16 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

This unassuming spot at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 78th Street is a high-end sushi restaurant offering one of the city's best sushi experiences in a Sukiya-style interior of bamboo and cedar woods. With a seasonal omakase menu curated nightly by chef Nozomu Abe (known as "Noz"), including masterfully prepared Edomae sushi with fresh fish flown in from Japan, the two intimate nightly seatings at two counters (an eight-seat, 200-year-old, hinoki wood counter and a six-seat, rare tamo ash counter) are detail-perfect, memorable affairs with exceptional hospitality. Chef Noz presents at the hinoki counter weekdays. But the price, $495, is exorbitant. For a more reasonable yet still luxurious dining experience, diners can have a 16-course omakase meal next door at Cafe Noz for $155. 

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. 

Crowds still form for the ramen at Ippudo, the first American branch of the famous Japanese chain. Loyal patrons say it's all about the rich pork-based broth (there is a vegetarian version available, though it lacks the depth of flavor), but those in the know also order sleeper-hit appetizers like the peppery chicken wings or pork buns. There are several other locations around the city.

At this impressive location in a unique setting of Botticino marble that's part of a century-old building lobby, the sushi stalwart serves the innovative Japanese cuisine that namesake master chef Nobu Matsuhisa made famous (though he's rarely in attendance these days). Count on fresh, colorful, daring dishes, or just put your meal in the chef's hands with Nobu's tasting menu ($225), or omakase, then let the kitchen do the rest.

This ramen and cocktail bar serves up a contemporary twist on Meiji-era period restaurants in Japanese port towns. Spearheaded by Shigefumi “Shige” Kabashima, the drink menu offers 23 inventive cocktails—from the Smoky Pineapple to the Clarified Pina Colada or the Mexican Firing Squad, which features spicy tequila—served in antique drinking vessels. Sakes, wines, and a mocktail round out the list. The food menu is more succinct. Among five types of Chinese-derived ramen, the Kyoto consists of a rich soy, chicken and fish broth combined with pork belly, spicy bamboo shoots, garlic oil, an egg and scallions. Other dishes, such as pork buns, curries, and an oyster of the day are available, along with a beer-steamed mussel adorned with cotton candy. Weekend brunch is also offered.

Some of the nation’s most highly regarded food has emerged from the kitchen at Odo, which serves elaborate multicourse Japanese meals known as kaiseki for lunch ($145) and dinner ($265) with two seatings only per meal. With just 14 counter seats around the small open kitchen, the experience is essentially a delicious kind of theater.

Stroll through the nondescript office building lobby and down the stairs to find this popular izakaya, a Japanese tavernlike restaurant that serves up refined Japanese pub grub. The menu has everything from sashimi to fried shrimp fritters to yuzu-and-ginger-laced monkfish liver to Japanese-style fried chicken. Sake lovers of the world unite here to sample rice wine from the 260-long list. 

Instead of walking straight into the Moxy hotel, go to the large door to your right and head down the curved stairs to one of the most beautiful new restaurants in the city. Perfect for a fancier date night, Sake No Hana serves traditional and fusion Japanese food with a wide array of menu options. The wafu (a Japanese-style vinaigrette) carbonara is a must (they whip the poached egg yolk into the noodle dish right at your table), and the spicy tuna tartare with fresh crunch radishes is so stunning-looking that you might not want to eat it—just make sure you take a photo before you do. 

It's all omakase at this acclaimed sushi spot from master Daisuke Nakazawa, who practices an old Tokyo style of sushi making—putting all his extremely fresh fish on a thumb-size bundle of rice (sorry, sashimi fans). They only take reservations two weeks from the day. Fans of the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi might remember the chef as the apprentice to the Tokyo-based sushi master Jiro Ono, who spent the near-entirety of the film trying to perfect the egg custard; Nakazawa finally succeeded, just as he has succeeded in wooing even the most finicky New York diners.

The many options at this popular, casual sushi restaurant range from the ordinary (California roll) to the more unusual, such as miso-marinated cod or Japanese yellowtail with jalapeño. Japanese noodles (udon or soba) and meat dishes such as teriyaki and negimaki (scallions rolled in thinly sliced beef) are well prepared. Some of the inventive non-sushi items on the menu are worth a try, especially the fried cream-cheese dumplings. An omakase-style tasting menu is also available, offering the chef's selections of the day's catch for market price. There are other locations, too, including one across the park on Columbus Avenue and in TriBeCa.

Founded in 1999 by a team led by namesake chef Naomichi Yasuda, and now helmed by chef Noriyuki Takahashi (known as Taka), this Michelin-starred restaurant has a sleek bamboo-lined interior that is as elegant as the food; for a truly immersive experience, try to sit at the bar, if you can. You'll find sushi so fresh and delicate it melts in your mouth, as well as fish flown in daily from Japan and around the world. Choose from an à la carte menu or splurge on omakase, as each serving is prepared with careful precision and keeping with tradition. The fine selection of sake, Japanese premium whiskeys, and beer complements the lovely food. 

Located near MoMA and Central Park, Wagamama is a beloved London import that prizes simple, nourishing Japanese fare built on authentic flavors. Ramen, curries, stir-fried noodles, rice dishes, and an enticing selection of shareable appetizers are filling and reliably delicious. Fresh juices are tasty on their own, or as ingredients in zingy cocktails. The large dining room (with long bench tables or booths) is a welcome escape, as are the outdoor terrace and roomy bar serving excellent weekday happy hour deals on sake, wine, and small bites.