-
1
Locals' favorite
Number 1: Carnitas Ramirez
Michoacán-style carnitas give you pork cuts from belly to collagen-rich snout in corn tortillas, with chicharrones to top any taco.
Criticsstrong Localsstrong Buzzstrong Trendingnone -
2
Crowd favorite
Number 2: Adda
Adda turns butter chicken into a tableside occasion, with fiery lamb parcha and warm cardamom bread rounding out your dinner.
Criticsstrong Localsstrong Buzzmedium Trendingnone -
3
Crowd favorite
Number 3: Lei
Tucked into Doyers Street in Chinatown, Lei pairs a long, well-guided wine list with snacky Chinese plates like cat's ear noodles with lamb and chilled celtuce.
Criticsstrong Localsstrong Buzznone Trendingnone -
4
Cheap eat
Number 4: Hyderabadi Zaiqa
Hyderabadi Zaiqa gives you plenty of regional biryanis to explore, from gongura chicken with fragrant leaves to versions with lamb, shrimp or paneer.
Criticsstrong Localsstrong Buzznone Trendingnone -
5
New
Number 5: Bark Barbecue
Ruben Santana’s Dominican take on Texas barbecue gives you tender, fatty brisket and smoked brisket trimmings over fried plantain.
Criticsstrong Localsmedium Buzzmedium Trendingnone -
6
Locals' favorite
Number 6: Shukette
Fresh herbs, harissa and citrus give Shukette’s Eastern Mediterranean spread bold flavors, with dips, breads and grilled meats worth sharing.
Criticsmedium Localsstrong Buzzstrong Trendingnone -
7
Special occasion
Number 7: Borgo
Borgo puts clams-and-pancetta spaghetti and chicken liver crostini alongside warm hospitality, with enough space between tables to settle in.
Criticsstrong Localsmedium Buzzlight Trendingnone -
8
Cheap eat
Number 8: Pizza Studio Tamaki
Tokyo-style Neapolitan pies from a 900-degree oven, built on 30-hour fermented dough, with Japanese citrus lagers to go with the char.
Criticsmedium Localsstrong Buzznone Trendingnone -
9
Crowd favorite
Number 9: Thai Diner
Thai cooking and American diner food meet at this Soho corner, where khao soi and crab fried rice share a menu with Thai tea babka French toast.
Criticsstrong Localsmedium Buzzlight Trendingnone -
10
Crowd favorite
Number 10: Mắm
Plastic stools, minimal seating and a Vietnamese menu that changes constantly, so a night here might mean pho, bun dau, snails or hot pot.
Criticsstrong Localslight Buzznone Trendingnone
Nothing matches that filter this week.
Only want what just opened? 10 Best New Restaurants in NYC. Want what everyone is talking about? Best Trendy Restaurants in NYC.
Best Restaurants in NYC by Neighborhood
Each opens its own top tenSoho
Roscioli leads our Soho ten with Roman pasta and tasting menus; you can also order à la carte. At number 5, The Corner Store’s menu moves from raw fish to a whole lobster for two, though getting a table can be tough.
Blue Ribbon Brasserie is number 6: I’d consider its seafood towers and fried oysters. Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s wider restaurant group includes fried chicken destinations; this brasserie’s choices also extend to steaks and a banana split.
See the ten →East Village
At Carnitas Ramirez, you can choose pork cheeks, belly or shank tucked into corn tortillas. The inexpensive counter-service taqueria brings Michoácan-style carnitas to number 1 on our East Village ten.
Adda, number 2, serves Indian dinners in a larger, more polished room following its move from Long Island City. Veselka, number 8, takes you toward Ukrainian diner food. I’d start with pierogies, available with potato, cheese or short rib, and consider the platter with meat-stuffed cabbage and beet horseradish salad.
See the ten →Upper West Side
Frank Tuttolomondo’s squares at Mama’s Too have high crusts and caramelized edges, while the triangular slices are crisp. You’ll find the shop at number 1 on our Upper West Side ten.
Dagon, number 2, makes sense for breads and mezze, an assortment of small dishes, though conversation competes with a loud room. Leah Cohen’s Pig and Khao is number 3; its menu includes clay pot spare ribs, and the $50-per-person family meal comes with bottomless rice.
See the ten →Flatiron, NoMad & Gramercy
Cote’s table grills let you make the cooking part of dinner. The Korean steakhouse, with Michelin star recognition, is number 2 on our Flatiron, NoMad & Gramercy ten.
Hawksmoor NYC follows at number 3, cooking dry-aged beef over charcoal; I’d keep its $48 rump cut in mind when weighing the bill. At number 8, Chetan Shetty’s Passerine offers regional Indian cooking, including monkfish with Konkani curry, plus tasting menu options.
See the ten →Greenwich Village
Ahris Kim, whose background includes Atomix, brings Korean, European and other Asian influences together at Somssi. You can see that approach in grilled ox tongue with romesco sauce on the à la carte menu.
Somssi leads our Greenwich Village ten and is moderately priced. Golden Steer, the expensive steakhouse at number 2, and Lord’s, the expensive British restaurant at number 3, give you different directions for dinner. I’d let cuisine and budget guide that choice.
See the ten →Hell's Kitchen
Hyderabadi Zaiqa’s biryani menu gives you meat, seafood and vegetarian choices, with more assertive spicing in the Vijayawada style. The halal restaurant leads our Hell’s Kitchen ten.
LumLum, number 2, is where I’d look for Thai drinking snacks such as grilled river prawns, or krapow, a fiery minced-chicken stir-fry. KOHOKU-KU RAMEN sits at number 9: choose it for rich, thick ramen broth and an inexpensive meal, keeping its tiny room in mind.
See the ten →Financial District
Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill gives you room to maneuver when dinner companions want different things: sushi platters around $50, a $150 omakase, vegetable rolls, steaks and oxtail fried rice. It’s number 4 on our Financial District ten.
Lucky Tiger, number 10, is the moderately priced choice for cocktails and steamed shumai in a theatrical setting with crimson booths. Le Gratin, number 2, is the very expensive French option, with its location listed here as Tribeca.
See the ten →Williamsburg
L’industrie Pizzeria’s burrata slice pairs cool, milky cheese with warm tomato sauce on a paper-thin base. You’ll find it at number 2 on our Williamsburg ten; it also has a West Village outpost.
Le Crocodile, number 6, offers a French menu with leeks vinaigrette and escargot substantial enough for a main. At number 7, Missy Robbins’s Lilia is where I’d plan around sharing pasta and choosing from an all-Italian wine list.
See the ten →Best Restaurants in NYC by Cuisine
Each opens its own top tenIndian
Adda leads our Indian ten in the East Village, where you can make the tableside Butter Chicken Experience the focus of dinner. I’d leave room for warm cardamom bread.
Semma, number 3, has a Michelin star and a West Village menu centered on southern Indian cooking, including paniyaram, little rice and lentil cakes. Chetan Shetty’s Passerine is number 7, with regional dishes such as monkfish with Konkani curry and tasting menu options.
See the ten →Vegan & vegetarian
Buddha Bodai’s kosher and vegan dim sum gives you plenty to share, from fried turnip cake to steamed mock-pork buns and mock-shrimp dumplings. I’d order across those preparations with friends so you can try more of its Chinese mock-meat cooking. It’s number 5 on our Vegan & vegetarian ten.
Spicy Moon in Manhattan, number 1, and Aunts Et Uncles in Brooklyn, number 2, are both vegan and moderately priced. Buddha Bodai is moderately priced, too, in Chinatown.
See the ten →French
Le Veau d’Or’s $125 prix fixe gets you an appetizer, main, dessert and salad, with generous portions. It’s number 3 on our French ten.
Balthazar, number 4, is where I’d consider a seafood tower, with oysters and other shellfish alongside crab and lobster. Brooklyn’s Bar Bête sits at number 6 and is moderately priced; its menu draws on French Canadian cooking, with a particularly rich crab omelet made with seaweed butter.
See the ten →Japanese
Cospa Ramen’s thin noodles and lighter broth start around $10, a useful place to begin if you want an inexpensive meal. It’s on our Japanese ten alongside Noz Market and Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, all in Manhattan.
Noz Market serves the same fish as two-Michelin-starred Sushi Noz, with walk-in hand rolls and a dressier omakase option. Blue Ribbon’s broader selection makes mixed appetites easier: you can order sushi, vegetable rolls or hanger steak.
See the ten →Thai
LumLum gives you a specific reason to explore Thai food: dishes from Central Thailand, including kub klaem, drinking snacks such as grilled river prawns. I’d also consider its krapow, a fiery minced-chicken stir-fry with chiles, if you want heat.
It joins Thai Diner and Hungry Thirsty on our Thai ten. All are moderately priced; Thai Diner and LumLum are in Manhattan, while Hungry Thirsty is in Brooklyn, where the staff reopened the restaurant in early 2025.
See the ten →Korean
Kisa keeps your menu decision to a protein, then fills out the $36 meal with Korean side dishes called banchan, with refills welcome. That’s where I’d start for an abundant, moderately priced dinner.
Kisa, Cote and Nubiani are all on our Korean ten, all in Manhattan. Cote connects American steakhouse cuts with Korean American barbecue and lettuce wraps. Nubiani costs more: its $150 beef package for two includes several cuts, with boneless short ribs or rib eye among the choices.
See the ten →Steakhouse
The Dynamo Room’s steak for one gives you a good-value dinner option near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. Sunday Hospitality’s Midtown steakhouse also has larger, flashier choices for groups; I’d take a bar seat if people-watching appeals.
It’s on our Steakhouse ten alongside Cote and Golden Steer in Greenwich Village. Both of those are expensive Manhattan steakhouses, while The Dynamo Room offers a particular reason to consider it when you’re eating on your own.
See the ten →American
Leland Eating and Drinking House in Crown Heights gives you sourdough cinnamon rolls at brunch and duck frites at dinner. It joins The Four Horsemen and Blue Ribbon Brasserie on our American ten.
For a Brooklyn celebration, I’d consider The Four Horsemen in Williamsburg: its wine-bar menu pairs wine with Michelin-caliber small plates, though prices are high. Blue Ribbon Brasserie in Soho offers a different kind of spread, from cheese fondue to seafood towers, with a banana split to finish.
See the ten →This Month's Ten: September 2026
Carnitas Ramirez leads this month's ten with inexpensive Mexican food in the East Village. If you're deciding where to spend your dinner budget, that's a useful place to start: the restaurant at the top is also an inexpensive choice.
Adda follows with moderately priced Indian food, also in the East Village. I'd keep those two in mind if you've already settled on that neighborhood, then choose according to the cuisine you're after and what you want to spend. Sharing a neighborhood doesn't make them interchangeable. Lei, a wine bar in Chinatown, comes next and gives you a different kind of place to consider.
Those leading three are all in Manhattan, but the full selection reaches across all five boroughs of New York City. Use their order as a starting point, with price, location and the kind of meal you want helping you make the choice.