9 Best Restaurants in New York, USA

Pastis looks like it's been here for decades—it moved into this space in 2019—and has all the signature Keith McNally elements: smoky mirrors, a long curving bar, floor-to-ceiling windows, and white subway tiles. French favorites are front and center, including toothsome steak frites with béarnaise, mussels steamed in Pernod, and a tasty apple tartlet with phyllo crust. The people-watching is stellar, and there's still a good chance you'll see a celebrity or two. Tables outside in nice weather are prime real estate. Locals and visitors are still drawn to this neighborhood mainstay so it gets busy at mealtimes.

This classic French bistro is famed for its raw bar, which it stocks with frequent seafood deliveries. Fresh briny oysters (only $1 each at Sunday brunch) are perfectly complemented by the mignonette and spicy cocktail sauce. Mussels are prepared with tasso ham, leeks, and cream; duck confit is cured in a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices. The menu changes every three weeks but the popular steak tartare is always on the menu as are the impeccable french fries.

This elegant and rustic boulangerie/bistro features handmade artisanal breads and sophisticated pastries and fruit tarts. The dining room serves classic French dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Standouts include housemade sausages and pâtés, crostini topped with artichoke and feta or roasted garlic rosemary hummus, and moules frites. The brick patio is a welcome oasis in warm weather while the zinc bar is an intimate spot for a rendevous with wine, craft beer, or cocktails.

The jolly sunburst graphic on the café sign and the banks of colorful flowers on the front steps are très French. Warm terra-cotta–tone walls and vine-motif sconces continue the theme inside. The food is authentic French bistro fare, well prepared and presented. What a delight to find a really good croque- monsieur and moules (mussels) or steak frites. Tarte tatin, baked by the chef and served with a scoop of crème fraîche, is not to be missed.

Whether you're lucky enough to nab a table at 1 pm or 1 am, this bistro—Keith McNally's original solo foray into the restaurant world, before Balthazar and Pastis—always seems like the place to be. The French-influenced kitchen's offerings are straightforward: croque monsieur, steak frites, and salade niçoise are old standbys, with a turkey burger thrown in to accommodate the palate américain. Bedecked in classic bistro trappings—hammered-copper stools, mirrors with menu items scrawled on them—the restaurant would look just as perfect in the Bastille neighborhood of Paris as it does in this swanky part of the Big Apple.

If the Upper West Side and the French Riviera collided, it might look a little bit like Nice Matin. This longtime neighborhood favorite is particularly popular in warm-weather months, when regulars plant themselves at sidewalk tables and gawk at passersby while munching on Gallic fare like pan-roasted monkfish, garlicky mussels, and, of course, steak frites. The novel-size wine list has more than 2,000 bottles, so bring your reading glasses. 

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.