68 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

Since 1908, this local landmark has been known for brusque waiters serving stellar platters of smoked salmon, sturgeon, whitefish, and pickled herring to a happy crowd packed to the gills at small Formica tables. Split a fish platter with bagels, cream cheese, and other fixings, or get your velvety nova scrambled with eggs and buttery caramelized onions. If still hungry, go for a plate of cheese blintzes or the to-die-for chopped liver. Be warned that the weekend brunch wait can exceed an hour, so you may want to get food to go or come during the week.

After three decades of working as a maître d' at some of the city's most upscale eateries, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has a place of his own. His dimly lit, 120-seat eponymous restaurant exudes a sleek, classic New York vibe with green leather booths and Art Deco lighting fixtures. The kitchen produces excellent American comfort food, including a superlative two-patty burger; mushrooms stuffed with black truffles, breadcrumbs, and grana padano cheese; and sautéed calf's liver with mashed potatoes and bacon. Service, as you'd expect from a restaurant owned by a maître d', is friendly but professional. 

There are plenty of pushcarts dispensing hot dogs and sodas, but to soak up Central Park's magic in an elegant setting, head for the Boathouse overlooking the gondola lake. New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief when this landmark treasure reopened after a year-long closure in early 2024 with a new operator, a newly renovated outdoor bar, structural improvements to connect the upper and lower outdoor dining patios, a fresh menu, and expanded nearby restrooms. Enjoy light, counter-service fare on the patio or in the adjacent inner dining area of the Express Cafe; savor a glass of wine and a cheese plate on the alfresco Dockside bar; or splurge on seafood, pastas, and fillet of beef in the more formal interior bar-restaurant. In warmer months, the deck and more formal restaurant can get crowded, so aim for a late lunch or early-evening cocktail. In colder months, there is no dinner service in the restaurant and the Dockside is closed. The boathouse is accessible on foot or via a shuttle bus that makes several stops along 5th Avenue.

At this casual retro-diner restaurant, weekend brunch brings a line down the street for what many believe to be the best blueberry pancakes in the city, if not the whole country. Lunch and dinner options include a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and salads—and you can get those pancakes at dinner, too, without as long a wait.

The word "diner" might evoke a greasy spoon, but this trendsetting restaurant under the Williamsburg Bridge is nothing of the sort. It occupies a 1927 dining car, and foodies cram into the booths to partake in eclectic dishes from the regularly changing menu, based on seasonal ingredients from farms in the Greater New York area. They're also known for their grass-fed burger, available year-round. Andrew Tarlow—the godfather of Brooklyn's farm-to-table culinary renaissance—opened it in 1999 and launched an entire movement. 

Every bit as thrilling as when it opened in 1984, this culinary landmark continues to focus on a foundation of simple, clean flavors to create transcendent preparations: no rack of lamb is more tender, no seafood salad sweeter, and desserts are also memorable. Take a stroll through the Union Square Greenmarket before or after lunch to see the chef's inspirations.

Danny Meyer's perennially popular restaurant tops many a New Yorker's list of favorite dining spots, as much for the exemplary food as for the clubby, art-filled space. In front, the cozy, first-come, first-served Tavern has an à la carte menu (the $35 burger with duck-fat potato chips is a standout) along with great craft beers and cocktails; the more formal dining room in back serves a four-course Greenmarket Lunch and a showstopping five-course tasting menu for dinner. 

This family-friendly burger joint on the bustling, brownstone-lined corner of 124th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard has a retro malt-shop interior adorned with headshots of Black entertainers, vintage Jet magazine covers, and even a Wall of Fro dedicated to customers with afros. The name is a clever take on the world-famous Harlem Shake dance made popular by Harlem resident Al B, and also gives a nod to its rich organic milk shakes—such as the signature Red Velvet, locally made with real cake and Blue Marble ice cream. Creative burgers include the award-winning Hot Mess, which is topped with pickled cherry pepper and bacon relish, American cheese, and smoky chipotle mayo. Tasty nonbeef alternatives, like the house-made veggie burger, the Hot Honey Chick sandwich (dark meat fried chicken drizzled with Mike's Hot Honey), or the simple, yet satisfying cheese fries are staples of the reasonably priced menu. There's happy hour on beer and wine, or go booze-free with a myriad of old-fashioned soda options.

Roughly the size of a studio apartment, this homey bar and restaurant is the epitome of a neighborhood spot; just keep in mind that advance reservations aren't accepted. The short menu of comfort foods—hamburgers, a pasta of the day, macaroni and cheese—changes frequently. Specials like homemade gnocchi with duck ragout never fail to impress. Their salads, such as roasted artichoke with baby arugula and white truffle oil, and their date pudding for dessert, also stand out. Heidi's House is better suited to smaller parties, and takes same-day reservations, but at its charming little bar next door—Ed's Elbow Room—you can also order from Heidi's full menu or have a drink while waiting for a table.

Easy to spot from its vintage sign outside, the self-described “saloon with food” has been serving its famous hefty burgers and cottage fries, along with thick sandwiches and drinks like Bloody Marys, since 1972. Its decor is warm and woody, the tablecloths are checkered, the tables are packed close together (so it’s noisy when crowded), and there’s an everybody-knows-your-name vibe. Save room for dessert, because the chocolate chip cake and pecan pie are worth the calories. This place also is known for its late hours—the kitchen is open until after midnight on most nights—and its old-time jukebox.

This New York--style bistro, opened in late 2024, is already a hit. Warm hospitality exudes from the staff, including waiters and even busboys, while the checkered wood floor and the wood-backed bar add to the cozy ambience. The bustling scene is lively, but it's worth enduring the crowds to try the black tie burger and the unusual take on spinach and artichoke dip. The "marry me chicken" is popular. There's a robust wine list and various cocktails, including one infused with truffles. The raw bar towers are attention grabbers, and, for dessert, the sticky toffee pudding is out-of-this-world delicious. Reservations are strongly recommended.

This standard Greek-named diner, next to the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, offers a full-service coffee bar, a wide range of omelets, and sandwiches. Try the "signature Nisi creation," comprised of your choice of pancake, waffle, or French toast topped with decadent and some cleverly named offerings, like the Elvis (peanut butter chips, sauce, and bananas); Oreo Cookie (cookie crumbles, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and, of course, whipped cream). There's also some vegan lunch and dinner dishes and a "build your own burger" menu with a wide array of choices of patties, cheeses, toppings and even dressings.

This new bagel outpost is serving up twists on an iconic NYC classic. Just-out-of-the-oven bagels, sold only in packs of three, six, or a dozen, come with a container of cream cheese (or two when a dozen is ordered) and diners are expected to rip and dip. This fast-growing chain, with locations around the city and some out of state, offers a new cream cheese flavor and a different butter every week. Long lines spill onto the sidewalk on the weekends and funky decor, including a disco ball, are part of the hot spot. Indoor seating is limited but patrons are expected to walk around while eating. PopUp has many celebrity backers, including Michael Phelps, Paul Rudd, Michael Strahan, Donald Glover and more. 

Marcus Samuelsson, who earned his celebrity chefdom at Aquavit in Midtown for his take on Ethiopian-accented Scandinavian cuisine (fusing the food of his birthplace with that of where he grew up), moved to Harlem in 2010, creating a culinary hot spot in this casual, jazzy-looking space with wall murals, wooden tables, and bistro chairs. The comfort-food menu reflects the ethnic diversity of modern-day New York City, from spicy jerk salmon to hot honey fried chicken. It’s very crowded during weekend brunch hours, so expect a wait for Sunday brunch, with its gospel music, boozy cocktails, and modern takes on dishes like chicken and waffles.

Friendly service and convivial, colorful crowds have transformed this bi-level, renovated warehouse into a quirky neighborhood institution with rotating art and music shows and frequent DJ sets. The kitchen's organic menu changes daily, plus there's a weekend brunch with live Americana music. 

Noted restaurateur Danny Meyer's unpretentious but classy American restaurant has been serving impressively well-executed food to much acclaim since it first opened on Union Square in 1985, and the tradition continues in this elegantly clubby spot a few blocks north of the original location. It's almost impossible to go wrong anywhere on the menu; this place is truly the real deal, with standout steak, fish, and pasta dishes, as well as excellent desserts.

Set on the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets across from Father Demo Square, this American restaurant is as simple as its name. Try to nab a seat at the bar/chef's counter to get a front-row seat of the large hearth where chefs put fire to a vegetable-forward menu, plus one of the best roast chickens in the city. The wood-fired whole fish, doused with green curry, is also excellent, as is pretty much anything that comes from the hearth. The short but nicely curated wine list complements the food menu well. 

A throwback to old New York with European accents, Anton's kitchen churns out excellent, old-school dishes like whitefish salad and chopped chicken liver, but also some great takes on pasta: the simple spaghetti anchoiade (pasta with anchovies) is superb. So is the bucatini Baczysnky, named for a long-time (and still existing) Ukrainian butcher shop in East Village where the chef sources his guanciale (cured pig jowels or cheeks) for the dish. It's really just a classic riff on Amatriciana. The casual atmosphere has an air of sophistication, perhaps thanks to the many spotlit paintings by Vitali Dvali, an artist from the Republic of Georgia.

Whether it's a smash burger or a spicy margarita, the Bonnie is here to provide. This brick-and-wood exposed gastropub is calm enough to enjoy a happy hour with some of their masterfully curated cocktails by the bar (they even host a biannual cocktail competition called Queens Cup), to grab a late-night bite until 11:45 pm on Friday and Saturday, or to simply dance to the tunes of local DJs well past midnight. They recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, and in their decade in Astoria, they've become a neighborhood favorite.