Must-see restaurants in New York City

  • Levain Bakery

    Upper East Side

    Levain's world-famous cookies are unlike anything you have ever tasted. Tempting you in four flavors – chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chip, dark…

  • Red Rooster

    Harlem & Upper Manhattan

    Transatlantic superchef Marcus Samuelsson laces upscale comfort food with a world of flavors at his cool brasserie. Mac 'n’ cheese joins forces with…

  • Tanoshi

    Upper East Side

    It’s not easy to snag one of the 22 stools at Tanoshi, a wildly popular, pocket-sized sushi spot. The setting may be humble, but the flavors are simply…

  • Craft

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    Humming, high-end Craft flies the flag for small, family-owned farms and food producers, their bounty transformed into pure, polished dishes. Whether…

  • Pye Boat Noodle

    Queens

    Young Thai waitresses in matching fedoras greet you at this cute place decked out like an old-fashioned country house. The specialty is rich, star-anise…

  • Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

    SoHo & Chinatown

    Whether it's espresso at the front bar, cheese from the deli or long-and-lazy Italian feasting in the sunken dining room, Il Buco's trendier spin-off…

  • Four & Twenty Blackbirds

    New York City

    Inspired by their grandma, sisters Emily and Melissa Elsen use local fruit and organic ingredients to create NYC's best pies, hands down. Any time is just…

  • Bahari Estiatorio

    Queens

    Locally loved Bahari is a cut above most Astoria Greek restaurants, offering a broad range of charcoal-grilled fish and meat and traditional casseroles…

  • Dellapietras

    Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn & Dumbo

    Meet the meat – dry-aged prominently in the front window of this outstanding deli-butcher. Great cuts of meat and sausages are augmented by charcuterie…

  • Burke & Wills

    Upper West Side & Central Park

    About as far as you could get from an outback watering hole, this sophisticated bistro and bar brings modern Australian cuisine to the Upper West Side…

  • Épicerie Boulud

    Upper West Side & Central Park

    A deli from star chef Daniel Boulud is no ordinary deli. Forget ham on rye – here you can order suckling pig confit, jambon de Paris and Gruyère on…

  • Cafe Luxembourg

    Upper West Side & Central Park

    This quintessential French bistro is generally crowded with locals – and it’s no mystery why: the setting is understatedly elegant, the staff genuinely…

  • Papaya King

    Upper East Side

    The original hot-dog-and-papaya-juice shop, from 1932, over 40 years before crosstown rival Gray's Papaya opened, Papaya King has lured many a New Yorker…

  • Essex Market

    East Village & Lower East Side

    Founded in 1940 in a cramped building across Delancey St, in 2019 this wide-ranging specialty food-and-dining market moved into expansive new digs. Browse…

  • Veselka

    East Village & Lower East Side

    This beloved vestige of the area’s Ukrainian past has been serving up handmade pierogi (cheese, potato or meat dumplings), borscht and goulash since 1954…

  • Bâtard

    Financial District & Lower Manhattan

    Austrian chef Markus Glocker heads this warm, Michelin-starred hot spot, where a pared-back interior puts the focus squarely on the food. Glocker's dishes…

  • NoMad

    Midtown

    Sharing the same name as the 'it kid' hotel it inhabits, and run by the perfectionist restaurateurs behind Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, NoMad has…

  • Clocktower

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    Brits do it best at Jason Atherton’s clubby, new A-lister, hidden away inside the landmark Metropolitan Life Tower. This is the latest venture for the…

  • ABC Kitchen

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    Looking part gallery, part rustic farmhouse, sustainable, produce-focused ABC Kitchen is the culinary avatar of the chichi home-goods department store ABC…

  • Two Hands

    SoHo & Chinatown

    Named after the crime-com film starring Heath Ledger, Two Hands encapsulates Australia's relaxed, sophisticated cafe culture. Dream of Byron Bay over…

  • Inside Olea.

    Olea

    New York City

    Though it looks humble, the crowds arriving at this Mediterranean restaurant promise greatness and the exceptional tapas-style dishes deliver. Olea's day…

  • A classic hot dog from Nathan's Famous

    Nathan’s Famous

    New York City

    The hot dog was invented in Coney Island in 1867, which means that eating a frankfurter is practically obligatory here. The top choice: Nathan’s Famous,…

  • Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop

    Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick

    On the main drag in Greenpoint, Peter Pan doesn't go in for gimmicks or fancy presentation, just soft doughnuts made from long-perfected recipes, and…

  • Five Leaves

    Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick

    An anchor of the Greenpoint scene, Five Leaves draws a mix of neighborhood regulars to outdoor tables and the vintage-filled interior. Stop by in the…

  • New York, New York, USA - May 12, 2011: Shake Shack in Madison Square Park in New York City is known for quality "fast food". It is also known for the long lines of people waiting to order.; Shutterstock ID 315279176; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Shake Shack

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    The flagship of chef Danny Meyer’s gourmet burger chain (this is where it all started – in a hot-dog cart), Shake Shack whips up hyper-fresh burgers, hand…

  • A view of the main dining area of Pio Pio.

    Pio Pio

    Midtown

    This Peruvian restaurant is a favorite among New Yorkers for its delectable food, frothy pisco sours (try the Passionfruit!) and breathtaking ambience…

  • The exterior of Red Bamboo.

    Red Bamboo

    West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District

    Cajun soy 'shrimp', jerk-marinated soy 'chicken', 'cheesecake' so rich you can barely finish? The soul- and Asian-food temptations Red Bamboo concocts…

  • Outside of Augustine.

    Augustine

    Financial District & Lower Manhattan

    Augustine is a hip, upscale eatery from famed New York City restaurateur Keith McNally. The food combines classic French brasserie fare with an eye toward…

  • Inside the Grey Dog.

    Grey Dog

    SoHo & Chinatown

    Whether you're looking to share a plate of cheese with your friends or indulge in a proper New York brunch, the Grey Dog won't disappoint. It does…

  • One of the logos outisde of Mamoun's.

    Mamoun's

    West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District

    This falafel and shawarma restaurant in lower Manhattan specializes in big, dripping platters and wraps that are served up quick and don't cost much. A…

  • Outside of the Rockaway Surf Club

    Rockaway Surf Club

    Queens

    Down in the Rockaways are some of the best tacos in the five boroughs. The Rockaway Surf Club draws inspiration from beachside California taquerias, with…

  • Okonomi & Yuji Ramen

    Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick

    For breakfast without the eggy mainstays or a refreshing lunch, make a pilgrimage to this exquisite wood-lined eatery. By day it's Okonomi, serving only…

  • Butcher's Daughter

    SoHo & Chinatown

    The butcher's daughter certainly has rebelled, peddling nothing but fresh herbivorous fare in her whitewashed cafe. While healthy it is, boring it's not:…

  • Berg'n

    New York City

    From the team behind Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea, Berg'n is a large factory-feeling food hall with long wooden tables where you can feast on smoky…

  • Golden Shopping Mall

    Queens

    A chaotic jumble of hanging ducks, airborne noodles and greasy Laminex tables, Golden Mall's basement food court dishes up fantastic hawker-style grub…

  • Le District

    Financial District & Lower Manhattan

    Paris on the Hudson reigns at this sprawling French food emporium selling everything from high-gloss pastries and pretty tartines to stinky cheese and…

  • Addã

    Queens

    Sandwiched between a National Guard recruiting office and a 7-Eleven, you might not look twice at Addã, which is Indian slang for 'place to hang out.' But…

  • River Cafe

    Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn & Dumbo

    Situated at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, this floating wonder offers unrivaled views of downtown Manhattan – not to mention solidly rendered modern…

  • Great Northern Food Hall

    Midtown

    Ensconced in the beautiful beaux-arts Vanderbilt Hall, this airy food hall has upped the ante for food in New York's grandest station terminal. Pull up a…

  • Champs Diner

    Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick

    The classic diner experience receives a plant-based makeover at Champs. The menu is packed with all-American classics like Philly cheese steaks, Nashville…

More destinations you need to see