973 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

There are two prime times at Tatiana's: day and night, in two venues. Sitting at a boardwalk table on a summer afternoon at Tatiana Grill, enjoying ocean breezes while eating lunch alfresco, is a quintessential Brighton Beach experience. Nighttime is a more exuberant affair, especially when nearby Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club hosts an extravagant old school Vegas-like floor show, with dancing, costumes, and acrobatics. The menu has a bit of everything, spanning the regions of the former Soviet Union, including the sweet and savory vareniki, a pierogi-like dumpling from Ukraine, and pelmeni, small dumplings of pork and veal, hailing from Siberia. There's also staples like herring, and of course, caviar. Vodka can be ordered by the bottle. 

Since the 1990s, this popular neighborhood outpost has been serving homemade Greek and Italian specialties in a simple, casual setting. The menu is large, and it’s always a tough choice between the moussaka and spanakopita (spinach pie), lamb kebabs, and chicken Marsala. There's live music several evenings a week by local musicians.

The kitschy decor, colorful diner-esque menu, and trendy patrons will quickly cue you into the fact that this is no ordinary Thai restaurant: the food is slightly off-kilter, in a good way, and the vibe is playful. The food is a combination of creative interpretations of Thai dishes and American diner classics, with an emphasis on fried chicken.

Chicken with basil, red-curry stews, and seafood steamed in banana leaf are standouts at this Thai place in an old silver diner. The dining room is often packed on weekends during prime dinner hours, but tables turn over quickly. Dishes labeled "hot" are not for the faint of heart.

There's a definite West Coast vibe to this café. Head to the counter to order chicken salad, a wrap, carrot-ginger soup, or one of the satisfying home-cooked vegetarian selections, then settle into a big comfortable chair or couch in the rear (adults only here). Occasionally there's live music on weekend afternoons. The place is open only until 5 pm.

Time Out magazine has certainly made a splash with its gourmet food halls found in cities around the world—and its New York location is no exception. Found on the ground and fifth floors of the historic Empire Stores building, this collection of elevated food stalls will seduce any foodie with its diverse selections of sweet and savory offerings, including Venezuelan arepas from The Maiz Project, Japanese hand rolls from Mori Mori, and Dominican-meets-Texan fare at Bark Barbecue.

In addition to great coffee, this low-key java joint decorated in bright, primary colors serves breakfast sandwiches, bakery items, and desserts. Lunches are panini and salads, including some vegetarian options. It's open 8 am–6 pm weekdays and 9 am–3 pm Saturday.

The upstairs dining room, called 110 West Main, begins service at 5:30 pm daily; breakfast and lunch are served downstairs; and all three meals are served outside, weather permitting. Salads and sandwiches are popular—try the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich. Alfresco dining is in a New Orleans–style flower garden with wrought-iron gates and a stone archway. Wine tastings are offered on some days of the week.

This casual, convivial Filipino restaurant has been churning out classic island dishes like sisig (grilled mixed pork offal) and lumpia (pork-filled fried spring rolls) for over 15 years. Among a satisfying smattering of skewers and noodle dishes is also the impressive inihaw na panga (grilled tuna jaw) and tuna belly cooked any which way (your choice of either adobo, in coconut milk, or in a soup). Don't skip out on halo halo for dessert, the popular Filipino concoction that translate to \"mixed\" in Tagalog. 

Hidden just steps from busy Union Square, this refined, serene dining oasis of excellent Gallic American fare is a secret even to many New Yorkers, despite receiving accolades since it opened back in 2000. Begin with the signature starter, an unctuous angel-hair sea-urchin carbonara, before moving on to dishes like saffron-and-fennel-spiked grilled octopus or smoked duck breast paired with baby bok choy and Asian pear.

The bi-level eatery at this bustling Mexican cantina just off Broadway has a festive vibe, with several seating options: bar, balcony, main dining room, and ceviche bar. Foodies flock here for three types of guacamole (traditional, fruited, and spicy), well-executed ceviches, Mexico City–style tacos with Negra Modelo–braised brisket, and quesadillas with black truffle and huitlacoche (“the Mexican truffle”). There's an extensive tequila selection—upward of 100 brands. Another Toloache location is on the Upper East Side. Reservations are recommended, especially around pretheater dinner time.

Upscale dining has arrived in Corning. A historic bank was transformed into a stylish dining room in 2008, preserving the old vault as a private dining room. There's a 300-square-foot glass-enclosed wine locker, huge stone fireplaces, and a wildebeest mounted on one wall. Aged steaks, Alaskan king crab legs, and veal saltimbocca help fill out the long menu. The prices can be hard to swallow, but tapas in the bar are a more affordable option.

True, the tuna sashimi appetizer is $23, but what else could you expect for romantic high-end dining in paradise—and with live music and a drag-queen bartender, this swanky place is anything but boring. It's one of the more upscale places on Fire Island, with a history dating back to its inception in the 1970s as the Island Queen. Dishes might include seared scallops with raisin gartique, Lobster pot pie, or the bistro burger. You can dine inside or out at this harborside eatery.

Just feet from the brink of Niagara Falls, this spot with panoramic views lives up to its name. The scenery is awesome, as is the thick New York strip steak. The signature Buffalo chicken wrap (crispy chicken fingers, hot sauce, lettuce, and blue cheese in a flour tortilla) is a good choice for lunch.

Here, thin-crust pies are topped with fresh mozzarella and an ample amount of tangy, homemade tomato sauce, then baked in a coal oven. At Totonno's, you're not just eating pizza, you're biting into a slice of New York history. Anthony (Totonno) Pero first opened the pizzeria a century ago in 1924, right after the subways started running to Coney Island—and the restaurant is at the same location and run by the same family, using ingredients and techniques handed down through four generations. While many people may reminisce of its old-school casual dining room that's endured over the decades, Totonno's has recently switched to take-out and delivery service only, but that doesn't stop die hard fans from parking nearby to hang out and eat from pizza boxes on the top of their cars.

Fans of this restaurant say that it really is a little piece of Italy, from its casual rustic-style interior to its Venetian-inspired dishes and specials like the pasta with octopus ink sauce, tagliatelle with seafood and preserved lemons, and Tuscan-style New York Strip with olive oil, lemon, oregano, and broccoli rabe. If you're inspired by the local wine culture, you'll be pleased with the extensive wine selection, stored in its temperature-controlled, glass enclosed wine room.

Is it an Italian grocery store; an Italian coffee shop; an Italian wine bar; an Italian restaurant? It's all of the above. The name might not giveaway its Bel Paese motif, but step inside and you'll experience a sensory explosion of all things Italian, right down to the employees gesturing wildly while speaking the language of their birth. If you visit in the morning, sidle up to the bar for a cappuccino and a croissant, at lunch indulge in some pizza, and in the evening, pasta and wine. They also sell good homemade pastas and various made-in-Italy food products to take home.

With an array of meat-free dishes like seared organic seitan with vegetables and Thai peanut sauce and sesame-crusted tofu with coconut basmati rice, this place is loved by vegetarians and vegans. Tula also offers healthy and delicious organic chicken, turkey burgers, and seafood dishes. The interior is funky—a little bit Moroccan and a little bit gothic—with bright red walls, pillowed banquettes, and wrought-iron candelabras. Try one of their artifully prepared cocktails, and save room for the "rockin'" vegan cupcake. The entertainment roster ranges from solo singer-guitarists to jazz bands.

Burgers, beers, and fries: that's what you'll get at this low-key joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a patty that was ground that morning by local butcher Los Paisanos. The headliner is the two8two burger, topped with roasted poblano chilies, cheddar cheese, and two8two sauce (mayo, ketchup, and spices), but there's also a lettuce wrap burger for the gluten-free or merely carb-phobic. The bar features craft beers on tap, including a couple of local selections, as well as the chipotle-habanero Bloody Mary—it's as hot as it sounds.

The theme at this diminutive Spanish spot is cocina vasca, or the cuisine of the Basque country, one of the most exciting regions in Iberia for eating. Chef Alexandra Raij captures the moment by serving standouts like juicy lamb meatballs in a minty broth, crispy beef tongue, and an addictive crabmeat gratin. The wine list at Txikito (pronounced “chi-kee-toe”) is loaded with great bottles of Rioja and other Tempranillos, many of which are from Basque winemakers.

Squeezed between skyscrapers and the towering New York Stock Exchange, Stone Street is a two-block restaurant oasis that feels more like a village than the center of the financial universe. After the market closes, Wall Streeters head to Ulysses, a big, popular pub with 12 beers on tap and more than 50 varieties in bottles, plus seasonal brews; live music; and menu options that include minicheeseburgers, a seafood tower, nachos, and Guinness fish-and-chips. Outdoor seating in warmer weather makes this a neighborhood go-to all summer.

This straightforward local restaurant not only has one of the best restaurant names in the borough, but they're serving up some of the tastiest fried chicken in New York. UFC serves organic, humanely raised birds, fried crisp, spicy, and addictive with soy, garlic, or hot sauce. Other items on the menu include spicy pork bulgogi empanadas, beef bulgogi burgers, and good ol' cheese fries, but crispy chicken paired with one of the many craft beers on tap is a foolproof move here.