MANHATTAN EATS
It is near impossible to list all of Manhattan’s best restaurants, so here is an ever-growing list of the absolute YOLO favourites (in no particular order, as always). For restaurants over the bridge, see our Brooklyn Eats guide.
The Odeon, 145 West Broadway, Tribeca +1 212 233 0507 (see map)
A New York institution dating back nearly thirty years, Odeon was one of the city’s trendiest hot spots of the 1980′s, attracting the likes of Warhol and Basquait among others. Today this fine French brasserie is still running strong, because every aspect from the acoustics, to the menu, to the lighting, and the icecream vendor out the front, are just right.
Momofuku Ko, 163 1st Avenue, East Village +1 212 777 7773 (see map)
Arguably David Chang’s greatest endeavour. It’s not easy to get a booking, so be prepared to schedule some consecutive 10am appointments with your computer, and get clicking fast. With 2 Michelin and only 14 seats, you can understand the issue. When you do eventually succeed; go hungry, and with time. The tasting menu lunch is a whopping 16 courses, and dinner just slightly less stuffing at 10.
Nobu, 105 Hudson Street, Tribeca +1 212 219 0500 (see map)
The first of Chef Matsuhisa’s now world-wide Nobu restaurants. As it should be, the food here is still of a higher standard than many of the other dishes which have fallen to mediocre levels in other Nobu destinations. If you can’t get a table here, try the more relaxed, late night Nobu Next Door.
Balthazar, 80 Spring Street, SoHo +1 212 965 1785 (see map)
Another New York Institution. This Parisian style brasserie is charming and atmospheric at any time of day. Excellent menu, service, and wine-list. If you’re just passing by, get your Balthazar fix with a pastry or baguette from their adjoining bakery.
Red Rooster, 310 Malcolm X Boulevard, Harlem +1 212 792 9001 (see map)
The Harlem (not Manhattan, we know) hotspot attracting New Yorkers from all over the city. Not only is this a good excuse to venture out of your regular dining areas, the food and vibe here are both so good you’ll be looking for ways to make the trip more often. You can’t go wrong with anything on menu; it’s delicious soul food with that extra level of comfort. Also open for brunch and lunch.
Blue Ribbon Sushi, 119 Sullivan Street, West Village +1 212 343 0404 (see map)
With an extensive menu that includes more delicious dishes than you could ever ask for, Blue Ribbon is an absolute Japanese delight. Their selection of Pacific and Atlantic ocean sashimi sea creatures are not to be missed, but be sure to pick at least a couple of items from each section of the menu (including the cold sake) – just in case you can’t get a table the next time you want to go back.
Kingswood, 121 West 10th Street, West Village +1 212 645 0018 (see map)
What started out as an all-Aussie invasion on the West Village has now settled into many a persons favourite NYC restaurant.
While the classics on the menu have remained, the burger, Goan fish curry, roast chicken, and mussels, there is a constant focus on seasonal produce and new additions every week. The noisy hall-like feel still exists and and bookings are required most nights to guarantee a table. The once notorious Baddies Bar downstairs is now being transformed into a more civilized, cozy wine bar.
The Spotted Pig, 314 West 11th St, West Village +1 212 620 0393 (see map)
A cool west village gastro-pub (with a Michelin star) opened by April Bloomfield, Ken Friedman and Mario Batali. The Roquefort burger has attracted much fame, and with good reason. You’ll see a few pass by as you hover over the menu; don’t be daunted by the size of the tangle of french fries and decide to share one – it’ll be a decision you end up regretting. The same rule applies to the banoffee pie when it comes time for dessert. A great afternoon/early evening hangout.
Gramercy Tavern, 42 East 20th Street, Gramery Park +1 212 477 0777 (see map)
In a white table cloth kind of mood? Or feeling like something a bit more relaxed but with excellent food? Gramercy Tavern has the choice of both. A sophisticated restaurant with the magic touch (that being the food) created by former Blue Hill chef Michael Anthony. Tavern menu in the Tavern, of course, and lunch a la carte, lunch tasting, dinner a la carte and dinner tasting menus in the dining room. Take your pick.
Babbo, 110 Waverly Pl # A, Greenwich Village +1 212 777 0303 (see map)
When Mario Batali opened Babbo in 1998, the immediate acclaim made it stupidly hard to get a table. Nearly a decade and a half later, the situation isn’t much different, so try and book a month ahead if you want to play it safe. Fancy-pants Italian food in a beautiful split level dining room with a fantastic wine list and even better service. The pasta here is rather epic; overload on it with the pasta tasting menu or just stick to the antipasti, primi, and secondi selections; all of it will deliver a dance party in your mouth of sizeable proportions.
Supper, 156 East 2nd Street, East Village +1 212 477 7600 (see map)
A Northern Italian osteria and the third of Frank Prisinzano’s NYC Italian joints. Just like at Frank and Lil Frankie’s, also located in the East Village, Supper is crowded yet cozy, with dim chandelier lighting, cool decor and a wine and pasta list as impressive as it is inexpensive. If you’re waiting for a table or find yourself really not wanting to part ways with the alluring atmosphere after the cheque has come and gone, have a drink at their adjoining wine bar Sugo.
ABC Kitchen, 35 East 18th Street, Union Square/Flatiron District (around the corner from ABC Carpet & Home) + 212 475 5829 (see map)
Tucked behind ABC Carpet & Home in a beautiful white walled warehouse space, this organic and eco-friendly restaurant is the handywork of head chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, restaurateur Phil Suarez and of course, ABC Carpet. Vongerichten’s locally sourced, sustainable, fully organic dishes are a clever combination of home cooked comfort and elegant sophistication, and with the addition of all the other elements they’ve gotten so right, let’s just say you don’t want to miss out on this one.
Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 1st Avenue, East Village +1 212 777 7773 (see map)
The first of the four NYC Momofuku restaurants, the noodle bar is one of the East Village’s (and the rest of new York’s) most popular go-to dinner spots. Hence, it’s not uncommon to wait half an hour for a table. Momofuku ramen and pork buns are pretty much the only four words you need to be familiar with prior to stepping inside. Open till 2am Fridays and Saturdays.
Minetta Tavern, 113 MacDougal Street, West Village +1 212 475 5000 (see map)
Home of the infamous Black Label burger, Minetta has been in NYC longer than your Grandma. Since 1937 it has been rubbing its cool bistro vibe onto the likes of Ernest Hemingway, E.E Cummings and other poets and writers, and serving up good American grub in an environment that mixes the best aesthetics of Paris and New York restaurants together.
La Esquina, 106 Kenmare Street, Nolita +1 646 613 1333 (see map)
With three separate eating spaces, NYC’s coolest Mexican joint could see you through from breakfast right up until the very late hours of the night. The street level taqueria has a small breakfast menu, then serves up tacos, burritos and mixed plates until 2am. The casual cafe next door has brunch, lunch, and dinner options, but it’s the dark, downstairs brasserie where all the action/fun happens (usually as a result of the frozen margaritas – watch out). Make sure you reserve a table, otherwise it’s harder to get down those stairs than through the door of a member’s bar.
Torrisi Italian Specialties, 250 Mulberry Street, SoHo +1 212 965 0955 (see map)
Deli by day, restaurant by night. Make no mistake, if it’s the turkey crammed hero sandwiches or chicken parmigana you’re stopping by for, these are only served up at lunchtime – from 6pm Torrisi sheds its skin and becomes something else entirely. The long queue of people that you’ll see from about 5.30 onwards are in fact, having now digested their turkey heros and chicken parm, lining up for a 5 course dinner consisting of 2 antipasti plates, pasta, a main, and dessert. A daily changing menu and a price-tag of only $50, this will become your new local.
Chinatown Brasserie, 380 Lafayette Street, NoHo +1 212 533 7000 (see map)
For brunch, lunch, or dinner, this is some of the tastiest chinese food you’ll find in the city. If you’re dining during the day the umbrella shaded tables outside are a nice escape from the dining room. And the best thing if you don’t like the hustle and bustle of Chinatown? It’s not even in Chinatown.
Prune, 54 East 1st Street, East Village +1 212 677 6221 (see map)
Over the past decade and a bit, Gemma Hamilton has received various awards in excellence for her ‘American’ eatery, despite the multicultural flare you’ll see throughout the brunch, lunch and dinner menus. And the variation across those 3 means this is a restaurant you can, and will, return to again and again. Excellent produce, perfectly executed into creative, delicious food that delivers all the comfort of your mamma’s cooking.
Porchetta, 110 East 7th Street, East Village +1 212 777 2151 (see map)
Porchétta [por'ketta] n. roasted pork with crispy skin, highly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, garlic, sage, rosemary and wild fennel pollen. Um… need we say more? Sara Jenkins and Matt Lindemulder’s mouth-watering aforementioned description of their main product at Porchetta is enough to get you down there immediately. But on the side they also offer chicory salad, soup, green beans, and potatoes with burnt ends. Yep, burnt ends are little fried, chewy, juicy, delectable bits of pork. What are you waiting for?
Le Bernardin, 155 West 51st St, Upper West Side +1 212 554 1515 (see map)
If you want a good ‘fancy’ meal in NYC, and we mean a really good one, save your pennies for Le Bernardin. The dinner menu is divided up into three sections; Almost Raw, Barely Touched, and Lightly Cooked, and a choice of one from each plus dessert will set you back $120. Like at any fine 3-star restaurant, the 8 course Chef’s tasting menu with wine pairing comes in much higher at $330, but unlike any fine 3-star restaurant, this one is completely flawless.
Wallsé, 344 West 11th Street, West Village +1 212 352 2300 (see map)
Fresh, light, and delicate aren’t words you’d usually pair with your ideas of Austrian food, but this is exactly what you’ll find at this West Village gem. It’s not just the food that makes this place, the dining room is bright and airy with a buzzing, yet subtle atmosphere, and the walls boast a private collection of artist/filmmaker Julian Schnabel as well as other pieces by Albert Oehlen, Martin Kippenberger, Alejandro Garmendia, and Dennis Hopper.
Porsena, 21 East 7th Street, East Village +1 212 228 4923 (see map)
Sara Jenkins of Porchetta (and why wouldn’t you trust her after trying the roast pork sandwich) has placed more energy into perfecting one item as the basis of her restaurant; and this time it’s pasta. If you eating love pasta, and who doesn’t (let’s be honest, it’s practically like curling back up inside the womb with your thumb in your mouth) then you need to visit Porsena. Like any good Italian trattoria, roast chicken, market fish, a pork chop, and cured meats are on offer too, so you might just need to have antipasti and secondi on either side of your primi.
Joseph Leonard, 170 Waverly Place, West Village +1 646 429 8383 (see map)
Gabriel Stulman’s third NYC joint is just as darn cute and cozy on the inside as it looks from the street. At lunchtime don’t go past the Joseph Leonard Burger (utilize the jar of pickles on your table with this please), and for dinner the chicken liver mousse followed by the crispy pork hock will leave you ready to pass on to the afterlife. Great vibe, great cocktails, great service – an outstanding little New York eatery.
Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle # 6 +1 212 823 9335 (see map)
Currently positioned as the 10th best restaurant in the world, Per Se is as you would expect, not cheap. An ‘urban interpretation’ of Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in California, they create two different tasting courses every single day, a chef’s tasting, and vegetarian tasting. This excluded wine, is priced at $295. You also have the option of ‘salon’ a la carte menu. If you’re not just a foodie, but a fine food foodie, make a visit to Per Se – you might just never get the chance to visit the other 9 that hover below it.
Maloney and Porcelli, 37 East 50th Street, Midtown East +1 212 750 2233 (see map)
Voted as the best business lunch spot in New York City, but if you don’t like to mix the words business and lunch together, or with your food at all, you’ll still like this place. Yes, you might see more suits than stilettos, but the slow cooked pork shank with crackling and ‘fire-cracker’ apple sauce is pretty out of this world. A vital point which we don’t stress very often: share ONE portion between two. M&P are up there amongst the best NYC steakhouses too.
Pho Bang, 157 Mott Street, Little Italy +1 212 966 3797 (see map)
Cheap and consistent Vietnamese food. This is a go-to place if you want a quick, comforting dinner where you know it’s gonna be good, every time. If you need a little extra warming in the winter, opt for the Com Tay Câm, a Vietnamese rice dish served in a clay pot. Otherwise the spring rolls and all the phos are winners.
Nica Trattoria, 354 East 84th Street, Upper East Side +1 212 472 5040 (see map)
If you find yourself on the Upper East Side searching for a quality restaurant that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, find your way to Nica Trattoria, a neighbourhood favourite with fresh Sicilian dishes, including some mind-blowing gnocchi, that you won’t be forgetting in a hurry. The host, Giuseppe Nicolosi, will make you feel like you’re coming home, even if you’re a foreigner to this land.
The Breslin, 16 West 29th Street, Midtown West +1 212 679 1939 (see map)
From Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield, the duo who brought you The Spotted Pig, so you know it’s good. The Breslin adjoins the Ace Hotel, a buzzing gastro-pub style restaurant with two cool bars and large dining room. The bar can get a little noisy, but the acoustics settle down under the low ceilings once you are taken to the table. If it’s a long wait (no bookings here) grab a dozen oysters at Bloomfield’s other Ace Hotel establishment, The John Dory.
