Taszo is a laidback coffee shop in Washington Heights that's very easy to spend a whole day at.

Punjabi Grocery & Deli is an NYC institution, like The Met or the Statue of Liberty, serving vegetarian curries and chaat on Houston Street.

Warique is a Peruvian restaurant in Jackson Heights where you should bring a friend and fill your table with ceviche and lomo saltado.

Barnea is a kosher bistro in Midtown with lots of classic steakhouse dishes.

Happy Stony Noodle is a Taiwanese restaurant in Elmhurst that makes excellent beef noodle soup.

Sasabune Express is a casual sushi spot on the UES that serves great handrolls and sushi platters.

Sushi Jin is a sushi spot on the UES, and it’s one of the best places to get an omakase in the East 80s.

Chez Maty Et Sokhna is a quiet Senegalese spot where you should pick up dibi lamb and spring rolls on your way to St. Nicholas Park.

Virginia’s is a nice date night spot on Avenue C where you’ll find one of the best burgers in the city.

Paper Daisy is a casual cocktail bar in the East Village with plenty of tables, solid bar snacks, and a nice front patio.

This underground West Village space is a serious, quiet place for a pricey sushi meal that lasts 90 minutes.

This underground bunker of a sushi restaurant in Tribeca would be a really good place to wait out an apocalypse. Or to eat excellent, expensive sushi.

Fire + Water is a vegan restaurant in the East Village with a chef’s counter serving an omakase, and a separate space devoted to dim sum.

Benno serves prix-fixe menus of French and Italian food in the Evelyn Hotel in Nomad.

Sakagura is a Japanese small plates spot in the East Village with a huge selection of sake.

Hartley’s is a neighborhood Irish pub in Clinton Hill that’s quiet enough to have a conversation.