February 2020
It’s early 2020 and yet these restaurants could make it onto some best-of-the-year lists (OK, a few opened in 2019 but they’re still new to us). What sets them apart are the amazing chefs behind them, striking out on their own after gaining experience at top-flight places elsewhere. The spots are ostensibly Japanese, Korean, Basque and New American but they reflect global influences, making them quintessential representatives of New York City.
Restaurants
Chikarashi Isso
Chef’s choice of innovative small plates is the specialty at this stylish Japanese restaurant in the Financial District.
Restaurants
Ernesto’s
Ryan Bartlow’s Basque-style cooking chops make this corner spot on the Lower East Side an alluring destination.
Restaurants
Kochi
Try Korean small plates crafted with French technique at this gourmet destination in Hell’s Kitchen.
Restaurants
Madre
Madre is much more than a Brooklyn hotel restaurant, with great seasonal food, drinks and a warm welcome.
January 2020
Your route to happiness this month lies in visiting these five diverse restaurants. One boasts a killer cheeseburger (with Korean accents, no less) while another honors a chef’s Palestinian heritage. Alfred Portale, famed for decades at the seminal Gotham Bar & Grill, has opened his own spot in Chelsea, cooking heartfelt Italian food. Read on for that and much more, including details on a new European gem in the West Village.
Restaurants
Le Crocodile
Enjoy this cosmopolitan French brasserie inside Williamsburg’s Wythe Hotel
December 2019
Add these five new restaurants to your December want-to-eat list. Exciting chefs around the City explore the frontiers of dim sum, temaki, biryani and okonomiyaki, plus there’s a friendly natural wine bar you should know about. Read on for details.
November 2019
From a cool new Brooklyn pizza joint to a luxury Korean restaurant in Midtown, we’ve got details on some of the City’s most happening fall food spots. November is ideal for oysters so, fittingly, there’s a smart new shellfish palace in Tribeca you need to know about. Read on for details, including news on a Harlem restaurant with global flavors and a former warehouse in Williamsburg big enough to host boozy Italian-style gatherings over the holidays.
Restaurants
Ainslie
Enjoy drinks and Italian fare at a Williamsburg hangout with late-night hours.
Restaurants
Archer & Goat
An intimate global restaurant in Harlem serves impressive cocktails.
Restaurants
Canal Street Oysters
This restaurant, in a Tribeca Beaux-Arts building, towers when it comes to shellfish.
Restaurants
F&F Pizzeria
Cultishly admired restaurateurs bring a destination slice joint to Carroll Gardens.
October 2019
Llama San, a thrilling fusion of Japanese-Peruvian flavors, is the latest hot spot in the always impressive West Village. Read on for details, as well as where to find great California-style cuisine in the Seaport District and amazing Taiwanese-American fare in Brooklyn. We also have the scoop on a crowd-pleasing Chinese restaurant in Midtown that won’t break the bank.
Restaurants
The Jones
This unpretentious Noho joint features good pastries, seafood and sandwiches.
Restaurants
Llama San
Creative Peruvian-Japanese cuisine is served in a refined West Village bistro.
Restaurants
Malibu Farm
An indoor-outdoor, California-style restaurant that has views of the Brooklyn Bridge from Pier 17.
Restaurants
Win Son Bakery
Try Taiwanese-American pastries, sandwiches and fried chicken at this casual Williamsburg café.
September 2019
The boundless ingenuity of Momofuku’s David Chang is on display at his latest venture, Bar Wayō, in the South Street Seaport, where he and his team do fun takes on seafood. Innovative chefs are also hard at work in the East Village, West Village, Flatiron District and Brooklyn’s Crown Heights. See what they’re up to in this month’s roundup.
Restaurants
Bar Wayō
Enjoy amazing seafood sandwiches and waterfront views in the Seaport District.
Restaurants
Laut Singapura
A kaleidoscope of Southeast Asian flavors is offered in a vibrant setting.
Restaurants
The Ryerson
Creative Southern food and cocktails happen at this cozy Crown Heights joint.
August 2019
This month we’ve got the details on surprisingly tasty food at a comedy club, an old-fashioned tavern in Brooklyn and a small bistro in the West Village that has all the hallmarks of earning Michelin stars. If you’re into natural wines, heirloom grains or elegant Northern Chinese food, we’ve got that covered too.
Restaurants
Fieldtrip Harlem
Heirloom rice and global influences abound at this fast-casual Harlem spot.
Restaurants
LaLou
Natural wines and season-driven bites are found in this stylish Brooklyn bar.
Restaurants
Montesacro Pinseria Romana
A modern Roman-style restaurant serves up light-crusted pies and pasta.
Restaurants
Red Hook Tavern
This classic-style New York City tavern is great for drinks and burgers.
Restaurants
Shun
This luxurious French-Japanese restaurant sits adjacent to a glamorous lounge.
Restaurants
Three Owls Market
A health-oriented café has takeaway prepared foods near the base of the High Line.
July 2019
Just in time for summer, Long Island City has a great new barbecue joint with a massive outdoor beer garden. This month also brings exciting destinations for Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Greek, Georgian and French cuisine, plus a wildly designed seafood restaurant that has to be seen to be believed.
Restaurants
Lamalo
Sample Middle Eastern spreads and fresh-baked bread in a modern Nomad restaurant.
Restaurants
Lamia’s Fish Market
Visit a playfully designed multilevel seafood restaurant in the East Village.
Restaurants
Le Jardinier
This chic French restaurant in Midtown has a vegetable-forward menu.
Restaurants
Tsismis
Spend time at this casual Filipino-style hangout on the Lower East Side.
Restaurants
Van Da
Have a meal at this exquisite little Vietnamese restaurant in the East Village.
June 2019
This month offers many culinary riches, from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s take on seafood in the Seaport to a chef (who trained with the famed Massimo Bottura) crafting handmade pasta in the Flatiron. What's more, Jody Williams and Rita Sodi have finally opened Bar Pisellino in the West Village, the long-awaited follow-up to their mobbed Via Carota. Read on for more, including details on the best new Turkish spot in Astoria and a wine bar in Greenpoint devoted to California vintages.
Restaurants
Bar Pisellino
Hang out in an all-day casual Italian café from the Via Carota team.
Restaurants
Casa Bocado
Try top-notch Mexican fare and tequila in a hip cantina on the Bowery.
Restaurants
Coast and Valley
A contemporary California wine bar offers small plates and vintages by the glass in Greenpoint.
Restaurants
The Fulton
Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebration of fresh seafood in the Seaport District.
Restaurants
Michaeli Bakery
Fabulous Israeli-style rugelach, babka and bourekas come with a modern touch.
Restaurants
Wayla
This Lower East Side spot is worth seeking out for backyard bites and drinks.
Restaurants
Rezdôra
A refined osteria in the Flatiron features the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna.
May 2019
This month we’ve got news on where to find perhaps the best roast beef sandwich—plus excellent macaroni and cheese, Korean hot pot and Cuban meat pies—in NYC. And if you’re curious about the world of natural wines and a wide spectrum of rosés, your search is over; we’ve got news on that too. Read on for more.
April 2019
Times Square is not traditionally synonymous with fine dining, but an enterprise between chef-restaurateur John Fraser and hotelier Ian Schrager has changed the game. Fraser is often ahead of the curve, his innovative takes on plant-based cuisine embraced by carnivores and vegetarians alike. This month we’ve also got news on a Chicago-based gem hidden in a Chinatown alleyway, where to get the best breakfast sandwich in Brooklyn and a Danish café near Union Square with amazing breads and desserts. Read on for more.
Restaurants
701West
Fine dining from John Fraser is offered high above the fray of Times Square.
Restaurants
Ardyn
Visit an alluring New American restaurant and lounge in Greenwich Village.
Restaurants
Bagock Fried Chicken & Doughnuts
Eat classic American fried chicken and fresh-made doughnuts in Williamsburg.
Restaurants
Ole & Steen
A Danish café near Union Square serves healthy grains, pastries and sandwiches.
Restaurants
San Pedro Inn
Hit this Red Hook roadhouse for a good beer selection and cheap tacos.
Restaurants
Spicy Moon Vegetarian Szechuan
A small, friendly vegetarian paradise calls the East Village home.
March 2019
Nolita’s slender streets are lined with independent retail shops, cozy cafés and bars, and now three exciting new restaurants. Read on for details about them as well as info on seven other outstanding arrivals across the City.
Restaurants
Hudson & Charles Dinette
A couple of new-wave butchers have opened a next-door West Village café.
Restaurants
Hunky Dory
Innovative American food and cocktails in an all-day Crown Heights café
Restaurants
Mint Kitchen
Dine on healthy, fast-casual Middle Eastern food near Union Square.
February 2019
A waterfront seafood restaurant on Staten Island and new-wave Korean food in Brooklyn are just two of the reasons to check out this month’s roundup of recently opened restaurants. We’ve also got details on novel pizza specialists, a stimulating Vietnamese barbecue spot in the East Village and where to find the best cocktails and high-caliber bar food near Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Restaurants
La Central
Try bold, Pan-American food in a cool boutique hotel near the High Line.
Restaurants
La Rossa
Thin-crust pizza with innovative toppings take center stage in a contemporary Nolita café.
Restaurants
Mission
Find spicy, inventive Chinese food in a neon-lit setting in East Williamsburg.
Restaurants
Teo
Find spectacular Japanese cooking with Southern twists from a Momofuku alum.
January 2019
This month’s roundup has details on Thai curries and Cantonese steamed rice rolls that are sure to thrill your palate. A corner deli in Brooklyn might be cooking up the best bagels and bialys in the City. And if you’re into ramen, read on; there’s a sensational new joint in the East Village you need to know about.
Restaurants
Franks Wine Bar
A snug, ambitious bar in Brooklyn serves hundreds of natural and classic wines.
Restaurants
GupShup
A modern Indian fusion restaurant brings colorful dishes and decor to Gramercy.
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The Hive
This Williamsburg gathering place excels at burgers, fish tacos and beer.
Restaurants
Joe’s Steam Rice Roll
Enjoy delicate Cantonese-style rice rolls made to order in a Chinatown food hall.
Restaurants
Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels
Find old-school bagels, bialys, schmears and classic deli sandwiches.
Restaurants
TabeTomo
Try sensational ramen and a highly curated selection of sakes in the East Village.
December 2018
The Upper West Side has seen an influx of exciting dining destinations. Head to the neighborhood for contemporary spicy Hunan dishes, luxurious Italian from a rising-star chef and modern, healthy Greek fare. Over at the Time Warner Center, David Chang has two new ventures. And those who love sandwiches—especially of the po’boy and banh mi varieties—have a new reason to make a beeline for Brooklyn.
Restaurants
Atlas Kitchen
This contemporary Chinese restaurant offers both familiar and unexpected specialties.
Restaurants
Bāng Bar
David Chang stuffs his inventive griddled flatbreads with spit-roasted meats.
Restaurants
Benno
Try Jonathan Benno’s flagship Mediterranean restaurant in the Evelyn Hotel.
Restaurants
Devon
This stylish neighborhood bar on the Lower East Side serves shareable snacks.
Restaurants
Fava Mediterranean Bistro
This charming West Village duplex features Mediterranean fare and a daily happy hour.
Restaurants
Nai Tapas
Head to the East Village for modern and traditional tapas, Spanish wine and flamenco.
Restaurants
Po'Mi
Serious chefs are behind this sandwich shop honoring the po’boy and banh mi.
Restaurants
Pomona
Try inventive New American cuisine and cocktails in an underground space.
November 2018
This month we’re giving you the lowdown on exciting new Taiwanese, Indian, Korean, Italian and Greek restaurants. And even though it’s cold out, ice-cream impresario Nick Morgenstern is on fire with his second location. The larger Greenwich Village spot has 88 flavors to try, as well as sundaes and cakes. Read on for more, including places in Williamsburg, Cobble Hill and Jackson Heights that are breaking new ground.
Restaurants
Fournos Theophilos
This all-day Greek café, bakery and gourmet market is a great spot for a quick meal in Midtown.
Restaurants
Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream
Morgenstern’s second location has both classic and crazy ice cream flavors dreamed up by an inventive pastry chef.
Restaurants
The Queensboro
This modern, spacious New American restaurant also has a great cocktail list.
Restaurants
Saint Julivert Fisherie
This global seafood counter with a smart wine list is found in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill.
Restaurants
Shake Shack Innovation Kitchen
Try (and rate) new menu items at Shake Shack’s test kitchen in the West Village.
Restaurants
The Woo
The elegant Korean restaurant with do-it-yourself table grills is an interactive experience.
October 2018
New Yorkers share a passion for pizza, willing to stand in line for the very best even with perfectly good slices on nearly every corner. In our latest roundup, get the details on a retro Brooklyn joint catching buzz, plus where to find the lustiest chicken sandwich and most exciting North African street food. There’s also good news about Missy Robbins’ follow-up to Lilia, the Williamsburg restaurant that won her Best Chef: NYC from the James Beard Foundation in 2018.
Restaurants
Bluebird London
Visit a beautiful modern British restaurant in the Time Warner Center
Restaurants
The Flying Fisherman
This modern seafood brasserie is on the Upper West Side near Lincoln Center.
Restaurants
Holy Ground
This underground retro supper club combines barbecue and steakhouse favorites
Restaurants
Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
Paulie brings retro decor and great pizza to Greenpoint.
September 2018
At a sleek spot in Brooklyn, chef Nasim Alikhani offers a fresh take on Persian cuisine. Elegantly prepared Hunan rice noodles are all the rage in the East Village. Meanwhile, in the Financial District, after-work crowds are whooshing up 60 stories to visit Danny Meyer’s latest tony establishment. See the details in our September roundup, which includes the City’s most exciting new cocktail bar and the long-awaited reopening of the Four Seasons.
Restaurants
Cardoncello diVino
Southern Italian mushrooms are the cornerstone of this hospitable osteria.
Restaurants
Charley St
Enjoy healthy grain bowls, toast and eggs from a charismatic Australian chef.
Restaurants
The Four Seasons Restaurant
The mid-century modern gem offers New American cuisine and a powerhouse clientele.
Restaurants
Manhatta
Feast on stunning views of the City and a compelling New American menu.
Restaurants
Noted Tribeca
This all-day café and cocktail lounge serves Korean-accented bites.
Restaurants
Sofreh
Dine on beautifully prepared Persian food in a sleek Prospect Heights spot.
August 2018
Jonathan Benno’s brilliant cooking has thrilled patrons at Lincoln Ristorante and Per Se for years, and now he’s landed at a modern new Italian restaurant in the Flatiron District. Our August roundup has the details, plus where to go for the most amazing couscous, grilled Japanese yakitori, wood-fired Mexican and modern Chinese in a stylish setting.