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New York Restaurant Guides

October 24, 2021

Pizza, Bagels, Steak, Food Trucks and More

New York Restaurant Guides cover the almost 19,000 restaurants in NYC… you can eat at different one every day for 52 years and that number doesn’t even include our food trucks, some of which have more customers than restaurants! So how do you choose where to eat in NYC and where do you find the best discounts?

New York Restaurant Guides

Restaurant Week New York City

Tao Restaurant Uptown NYC

A three-course dinner at the best restaurants in New York for $42? Sign me up! Restaurant Week New York City is one of my favorite times of the year and now, since the event has been so successful, newer versions are starting to crop up everywhere, including ethnic Restaurant Weeks, like Japanese, Chinatown, Malyasian, French, Belgian and also neighborhood-specific restaurant weeks.

Read more on Restaurant Week New York City.

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Dine and Tour Together!

What better way to explore NYC and eat our city’s best of the best than with a foodie tour? Pizza, chocolate, chinese, beer..there are dozen’s of specialty tours that will help you learn about a neighborhood while sampling the food!

There is no shortage of pizza, bagels, street vendors, cupcakes, craft beer and cocktails, rooftops and mini food parks to explore and so many more food choices in the five boroughs, along with wonderful guides who can't wait to show you them all!!!!

Where Should I Eat in New York City?

It is near impossible to answer this question, as if we could choose just one restaurant. It all depends on your taste, budget, group and location. There is something delicious to eat on every block of Manhattan.

I’ve done my best to organize these New York Restaurant Guides by neighborhood and highlighted the most “Kid Friendly” choices. At the very bottom of this page are additional New York Restaurant Guides and reservation tips.

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 at which you’ve already eaten.

Best NYC Restaurants by Neighborhood

NYC Insider Printable Guides

"The guides are exactly what we were looking for to help us navigate NYC and the highlights of each area.
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"Amazing, Melissa. This is my second copy! Congratulations for this always excellent guide. I have been living in this area for 18 years, but I still leave the guide as a treat when people come to visit me by their bed. So comprehensive!"

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Restaurant Guides by Neighborhood

Restaurant Guides by Type

How to Save on NYC Restaurants and Food

There are so many easy ways to save on New York City restaurants and food and you just need to know where to look. Of course, you can’t save everywhere, and sometimes you have to wait for a deal, but about half the time I eat out in NYC, at quality restaurants, it is easy to save a few bucks without sacrificing quality.

Best New York 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 Shake Shack (burgers), Ollie’s Noodles (Asian), Jackson Hole (burgers), SaraBeths (American).

Fun Kids Restaurants NYC

Here is a list of unique to New York Restaurants (not those ‘everywhere’ chains!) that really cater to children and families and that kids just love!

Max Brenners – (Union Square) Imagine if the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory had a cafe in it’s lobby…try the King Of Chocolate’s Crispy Mac & Cheese and learn all about the "The Legend of the King of Chocolate"
S’MAC Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese – All about Mac and Cheese. Casual, great for kids and students. (345 East 12th, 1st /2nd Aves)
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.
Sugar Factory – (photo) (1991 Broadway @ 68th) – celebrity fave candy-themed restaurant offering treats to both kids and adults, as well as a standard American brasserie menu. Everything here is designed to look pretty, be insta-worthy and taste great for both kids and adults. Upper West Side.
Serendipity (225 E 60th b/w 2nd and 3rd Aves) – best known for their Frozen Hot Chocolate
Jekyll and Hide – 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!
Beetle House (recommended for ages 10+) – a year round celebration of Halloween with an artistic and thematic atmosphere inspired by the works of Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock, Bram Stoker, Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe and many more.
Ellen’s Stardust & Gayle’s Broadway Rose – what do aspiring Broadway stars do when in between Tony awards? They serve you retro diner food at Ellen’s and Gayle’s Broadway Rose and perform mini shows all the time while they do.

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Midtown East, New York Restaurant Guides

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 Mexicano (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

Restaurants Near Grand Central Station

Right in Grand Central Terminal, you have Cipriani – Dolci, by the same Cipriani’s of the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Grand Central Oyster Bar and The Campbell Apartment, formerly the private office and salon of 1920’s tycoon, John W. Campbell, recently converted into a restaurant.

A few blocks away is El Rio Grande, a large and fun Mexican restaurant with great margaritas and Capital Grille in the Chrysler Building (steak). While the atmosphere around GCT is all business, a bit further away (less than 10 blocks), check out more of my Midtown East Recommendations. These are a 10 minute walk from your hotel, but in a more residential neighborhood, so the atmosphere is quainter, restaurants smaller and, occasionally, less expensive. Two great rooftops in the area to grab a cocktail are in the Library Hotel and the Roosevelt Hotel.

Upper East Side, Restaurant Guides

Papaya King (86th @ 3rd Ave) – grab a hot dog at the famous NYC institution. There are a few things always guaranteed to stir up an age-old NYC argument – if you want to see the locals riot, just ask them: best pizza, neighborhood borders, Yankees vs Mets and Papaya King vs Gray’s Papaya. Carrie Bradshaw preferred Gray’s while Cosmo Kramer & Julia Child preferred Papaya King. Judge for yourself. Judge for yourself.
Uva Wine Bar (1486 2nd Ave, 77th St) – small, quaint, good tapas – consistently rave reviews from New Yorkers since 2005.
Sfoglia (1402 Lex @ 92nd St) – authentic "to-die-for" italian with homeade pastas, amazing bolognese and right across the street from the 92nd Street Y.
Café Boulud (20 76th, Madison Ave) – sister restaurant to top-rated French, Daniel (65th & Mad). Less expensive, but not cheap. Jackets recommended for men. Likely closing in 2021.
Jones Wood Foundry – gastropub British taproom, with scottish eggs, indoor & outdoor dining, fish & chips, bangers & mash. Also very kid friendly before "bar hours".
B. Café (240 E 75th, 2nd/3rd Ave) – Belgian bistro with great mussels, fries and beer, outdoor garden in summer.
Serendipity (225 E 60th b/w 2nd and 3rd Aves) – Kid Friendly! Best known for their Frozen Hot Chocolate
Bar Italia – cute little cafe, wine bar about 10 minutes from the Met (SW corner of 77th and 2nd Ave)

Union Square/Gramercy/Flatiron, New York Restaurant Guides

Union Square Café (101 E 19th St)
Gotham Bar and Grill (12 E 12th St, University and 5th Ave)
Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th, Park Ave/ Bway)
Casa Mono (125 E 17th St, Irving Place) – Tapas, a local favorite, small intimate restaurant, reservations highly recommended. Their sister wine bar, Bar Jamon, next door is always packed as well with great service.
Max Brenners – Imagine if the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory had a cafe in it’s lobby…try the King Of Chocolate’s Crispy Mac & Cheese and learn all about the "The Legend of the King of Chocolate"
S’MAC Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese – All about Mac and Cheese. Casual, great for kids and students. (345 East 12th, 1st /2nd Aves)
Pete’s Tavern (129 E 18th, Irving Place) – opened in 1864, classic NYC Tavern with history, burgers and beer. Featured in dozens of TV Shows and Movies and where O. Henry wrote the Gift of The Magi.
Maoz Vegetarian (38 U Sq E, 16th/17th) – easy, cheap falafel, great for grab and go lunch, especially to sit in Union Sq. Park
Basta Pasta (37 W 17th, 5th/6th Aves) – one of the most “hidden” restaurants and interesting menus. Italian/Japanese combination made and presented by sushi chefs.
Shuko (47 E 12th St) – upscale, intimate, Japanese omakase-only experience with daily tasting menus. Reservations a must.
AbcV (38 E 19th St) – From the people behind ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina, A Jean-Georges Restaurant. Plant based, non GMO, sustainable, artisanal and organic whenever possible. Locally and globally from small & family farms. abcV’s goal is to inspire a cultural shift towards plant based intelligence, through creativity and deliciousness.
Shake Shack (Madison & 23rd St) – in the park, great burgers, fries and shakes
230 Fifth (230 5th Ave, 27th St) – huge restaurant and nightclub on a rooftop with palm trees, cozy seating, heat lamps and 360 views of NYC at night.

East Village, New York Restaurant Guides

S’MAC Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese (345 East 12th, 1st /2nd Aves) All about Mac and Cheese. Casual, great for kids and students.
Veniero’s Pasticceria and Cafe – (342 E 11th St @ 1st Ave)- Italian bakery/cafe famous for pastries and desserts since the late 1800s.
Momofuku Noodle Bar (171 1st Ave, 10th/11th Sts) – David Chang. Next to Milk Bar, famous Asian dessert place and his “impossible to get into” Momofuku Ko. All celebrity favorites.
Pommes Frites – moved to 128 Macdougal St, Greenwich Village
Cacio e Pepe (182 2nd Ave, 11th/12th Sts) – Sicilian food, great outdoor garden, excellent service, romantic.
Death and Co (433 E 6th St, 1st/A Aves) – dark, cozy speakeasy vibe with unique and exotic cocktails, some served for groups in Punch bowls. Eclectic food, small plates.
Local 92 (92 2nd Ave) – casual Israeli/Mediterranean tapas style restaurant with hummus people rave about. The blue door takes you to their secret Blue Quarter NYC, Tues – Sun, 5pm-12am for tea-inspired cocktails.
Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette St., at Astor Pl) – awesome for live music fans, one of the city’s top spots.

Greenwich Village Restaurant guide

Pommes Frites – grab and go Belgian Fries, served in paper cones, with a choice of 30 sauces. Soooo good – easy, fast, cheap! 128 Macdougal St.
Blue Ribbon Brasserie (Sullivan b/w Spring and Prince) – excellent, high end comfort food. A local favorite of the City’s chefs after they close their own retaurants. Great for late-night dining. Must like the menu as-is and definitely make a reservation.
Tomoe Sushi (172 Thompson St) – long lines, but some of the best and reasonbly priced sushi in NYC.
Minetta Tavern (West Village) – often lauded as the best burger in the city. But, it’s not a burger joint, more like a bistro. MT started as a speakeasy in the 1920s and over the years has seen all kinds of celebs, authors, fashion designers and other legends.

Chinatown Restaurant Guide

Peking Duck House (22 Mott St, Mosco/Pell St) – one of the area’s “nicer” restaurants and the Peking Duck, of course, is great.
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (65 Bayard St) – exotic flavors such as zen butter, lychee and Chinese almond cookie.
Wo Hop (17 Mott St, Mosco & Chatham Sq) – old school Cantonese, cheap, a favorite of NYPD and FDNY, as well as anyone hungry at 4am. Wo Hop is a NYC institution. PS – you want to eat downstairs, trust me!
Dim Sum Go Go (5 E Broadway) – fresh, made-to-order Dim Sum
Golden Unicorn (18 E Broadway) – Dim Sum served cart-style
Nom Wah Tea Parlor (13 Doyers St) – classic, old-school for pastries (known for their mooncakes), steamed buns, dim sum and tea. Movies and TV shows filmed here include Reversal of Fortune, Premium Rush, All Good Things and Law and Order.
Joe’s Shanghai (46 Bowery) – legendary for their soup dumplings and dim sum, almost always a line out the door. Previously located on Pell Street and they also have a location in Flushing, Queens. ANY chinese restaurant that lasts in Flushing is pure gold – you have to be the BEST to make it there.
Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles Inc (1 Doyers St) – with at least 10 kinds of noodles, dumplings and seafood, pork and veggie soups, Tasty Noodles is affordable stuff-your-face comfort food at it’s best.
Pho Grand (277C Grand St), Vietnamese, Pho is noodle soup made with rice noodles and thinly sliced rare beef.
Fried Dumpling – 106 Mosco St, 5 Dumplings for $1.00

West Village, New York Restaurant Guides

Babbo (110 Waverly, 6th Ave/MacDougal) – A Bastianich classic. Quaint, very romantic, upstairs on the 2nd floor of a converted brownstone.
Del Posto (85 10th Ave, 16th St) – another Bastianich classic. Italian, pricey, but worth it. A perfect place for a special occasion.
John’s of Bleecker Street – A NYC legend since 1929, and often called the BEST pizza in NYC. Pies only, no slices, so make sure to work up your appetite before heading in.
Snack Taverna (63 Bedford/Morton)- Greek, romantic, quaint, local favorite.
Extra Virgin (W 4th, Perry St) – delicious brunch, casual. Small, but great atmosphere.
Morandi (211 Waverly Place, 7th Ave)– rustic Italian, same owners as Balthazar, Pastis, Minetta Tavern and tons of other NYC classics.
Cowgirls Hall of Fame (519 Hudson at 10th St) – Eight kinds of bbq sauce for kids to do taste tests, games to play. Rumor has it, if the waitress likes you, the kids get cowboy/girl/nonbinary hats.
Café Wha? (115 MacDougal St, Minetta Lane)– live music and original stomping ground for Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Peter, Paul & Mary and others. Also check out The Bitter End for a similar vibe.
Las Ramblas – one of my favorite, tiny, tapas places in NYC with great sangria
Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar
Perry Street – a Jean-Georges restaurant

MeatPacking District, New York Restaurant Guides

STK – NYC – Meatpacking – Steak
Revel (fish) – cutest outdoor garden with lights
Plunge, the rooftop bar at the Gansevoort Hotel
Standard Hotel – restaurant and outdoor bar

Central Park (South and West), Lincoln Center

SaraBeths
Bar Boulud – (64th and Bway)
Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill
Plaza or Ritz Carlton Bars – for drinks
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!

Midtown West, Times Square, Hells Kitchen, New York Restaurant Guides

Molyvos, (7th Ave 55th and 56th) – excellent Greek, small plates, near Central Park
Meskerem – Ethiopian
Le Bernardin – French
Del Frisco’s Grille – Steak
Have a cocktail while sitting outside, people watching at Cognac (55th and Broadway) – same owners as Serafina.

More New York Restaurant Guides

Open Table – free online restaurant reservations and New York Restaurant Guides. Choose by neighborhood and cuisine, read reviews, interactive map.
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/waitresses, except in very high end restaurants, since they are always right in front of you. Bars are a highlight of most NYC restaurants and they are there to serve you food as well as drinks.

Explore and Indulge Like a Real NYC Foodie

NYC Restaurant Guides

New York Restaurant Guides