973 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

Arguably the best French bakery outside Montmartre is on DUMBO's Water Street. Chef Herve Poussot helms this neighborhood favorite, baking chocolate raspberry croissants, mille-feuille, macarons, and pear tarts, as well as baguettes, quiche, and sandwiches. Pick up a snack and a coffee to take to the park.

The handsome Greek-revival building, built in the mid-1800s, graces Main Street with its full-facade, two-tier porch. In the restaurant, a coffered ceiling, hardwood floors, painted wood chairs, and cloth-draped tables create a warm atmosphere. The contemporary American and Continental fare relies on its own richness, not gimmicks. The terrace has umbrella-shaded tables for warm-weather dining.

Regional fare is the specialty at this student-staffed restaurant at the Culinary Institute, and local and seasonal ingredients are emphasized. Local beef is bathed in roasted bone marrow garlic butter and there's a daily preparation of cage-free Hudson Valley foie gras. The restaurant is in Roth Hall, once a Jesuit seminary.

Anchor claims to have originated Buffalo wings. Some people dispute that, but many come to sample the groundbreaking invention in bar food. Try them hot for the full experience. A buffalo's head hanging on the wall is about all the atmosphere you need.

Steak and seafood feature prominently on the menu at this country inn about 5 miles east of downtown. Baby back ribs are simmered in a house barbecue sauce, a buttery London broil is served with baked stuffed shrimp, and haddock is baked and topped with tomatoes, olives, capers, and raisins. Sit in front of the fireplace and sip local wine under the watchful gaze of the deer heads mounted on the walls.

A throwback to old New York with European accents, Anton's kitchen churns out excellent, old-school dishes like whitefish salad and chopped chicken liver, but also some great takes on pasta: the simple spaghetti anchoiade (pasta with anchovies) is superb. So is the bucatini Baczysnky, named for a long-time (and still existing) Ukrainian butcher shop in East Village where the chef sources his guanciale (cured pig jowels or cheeks) for the dish. It's really just a classic riff on Amatriciana. The casual atmosphere has an air of sophistication, perhaps thanks to the many spotlit paintings by Vitali Dvali, an artist from the Republic of Georgia.

There are several old-school Italian American restaurants in the Real Little Italy in the Bronx, and Antonio's Trattoria is one of the solid choices when looking for a place for good, honest fare. Start with award-winning fried calamari from the antipasti menu, then move on to a variety of classic dishes: baked clams, zuppe di pasta fagioli, linguine with clam sauce, or excellent pizzas, prepared either Sicilian style or baked in a brick oven with a thin Neapolitan crust.

This delightfully affordable \"Italianesque\" restaurant sparkles for its reliable fare, including excellent prix-fixe lunch and pretheater dinner menus. Tucked inside the LUMA Hotel Times Square just off Bryant Park, AperiBar is Charlie Palmer's fine expression of Italian standards, featuring an excellent antipasti assortment, shareable salads, rich pasta and pizza, and perfected entrées. Arrive early for tasty weekday happy-hour bites and drinks at the small bar or front-window lounge area. 

The Culinary Institute's most casual dining option showcases luscious desserts and breads made daily. The light lunch menu lists soups, sandwiches, pizza, and salads. The atmosphere is relaxed, and prices are reasonable. The line can get quite long around noon on weekdays, but moves fairly quickly.

This Michelin-starred elegant and refined Scandinavian restaurant in the steady hands of Emma Bengtsson has prix-fixe options, including lunch, with a two-, three-, or four-course tasting menu, and a five-course or eight-course chef's tasting dinner menu. An à la carte option is offered within the sumptuous barroom area, best for sampling homemade aquavit, perhaps in a flight or mixed with tonic water. The dishes may seem simple, but even familiar meats, seafood, and seasonal ingredients are gifted with fresh creativity here. The elegant atmosphere features warm woods and modern Scandinavian design.

Popular with the hip dinner and brunch crowds, this bustling, family-run restaurant and bar puts a modern spin on classic American dishes with Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican, and Bangladeshi influences. Try the grilled cauliflower with marinated olives and shishito peppers or the bold chicken vindaloo arepas (crispy cornmeal cakes) topped with cotija (an aged cow's milk Mexican cheese) and fresh cucumber raita (Indian yogurt sauce). Each multicultural dish is packed with flavor and spice, and the fancy cocktails (like their Goat cocktail made with tequila, turmeric, and orange) are also standouts.

Few guidebooks list this classic New York pizzeria, yet the jam-packed room and pleasantly smoky scent foreshadow a satisfying meal. There's a full menu of Italian classics, but pizza is the main event, and the thin-crust beauties are cooked in a coal-fired oven, to emerge sizzling with simple toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and eggplant. Monday through Thursday, you can call ahead to reserve a table; weekends, be prepared to wait and salivate. If you like the whimsical paintings that plaster the walls, ask the waiter the price: they're for sale.

Step inside this neighborhood mainstay near Arthur Avenue for a delectable selection of on-the-go snacks that include cakes, black-and-white cookies, and Italian pastries. Artuso's has been run by the same Italian American family since 1946, and the impassioned proprietors and community vibe truly add flavor to the shop's outstanding selection of sweets.

Its facade is unassuming and interior unpretentious, but you can't go wrong with any of the pizzas or house specialties at this family-owned pizzeria-ristorante that has been around since 1971. The restaurant serves classic pasta dishes, including a variety of ravioli and gnocchi in addition to chicken, veal, steak, Italian specialties like picatta and francese, and local, fresh seafood. It is open year-round, and you can eat here until 3 am or later on summer Friday and Saturday nights. Try the grandma pie, and allow extra time—it's made with love. Reservations can be made on the website.

A pared-down, more casual version of Mexican superchef Enrique Olvera's hit upscale Flatiron eatery, Cosme, this 90-seat, big-windowed spot serves excellent, upscale renditions of standards like chicken enchiladas and shrimp tacos as well as creative spins on tostadas and fish dishes. Part of the attraction here is the people-watching so if you want to linger, get an order of the airy churros for dessert.

The minimalist concrete space and Ikea-ish tables and chairs might lack gravitas, but the beautifully plated, delicious food shows where Atoboy is focusing its energy. The four-course ($75), small-dish tasting-menu concept lets you sample a range of the kitchen's creative Korean flavors.

A neighborhood staple since opening in 2003, this corner café on Skillman Avenue serves up paninis, hearty soups, salads, and Irving Farm coffee in a lively, bustling environment. Their seasonal drinks are standout, with options like rose white mocha or toffee nut latte, and they have plenty of vegetarian dishes available on the menu, including miniquiches, homemade chili (a local favorite), and vegan burgers.

An island of fine modern American dining just a stone's throw from bustling Times Square and Broadway theaters, Aureole is the second act of a New York classic from famed chef-restaurateur Charlie Palmer and Executive Chef Chris Engel. The airy dining room, inviting thanks partly to the seasoned staff, offers an elegant prix-fixe menu with elevated American and international choices and optional wine pairing. In the front Liberty Room, enjoy a shorter pre-theater prix-fixe menu or à-la-carte courses, all while watching the Midtown clientele evolve from expense-account patrons to discerning diners. In warmer months, the Patio opens in the covered outdoor breezeway beside the restaurant, serving drinks and bar bites in its trio of seating areas.

Well appointed but not overdone, the Aurora Inn is the spot for fine dining in town. The food is mostly classic American and the seasonal menu uses many fresh, local ingredients. Dinner could be veal Oscar (with crab cakes and béarnaise sauce), pan-seared scallops, or rack of lamb. The pastry chef whips up decadent desserts. You can eat inside or out: the formal dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows opens out onto a spacious patio overlooking Cayuga Lake. Breakfast is served daily.

It shouldn't take more than one bite of tender barbecue squab to understand why it's so hard to get a reservation at this casually elegant restaurant, whose menu strays widely from Italian standards and hits numerous high points in dishes such as rabbit with Brussels sprouts and house-made pancetta. This is the perfect spot for a raucous celebratory dinner with flowing wine and festive banter. But be forewarned: if anyone in your party is hard of hearing or bothered by loud rock music, choose someplace more sedate.