584 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

After the huge success of their other restaurants—Dhamaka on the Lower East Side and Adda in Long Island City—the owners gave an overhaul to their restaurant here, Rahi, changing the name and concept in late 2021. Semma serves Southern Indian fare to great glee from the hungry diners that pack this place on a nightly basis—and like its sibling Indian eateries, the focus here is on dishes that have not traveled much outside of India, plus nicely crafted cocktails using Indian spices and herbs.

This spin-off of Shuka in SoHo first fired up its burners in summer 2021 and was an instant hit, far exceeding in enthusiasm than the original. The focus of this stylish 80-seat eatery is modern Middle Eastern cuisine, with flavor-packed fare that spans the entire region. Chef Ayesha J. Nurdjaja takes traditional recipes and goes a step further with them, adding, for example, red onions and a sauce of chilies and garlic to the ultracreamy hummus or stewed lamb hiding inside the kibbeh. There's a delicious surprise on every plate at Shukette. 

Smorgasburg, the acclaimed open-air food market, is the portmanteau of smorgasbord and Williamsburg, its founding location at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. Here, vetted food vendors serve delicious treats to foodies (and provide photogenic content for food influencers), from arepas to yakitori. Even with the Smorgasburg branded concept dispersing crowds of foodies across other locations across New York, Jersey City, LA, Miami, Toronto, and Sao Paolo, the original Williamsburg location still draws close to 30,000 people each Saturday in the summer, so get there before noon if you don't want to spend most of your time there in queues. The original Smorgasburg is open from April through October, but check the website for details of the other locations in Brooklyn Manhattan.

The name of this standout Thai restaurant is pronounced "sood," and translates to "recipe"—highlighting the fact that the menu is based on family recipes from around Thailand. This also means that, while familiar dishes like pad Thai are on offer, there are lots of items that might be unfamiliar and are definitely worth trying, like the koong karee (a creamy shrimp and egg curry), the flaky fried puff pastry stuffed with flavor-popping minced pork, and the caramelized duck noodles.

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.

Named for a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, there really isn't anything particularly Brazilian about this diminutive, all-day corner café. In the morning and afternoon, perch yourself at the bar for superlative coffee, excellent egg-y dishes, sandwiches, and variations on the theme of toast. In the evening, the lights go down, the natural wine bottles get uncorked, and the kitchen churns out Mediterranean-leaning snacks to nibble on. 

Friendly service and convivial, colorful crowds have transformed this bi-level, renovated warehouse into a welcoming, quirky neighborhood institution with rotating art shows and frequent DJ sets. The kitchen's organic menu changes daily, plus there's a weekend brunch with live Americana music. 

A hushed refuge at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 78th Street, this high-end sushi restaurant offers one of the city's best sushi experiences in a stylish Sukiya-style interior of bamboo and cedar woods. With a seasonal omakase menu curated nightly by Chef Nozomu Abe, known as "Noz" to his friends, including masterfully prepared Edomae sushi with fresh fish flown in from Tokyo, the two intimate nightly seatings at two counters (an eight-seat 200-year-old Hinoki wood counter and a six-seat rare Tamo Ash counter) are intimate, detail-perfect, memorable affairs with Japanese hospitality as authentic as the craft. Chef Noz presents at the Hinoki counter weekdays.

A deservedly popular special-occasion destination, this waterfront institution complements its exquisite Brooklyn Bridge views with memorable top-shelf cuisine served by an unfailingly attentive staff. Lobster, lamb, duck, and strip steak are among the staples of the prix-fixe menu ($195). The chocolate Brooklyn Bridge mousse delivers the perfect ending to dinner. 

Noted restaurateur Danny Meyer's unpretentious but classy American restaurant has been serving impressively well-executed food to much acclaim since it first opened on Union Square in 1985, and the tradition continues in this elegantly clubby spot a few blocks north of the original location. It's almost impossible to go wrong anywhere on the menu; this place is truly the real deal, with standout steak, fish, and pasta dishes, as well as excellent desserts.

What started as a bright-yellow truck slinging out scoops and cones on NYC streets back in 2008 is now a Gotham ice-cream superpower, including two outposts on the Upper West Side (the other store is a few blocks away at  253 Columbus Ave.). Van Leeuwen produces all of its flavors just across the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Favorites like vanilla, strawberry, honeycomb, and cookies and cream are made with fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks, but it's often the unique and downright weird flavors that keep ice-cream lovers coming back, like Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese flavors.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the vegan versions of chocolate, salted caramel, and mint chip, just to name a few, are made entirely dairy free using house-made cashew milk, organic coconut milk, and organic extra-virgin coconut oil. Of course, don’t forget to add hot fudge.

Outfitted with candlelit tables and a twinkling rear garden, this romantic destination is well worth the sloping walk up from the waterfront. Seasonal menus include inventive new American fare and crowd-pleasing brunch dishes, with a couple of pasta dishes and classics like roast chicken, chicken liver mousse, and pork chops always in rotation. Wait times can be considerable, but the cozy bar pours potent cocktails, local beers, and wine by the glass in the interim.

Set on the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets across from Father Demo Square, this American restaurant is as simple as its name. Try to nab a seat at the bar/chef's counter to get a front-row seat of the large hearth where chefs put fire to a vegetable-forward menu, plus one of the best roast chickens in the city. The wood-fired whole fish, doused with green curry, is also excellent, as is pretty much anything that comes from the hearth. The short but nicely curated wine list complements the food menu well. 

This perennially packed Hell's Kitchen brasserie has been a magnet for burger lovers since day one. Though the menu offers a mix of flavors—including matzo ball soup, shrimp tempura, and salad bowls—the main attractions are the juicy patties, like the original 10-ounce patty melt with a tangle of onions, Gruyère cheese, and rosemary aioli. There's an option for everyone, including vegan options and a "Cali Reuben" turkey burger. For dessert, have an über-thick black-and-white malted milk shake.

It's hip to be square at this downtown pizzeria that occupies a long, narrow space with modern decor. At this favorite local family-run establishment, square (aka old fashioned or grandma) pies are worth the trek and are a convenient Stone Street stop en route to the Statue of Liberty. They also do a mean traditional round pizza, and first-timers should opt for the signature Old Fashioned: thin, crispy crust loaded with tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Salads, pasta, and familiar Italian American dishes are on the menu, too.

Arguably the best French bakery outside of the Montmartre is on DUMBO's Water Street. Chef Herve Poussot helms this neighborhood favorite, baking on-site daily chocolate raspberry croissants, mille-feuille, macarons, and pear tarts, as well as baguettes, quiche, and sandwiches. Pick up a snack and a coffee to take to the park.