Best restaurants in New York

Everyone has heard this famous statistic: It would take more than 22 years to eat your way through all 23,000 restaurants in New York.

A metropolis such as the Big Apple, with its diverse population, is always going to produce an astounding array of restaurants. However, finding the best restaurants in New York on your own would take a very long time and a very large stomach.

This is why we have selected a list of top NYC restaurants to help you make a decision.

1.L'Artusi

It's best to make appointments in advance, but L'Artusi is worth the wait. Although this small Italian restaurant appears unremarkable from the outside, it turns out to be everything once you go inside.

This trendy restaurant in West Village is a master of contrast, combining an air of intimacy and energy with excellent Italian cuisine that is as inventive as it is classic.

It would be imprudent to neglect to match a bottle of the restaurant's excellent variety of Italian wines with at least one pasta dish, like the gnocchi with rabbit or the bavette with clams.

2.Lucia Pizza of Soho

The news that two of the top pizza places in NYC have opened locations in Manhattan is exciting news for all of us, but especially for those people who have never left the city and never, ever plan to.

Lucia, one of the best restaurants in New York, tops each slice of pizza with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and a rip of fresh basil.

Previously, there was L'Industrie in the West Village. Stop by for a hot pepperoni slice that will brighten your day, or, as Lucia is located just between L'Industrie and Scarr's, just do what you've always wanted to do and go on a pizza crawl.

3.Jean's

Most likely, you are already familiar with Jean's. Before it started serving what might soon be the best burger around—a burger topped with fondue cheese and fried onions—it used to welcome Snoop Dogg and other amateur DJs from East Village in its underground cocktail club.

It's one of the top NYC restaurants now, and you can order a burger with fresh veggies from their Pennsylvania farm, or you can have a glass of bourbon milk and a cookie the size of your head.

Jean's is a strange place, so reservations aren't really possible, but you can try making one through Seven Rooms or just walking in early or later.

4.Ugly Baby

Ugly Baby is a Thai restaurant that has been booming on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens since 2017. It will push the boundaries of your ability to handle heat.

The "stay-away spicy Udon Thani's duck salad" is full of fiery flavors, and orders of Tue ka ko, which is relaxing, will quell any heat in your palette.

The way that Ugly Baby uses spice is a master class in heat that both experts and beginners will find noteworthy.

The waiting time for tables can be lengthy, similar to many of the city's greatest no-reservations eateries, so if you don't score a seat by 5 p.m., be prepared to wait for a while.

5.Café Chelsea

Café Chelsea is among the best restaurants in New York which is located at the Chelsea Hotel.

A family enjoying burgers after swimming, tourists gorging on steak frites, elderly people in Chelsea, and you and a friend who loves to people-watch in New York City. Choose from three rooms filled with mirrors to reserve a table in, or stop in for a bite to eat and a drink at the bar.

Breakfast in this place is a more sedate event, when you can nosh on rich pain perdu while listening to visitors speaking different languages.

6.The Polo Bar

First of all, just being in this restaurant feels exclusive because reservations are required (you cannot enter the restaurant without one).

Then there's the elegant room, furnished with walls the color of emerald green, banquettes made of tan leather, and, in typical Ralph Lauren style, artwork with an equestrian theme.

The best-selling Polo Burger with bacon and cheese on top and the well-known corned beef sandwich are two examples of the menu's preference for American comfort food. Both are generously sized and perfect for a little romantic sharing.

Tipping is one of the most known customs in United States. So, if you enjoyed your meal, make sure to tip your server in cash or online with Tipsy.

7.Caviar Russe

This Michelin-starred caviar palace is among the top NYC restaurants and a great choice if you want to make a big impression on your date.

Splurge on delectable seafood favorites like Dover sole, King crab, Shigoku oysters, and of course, an abundance of caviar. Accompany your bubbly with a bottle or two of champagne.

In addition, this restaurant also features a separate bar where you can enjoy slightly less formal dishes like caviar samples and sumptuous lobster rolls or uni zeppoles.

8.Marea

Marea, which translates to "tide" in Italian, is one of the best restaurants in New York that specializes in providing seasonal fish dishes.

Last year, Elite Traveler readers voted it the winner of the Reader's Top Choice Award, so it's definitely worth checking out.

Grilled Mediterranean cuttlefish and fusilli with red wine braised octopus with bone marrow are among the dishes on the extensive menu.

In addition to serving a wide variety of seafood and its well-known house-made pasta, Marea also has an amazing selection of wines and beverages. The extensive wine selection, which includes wines from over Europe, is managed by the legendary sommelier Francesco Grosso.

9.The Modern

Located within the Museum of Modern Art, The Modern's food is just as expertly crafted as any of the artwork on display.

Chef Thomas Allan's menu features sophisticated, modern dishes in an eatery with a view of the breathtaking Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.

The menu is seasonal and constantly changing, accompanied by desserts from a devoted pastry chef and an award-winning wine program.

This restaurant’s consistently excellent work has earned it two Michelin stars, a three-star review in the Times, the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, four James Beard Awards, and more.

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One of the most well-known sushi chefs in the world, Daisuke Nakazawa, tests his prowess at this hip West Village bar.

His 20-course feast, which features dishes in the Edomae sushi style made with ingredients found both domestically and abroad, reflects his enthusiasm for sushi and is served in a changing manner every day.

Although Sushi Nakazawa serves clearly excellent dining, the ambiance is significantly more laid back than those of its competitors.

Nakazawa likes to entertain guests from the open sushi bar and strives to keep them relaxed in a stylish yet casual setting.

11.Cadence

As one of the best restaurants in New York, this 80-seat vegan soul cuisine restaurant just moved from a slip of an address to a new one nearby.

Cadence under the direction of chief chef Shenarri Freeman is a plant-based restaurant in New York City owned by Overthrow Hospitality.

 Popular dishes like the rich, deftly textured grits and superb hearts of palm cakes are included on Freeman's menu. The red wine, spinach, and pine nut ricotta in a southern-fried lasagna, the bolognese from Beyond Meat is an essential dish.

12.Van Da

A Vietnamese eatery that quickly gained recognition, including a star in the New York Times as well as a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, after it originally debuted in 2019 and lighted up the area. 

Van Da's menu still includes several things since its debut, which is fortunate because getting a table was never simple.

Popular dishes like the shaken beef and shrimp, pork tapioca dumplings, and short rib grilled cheese with a shot of pho are as amazing to try again as they are the first time.

13.Leland Eating and Drinking House

This is a cute little bistro on a quiet corner that has find its way to our list of top NYC restaurants.

 Visit after visit, a comparatively tiny menu actually permits a multitude of combinations. One day, after we can resist the lure of Leland's trout rillette, scorched lemon skillet mussels, and full fried fish, we hope to try them all.

Some of the tastiest bread in or out of NYC's premier bakeries is also produced in this kitchen.

14.DANIEL

With two Michelin stars to show for it and constant accolades from critics, DANIEL has established itself as the gold standard for excellence and quality in cuisine, ambiance, and service.

Chef Daniel Boulud's namesake restaurant uses traditional French cooking methods to highlight regional seafood, vegetables, and meats. The meal is finished with a basket of warm madeleines.

Offering à la carte service in the cozier lounge, made-to-measure events in the private dining room, and classic prix-fixe and seven-course tasting menus in the big dining room.

In order to ensure that vegetarians don't have to forgo the traditional French delicacies, a specific vegetarian tasting menu has been created.

15.Jean-Georges

Renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's calm, this romantic restaurant has won numerous accolades, including two Michelin stars, four New York Times stars, five AAA diamonds, and our own Readers' Choice Award in 2023.

Despite Vongerichten's ownership of almost 60 restaurants globally, his namesake restaurant in New York continues to be the jewel in the Jean-Georges Empire.

The restaurant's floor to ceiling windows offer breathtaking views of Central Park and Columbus Circle, but it's the flawless plating—each a masterfully created fusion of French, American, and Asian influences—that will really steal your heart.

This acclaimed restaurant offers buyouts of the main dining area as well as private dining for a more secluded experience.

Conclusion

Though we adore Paris, the French capital, the Big Apple has much to offer in the way of romanticism. Some have even dubbed it the City of Love. One of the greatest places in the world to spend a night out is New York City, which is positively teeming with upscale eateries and pubs.

Selecting one of the best restaurants in New York can be hard. There are many options which may please you based on the season, event, and even your mood.

We hope our list of top NYC restaurants help you decide faster. Make sure to leave a tip in American restaurants, whether in cash or via a digital tipping solution such as Tipsy.