966 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

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We've compiled the best of the best in New York - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Zero Otto Nove

$$ | Belmont

With painted murals and bricked archways, Zero Otto Nove's original location channels motifs from a Tuscan grotto, even though their cuisine leans toward central and southern Italy, in addition to Italian American classics. Try a wood-oven-fired pizza or pasta dishes, including mafalde noodles with broccoli rabe, and rigatoni with butternut squash puree and porcini mushrooms. 

2357 Arthur Ave., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
718-220–1027
Known For
  • Classic Italian fare
  • Good list of Italian wines
  • Getting pretty loud when it's busy
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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Zizi Limona

$$
This casual neighborhood bistro serves mouthwateringly good Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, drawing inspiration from the cuisines of Israel, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, and Southern Italy. You could easily make a meal of the tapas-style "Small Zi's," like the baba ghanoush with basil and feta, the silky hummus, and falafel with tomato salsa and yogurt sauce—but then you'd miss out on the delicious tagines (stews) and kebabs. The restaurant is cozy and unpretentious, with exposed-brick walls, wooden tables, and white shelves stocked with traditional products like tahini, honey dates, halva, and the spice blend za'atar.
129 Havemeyer St., Brooklyn, NY, 11211, USA
347-763–1463
Known For
  • Mediterranean mezze
  • Cozy atmosphere
  • Local favorite
Restaurant Details
No lunch Mon.–Thurs.

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Zona Rosa

$$
You can't miss this fun taquería inspired by Mexico City's Zona Rosa neighborhood, thanks to the 1946 Airstream trailer embedded in the facade—the eatery started as a food truck and the restaurant was built around it. Tacos, like the flavorful mahimahi with grilled pineapple, onion, and cilantro, arrive on the bottom of a two-tiered wooden platter, with three salsas on top. Be sure to start with a margarita (classic or flavored with watermelon, pineapple, or jalapeño) and the luscious guacamole served with homemade chips. On a warm night, the terrace overlooking Metropolitan Avenue is the place to be.
571 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, NY, 11211, USA
917-324–7423
Known For
  • Airstream trailer
  • Fun atmosphere
  • Great tacos
Restaurant Details
No lunch weekdays

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Recommended Fodor's Video

Gray's Papaya

$ | Upper West Side

It's a stand-up, take-out, 24-hour dive: but yes, limos do sometimes stop here for these legendary hot dogs—they are delicious, and quite the economical meal. The recession special is two grilled hot dogs and a drink, and there are cheap breakfast offerings, too, like the quintessential egg and cheese on a roll. Skip the other location in Midtown; it just doesn't compare.

2090 Broadway, New York, NY, 10023-2802, USA
212-799–0243
Known For
  • Fast, affordable Big Apple bites
  • $10 minimum for credit cards
  • Sugary papaya drinks

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Kabab Café

$$ | Astoria

Middle-Eastern restaurants are a dime a dozen in NYC, but Egyptian-Mediterranean spots are a rarer find, attracting celebrity chefs and TV personalities like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. This charming yet eccentric 16-seat café, which excels at interesting homestyle dishes, is a true hidden treasure. The menu changes nightly, but think of the fare here as Egyptian-accented comfort food: exceedingly tender lamb stuffed with pomegranate is always great. For the super adventurous eater, try the grilled lamb brain or lamb tongue. When it's available, the roasted goose in a saffron sauce is a must.

25-12 Steinway St., Queens, NY, 11103, USA
718-728–9858
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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Two8Two Burger

$ | Boerum Hill
Burgers, beers, and fries. That's what you'll get at this low-key burger joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, you can sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a burger 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 (a combination of mayo, ketchup, and spices), but there's also a lettuce wrap burger for the gluten-free or merely carb-phobic The bar features a variety of 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.