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Updated by David Farley
Ready to take a bite out of New York? Hope you’ve come hungry. In a city where creativity is expressed in innumerable ways, the food scene takes center stage, with literally thousands of chances to taste what Gotham is all about. Whether lining up at street stands, gobbling down legendary deli and diner grub, or chasing a coveted reservation at the latest celebrity-chef venue, New Yorkers are a demanding yet appreciative audience.
Every neighborhood offers temptations high, low, and in between, meaning there’s truly something for every taste, whim, and budget. No matter how you approach dining out here, it’s hard to go wrong. Planning a day of shopping among the glittering flagship boutiques along 5th and Madison? Stop into one of the Upper East Side’s storied restaurants for a repast among the “ladies who lunch.” Clubbing in the Meatpacking District? Tuck into a meal at eateries as trendy as their patrons. Craving authentic ethnic? From food trucks to hidden joints, there are almost more choices than there are appetites. Recent years have also seen entire food categories, from ramen to meatballs to mac ‘n’ cheese, riffed upon and fetishized, and at many restaurants you find an almost religious reverence for seasonal, locally sourced cuisine.
And don’t forget—New York is still home to more celebrity chefs than any other city. Your chances of running into your favorite cookbook author, Food Network celeb, or paparazzi-friendly chef are high, adding even more star wattage to a restaurant scene with an already through-the-roof glamour quotient. Newfound economic realities, however, have revived appreciation for value, meaning you can tap into wallet-friendly choices at every level of the food chain. Rest assured, this city does its part to satisfy your appetite. Ready, set, eat.
Planning
Children
Although it’s unusual to see children in the dining rooms of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, dining with youngsters in New York does not have to mean culinary exile. Many of the restaurants reviewed in this chapter are excellent choices for families, and are marked as such.
Reservations
It’s always a good idea to plan ahead. Some renowned restaurants like Per Se, Daniel, Brooklyn Fare, and Momofuku Ko are booked weeks or even months in advance. If that’s the case, you can get lucky at the last minute if you’re flexible—and friendly. Most restaurants keep a few tables open for walk-ins and VIPs. Show up for dinner early (5:30) or late (after 10), and politely inquire about any last-minute vacancies or cancellations.
Occasionally, an eatery may take your credit-card number and ask you to call the day before your scheduled meal to reconfirm: don’t forget or you could lose out, or possibly be charged for your oversight.
What to Wear
New Yorkers like to dress up, and so should you. Whatever your style, dial it up a notch. Have some fun while you’re at it. Pull out the clothes you’ve been saving for a special occasion and get glamorous. Unfair as it is, the way you look can influence how you’re treated—and where you’re seated. Generally speaking, jeans and a button-down shirt suffice at most table-service restaurants in the $ to $$ range. In reviews, we note dress only when a jacket or jacket and tie are required. If you have doubts, call the restaurant and ask.
Tipping and Taxes
In most restaurants, tip the waiter 15%–20%. (To figure out a 20% tip quickly, just move the decimal point one place to the left on your total and double that amount.) Tip at least $1 per drink at the bar, and $1 for each coat checked. Never tip the maître d’ unless you’re out to impress your guests or expect to pay another visit soon.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed public spaces in New York City, including restaurants and bars.
Hours
New Yorkers seem ready to eat at any hour. Many restaurants stay open between lunch and dinner, some have late-night seating, and still others serve around the clock. Restaurants that serve breakfast often do so until noon or later. Restaurants in the East Village, Lower East Side, SoHo, TriBeCa, and Greenwich Village are likely to remain open late, whereas Midtown spots and those in the Theater and Financial districts and uptown generally close earlier. Unless otherwise noted, the restaurants listed in this guide are open daily for lunch and dinner.
Prices
Be sure to ask the price of the daily specials recited by the waiter; the charge for specials at some restaurants is noticeably out of line with the other prices on the menu. Beware of the $10 bottle of water; ask for tap water instead, and always review your bill.
If you eat early or late, you may be able to take advantage of a prix-fixe deal not offered at peak hours. Most upscale restaurants have great lunch deals.
Credit cards are widely accepted, but many restaurants (particularly smaller ones downtown) accept only cash. If you plan to use a credit card, it’s a good idea to confirm that it is acceptable when making reservations or before sitting down to eat.
Check Before You Go
The nature of the restaurant industry means that places open and close in a New York minute. It’s always a good idea to phone ahead and make sure your restaurant is still turning tables.
Eat like a Local
A handful of foods are associated with New York City: apples (big ones, obviously), pizza, pastrami, hot dogs, bagels–the list of earthly delights is long and delicious. These, generally speaking, are what the locals tend to talk about.
Food Trucks
The food-truck movement is officially on. It seems there’s a special truck for everything from ethnic eats to fresh-baked sweets. The southern end of Washington Square, near NYU, is a prime location, with trucks lined up serving the cuisines of Holland, Colombia, Cambodia, and Mexico, but you can find food trucks parked all over town, some with legendary followings and Twitter feeds to help you find them. Thompson Hotels, which has several properties in New York, even has a Food Truck Concierge.
Pizza
There are few things more Big Apple than a slice of pizza, its bottom crust crispy from the coal oven. There are take-out joints for slices and sit-down restaurants that only serve pies; some are thin crust, some are thick, some even have fried dough, and everyone has a favorite. There’s no question that pizza will always be synonymous with New York, but the crust is being elevated to a real art form these days. Some people say the reason the pizza here is so good is because of the excellent quality of the New York water.
Soul Food in Harlem
Sylvia Woods, the “Queen of Soul Food” and proprietor of the eponymous Harlem restaurant, may have ascended to that great soul food restaurant in the sky, but the cuisine lives on in this historic neighborhood—in fact, more now than ever, since celeb-chef Marcus Samuelsson moved into the area, opening the Red Rooster, a global eatery that gives a big nod to soul food.
Chinese Food
There’s Chinese food and then there’s New York’s downtown Chinatown Chinese food, which some visitors might find head-scratchingly unfamiliar. That’s because Chinatown boasts a diverse population from China’s many regions, which means menus are going to look deliciously foreign to the uninitiated. Go ahead, point and order something you’ve never heard of. Restaurants serving dim sum, which are basically different kinds of small fried or steamed dumplings, are popular for weekend breakfast.
Burgers
Hamburgers will forever be a part of the Big Apple dining landscape. But it so happens that it’s never been a better time to be a burger eater, and nearly every restaurant—American or not—has some kind of burger on its menu. If you’re a discriminating burger lover, look for the name Pat LaFrieda, a meat purveyor par excellence. Just don’t expect to save any money; it’s not unusual to see a $20 hamburger on a menu.
Gastropubs
The gastropub phenomenon, imported from London, began with the Spotted Pig in the West Village, and within a few years, every neighborhood had one. And why not? Blending a casual pub atmosphere with way-better-than-average pub grub is a fun and tasty combination that’s hard to beat.
Banh Mi Sandwiches
The banh mi sandwich has grabbed the attention of Big Apple eaters in recent years and has not let go. This French-influenced Vietnamese sandwich consists of pork, pâté, carrots, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers stuffed into a baguette. This is a delicacy worth seeking out, so check the menus at our top Asian restaurant picks.
Locavore
The focus on local food and beverages has definitely taken hold at NYC restaurants. Menus flaunt the nearby provenance of their meat and produce, whether it’s from upstate New York or from the restaurant’s rooftop garden. Wine lists frequently include excellent Long Island wines, as well as bourbon and other spirits brewed as close as the Brooklyn Navy Yards or the Hudson Valley.