The Best New Restaurants in New York City of 2025 (So Far)
Why should one eat at a new restaurant in New York City? Surely, it’s an unnecessary risk in a city so rich with longstanding options of great repute. But, in our second year of rounding up the best of the Big Apple’s new openings, we’ve found plenty of reason to roll that dice. Not least because our editors often go on to become regulars at a lot of the the establishments that make this list. Plus, getting in on the ground floor is all the more fun as you watch a place iron out the kinks and settle into its own—and nothing beats the early buzz.
This time around, a lot of our picks wound up being in Midtown Manhattan, with Flatiron, Chelsea, and the Villages East and West also heavily represented. Brooklyn counts spots in Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Sunset Park.
How we choose the best new restaurants in New York City
The best new restaurants in New York City stretch across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Every business on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has personally tried the restaurant in question. When choosing new restaurants, our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries that offer an authentic and insider experience of the city. We’re always looking for standout dishes, a great location, and warm service—as well as serious sustainability credentials. In terms of how we define ‘new,’ we've chosen to focus on restaurants that have opened within a year of the publish date. When you work your way through the list, check back in: We'll update this guide regularly as new restaurants open in New York City.
Now, here's our selection: find a sexy sushi restaurant embedded in the Hotel Chelsea, an Industry City establishment specializing in dry-aged fish and meats, and the new iteration of a beloved Indian canteen at which you may already have to fight to get a table at—but we promise it's worth it. Here are the best new restaurants in New York City. Find our ultimate list of the very best restaurants in New York City, new and old alike, here.
Read our complete New York City travel guide here, which includes:
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Courtesy TerukoTeruko
Neighborhood: Chelsea, Manhattan
Go for: That classic Hotel Chelsea intimacy, plus sushiThe Hotel Chelsea is one of my favorite places in the city—not only because I desperately wish that the walls could speak, but also because of the slow-burn of the new restaurants and bars they’ve unveiled since the hotel-wide refresh a few years back. Teruko, the supersexy subterranean Japanese spot that opened this spring, is the latest. It also pays homage to the creative legacy of the hotel-cum-residence, taking its namesake from Japanese-born artist Teruko Yokoi, who once lived and worked here in the Chelsea. Follow the stairs that duck under the iconic entrance into a low-light dining room with speakeasy vibes and fabulous seafood from chef Tadashi Ono. There’s a sushi counter, ideal if you want to go for the omakase, though the tables have that classic Hotel Chelsea intimacy: you’ll want to lean in with whoever you’re sitting with. What makes this one of my favorite Japanese spots in the city right now is not just the fabulous setting, but the fact that the elite sushi menu is well complemented by izakaya-style dishes—little pork meatballs that are dipped in egg yolk, a robata grilled prawn the size of a Maine lobster, and smoked and seared kanpachi—all of which lead you into the main event of beautifully prepared Edomae-style sushi. —Megan Spurrell
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Haymarket
Neighborhood: Chelsea, Manhattan
Go for: A bright, truly singular menu of European-Caribbean joie de vivreSalt. Cod. Fritters. This starting snack alone is reason enough to visit Haymarket, the new Chelsea restaurant from London-born chef India Doris. Doris, a Londoner who crossed the pond to New York in 2016, presents here a menu of (mostly) British and European classics that have been transformed with bright Caribbean influence. These salt cod fritters take that brilliantly pungent preserved fish and triple fry them, making them palatable to just about anyone without losing their punch. They are light and airy, bringing to mind the best of Bisquick somehow. Her peri peri half-chicken has been getting the most attention, meanwhile, and for good reason: it’s been deboned and brined for days before cooking, making the meat super juicy and flavorful. But it also manages to get crispy in the skin while still bearing the bright peri peri marinade and buttermilk ranch. While I’ll join the chorus in contending that this is a must-order, you’d be wise to add a few more plates to share: the bibb salad with an everything crumble; butter beans in a tomatillo salsa verde and topped with perfectly crispy soppressata bringing to mind pizza beans; and the braised oxtail topped in crispy cheddar polenta (in tribute to shepherd’s pie). The dining room itself feels a little formal when you step in, but the pleasant green palette, pitch-perfect service (our server checks on us often but never once annoys us, which is a feat and testament to the charisma on display), and food that’s often just plain delightful puts you right at ease. —Charlie Hobbs
Jason VarneyLa Tête d'Or
Neighborhood: Flatiron, Manhattan
Go for: the company of uber-chic carnivoresYou know those scenes from the original Sex and the City, where the quartet of protagonists, Cosmopolitans in hand and dressed to the nines, glide from a hot new restaurant's bar to a see-and-be-seen four-top in the middle of a hot new dining room, and you knew that, even in a transitional moment like that, you were in always-hot and ever-new Manhattan? That's exactly the feeling I had as I was led to my seat at La Tête d'Or, Monsieur Daniel Boulud's hot new New Yorkais temple to, if not exactly steaks, then the steakhouse experience. During my visit on an otherwise ordinary weekday night, the decadent fare and hyper-polished staff were spectacular—as in, resembled spectacles: Chariots of prime rib ($130) whizzed about the place, dispensing 10 ounces of American wagyu ribeye cut, dressed, and served tableside by servers with a flourish that befit the price tag. Though, given that an order automatically comes with accompaniments—bordelaise and béarnaise sauces; spinach and potatoes, both creamy; and a peppered popover—it can feel like a steal, especially with the lavish attention it gets you from the crew and your co-diners. (Common was it for a patron to see another table, point to the prime rib, and say, "I'll have what she's having.") Aside from the show's star, scrumptious too are the recurring cast you'd find at a steak joint: the bone marrow ($26), the crab cake ($34), the Caesar salad—also prepped and served tableside ($24). While the dishes here are the types over which life-changing deals are brokered—corporate, romantic, or otherwise—I didn't notice such contracts being negotiated over La Tête d'Or's white tablecloths (mind you, the cavernous space is seemingly built for people-watching). All present were simply fêting the good life in New York City, this stage that makes one and all feel like the main character. —Matt Ortile
Courtesy KabawaKabawa
Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Go for: The city's most generously portioned pre-fixeOur server warned us on more than one occasion that Kabawa chef Paul Carmichael ensures all his diners leave with full, happy bellies. But as New York City pre-fixe menus aren’t typically associated with ample serving sizes (let alone extra side dishes), I could not anticipate just how deliriously full—and happy—I would stumble out the door by the meal’s end. From the cassava and chutney starter course, it’s impossible to leave a single crumb behind. With a $145 price tag (comparably affordable as far as pre-fixe menus go in this town), you’re sure to get your money’s worth with a starter, main, and dessert, plus three small bowls of rice, beans, and salad. Carmichael, who grew up in Barbados, has crafted an ingenious interpretation of Caribbean cuisine, drawing inspiration from the tastes of Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and beyond. There’s truly no wrong way to order; my personal favorite dishes were the octopus breadfruit tostón, a ridiculously tender goat shoulder with spicy scallop creole, and the coconut turnover for two. While you wait for each dish to appear, enjoy your front-row seat to the centerstage that is the kitchen, where the chefs work their disciplined magic. In a testament to Kabawa’s ethos of fine dining without the fuss—replaced instead with a palpable joy—Carmichael pays us a visit before dessert, smiling ear to ear, and demonstrates how to crack and peel open a tamarind pod with our fingers. And with that tactile wisdom imparted, he blows a kiss goodbye. —Hannah Towey
Alex LauAdda
Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Go for: The book-ahead table-side butter chicken, emblematic of a larger and fancier experience on the wholeThe new Adda is the old Adda, except larger and fancier. It does retain the beloved bheja (goat brain) masala, though—and the same lick-your-fingers deliciousness across the board. That the food hits will surprise no one: Chef Chintan Pandya and partner Roni Mazumdar of Unapologetic Foods have had a Midas-like run with their restaurants, which include Semma and Dhamaka—but at the new Adda, things have gotten more playful, even participative. The amuse-bouche comes in the form of a bunch of chaats that arrive on a tray for you to pick from; the pickle cart rolls up shortly after (get the date pickle, thank me later). But no experience is more theatrical—or enjoyable—than the book-ahead tableside butter chicken, a tired culinary trope Adda is reclaiming and setting right. On a recent evening, Pandya himself prepared the dish, with a choice of smoking chips (we picked apple) and flavored butter (pickled tomato). Nearby, a diner declared it was his third time ordering the dish; the restaurant at the time had only been open a few weeks. As a lush gravy closed in around succulent bird, we were joined at the table by a rooster-shaped pitcher containing a hazy liquid. It turned out to be a mezcal-based ‘butter chicken cocktail, which was—no spoilers—a gustatory adventure. Vegetarians needn’t leave unhappy: there’s a special menu with highlights like a jackfruit-filled puff pastry, a delicately flavored gucchi (morrel mushroom) pulao, and a juicy, savory soy mince roll with smoked chili chutney that I dare say could beat its more popular sibling—the mutton kheema roll—at its game. —Arati Menon
Jill RittymaneeSamsaen
Neighborhood: Midtown Manhattan
Go for: Jelly fish soup and bone marrow topped with gor laeThis isn’t the first Thai restaurant from Chef Dhanapol Marprasert, also known as Oak, but it is his first in Manhattan. His two Queens eateries, Ma Kin Thai in Middle Village and Kam Rai Thai in Astoria, are still in operation and have exceptional reputations. Samsaen, the newest addition to his roster, is sure to become just as much a favorite, if not more so thanks to its position on 9th Ave, in the dense and unforgiving blocks between Hudson Yards and Penn Station-slash-Madison Square Garden (I already have a reservation booked for before my next concert at the latter.) Samsaen is named for the Bangkok neighborhood where Oak grew up, and its railroad dining room designed to evoke the local train station. The menu is split in two: “Coach Car” is Thai street food, with classics like crab meat fried rice ($28) and northern Thai herb ua tod (ground pork in rice paper, $16); and “First-Class-Lounge” with Oak’s more experimental, unexpected takes like roasted bone marrow in Gor Lae sauce ($16, my favorite) and jelly fish and squid ink soup (excellent and high-acid, $15). —Charlie Hobbs
Nick JohnsonJR & Son
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Go for: A twist on traditionThere is a lot to draw you in at JR and Son, the new red sauce joint on a lively stretch of Williamsburg, that celebrates tradition while also pushing boundaries. The space, for one, is dimly lit and cozy with black and white photos on the walls, brass lamps, booths, and two tops crowded with friends and couples nursing negronis and waiting for chicken parm. The wood panelling and checkered floors recall the restaurant's former self, when it opened as an Italian social club in the 1930s. But the food is where the place's reinvention shines. The menu is more twist than tradition, coming from a kitchen helmed by Patricia Vega of Thai Diner fame. There are some definite hits—the bread basket with marinara on the side, the crab salad that's creamy and well seasoned. But there is a little awkwardness too. The chicken parm is big, saucy and satisfying, but the generous sprinkling of sesame seeds on top doesn't add as much as it should to justify it. Rainbow cake for dessert is a fun way to end, but pair it with an espresso splashed with sambuca. You still want to channel that social club to the end, after all. —Erin Florio
Ben HonHear & There
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Go for: An intimate omakase featuring black shari riceLocated behind an almost hidden front door in Williamsburg, this cocktail bar-meets-omakase counter feels like a sleek, Art Deco speakeasy. There’s a palpably sensual atmosphere here; it’s quiet and glamorous, the perfect location for an intimate date night. Diffused lighting, antique mirrors, and heavy curtains make it feel personal. Upon entry, you’ll find yourself in the listening bar, sipping on drinks with mood-matching names like Explicit, Sweet Spot, and Nightfall. I recommend the Replay featuring haku vodka, elderflower liqueur, and a generous layer of cinnamon vanilla foam, but the signature Rice & Nori—an old-fashioned-style drink with seaweed-infused whiskey—is a less-sweet option worth a taste. Once you’ve finished your pre-dinner drinks, it’s time for the real showstopper. Like any great omakase bar, the preparation and interactions with your chef are what make for an exceptional evening. At the 22-seat omakase bar, expect 13 decadent courses from two seasonally rotating tasting menus, featuring seasonal nigiri, small bites, handrolls, soup, tamago, and dessert. Spanning seafood like rich, creamy uni to Japanese whitefishes, dishes use their special black shari rice, a creation of executive chef Mark Garcia, which is made with Haiga-mai grains, aged red and black rice vinegars, Celtic salt, and maple syrup. It gives the sushi a unique, deeper flavor that I found enhanced the fresh ingredients it was served with. —Jamie Spain
Andrew BuiLe Chêne
Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Go for: Pure class and an exceptional wine listTo dine at Le Chêne, for those fortunate enough to score a table in the 50-seat West Village Parisian wonderland, is to be made very happy. Starting with the bar, which stares down the entry: it’s a small semi-circle you’d be wise to have a cocktail (the classic space begets a classic martini, I’d say) at before being led to your table (where the impressive wine list trumps any other libations), so try to beat your date. Once you’re seated in the white plaster moulded space, perhaps on a burgundy velvet bench in front of the wall of happy prints, you’ll find out what’s on the watercolor-adorned menu that evening. The amuse-bouches up top change less frequently: expect excellent, bite-sized tartines laden with sweet shrimp, or uni and bone marrow. The best bite amongst these, for me, is the fresh corn beignet. Below are the appetizers, perhaps including baked razor clams or a pistachio-and-apricot inflected pate. And then the entrees: delicate halibut in beurre blanc, or a litany of beef specials too heavy for the hot summer day of my visit. As the seasons progress, I reckon this dining experience will only get finer and more romantic. —Charlie Hobbs
Andrew BuiConfidant
Neighborhood: Industry City, Brooklyn
Go for: Seasonally-rotating dry-aged fish and meatsWhen Confidant opened in Industry City, it boasted all the makings of a restaurant that New Yorkers would scramble to get into if it were in the West Village or Williamsburg—a seasonally rotating menu of dry-aged fish and meats (yes, there are crudos) with an all-natural wine list curated by sommelier and Assistant General Manager Lucy Saintcyr and a cocktail program by Cody Pruitt of Libertine (previously mentioned on our Best New Restaurants in NYC list). It’s the kind of place that would draw even Manhattanites to somewhere like Bed-Stuy or Gowanus; perhaps making it no surprise that it comes from chef/owners who met while working at Roberta’s, which famously got many a New Yorker out to Bushwick at a time when that felt like a trek. Confidant went bolder, and opened in Industry City, a development in Sunset Park’s waterfront in South Brooklyn.
As a Brooklyn resident with a car, Industry City still feels like a tall order just for a meal—but if you find yourself in the area, maybe for one of the events or concerts that happen in this warehouse-filled district, or because you’ve always wanted to play at those petanque courts right in Industry City, then you’ll be pleased to have a meal that feels as grown-up as you’d find in other parts of NYC (something about IC really does feel designed for parents trying to entertain children, and other dining options tend to maintain the vibe). The bread and butter are so good that I almost asked to take the leftover butter home; the plate of mortadella is simple yet delicious. The real standout though is the prawn pot pie. The puff pastry is baked onto a ceramic dish, the top laminated with butter, and the inside filled with steaming prawn stew. I don’t know when I’ll be back in Industry City, but at least I know I’ll be ordering that prawn pot pie whenever I am. —Megan Spurrell
Gentl & HyersSanto Taco
Neighborhood: SoHo, Manhattan
Go for: Quick, clean counter serviceSanto Taco, the first solo venture from Cosme restaurateur Santiago Perez, gets a very easy inclusion on this list for the reason that it’s a very easy taqueria to visit. It’s counter service, for one thing, and you stroll right up to the window on Kenmare. It’s easy to parse the menu, which consists of just five tacos plus a few extras like guacamole. It’s easy to afford, with each taco costing between $5.45 and $6.95; this latter is an outlier, the steak trompo, and sky high in price because it’s thinly-sliced Prime New York strip and sirloin that really does blanket the entirety of its tortilla bed. Even more affordable are the pork carnitas, seared chicken, and vegetarian shiitake and cremini mushroom (with strips of squash blossom) tacos. There’s a stretch of counter inside for diners, but not much, and a covered seating area outside, but I wouldn’t count on finding seating during prime dining hours. —Charlie Hobbs
Courtesy Pearl BoxPearl Box
Neighborhood: SoHo, Manhattan
Go for: Old-school, on-top-of-it hospitality and an excellent cocktail programSet on the upper floors of a converted Soho townhouse, Pearl Box isn’t just a bar, it’s a whole scene. Imagine: red velveteen walls, mood lighting so flattering it feels illegal, and a late 70s lounge vibe that whispers, “you’re the star.” One foot inside, I half-expected Mick and Bianca to pull me into their booth. This place oozes sex, refinement, and just enough kitsch to make Cher, Madonna, and Gaga fight over the corner banquette. The cocktail program? Excellent. Dirty martinis arrive perfectly briny, like Neptune has stirred them personally. Champagne cocktails sparkle with just enough drama. And then there’s the caviar service, which you can pair with a bowl of house-made Swedish candies—equal parts fabulous and ridiculous in the best way possible. Honestly, it’s so over-the-top I caught myself grinning like I was in some kind of disco-glitter fever dream.
But let’s talk about the real stars: the hosts. Fabulous doesn’t even cover it. The space is tiny, so each host spends personal time at their tables to ensure the experience turns out just right, and for a bit of gossip and scandalous quips, too. They could carry an entire 12-episode limited series on their backs…someone please give them a ring light and a contract, stat! Pearl Box is one of the most unique bar vibes in the city because it doesn’t try to be cool, it just is. It’s a little hidden, a little exclusive, and fully committed to its 1970s Playboy-magazine fantasy. Come for the cocktails, stay for the vibe. You’ll leave wondering if you should start wearing sequins more often. —Erin Parker
Molly TavolettiGui Steakhouse
Neighborhood: Midtown Manhattan
Go for: A Times Square respiteTucked unexpectedly into the heart of Times Square, Gui Steakhouse is a revelation. I usually avoid the chaos of the area, but Chef Sungchul Shim has given me a reason to return. From the moment you arrive at Bar 92 downstairs, the experience feels intimate, elegant, and deeply welcoming. Upstairs, the warmth of the service matches the glow of the softly lit dining room. Every detail, from design to dish, feels personal. The menu—a refined blend of American steakhouse classics with bold Korean flavor influence—delivers standout dishes like marinated short rib and perfectly grilled cuts, each mouthwatering and bursting with depth and care. The cocktails are just as memorable: inventive, balanced, and uniquely their own. (“Gui" in Korean means "grilled" or "roasted" and refers to a dish that is grilled, typically made from meat or fish, often marinated in a flavorful sauce.) —Jessica Chapel
Amy Elisabeth SpasoffAl-Andalus
Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Go for: For authentic Andalusian tapas under $10 that just so happen to be veganThere are a few surefire stops you can pull to woo your date over dinner in the city. Perhaps it’s a quintessential New York City steakhouse, or a dimly lit bolt hole in the Upper East Side where you can always rely on the wine. Well, you can count this East Village tapas bar among your safe bets. Every item on the menu—and that includes the drinks—is under $10 with exception to the $30 paella for two . If you too have the impulse to order with abandon, Al-Andalus is just the place to do it. Classic tapas excel at bringing out the high notes of their limited ingredients list—the pan con tomate marries meaty slices of heirlooms with generous pours of quality olive oil, the papas bravas are crisp pillows of potato fluff perfect for sopping up garlicky toum, the shakshuka tostada nails the brief with a savory concoction of feta, just egg, and za’atar. Don’t skip out on the cocktails or dessert menu either. The nuanced rice pudding goes down like the last bite of an ice cream cone imbued with the sweet vanilla cream and drizzles of salted caramel it used to hold, and drinks smartly inflect known and loved items with MENA flair—take the cevze martini that swaps the espresso for Lebanese coffee. Lastly, If you have reservations over a plant-based paella, they’ll quell them here with their rich, citrusy rendition (rice spiced with smoked sofrito and saffron broth and a seasonal rotation of summer vegetables—mine included peas, tomatoes, and artichoke.) this place exemplifies precisely what their tapas are for—a showcase of Arab Spanish cuisine that gets the table talking. —Kat Chen
Heather WillenskyMama Mezze
Neighborhood: Flatiron, Manhattan
Go for: Bright and airy Mediterranean in a bright and airy dining roomFrom the team behind La Pecora Bianca comes Flatiron’s buzziest new restaurant well-suited for group dinners and date nights. Mama Mezze makes Mediterranean food feel approachable without being dull, and the inventive dishes on the menu like the ‘Bababeet’—a babaghanoush dip with beets that has a bright pink hue—give diners a refreshing take on classic dishes. The space itself boasts high ceilings, yellow and orange accents throughout, and dinnerware that is begging to be photographed. There is so much to try here from dips and spreads like mushroom hummus, to skewers and large plates like the branzino with fennel and artichokes. My tip would be to come with as many people as possible to maximize your tasting potential. They’ve also recently rolled out their weekend brunch service which includes comforting bites like shakshuka and challah french toast—if you do go in the morning, make sure you bask in the flood of morning light aided by the bounty of floor-to-ceiling windows. —Emily Adler
Teddy WolffDolores
Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Go for: An unexpected drinks menu, lengua tacos, and vibes, vibes, vibesIt’s a great moment to live in Bed-Stuy—the neighborhood has long been home to many of my favorite bars and restaurants, but more and more it feels like the new spots everyone is talking about are just down the street. Dolores, from the team behind beloved brunch spot Winona’s, is one of these openings. Within its first month, the seats at the bar and on the sidewalk of small-business-central Tompkins are already buzzing with people; inside, the stucco-covered walls and Mexicania of the entire restaurant feel like a tv set for a show I’d like to live inside. The team says the place is inspired by co-founder Emir Dupeyron’s childhood in Mexico City and the cantinas it is known for, though anyone who has traveled throughout Central Mexico might feel as though they’re transported to Veracruz or Guadalajara, depending on which vintage art piece or trinket you get drawn into, and delightfully there are plenty of them. Spend time on the drinks menu, which plays with usual suspects like mezcal and Modelo, but also corn whiskey, sotol, and punchy fruit flavors (no surprise: Leanne Favre, of Clover Club and Leyenda, is behind the bar menu). The cooked aguachile is a nice starter, even though I tend to prefer my aguachiles with raw seafood (in this rendition, everything is fully cooked before being tossed in the sauce, much like a Mexican-style ceviche). The lengua tacos, which come steaming and wrapped in a fabric napkin to trap the vapor, are the perfect order for the table and the texture of the meat is juuuuust right. Come for the bites, but expect to come back for the vibes. —Megan Spurrell
Heather WillenskyOps East Village
Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Go for: Satisfying sourdough pizza and the favorite wine list of many NYC sommeliersI’ve never been to the original Ops in Bushwick, which has made a name for itself with delicate, satisfying sourdough pizzas—but after visiting the East Village location that just opened, I might need to. Start with the arancini-like suppli, a crispy, cheesy little morsel, and add the refreshing ops salad (simple, perfect) ahead of your pies. From there, you’ll want a ratio of roughly 2 for 3 people if you’re getting starters. If you love a slice of mortadella, the Rojo, which comes draped in sheets of the deli meat, is a must-order, in an almost comically delightful mortadella-forward presentation. The Cicero, a staple at the Bushwick location, is topped with onions of all forms (leeks, thick wedged onions, etc.), though you’ll want to add sausage or anchovies to fully round it out. I know I’ll be going back for the Juno, with provola and broccoli rabe, and maybe even a DIY since the light crust is such a star of the show here—a valiant base for any toppings you choose. This isn’t your slice shop, but a spot to sit with a bottle of chilled red (the wine list is great) and let the pizzas get piled onto your table or a spot at the bar. As tends to happen with great pizza in this town, Ops fills up quickly, even on a weeknight, so come early and get settled before everyone else does. —Megan Spurrell
Charissa FayMarlow East
Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Manhattan
Go for: Good food above 14th streetIf you walk by Marlow East on the Upper East Side and stop to peer through its two-story picture windows, expect patrons and passersby to excitedly share their thoughts on this new addition to the neighborhood’s booming dining scene. This happened just yesterday as I pointed out the restaurant to a friend who grew up in downtown Manhattan and insists on calling the UES the suburbs, but has reluctantly accepted that good food does in fact exist above 14th street—and it’s only getting better. The chic ambience of Marlow East walks the thin line between trendy and timeless; this is a place suitable for celebrating strip-loin-worthy occasions with the parents or chit chatting over casual drinks with friends. Downstairs, you’ll find cocktail lounge seating and a raw bar tucked into the back corner next to a fireplace. Head upstairs for the more formal dining room where larger tables are sat, considerably raising the octave level (but what’s fine dining on the Upper East Side without some equally delectable eavesdropping?). If golden-hour martinis and oysters are more your vibe this summer, opt for the outdoor sidewalk seating. Once you’ve settled in, you’ll find the one-page menu to be an impressive collection of fun, fresh twists on classic dishes. Standouts among my order included the caesar salad (with cream cheese croutons!), the house-made ricotta gnudi (a lighter and more pillowy version of gnocchi, finished with shaved truffle), the tuna crudo (a staple in my diet, the thick cut and subtle szechuan made this version memorable), a fabulous bone-in strip loin steak (don’t be shy, scoop that marrow), and a light and citrusy fluke carpaccio. Other dishes—like the country ham and pimento cheese croquettes, the off-menu buttermilk fried chicken, and deviled eggs with caviar—are Southern-inspired, but it’s the cocktail menu where this palate truly shines through. The smokestack lightning (mezcal, chipotle, lime, cherrywine floater), Atlantic Manhatty (honey butter whisky, vermouth, beet bitters), and dirty pimiento martini are must-tries. With warm and welcoming service, Marlow East is an instant neighborhood classic that’s a worthy addition to any UES itinerary. If you’re staying at nearby grand dames The Carlyle, The Surrey, or The Mark, it’s under a 10 minute walk away, perfect for bookending a summer day spent exploring Central Park or Museum Mile. —Hannah Towey
Heather WillenskyMaison Passerelle
Neighborhood: Financial District, Manhattan
Go for: Boldly veined marble and bold flavor from former French coloniesIt took sitting down to realize I matched the decor at Maison Passerelle: the dress I was wearing was a dead-ringer for its patterned upholstery. Not a bad thing, because the anchor restaurant (there’s also a champagne room, bakery, and raw bar) at Printemps—a newly opened outpost of the famed Parisian department store—is immediately arresting with its boldly veined marble, sunset-colored walls, and vintage patterned tiles. It’s not the only thing that will grab your attention: For its menu, Printemps New York’s head chef Gregory Gourdet, who has won a handful of James Beard awards for his cookbooks and his Portland, Oregon restaurant Kann, has eschewed a more predictable brasserie menu in favor of inspiration from former French colonies like Haiti, Louisiana, Laos, and more. (There's a wall fresco featuring digitally merged photos of sunsets from each of these places as another homage.) What this means is that the oysters come with a mignonette made with pikliz (a spicy Haitian condiment that’s a Gourdet trademark; he’s a Queens native with Haitian roots); the citrus-cured kampachi is lifted by a smoked coconut milk; and the dry-aged strip steak is rubbed with a Haitian coffee, chili, and spice blend and served with fries and Creole ketchup. No matter what you pick, leave room for dessert. In particular, the coconut chiboust, a light, cold, creamy pudding served with a limey, toasted-coconut sorbet. Prepare to dream of it for days after. —Arati Menon
Evan SungYamada
Neighborhood: Chinatown, Manhattan
Go for: A special occasion worthy of a 10-course, $300 tastingAt Yamada, a new kaiseki joint in Chinatown, chef Isao Yamada, previously of the Michelin-starred Brushstroke in Tribeca, dishes up a 10-course, $300 tasting menu as an homage to the seasons. For its opening in April, spring danced tantalizingly through every course, but especially through the hassun, an appetizer sampling that appeared midway through the meal like a botanic garden in bloom. The profusion of color and texture across each dish was a delightful contrast to the contained, almost meditative, space, where 10 diners sat at a single-slab Hinoki counter facing a mustard-colored wall (on which a single yellow chrysanthemum hung in a thin vase) and a sparkling marble assembly area, where Yamada worked in hermetic silence, fanning a charcoal-fired grill or slicing the prized belly of bluefin tuna to exacting consistency. He was more animated when he brought over a donabe pot, filled with squid ink tsuyahime rice, horsehair crab, salmon roe, and ramps that he stirred vigorously before serving—a delightful preparation I couldn’t get enough of (and that the kind staff sent me home with in a box elegantly wrapped in furoshiki cloth.) A whole two hours later, we stepped back out into the narrow lane that houses Yamada—faux-pebbled, softly lit, with wood-slatted walls and discreet doorways obscured by curtains—and wondered if we'd been magically transported to Kyoto. It’s by design: The owners of Yamada have filled the passageway with their other Japanese establishments: Kono, an accolade-winning yakitori; Nakaji, an Edomae-style sushi omakase; Chikarashi, a more casual concept inspired by Japanese chirashi—and finally, a hidden-away listening room. But after all that food and shochu, you’ll have to make a note to return another day, and stumble out, like we did, into the thrum of life that is Chinatown at night. —Arati Menon
Howoo
Neighborhood: Koreatown, Manhattan
Go for: Moodiness and meat ahead of karaokeWhere Howoo really excels is the quality and flavor of the meat, which is, in my opinion, the most important thing to focus on at a Korean barbecue spot. A sprinkle of salt and a touch of wasabi is all you’ll need to enhance the existing flavor. Upon arrival, the dark color scheme, diffused lighting, and vast open space feel like the perfect spot for an elevated group dinner before a drink or two in Koreatown (perhaps followed up by karaoke if you’re feeling adventurous). Guests can choose to order from the à la carte menu or opt for one of the two packages. Rich cuts of Miyazaki A5 Wagyu filet mignon are complemented by short rib and Wagyu striploin when ordering the elite package for dinner. For a less decadent option, yet no less tasty, the prime package includes skirt steak, chuck flap, and two types of short rib. The accompaniments were flavorful and plentiful, but beware not to fill up on egg soufflé, pickled vegetables, and the chef’s tasting plate, because the meats are the real star here. Each cut was better than the last, featuring exceptional marbling, sumptuous umami flavoring, and cooked perfectly. By the time the dessert came around, we could barely fit a spoonful, but the green tea soft serve was the perfect end-of-meal palate cleanser. One thing is for sure: come with an empty stomach. —Jamie Spain
Courtesy Lucky CharlieLucky Charlie
Neighborhood: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Go For: Seriously delicious New York pizza with a side of serious New York history.In a city practically overflowing with great pizza, it can be tempting for newcomers to lean into fads and gimmicks in order to stand out. Not so with Lucky Charlie, which pays the best kind of homage to its geographic and culinary history, with perfectly classic Brooklyn pies and tasteful, unpretentious red-sauce reminiscent digs. Its cozy atmosphere, delightful staff, and simple menu make it feel like the kind of place that’s been there for years—which, in a way, it has; Lucky Charlie boasts America’s oldest working coal oven, dating back to the building’s days as a German bakery in the 1890s. According to chef Nino Coniglio, it’s a finicky behemoth that requires an artist’s touch to operate (indeed, it heats up the sidewalk above so much that his team once fried an egg on it), but the impossibly crispy, chewy pizzas that emerge from it prove it’s a touch he most certainly has. The pizza, which can be ordered classic, white, or red (a cheese-free iteration that testifies to the restaurant’s Sicilian roots), reigns supreme, but the oven also produces some non-pizza standouts like baked aneletti, a sort of Sicilian pasta pot-pie. Whatever you order, pair it with one of the restaurant’s subtly elevated classic cocktails, like the standout Calabrian Martini, which I had to get two of. —Oscar Dorr
Courtesy JaBaJabä
Neighborhood: Midtown East, Manhattan
Go for: A real taste of Taiwanese cuisine that adds to Manhattan’s growing portfolioJabä, in Hokkien, is a playful demand familiar to Taiwanese households everywhere. It’s sort of like our equivalent to saying grace. Come meal time, in case the aromatic spread of meats, noodles, and fried up morsels dotting the table wasn’t enough encouragement to dig in, then surely an order to “eat until you’re full” is. Whenever I’m missing a taste of home but can’t make my way out to Flushing, there are a few spots I head to for a really superb version of certain dishes—for the most slurpable bowl of niu rou mien, there’s Ho Foods in the LES; if I’m looking for perfectly spiced fried chicken, Chinatown’s Taiwan Bear House scratches the itch; and great boba is never hard to come by in the city. My roster as it was rotated between establishments I knew for their superlatives, but Jabä is the new kid on the block that is nothing if not well-rounded. With expectation-smashing accuracy, they’ve nailed dishes like ever-so-funky stinky tofu, goopy-in-the-best-way oyster omelets, and grilled sweet sausage with necessary slices of raw garlic clove on the side to add at your discretion. Every order I once thought was best served sitting streetside on a red plastic stool has been convincingly brought inside at Jabä. That being said, their lo bo beng hits all the sweet spots of salt and fat that scream comfort food. While the menu here is familiar, it’s also not restrained by strict orthodoxy—the three cup lobster unseats the chicken as the vehicle for an utterly craveable sauce. Finish off with the grid-post-worthy mountain of shaved ice studded with fresh fruit and topped with mascarpone—it’s one of the best ways to beat the summer heat. —Kat Chen
Connie ZhouFish Cheeks Williamsburg
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Go for: Excellent exclusive menu items at this new outpost of the beloved Thai spotThere’s a new Fish Cheeks in town, and it’s in prime Williamsburg. Much is the same at this expansive outpost of the beloved Thai restaurant, from the scaly decor and impeccable service to the tongue-scorching food (you can get the chicken wings here, don’t worry) although it’s worth making a trek out for some Williamsburg-exclusive menu items. I try them all during my sojourn, and each is excellent, from the pla ra-tini with gin, fermented fish sauce, and dry vermouth ($19, and a solid take on the typical dirty martini) to the tom yum soup ($42, and well worth it, swimming to the gills with ramen, crispy pork belly, squid, shrimp, and mussels as it is—it must be shared). The highlight exclusive, though, is the marinated raw crab ($32), which comes with a set of gloves for each diner to minimize the consequences of the mess that comes with cracking and slurping. —Charlie Hobbs
Urimat HospitalityDubuHaus
Neighborhood: Koreatown, Manhattan
Go for: Tons of tofu served every which wayIf there’s one thing you need to eat at DubuHaus, it’s the house-made tofu—“Dubu” happens to be the Korean word for tofu, so it’s an apt name for the place. If that prescription reads limiting, fear not, for the tofu here is served up in such a diversity of ways that you’ll find yourself wondering just how versatile a bean curd can be. Every meal here starts with a complimentary Chodang Dubu, or tofu in warm water, as an introduction to the ingredient as made here. From there, the world is your oyster (potentially literally). Try the maesaengi oyster sondoobu ($22), a soup that mixes delicate, wispy tofu with even more delicate seaweed alongside the titular shellfish, and the spicy braised dubu with gochujang and pork belly ($36). Even the dumplings come stuffed with dubu ($13-14, depending on what other fillings—pork, kimchi—you spring for). It's all served up in a dining room that's as sleek as the tofu itself, although not quite so simple. For where the tofu on its own is demure, and the corresponding tofu house might seem austere, this space is grand in scale. There's blond wood partitions, clean lines galore, and super high ceilings. It's a contemporary cavern, not a monastery. All of which to say, save it for a bit of a special occasion. —Charlie Hobbs
restaurantPitt's
$$Neighborhood: Red Hook, Brooklyn
Go for: comfort food that takes truly fun twists and turnsDespite my initial intention to do so, I did not order the swordfish au poivre ($33) at Pitt's as our waiter told me it was only their second-best entree and we only had room in our stomachs for one after a hearty appetizer order of escargot pumped with green goddess butter ($24), confetti salad (starring some very colorful endive, $17), and sublime sweetbreads seared with sage ($22). The waiter’s recommendation, were we to get only one entree for the table, was for the fried pork chop ($40), and the waiter was right. Once fried, this thing is done up in Pitt’s sauce (apricots, prunes, olives) and is just plain fabulous. I’m already plotting my return. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor
Chez FifirestaurantChez Fifi
$$$Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Manhattan
Good for: pure classThe Upper East Side is having a resurgence, and leading the charge is charming Chez Fifi—a two-story dimly-lit French bistro inside a refurbished townhouse. The team behind two-Michelin-starred Sushi Noz, brothers David and Joshua Foulquier, named the restaurant after their mother Fifi, who has a presence throughout the space with portraits hanging on the walls and honorable mentions throughout the menu. Fresh bread with radishes and salty French butter kicked off our meal (we can all eat that type of butter plain with a spoon, agreed?), followed by starters like the buttery bluefin tuna au citron with Ossetra caviar—a nod to their Sushi Noz counterpart—and more French-leaning dishes like omelette à plat, with mushrooms and Périgord truffles. The main courses and desserts were the true stars, though, and encompassed the most memorable bites of the meal: a generous portion of wild dover sole à la plancha, crispy frites maison with caviar-topped aioli, and a simple refreshing green salad. The fluffy chocolate mousse was silky and divine, and the crème brûlée was the best I’ve had in the city, hands down.. —E.A.
restaurantPapa San
$$Neighborhood: Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Go for: a big and boisterous Peruvian-inflected izakayaThe team behind Peruvian spots Llama Inn and Llama San (the first, a beloved Williamsburg ode to the country’s most quintessential dishes; the latter, a sultry tribute to Japanese-Peruvian food) has now dropped anchor in Hudson Yards with Papa San. It’s a big, boisterous, izakaya that, like Llama San, honors the tradition of nikkei cuisine, where Japanese and Peruvian flavors collide. Despite being, well, in Hudson Yards, the place is already packed on weeknights, with bumping music and tables full of people just off work digging into eel pizza and tangy ceviches. Whereas its sibling Llama San is intimate, each dish small and delicate, Papa San is certainly scaled up in terms of the space, menu, and offerings. As is always the case with Peruvian food for me, the ceviches and tiradito section was a highlight—that nikkei touch is just so special—thanks to a bright green fluke tiradito topped with grapes (trust me, it works!) and the even more surprising mackerel ceviche with crispy banana chips on top (also works!).The sweetbreads topped with chimichurri were a surprising showstopper—so much flavor in every melt-in-your-mouth bite—and nobody warned me about how good the cucumber and wood ear mushroom appetizer would be; I’m still thinking of the white sesame sauce. I’m still trying to figure out why the eel pizza is everyone’s top suggestion (it’s totally fine, but I’d prefer four more orders of the cucumber-mushroom number first), and I wish I’d gone for the scallop maki (an ode to conchas a la parmesana, an indulgent dish I always beg for when I’m in Lima) over the rock shrimp roll which was also good but not life-changing. Perhaps, on a menu this size, the reality is just that there are different strokes for different folks—but ultimately, yes, next time I find myself in Hudson Yards, I’d happily sit at the bar to soak up the vibes with a few ceviches in front of me (or even just that dreamy lucuma soft serve, made with the fruit you so rarely find outside of Peru). —M.S.
Alex StanlinoffrestaurantChatti
$$Neighborhood: Midtown, Manhattan
Go for: a vibrant celebration of the flavors—and culture—of Kerala's traditional toddy shopsMy grandmother, who spent the last decade of her life in a North Kerala town called Kozhikode, made the best kallummakkaya fry in all the land. As a kid, nothing made me happier than seeing it appear at the table: fresh mussels fried in coconut oil with shallots, curry leaves, and chillies. Long after she passed, my many lovely memories of her remain tangled with the food she prepared, and this dish in particular, which I found myself wolfing down on a recent evening at the newly opened Chatti. The opening of the city’s first Malayali restaurant trains a long-overdue spotlight on regional (North) Kerala fare, but chef Regi Mathew zooms in further still, with a menu that celebrates the drinking and eating micro-culture of toddy shops—hyperlocal eateries that function as communal gathering spaces. This homage is best felt in flavor-packed small plates like mathi varuthathu (sardine fry), mutton fry, and kappa vada (tapioca patties), all served with unselfconscious sincerity, but there are also heartier main courses like lobster moilee and raw mango prawn curry for mopping up with vattayappam (steamed rice cakes) or Kerala parotta. There’s no toddy on the menu, but there are plenty of Malayali-fied cocktails including a Cochin Sour made with pandan whisky and Kandhari, a tequila and kandhari chili concoction, as well as nonalcoholic staples like nannari sherbet (made with sarsaparilla syrup) and chukku kaapi (black coffee made with dry ginger and palm sugar) that works as a digestif. Chatti, which is named after the earthenware used in traditional Kerala cooking, is Mathew’s stateside debut but he has enjoyed great success running Kappa Chakka Kandhari, a multi-location restaurant in India. KCK’s most popular dishes have happily crossed over, like the cloud pudding, a divine tender coconut blancmange that melts in your mouth but leaves a lasting impression. Not unlike Chatti itself. —A.M.
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eugenia maffeirestaurantil Gigante
$$Neighborhood: Ridgewood, Queens
Go for: cozy Italian dishes (nothing misses) that will have you asking, “Why didn't anybody tell me about this sooner?”Il Gigante had to be really good to make it on this list—like, an undeniable standout of the year—as one of the owners is the partner of our executive editor, Erin Florio. We took our time to visit, we went to the other hyped spots first, even as Il Gigante started cropping up in our feeds. There's no way around it though: this trattoria is one of New York City's best new restaurant openings, in increasingly buzzy Ridgewood, and the tables—which are full by 7:30 on weeknights—speak for themselves, as does the food. Grab a seat in the room adorned with antique-market finds and low, flickering candles. Kick things off with the calamari fritti, equal parts crispy and airy, the kind of starter that will make even your anti-fried-food friend cave. As a pecorino lover, I found the pecorina salad with radicchio a perfect bitter complement to all that would come (it also balanced the salsiccia and beans appetizer, which was so cozy I understood what the restaurant means by “homestyle cooking” even though I wasn't raised in central Italy like the owners were). It's a challenge to not fill up before reaching the pasta and mains, but promise you won't: On a menu upon which nothing misses, the gramigna pasta (curly-cue noodles tossed in a pink sauce with sausage), and the cotoletta alla Bologense (a pork cutlet topped in 24 month-aged prosciutto and smothered in a parmesan sauce, heaven help us), are so delicious I was almost angry—why had nobody told me about this pasta shape, or this pork dish, sooner? Maybe they aren't all as good as Il Gigante's. The real kicker is that even the familiar dishes like bucatini cacio e pepe or lasagna are just perfect, and the constant din of other tables laughing or clinking wine glasses managed to convince an eagle-eyed group of travel editors that maybe, for the night, we might have been transported to Italy.
Crane Club
Neighborhood: Chelsea, Manhattan
Go for: A diverse and imminently sharable menu amidst excellent people watchingThe old Del Posto turned Al Coro has taken its third—and hopefully final—form as Chelsea’s buzzy new Crane Club by Tao Hospitality. The menu focuses on fresh seafood, wood-fire cooking, and a slew of fresh vegetables prepared in unique ways, like the Japanese sweet potato with whipped honey, tamari butter, and mascarpone. The meal kicks off with a bread basket made out of bread—the basket itself is one giant (delicious) cracker and holds multiple forms of bread including a fluffy cheddar biscuit. After that, there aren’t many ways to go wrong with the rest of the menu, but the decadent baked shells with ricotta, mascarpone, and black truffle jus will definitely blow you away. The restaurant also offered a lovely drinks service, with upscale touches like imprinted ice cubes, and a very knowledgeable sommelier on-site too. For dessert, it’s imperative that you indulge in the tahini lava cake with a molten tahini center. TLDR: come with your girlfriends, share just about everything on the menu, and people watch until you lose track of time. —Emily Adler
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