966 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

George Motz is a well-known historian of the American hamburger and in late 2023, he fulfilled a dream by opening up his own burger joint. Grab a stool at the counter and watch Motz, the burger-flipper-in-chief, go to work. The casual and affordable spot serves up single and double-patty smash burgers, as well as a regional special burger that changes every few months. Crispy fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and flavored milk round out the menu. 

The smell of coffee roasting is enough to entice you inside, but there's more: homemade nachos and salsa; breakfast to go or eat in the bright dining area, and a good range of lunch choices. Beer-battered fish and chips are a favorite, and the Mexican entrees like chicken enchiladas à la Mexicana and huevos rancheros with chorizo, avocado, and queso blanco will get your heart going. There are many low-fat, vegetarian, and gluten-free options too, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, and entrees. Bring home a pound of the fresh-roasted, estate-grown coffee.

The Japanese eatery has several tranquil dining rooms with an indoor water garden and bar. Sushi, sashimi, and tempura are the standouts. A popular spot with vegetarians, Hana is also a good choice for when you're in the mood for something a little different.

As diners have become more aware of regional Asian dishes, hot pot has come to play a large role in cuisines that are more like communal experiences. Here, the whole idea is to go with a group, and the practice of gathering around the broth and chatting as you dip sliced marbled meats, seafood, tofu, and veggies into it to cook, achieves the status of ritual. The boiling soup is split down the middle, and it’s advisable to get both spicy and mild options, so you can alternate between fiery and soothing flavors. Come with an appetite, because portions here are all-you-can-eat.

With a mission to "change the community, one biscuit at a time," Harlem Biscuit Company is doing just that. Run by chef Melvin “Boots” Johnson (you can call him chef Boots), the biscuits at Harlem Biscuit Company are made fresh in a variety of flavors (classic buttermilk, chive cheddar, everything, and weekend-only black truffle), and can be ordered as is, with a selection of jams and spreads, or in sandwich form. For a hearty meal, go for the Langson, with fried chicken, pickles, and chili garlic honey. To start your day off on the right foot, the Bodega is a solid choice, with bacon, egg, and cheddar. Note that this spot closes at 2 pm every day, so you'll want to plan your visit accordingly. 

Desserts are serious business at this simple café-bakery, where a "periodic table" of sweets hangs on the wall. The Fürst Pückler torte—layers of marzipan, buttercream, sponge cake, and apricot jam—could put you into sugar shock. Strudels are delicious, and the breakfast and lunch fare is good as well. A side of warm German potato salad accompanies midday plates, such as the bratwurst platter or chicken salad studded with bits of apple, bell pepper, and celery. Choose a German beer to wash it all down.

The glass-enclosed dining room of this cozy restaurant affords stunning views of sunsets on Fort Pond, and the menu is inspired by local fresh seafood and homegrown produce. You might start with calamari salad with red pepper vinaigrette, then try the swordfish picatta with sautéed spinach, capers, olives, and cherry tomatoes, or the pork tenderloin with apricot-apple chutney with watercress pine-nut salad and Spanish prosciutto. With family-style service and often a buzzing crowd of return customers, there's a nice vibe about the place—and entrées are huge.

Since 1938 this casual restaurant has been serving such Southern favorites as fried chicken, ribs, pork chops, and jambalaya—a warm welcome to those born south of the Mason-Dixon. Meals include homemade biscuits and corn bread and a choice of sides, including macaroni and cheese and sweet potatoes. In nice weather you can eat on the courtyard patio. Inside, tables—in checkered cloths—crowd together; overhead fans and a banging screen door keep the air circulating. The place does not take reservations in July and August; you just show up and wait.

Helmed by celeb-chef Marcus Samuelsson, Hav & Mar means "ocean" in Swedish and "honey" in Amharic, the majority language in Ethiopia, reflecting the chef's personal background. The food, artwork, and experience at this 125-seat spot is meant to evoke Black cuisine in New York City. The spacious interior, with Black-mermaid-bedecked walls and Noguchi-style chandeliers, creates a fun atmosphere to tuck into  flavorful seafood dishes like a zesty banana-leaf wrapped snapper with crispy coconut rice or the signature fried chicken served with a soft-boiled egg. 

This little slice of Havana in the center of the Big Apple is a great place for reasonably priced group dining, a solid pretheater menu, weekday happy hour, as well as for sampling Cuban-Latino standards. Dig into dishes like pernil asado, Cubano sandwiches, authentic tostones (fried green plantains), pineapple-spiked chicken, and well-seasoned skirt steak with a cucumber-and-mango salad. There's a huge list of rums and a full menu of tropical-flavored mojitos, including coconut, blueberry, and passion fruit. At the Cuban brunch, don't miss the dulce de leche French toast.

A cozy spot with checkered-tile flooring, mismatched silverware, and an open kitchen, this restaurant serves up rustic-elegant meals without pretension. The chefs, Philly transplants, use local locally grown produce, grass-fed beef, and cheeses from local dairies. The menu changes monthly, but past diners have tucked into cheddar-and–Ithaca Nut Brown Ale soup, pâté made in-house on baguette toasts with Dijon mustard, jam, and cornichons and grilled hanger steak with hand-cut fries and malt-vinegar aioli.

Family owned for three generations, the Heidelberg is a throwback to when Yorkville was a bustling German community more than a century ago. A thriving remnant of this past, the restaurant's exterior reflects German fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered) facade. Once inside, you can soak up the Bavarian beer hall vibes with a frothy lager, accompanied by one of the classics from the kitchen, like wiener schnitzel, shareable sausage platters, jägerschnitzel, which is covered in a mushroom sauce, or beef goulash braised in paprika sauce. It's a popular evening spot, so squeeze up to the bar area to grab a seat or corner space.

The team at Helsinki Hudson melds the delights of the chef's southern upbringing with the bounty of the Hudson Valley. Meats and fish are cured in Atticus, the resident wood-fired smoker. Fan favorites include low country shrimp and grits served with housemade andouille sausage and Great-Aunt Theo's fried chicken. For dessert, don't miss the good ole Georgia sweet potato pie.

Amid a contemporary rustic space with exposed brick walls, an assortment of wooden tables, and framed pictures and housewares on shelves, this popular Korean restaurant specializes home-style Korean cooking, with a pictorial menu reflecting the look and feel of a magazine. It is broken down into small plates, meat dishes, hot pots, rice and noodles, and dessert. In coining the term "Korean soul food," this homey atmosphere encourages a lingering meal with loved ones, perhaps starting with crispy pancakes with shrimp or hot peppers, followed by a thinly-sliced grilled bulgogi. The pot selections, including a vegetable option, are flavorful. The full-bar offers cocktails including a honey crisp bekseju (Korean rice wine) and sojus infused with such flavors as lavender or mint.

Savory, slow-cooked smoked meats are the draw at this casual eatery with wooden booths and an old-fashioned sports bar. The traditional Southern-style sides—collard greens, macaroni and cheese, corn bread, flaky biscuits—are other reasons to come. Add in homemade desserts, towel napkins, and house-made barbecue sauce and you have one of the most popular restaurants in Kingston for local families and tourists alike.

Ask a local about the best places to eat in Ocean Beach, and more than likely this casual waterside eatery will be on the list, and the views are spectacular, whether you eat on the deck or inside. The food, predominently seafood, is American with contemporary touches. Baked monkfish is prepared with thick-cut bacon and fingerling potatoes; paella is packed with fresh fish, shrimp, clams, and mussels; and mussels with frites comes in so many flavors it's hard to decide. The menu also includes duck, pan-roasted chicken, and a 16-oz porterhouse steak. The earlier you come, the more mellow the crowd.

The clientele—from suit-wearing execs to hoodie-clad students—is as varied as the menu at this pubby restaurant with wooden booths and brick walls. Specials fill five 4-foot-square blackboards, change daily, and feature many fish dishes, such as basil-pesto-crusted salmon fillet. The regular menu includes sandwiches and soups, which make for a cheap but filling meal. Diners spill onto a patio in summer.

This Philly import has been a huge hit with locals since it first traveled north and set up shop on Hudson Street in 2013. It has an intimate vibe, with low lights and bowls of pasta, seafood, and roasted chicken are on offer. Large windows allow for great West Village street viewing.

After a long day on the trails, you can grab a quick pick-me-up at this small café located inside the Bear Mountain Inn. Enjoy a scoop of Perry's Ice Cream, sodas, granola bars, hot cocoa, and more.

A giant wreath with a shamrock beckons from a hill, making this family-owned restaurant, in operation since 1933, hard to miss. The menu has mostly seafood, steak, and chops: filet mignon, scallops in cheese-and-cream sauce, and Irish surf and turf (with lamb chop and langostinos). Open-air dining is an option on the deck and terrace.

Low lighting and lots of bare wood give this family-friendly restaurant about 5 mi northwest of Prattsville a roadhouse-like aura. The building dates from the turn of the 20th century and has a storied history; during Prohibition one enterprising owner set the attic on fire when his still blew up. The menu is loaded with well-prepared American favorites such as burgers and fries, steak-and-potato dinners, shareable appetizer baskets, and scrumptious homemade desserts—save room for co-owner Jennifer's apple crisp. Simple, reasonably priced rooms upstairs and a sizable cottage out back are available for rent. You might have company if you choose to stay here; guests have reported benign ghostly visitors.

You can dine by a fireplace in this late-17th-century stone house, a National Historic Landmark. Try the aged steak or the special seafood of the day. On Saturday night, prime rib is served with Yorkshire pudding. The homemade pastas are also a treat. The dessert menu includes several types of cheesecake and a warm fruit cobbler in season. In summer, ask to sit on the patio.

Sample sushi and other tidbits are served beneath handcrafted Japanese lanterns at this informal spot. Spider rolls, hot crisp-fried soft-shell crabs in cool nori-wrapped sushi rice, are a delight. Or you can start with the spicy noodle soup or tempura appetizer, and then move on to a Maui roll with tuna, mango, red onion, cilantro, and special sauce, or a baby octopus salad.

Locals and tourists alike flock to this affordable ice cream parlor for fresh, creamy ice cream cones and concoctions. The sundaes are sublime and the whipped cream is homemade. There's often a line out the door but it moves fast.