966 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

What started as a darling of the biker crowd has evolved into a regional hot spot for pork sandwiches, barbecued ribs, and, on most nights, live blues. Chicken, beef, and pork are prepared barbecue, Cajun, and even Cuban style. Try a side of salt potatoes for some local flavor. On Friday and Saturday, waits can run as long as 90 minutes; the full-service bar, with 17 beers on tap, helps pass the time. In July and August, you can eat at one of the sidewalk picnic tables.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's origins are in Upstate New York, but its massive Harlem location brings smoked, homemade barbecue to the Big Apple. Big appetites will be happy with the huge platters of St. Louis–style ribs, Memphis-style ribs, and pulled pork and brisket here, as well as sides like mac'n'cheese, Asian cucumber salad, corn bread, slaw, and barbecue baked beans. Smaller appetites can opt for chicken wings, sliders, sandwiches, fried green tomatoes, salads, or Creole deviled eggs.

This is as real as Montauk gets: a weathered old sea captain having lunch at the bar, fishermen stopping in for an afternoon pint or quick bite, and locals sharing a laugh with friends any time of the day. Here, tucked away on a side street close to Gosman's Dock yet a world apart, the beer is cold and the food is good and as down to earth as the folks who hang out here. Weird and wacky tchotchkes and seafaring-related antiques festoon the rustic wood walls and ceiling.

Outsiders are welcomed but should be aware of the "list," including: no checks, no cell phones, no strollers or screaming kids, no whining, wimps, or chickenhawks. Stick with these rules, and you'll be just fine.

People stop in at this upscale, yet casual and lively, waterfront restaurant on their way home from the beach just across the road or after kayaking or paddleboarding right off their dock. Appetizers include sushi and sashimi appetizer, duck egg roll, lobster mac-and-cheese; aged steak, clambake platter, or lobster are always popular entrees. The large deck overlooking the bay has good sunset views. At night the bar scene attracts a mixed crowd, with three bars, outdoor living-room areas with lots of comfortable seating, and live music several nights a week throughout the summer.

On the first warm day of the season, locals flock to the umbrella-shaded patio tables of this casual spot next to the American Legion Hall. Have a bowl of steamers and watch the boats head into the marina. Traditional seafood favorites such as seared scallops and fried oysters share the menu with paella and chicken pot pie. Inside are two simple dining rooms and a small bar.

Despite billing itself as the village's "best-kept secret," this sports bar and restaurant near the shore always seems to be hopping. The daily menu includes pizzas, burgers, appetizers, and dinner specials where the chef gets creative with what's in the kitchen. Cheese sauces are common. There's fish on Friday and prime rib on Saturday.

The cronut, a delectable cross between a doughnut and a croissant, was invented by Dominique Ansel in 2013, and the flaky pastries continue to create a hubbub, with just one inventive flavor available each month. There are plenty of other delightful creations here as well, such as decadent hot chocolate, which you can eat in the café or take with you.

This family restaurant, a favorite for two decades, occupies a brick storefront with tin ceilings and Tiffany lamps. The kitchen serves traditional Italian dishes as well as local specialties such as chicken "riggies" (bite-size chunks of chicken breast tossed with pasta, hot and sweet peppers, cheese, and onions). Sip a selection from the nice wine and cognac list.

If you have a hankering for red-sauce Italian–American fare, steer clear of Little Italy, and book yourself into Don Angie, a restaurant that took a staid cuisine, updated it, and made it wholly edible again: quite a task. Sit in the retro front room—featuring checkerboard floors and arched doorways—and chow down on sopressini pasta paired with mussels, garganelli noodles with meatballs and guanciale (cured pork jowl), or the excellent (and hugely portioned) lasagna for two, a spiral-shape reimagining of the classic dish.

Meat lovers in particular will enjoy Korean barbecue, and Dons Bogam is a venerable, quality option with a variety of meats (including American Wagyu) and seafood, cooked for you on a grill embedded in your table. Dishes are served with assorted condiments, sauces, and embellishments. Don't ignore the appetizers; the dumplings and pajeons (scallion pancakes) are excellent, as are the noodle dishes and bulgogis (marinated beef slices) if you aren't into barbecue. Artisanal and infused sojus (a Korean spirit) are among a good selection of wines, sakes, and beers.

After a fire shut down this popular 24/7 doughnut shop, it reopened in late 2023 to great fanfare among the city's fried dough fanatics. The doughnuts here are always excellent, but if you can magically time your visit for when the morsels are fresh out of the oven, you'll be in heaven. There is now a second location on Broadway and Astor Place that is also open 24 hours.

Housed in a triangular building smack in the center of Meatpacking District action, this bi-level Mexican restaurant with ample outdoor seating does consistently solid fare. The menu boasts classic south-of-the-border staples like chicken enchiladas, variations on the theme of tacos, and nachos, but the kitchen is at its best when churning out less-likely fare, such as yuca-stuffed croquetas, butternut squash and pumpkin soup, and mole-brushed short ribs. And, of course, you can wash it all down with one (or two) of several types of margaritas. 

Go for the fried-fish sandwich and clam chowder, stay for the down-home atmosphere at this Skaneateles institution. The menu, posted over the counter where orders are taken, also includes steamed clams, fried shrimp, grilled chicken, frankfurters, and ice cream. Drop by Friday for lobster bisque. The counter staff shouts your name when your order is ready. Sit in the dining room under watch of the colorful mural of Skaneateles, at an outdoor picnic table, or take it to go.

There’s a reason why these doughnuts in multilicious flavors have become a signature at so many cafés throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, and at this Manhattan outpost of the Bed-Stuy original, you can get them fresh out of the oven. The ever-popular (though odd-sounding) hibiscus doughnut looks gorgeous and has just the right amount of tart fruitiness to balance the sweetness of the dough; other favorites include passion fruit, salted chocolate, and cinnamon and sugar. Some are made vegan, too. 

The eponymous burger—smothered with a variety of cheeses, sauteed onion, and secret sauce—has quickly made this relative newcomer to Sayville's Main Street a part of the landscape and a favorite among locals looking for good, unfussy fare in a lively environment. Outdoor dining is available, and live music is offered several nights a week year-round. Selections include a half-rack of babyback ribs and classic mac and cheese. Even if you're not vegetarian or a health nut, try the delicious veggie burger, packed with spinach and sweet potato.

This cocktail-forward Anglo-Indian restaurant and bar, a warm, low-lit space with wooden tables, pays homage to the flavors and beverages found in the bistros, cafés, and supper clubs of "Old Bombay" in the early 20th century. In addition to biryanis, samosas, and kebabs, well-liked menu choices extend to butter chicken tikka masala, Goan pork vindaloo, and saag paneer (spicy greens cooked with Indian cheese), while the extensive beverage menu features reinvented cocktails such as Indian Spiced Old-Fashioned and the Bombay Gin Fizz---but think about ordering the house paanch, a five-ingredient drink whose name is a Hindi word commonly associated with punch. The Munkey prix-fixe dinner includes a cocktail, main course, and dessert.

Both a bustling food hall and a marketplace where you can shop for produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and kitchen staples, Eataly is a temple to all things gourmet Italian. You can graze at individual stands, sit down for a meal at one of several restaurants that each specialize in different aspects of Italian cuisine, or head upstairs to Serra by Birreria, a covered rooftop space that's open year-round and serves Italian specialties and microbrews that change with the seasons.

The Edge Harlem is housed in what was once a meeting place for key figures of the Harlem Renaissance like Zora Neal Hurston and Langston Hughes. Known for its cozy, rustic decor and creative food, this quaint but upbeat eatery is brought to you by a family unit, including two sisters, Juliet and Justine. With their British and Jamaican heritage driving the menu items, the shrimp and Parmesan grits are a standout, along with the codfish fritters and jerk chicken. On the weekends, don't miss out on the national dish of Jamaica, ackee and saltfish, best served with festival, a fried, crunchy bread.

The sleek, wood-paneled interior, complete with pink and blue ceiling lights, is an inviting venue in which to  indulge in a fusion of Basque and southern French fare. Eel Bar has a tavern or gastropub vibe—a place you'd come to sip on a "gin tonic" or a glass of Rioja Alavesa as much as to snack on inspired dishes like the shrimp-and-egg gilda, a 'roided up version of the classic Basque pintxo, or squid-ink-laced grilled black rice patties.