973 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

Several Brooklyn restaurants have Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie on their menus, but this little, long-running shop on the waterfront is the source, where key limes are squeezed fresh to make the creamy tart pies—just as founder Steve Tarpin did during his youth in South Florida. The large 10-inch pies serve eight, but there are also individual 4-inch versions, in addition to frozen treats on a stick—perfect to take with you as you walk to the view of Lady Liberty at the Valentino Pier just outside.

Wylie Dufresne’s friendly pizza parlor serves classic and creative 12-inch pies on artisanal dough. You can dig into everything from a Classic NY with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan to a Danny Boy topped with dan dan chicken, vodka sauce, sesame, and cilantro. If you’re lucky, nab one of the cushioned booths.  

There are several top-line restaurants in Manhattan to get an excellent steak, and the Strip House is one of them; the added bonus here is the bordello-esque ambience, complete with velvet banquettes and sexy photos on the walls. The intimate Strip House \"Speakeasy\" downstairs is more casual.  

This Portland import is housed in a handsome, historic building with a perfectly preserved, pressed-tin ceiling. The java here is top-notch, and the atmosphere is great for lingering. The one perpetual issue is that seats are often occupied by the laptop set. In warm weather, grab one of the outdoor tables.

Painted portraits of neighborhood locals adorn the arched walls of this husband-and-wife-owned, small-batch scoop shop. The selection of about 10 ice-cream flavors rotates seasonally; try summer favorites like \"Sweet Socialism,\" a foolproof dairy-free sorbet with an incredibly creamy texture made with single-estate Madagascar dark chocolate, or \"Chairperson of the Board,\" a blueberry cheesecake fan favorite. The \"What's up, Doc?\" is a play on carrot cake ice cream, and \"The Unicorn\" is as colorful as it sounds. In the winter, opt for a hot chocolate topped with a scoop of ice cream and a ring of torched marshmallow. There are two other locations; one farther uptown, and one on Lexington Avenue on the east side.

The cupcake craze isn't dead yet, and this old-school, cozy bakeshop—the brainchild of two former Magnolia Bakery employees—turns out delectable options. Try the chocolate-almond Gooey Gooey or the cream cheese frosting–topped pumpkin; flavors are intense but not too-too sweet. Some believe that the real showstopper is the swoon-inducing banana pudding, with crumbled Nilla wafers suspended in vanilla pudding.

Since 1994, master baker Jim Lahey has been churning out incredible loaves of Italian bread and pastries, as well as toothsome sandwiches and even pizza at this lauded Roman-style bakery. 

Bringing a fun, Key West vibe to Fire Island, this restaurant and bar hosts live music and weekly events like tacos and trivia, Italian night, lobster bash, and an occasional clam shucking contest, wine festival, or drag show. The menu consists of some simple favorites like burgers, lobster rolls and wings, pasta, and fresh salads, and there's also a sushi menu and raw bar for more adventurous eaters.

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. 

French doors open into a bright, airy space filled with white wooden booths, marble-top café tables, and a stainless-steel counter where trays of fresh muffins cool. You'll see why it's a local favorite when you tuck into the Blue Monkey, a stack of blueberry-banana buttermilk pancakes, or the savory huevos rancheros and experience the efficient, friendly service. Take a note from the locals—who come armed with newspapers and books—and grab a seat outside under the colorful umbrellas. Note that Sweet Sue's is a cash-only eatery.

Ask locals where to eat and most will say Swoon, where James Beard Award–nominated chef Jeffrey Gimmel can create a delicious delight from a simple carrot as easily as from freshly-caught black bass. Gimmel is justly famed for his seafood dishes. The menu changes daily but the popular roasted beet salad with local goat cheese and spice rubbed skirt steak are always available. The country-chic brasserie design is elegant and comfortable; the staff is friendly and attentive.

A Harlem mainstay, Sylvia's has been serving soul-food favorites like smothered chicken, barbecue ribs, collard greens, and mashed potatoes to a dedicated crowd of locals, tourists, and college students since 1962. Owner Sylvia Woods may have passed on in 2012, but her restaurant and signature sauces, jarred and sold online and in the restaurant, are more popular than ever. Some say it's overly touristy—as the busloads attest—but it's still worth a visit. For the best bang for your buck, come during the week for the lunch special, where you can get one main and one side for only $14.

Located inside the recently reimagined Tin Building on Pier 17 in The Seaport, T. Brasserie is a decidedly polished, classically French dining experience—everything you might expect from elite French chef-restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Like the other eateries and market stalls within, it has perfected its specialties, in this case, all the Gallic standards you can conjure, plus a few modern additions. Among the essentials are baked brie, moules (mussels) or steak frites, escargot, and a standout French-onion soup; the newer takes include avocado stuffed with crab salad, gruyere cheeseburger on a puff-pastry bun, and various wood-fired grill dishes. The brunch menu is nearly identical, with more egg options. The space itself is enticing, with lots of green tile, velvet seating, and brass fixtures, and in warmer weather, sitting on the roomy covered terrace is a special delight.

At the counter of this luncheonette, locals fill the stools by the griddle at breakfast and lunch. The bright, cheerful dining room, with pale yellow walls and a tin ceiling, has five tables overlooking Veterans Memorial Park. The amiable staff will let you sit as long as you like.

This small, mostly outdoor eatery feels more like a beach destination oasis than a New York City dining spot. For the perfect postbeach pit stop, order some Mexican-style street tacos (try the fried fish) and a cold cerveza, and bask in the chill surfer vibes as the sun goes down.

In addition to offering a variety of Japanese and other international baked goods, this casual café serves coffee and assorted teas. The matcha crepe is a favorite for a snack or small meal, although the cakes, buns, and macaroons are equally tasty.

Many consider Tamarind to be one of Manhattan's best Indian restaurants, and the elegant atmosphere makes it a different experience from many other NYC Indian eateries. The dining room is full of windows and natural light, and service is charming and attentive. The busy kitchen prepares multiregional dishes, some familiar (tandoori chicken, a searing lamb vindaloo), some unique (she crab soup with coconut rum). The more intriguing a dish sounds, the better it turns out to be.

Worth the 6-mi drive north of town, family-owned and -operated Tanino's, as it's called, serves more-authentic Italian than is usually found in this area: meals start with bread and olive oil rather than bread and pats of butter, and the wine list is one of the region's lengthiest. Ignore the strip-mall exterior and head into the casual, comfortable dining room with a fireplace. The large menu includes about a dozen choices each of pasta (cheese ravioli, penne alla vodka), seafood, poultry, veal, and beef entrées, plus popular brick-oven pizzas.

The name is a nod to the son of Zeus in Greek mythology, but the tome of a menu in this semicasual, rustic-industrial space—with huge windows, cement floors, and Mexican-style woven rugs hung from exposed piping—hails from seemingly every part of the old and new worlds: a Cuban sandwich on homemade rustic bread; a "filled burger," stuffed with feta, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes; house-made ricotta ravioli with prosciutto in Gorgonzola-arugula sauce; plus 20 pizzas, a page of salads, and entrées of duck, fish, pork, and beef. Thursday is Mexican day. The wine and beer lists are equally lengthy and varied.

Spanish-style appetizers and entrées draw from Latin and European roots, as does the music and decor, at this below-street-level restaurant. The decor, with candlelight, brick arches, and curtained-off cubbyhole seating is Morocco-meets-Paris, and the menu, which changes weekly, highlights seafood, with options for vegetarians well as carnivores. You might choose from chicken empanadas or Thai-glazed barbecued ribs (on the tapas menu) or wasabi-pea-encrusted tuna or guava-chipotle beef fillet (among the main dishes). A full martini menu includes chocolate, melon, lemon, and orange varieties. The specialty dessert—bananas wrapped in a fried, cinnamon-and-sugar-covered tortilla—is always available.

Before opening this comfortable café, Dan Budd was a James Beard Award–nominated pastry chef in both New York and Chicago. Bard students and locals can hang out for hours enjoying the relaxed vibe and wide-ranging menu that includes breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, and gourmet beverages. Everything is casual except the exquisite pastries like the flour-free Red Hooker—a brilliant concoction of Belgian chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and raspberries.

Finding foreign fare in the Finger Lakes can be a challenge, but not in this university town. Ithaca has several Thai restaurants, and this family-owned and -operated choice is a favorite both for its consistent food and its location on the Commons. The casual but classy place has orange faux-finish walls and is decorated with Buddha statuettes. Ithacans of all ages come for the moderately priced and expertly spiced curry, noodle, and seafood dishes. It's a buzzy, convivial place.

The name says it all: the open kitchen at this salt-of-the-earth Chinatown restaurant (located on charming, curved Doyers Street) means you can watch the noodle slinger in action while awaiting your bowl of, yes, tasty hand-pulled noodles. Just choose your ingredients—beef, pork, oxtail, eel, chicken, lamb, or shrimp, among others—and prepare to eat the most delicious bowl of noodles since that last trip to Shanghai.