272 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

Chef Michael Toscano produces flavor-popping Italian dishes at his eponymous restaurant, located in a tiny alleyway between 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street. Menu hits include lamb neck-filled agnolotti, pappardelle with duck ragù and shaved foie gras, and garlic butter--stuffed chicken. Thursday to Saturday at lunchtime, the restaurant becomes a sandwich shop, making the best porchetta sandwich this side of Tuscany: rosemary-and-fennel-spiked pork with salsa verde, provolone cheese, and pork cracklings between two plus-size pieces of focaccia.

Top-quality sandwiches, delicious pastries, market-fresh salads, and a few hot lunch and dinner options are served to eat in or take away at this petite bakery-café that's part of Danny Meyer's empire. There are a few seats but when the weather's nice, take your food to eat on a bench in Union Square.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's origins are in Upstate New York, but its massive Harlem location brings smoked, homemade barbecue to the Big Apple. Big appetites will be happy with the huge platters of St. Louis–style ribs, Memphis-style ribs, and pulled pork and brisket here, as well as sides like mac'n'cheese, Asian cucumber salad, corn bread, slaw, and barbecue baked beans. Smaller appetites can opt for chicken wings, sliders, sandwiches, fried green tomatoes, salads, or Creole deviled eggs.

If you have a hankering for red-sauce Italian–American fare, steer clear of Little Italy, and book yourself into Don Angie, a restaurant that took a staid cuisine, updated it, and made it wholly edible again: quite a task. Sit in the retro front room—featuring checkerboard floors and arched doorways—and chow down on sopressini pasta paired with mussels, garganelli noodles with meatballs and guanciale (cured pork jowl), or the excellent (and hugely portioned) lasagna for two, a spiral-shape reimagining of the classic dish.

Housed in a triangular building smack in the center of Meatpacking District action, this bi-level Mexican restaurant with ample outdoor seating does consistently solid fare. The menu boasts classic south-of-the-border staples like chicken enchiladas, variations on the theme of tacos, and nachos, but the kitchen is at its best when churning out less-likely fare, such as yuca-stuffed croquetas, butternut squash and pumpkin soup, and mole-brushed short ribs. And, of course, you can wash it all down with one (or two) of several types of margaritas. 

This cocktail-forward Anglo-Indian restaurant and bar, a warm, low-lit space with wooden tables, pays homage to the flavors and beverages found in the bistros, cafés, and supper clubs of "Old Bombay" in the early 20th century. In addition to biryanis, samosas, and kebabs, well-liked menu choices extend to butter chicken tikka masala, Goan pork vindaloo, and saag paneer (spicy greens cooked with Indian cheese), while the extensive beverage menu features reinvented cocktails such as Indian Spiced Old-Fashioned and the Bombay Gin Fizz---but think about ordering the house paanch, a five-ingredient drink whose name is a Hindi word commonly associated with punch. The Munkey prix-fixe dinner includes a cocktail, main course, and dessert.

Both a bustling food hall and a marketplace where you can shop for produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and kitchen staples, Eataly is a temple to all things gourmet Italian. You can graze at individual stands, sit down for a meal at one of several restaurants that each specialize in different aspects of Italian cuisine, or head upstairs to Serra by Birreria, a covered rooftop space that's open year-round and serves Italian specialties and microbrews that change with the seasons.

The Edge Harlem is housed in what was once a meeting place for key figures of the Harlem Renaissance like Zora Neal Hurston and Langston Hughes. Known for its cozy, rustic decor and creative food, this quaint but upbeat eatery is brought to you by a family unit, including two sisters, Juliet and Justine. With their British and Jamaican heritage driving the menu items, the shrimp and Parmesan grits are a standout, along with the codfish fritters and jerk chicken. On the weekends, don't miss out on the national dish of Jamaica, ackee and saltfish, best served with festival, a fried, crunchy bread.

The sleek, wood-paneled interior, complete with pink and blue ceiling lights, is an inviting venue in which to  indulge in a fusion of Basque and southern French fare. Eel Bar has a tavern or gastropub vibe—a place you'd come to sip on a "gin tonic" or a glass of Rioja Alavesa as much as to snack on inspired dishes like the shrimp-and-egg gilda, a 'roided up version of the classic Basque pintxo, or squid-ink-laced grilled black rice patties. 

Broadway lovers hungry for more music and dance will get a kick out of Ellen's, a 1950s-style, multilevel diner with a singing waitstaff and all-day breakfast. The menu focuses on all-American classics like meat loaf and chicken potpie, and the servers serenading you on roller skates dazzle with Broadway-caliber talent. It's the kind of over-the-top family fun that makes sense in Times Square, so expect a vivacious dining experience.

Even though Duke Ellington made it famous to take the A train, it’s more convenient to take the 1 train to this friendly, casual neighborhood hangout that combines good food and live music with contemporary decor. Brunch features the Southern staple chicken and waffles, there are some inventive fish and seafood dishes, and the bar is open until 1 am.

The specialties at this beloved Brooklyn pizzeria and Italian-ish eatery, named for its proprietor and situated on a charming block, range from Detroit-style grandma pies (think square instead of round, thick instead of thin) to wood-fired pizzas with ingredients like clams, anchovies, and Calabrian chilies. One item that might convince you to forego pizza, though, is the signature burger, an American cheese and caramelized onion–topped beef patty on a pretzel bun.

This flagship by chef Alex Stupak (wd~50 and Allinea) applies Mexican influences toward an inventive contemporary American menu amid an open kitchen, two-level seating, and a display case adorned with ceramics in unique shapes and sizes. For the table dishes encompass queso fundido (baked cheese) with steak tartare and crab nachos with sea urchin. Taco variations are unexpected but delightful—maitake mushrooms, pastrami, dry aged beef picadillo (ground beef and potatoes simmered in a spicy tomato sauce) and lobster. Their fajitas are also unique, with jumbo tiger prawns or surf and turf, but the dessert selection has gotten much attention. In particular, the "avocado" does resemble the fruit but it's actually a creamy, lime-flavored parfait.

At the end of 2023, lauded chef Alex Stupak renovated this upscale taco-focused eatery to make it more casual: gone were the elegant tables and chairs, replaced by high-top tables; gone were the elevated takes on Mexican fare, substituted with large-portioned nachos and an excellent burger. The high-quality tacos and margaritas are still here, though. So is the friendly service. If you want to experience what Empellón was like for the first decade of its existence, head to the uptown location on Madison Avenue and 53rd Street.

Not all the grappa in this charming, diminutive Italian restaurant will help you pronounce its name, but you won't care once you tuck into the fabulous pasta dishes made in the open kitchen. The menu's focus is on Tuscany with a few nods south to Rome. The pappardelle al ragù is rich and satisfying. Same for the tagliolini laced with sea urchin. But for first timers and twenty-first timers, it's impossible to pass up the cacio e pepe, a simple, gooey, cheesy Roman pasta dish that tastes like it just magically materialized from the Eternal City.

Authentic and flavorful contemporary Mexican food, perfectly mixed cocktails, and amiable staff define this cozy restaurant, overseen by award-winning chef and cookbook author Roberto Santibañez. While happy hours at the bar are popular, stay for dinner to enjoy enchiladas with mole, lump crab croquettes with avocado serrano sauce, or poblano peppers with roasted-tomato chipotle sauce. The small space is always buzzing, plus there's backyard seating.

A longtime favorite culinary pioneer in Carroll Gardens, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli's Italian American restaurant has atmosphere to spare between the backyard and former blacksmith stable. Choose from the well-conceived menu's shareable salads (many with vegetables roasted or marinated with the Frankies' own Sicilian olive oil); house-made ravioli; meatballs with pine nuts and raisins; and crusty sandwiches that ask to be shared. The next-door F&F Pizzeria and Franks Wine Bar are both celebrated destinations in their own right.

If you can't get to Vermont for the weekend, a meal in the brick-and-wood dining room at Friend of a Farmer is the next best thing. This restaurant was one of the pioneers of the farm-to-table movement and the high quality of everything, from the ingredients to the service, have made this a standout since it opened in 1986.

Decor-wise it’s what you might expect from a diner: a few simple tables plus some counter seating looking over the grill, and the menu seems familiar, but most items have a global twist that reflects the neighborhood, like a club sandwich made with chicken katsu (Japanese-style fried chicken), a Cobb salad with a Thai twist, and lemongrass-accented avocado toast.

The star of this casual-dining scene is the perfectly crisp fish (made with sustainable cod) and "natural" sea-salt chips, but you can swap in shrimp, lobster, or chicken for the combo if you prefer. Located right behind the Good Morning America studios, it's a prime location for a fried bite (takeaway or dine in) in Times Square. If you're feeling adventurous, the chips are also served in three “dirty” options: truffle, Parmesan, and chives; chipotle, jalapeño, and crisp chorizo; or bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream. 

A traditional New York diner, this place has been slinging the classics since it opened in 1979. The diner recently has undergone a renovation and made changes to their kitchen and menu, while still continuing to be a local favorite spot. Breakfast is a popular time to dine here and lunch and dinner hours also draw in patrons. Sure bets are many styles of omelets along with waffles, and pancakes with a choice of delicious add-ons like fresh berries or chocolate chips. Other favorites among the regulars include beef burgers, salads, and triple-decker sandwiches such as the turkey club.