9 Best Restaurants in Sunnyside, New York City

This quaint, plant-filled space is brighter and more stylish than your average dumpling-slinger in Queens. That makes sense when you look at the menu, which mixes creative takes on Himalayan classics like perfectly crimped momos (dumplings stuffed with meat or veggies) in a tomato and fenugreek sauce or thenthuk (pulled noodles), as well as American comfort food like buttermilk fried chicken, grass-fed beef burgers, and kale salad. The cocktails are similar global standouts, employing ingredients like masala, tamarind, or tajin spice mix, and there are natural wines on the menu.

A long-beloved, cash-only Thai option, SriPraPhai (pronounced "see-PRA-pie") has a huge main menu as well as an equally expansive one for vegetarians. Although it's hard to go wrong, good bets include the crispy watercress salad, larb (ground pork salad with mint and lime juice), sautéed chicken with cashews and pineapple, kao-soy (curried egg noodles), or roast-duck green curry. If you go with a few people, order the delicately flavored whole steamed fish. But prepare your palate: your mouth might feel like a five-alarm fire by the time you're finished. In summer, the lovely back patio strung with lights somehow feels like a perfect setting for the spicy fare.

A neighborhood staple since opening in 2003, this corner café on Skillman Avenue serves up paninis, hearty soups, salads, and Irving Farm coffee in a lively, bustling environment. Their seasonal drinks are standout, with options like rose white mocha or toffee nut latte, and they have plenty of vegetarian dishes available on the menu, including mini quiches, homemade chili (a local favorite), and vegan burgers. 

If not for the pandemic, the folks behind this young restaurant might still be slinging saltenas (like an empanada, but hand-braided and filled with a rich, savory stew) out of the food hall in Manhattan's Columbus Circle subway station. But now, they've moved away from the office crowds to serve the work-from-home masses, with satisfying peanut soup, salad and grain bowls with barbecued meats or jackfruit, and inspired ice creams with purple corn and cherimoya. It's window-serve only, with a few outdoor picnic tables for seating in the front, so if the weather's nice just look for a small crowd mingling outside the venue to find it.  

Goan cuisine is the specialty at this bare-bones yet comfortable restaurant, and many of the dishes served here employ its namesake ingredient in both sweet and savory formats. The Portuguese-inflected curries of the once-colonized region of Goa are brightly colored, bold in flavor and spice, and not quite like most of the Indian food in Queens. Try the Xacuti curry with fresh roasted coconut, or the smooth and silky fish curry.

One of an increasing number of artisanal pizza shops, Philomena's serves both squares and slices, Neapolitan- and New York–style. You can depend upon expert ingredients, thinly sliced and thickly layered. The squares are chewy and bouncy while the crust on those slices is crisp and nearly caramelized, but your best bet might be the 18-inch classic round pies, which provide more than enough crunchy, tomato-y gooeyness for a satisfying meal.

With colorful bottles of Jarritos (a Mexican soft drink) lining the window and sepia-toned photographs adorning the walls, this small, no-frills café named after the Mayan calendar serves Mexican breakfast all day, as well as an array of tacos, tortas (sandwiches), pulque (a traditional alcoholic beverage), chilaquiles (a breakfast dish made with fried corn tortillas and eggs), and aqua frescas. You can also order beer, cocktails, or a michelada to enjoy in the covered patio out front.

Expect to find beanie clad locals and families alike at this spirited, rustic-industrial neighborhood bar. In addition to serving high-quality cocktails (all under $14) like the Fig & Bacon Old Fashioned and seasonally rotated tap beer, this spacious spot packs a punch in the kitchen, too. Try the pillowy boa buns with honeyed pork, crispy Brussels sprouts, or deep-fried zucchini served with a garlicky cream cheese dipping sauce, as well as an array of flatbreads, well-portioned sides like panko bacon mac and cheese, and house-made blueberry pie for dessert.  

This casual, convivial Filipino restaurant has been churning out classic island dishes like sisig (grilled mixed pork offal) and lumpia (pork-filled fried spring rolls) for over 15 years. Among a satisfying smattering of skewers and noodle dishes is also the impressive inihaw na panga (grilled tuna jaw) and tuna belly cooked any which way (your choice of either adobo, in coconut milk, or in a soup).