Local Favorites: The 20 Best Restaurants in New York City
People say that New York is the greatest city in the world, and we may have to agree—especially when it comes to our restaurants. But where are the smartest, savviest diners eating out? We’ve pulled data from thousands of restaurants to find the top spots among OpenTable's most expert, seasoned diners. You’ll find everything from neighborhood gems to fine-dining palaces, vegetable-forward hotspots to old-school steakhouses—all vetted by the types of tastemakers who know the best spots around the city. You'll want to follow their lead.
| Restaurants: | Marea, Upland, Le Coucou… |
|---|---|
| Price Range: | $$$ - $$$$ |
| Cuisines: | Italian, Contemporary American, French… |
| Neighborhoods: | Midtown West, Gramercy / Flatiron, SoHo… |
For 2 people today
Marea
$$$$·Italian·
Midtown West
- Special Occasion
- Good for Anniversaries
- Fit for Foodies
There’s a reason Marea is the power-lunch-and-dinner capital of New York City: it’s elegant, it’s luxurious, and the food is consistently some of the best Italian in the city. Chef…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityUpland
$$$$·Contemporary American·
Gramercy / Flatiron
- Good for a Date
- Fit for Foodies
- Creative Cuisine
Upland is one of those restaurants that manages to be both elegant and comfortable at the same time; the room glows with a cozy energy usually reserved for your own living room. Th…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityLe Coucou
$$$$·French·
SoHo
- Special Occasion
- Romantic
- Good for a Date
In a city known for its fine dining, Le Coucou is one of the most exciting new additions to the white-tablecloth scene; chef Daniel Rose marries classic French cuisine with a downt…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityBalthazar
$$$$·French·
SoHo
- Good for a Date
- Special Occasion
- Great for Brunch
There are few places as New York as Keith McNally’s Balthazar: an always-bustling French brasserie in the heart of Soho. You can’t go wrong with the moules frites, the salade nicoi…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityCosme
$$$$·Contemporary Mexican·
Gramercy / Flatiron
- Creative Cuisine
- Special Occasion
- Fit for Foodies
When Enrique Olvera, the chef behind the world-renowned Mexico City restaurant Pujol, opened up a spot in New York, the expectations were high—and he delivered. Cosme, an upscale m…Read more
Empellon Midtown
$$$$·Contemporary Mexican·
Midtown East
- Creative Cuisine
- Fit for Foodies
- Good for a Date
Chef Alex Stupak has been impressing the downtown crowd with his Mexican cooking for years, with Empellon Cocina, Empellon Taco, and Empellon al Pastor. Empellon Midtown is his mos…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityGramercy Tavern
$$$$·American·
New York
- Special Occasion
- Tasting Menu
- Good for Anniversaries
Gramercy Tavern is the crown jewel of the Danny Meyer restaurant empire, and it’s not hard to see why; walking into the restaurant feels like stepping into a painting. Head into th…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoAvra Madison Estiatorio on 60th
$$$$·Mediterranean·
Midtown East
- Special Occasion
- Good for a Date
- Good for Birthdays
In a city filled with shoebox dining rooms and even-smaller kitchens, Avra Estiatorio feels like a revelation: this is a grand restaurant, with multiple floors of gilded, tableclot…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityABC Kitchen
$$$$·Contemporary American·
Gramercy / Flatiron
Have you ever been to a restaurant where you want to take everything—from the gloriously sticky, savory ricotta-squash toast to the very plates its served on—home with you? Welcome…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoBoulud Sud
$$$$·Mediterranean·
Lincoln Square
- Pre/post Theatre
- Special Occasion
- Fit for Foodies
Chef Daniel Boulud has been wow-ing this city for decades with his classy, upscale French cooking, and Boulud Sud—which features the food of the Mediterranean—never fails to impres…Read more
Minetta Tavern
$$$$·French·
West Village
- Good for a Date
- Fit for Foodies
- Cozy
Walking into Minetta Tavern feels like walking into another age; the lights are dim, the martinis are strong, and the air is filled with mystery. You’re here for the Black Label Bu…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityMaialino
$$$$·Italian·
New York
- Fit for Foodies
- Neighborhood Gem
- Special Occasion
New York City has no shortage of excellent Italian restaurants, but Maialino—Danny Meyer’s Roman trattoria in the Gramercy Park Hotel—consistently shines as one of the brightest. T…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoThe Clocktower
$$$$·English·
Gramercy / Flatiron
- Special Occasion
- Good for Anniversaries
- Business Meals
The Clocktower, housed in the Edition Hotel overlooking Madison Square Park, is a beauty of a restaurant, a place that looks airlifted from the posh London townhouse of our wildest…Read more
Estela
$$$$·Contemporary American·
SoHo
- Fit for Foodies
- Creative Cuisine
- Special Occasion
A flight of stairs up from the bustle of Houston Street, Estela feels like a well-kept secret, with gorgeous staff serving gorgeous food to a gorgeous clientele of locals and indus…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoThe Lobster Club
$$$$·Japanese·
Midtown East
- Creative Cuisine
- Business Meals
- Fit for Foodies
The Major Food Group, helmed by chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, has completely changed the restaurant landscape of New York, with restaurants like Carbone, The Pool, and The …Read more
ABC Cocina
$$$$·Tapas / Small Plates·
Union Square
From the team behind ABC Kitchen is ABC Cocina, another restaurant in the ABC Carpet and Home space, and another restaurant with food as dreamy as the stuff—the plates, the cups, t…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoAi Fiori
$$$$·Contemporary European·
Midtown West
- Special Occasion
- Good for a Date
- Good for Anniversaries
These days, there are plenty of restaurants peddling some sort of amalgamation of French-Italian cuisine. Ai Fiori, however, takes that classic pairing and elevates it, serving tho…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
View AvailabilityFlora Bar
$$$$·Seafood·
Upper East Side
- Creative Cuisine
- Fit for Foodies
- Great for Lunch
Tucked into the bottom floor of the Met Breuer museum is Flora Bar, a beautiful restaurant with beautiful food from Ignacio Mattos, the chef behind the downtown Estela and Cafe Alt…Read more
Not available on OpenTable
View More InfoMilos - 55th Street NY
$$$$·Seafood·
Midtown West
- Special Occasion
- Good for a Date
- Business Meals
There are few things as glorious as a just-caught piece of seafood cooked thoughtfully and elegantly, and Estiatorio Milos takes that experience even farther: you can select your e…Read more
There aren’t any available tables for 2 today at 7:00 pm
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