Restaurants in New York City
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Brasserie
This stunningly sleek temple of classics – including onion soup, wine-laden mussels, duck confit and chocolate beignets – is actually most impressive because of its ultramodern design, courtesy of NYC starchitects Diller + Scofidio, carved into the ground floor of the historic Seagram Building. To get just a taste of the high-class action, perch thyself at the elegant backlit bar, where you can enjoy a plate of mini-burger or lobster-salad sliders with a bracing cucumber gimlet.
reviewed
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Red Hook Food Vendors
The Red Hook Food Vendors are no longer a secret. Expect heavenly scents and long lines for this Brooklyn institution, which consists of 10 food trucks doling out freshly made tacos, grilled corn, quesadillas, pupusas (cheese, meat or squash-filled corn biscuits), ceviche and huaraches (long cakes of cornmeal masa) next to the Red Hook ball fields. Owing to increased demand, several vendors have branched out and offer their street snacks at the Brooklyn Flea market.
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Blue Ribbon Brasserie
Going strong since 1992, this comfort-food mecca is still a standout, especially for late-night dining, and the founding Bromberg Brothers have multiple offshoots: Blue Ribbon Sushi, just a few doors away, Blue Ribbon Bakery and Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar. Blue Ribbon Brasserie's best-known dishes are the succulent, cheesy appetizers and sides; fresh, tangy salads; and delectable seafood, such as sweet and spicy catfish and red trout.
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Superfine
This casual hangout is known for its Sunday brunches where Dumbonians sip Bloody Marys while catching bluegrass shows onstage. Windows line two sides, and the rumble of the subway on the Manhattan Bridge overhead puts a bumpy thrill into the meal. The menu covers Mediterranean, Mexican and American dishes. Try the grilled chicken sandwich with pancetta at lunch.
reviewed
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Kefi
This homey, whitewashed eatery run by chef Michael Psilakis channels a sleek taverna vibe while dispensing excellent rustic Greek dishes. Expect favorites like spicy lamb sausage, sheep-milk dumplings and grilled octopus. The platter featuring four types of spreads is delicious, as is the flat pasta with braised rabbit. The wine list features a comprehensive selection of Greek vintages (from $22 per bottle).
reviewed
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Hill Country
City slickers have been going gaga for good ol’-fashioned BBQ for a while now, finally able to tell the difference between smoked meats of the Carolinas, Mississippi and various other Southern states. Here it’s all about the sausage, fatty brisket, beef shoulder and pork ribs cooked in the Texas style (the Hill Country is a country area between Austin and San Antonio), plus an array of imaginative side dishes including smoky deviled eggs, baked beans braised with beer, and penne with three cheeses. You can also catch frequent live Texas music acts and Sunday football games on the big screens. A hoppin’ bar stays open till 2am.
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Ferrara Cafe & Bakery
Just a half block off of Mulberry is the legendary Ferrara Cafe and Bakery, brimming with classic Italian pastries and old-school ambience. You’ll see lots of red, white and green Italian flags sold in souvenir shops around her, and you’ll also enjoy the lovely aroma of fresh-baked pastries and pizzas wafting out of doorways.
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West Branch
Ouest, the destination dining room from chef-owner Tom Valenti, is the place that sparked the latest neighborhood revival. Another, newer Valenti outpost in the ’hood is West Branch, a slightly more casual (there’s a bar with a flat-screen TV) but no less handsome spot, where the focus is still French – witness the steak tartare and duck-leg confit – with some more accessible (and wholly delicious) burgers, salads and fish and chips tossed in there, too.
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Hourglass Tavern
Truth be told, you're not coming here for the food. The Mediterranean dishes are fine, but the real draw is the old-fashioned New York theater buzz at Hourglass. An old townhouse, the 1st floor is romantic (brick walls, lacy tablecloths), the 2nd floor a cool divey bar, and the top floor takes the restaurant overflow from below. Delicious wine list, fabulous staff and after 10pm a lot of Broadway hoofers drift over for a drink. Prix fixe meals are a bargain, served late.
reviewed
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Dumbo General Store
A ‘good anytime’ cafe with big wooden tables and a rustic but artful vibe, the Dumbo General Store has been around since 2001 when it dished up coffee and sold art supplies to budding painters in the neighborhood. In more recent years, it’s expanded its offerings to include breakfast faves like huevos rancheros as well as piping hot panini (try the goat cheese and grilled vegetable) and more eclectic dinner choices (veggie stew, short ribs).
reviewed
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No 7
This intimate Fort Greene stalwart is all about vintage: there are wide-plank floors, a marble-topped bar and a cozy 20-seat dining area in the back. The short menu showcases the talents of chef Tyler Kord, featuring imaginative dishes such as seafood tortilla soup and broccoli tacos with feta, pine nuts and beans.
There’s a saucy list of cocktails to choose from, too. Order the ‘Whore Water’ (tequila, Cointreau, watermelon, jalapeño, lime and Thai basil) at your own discretion.
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Tom’s Restaurant
Open since 1936, this diner looks like grandma’s cluttered living room and delivers good, greasy-spoon cooking just three blocks from the Brooklyn Museum. Breakfast is served all day and it’s a deal: two eggs, toast and coffee with home fries or grits comes to $4. Copious wall signs advertise specials – the blueberry-ricotta pancakes with lemon zest are the bomb. If you want to go old school, order an egg cream (milk, soda with chocolate syrup). Lines are loooong for weekend brunch.
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Barney Greengrass
The self-proclaimed ‘King of Sturgeon’ Barney Greengrass serves up the same heaping dishes of eggs and salty lox, luxuriant caviar, and melt-in-your mouth chocolate babkas that first made it famous when it opened a century ago. Pop in to fuel up in the morning or for a quick lunch; there are rickety tables set amid the crowded produce aisles.
In addition to an array of Jewish delicacies (seriously, try the smoked sturgeon), you can, of course, get a perfect New York bagel. On weekends, it has have fresh garlic bialys (a type of chewy, baked roll).
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H&H Bagels
Bagels may have been invented in Europe, but they were perfected around the turn of the 19th century in New York City – and once you’ve had one here, you’ll have a hard time enjoying one anywhere else. Which baker creates the ‘best’ bagel in New York is a matter of (hotly contested) opinion, but most agree that H&H Bagels (www.handhbagel.com), with this location on the Upper West Side (and the main store in Midtown West, at 639 W 46th St) ranks pretty high.
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Turks and Frogs Tribeca
A tongue-in-cheek name that refers to the Turkish and French antiques that decorate this winsome bistro (run by the same folks who own the Turks and Frogs wine bar in the West Village). While the decor is mixed, the food's unabashedly Turkish: meze appetizers, endless varieties of hummus, eggplant and olives, plus great mains such as ground lamb dumplings, red mullet with arugula, thinly sliced oregano lamb, or chunks of lamb in tomato sauce with baby eggplant.
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202
Now you can shop until you drop...right into a seat at 202, a quasi British/Irish pub set right in the middle of Nicole Farhi's Chelsea Market Store (it's named after Farhi's original London restaurant). Shoppers browse around as you eat your bubble and squeak, fish 'n' chips or full English breakfast. Lunchtimes are busiest, but you can also just swing by the 202 entrance inside the market for counter service and a quick cup of joe (that's coffee in New York).
reviewed
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Sfoglia
A darling of the critics since it opened a few years back, Sfoglia brought its winning combo of fresh seafood and homemade Italian from Nantucket to New York, and its tiny but attractive Upper East Side space is packed every day. Innovative pairings like wild mussels with tomato, garlic, salami and fennel pollen; spinach and ricotta balls cooked in brown butter with preserved lemon; or breaded pork chops with pickled carrots and mustard will have you swooning.
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Tuck Shop
Homemade pasties, sausage rolls and sandwiches of all sorts are the rule at Tuck, where everything's done organic and fresh. Daily pie specials include a chook curry pie, shepherd's pie, vegan pie, tiger prawn pie, chili pie and more. Desserts are a treat, including the Dame Edna delight and Peter Allen pie, but perhaps the best is the early morning breakfast: lashings of meat with fresh eggs and cheese, served with steaming cups of fair-trade organic coffee.
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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 is 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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Elia’s Fish Corner
Take note of the counter of fresh fish as you walk into this Greek fish place on the corner (right under the elevated subway line) – that’s your dinner. The chefs don’t get fussy on details – you pick your fish, they grill (whole) your fish, you eat your fish. A host of juicy appetizers are on hand (the grilled octopus is good, and the scallops are particularly tasty). No menu, no credit cards, but there is Greek beer and wine.
reviewed
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Lombardi’s
Pizza’s certainly not indigenous to NYC. But New York–style pizza is a very particular item, and the first pizzeria in America was Lombardi’s, which opened here in 1905. While Chicago-style is ‘deep dish’ and Californian tends to be light and doughy, New York prides itself on having pizza with thin crust and an even thinner layer of sauce – and slices that are triangular (unless they’re Sicilian-style, in which case they’re rectangular).
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Pio Pio
This rotisserie-chicken mini-chain pulls in the crowds in all four of its locations. It’s got a simple, but quite effective, formula: marinate birds (the name is Peruvian for the ‘cheep cheep’ of a chick) for 12 hours in a secret blend of beer and spices, roast them to tender perfection on a spit and serve. The cheerful dining room feels casual despite its white tablecloths – and maybe that’s because diners can’t help but drop their guard and lick their fingers clean! Tasty sides include fresh avocado, beans and fried plantains. And don’t forget the pisco sour. Other locations are on the Upper West Side, in Jackson Heights and in Rego Park.
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Baoguette
Part of the current bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) obsession is this little joint, which puts its own spin on what is traditionally a stack of smoked, sliced pork piled high with fresh cucumbers, pickled carrots and hot sauce on a baguette. You can get that here – along with catfish, barbecued chicken and the odd option of spicy red curried corned beef with hot peppers. It’s a great place to stop and fuel up during an afternoon of exploring.
reviewed
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Baoguette
Part of the current bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) obsession is this little joint, which puts its own spin on what is traditionally a stack of smoked, sliced pork piled high with fresh cucumbers, pickled carrots and hot sauce on a baguette. You can get that here – along with catfish, barbecued chicken and the odd option of spicy red curried corned beef with hot peppers. It’s a great place to stop and fuel up during an afternoon of exploring.
reviewed
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Y
Baoguette
Part of the current bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) obsession is this little joint, which puts its own spin on what is traditionally a stack of smoked, sliced pork piled high with fresh cucumbers, pickled carrots and hot sauce on a baguette. You can get that here – along with catfish, barbecued chicken and the odd option of spicy red curried corned beef with hot peppers. It’s a great place to stop and fuel up during an afternoon of exploring.
reviewed