatiron District is so popular it's spawned offshoots around New York City, as well as in Nashville, DC, Boston, and Chicago.

The best way to sample the diverse flavors of Ethiopian cuisine is by dining at this restaurant that transports you to Addis Ababa through its decor, music, and above all, it's selection of traditional dishes. All dishes are plant-based, including chickpea-based shiro, lentil wot, and a mushroom version of tibs (typically a stir-fry with meat and veg). It's all served with injera, a sourdough flatbread used to scoop up the various stews, with your hands. The drink menu includes traditional t'ej (honey wine), cocktails, and wine and beer from Ethiopia. The namesake bunna—Ethiopian coffee brewed with cardamom and cloves—is worth a try, too. 

This East Village dining institution, which has been serving standout Moroccan cuisine in a date-friendly, candlelit atmosphere since 1983, still draws crowds for dinner, lunch, and brunch. Start with an order of creamy hummus to share, then dig into one of the classic couscous dishes, tajine stews, or tasty kebabs.

In the Neue Galerie, this stately coffeehouse—open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—offers a Viennese café experience, with Eastern European-style furnishings and banquettes outfitted with fabric from 1912, daily newspapers, and cases with cakes and strudels. The menu of hearty sandwiches, goulash, sausage dishes, and traditional fare is under the direction of German-born executive chef Christopher Engel, who worked at Wallsé and Aureole, earning a Michelin star. Prix-fixe dinners are sometimes followed by a cabaret performance but note that a ticket costs $300. Museumgoers linger over coffee—it's sometimes tough to find a seat (it's easier in the more understated outpost of the café in the basement.) Breakfast is best for getting seated at Sabarsky; often with no line.

Few might expect a restaurant this original, well priced, and tasty to be tucked between Bryant Park and Herald Square. But the truth is, Calle Dao is a find in this busy neighborhood. Its colorful decor and creative menus are inspired by Havana's once-thriving Chinatown, so expect a flavorful fusion of Cuban and Chinese dishes such as ropa vieja (shredded beef) noodles, crispy duck baos (steamed buns), and fantastic salads, authentic sides, and delicious stir-fries. Daily happy hours can't be beat (weekdays noon--7 pm; weekends 11 am--7 pm) for both libations and bar bites.

Most of the delectable items on the menu at this Iberian, small-plates, corner restaurant are made for sharing, but of particular note are all things seared à la plancha (on a metal plate), including blistered peppers and garlic-kissed mushrooms. The atmosphere is always bustling but the best seats are those at the Casa Mono counter overlooking the chef's open kitchen. The perennially cramped and crowded space sends patrons to Bar Jamón, the wine-and-ham-bar annex next door, where you can pick at plates of jamón serrano while awaiting the main feature.

The food of the Republic of Georgia is one of the best and underrepresented cuisines of the world. Most of the excellent Georgian restaurants in New York are lodged deep into Brooklyn, but Chama Mama is a superb Manhattan option if you want to avoid a long subway ride. Start with khachapuri, the ubiquitous baked cheese bread (the boat-shape version from the region of Adjara has become the international face of Georgian cuisine) and then move to shkmeruli, a tender Cornish game hen cooked in a garlicky cream sauce. The khinkhali, broth-filled dumplings, are also excellent. There's now a second location on the Upper West Side (Amsterdam Avenue and West 78th Street).

At this casual retro-diner restaurant, weekend brunch brings a line down the street for what many believe to be the best blueberry pancakes in the city, if not the whole country. Lunch and dinner options include a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and salads—and you can get those pancakes at dinner, too, without as long a wait.

This quaint, plant-filled space is brighter and more stylish than your average dumpling-slinger in Queens. That makes sense when you look at the menu, which mixes creative takes on Himalayan classics like perfectly crimped momos (dumplings stuffed with meat or veggies) in a tomato and fenugreek sauce or thenthuk (pulled noodles), as well as American comfort food like buttermilk fried chicken, grass-fed beef burgers, and a kale salad with house-made ricotta. The cocktails are similar global standouts, employing ingredients like masala, tamarind, or tajin spice mix, and there are natural wines on the menu.

Di ăn Di differentiates itself from the hordes of Southeast Asian–fusion restaurants in the city with a light- and plant-filled dining room and great recipes made using quality ingredients. Diners rave about the beef pho ha noi, served with an egg yolk, scallions, and Thai red chiles, and the papaya salad with house-made beef jerky, peanuts, and big sesame cracker.

The word "diner" might evoke a greasy spoon, but this trendsetting restaurant under the Williamsburg Bridge is nothing of the sort. It occupies a 1927 dining car, and foodies cram into the booths to partake in eclectic dishes from the regularly changing menu, based on seasonal ingredients from farms in the Greater New York area. They're also known for their grass-fed burger, available year-round. Andrew Tarlow—the godfather of Brooklyn's farm-to-table culinary renaissance—opened it in 1999 and launched an entire movement. 

This gastropub offers Irish and American selections including a delicious and comforting shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, cheeseburger sliders, flatbreads, wings, salads, and sandwiches. Seat yourself, and grab a plate from the dishware pile on the tables for a meal. The bar is outfitted with flatscreen TVs showing soccer matches and other sports. Come during weekend brunch for a proper Irish breakfast. 

Most Vietnamese food in the United States is inspired by the traditions of southern Vietnam because it was largely Vietnamese from the south who left the country after the war ended in 1975. Hanoi House brings a refreshing—and delicious—taste of the north; the pho here, as done in Hanoi, is meatier, darker, intensely flavorful, and so good.

Roughly the size of a studio apartment, this homey bar and restaurant is the epitome of a neighborhood spot; just keep in mind that advance reservations aren't accepted. The short menu of comfort foods—hamburgers, a pasta of the day, macaroni and cheese—changes frequently. Specials like homemade gnocchi with duck ragout never fail to impress. Their salads, such as roasted artichoke with baby arugula and white truffle oil, and their date pudding for dessert, also stand out. Heidi's House is better suited to smaller parties, and takes same-day reservations, but at its charming little bar next door—Ed's Elbow Room—you can also order from Heidi's full menu or have a drink while waiting for a table.

Featured on numerous best barbecue lists of New York City (and beyond), this critically acclaimed, Texas-style smokehouse has been serving up brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and more since 2013, when it made Red Hook a destination for carnivores. Tender meats are served in trays by the half pound, or within sandwiches and tacos. Vegetarian options are also available.