NYC restaurant recommendations
Pre-COVID, I read a statistic that said if you ate out for all meals in NYC, there are so many existing and new restaurants popping up, that you’d never run out of places to eat in a lifetime. Even coming out of COVID, amazing new restaurants continue to shoot their shot in the NYC restaurant scene.
The below is a compiled list of the most memorable places I’ve eaten in this city. Since there are endless places to try, my standards for going back to a restaurant are high and there are only a few that make the cut.
The categories below describe both the prices and experience and atmosphere of the restaurant:
Casual: Either a counter or food truck or a sit-down but an affordable meal
Moderate: A sit-down experience, with average prices; not a steal but still a great meal
Formal: A $$/$$$ price point, expect to spend $85 per person or more
Tasting: Either a tasting menu and prix-fixe only experience or tasting that is highly recommended, typically a similar price point to a ‘formal’ restaurant
Detailed reviews of my favorites are coming soon!
Best: Would go back
Despite the endless options of new amazing restaurants, these are ones I would not hesitate to go back to, knowing I will get a great and exciting or unique meal.
12 Chairs: Casual | Israeli | Soho (additional location in Williamsburg)
77 Burger: Casual | American | FiDi
Atoboy: Tasting | Korean | Kips Bay
Barbulu: Moderate | Italian | Seaport
Bonnie’s: Moderate | Chinese | Williamsburg
Contento: Formal | Peruvian | East Harlem
Dante: Moderate | Italian | Greenwich Village
Empellon: Moderate | Mexican | All locations (Midtown, West Village, East Village)
Hakkasan: Formal | Chinese | Now closed - other locations in Miami
Kochi: Tasting | Korean | Hell’s Kitchen
Mission Chinese Food: Casual | Chinese | Now closed - other locations in SF
Momofuku Noodle Bar: Casual | Asian fusion | East Village
Sandro: Moderate | Italian | UES
Sushi 456: Tasting | Japanese | Greenwich Village
Tokyo Record Bar: Tasting | Japanese | Greenwich Village
Two Hands: Casual | Korean street food | East Village, NoLIta, TriBeCa
Wayan: Moderate | Indonesian/French | NoLIta
Good: Would recommend trying
All great experiences, would recommend these if you haven’t yet.
ABCv: Formal | Vegetarian | Gramercy
Amelie: Moderate | French and wine | West Village
Beauty and Essex: Formal | New American | LES
Bodega Negra: Formal | Mexican | Chelsea
Contra: Formal | New American | LES
Estela: Formal | New American | LES
The Fulton: Moderate | American | Seaport **Tried and true: moderately priced, great service, and consistently great food. Not very unique but classics done well
Izakaya Jukuru: Casual | Japanese | LES
Sant Ambroeuse: Moderate | Italian | FiDi, SoHo, UES **Tried and true: moderately priced, great service, and consistently great food. Not very unique but classics done well
Santina: Moderate | Italian | Now closed
Tavern on the Green: Formal | American | Central Park West
Vandal: Formal | Fusion tapas | Now closed
Wayla: Formal | Thai | LES