If you tried to keep track of every brand new restaurant in New York City, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the new restaurant openings that seem like they have the most potential—although keep in mind, for the ones we haven’t tried, we make no promises. Go forth and be a pioneer.
February
Located in the back of Oiji Mi in Flatiron (which opened last spring), Bōm is a fine-dining take on a Korean steakhouse. This place only has two seatings at a counter each night, and you'll get 13+ courses for $325 as a chef tells you tidbits about the ingredients and cooking techniques used along the way. The tasting menu includes banchan, seafood, vegetable, and meat courses, the last of which is prepared on a grill right in front of you.
The Last Call
This bar in Wiliamsburg is mainly about two things: music and yakitori. There's a high-fidelity sound system and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, and the menu includes 20 rotating kinds of yakitori and about 20 different varieties of sake, too. The space looks kind of like an old-school diner, but one with red lamps and a disco ball. Brooklyn Ramen pops up here Monday through Wednesday, and if you work in the industry (i.e., at any bar), you can take advantage of Happy Hour all night on Mondays.
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Velma Restaurant
The menu at this new spot in Ridgewood is Italian-American, with things like a roast pork sandwich and different types of pizzas. They're serving a limited menu for now, but starting February 13, they'll add rigatoni and kale alfredo, pasta limone, chicken Milanese, and more. The spacious restaurant also offers canned cocktails ($16), which you can enjoy while playing nine ball on their pool table.
Even if cordyceps end up ravaging civilization, there will probably still be sushi omakase spots opening in the East Village. Sushi Fan is on Saint Marks, and they're offering a 12-course $65 menu that features nigiri with "fusiony" toppings like banana peppers, plum paste, and garlic butter. It's BYOB for now, so bring your favorite bottle of sake.
Midtown has a new Georgian restaurant near Grand Central, and it looks like a good option for a pre-theater dinner. Expect fried eggplant and walnut rolls, five different kinds of khinkali, and 10 varieties of khachapuri. The wine cellar is on display behind a set of glass doors, and it stores a bunch of varietals from Georgia.
January
photo credit: Max Flatow
Balkan Streat
There's a new counter-service spot in the West Village with a menu inspired by Balkan street food and the family recipes of co-owner William Djuric. They're serving cevapi and pjesckevica (in addition to sides and specials), and you can pair these kebabs and Balkan-style burgers with baked goods from the former head baker of one of the top hotels in Belgrade. The 20-seat space on 6th Avenue has a street-vendor feel with neon lights and geometric benches, and it looks like a good place for a quick, casual meal.
The Office Of Mr. Moto
Once you make a reservation at this speakeasy-style sushi omakase spot in the East Village, you'll be sent an email with a riddle you have to solve in order to get the password. Themed around 19th-century Japan and a fictional character named Mr. Moto, this place appears to be a whole production. It has two dining areas (The Gallery and The Counter), both of which offer a 21-course menu for $185. The bi-level restaurant features Victorian-era paintings, a six-foot-long replica of a 19th century ship, and a lounge where you can listen to jazz from a self-playing piano.
Outer Heaven
Outer Heaven is a new "microclub" on the Lower East Side with a Japandi-style interior and a sound system designed by the founder of Cielo and Output. The space is split into two small rooms: a sleek bar area with a subtle anime theme and a loungy space with a dance floor and a DJ booth. There are also a few vintage arcade games tucked to the side, and you'll see a comic book stand at the entrance. Make a reservation online, and inquire about bottle service if you want the whole (micro)club experience.
Witch Topokki
Want some all-you-can-eat rice cakes? Head to the recently-opened Witch Topokki in Flushing for a buffet-style experience with bottomless topokki, noodles, and toppings like fish balls and cabbage that you can heat in a broth at your table. There's also a hot bar with fries, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. For $25.95 (or $22.95 at lunch), you'll get 90 minutes of unlimited food. Witch Topokki also has another location in Bayside.
This bakery in Gowanus specializes in unique and colorful cakes. The name of the place refers to the owner, Clio Goodman, who comes up with creative flavors like gooseberry fennel, earl grey and grapefruit, and braised daikon (made with chocolate shoyu and toasted sesame frosting). The cakes range from $30 to $60, and you have to order them at least two weeks in advance.
It's a big week for new bakeries. This one is operating out of a storefront near Tompkins Square Park. Like ByClio, this place specializes in cakes, and yes, the owner is named Lucie. Mini cakes—in flavors like pumpkin apple and brown butter carrot—cost around $18 and eight-inch ones are around $100. Every cake is topped with fresh (inedible) flowers, and by the looks of it, this bakery is already popular.
Foul Witch
The team behind Roberta's has opened an Italian spot in the East Village with a focus on natural wines and dishes reminiscent of what's served at their tasting-menu restaurant, Blanca (reopening soon). The à la carte menu centers around a wood-fired oven, and you can expect dishes like grilled tripe with pecorino and mint in addition to housemade pastas, breads, and salumi. This place has an eight-seat chef's counter, and the bar area is reserved for walk-ins.
Located at the northern edge of Nomad on 30th Street, Olle is serving homestyle Korean food, and it's our new favorite place to linger over a bottle of soju with a group of friends. The minimalist space has black and gold accents, and standout dishes include galbi-jjim, bossam with fermented spicy octopus, and skate steamed in a soy-garlic vinaigrette.
Tangram Food Hall
Tangram, a huge mixed-use development in Flushing, now has its very own food hall. The neon-filled space is modeled after open-air markets that exist throughout Asia. For now, you can get frozen ube treats, several fried chicken items, bánh mì, and more from various vendors. More spots (Zaab Zaab, for example) are scheduled to open in the spring.
This tiny spot at the corner of Clinton and East Broadway has some of our favorite new tacos in the city. Start with the duck carnitas taco with jicama slaw, then move on to some seafood items. We like the seasoned fish and shrimp al pastor—both served in a crispy, griddled tortilla. You should know this place has no tables and fits maybe five people, so plan accordingly.
Hainan Chicken House
Hainan Chicken House is a new Malaysian restaurant in Sunset Park, and you can probably figure out what their specialty is. Other than their namesake item, they have curry laksa mee and prawn noodle soup, and most things on the menu cost around $12. The casual-looking space is filled with hanging plants and wooden tables and benches.
Parashades Pizza & Cocktails
Again, we think you can figure out what this place in Prospect Heights is all about just by looking at the name. Expect mozzarella sticks, garlic knots, grandma pies, and several varieties of round pizzas like white, pepperoni, Buffalo chicken, and something called The Chix (roasted chicken, blue cheese, hot sauce, and scallions). You can get any kind of pizza here by the slice.
photo credit: Belle Morizio and Julia Stevens
Caleta
Caleta is one of the more fascinating openings in recent memory. An ice cream shop by day, this place turns into a bar at night, serving a very short menu of tapas-like dishes including a watercress caesar and fingerling potatoes with romesco and trout roe. The seating consists of nine stools along one wall, the service is dive-bar casual, and the soundtrack is mostly punk and post-punk. If you stop by, take a moment to admire the original Cramps poster on the wall.
Gab's, a new West Village restaurant, is going for a 1970s-dinner-party feel. It has orange banquettes and colorful little vases on every table, and it's decorated with abstract paintings (made by the owner). The food, from a chef who used to work at Mimi, is advertised as "seasonal New York cuisine," and you can expect globally-influenced stuff like an uni tartlet with aji amarillo, spätzle with Burgundy truffle, and a burger with gruyere.
Opened by three NYC chefs who used to run the bacon-focused Landhaus at Smorgasburg, Three Maples is a bar in Bed-Stuy serving a brief menu of American food like a burger, a fried chicken sandwich, and a couple of salads and sides. Everything on the menu is under $20, there's a daily Happy Hour, and the attractive space has a long bar and pink banquettes.
Sushi On Me
POWERED BY
The ever-popular and always-rowdy Jackson Heights omakase spot Sushi on Me has a new location in Williamsburg. Like the original, this one features bottomless sake and a partytime atmosphere, complete with a disco ball and loud music. The price ($129) is a little higher here, and there are four hour-long seatings per night starting at 5pm.
photo credit: Ill Gander
Upstairs at Public Records
One of the best hangs in the city, Gowanus bar/restaurant/music venue Public Records recently launched an upstairs lounge and listening space. It's called Upstairs, and it's open Fridays and Saturdays. The space is minimalist, with some armchairs and white banquettes, and you can stop by for equally-minimalist cocktails and an impressive sound system. Make a reservation if you want to guarantee yourself a seat.
Chalong
It's too early to say for sure, but there could be a Thai restaurant renaissance happening in Hell's Kitchen. Last year's Lumlum was a great addition to the neighborhood, and now there's Chalong, a new spot focusing on Southern Thai food. The menu is packed with seafood (crab curry, grilled hor mok, etc.), and the earth-toned space has an upscale feel.
Sushi Nikko
Long Island City food hall Jacx&Co has a new sushi place from the folks behind Greenwich Village's Sekai Omakase. They're serving à la carte nigiri in addition to a $68 omakase, and you can reserve your counter seat online.
If you've ever had conversations about LA restaurants, there's a good chance Gjelina came up at some point. Known for their pizzas and vegetable small plates, this popular Venice restaurant now has a second location with a huge space in Noho. They're serving 10 varieties of pizza with toppings like lamb sausage and bottarga, in addition to salads, sandwiches, and larger plates that include skirt steak and roast chicken. For now, Gjelina is only open for walk-ins during breakfast and lunch.
Located inside Little Banchan Shop in Long Island City, Meju is from the chef behind Danji and Hanjan and bills itself as a "Korean fermentation studio." You have one option, which is a seven-course $185 tasting menu with simply-described courses like "gochujang + hwe" and "ssamjang + beef." A 20% service charge is added to everything you order, which might include some of the first single malt whiskeys ever made in Korea (available here in three varieties).
Kebab aur Sharab
The chef behind Laut and Singlish has another spot on the Upper West Side serving dishes inspired by food you'd get from street carts in India. The menu includes a bunch of things cooked over coal (lamb chops, river prawns, and baby goat, for example) as well as speciality naan and roti made in a custom clay tandoor oven. The space has teak wood paneling throughout and a skylight with a peacock mural.
Jelas, located downstairs from Singlish in the former Chard space, is a new bar specializing in milk punch cocktails with Southeast Asian flavors. You'll find a fruity Singapore Sling made with clarified milk punch and a take on a whiskey sour made with red wine foam. This place has no seating and fits about 12 people, and if you get hungry you can choose from a few snacks like summer rolls and dumplings.
Hunny is a Korean spot in Long Island City where you can get tteok-bokki with fish cakes and tofu pockets stuffed with rice and imitation crab (both $9). For something larger, choose from entrées like soft tofu stew and galbi with rice and french fries drenched in a spicy sauce. This place is operating as a ghost kitchen, so it's delivery and takeout-only.
After operating for two months then abruptly closing for three months because of necessary repair work, one of our favorite openings of 2022 is finally back. This restaurant is still doing fine dining "for Queers and everyone else" in a tiny space in the East Village, but now you can choose between a three-course meal for $95 or a five-course one for $155.
With multiple locations throughout upstate New York and New Jersey, this Moroccan restaurant now has a new outpost in Tribeca. The long, narrow dining room is littered with red roses, greenery, and ornate hanging lamps. In terms of food, expect mini lamb meatballs and harissa-marinated olives as well as a long list of meat, seafood, and vegetarian tagines.
White Olive
You'll see cream-colored leather seating, gold accents, and mostly high tops at this Mediterranean restaurant in Midtown. The largely Greek and Turkish menu has items like melitzanosalata, pan-fried red snapper, baby lamp chops, and some pastas. This place is only open for dinner right now, but lunch service will be starting soon.
photo credit: Corse Design Factory
Essex Pearl x Midnight Cafe
Essex Pearl, a Southeast Asian seafood spot at The Market Line, is doing a residency at Midnight Cafe in Manhattan West. This pop-up of sorts will operate as an all-day cafe closing at 7pm with a Happy Hour featuring $1 oysters and drink specials from 4-7pm. You can order things like crab, shrimp, and lobster rolls in addition to a red curry lobster bisque and a seafood tower. (There's no firm end date for the residency yet, but it will last "for at least a few months.")
Glizzy’s
With all the bars in Williamsburg, opening a hot dog joint that's open until 4am on the weekends isn't a terrible idea. And that's exactly what the owner behind Lucy's Vietnamese has done. This small place has a counter for standing (no seating), and you can choose from 11 different varieties of hot dogs such as the Sean Paul with jerked smoked brisket and the OG Lucy's with bánh mì-inspired toppings.
Sweet Chick
This mini-chain's fifth NYC location has opened in the former Coffee Shop space (RIP) just west of Union Square. Unlike their other outposts, this one is fast casual. But you can still get all the same Southern food-like chicken and waffles, spicy honey butter biscuits, and mac and cheese.
December
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele
A pizza place that started in Naples in 1870—with locations in California—is opening in the West Village on December 24. Expect different varieties of Neapolitan-style pies (including one with prosciutto and arugula and another with fior di latte and spicy salame), some salads and sandwiches, and a large selection of Italian wines. To start, this place will only be open from 11am to 3pm. Additional concepts such as a charcuterie bar and basement taverna will debut here early next year.
This fourth East Village restaurant from the team behind Nai is serving Mediterranean fare with a focus on handmade pastas like a squid ink fideua made with saffron and mafaldine in pork cheek ragu. You'll also find mortadella, cured sea bream, and a bunch of other shareable starters. The dining room features a huge pink and white stone counter in the center with a wavy light fixture above made of more than 1,000 pieces of wood.
Cornelius
The City Winery team has opened this upscale restaurant that features ingredients sourced from the Hudson Valley and the surrounding areas. Located in Grand Central Terminal, the space has banquettes, light wood tables with black chairs, and walls filled with sepia photos of NYC landmarks. Some of their dishes include a linguine with truffles and Osestra caviar, a lobster strudel, and a $127 chateaubriand for two with peppercorn cream.
There's a new restaurant on Stone Street in FiDi, and it's not another place with a bunch of beers on tap (not that there's anything wrong with that). The food is "botanically driven, cosmically inspired Tuscan mountain fare," so there's that. Expect anchovies in salsa verde, spaghetti with mint and bottarga, and fried quail served with biodynamic wines in a rustic dining room with moss green walls and tables covered in white tablecloths.
Mucho Sarap is a new vendor at the Canal Street Market by the people behind So Sarap, a Filipino pop-up operating at Smorgasburg. The food here combines both Filipino and Mexican elements, so you can get things like a taco made with longaniza and another one made with beef short rib, cheek, and tongue. This place has a small counter that seats only five, but you can always eat at one of the communal tables in the food hall.
Have you ever wanted to create your own cheese and charcuterie board by picking out stuff from an assembly line like you're putting together a burrito at Chipotle? You can do that at a new spot in Greenwich Village called Kured, which started in Boston. You can choose from more than 30 ingredients including duck prosciutto, aged manchego, and dried sweet apricots. A custom board that feeds two to three starts at $25.
Yes, this French spot near 9th Avenue and 38th serves steak frites (two different kinds, in fact). You can also get classic bistro dishes like escargots, duck and pork pâté, and roasted chicken with pomme purée, as well as a baked-to-order chocolate soufflé for dessert. The space has antique mirrors on the walls, black and white floor tiles, and lots of wooden furniture and accents that have that worn-in look.
Located in the old Mission Chinese space just off Dimes Square, Casino is serving dishes that you'd find along the coast of Italy. Fittingly, you'll see clams casino along with pastas like a pappardelle with smoked lamb and dishes prepared using their wood-fired oven such as a whole turbot and a T-bone steak. There's a front bar area, a main dining room with red chairs and white tablecloths, and a downstairs lounge with a stainless steel bar.
Noz Market
The team behind Sushi Noz has rebooted their retail fish shop on the Upper East Side. There's a nine-person counter where you can order things like chirashi bowls and temaki, but you can also get sushi rolls and fresh seafood to go. This new market is a good way to try the same high-quality fish and rice offered at Sushi Noz without having to spend several hundred dollars.
photo credit: Full:Life Hospitality
Bohemia
Bohemia's menu is inspired by street food that you can find throughout Southeast Asia. Expect a lot of small plates (chicken thigh satay and shrimp toast, for example) and a few larger items like lamb ribs and lemongrass salmon. This place, located in the basement of the CODA Williamsburg hotel, has a very long bar where you can get one of their many $17 house cocktails.
This bar is in Greenwich Village, so you'll definitely see some undergrads here on any given night. Their food menu is a list of pretty much anything you'd want to eat while drinking—think wings, chicharrones, chopped cheese made with wagyu, and a large selection of hot dogs. The back room looks ideal for some live music or watching sports, and the front room has an applause sign, which turns on once in a while, and everyone claps.
photo credit: NYCRestaurant.com
Casa Tulum
For the second week in a row, a restaurant inspired by the food in Tulum has opened—this time at the South Street Seaport. (Scroll down to read about Tán in Midtown.) The space, with greenery hanging over the bar and rope-covered columns, is meant to look like a beach house in Tulum. The seafood-focused menu features fish tacos, a lobster ceviche, and branzino, and most of the house cocktails are made with tequila or mezcal.
This speakeasy is unsurprisingly located underneath a place called Shaku Ramen in Flushing. You get here by going down a flight of kitchen stairs where you'll see red all around in the booths, walls, curtains, and neon lights. There are premium bottles of sake, fruity soju cocktails that you can make yourself, and some food such as a bowl of ramen made with miso and king crab.
Good Thanks is an all-day cafe that started on the Lower East Side, and now they have a second outpost in East Williamsburg. You can get oats with blueberries and kiwi, a breakfast sandwich with bacon jam and fried potatoes, and avocado sourdough toast to go along with coffee drinks. For now, they're only serving breakfast and lunch, but dinner service will start once they get their liquor license.
Five Acres
Another week, another new restaurant at Rockefeller Center. This one's from the Olmsted team, and the menu is filled with vegetable-forward dishes. You might see a cheddar pumpkin soup with pickled mushrooms or kohlrabi in an alfredo sauce with clams. The dining room has a large rectangular bar, tons of greenery, and no walls, so you'll have a great view of people walking around the concourse.
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Essential by Christophe
The name of this place refers to Christophe Bellanca, who used to cook at places like L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Cirque. His new Upper West Side restaurant is a French fine dining spot, and you can expect dishes like scallops with a black truffle emulsion and grilled sole with a grain mustard brown butter sauce. The space has porcelain tile floors, exposed wooden beams, and a rock and roll-themed mural along the back wall. When the weather's nice, you can opt to sit outside on their small patio.
photo credit: Ashley Sears
Sake No Hana
Sake No Hana is the second spot from the Tao Group that's opened at the Moxy Lower East Side hotel. (They also have a bar on the roof called The Highlight Room.) The Japanese menu has sushi, udon with king crab and abalone, and special cuts of beef that start at $115. This place is open until at least midnight every day except Monday, when it's closed.
Bobbi’s Italian Beef
Maybe you've watched The Bear and now all you can think about is getting your hands on an Italian beef sandwich. Try Bobbi's Italian Beef on Smith Street in Cobble Hill. This spot started as a stall at Dekalb Market Hall, but now it's in a space with a handful of tables and some counter seating. You can get a dozen other sandwiches (muffulettas, turkey clubs, etc.) that come in half or whole portions, as well as personal pan pizzas and Chicago dogs.
The Ivory Peacock
If you've been looking for a place with hard-to-find gin, check out this new cocktail bar in Nomad with large booths and antique chandeliers. They have more than 850 bottles of gin on hand, as well as a full selection of other spirits. For around $30, you can get a tray with gin, a bottle of tonic, and accompaniments like cardamom and red shiso to make your own custom cocktails. Food options include a cheese board, oysters, and a croque monsieur.
The menu at this restaurant on University Place was inspired by the food you can get in small alleys throughout Bangkok. In Pranakhon's large dining room, you'll see hundreds of Thai lottery tickets and staff walking around in crossing guard-style vests. Dishes like green curry and pad see ew are available, but there are also a bunch of house specials like mussels and eggs in a sriracha sauce.
Tán
Tán, a Mexican restaurant in Midtown, serves seafood dishes that you'd find in Tulum and other places on the Yucatán peninsula. The menu includes ceviches, lobster pozole, adobo-marinated octopus, and sea scallops served with bone marrow. For dessert, you can get caramelized pineapple with mango sorbet and coconut foam. A lounge called Lúm is slated to open later this month in the same space.
Located right next to the Baccarat Hotel in Midtown, Taru is an upscale Japanese restaurant from a former executive chef at Masa. You can get small plates such as duck confit gyoza and crab chawanmushi, and there's also a section of the menu with high-priced meat and seafood items ($75 steamed whole goby and a $600 cut of A4 Wagyu, for example). Kotaru, a separate 10-seat counter nestled within Taru, serves a 20-course omakase for $375.
Mama Yoshi Mini Mart
After doing pop-ups in Queens and Brooklyn, the owners behind Mama Yoshi Mini Mart have set up shop in Ridgewood. (You might remember their food from All Night Skate in Bed-Stuy.) In addition to grocery items like Kewpie mayo and bowls of instant noodles, you can stop by for chicken or cauliflower katsu sandwiches, a Spam grilled cheese on milk bread, and different varieties of onigiri. This place is only open Wednesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm.
photo credit: Michael Tulipan/MST Creative PR
Down & Out
The house cocktails at this East Village bar have names inspired by George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. The copper tile ceilings and wood banquettes are meant to remind you of post-Prohibition bars in the 1930s, and there's live jazz and burlesque on certain nights.
Torrisi Bar & Restaurant
The food at this Nolita restaurant from the Carbone team draws inspiration from Jewish delis and a few NYC neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy. (Think pastrami-spiced short rib, something called San Gennaro Bao, and pastas.) This spot is kind of a reboot of Torrisi Italian Specialties, which closed in 2014, but now it's in the Puck Building with a whole new menu. 18 house cocktails are available, include three kinds of martinis ($20 each) and a negroni made with Lambrusco ($18).
House is a Tokyo restaurant with its first US location in a new Greenpoint development called 50 Norman. The experience here is meant to make you feel like you're dining in someone's home. Your only option is a seven-course $150 Japanese-French tasting menu at an eight-person counter with dishes like apple and beet crudité on pie crust and a pilaf made with pickled cucumbers and foie gras.
Meena Dumplings N More
You can now find a second Meena truck in Floral Park serving a handful of halal Afghan items. (The other truck is in Forest Hills.) Nothing here costs more than $10, and in addition to steamed mantu stuffed with ground beef and onions, you can get seasoned kebabs with some rice and a salad.
The team behind Joyface has opened this cocktail bar in Alphabet City on Avenue C. It looks like someone randomly picked out a bunch of textiles to decorate the colorful space, and there's a tufted bed with a table sticking out from the middle for your drinks. (We're sure no one will ever spill anything with this setup.) If you make reservations, expect a door code to get in, but don't worry—there's also a bell to ring if you're trying to walk in. Food for sharing is on the way.
Birria-Landia is one of our highest-rated spots in the city, and you can get their orange-colored beef tacos with a side of birria broth for dipping from a truck parked near Houston and 1st Avenue (their first Manhattan location). There's nothing wrong with sticking to their tacos, but if you want some variety, there are also mulitas and tostadas, and nothing here costs more than $6.
Emmy Squared
A sixth NYC location of Emmy Squared is now open on 60th and Amsterdam. Expect the same rectangular pies with burnt cheese edges that remind you of grandma pies and Detroit-style pizzas at the same time. This place is also known for their Le Big Matt—a double-patty cheeseburger on a pretzel bun with a special house sauce.
November
The flurry of high-profile restaurant openings at Rockefeller Center continues with this Italian spot from the trio behind King. Expect several homemade pastas such as agnoli stuffed with rabbit and egg tagliarini with chicken livers. Jupiter's colorful space, located on the same level as the ice skating rink, has yellow tile columns, orange banquettes, and green seating. Unsurprisingly, the 400-bottle wine list consists of mostly Italian varietals.
Following the success of Laser Wolf at the top of the Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg, chef Michael Solomonov's team has brought another popular spot from Philly to the ground floor of that same hotel. K'Far is an all-day Israeli bakery and cafe where you'll be able to get Jerusalem bagels, kubaneh patty melts, and chicken schnitzel kataifi. Some of the seating is in a plant-filled glass atrium, so you can (sort of) feel like you're eating outside even when your phone says it's 20 degrees in NYC.
If you walk down MacDougal Street on a Friday night, you'll see a lot of drunk NYU students looking for something to eat. So the decision from the Mei Lai Wah team to open this takeout-only restaurant on that street seems like a pretty smart idea. Munchiez serves snacks that you can find at 7-Elevens in Hong Kong like fish balls, tea eggs, chicken skewers, and barbecue pork buns—all of which are available until 3am on weekends.
It feels like the people behind Palpal and LittleMad open another restaurant every month. Most of their places are in Nomad, but this new Korean spot of theirs is in the old Oiji space in the East Village. The seafood-focused menu is inspired by the city of Busan (home to Korea's largest seaport). You'll see sliced raw fish lettuce wraps, poached octopus with white kimchi, and steamed monkfish as well as meat dishes like lamb-stuffed fried peppers and bulgogi.
photo credit: Ren
Ren
Many of the dishes at this new Italian-leaning American spot in Midwood are prepared on a wood-fired grill. Some of those items include a $110 whole branzino and lamb chops with mint-tomato tapenade. You'll also find several pastas like gnocchi with parmesan cream and hazelnut oil. This restaurant is connected to the soon-to-be-open World Spa, but you don't need to book a treatment there to eat at Ren.
OkDongsik, a Seoul-based restaurant, is making its US debut as a pop-up in Nomad (running now through April 1, 2023). You'll find just one main dish and side: dwaeji-gomtang (sticky, soft rice in a broth made with lean pork) and mandoo filled with kimchi, pork, and glass noodles. This pop-up only has 10 seats at a counter, and you can make reservations.
photo credit: Noah Fecks
Harta
The new Grayson Hotel, located just south of Bryant Park, has a restaurant on the ground floor named Harta. In the morning, you can get things like steak and eggs, pastries, and pancakes. Later in the day, the menu leans Mediterranean (shrimp a la plancha and chicken tagine, for example). Bar Cima, a mezcaleria on the roof of the hotel, opens November 25, and Bar Harta, a second-floor wine and tapas bar with a patio, opens next spring.
photo credit: Katrine Moite
Ariapita
This Trinidadian restaurant in Flatbush is named after a street in Port of Spain, and the relatively small 22-seat space turns into a dance floor on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 10pm. For food, you can get crab in a curry paste alongside dumplings, a whole deep-fried fish topped with an okra-tomato sauce, and bhaji.
The name of this place reflects Marcus Samuelsson's Ethiopian and Swedish roots. ("Hav" means ocean in Swedish, while "mar" means honey in Amharic.) The goal of this seafood-focused restaurant in Chelsea is to reflect a "truly contemporary expression of Black cuisine." Expect dishes like berbere-cured salmon, lobster and crab with black rice and peas, and a waffle with rock shrimp and uni butter.
Tsuta is a ramen spot that opened in Tokyo about 10 years ago. There used to be one in San Francisco, but it closed, so this new outpost in Dumbo is the only US location. This place is known for using some nontraditional ingredients like black truffles and Iberico chashu for their noodle bowls. Five different ramens are on the menu, including a vegetarian one.
Holiday Bar
This seafood spot on Downing Street is from the Saint Theo's and American Bar team, and the beige, pink, and chrome decor is supposed to remind you of the '80s. Entrées include squid pasta with smoked chili flakes and fried porgy with papaya. There's also a full menu of sushi and sashimi. Fittingly, this place will stay open on all holidays.
Bark Barbecue
Bark Barbecue started selling their Dominican-Texas-style BBQ in Ozone Park a couple of years ago, and now they have their first permanent location in the Time Out Market New York food hall in Dumbo. Old favorites like smoked turkey breast and 14-hour brisket are still available, as well as a new item: longaniza with fried cheese. Sides include cornbread and black beans with rice.
Rosevale Kitchen & Cocktail Room
Along with the rooftop bar Starchild (scroll down for more info), this spot has opened in the Civilian hotel in Hell's Kitchen. The food is "American with global flavors," and you'll see dishes like steak tartare with shrimp chips, duck breast with phở-spiced jus, and steelhead trout with schug. Red leather banquettes and brass accents give the dining room a brasserie feel.
Reyna
The dining room at this Mediterranean restaurant near Union Square (with two associated spots in Toronto) has super high ceilings with lamps covered in giant fluffy ostrich feathers. In addition to lamb manti, grilled octopus, and other tapas, you can get large format items for the table like a $72 paella with chicken and four different types of seafood. This place also has a lounge called Le Louis downstairs.
The Dickens is a large LGBTQ+ cocktail bar in Hell's Kitchen with a rooftop and different themed rooms spread across four floors. One room, with velvet sofas and a fireplace, is supposed to remind you of the inside of a genie's lamp. Another has a wall covered in black-and-white photos of Bowie, Boy George, and other artists. The menu is focused on small plates—think sliders, empanadas, and cauliflower bites.
The fast-casual mini chain Inday has opened its first full-service restaurant in Williamsburg. True to its name, this place is open daily from 10am to 10pm. For breakfast, they have egg-and-cheese dosas and a Mumbai-style scramble with onions and tomatoes. Later in the day, you can get dishes like tamarind-glazed ribs and a tandoori half chicken.
Katherine
You'll see ingredients like artichoke, banana, and miso in the house cocktails ($19 to $24) at this Midtown lounge. Drinks are the focus here, but you can also order Korean-inspired tapas like langoustine with white kimchi and tilefish in a gochujang broth. The space is filled with large mirrors and greenery, and you'll see exposed brick and reclaimed wood everywhere.
Bar Americano
This Greenpoint spot is modeled after aperitivo bars in Spain and Northern Italy, and, unsurprisingly, it offers two versions of an Americano (both of which are on tap). They also have beer, wine, and some classics like a margarita and an appletini. This place has a big U-shaped bar and leather banquettes, and you can order Mediterranean-inspired small plates like brussels sprouts with puffed rice and boudin noir croquettes.
The first Fouquet's opened in Paris over 120 years ago, and now there are 11 locations around the world, including this new one in Tribeca. Situated in the Hotel Barrière Fouquet's, this brasserie has a red and black color scheme, parquet floors, and chandeliers. Chef Pierre Gagnaire oversees the menu, which features dishes like onion soup, lobster fricassée, and lamb chops. Par Ici Café, a vegetarian place, is coming soon to the same hotel.
photo credit: Michael Tulipan/MST Creative PR
Figlia
You can get "neo-Neapolitan" pies (a hybrid of Neapolitan and New York-style pizzas) at this new spot on 31st Street in Astoria. Eight varieties are available, alongside a selection of antipasti, salads, and pastas like a rigatoni with veal and pork ragu. The smallish dining room seats 25, with additional seating outside.
21 Greenpoint
Another location of 21 Greenpoint is open at Rockefeller Center on the same level as the skating rink. The food is New American, and you can expect a lot of salads in addition to things like crab toast and a focaccia sandwich with mortadella and parmesan. This restaurant is currently only open on weekdays from 11:30am to 5pm.
We'll give you one guess what the address for this semi-private supper club in the West Village is. Carmelo Anthony is an investor, and there's a VIP room in the back with a one-way mirror and a secret entrance (which doesn't seem that secret since we're telling you about it). The space is filled with velvet and gold accents, and the menu is Greek-inspired, with dishes like grilled octopus and saganaki. For $179, you can get a spirit of your choice with mixers and garnishes wheeled to your table so you can mix your own cocktails.
Isle of Us
Prepared foods, made-to-order dishes, and pantry items like chili crunch and infused olive oil are all available at this cafe and market on the Upper East Side. Breakfast options include a quiche and a burrito made with chorizo, egg, and hash browns. For lunch and dinner, you can get sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls. This place has an emphasis on sustainability, and it's connected to a wellness studio called Sage + Sound.
photo credit: Marcelo Fernandez
Mostrador NYC
The seasonal menu at this restaurant at the Walker Tribeca Hotel changes daily, but you can expect vegetable-heavy dishes like baked sweet potatoes with zhug and broccolini with miso aioli. The food leans Argentinian with influence from Uruguay and Lebanon. For now, this place is only serving breakfast and lunch, with dinner service starting next month.
Located on the 27th floor of the Civilian Hotel in Hell's Kitchen, this rooftop bar has two terraces and an outdoor space that can be fully enclosed when it gets too cold out. If you feel like spending a stupid amount of money, you can get bottle service, or you can just share some large-format cocktails. Anderson .Paak DJed here recently, so this spot might be kind of a scene.
Kwame Onwuachi, who you may know from various food TV shows, has returned to NYC to open a restaurant in the renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Tatiana is named after Onwuachi's sister, and the food is inspired by his upbringing in the Bronx. Dishes here include egusi soup dumplings stuffed with black sea bass and short rib pastrami suya. There's also a three-course pre-theater menu designed for those seeing performances at Lincoln Center.
Naro joins the rapidly growing roster of new spots at Rockefeller Center. From the husband-and-wife team behind Atomix and Atoboy, this Korean restaurant serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menus, which cost $95 and $195 for lunch and dinner, respectively. Expect dishes like king crab bibimbap and octopus with kohlrabi and Korean mustard. A separate prix-fixe menu will be served in their indoor terrace next year, and the bar has à la carte items.
The Astor
The two-story space at this American restaurant in Astoria has red leather seats, subway tile walls, and TVs in case you want to catch a game. You can get steaks, burgers, salads, and tacos, and they're offering a large selection of $9 mocktails while they wait for their liquor license.
This food hall is in the Starrett-Lehigh building near the Hudson River in Chelsea, and it's opening with a handful of vendors including a Mexican street food place, a Sicilian-style pizzeria, and the very popular Forsyth Fire Escape, which sells scallion pancake burritos filled with pernil. Every good food hall needs a bar, and Olly Olly Market has two (named Bar Avant & Aprés Bar).
Slava
The team behind Pineapple Club has opened this Ukrainian restaurant and cocktail bar in the old Pegu Club space in Soho. It has a long wooden bar, red velvet seating, and tapestries on the walls. If you get hungry while downing one of the house vodka cocktails, you can eat some chicken Kiev, cabbage stuffed with short rib, or steamed trout with pumpkin cream.
photo credit: Patrick Dolande Gaslonde
Artesano
Everything about Artesano—from the food and cocktail program to the stone bowls and plates—is centered around Peru. This fine dining spot is chef Rodrigo Fernadini's first New York City restaurant, and the Tribeca space has an open kitchen and plenty of greenery. Several ceviches are on the menu alongside dishes like duck prepared two ways and short rib marinated for 48 hours. If you can't decide what to order, you can opt for a $165 tasting menu.
If you've been searching all your life for a Mayan pyramid-shaped dish made with steamed pork belly and preserved cabbage, you can finally stop looking. The large menu at this restaurant in Hell's Kitchen also has dim sum, a bunch of Szechuan dishes, and Chinese-American favorites like General Tso's chicken.
Williamsburg Market
This food hall is in the building that used to house the North 3rd Street Market, and a new slate of vendors will occupy the revamped space. You'll be able to get shrimp and grits from Harlem Seafood Soul, Italian sandwiches from Alidoro, and deep-fried Korean hot dogs from Oh-K Dog. The market will eventually have 17 spots.
Sushi Mumi
Sushi Mumi is an upscale omakase restaurant featuring Edomae-style sushi from a former Sushi Ginza Onodera chef. The room has just one L-shaped wooden counter that seats 10. To eat here, you'll have to pay $250 per person (plus tax and tip) in advance. Each seating lasts two hours.
