New York City Restaurant Guide
NYC Insider Guide to NYC Restaurants

 

These are my top picks for NYC Restaurants and Nightlife, including New York Bars and a
Neighborhood Map of Manhattan few Nightclubs in NYC.

There are almost 19,000 restaurants in NYC... you can eat at different one every day for 52 years!

It is near impossible to answer the question, "Where should I eat" in NYC, as if we could choose one restaurant. It all depends on your taste, budget, group and location.

My parents taught me to be a "foodie" at a young age, so my tastes are diverse and I can be pretty adventurous. If you have any special dietary needs, they may not be right for you. Almost all of them allow you to eat deliciously healthy, although you may not want to...

I've done my best to organize these by neighborhood and highlight the most "Kid Friendly" choices. My suggestion is print this NYC Restaurant Guide and keep it in your pocket as you explore, so you always have a "NYC Insider" restaurant recommendation at your fingertips. At the very bottom of this page, I list additional restaurant guides and reservation tips.

I may get some of the exact neighborhood borders mixed up (like SoHo vs. Greenwich Village), but they'll be close.

Please promise me one thing - you won't eat at a restaurant you have at home, especially a chain! There are too many wonderful and delicious restaurants for you to even bother with a place you've already eaten.

 

Midtown East

Jubilee (347 E 54th b/w 1st and 2nd) - french bistro

Solera (216 E 53rd b/w Lex and 3rd) - Tapas, good wine list, reasonably priced.

Pescatore (957 2nd Ave at 50th) - Italian, seafood. Try to sit outside on the adorable 2nd floor balcony

Bar Vetro (58th b/w 2nd and 3rd) - great lunch deal and outdoor garden.

Tao (58th b/w Park and Mad) - Asian hot spot with a 16 ft Buddha, gorgeous decor and lots of fun. You may have seen it on a Sex and the City episode.

Rosa Mexicana (58th & 1st)- Mexican, fresh guacamole prepared tableside and great Margaritas . A few in the City now, but this is the original.

PJ Clarke's (55th and 3rd)- good, old-fashioned burgers, very casual, old NYC institution

Osteria Serafina (58th b/w Park and Mad)- northern italian, beautiful garden at their Grill location (61st b/w Mad and Park).

Daniel - many lifelong NYers vote it the best meal they have ever had

Serendipity (225 E 60th b/w 2nd and 3rd Aves) - Kid Friendly! Best known for their Frozen Hot Chocolate

Union Square/Gramercy/Flatiron

Casa Mono (Mario Batali)

Union Square Cafe

Gotham Bar and Grill

Coffee Shop (daytime outdoor ppl watching) - the World Room is especially Kid Friendly!

Irving Mill (not personally a fan, but everyone else loves it)

BLT Fish

Basta Pasta (one of the most "hidden" restaurants in the city, not a scene, but the food is amazing and very interesting and delicious. Italian made by sushi chefs.)

Punch and Wined Up

Boqueria (tapas)

Haru Sushi

15 East - sushi

Mesa Grill - southwestern, Bobby Flay

Craftbar

Gramercy Tavern

A Voce

East Village

Candela Candela - 2nd Ave

Winebar - huge winelist, great Flatbreads (ever had a Chocolate Pizza?). Great place!

Cacio e Vino (great little garden)

Death and Co (for drinks)

bourgeoispigny.com (also for drinks, maybe snacks like fondue)

 

Greenwich Village, Nolita, Chinatown, L Italy

Peanut Butter and Company - Fluffernutter sandwich, Ants on a Log and try "The Elvis". Kid Friendly!

Blue Ribbon Sushi

Tomoe Sushi - long lines, but some of the best and reasonbly priced sushi in NYC (similar to Sushi Nozawa in Los Angeles)

Wo Hop - for the 4am crowd

Puglia's - Little Italy, great Italian with live singing. Kid Friendly!

Balthazar (SoHo)

 

West Village

Spotted Pig (also Batali)

Extra Virgin - especially for brunch

Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar

Snack (Greek)

Del Posto

El Faro - spanish

Morandi

Cowgirls Hall of Fame (519 Hudson at 10th St) - Western theme with a general store. Kid Friendly!

MeatPacking District

Pastis (french)

STK (steak)

Ono (sushi)

Revel (fish) - cutest outdoor garden with lights

Buddha Bar (asian) - all of the above are gorgeous and have great food. All, except STK, have an outside place to eat and most take online reservations. I think Revel is the most romantic of the choices.

Plunge, the rooftop bar at the Gansevoort Hotel

Standard Hotel - restaurant and outdoor bar

Top 10 Restaurants for Kids

Children are welcome at almost any establishment serving food in NYC. Families are always welcome at any pizza parlor, cafe, delicatessen, diner, chinese or Italian restaurant and most of them have food that appeals to kids.

Some local chains you will see often are Ollie's Noodles (Asain), Jackson Hole (burgers), Mary Ann's (Mexican), SaraBeths (American).

Here is a list of unique to NYC restaurants (not those chains!) that really cater to children and families and kids just love!

Peanut Butter and Company - Fluffernutter sandwich, Ants on a Log and try "The Elvis"

Mars 2112 (51st and Bway) - food stinks, but you can take a space ship ride to get in and the whole place is some kind of cross between Star Wars and Star Trek. The decor is futuristic, waiters are dressed up, tons of video games and things to do for kids.

Mangia e Bevi (53rd and 9th Ave)- Italian and singing. Very fun and family friendly. Great decor. Perfect for a Broadway night. "When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie...." Their website is really annoying, but the food is great!

Puglia's - Little Italy, great Italian with live singing

Cowgirls Hall of Fame (519 Hudson at 10th St) - Western theme with a general store and things for kids to do.

Serendipity (225 E 60th b/w 2nd and 3rd Aves) - best known for their Frozen Hot Chocolate

Jekyll and Hide - 4 restaurants around the city. Haunted House, spooky, scary and really fun! The Jekyll and Hide Club (58th and 6th Ave) is 4 full floors of full on kid fun!

 

Central Park (South and West), Lincoln Ctr

SaraBeths

Mickey Mantle- Kid Friendly!

Bar Boulud (64th and Bway)

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill

Plaza or Ritz Carlton Bars - for drinks

Isabella

Ernies

BLT Market

Jekyll and Hide - 4 restaurants around the city. Haunted House, spooky, scary and really fun! The Jekyll and Hide Club (58th and 6th Ave) is 4 full floors of full-on kid fun (assuming they don't get scared easily). Kid Friendly!

Midtown West, Times Square, Hells Kitchen

Mars 2112 (51st and Bway) - food stinks, but you can take a space ship ride to get in that kids love and the whole place is some kind of cross between Star Wars and Star Trek. The decor is futuristic, waiters are dressed up, tons of video games and things to do for kids. Kid Friendly!

Mangia e Bevi (53rd and 9th Ave)- Italian and singing. Very fun and family friendly. Great decor. Perfect for a Broadway night. "When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie...." Their website is really annoying, but the food is great! Kid Friendly!

Meskerem - Ethiopian

Le Bernardin

Del Frisco's - steak in Rockefeller Ctr

Have a cocktail while sitting outside, people watching at Cognac (55th and Broadway) - same owners as Serafina.

 

NYC Insider Guide Restaurant Tips

Open Table - free online restaurant reservations. Choose by neighborhood and cuisine, read reviews, interactive map.

Prime Time Tables - super high end service (it costs), but worth it if you want to get in to the best restaurants, have to impress someone or just want to eat some of the best food in Manhattan.

Zagats - the bible of restaurants, long before the internet was invented

MenuPages - online menus for almost every NY restaurant, check the food and prices before you go, then make your reservation at Open Table.

ChowHound - a discussion board with all true "foodies," people really passionate about eating and drinking, especially in NYC.

Service Tips are not included in checks - please tip your servers at least 15-20% (just double the first number of your check total, or first two if it's over $100)

Dress accordingly - to be a real NYC Insider, you must look the part. There are a ton of affordable, nice, comfortable clothes and shoes. Wear them the whole time you're here so you don't stand out like a tourist - especially if you are trying to get into a nice restaurant.

Eat at the Bar - if you're traveling alone or as a couple, this is one of the best ways to eat. You can get all the inside scoop on the restaurant or neighborhood. I always find the service better from bartenders than waiters (or waitresses), except in very high end restaurants, since they can't disappear on you. Bars are a highlight of most NYC restaurants and they are there to serve you food as well as drinks.

 

 

Again, thank you for visiting the NYC Insider Guide ...welcome to our city and I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Welcome to New York City!