New York City · Where to Eat
Best Restaurants in NYC
New York City has one of the greatest and most diverse restaurant scenes in the world. Every cuisine on earth is represented, often in its most authentic and ambitious form outside its country of origin. From a $12 bowl of hand-pulled noodles in Flushing to a four-star tasting menu in Midtown, the range is extraordinary. This guide covers the best restaurants in NYC across different price points, neighbourhoods, and cuisines, from the delis and pizza shops that define New York food culture to the fine dining rooms that have shaped global gastronomy.
Top Restaurants in NYC
Katz's Delicatessen (Lower East Side)
The definitive New York pastrami sandwich.
Open since 1888, Katz's Delicatessen is one of the most famous restaurants in America. The pastrami on rye is hand-carved to order from cured and smoked brisket that has been slow-cooked for days. The room is cavernous, loud, and full of history. Order at the counter, keep your ticket, and find a table.
$20 to $35
Le Bernardin (Midtown)
One of the finest seafood restaurants in the world.
Le Bernardin has held four stars from the New York Times and three Michelin stars for decades. Chef Eric Ripert's approach to seafood is precise and technically extraordinary. The tasting menus showcase fish and shellfish in ways that are genuinely unlike anything else in the city. One of the great restaurant experiences in New York.
Tasting menus from $185
Lucali (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)
Widely regarded as the best pizza in New York City.
Lucali is a tiny BYOB pizzeria in Brooklyn that makes thin-crust pizza and calzones in a wood-fired oven. The dough is hand-stretched and the ingredients are simple and excellent. There is almost always a queue, they don't take reservations and the room only seats around 30 people. Worth every minute of the wait.
$25 to $35
Xi'an Famous Foods (Multiple Locations)
Hand-pulled noodles and spicy lamb dishes from Xi'an, China.
Xi'an Famous Foods started as a single stall in a Flushing food court and expanded across the city through sheer quality. The liang pi cold skin noodles and spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles are exceptional. Fast, cheap, and genuinely unlike anything else in NYC. Multiple locations in Manhattan and Queens.
$10 to $18
Peter Luger Steak House (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
The most famous steakhouse in New York City.
Peter Luger has been dry-aging its USDA Prime porterhouse in-house since 1887. The room is brusque, the service famously blunt, and the steak is extraordinary. They don't accept credit cards, cash only. Book months in advance for a weekend table or try walking in on a weekday for lunch.
$60 to $100 per person
Superiority Burger (East Village)
The best vegetarian burger in America.
Superiority Burger is a tiny counter-service spot in the East Village that makes vegetable-based burgers, sides, and rotating specials of extraordinary quality. The concept sounds humble but the food is creative, carefully made, and genuinely delicious. One of the most interesting and affordable restaurants in New York.
$10 to $20
Don Angie (West Village)
Creative Italian-American cooking in one of NYC's best dining rooms.
Don Angie in the West Village serves inventive Italian-American food that plays with nostalgia and technique simultaneously. The pinwheel lasagne has become one of the most talked-about dishes in the city. The room is warm and the service is genuinely friendly. Book weeks in advance.
$60 to $90 per person
Ugly Baby (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)
The most authentic and intense Thai food in New York City.
Ugly Baby in Brooklyn makes Thai food that genuinely tastes like Thailand, aggressively spiced, full-flavoured, and unlike the adapted versions found elsewhere in the city. The khao soi and the fermented sausage dishes are exceptional. A small room that fills up quickly and doesn't take reservations.
$20 to $40
Joe's Shanghai (Flushing, Queens / Chinatown)
Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) done properly.
Joe's Shanghai in Flushing or Chinatown is the standard-bearer for soup dumplings in New York. The crab and pork xiao long bao arrive in bamboo steamers, filled with hot broth and precisely made filling. Order them first, eat carefully, and order more.
$15 to $30
Quick Picks
What to Eat in NYC
Pastrami on rye
The defining New York sandwich. Hand-carved cured beef on seeded rye with mustard.
NYC pizza slice
A large, foldable slice of thin-crust pizza from a neighbourhood slice shop.
Bagel with lox and cream cheese
A boiled bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, and capers.
Chopped cheese
A Harlem and Bronx classic. Ground beef, cheese, and onions on a roll.
Black and white cookie
A soft cake-cookie hybrid with half vanilla and half chocolate fondant icing.
Best Areas in NYC for Restaurants
East Village
Independent restaurants, Japanese izakayas, and the best cheap food in Manhattan.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Creative kitchens, rooftop bars, and some of NYC's most talked-about restaurants.
Flushing, Queens
The best Chinese, Korean, and South Asian food in New York, and the most authentic.
West Village
Classic NYC neighbourhood restaurants, Italian spots, and intimate dining rooms.
Local Tips for Eating in NYC
Sort the essentials before your trip: ···
Plan with the Genie
Plan your NYC trip
Magic Travel Genie creates personalised itineraries with restaurant recommendations, hidden gems, and optimised daily routes.