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Le Baobab
Step right into this homey spot and find some room among the cab drivers, bus drivers, local construction workers and shopkeepers who have crowded in as well. Le Baobab is acknowledged as one of the best (if not the best) African restaurants in Harlem.
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Les Halles
It's hard not to kick up your heels in a cancan dance at Les Halles, a red-roomed wonder of a bistro that serves up classic French fare: filet de boeuf Bearnaise , cassoulet Toulousain , choucroute garnie , moules frites , steak au poivre , and plenty of amuse-gueules to start.
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Little Giant
Fresh ingredients from organic farmers in upstate New York pepper Little Giant's revolving menu, which can carry dishes like chicken liver mousse, maple-roasted brussels sprouts, sticky toffee pudding and a 'swine of the week' dish featuring pork. The eighty-bottle wine list proudly offers only local vintners.
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M & G Diner
Many claim to cook soul food, but few really do. For those who know the difference, there's M&G Diner, where chefs fry chicken like its an Olympic event and braise their meats more tenderly than most people cradle a child.
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Manna Bento
There's a constant stream of book-toting students through Manna Bento's small front door, which tells you the food's good, affordable and a great cure for a hangover. Plates of rice, kimchi, buckwheat noodles and spicy hot seafood soup are generously portioned.
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Market Café
An oldie but a goodie, Market Café is still a favorite local choice for the far west side. Its plain Formica tables and plastic booths don't exactly scream high-end, but stick around for the warm service, cool music and grilled gravlax, Atlantic cod, steak frites and pizzas and you'll see why it's a hipster hangout.
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Markt
Its big red awnings have dominated the 'nabe's center square for years now, and it remains one of the best places in town for a Hoegaarden or another foreign beer alongside some mussels and fries.
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Mas
Chef Galen Zamarra draws heavily from the South of France (in old Provencal a 'mas' is a traditional stone farmhouse), from the solid and ornate oak front door to the earthy menu featuring beau soleil oysters, braised ribs, flying pig pork belly and wild nettle risotto. Great also for late-night dining.
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Matsuri
People pay so much attention to the decor - the ceiling looks just like the hull of an overturned samurai ship - that the food plays second fiddle. That's a shame, because with fresh rice grains flown in daily from Japan, and staples like fluke sashimi with red pepper and ponzu, sake black cod and yellowtail sashimi with ginger vinegar sauce, it merits your full attention.
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Maya Mexican
Newly renovated Maya's now looks something akin to an 18th-century Mexican hacienda, and the decor perfectly complements the powerful, mole-infused dishes. Chef Richard Sandoval's menu has, among other things, corn masa with oaxaca cheese and chile poblano rajas , seviche halibut, marinated filet mignon, and chunky, rich guacamole as a side.
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Mei Lai Wah Coffee House
Authentic steamed pork buns and rich, thick coffee are a great way to greet the morning. Join the throngs of early morning workers who grab a snack on their way past this Chinatown institution.
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mi cocina
Delicious veggie enchiladas are stuffed with Swiss chard and roasted tomato-chipotle sauce, while a roasted zucchini-corn casserole is flavored with roasted tomatoes, cheese and cilantro. Usuals like grilled chicken and roasted shrimp get jazzed up with Mexican oregano, white wine and artistic dabs of guacamole and sour cream. Top-shelf tequilas make for amazing cocktails, and sinful desserts make for dreamy endings.
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Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs
If you eat 'em, this is the place for an all-beef dog with sauerkraut and mustard. A frightening time to visit is July 4, when Nathan's holds a hot dog-eating contest (the record stands at Takeru Kobayashi's 50.5).
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Native French
Native prefers grilling to deep-frying, so dishes like cumin-flecked fried chicken, plantain fritters, red curry coconut shrimp and pan-seared catfish are served flaky and light. Its outside tables are nice, but the candle-lit interior is much more romantic.
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Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Ask the servers here and they'll tell you ice cream was invented in China during the Tang dynasty - based on the flavors the Factory can produce, you might just believe them. Sorbets and more in flavors like avocado, durian, sesame and peppermint, plus the standards like vanilla and chocolate.
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Ouest
The addition of a smooth jazz combo has enhanced the sophisticated energy at Tom Valenti's red-boothed wonder, which still rates high with New Yorkers thanks to delicately stacked combo dishes like house-smoked sturgeon with frisée and poached egg, oyster pan roast with yukon gold potatoes and grilled free-range chicken. The bar food is just as nice, and less damaging to the pocketbook.
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Paradou
The hydrangea-heavy garden out the back is a mini-miracle in springtime and the perfect place for buckwheat crepes, panini and grilled fish dishes. The wine list is stellar, with plenty of affordable options and by-the-glass pours served in individual mini-carafes.
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Pastis
Yes, it's crowded and yes, most New Yorkers consider the 'buzz' gone from Pastis, although a few still nip in for early-morning coffee. It may no longer be as trendy as it was, but that's fine - it's still a comfort-food bistro for the ages, a bit of working-class Paris brought back to life with skirt steak, fried artichokes and hearty glazed duck dishes that are not super fancy, but do hit the spot.
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Peasant
If a restaurant can garner rave reviews when it's competing on a street like Elizabeth, flush with trendy openings and the latest hot spots, then it's really got something special. Here it's rustic Italian food with poetic names like polpi i purgatorio , quaglie farcite , and porchetta arrosto .
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Pedro's Restaurant
Pedro's battered facade doesn't instill confidence, but aesthetics aside, it's one heckuva' place. It's been serving up tasty tacos and burritos with ice-cold beer for years and has a loyal following. Sitting outside on its strange-shaped stools certainly adds to the fun.
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Peking Duck House
You already know what the specialty of the house is - big, brown, crispy glazed duck, served with sides of pancakes and hoisin sauce for tearing, rolling and dipping. There are plenty of other dishes to choose from, all bearing imprints of Peking, Shanghai and Szechuan flavors, mixed expertly together. Peking Duck's slightly fancier than other Chinatown spots, but not at all stuffy; it's a popular choice for local families celebrating a big event.
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Peter Luger
There are a couple of rules to follow for Peter Luger's: bring cash, first of all, and make a reservation. Be prepared to wait, and check your shyness at the door - these are long, communal tables. Expect rapid but slightly mechanical service, but just when you start to wonder why you came, your steak - juicy, perfect and tender - stifles all your doubts.
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Pies-N-Thighs
It's a bit rough looking from the outside, but once you get through the Williamsburg Rock Star Bar to where the cooking gets done, you'll have forgotten the 15-foot barbed wire fence outside. This is southern cooking done right - pulled pork, mac 'n' cheese, homemade bread and double-crusted pies oozing organic berries.
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Prune
Expect lines around the block on the weekend, when the hung over show up to cure their ills with Prune's brunches and excellent Bloody Marys (in nine varieties). The small room is always busy as diners pour in for roast suckling pig, rich sweetbreads and sausage-studded concoctions.
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Public
Built to look like a public library or school, with waiters who take your order on a clipboard, Public falls just on the right side of quirky--and that goes for the food, as well. The odd mix of Asian, Australian and New Zealand cooking is heavy on wild game ('roo and ostrich are on the menu), but well-presented and matched with tasty sides like fennel soup and crab cakes.
