154 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

New York has seen a proliferation of food halls in the past few years, but few are as sleek and modern as this LIC space. Fitting for its borough, JACX&CO offers a wide range of innovative flavors from independent chefs, including refreshing, vegetable-forward Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare from taïm, fresh juices from Essex Squeeze, and omakase upstairs at Sushi Nikko. For a less vegetable-forward meal, try a smash burger at Paper Plate, a slice from Ace's Pizza, or grab a cocktail at the bar.

Even among the overwhelming options in Flushing, this spot still feels new and unique. It’s namesake dish is cheong fun, a squidgy, chewy, slippery rice-flour roll beloved in Hong Kong, and you can also order egg crepes known as jianbing or Chinese pancakes with your choice of meat topping. Joe's Signature rice roll, a heaping portion that could easily feed two, comes with beef, dried shrimp, pork, eggs, and veggies.

Famous for its thick slices of cheesecake, Junior's has been a quintessential Brooklyn eatery since 1950, with a menu that also includes their famous steakburgers and matzo ball soup. Their Reubens and thick French fries are first-rate, as are the potato latkes and pretty much all the breakfast offerings. Sink into one of the vinyl booths and enjoy comforting diner and delicatessen classics in this brightly lit space.

This elegant dining room across from Bryant Park has evolved from a coffee refueling spot to a full-fledged restaurant serving masterful modern American and traditional Mediterranean dishes—as well as a few Asian favorites—from seafood to a legendary truffle burger. Whether you visit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, don't miss the award-winning, halva-infused coffee.

At this compact Wall Street café, expect excellent espresso drinks, fine teas, cold-brew coffee on tap, and impressive latte art. Along with fresh and sometimes creative baked goods, you'll have your choice of nondairy milks and natural sweeteners. There are a few spots to sit, but plan to take your drinks and snacks to go.

Food-media-darling chef Andrew Carmellini (who has several other restaurants around town, including Locanda Verde and the Dutch) goes Gallic at this upscale bistro with lots of cushy booths. There's no culinary trickery, just straightforward and very satisfying French fare along the lines of roasted halibut with saffron-spiked potatoes, a silky beef tartare, and excellent steak frites. For something more casual, grab a seat at the all-day café and bakery, where breakfast is the sleeper hit.

This sumptuous supper club on the ground floor of the Chatwal Hotel has superb Art Deco detailing, red leather banquettes, and a roaring fireplace. Led by chef Jack Logue, the menu features contemporary American cuisine with luxe touches in everything from shellfish and classic salads to a shortlist of chophouse steaks and excellent sides and sauces. There's also a robust three-course pretheater menu ($89 or $95). The lunch menu is balanced with a range of perfected dishes; but the sleeper meal here is breakfast, with generous sweet and/or savory fare that will fill you up for the rest of the day.

A nod to Midtown's famed, former Legacy Recording Studios, this chic eatery with a focus on the cuisine of northern Italy is well worth a far-west-side walk to the edge of Hudson Yards. The culinary dream team here also operates downtown's Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones restaurants, focusing here on the north's coastal regions that are showcased with a crudo tasting menu, as well as more inventive dishes inspired by remote locales across Italy. The small bites and larger plates are sensational, elevated by the tantalizing cocktail program and enormous wine selection. The restaurant has a casual elegance thanks to its homey wood, leather, and brass details, with a compact dining room and inviting U-shape bar.

Tucked in Williamsburg's old-school Italian American residential area is this homey Italian café adorned with old vintage toys and other nostalgic knickknacks. They're known for serving proper Italian coffee to sip along with their several breakfast offerings, daily soups, pastries, or their house-made piadines (unleavened Italian flatbread) filled with meats and cheeses—or even just Nutella.

Melbourne’s coffee culture is on display at this breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot that’s known for its flat whites, avocado toast, and a rotating French toast special—with a recent version having a crème brûlée filling. This busy café’s vast all-day menu also includes many brekkie options (consider the breakfast burrito), salads, sandwiches, and a daily soup. There’s a little cheekiness here, too, as the brand’s mascot—a green expressive cup named Collin—is prominent. 

Run by one of Manhattan's top chefs, Andrew Carmellini, this is a consistently fine option for satisfying, sophisticated TriBeCa dining. Occupying the ground floor corner of the Greenwich Hotel (and affiliated with Robert De Niro), Locanda Verde is warm and welcoming, with accents of brick and wood, and large windows that open to the street, weather permitting. The inspired Italian comfort food is worth the splurge on tantalizing, seasonally inspired antipasti, spectacular handmade pasta dishes, and hearty secondi celebrating different regions of Italy. Several draft beers, along with more than a dozen wines by the glass, make an already hopping bar scene even more of a draw. The restaurant also has a location inside Midtown's Hudson Yards.

A tiny, rustic-styled, indie coffee spot, Lucid serves excellent, boldly flavored coffee, an array of teas and chai, and hot chocolate, as well as tasty pastries. Their house-made almond milk goes nicely with their flat white. Savor the delicious aromas inside the homey space with its small wooden tables, and ask about special or seasonal coffee flavors. It's popular with both travelers and locals.

While it's best known for its chicken, a visit to this no-frills Dominican restaurant in Washington Heights should also include mofongo, a traditional Dominican dish of mashed plantains and crispy pork skin. Order a combo platter to try a variety of flavors; parrillada de carne comes with chicken, skirt steak, pork chops, and Dominican sausage. If you're in the area in the morning, you should try the mangú tres golpes, a traditional Dominican breakfast of mashed green plantains with fried eggs, salami, and fried cheese. There's a second location on Amsterdam Avenue and 97th Street.

If you've ever imagined that you lived in the French countryside, your dream home would probably look like this rustic counter-serve spot, and if you were lucky, your French maman would turn out baked goods as delicious as what you'll find here. Croissants, cookies, and moist loaf cakes share the display case and there's a short menu of salads, sandwiches, and quiches.

At the base of the Shops at Hudson Yards is this sprawling love letter to Spanish gastronomy, helmed by chef José Andrés and team. You can eat at self-serve tables; dine in full-service restaurants, Mar, Spanish Diner, or Leña; or pull up a stool at La Barra to sample delectable tapas (with vegetarian and seafood selections) and terrific wine and cocktails. The venue features fresh market (mercado) stands of produce, cheese, jamón (ham), pasteles (pastries), and more, as well as dedicated seafood and paella outposts.

Part of Alsatian superchef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's culinary empire, the celebrity-laden front room of this SoHo spot in the Mercer Hotel is as much about scene as cuisine, which isn't a bad thing since both are top of the line. Dishes here look toward Italy, using simple ingredients and pairings.

Named after the Montréal neighborhood known for its bagels, Mile End serves takes on Jewish deli staples, the Montrealer way: with smoked meat. Hearty sandwiches include the Eli Reuben (smoked meat, corned beef) and the Lipitorminator (liver and onions with smoked meat). Diners come not just for sandwiches, but for their matzo ball soup, or the quintessential Quebecois dish, poutine.

The tiny East Village location of this combination bakery and ice-cream parlor is just steps away from the original, which began serving pastry whiz Christina Tosi's innovative treats back in 2008. Swing by for a slice of the famed "candy bar pie" (caramel, peanut-butter nougat, and pretzels atop a chocolate-cookie crust), a compost cookie (made with pretzels, potato chips, and chocolate chips), or some of the creatively flavored soft-serve ice cream (cereal milk, lemon verbena).

The multiyear winner of Jackson Heights's annual Momo Crawl, Nepali Bhanchha Ghar is an unassuming spot known for its jhol momo (juicy dumplings in a rich, tomato-y, chutney-esque broth) and other Nepalese fare. Also on hand are a spicy, crispy noodle dish that will remind you of packaged ramen (though in a good way), thali platters vibrant with fiery, colorful curries, and a special savory fried doughnut called sel roti, served with a spicy tomato chutney.

Worthy Korean barbecue will draw you in to this longtime favorite, but be sure to explore the full menu to find the other authentic Korean dishes that also draw crowds from morning through midnight, and then early into the next morning. This casual spot has tile floors and wooden chairs and tables, and the tables have charcoal-fueled grills for extra sizzle on meats and garnishes. Jjigae (Korean stews), bibimbap, scallion and kimchi pancakes, and other Korean fare round out this hit K-town menu.

If the Upper West Side and the French Riviera collided, it might look a little bit like Nice Matin. This longtime neighborhood favorite is particularly popular in warm-weather months, when regulars plant themselves at sidewalk tables and gawk at passersby while munching on Gallic fare like pan-roasted monkfish, garlicky mussels, and, of course, steak frites. The novel-size wine list has more than 2,000 bottles, so bring your reading glasses. 

Entering this restaurant is like walking into the dressy stateroom of a modern luxury ocean liner, a perfect setting for some of the most vivid and delicious seafood in town. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out north and west, and the arrestingly designed raw bar backed with Mediterranean-hue ceramics serves stunningly fresh choices including gorgeous oysters. Expect to find a contemporary menu with enticing appetizers, whole fish, live Maine lobsters, and vegetarian options.

New York hot spots change often, but this spot has managed to maintain its quality and flair since 1980: it still feels like the spot in TriBeCa to rendezvous for lunch or dinner, grab a drink, and get a late-night bite. The neo–art deco room and chill outdoor tables stay full daily with local office workers and nightly with residential revelers who adore the classic French-brasserie vibes. Cocktails are expertly made, and the pleasant service and well-chosen wine list are always in style. Menu highlights include crisp Nicoise salad, buttery croque monsieur, and authentic beef Bourguignon.

The array of delectable baked goods at this counter-serve spot imported from Denmark is what lures most customers, but locals know this is also a great place for sandwiches, soups, and fresh bread. If you like cinnamon, you must try the cinnamon pastries.