No one can deny that New York City is a place of innovation. That ahead-of-the-curve spirit fuels NYC’s dining scene, which is full of ambitious, boundary-breaking restaurants. They’ve flipped the script on ingredients such as monosodium glutamate, created inclusive dining spaces for those with disabilities, and brought the wilderness to Brooklyn, just to name some past innovations.
These New York City spots stand out for reimagining the dining world. Read on for a list of ten cutting-edge restaurants to book right now.
Bad Roman (Columbus Circle)
One of Bad Roman’s most jaw-dropping features could be the neon-necklaced wild boar statue that graces its entrance. Or the amaro shots served on toy race cars. Or its filet mignon topped with a cacio pepe raviolo that oozes cheese sauce, authenticity be damned. Together, these more-is-more components add up to a decadent Italian American lineup that enticed New Yorkers even before the restaurant officially opened. The Quality Branded hotspot is a flashy flag bearer for a new wave of restaurants ditching years of chic minimalism for louder and prouder dining. Pro tip: schedule an Availability Alert if you can’t find a reservation for the time you’re looking.
HOUSE Brooklyn (Greenpoint)
Precision and intentionality take on epic heights at this experimental French Japanese gem that landed in Greenpoint from Tokyo in 2022. Chef Yuji Tani’s jewel box serves up seasonal, impeccably constructed dishes including a strawberry tuile-encased mozzarella and burrata salad and foie gras pilaf studded with housemade pickles. The breathtaking design runs to diners choosing their own hand-carved cherry wood steak knives for the wagyu course, for instance. And whenever a ceramic plate breaks, Tani sends it to a kintsugi expert in New York City (who repairs it with silver lacquer), intended to be a metaphor for embracing imperfections. Though at HOUSE Brooklyn, those are few and far between.
Kebaya (Chelsea)
Until 2023, even in an exceptionally diverse city like New York, it was tough to score Peranakan food—a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian ingredients and cooking methods. But chef Salil Mehta filled that void when he opened Kebaya near Union Square. The seasoned chef has long been a passionate ambassador for underrepresented Southeast Asian cuisines, and his latest act continues to deliver on that mission, serving kaleidoscopic dishes including fried quail over caramelized soy mango salad and turmeric-seasoned, charred whole baby squid cooked in a sour tamarind paste. The patchwork feast is an ode to a cuisine shaped by waves of immigrants who landed in Southeast Asia—Chinese, South Indian, and more—and a welcome addition to a city well-known for transplants.
Cadence (East Village)
Soul food doesn’t usually get the plant-based treatment. But at Cadence, executive chef Shenarri Freeman—aka “Shenarri Greens”—confidently swaps animal fats for vegan butter to stir up reimagined Southern staples such as succotash-filled collard green wraps and fried oyster mushrooms with Belgian waffles. The restaurant marks a strong debut for Freeman, who is the product of the Institute of Culinary Education’s new plant-based, nutrition-minded cooking program. Freeman’s menu takes veganism super seriously by relying solely on seasonal produce rather than plant-based meat alternatives. Bonus points for the top-notch wine list, which spotlights Black female vintners.
Trust Bae (NoMad)
New York City is no stranger to world-class omakase places, but women-powered Trust Bae by Simplevenue (the group behind NYC favorites such as Sushi by Bou and Sushi Suite) soars above other chef-selected meal spots. The intricate dishes reflect Top Chef alum Frances Tariga’s culinary background, a blend of her Filipino heritage, a professional stint in Dubai, and stops at NYC clubstaurants such as Buddakan and Catch. Which explains the polyglot kaiseki menu, featuring everything from Mexican achiote tofu to Indian-inspired pani puri. Spotlighting Tariga’s journey is part of Simplevenue’s commitment to elevating women in the hospitality industry and cements Trust Bae’s status as one of the most exciting counter-style restaurants in New York City right now.
Dept of Culture (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Dept of Culture is one of the only New York City spots to dish up a formal take on north-central Nigerian cafe cuisine. Chef Ayo Balogun’s four-course menu pays homage to bukas, or street-style canopies ubiquitous across the West African country. Though DOC’s offerings change frequently, they might include fish pepper soup, vegan jollof rice, or fried cheese curds served with obe ata, a spicy red pepper sauce. The communal dinner party-like vibes are strong thanks to an antique record player that spins Fela Kuti tunes, dim lights, and photographs of Balogun’s relatives on the walls. It all makes for a warm and cozy setting you wouldn’t typically associate with a tasting menu restaurant—a refreshing break from the norm.
Sona (Gramercy/Flatiron)
Sona turns heads for inventive east-meets-west dishes and ritzy Art Deco interiors (and Priyanka Chopra’s involvement). The gilded columns and Thonet-style chairs make a glamorous backdrop to the restaurant’s bi-monthly drag brunch—the only one of its kind in New York City. The family-friendly Bollywood-themed afternoons are hosted by drag queen Malai and feature everything bagel-seasoned naan with cured gravlax, a South Indian-style fried chicken sandwich, and a dedicated kids menu. Sona’s drag brunch honors owner Maneesh Goyal’s own queer identity, along with childhood memories of his family’s Indian restaurant in Dallas, and is part of the restaurateur’s larger quest to make the innovative Indian spot a haven for the LGBTQ community.
Tatiana (Upper West Side)
James Beard Award winner, published author, and Top Chef judge Kwame Onwuachi made his NYC debut with Tatiana, an Afro-Caribbean restaurant at Lincoln Center in 2022. Onwuachi is a native New Yorker known for candidly sharing his experience as one of the few Black chefs in the fine-dining world. That narrative is prominently showcased on Tatiana’s homey but larger-than-life menu, which includes Nigerian egusi soup dumplings (a tribute to his paternal roots), Mom Dukes Shrimp, a hat-tip to his mother’s Creole upbringing, and a nostalgic brownie dessert that draws inspiration from bodegas in the Bronx. It’s a unique formula for a deeply autobiographical meal that glimpses into the forces that shaped Onwuachi—and American history.
SYKO (Windsor Terrace)
There are no gimmicky mashups at this one-of-a-kind Syrian and Korean restaurant. Instead, you’ll find the distinct tastes of each cuisine at the family-owned takeout spot (co-owners and chefs James Kim and Mazen Khoury are brothers-in-law). There are familiar dishes including beef bulgogi platters and chicken shawarma. But Syko’s selection also makes way for lesser-known specialties such as a Syrian sausage wrap drizzled with a garlicky white sauce, a tofu kimchi burrito, and a weekend-only sandwich layered with Spam, egg, rice, and seaweed. The result is a rare bifurcated lineup that screams Brooklyn.
Journey (NoMad)
Journey is steered by major players in New York City’s dining, fashion, and multimedia worlds who joined forces to create an ultra-theatrical and transportive meal. Diners pick from four distinct experiences: Journey 360 is a whirlwind trip to destinations including an underwater shipwreck and a raging waterfall—all accomplished via cutting-edge tabletop projection mappings—while Journey Odyssey is a five-course meal featuring comic vignettes by Broadway performers. Add spectacular Korean American dishes by chef Edward Hong (whose resume includes the kitchens at MICHELIN-starred Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare and Aureole), and you’ve got one unusual riff on dinner and a show.
Tried them all? Check out other options here.
Aarti Virani is the blog editor at OpenTable. She is based in the cultural melting pot that is Jersey City, New Jersey.
