Across categories and neighborhoods. The list I'd send a friend visiting next week.
Quique Crudo
Quique Crudo is the West Village Mexican-seafood spot doing ceviches, tostadas, and aguachiles at the level you'd find on the Pacific coast. The room is small. Sit at the counter if you can. The prep happens in front of you and most of the menu is built to share. Get a few things, a few drinks. Worth coming back to.
Must order: Aguachile verde, Tuna tostada, Whatever ceviche is on special that night
Mariscos El Submarino
Mariscos El Submarino has been the Queens Mexican-seafood standard for years. Pacific-style mariscos in a Jackson Heights storefront that feels like the ones you'd find in Mazatlán. Portions are generous. The seafood is fresh. The vibe is unfussy. Bring cash.
Must order: Tostada de ceviche mixto, Aguachile rojo, Coctel de camarones
Theodora
Theodora is Tomer Blechman's Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant in Fort Greene, sister to Miss Ada around the corner. The menu reads short but every dish is dialed in. The fish in particular. The wood-fire dishes are the strongest argument for booking ahead, and the bread keeps the table going while you wait.
Must order: The hummus with whatever the daily topping is, Whole grilled fish, Anything off the wood fire
Mano's Pizzeria
Mano's is the Ridgewood Detroit-style pizza spot. Square pies, crisp-edged corners, focaccia-level crust on the bottom. There is no real menu beyond a few rotating combos. The pies sell out. Show up early or accept that you might miss the special.
Must order: Whatever the daily square pie is, Take a corner piece, A red sauce slice if it is on
Lucky Charlie
Lucky Charlie is the newer entrant in the Brooklyn new-wave pizza conversation. Bushwick, Neapolitan-inspired, blistered crust, restrained toppings. The room is small. The pies come out fast. Worth the trek.
Must order: The plain margherita, Anything with the seasonal special, One pie per person; they are not huge
Taqueria Ramirez
Taqueria Ramirez is the Greenpoint taqueria that became a destination for tacos done right. Small menu. Counter service. They focus on a handful of classics and execute each one. The line is real on weekends. Worth it.
Must order: Tacos al pastor, Suadero, A horchata
Taqueria El Chato
Taqueria El Chato is the SoHo taco shop doing the same level of work as the best Queens spots, in a much smaller room. Walk-in friendly. Counter service. The masa is fresh. The salsas earn the meal on their own.
Must order: Tacos al pastor, Guacamole side, Whatever the salsa of the day is
Penny
Penny is the East Village seafood-and-wine bar. Small room, oyster-counter setup, raw bar plus a few rotating cooked dishes. The wine list runs European and low-intervention. The seafood is the point but the small plates earn their place. Sit at the counter, talk to the somm.
Must order: Whatever is on the raw bar that night, The crudo, Let the somm pick a glass
Chez Fifi
Chez Fifi is the Upper East Side French bistro people have been trying to get into since it opened. Classic French menu, intimate dining room, the kind of place that feels like it has been on the block for thirty years even though it has not. Reservations are hard. The bar takes walk-ins.
Must order: Steak frites, Onion soup, A martini at the bar before sitting down
Rolo’s
Rolo's is the Ridgewood all-day spot that does many things very well. Coffee and pastries in the morning. Sandwiches and a great burger at lunch. Dinner is more ambitious: pasta, fish, vegetables. Howard Kalachnikoff and the team are running it at a level you do not expect from an all-day spot. The burger is the headline. The pastries are the underrated part.
Must order: The burger, Whatever the pasta of the day is, A pastry on the way out
I Cavallini
I Cavallini is the Williamsburg Italian-leaning restaurant from the Four Horsemen team. A spin on Italian rather than a traditional take: natural wine, small plates, dialed in. The room is small. The menu rotates. Reservations are tough.
Must order: The pasta of the day, A handful of small plates to share, A bottle off the natural wine list
The Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen is the Williamsburg natural wine bar that put New York on the modern wine-bar map. James Murphy is a co-owner and you can feel the LCD Soundsystem precision in the playlist. Small plates, no big entrées, Bib Gourmand. The wine list is the point. Walk-in possible at the bar if you go early.
Must order: Whatever vegetable dish is on, The bread course, Let the somm pick the bottle once you say what you like
Semma
Semma is Vijay Kumar's South Indian restaurant in the West Village. Unapologetic regional cooking, not the pan-Indian compromise most American Indian restaurants settle into. Michelin-starred. One of the hardest reservations in the city right now, and worth the effort. The room is warm. The music is loud. The food is the best Indian food I have had in this country.
Must order: Gunpowder dosa, Lamb sukka, Whatever the seasonal special is
Saranrom Thai
Saranrom is the Elmhurst Thai restaurant doing central-Thai dishes most New York Thai places do not bother with. Small storefront on Woodside Avenue. The curries are spicy the way Thai food should be. They will dial it down if you ask, but do not.
Must order: Crab curry, Boat noodles, Whatever the daily Thai special is
Hani’s bakery + café
Hani's is the East Village bakery from a husband-and-wife team. Pastries are the point. The chocolate chip cookie may be the best in the city: thick, chewy, sea-salted top. Get there in the morning before the line gets long and the best stuff sells out.
Must order: The chocolate chip cookie, A croissant or pain au chocolat, An iced coffee on the way out
Radio Bakery
Radio is the Greenpoint laminated-pastry destination. Croissants done right, with seasonal specials that rotate weekly. The room is small. The line is real on weekends. Bring cash, take it to the park.
Must order: The plain croissant, Whatever the seasonal pastry is, A loaf of country bread if they have it
More from the NYC guide
This is one slice. The full guide covers food across every category, plus bars, coffee, museums, shopping, and where to stay.
Read the full guide →