973 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

The restaurant is a casual place to mix and mingle without putting too much of a dent in your wallet. The menu includes hearty Austrian dishes, including braised beef with potato dumplings as well as chicken and sirloin burgers and pasta combos. There's live music on Saturdays.

A destination for those who know and love food and celebrate diversity, Yatenga serves traditional French bistro fare. This rustic-chic eatery is perfect for happy hour or dinner. For your main, the chef Gambas special (large shrimp in a creamy bechamel and garlic sauce with macaroni) or the steak au poivre are sure to delight. For something less fussy, go for the Harlem combo, consisting of wings, fries, onion rings, and honey mustard sauce, or the fried calamari with a red pepper sauce. Yatenga also offers a weekend brunch with unlimited mimosas, bloody Marys, or bellinis.

It doesn't get more old-school than this tiny café that's been serving fresh knishes—the hearty, hand-sized Eastern European pastry—since 1910. You can't go wrong with classic versions filled with potato or kasha (buckwheat) but there are also creative interpretations, with jalapeño and cheddar or garlic and onion, as well as sweet versions like blueberry and cheese.

Don't expect smoked fish sliced to order or the full smorgasbord of items that are sold beyond the appetizing counter in the legendary gourmet food shop next door. What you get here is a fast-track Zabar's taste experience to take out or to eat at small tables, for breakfast or lunch. Choose from prewrapped bagels and lox and cream cheese, a selection of sandwiches and grilled-to-order paninis, pastries, soups, and, of course, cups of hot coffee, all made with items from the nearby shop.

Locals admit that only the fish fry is stellar at this casual local joint, but the view of sparkling Lake Erie from the outdoor patio, just 100 feet from the rocky waterfront, is what keeps them coming back, particularly around sunset. Plus, it's the only place in town open on Monday. The menu is largely seafood, and portions are huge. The concrete patio with metal tables, and the dark, carpeted dining room are nothing to gawk at; keep your gaze fixed lakeward. Dinner is only served until 8 pm Sunday. Reserve for a sunset-hour table.

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. 

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.

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.