Where To Eat In New York City

New York City has more than 22,000 restaurants, but, surprisingly, that number has remained relatively stable since the '80s, according to Forbes. That's because — despite the numerous obstacles that the industry has faced with the pandemic, inflation, and staffing issues — new restaurants are consistently opening while old restaurants are constantly finding ways to survive. The Big Apple remains a city where chefs and restaurateurs want to succeed despite naysayers claiming that its dining scene is dying. 

This plethora of choices is why NYC is a dream destination for foodies. The 15 spots listed below range from trendy newcomers to restaurants that serve cuisines that are hard to find outside of their native countries to a five-decades old fine dining establishment that is still at the top. They are all popular and may require waiting in long lines or making reservations way in advance, but the payoff will be worthwhile, according to critics and Yelp reviewers.

The food at Dhamaka goes beyond what the palates of people outside of India are used to by highlighting lesser-known regional dishes. They include dishes like bharela marcha, a stuffed pepper from Chef Chintan Pandya's mother-in-law from Gujarat; doh khleh, a pig head dish dressed in lemon, cilantro, onion, and ginger from the Meghalaya region; and street food like beguni, or eggplant fritters, with a pungent kasundi dip (per The New York Times). Several Yelp reviewers praise Dhamaka's authenticity, with one saying how the biryani is comparable to their grandmother's cooking while another describes the flavors as "unapologetically Indian."

This authenticity also carries over to the overall dining experience. According to The New York Times, the food is presented in cast irons or clay pots it had been cooking in while the bones are left intact in the meat and fish. Eating with one's hands like they do in Indian homes is also encouraged. NYT critic Pete Wells recalled during his meal how Dhamaka's restaurateur Roni Mazumdar came out to stop a diner from eating the bharela marcha with a knife and fork and declared, "I'm here to stop a crime in progress."

Since opening in 2021, Dhamaka has become one of the trendiest restaurants in NYC and was on several best restaurant lists for that year, including being named the #1 new restaurant by The New York Times and Esquire.

When star chef Amanda Cohen opened New York City's first vegetarian restaurant in 2008, vegetarian and vegan cuisine were not yet in vogue. As a leader in vegetable-focused fine dining, Cohen's approach toward vegetables isn't to be mainstream or healthy, but to make dishes that are as innovative and tasty as possible. This approach is why even non-vegetarians seek out Dirt Candy, with one Yelp reviewer raving about carrot sliders that they claim could make people forget about cheeseburgers and another who comments that they didn't miss meat while eating dishes like kale sausage.

Tasting menus at NYC fine dining establishments are usually pricey, especially one from a Michelin-starred restaurant, which Dirt Candy received for the first time in 2022. However, one Yelp reviewer found the prix fixe to be "reasonable" given the quality of the food and presentation. Diners at Dirt Candy also do not have to pay a tip or extra surcharges as Cohen got rid of this system in 2015 in an effort to pay all her staff members a living wage (via Gothamist). And while other restaurants tend to increase their prices by at least 15% in the year after receiving a Michelin star, Cohen stated that she would not follow this trend.

Teranga is an affordable, fast-casual option that satisfies both newbies and connoisseurs of West African food from countries like Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria. The menu consists of pre-set or customizable bowls of rice and vegetable bases, proteins, sides and salads, and sauces that all have ingredients that are sustainably sourced from African farmlands. The Infatuation critic Hannah Albertine especially recommends the jollof rice, describing it as "fiery and herbaceous."

One Yelp reviewer writes about how the restaurant's space plays a part in people's cultural immersion with its African books for children on the bookshelves, African art on the walls, and even a toilet paper holder sculpture by a Nigerian artist. There is plenty of seating, and this reviewer got to enjoy eating and drinking South African wine with their party for six hours. Teranga is also ideal for solo dining and getting takeout to have a picnic at Central Park, which is across the street from the restaurant.

Golden Diner takes traditional diner favorites and incorporates flavors from countries like Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Chef Sam Yoo has combined his Korean-American heritage with his work at fine dining establishments like Torrisi Italian Specialties and Momofuku Ko to create what he calls an Asian diner. "Initially, I set out to create a place that paid homage to the communities of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy, where I live," he tells Grub Street. "Then, it clicked: 'Hey, this is a diner.' "

A burger is the representative dish of any diner, and Grub Street says that the restaurant's burger with its mushroom and Korean gochujang sauce is one of the city's best. They also recommend the Chinatown egg & cheese sando, which includes a hash brown patty and sesame-scallion milk bun, and can be made into a BEC with a bacon add-on. Many Yelp reviewers also love the honey butter pancakes that are a take on Korean honey butter chips. One reviewer calls them the best pancakes they ever had with their light, fluffy inside and crispy outside.

Contento is a Peruvian wine bar that attracted a lot of buzz when it opened in 2021 due to its mission to be accessible to all. The bar has two heights to accommodate guests in wheelchairs and the menu has a QR code that will read the menu out loud to guests with low vision (per Conde Nast Traveler). Its mission to be socially conscious also applies to Contento's extensive wine selection, which has a section that is specially dedicated to wineries by BIPOC owners and those with social missions.

In a city with numerous hot restaurants, Time Out deems Contento a place where you can score some bragging rights for getting to try its unique food and excellent cocktails. Some of the dishes that the critic highlights are the ceviche that has a leche de tigre that they claim will make you want to drink it directly from the bowl, and the short ribs over udon noodles in peanut sauce that they say is the best main dish at the restaurant.

Crown Shy describes itself as a neighborhood restaurant that offers farm-to-table cuisine prepared by fine dining techniques. So while it is a Michelin one-star restaurant serving sophisticated New American food, it doesn't have a stuffy vibe, according to Time Out. During the Time Out critic's meal, the servers were dressed casually in white T-shirts, jeans, and black Converse/ Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" was on the playlist.

It is because of this vibe that one Yelp reviewer said Crown Shy is both perfect for a special occasion meal or simply getting cocktails and a few small plates. Many reviews, including Time Out's, mention the pull-apart bread flavored by lemon zest and olives that is notable for being complimentary — which has become rare in fine dining establishments. Another standout dish is pastry chef Renata Ameni's satsuma orange ice cream topped with a toasted marshmallow and honeycombs, which Time Out says tastes like a creamsicle.

Lyseé is a dessert shop where the edible art is not only Instagrammable but also tastes great, according to The Infatuation. Combining her New York, French, and Korean influences, pastry chef Eunji Lee calls her patisserie a "pastry art gallery," per the Robb Report. "I want the people to enjoy our desserts for the taste but also visually, the look," she says. One example is the "Corn" pastry that looks like an ear of corn and combines the various ways that corn can be prepared. Piping the individual corn kernels, for example, is like creating a piece of art as it can take up to three to four hours.

The Infatuation recommends experiencing the dine-in experience of Lyseé to enjoy not only the desserts but drinks like the frothy latte made with toasted brown rice and vanilla milk. However, due to its popularity, several Yelp reviewers say that getting reservations can be challenging and the takeout lines can get very long. One user suggests going on a weekday morning as signature desserts like Corn will sell out quickly.

In a city filled with pizza options, L'Industrie Pizzeria's slices are known for their extra-thin crust and fresh ingredients imported from Italy, according to The Infatuation. The 10 daily pizza varieties make up its entire menu with the exception of one sandwich type that is announced every Wednesday on Instagram and a handful of desserts. Eater New York points out how the restaurant is different from its pizzeria counterparts, which have extensive menus with appetizers, pasta, and salads. When Eater critic asked Massimo Laveglia, the restaurant's Florence-born owner about this, he simply answered, "We're not a restaurant ... we're a slice spot."

His answer shows his confidence in his pizza, which has popped up in various best-of lists, including one by the Daily Meal's best 101 pizzas in America. As for recommendations, both Eater and The Infatuation highlight the burrata pizza — with its creamy, cold cheese actually working to its benefit — and the pepperoni, which has a natural sweetness rather than the artificial saltiness that people are used to eating. 

While locals tend to avoid places that are considered tourist traps, Katz's Delicatessen is an exception. Established in 1888, the Jewish deli is one of the most important restaurants in New York City, and its pastrami is world-renowned (per Eater New York). The restaurant is always bustling with people, and while an almost century-and-a-half-old establishment may not be thought of as trendy with the social media crowd, Conde Nast Traveler found that Katz's was the fourth-most Instagrammed restaurant in the U.S. in 2017.

While many probably go to sit at the exact table of Meg Ryan's famous scene in "When Harry Met Sally," the food is the main attraction as long as you pick the right things to try, according to Eater. Other than the pastrami, they recommend ordering the blintzes, hot dogs, or turkey. Other tips include coming right as the restaurant opens at 8 a.m. or mid-evening to avoid the crowds, and making sure you don't lose the ticket that keeps track of your purchases from the various ordering stations as it will result in a fine.

While there are many high-end, pricey sushi restaurants in New York City, The Infatuation says that those who seek "sushi perfection" come to Sushi Nakazawa. The reason is, unlike other omakases, where the nigiri is dressed with other toppings and flavors, the freshness and quality of the fish are highlighted by barely dressing it with some sea salt, soy sauce, or maybe a shiso leaf. One Yelp reviewer recalls how fresh her hotate was as the chef shucked it right before it was served and also tapped it to show how it "dance[d]."

The 20-piece omakase experience involves the chef telling a story about each piece, which some may find pretentious. On the other hand, echoing The Infatuation's notion that Nakazawa is for true sushi lovers, one reviewer argues that the restaurant is also selling a one-of-a-kind experience and the brand name of Daisuke Nakazawa — the star chef whose name is engraved on the serving trays for social media branding, according to New York Magazine.

New York Magazine has Los Tacos No. 1 on its "Absolute Best" list for both Mexican restaurants and tacos in New York City. It is styled like a Tijuana street taco stand (but indoors) and has five locations throughout the city, including its original location in Chelsea Market. The lines can get very long, but they move fast due to the efficient cooks in red aprons and white hats, says one Yelp reviewer.

There are four fillings to choose from, but the most popular is the adobada, or marinated pork that is shaved off a spit. In the debate over whether to choose corn or flour tortillas, Eater New York critic Ryan Sutton recommends choosing flour, which contains pork lard instead of vegetable shortening. He likens the almost translucent tortilla to a "gently flaky wonton wrapper" that allows the warmth and spices in the al pastor to come out more strongly.

The idea of Cote, which is a combination of a Korean barbecue and an American steakhouse, is so smart and simple that New York Magazine questions why no one had thought of it before. It takes the best part of the Korean barbecue experience — grilling the meat right at your table —and elevates it with American Wagyu or aged meat that is USDA prime or above. New York Magazine also highlights the restaurant's side dishes like the egg soufflé, homemade kimchi, and well-executed soju cocktail and wine list.

One Yelp reviewer points out how the guests do not have to grill their own meat and how the ventilation system is built into the grill instead of having a loud hood over it. While these elements are a part of traditional Korean barbecue, for those who aren't familiar with them, they can be inconvenient. The reviewer mentions that they appreciated the perfectly cooked meat by the servers and being able to have conversations at a normal volume.

A&A Bake and Doubles Roti Shop is a Trinidadian bakery that often has long lines outside of its Bedford-Stuyvesant shop. As evidenced by its name, A&A specializes in breakfast bakes, roti wraps, and their signature doubles, which are curried chickpeas that are sandwiched between two deep-fried, fluffy flatbreads, according to Patch. On Yelp, the words "affordable" and "filling" are often seen in the reviews, with one reviewer describing her six-dollar vegetable roti with tamarind and mango as a "super stuffed burrito" that was "spiced perfectly."

In 2019, A&A was honored with the James Beard Foundation's America's Classic Award for keeping alive the Caribbean influence on Bed-Stuy's history despite the neighborhood's increasing gentrification (per Patch). Noel and Geeta Brown, the Trinidadian-born owners who have run A&A since 2002, said that they were proud to showcase authentic ingredients and cuisine from Trinidad after receiving the reward.

The Thai spice levels at Ugly Baby are not for the faint of heart as chef Sirichai Sreparplarn will not adjust them, per New York Magazine. However, if diners are ready for the sweating, tearing, and nose-blowing that the hot flavors will inevitably cause, the magazine says that they will be treated to New York City's best Thai restaurant. One Yelp reviewer shares that there are menu items that are labeled with an emoji to indicate "extreme spice," but warns that even the "normal" dishes are spicy.

Eater New York critic Robert Sietsema notes that the menu consists of cuisine from all over Thailand that non-natives will probably not be as familiar with and to not expect pad thai. They highlight the kang hoh, which consists of hung le, a sweet Chiang Mai stew of pork shoulder and red curry paste, that also has glass noodles and greens and pairs with pig skin and sticky rice. "Like an ugly infant, it's not much to look at," they write. "But it provides a kaleidoscope of flavors, probably unlike anything you've tasted in a Thai restaurant before."

Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, Le Bernardin still remains a top fine-dining restaurant in New York City for star chef Éric Ripert's renowned seafood menu. Along with its three Michelin stars and being one of only three NYC restaurants to date that has maintained a four-star review from The New York Times, it has also been named 2022's #1 restaurant in the world for the third time by La Liste, which has ranked the top 1,000 restaurants globally since 2015 (per PR Newswire).

One Yelp reviewer says that beyond the food, the detail-oriented service team makes guests feel like royalty, from adjusting their seats when they go to the restroom so that they could easily get in and out to changing the silverware between courses and constantly refilling their water cups. Another reviewer notes that the excellent service is the same whether one is in the dining room or the bar, saying that they were welcomed in their casual attire as a walk-in to the bar as if they were "wearing Gucci."