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.
March
Mesiba is a Levantine restaurant in the new Moxy Williamsburg hotel from the team behind Broken Shaker. The dining room features a big curvy marble bar, as well as several booths and hanging greenery. Expect breads baked in a clay oven in addition to lamb neck served with Yemeni pancakes and vegetarian kreplach filled with ricotta, hazelnuts, and leeks. This same team has also opened Bar Bedford, an all-day cafe and cocktail bar, in the hotel.
Stretch Pizza—named for their process of stretching dough instead of tossing it—was a pop-up from Wylie Dufresne operating out of Breads Bakery in 2021. Now, a permanent location is open in Flatiron, and all of their pies are 12 inches. They come in varieties like plain, pepperoni, and smoked cheese/ham/horseradish. Other items on the menu include a salad with homemade vinegar potato chips and chickpea fries.
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The Red Pavilion
There's a lot going on at The Red Pavilion in Bushwick. This place is a Chinese teahouse and apothecary by day, and at night it's a "neo-noir" nightclub that looks like the setting for a scene in the next Nicolas Winding Refn movie. Depending on the night, there might be a dance party, live jazz, cabaret, or something else going on. On Sundays, they serve a dim sum-inspired tapas brunch with things like sticky rice shumai and patatas bravas with tofu aioli.
The team behind The Musket Room has opened this all-day Italian and French bakery and cafe in Nolita. For now, they're only serving dinner with dishes like beef tartare, lamb malfaldine, and sfincione (Sicilian pizza) made in a cast iron skillet. You'll eventually be able to stop by for pastries, canelés, and other baked items during the day. The dimly-lit room with white tablecloths looks semi-formal, so you might want to book a table here to celebrate your next promotion.
Nan Xiang Express
Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, which started in Flushing in 2006, opened a second restaurant in Midtown last summer. Now they have a fast-casual concept with plans to open about 30 locations across the Northeast. This first NYC outpost is in Forest Hills, and you can get the same signature soup dumplings that they're know for as well as crispy noodles, rice cake bowls, various kinds of dim sum, and more.
Pinky Cole's massively popular counter-service chain Slutty Vegan started in Atlanta, but she opened her first spot, Pinky’s Jamaican & American Restaurant (which closed after a fire in 2016), in Harlem. Now, she's back in the neighborhood with the second NYC location of Slutty Vegan. Come by for a plant-based cheesesteak or a burger topped with vegan bacon, faux shrimp, and Slut Sauce.
Principe is a new Italian restaurant in Soho, and it's already tough to get into. The space on West Broadway has mother-of-pearl accents and Venetian glass chandeliers, and the menu—from a chef who used to work at The Nomad and Eleven Madison Park—has an extensive raw bar, seafood-heavy pastas, and a few mains like beef loin with marrow gravy and olive-encrusted branzino. Book a table while you still can.
Estiatorio Nisí
Astoria is already home to a ridiculous number of Greek restaurants, many of which are destination-worthy. Now, it has one more. Nisí Estiatorio has a coastal-themed dining room with over 100 seats and a big menu that features a few types of crudo, small plates like saganaki and grilled octopus, and a bunch of different mains that include everything from lobster pasta to a bone-in ribeye. This place is open for lunch and dinner daily.
photo credit: Hassan Mokkaddam/HMPhotoshoots
Trust Bae
A new concept from the restaurant group behind Sushi by Bou and Omakaseed just launched its first location in Nomad. Trust Bae has an eight-seat counter where Top Chef alum Frances Tariga is serving a 16-course Japanese and Filipino-inspired tasting menu. Each $150 meal lasts 90 minutes and features dishes like botan ebi tartare and lumpia with oxtail and truffle cream. Eventually, there will be new locations run by different chefs, all of whom will receive mentorship from Rachael Ray (yes, that Rachael Ray).
photo credit: Brooklyn Winery
Rosette at Brooklyn Winery
Brooklyn Winery is in a new location on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint just off of McCarren Park, and they now have a restaurant named Rosette. Some dishes here, like the braised short rib with celeriac purée and the $140 ribeye tomahawk steak, are made with house-made wines. Rosette also has cheese and charcuterie boards and shareable plates (grilled oysters and fluke ceviche, for example). There's greenery hanging off a brick wall and very long communal tables that will work well for big groups.
The Wallace Lounge
There's a new cocktail lounge and piano bar at The Wallace Hotel, and it looks pretty fancy. The Wallace Lounge features a marble fireplace and a grand piano from 1926, and they're serving Petrossian caviar in addition to small bites like smoked beef tartare and tempura shrimp. Swing by to catch some live music and drink a martini the next time you're seeing a show at Lincoln Center.
Duomo 51
Located on the seventh floor of a DoubleTree hotel in Midtown, this big Tuscan restaurant looks like a good place to get great views of Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral in the comfort of an enclosed glass terrace. (It also has a retractable roof.) Inside, the carpeted dining room is filled with white tablecloths and velvet seating, and you'll see salads, pastas, seafood, and steaks—including a $125 T-bone for two—on the menu.
photo credit: Steve Hill
Ueki
The Blue Ribbon team has opened this Japanese restaurant in honor of the late Toshi Ueki, who founded Blue Ribbon Sushi. There are only 12 seats (eight at a counter and four at two small booths) at this Greenwich Village spot, and just one seating per night at 6:30pm that lasts about two-and-a-half hours. Your only option is a $195 omakase, which isn't exactly the same from night to night, but it always includes some appetizers, edomae-style nigiri, and temaki.
Tivoli Trattoria
Tivoli Trattoria has a pretty simple concept. They're serving chicken parm, roasted branzino, and some pizzas and pastas that start around $15. The West Village space used to be a slice shop, but now it has a renovated dining room with potted plants, woven light fixtures, and Italian travel posters. This place (from the Baby Brasa people) looks pretty casual, and it should be a good option for some wine and pasta on a Monday night.
Named after the inventor of the pre-cut cardboard box (who used to run a printing business in the space), Gair is an upscale Dumbo cocktail bar with a focus on "exceptional spirits that people may not recognize right away." There's a big U-shaped concrete bar in the middle of the space, with leather, ceramic, and blackened steel accents throughout. In addition to some intricate-sounding cocktails made with ingredients like nori and persimmon, this place has low and zero-ABV drinks, as well some food that includes a smashburger, Japanese yams, and steelhead trout tartare.
This Korean-influenced dessert spot in Flushing has a variety of natural wines, over-the-top sweet creations, and coffee drinks—some of which look like tropical cocktails. The room downstairs feels like a blend of a cafe and a whimsical art gallery, and that vibe is fitting for desserts like a black tea cheesecake topped with a colorful mushroom landscape and a croffle with grated Norwegian brown cheese and vanilla ice cream. Upstairs, there's a retro-looking sound system, and the space looks more like a bar.
Named after the owner's grandmother, Lula Mae is a Cambodian restaurant in Clinton Hill with a menu comprised of several small plates that are designed to be shared. Expect things like papaya salad with lemongrass beef jerky and tamarind-soy-and-lime-pepper fried chicken, as well as bottles of wine that mostly cost around $50. The dining room looks like a bistro filled with high tops and bar seating, and there's a lounge area with leather couches in the back that's open later (2am) than the restaurant.
February
The team behind Laut and Singlish has opened this new spot near Union Square specializing in Peranakan cuisine. Some of their dishes are based on recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, and they include kuih pie tee filled with jicama, egg, and shrimp and kway chap with pork intestine, stomach, and ear in a soy ginger sauce. The room has carved wooden walls, chandeliers, and a huge mural of koi.
Jac's on Bond is the latest cocktail bar from the group behind Pebble Bar and Ray's. It's located in a Noho townhouse (the former home of The Smile), and you can stop by and play pool while you a drink pistachio-beet-dill cocktail. There's also a food menu curated by the duo behind Wildair with meatball skewers, tuna sandwiches, and a creamsicle pie.
This slice shop near Times Square is run by the same people behind Steak Frites, who seem to do small, focused menus very well. We've already checked this place out, and the cheese pizza with slightly sweet tomato sauce is our favorite thing here. But you should also try the Zillionaire slice, which comes with sausage, pepperoni, and banana peppers.
Okonomi Market
Osakana, a Japanese fish market in East Williamsburg, has transformed into Okonomi Market. (This place is affiliated with Okonomi + Yuji Ramen, which is just down the street.) The new concept offers bento boxes, donburi, and mazemen along with sashimi, speciality Japanese groceries, and more. On Fridays and Saturdays, the market closes early to make way for a $150 multi-course tasting menu, and seatings are already booked until mid-March.
Pappas Taverna
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Pappas Taverna in Greenwich Village is a reboot of the first Greek restaurant in NYC, which was open from 1910 to 1975. Todd English is in charge of the menu, which features soups and salads, meat and fish prepared in a wood-burning oven, and various small plates like lobster roll spanakopita and zucchini kebabs. The large, mostly white space features a Medusa wall sculpture. If you place a takeout order, you'll pick up your food from a locker without having to deal with any humans.
Bobby’s Night Out
This bar on the corner of Avenue C and 9th has black-and-white checkered floors, red leather banquettes, and several large projector screens and TVs to watch games. Interestingly, this place serves brunch every day from noon to 5pm. During this time, you can get breakfast burritos and chilaquiles in addition to their all-day menu items like wings, calamari, and tacos.
Located in The Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side, Caviar Kaspia is a restaurant that started in Paris in 1927 and has locations in Los Angeles and other major cities around the world. Their signature dish is a baked potato topped with caviar, and you can also buy caviar (and gourmet things that people eat with caviar) to take home from their boutique. They have an "elegant dress code," so don't plan on popping in right after a workout.
Moody Tongue Sushi
Chicago-based brewery Moody Tongue is bringing beer and sushi to the West Village. At Moody Tongue Sushi, you can get à la carte nigiri or go the tasting menu route, and there are 16 beers on tap to pair with your food. It's a unique concept, and the space with leather stools and parquet floors looks like a good venue for a fun date night. If you don't want to drink beer, they also have wine and cocktails.
Petite Patate
Japanese/French restaurant Maison Yaki has closed, and the owners (who also run Olmsted and Patti Anne's) have replaced it with a spot that's 100% French. With its wicker chairs and Art Nouveau posters, Petite Patate is going for a classic bistro look, and it has a very on-theme menu. Expect things like escargots, raclette with duck fat potatoes, and a burger au poivre.
Anixi will be serving a 100% plant-based menu influenced by Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. The Chelsea restaurant—decorated with 18th-century marble and crystal chandeliers—will have cured "fish" and faux steak shish kabobs, as well as house-baked breads and various mezze. The owners also run vegan chain Beyond Sushi and a few other plant-based spots around town.
Bad Roman
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The most exciting thing about the Time Warner Center is no longer the fact that they have public restrooms. Now, the huge Midtown mall is home to Bad Roman, the latest spot from the people behind Don Angie, Zou Zou's, and Quality Italian. The "playful Italian" restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Central Park and a menu of dishes like roasted garlic babka, tiramisu ice cream cake, and filet mignon topped with a giant raviolo.
photo credit: Michael Tulipan
Goa New York
Located in a bi-level space in Tribeca (formerly the home of Tetsu), Goa NYC is the first NYC restaurant from Toronto chef Hemant Bhagwani. As the name suggests, some of the food is Goan, but there are a bunch of other influences as well. In addition to dishes like prawn curry and Goan-style slaw, they have an interesting mix of stuff like burrata chaat, steamed lamb bao, and vindaloo-glazed short ribs. The dining room appears to have a loungy, upscale feel, with plenty of bar seating and colorful bird-themed art.
H&H Reserve
H&H is a new bar in Williamsburg, and we're already excited about it—because they're serving hot dogs from Dog Day Afternoon. They also have a weekday Happy Hour and a few alluring beer-and-shot specials, and the space looks like a fancy gastropub from 1970s.
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 and a chef telling 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.
The menu at this new spot in Ridgewood is Italian-American, with things like a roast pork sandwich and different types of pizzas. They also have entrées like 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 little 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 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
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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.
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 now open in the West Village. 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.
photo credit: Kathryn M. Sheldon
Kōbo
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.
