272 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

Few guidebooks list this classic New York pizzeria, yet the jam-packed room and pleasantly smoky scent foreshadow a satisfying meal. There's a full menu of Italian classics, but pizza is the main event, and the thin-crust beauties are cooked in a coal-fired oven, to emerge sizzling with simple toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and eggplant. Monday through Thursday, you can call ahead to reserve a table; weekends, be prepared to wait and salivate. If you like the whimsical paintings that plaster the walls, ask the waiter the price: they're for sale.

A pared-down, more casual version of Mexican superchef Enrique Olvera's hit upscale Flatiron eatery, Cosme, this 90-seat, big-windowed spot serves excellent, upscale renditions of standards like chicken enchiladas and shrimp tacos as well as creative spins on tostadas and fish dishes. Part of the attraction here is the people-watching so if you want to linger, get an order of the airy churros for dessert.

There's something about Bar Pitti that, in this city jam-packed with Italian restaurants, feels much more authentically Italian than its pasta-serving brethren. Maybe it's the servers who prefer speaking Italian if they find out you can say a few words, and who show up at your table with a chalkboard scribbled with the daily offerings (written in Italian, of course). Perhaps it's the simple, but flavor-bursting pasta dishes; maybe it's that they only take cash. Or perhaps it's all of the above. In warm-weather months nab an outdoor table and don't be surprise if an A-list celeb is sitting at the next table. 

Chef Jonathan Waxman had to shutter this beloved West Village Italian spot in 2019, but he fortunately found a new home for it around the corner the following year. Waxman hardly tinkered with the menu for the new location. And why would he when everything here works so well? The specialties here are rustic Italian preparations with bright flavors, like house-made gnocchi with tangy tomatoes, grilled striped bass, and pasta carbonara, though the menu changes daily, depending on what's available.

This cavernous restaurant-speakeasy behind a storefront selling old vinyl records from the '70s and '80s is barely a secret since you'll likely hear the merriment coming from just behind the velvet curtain in the back. Proudly representing the Bronx, this lively restaurant celebrates Black and Nuyorican old-school hip-hop culture through its graffiti-inspired murals, its music, and above all, its menu, with offerings ranging from churrasco to chicken and waffles.

An unexpected find on a block just off Bryant Park and near Times Square, Blue Blossom serves a delectable fusion of Szechuan, Cantonese, and Shanghai cuisine. Dishes here are designed for sharing, with an excellent variety of both meat and vegetable dumplings (as well as tasty sesame buns for dessert), roasted Peking duck, a fragrant saffron seafood bisque, and special delights like grandma’s braised pork. The elegant, two-story space is a soothing break from the busy streets outside, featuring tables and long bar with comfortable seating, big booths, a high half-arched ceiling, and touches of blue porcelain throughout.

Whether it's a smash burger or a spicy margarita, the Bonnie is here to provide. This brick-and-wood exposed gastropub is calm enough to enjoy a happy hour with some of their masterfully curated cocktails by the bar (they even host a biannual cocktail competition called Queens Cup), to grab a late-night bite until 11:45 pm on Friday and Saturday, or to simply dance to the tunes of local DJs well past midnight. They recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, and in their decade in Astoria, they've become a neighborhood favorite.

If you see the fiberglass head of a hammerhead shark in the front yard, you've arrived at this three-story restaurant where the nautical paraphernalia continues inside and out. Fashioned to be a beach house down the shore, there's an indoor restaurant component serving up crabs and other seafood, which spills out to the large seating area in the back. With an outdoor beach bar and miniature golf course, it's a fun maritime retreat where some New Yorkers spend entire afternoons in as a minigetaway. 

Neighborhood crowds clamoring for coffee and freshly squeezed juice line up for brunch at this TriBeCa mainstay, but Bubby's is good for lunch and dinner, too, if you're in the mood for comfort food like mac 'n' cheese or fried chicken. The dining room is homey and cozy, with big windows; in summer, patrons sit at tables outside with their dogs. Brunch options include just about everything, such as sourdough pancakes, huevos rancheros with grits, matzo-ball soup, and divine biscuits.

Chef Ignacio Mattos's sequel to his much-lauded Estela, nearby, is an airy, high-ceiling spot that's called a café but is more of a paradise of satisfying Italian fare. Pasta lovers melt over the perfectly prepared cacio e pepe, but the kitchen also turns out expert fish and meat dishes: perhaps a perfectly roasted half chicken, pork Milanese, or hake with cauliflower and capers.

The Mexican-style grilled corn, liberally sprinkled with chili powder, lime, and cotija cheese, is undoubtedly worth getting your hands dirty at this hip luncheonette that's become something of an institution on this well-traveled corner of NoLIta. Follow up with a classic Cuban sandwich (roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and chipotle mayo), fish tacos, or one of the innovative salads.

It's hard to miss this charming little café when strolling down Vanderbilt Avenue with its big, faux floral design adorning its doorway. Inside, the decor is just as inspired by flowers and plants, as intended by its Colombian co-founder Camila Soto, who designed it. Her Colombian-influence is evident on the menu (i.e., arepas) of what's otherwise Italian-inspired, thanks to co-founder and namesake Stefano De Martini. Stop in for a quick cornetto or a cortado.

Named for a border town between Mexico and California, this casual, easygoing Cal-Mex restaurant originated as a street cart in SoHo before opening a number of storefronts, three of which are in Brooklyn. At the Upper East Side outpost, you'll find Calexico's usual staples of burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and enchiladas. Items to try include frozen margaritas, chipotle-marinated pork tacos, and esquites, a grilled corn salad mixed with cotija (aged cow's milk) cheese, lime mayo, chili powder, sour cream, and cilantro. There's also a kids' menu, weekday happy hour and a weekend brunch.

Goan cuisine is the specialty at this bare-bones yet comfortable restaurant, and many of the dishes served here employ its namesake ingredient in both sweet and savory formats. The Portuguese-inflected curries of the once-colonized region of Goa are brightly colored, bold in flavor and spice, and not quite like most of the Indian food in Queens. Try the Xacuti curry with fresh roasted coconut, or the smooth and silky fish curry.

Come for the tacos, stay for the margaritas: that's what a lot of local Long Island City folks do at this popular Mexican standout. The chef is from Chiapas, but expect pan-Mexican fare, with tacos crammed with slow-cooked beef tongue or rich chorizo, among other options like a seasonal vegan taco. Whatever you do, don't skip out on their mole, whether as a plate or in enchilada form. Also worthy are refreshing fish ceviche and the albondigas, or tender meatballs, with a hard-boiled egg inside, wading in a spicy chipotle-tomato sauce.

With its old-world, exposed-brick and wood interior, new American cuisine, and creative cocktails, this homey brunch, dinner, and drinks destination feels like the transformation of Mott Haven in a nutshell. Housed in the lobby of the renovated Clocktower Building, once a piano factory, the restaurant maintains a playfulness, especially when there's live music on Wednesday nights and during Sunday brunch. Look on the walls for irreverent portraits of famous Charles and Charlies, including Barkley, Darwin, Chaplin, and Brown, to name a few.

This stylish outpost of the popular chocolate purveyor of Puerto Rico serves more than just desserts; their menu also includes many savory offerings—with and without chocolate infusions—including wings smothered in chocolate guava chili, sancocho (stew), chicken soup with mofongo (mashed fried plantains), and a classic Bronx bodega chopped cheese sandwich, with chocolate chipotle mayo.

A small, reliably tasty menu headlines this Prospect Heights institution for buns, Brussels sprouts in fish sauce, and above all, ramen noodles in savory broths. Pork, chicken, and eggs are typical add-ons to any of their flavorful bowls, although any can be made vegetarian. Long waits for a table are the norm—especially during winter months—however, seats at the bar are in constant flux. 

Long recognized for a classy yet cozy vibe and excellent drinks—both classic and inspired by the classics---this is one of the best cocktail bars in Brooklyn. Passionate mixologists cook up seasonal cocktail menus and tasty bites to pair with them. Weekends get busy, especially with brunch service, but head here on weeknights to sit at the bar and call bartender's choice.

One of far-west Chelsea's first hot restaurants, Cookshop manages a casual elegance while focusing on seasonal, farm-fresh cuisine that continues to wow. Outdoor seating on 10th Avenue is quite peaceful in the evening; during the day, you can survey a cross section of gallery-hoppers and shoppers. Divine cocktails, made with fresh fruit juices, are veritable elixirs of well-being. Line up early for weekend brunch; it's worth the wait for dishes like a fried egg sandwich spiked with harissa and Monterey Jack cheese or the fluffiest pancakes in town. Dinner is also a triumph, with a variety of perfectly prepared dishes like cornmeal-dusted sea scallops or a simple roast chicken.

Named for a legendary ice-cream shop in Havana, Coppelia is neither Cuban nor an ice-cream parlor. Chef Julian Medina has created a 24-hour pan-Latin diner that works on many levels—for a quick breakfast, casual lunch, or late-night bite—with a continent-size menu that emphasizes comfort food. Some satisfying dishes include the pork-belly-spiked mac 'n' cheese, mountainous nachos, grilled cheese with jalapeño and bacon, and oxtail empanadas. If you did have your corazón set on ice cream, there's plenty of it on the dessert menu.