The Top 100 Restaurants Near Sugar Monk
-
Rank 1. Angel
New American
-
Rank 2. Sylvia’s
Southern
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · America's Classics: New York State
- Eater 2026 · The Best Classic Restaurants in NYC
- Time Out 2026 · The 45 best restaurants in NYC right now
-
Rank 3. Melba's
Southern
Melba Wilson's Harlem dining room glows with the ease of a neighborhood gathering place, where Southern cooking feels both rooted and inventive. The fried chicken arrives darkly bronzed alongside eggnog waffles; mini-burgers swim in smoky-sweet sauce; spring rolls cradle black-eyed peas and collards. A fruit cobbler closes the meal with unironic comfort.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outsdanding Hospitality
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
-
Rank 4. MAMA'S TOO!
Sicilian Pizza
- Time Out The Cacio e Pepe · The 18 best pizzas in the world right now
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #4 · 50 Top Pizza Slice USA
- Time Out 2026 · The 45 best restaurants in NYC right now
-
Rank 5. Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Southern
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Charles Gabriel
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Charles Gabriel
- Eater 2026 · The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City
-
Rank 6. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 7. Cocina Consuelo
Mexican
In a snug dining room that feels like a well-kept secret, Karina Garcia and her husband Eduardo Rodriguez serve food with the intimacy of their original Harlem supper club. The coarse corn tortillas and birria built around a prehistoric marrow bone suggest a kitchen comfortable with bold, unpretentious gestures.
- The Infatuation #9 · The 25 Best Restaurants In NYC
- Eater The Best Breakfasts in New York
- Eater 2026 · Where to Eat Brunch in New York City
-
Rank 8. Accra Express Restaurant
West African, Ghanaian
A modest steam-table spot on 125th Street celebrates jollof rice with uncompromising fervor, the grains smoking and insistent alongside iron-red stew that refuses restraint. The portions suggest abundance over refinement, a philosophy that feels honest in its directness.
-
Rank 9. Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too
Southern
A narrow storefront on 110th Street devoted to unapologetic Southern indulgence: baked turkey wings, Louisiana catfish, and fried chicken arrive alongside candied yams and collard greens, while house-made peach cobbler and sweet potato pie suggest the kitchen understands that dessert is not optional here.
-
Rank 10. Oso
Mexican
A brick storefront near City College turns out Mexico City street food with real conviction—al pastor tacos with proper char, enchiladas verde blanketed in Oaxaca cheese, tortillas pressed fresh and tender behind an open kitchen. The menu is short and focused; the churros with chocolate and cinnamon caramel are reason enough to return.
-
Rank 11. FIELDTRIP Harlem
NY Comfort Food
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
-
Rank 12. Tamales Lupita
Mexican
The narrow storefront on East 112th operates on the principle of arrival and luck: come early or settle for what remains of the day's tamales. Mole-streaked masa and lard-rich Oaxaqueño varieties emerge from their wrappings with the texture of custard, each one a small argument for restraint in seasoning.
-
Rank 13. Fieldtrip
NY Comfort Food
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · JJ Johnson
-
Rank 14. Taco Mix
Mexican
At Taco Mix, a narrow Harlem counter serves meat-forward tacos that spill past their tortillas—cecina, suadero, barbacoa with caramelized edges, and al pastor carved from the spit with pineapple. You eat standing at a ledge, shedding cilantro, in a space that has refined nothing but the fundamentals.
-
Rank 15. Lechonera La Isla
Caribbean
-
-
Rank 17. Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Traditional Ethiopian
-
Rank 18. Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Southern
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Charles Gabriel
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Charles Gabriel
-
Rank 19. Essential By Christophe
Contemporary French
Heavy iron doors open onto a sleek townhouse dining room where chef Christophe Bellanca marries French technique with Asian inflection—white asparagus with bergamot crème and herb vinaigrette, blue prawns with genmaicha tuille, black sea bass gilded in turmeric. The space hums with quiet confidence.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Christophe Bellanca
-
Rank 20. Café Boulud
Contemporary French
A corner room on the Upper East Side with Art Deco polish hosts classical French cooking refined through seasonal technique and global inflection. Black sea bass wrapped in potato, vegetables in delicate balance, a tarte Tatin that knows its purpose—Paumier's kitchen executes the fundamentals with quiet confidence.
-
Rank 21. Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi
Pan-African
At Lincoln Center, Tatiana commands a room of dark wood and deliberate glamour where the pre-theater crowd mingles with the curious; Chef Kwame Onwuachi's West African-inflected menu—egusi dumplings, a towering pot of braised oxtail—reads like an edible autobiography, grounded and generous.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- The Infatuation Infatuation’s Highest-Rated Restaurants In America
-
Rank 22. Cocotazo
Puerto Rican
-
-
Rank 24. Marea
Seafood Italian
Central Park South's power crowd gathers in an airy rosewood dining room where the scene matches the ambition. Marea's seafood-focused Italian menu builds from raw fish—branzino scattered with pistachio and crispy garlic—through handmade pastas and delicate desserts that justify the elegance around you.
-
Rank 25. The Leopard at des Artistes
Traditional Italian
-
Rank 26. Majorelle
French
-
Rank 27. Ai Fiori
Italian
Fifth Avenue views and a marble bar set the stage for polished Italian cooking—Hiramasa crudo with sunflower cream, handmade pasta with braised rabbit. Service and linens match the formal room's marble and leather restraint.
-
Rank 28. The Grill
American
The dining room gleams with the burnished confidence of old money and new ambition. Crab cakes arrive topped with pan-fried potatoes; duck skin crackles under the knife, yielding to silky fat beneath. This is American comfort as theater—tableside ceremony, lemon chiffon cake—for those accustomed to getting what they want.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The Best Steakhouses in New York City
-
Rank 29. Hutong
Chinese
-
-
Rank 31. Gallaghers
Steakhouse
A Midtown steakhouse since the late 1920s, Gallaghers grilss USDA Prime beef over hickory while its wood-paneled room hums with the rhythms of New York theatre-goers and regulars. Bone-in ribeyes arrive tender and charred; the dry-aged meat locker gleams behind glass like an artifact of steakhouse faith.
- World's 101 Best #87 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The Best Steakhouses in New York City
-
Rank 32. Oceana
Modern Seafood
-
Rank 33. Keens Steakhouse
Steakhouse
Dark paneled rooms and bow-tied waiters define this 1905 steakhouse where the mutton chop and porterhouse arrive with the weight of old New York still clinging to them. The wedge salad alone—blue cheese funk meeting fresh crunch and lardons—suggests a kitchen that understands restraint and satisfaction in equal measure.
- World's 101 Best #68 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Winner · Timeless U.S. Award
- Eater 2026 · The Best Classic Restaurants in NYC
-
Rank 34. Cafe Sabarsky
Austrian Bakery
A Vienna transplant tucked into a Beaux Arts mansion on Museum Mile, all dark wood paneling and Otto Wagner textiles. The wiener schnitzel and Hungarian beef goulash anchor the menu, but the pastries—Linzer torte, Sachertorte, a layered feuilletine—are what justify the pilgrimage.
-
-
Rank 36. The Mark Restaurant
French
-
Rank 37. Lechonera La Piraña
Puerto Rican Caribbean
- The Infatuation #23 · The 25 Best Restaurants In NYC
- Time Out 2026 · The 45 best restaurants in NYC right now
- Eater 2026 · The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City
-
Rank 38. Casa Tua
Italian
-
Rank 39. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 40. Le Rock
Brasserie French
Dim Art Deco glamour at street level in Rockefeller Center, where the Frenchette team serves a brasserie menu of seafood platters, duck confit with lentils, and profiteroles glossed in buckwheat honey fudge with genuine French technique and tableside theatricality. The bar moves at a clip; the crowds haven't stopped.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Winner · Outstanding Restaurateur · Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants in Midtown
-
Rank 41. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 42. Aretsky's Patroon
New American
-
Rank 43. Caviar Russe
Contemporary French
A marble staircase ascends to this Madison Avenue perch where caviar—from modest Pacific Sturgeon to thousand-dollar Osetra tins—anchors a French-inflected menu of classical refinement. Agnolotti stuffed with chestnuts yields to truffle foam; Dover sole arrives delicately mousse-filled and dressed in curry cream. The experience traffics entirely in luxe.
-
Rank 44. Lungi
Sri Lankan Indian
At Lungi, chef Albin Vincent channels his grandmother's kitchen in Kanyakumari and Sri Lanka through dishes like pan-fried kingfish on banana leaf with fried makrut lime, and kothu roti—roti chopped and scrambled with meat and egg. The Upper East Side room hums with energy, and a carrot halwa spiked with warming spices closes the meal with grace.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Grub Street 2025 · The 43 Best Restaurants in New York
- The New York Times 2026 · #59 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
-
Rank 45. Meju
Korean
Behind a fermented-foods shop in Long Island City, Chef Hooni Kim runs a counter where traditional Korean pantry staples—doenjang, gochujang, aged through his own decade-long practice—meet precise minimalism and Miyazaki beef. A final bowl of rice and kimchi, handmade ceramics throughout, and Kim's attentive presence transform an unassuming setting into something quietly unforgettable.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Hooni Kim
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Hooni Kim
-
Rank 46. Le Jardinier
French
Chef Alain Verzeroli's dining room glows with olive velvet and trailing plants, a verdant setting that mirrors his vegetables-first approach to the plate. Grilled octopus arrives with green olives and romesco; salmon is coaxed with smoked chili and pak choi; the lemon tart carries a whisper of tarragon.
-
Rank 47. Chalong
Southern Thai
A narrow Hell's Kitchen counter lined with dark wood and rattan fixtures draws the pre-show crowd for Southern Thai shared plates. The kitchen moves confidently through curries and noodles, but the real argument is between the coconut-crusted shrimp and the garlic-braised ribs—both best followed by mango sticky rice with coconut ice cream, a dessert that justifies skipping the appetizers.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Nate Limwong
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants Around Times Square
-
Rank 48. Sushi Yasuda
Sushi
At Sushi Yasuda, honey-toned wood and bamboo offer the only warmth in a deliberately austere room where punctuality is non-negotiable. The itamae controls your meal from behind the counter, assembling classical nigiri—bluefin, uni, sayori with shiso—with deliberate care that lets each piece's robust flavor speak. The place ignores fashion and rewards those willing to submit to its rhythms.
-
Rank 49. Don Antonio
Neapolitan Pizza
A wood-fired outpost of a Neapolitan institution, Don Antonio channels four generations of pizza-making into dishes like the Montanara Starita—fried dough topped with house tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, and basil—and frittatine, where fried spaghetti scraps meet ham and Buffalo mozzarella. The kitchen's lineage shows in every char and fold.
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #7 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants Around Times Square
-
Rank 50. Armani/Ristorante
Italian
-
Rank 51. COTE
Korean
Simon Kim's steakhouse fuses Korean beef reverence with American steakhouse grandeur, its dark, moody dining room anchored by a visible aging room downstairs. Meats arrive raw for inspection before tableside grilling, their umami deepened by kimchi and ssamjang in a ritual that feels both ceremonial and convivial.
- World's 101 Best #21 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
-
Rank 52. Dagon
Middle Eastern
Light floods through corner windows into a teal-tinged room where an off-center bar and long counter invite lingering. Middle Eastern flavors emerge across fresh breads, chicken liver mousse with date syrup, and lamb-filled cigars that taste best with tahini.
-
Rank 53. Gramercy Tavern
Contemporary New American
A mahogany-lined institution where the bar seats are fought over at lunch and the dining room glows at night. The seasonal American cooking—pappardelle, impeccable proteins—speaks plainly but with confidence, matched to wood-paneled surroundings and service that knows when to hover and when to recede. A place equally at home with a first date or a closed business deal.
-
Rank 54. Tán
Mexican
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · World's Best Brunch Venue
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · United States' Best Restaurant
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Winner · North America's Best Brunch Venue
-
Rank 55. Café Carmellini
Italian
Andrew Carmellini's fine-dining return occupies the Fifth Avenue Hotel with sapphire velvet booths and an open kitchen turning out Mediterranean-leaning dishes. A crab mille-feuille of delicate wafers and sweet meat in Meyer lemon sauce, or scallops in coconut-turmeric broth, suggest a chef working in layers of restraint and indulgence at once.
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Recommended
- 50 Best 2025 · #39 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
-
Rank 56. La Tête d'Or by Daniel
French Steakhouse
A glamorous Flatiron temple where French technique meets steakhouse tradition under Daniel Boulud's direction. Leather-lined bar, soaring ceilings, and tableside Caesar salads precede dry-aged beef and roving trolleys of prime rib—the kind of room where the architecture itself suggests money changing hands.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- World's 101 Best #34 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
-
Rank 57. Chick Chick
Korean
Chef Jun Park's narrow Upper West Side corner showcases Korean fried chicken with crisp amber skin glazed in black pepper soy. Open kitchen views and wood-lined walls frame plates of fried rice studded with sausage, tobiko, and kimchi.
-
Rank 58. hakubai
Japanese
-
-
Rank 60. The Lambs Club
Steakhouse
A limestone fireplace anchors black walls and scarlet booths in this Midtown steakhouse where power brokers gather before the theater district lights up. Dry-aged beef arrives with an arsenal of sauces, but the kitchen also excels at seared scallops in clam chowder broth and lamb saddle with chanterelles. Chrome and red leather conspire to make excess feel inevitable, even necessary.
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Recommended
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants Around Times Square
-
Rank 61. Four Twenty Five
Contemporary
Benno and Vongerichten's Park Avenue dining room floods with daylight and restraint, a glamorous stage for cooking that roams Italy, France, and Asia without apology. A foie gras arrives with blood orange and warm spiced madeleines; even asparagus reads as a statement, while the chocolate tart at meal's end—layered with black cardamom and tonka—justifies its prominence.
- Esquire 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Grub Street 2025 · The 43 Best Restaurants in New York
-
Rank 62. HWARO
Korean
An unmarked counter on the second floor of a Midtown steakhouse, where Chef Sungchul Shim orchestrates a twenty-two-seat fusion of Korean flavor and French precision across a composed, unhurried evening. The brown butter miso opens into wild amberjack, abalone, and white soy custard with caviar, each plate a small study in restraint and technique.
-
Rank 63. AbuQir
Egyptian Seafood
At this Astoria seafood counter, fish arrive so fresh they stare back before the griddle claims them in smoke and wheat bran crust. The tagine swells with shrimp the size of blossoms, the pita exhales steam, and even the rice glows with seafood stock.
- The New York Times 2026 · #17 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
- Grub Street 2026 · The 40 Best Restaurants for Kids (and Parents!)
- Eater 2026 · The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City
-
Rank 64. Cosme
Modern Mexican
Cosme's moody dining room and polished bar serve seasonally inventive Mexican cooking, from uni tostadas with bone marrow to duck carnitas. The corn husk meringue alone justifies the price.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · United States' Best Restaurant
-
Rank 65. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 66. Hyderabadi Zaiqa
Hyderabadi Indian
A sliver of a dining room in the Theater District where Mohammad Tarique Khan and Jayesh Naik execute Hyderabadi cooking with understated precision—samosas arrive golden and crisp, their potato filling properly spiced, while the goat fry biryani builds layers of fragrance across bone-in meat and long-grain rice. Service moves with rare grace through the tight quarters; arrive solo or in pairs.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater 2026 · The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City
- Time Out 2026 · The 45 best restaurants in NYC right now
-
Rank 67. Cafe Commerce
Contemporary New American
A revived neighborhood classic transplanted to the Upper East Side, where Harold Moore plates contemporary American cooking with French and Italian traces—sea scallops, beef carpaccio, steak Diane alongside returning signatures like sweet potato tortellini. The room carries an easy glamour suited to weeknight dining, and the four-layer coconut cake alone justifies the trip.
-
Rank 68. Rezdôra
Emilia-Romagna Italian
A Flatiron dining room devoted to the pasta traditions of Emilia-Romagna, where handmade anolini and gramigna arrive in their plainest, most persuasive forms. The cooking here trusts simplicity—fried gnocco with cured pork, ragù finished with Parmigiano—and asks nothing more of you than appetite and respect for the region's canon.
- 50 Top Italy 2025 · #5 · The Best Italian Restaurants In The World
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Stefano Secchi
-
Rank 69. BONDST
Japanese-Inspired
-
Rank 70. JG Melon
American
A corner saloon in a 1920s building draws crowds for its burger, though the kitchen acquits itself across the board—the chili cup arrives heaped with meat and cheese, the turkey club holds its own. Green-and-white checked cloths, a dark wood bar, and staff who seem genuinely glad you're here create the kind of timeless comfort that makes institutions.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation Cheeseburger · 25 Iconic Dishes That Define New York
-
Rank 71. Mari
Korean
Chef Sungchul Shim takes the handroll counter and reimagines it as tasting menu theater, where Scottish salmon, cured mackerel, and mushrooms nestle into rice and seaweed with Korean inflection. The kitchen is exposed on all sides, chefs moving with visible precision from one roll to the next. It's a narrow, high-wire act that pays off.
-
Rank 72. Joe Allen
American
- Eater 2026 · The Best Classic Restaurants in NYC
- Grub Street 2026 · The 40 Best Restaurants for Kids (and Parents!)
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants Around Times Square
-
The open kitchen at this Astoria taverna crackles with the rhythm of a neighborhood institution. Spinach pie arrives in flaky, sesame-studded sheets; whole branzino glistens under olive oil and herbs. It's the kind of place where servers slip into Greek if you seem to belong, where the food tastes like it knows exactly what it's doing and nothing more.
-
Rank 74. Elcielo
Colombian
Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos orchestrates a two-star tasting menu in the Virgin Hotel that channels tropical Colombia through dishes like shio koji duck with passion fruit sabayon. Floor-to-ceiling windows and theatrical touches—a bread tree, chocolate experience, coffee ceremony—transform the meal into something between fine dining and curated theater.
-
Rank 75. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 76. Barney Greengrass
Deli, Appetizing, Breakfast
A venerable appetizing counter on the Upper West Side where smoked sturgeon—meaty yet buttery, cut with laser precision—is treated as the delicacy it has been for generations. The fish arrives the same way every time: a gesture of consistency that feels almost liturgical in a city that devours and discards.
-
Rank 77. Stretch Pizza
NY-Style Pizza
-
Rank 78. Dar Lbahja
Moroccan
- The New York Times 2026 · #78 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
- The New York Times 2025 · Chicken Bastilla · Our New York Restaurant Critic Names Her Favorite Dishes This Year
- The Infatuation 2025 · #12 · NYC’s Best New Restaurants
-
Rank 79. Beyond Sushi
Vegan Sushi
-
Rank 80. Cho Dang Gol
Homestyle Korean
In Koreatown's barbecue-heavy corridor, Cho Dang Gol pivots toward the rustic and comforting: silken tofu in bubbling stews, cod roe omelets, and a sautéed tofu trio that braids pork belly with sweet potato noodles and kimchi in a bright red pepper sauce. The wood tables are close and the room unadorned, built for eating, not posing.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Infatuation #8 · The 25 Best Restaurants In NYC
- Roadbook The Best Restaurants in New York City
-
Rank 81. Hamido Seafood
Egyptian Seafood
-
Rank 82. Covacha
Mexican
Cristina Castañeda's dining room thrums with family celebrations and the warmth of Jalisco's ranchos filtered through New York ambition. Crisp chicken quesabirrias dunked in birria broth, slow-roasted barbacoa meant for messy, generous build-your-own tacos—the cooking knows what it is.
-
Rank 83. Épicerie Boulud
French
- International Baking Industry Expo 2025 · Winner: Baguette · World Bread Awards USA · Jeremy Canut
- Eater The Best Croissants in NYC
-
- Eater 2026 · The Best Classic Restaurants in NYC
- Eater 2026 · The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants in Midtown
-
Rank 85. The View
American
- Grub Street 2026 · The 40 Best Restaurants for Kids (and Parents!)
- The New York Times 2025 · Chocolate Cake · Our New York Restaurant Critic Names Her Favorite Dishes This Year
- Eater 2026 · The Best Restaurants in Midtown
-
Rank 86. COQODAQ
Korean
A buzzy Korean fried chicken den where reservations vanish fast, rewarded with a theatrical bucket feast that unfolds through crisp rounds and finishes with frozen yogurt. The gluten-free bird stays clean and light despite its indulgent choreography, paired with an ambitious champagne list.
- Condé Nast Traveler 2024 · The best new restaurants in the world
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Simon Kim - Gracious Hospitality
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Simon Kim - Gracious Hospitality Management
-
Rank 87. The Phraya
Contemporary Thai
Red lanterns cast the Upper East Side in Bangkok light at Tha Phraya, where regional Thai cooking moves beyond green curry into Northern sausage spring rolls and khao soi, Southern Phuket curries, and zabb hang—rice noodles tangled with pork and meatballs in house-made brown sauce. Cocktails named for temple festival games complete the immersion.
-
Rank 88. Cuerno
Mexican
- Eater 2026 · The Best Steakhouses in New York City
- The New York Times 2025 · Taco Richi · Our New York Restaurant Critic Names Her Favorite Dishes This Year
-
Rank 89. Ánimo!
Mexican
-
Rank 90. Eléa
Greek
Whitewashed brick and weathered beams frame a bi-level dining room where Mediterranean ingredients speak plainly—creamy spreads, whole grilled fish, a stuffed tomato alive with raisins and pine nuts. The cooking respects simplicity while occasionally reaching higher, as in a moussaka that feels both classical and refined.
-
Rank 91. Al Badawi
Palestinian
-
Rank 92. Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an-Style
-
Rank 93. Uncle Ray's
Singaporean Chinese
A narrow storefront on Ninth Avenue serves chicken rice descended from a Singapore original, where the bird yields to the knife and proper gelatin sheathes the skin. The rice, bloated with broth and ginger, is the real draw—a side dish so composed it needs no company.
- The New York Times 2026 · #85 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
- The New York Times 2025 · Poached Chicken Rice · Our New York Restaurant Critic Names Her Favorite Dishes This Year
-
Basque fire and Manhattan pace collide in this High Line steakhouse, where an imported Spanish oven and charcoal grill handle American beef and Iberian pork with disciplined precision. The 60-day aged Txuleton and confident sommelier-guided wine list reflect a kitchen that trusts its ingredients to speak plainly.
-
Rank 95. Ci Siamo
Wood-fired Italian
A busy, efficient Italian kitchen tucked into Manhattan West glows with the confidence of Union Square Hospitality Group—handsome bar, open fire, large windows—and chef Hillary Sterling's caramelized onion torta alone justifies the trip. Generously rich pastas and a closing lemon torta with mascarpone suggest a restaurant built for sharing and return visits.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Hillary Sterling
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Hillary Sterling
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: New York State · Hillary Sterling
-
Rank 96. Tempura Matsui
Tempura Japanese
A counter-only tempura specialist where the chef's restrained batter and mixed-oil technique elevate humble ingredients into delicate, seasonal revelations. The progression from shrimp legs through tender squid and scallop to mellow tencha broth unfolds with the precision of ritual.
-
Tucked into a subway station, See No Evil serves pizza with the casual irreverence of a place that shouldn't exist. The Hell pie—thin crust charred and topped with spicy meat—arrives alongside sardine toast and seasonal beans in walnut sauce, while black-and-white checkered floors and 80s soundtracks anchor the scene. It's the kind of New York anomaly where the commute becomes an excuse to linger.
-
-
Rank 99. Sandro’s
Italian
-
Rank 100. Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
Steakhouse
Fire and theater collide at this steakhouse where the grill becomes performance and meat is both reverence and provocation. Dry-aged beef emerges from charcoal-fired ovens with smoke and precision, a menu that questions the cut as much as it honors it.