224 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

21 Greenpoint

$$$ | Greenpoint Fodor's choice

Co-owned by Homer Murray (actor Bill Murray's son), this restaurant gained notoriety when it relaunched with a legendary event featuring the older Murray tending bar. But it's worth a visit, with or without Bill, for chef Sean Telo's creative menus that aim to make tasty dishes while sourcing sustainably and reducing food waste; from tempura-coated shishito peppers to wood-fired pizzas, it's always fun to see what he'll come up with. The urban-rustic design (white subway tiles, wooden tables, hanging plants) is equally welcoming for weekend brunch or a romantic dinner by candlelight.

A.L.C. Italian Grocery

$ Fodor's choice

Modeled after an old-school salumeria, and run by the grandson of Bensonhurst’s beloved Italian food importing and distribution business, D. Coluccio & Sons, this specialty grocery stocks everything from cheese, chocolate, salami, imported pasta, sauces, bread, and pizza dough to prepared foods and salads. The memorable Italian heroes and sandwiches include the Pork Ridge (with homemade porchetta, Italian Crucolo cheese, and the spicy, spreadable salami called 'nduja) and the vegetable and ricotta sandwich. There are a few tables up front, but the prime picnic territory of Shore Park is just a short walk away.

Aita

$$ Fodor's choice

Don't let the unassuming air at this intimate restaurant on a leafy, largely residential block fool you: there is some serious cooking going on here. Case in point: any of the house-made pastas (perhaps cavatelli topped with shaved Parmesan and black truffles); bright, seasonal salads (maybe peach, arugula, and goat cheese); or any of the fish or meat main dishes, like lamb chops milanese or roasted chicken.

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al di là Trattoria

$$ | Park Slope Fodor's choice

Roughly translated as "beyond," al di là has been consistently packed since it opened in 1998, and it's easy to understand why: it serves well-prepared Northern Italian dishes in a cozy atmosphere. The warm farro salad with seasonal ingredients and goat cheese is perfectly al dente; the hand-pinched ravioli are delicious; and meatier entrées like braised rabbit, Tuscan tripe stew, and pork loin scallopini with prosciutto are highlights.

Ample Hills Creamery

$ Fodor's choice

Among artisanal ice-cream fans, nobody has earned a more passionate following than Ample Hills, the Prospect Heights creamery started by screenwriter Brian Smith and his wife, Jackie Cuscuna. Their Gowanus branch churns with families and ice-cream aficionados, who pack the second-floor terrace and attend ice-cream-making classes. Favorite flavors are Mexican Hot Chocolate and Salted Crack Caramel.

Aurora

$$ Fodor's choice

Handmade pastas, exceptional antipasti, and wonderful brunch have earned homey Aurora a loyal following. Most ingredients are locally sourced, though the mozzarella and burrata hail from Italy. Ricotta, black truffles, and prosciutto di Parma elevate the eggs Benedict at brunch, when the French toast comes stuffed with apple compote and topped with Amarena cherries. The trattoria's main dining room is inviting enough, but angle for a seat in the enclosed garden (heated in winter), where lush ivy covers the brick walls.

Ba Xuyên

$ Fodor's choice

Head to this nondescript spot at the north end of Chinatown for outstanding bánh mì sandwiches that cost just $5. The No. 1, with several kinds of pork, pickled vegetables, and a mound of cilantro on a baguette that's perfectly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside might very well blow your mind. Order one to go, with an avocado shake, and enjoy lunch alfresco in Sunset Park, just a block away.

Baked

$ | Red Hook Fodor's choice

Original creations like the Brookster (chocolate chip cookie dough baked inside a brownie) and delicious interpretations of whoopie pies, blondies, bars, and cookies keep this sleek bakery and café buzzing. There are breakfast items and a few lunchtime savory selections, too. Buy the cookbook so you can re-create the recipes at home.

Bakeri

$ | Greenpoint Fodor's choice

When Williamsburg's best European-style bakery wanted more space, it opened a Greenpoint outpost and included a rustic communal table, antique finishes, and hand-painted wallpaper. From house-made focaccia to financiers, there are plenty of mouthwatering choices (including vegan and gluten-free options) for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast you can watch the bakers in the open kitchen as you sip your morning coffee and snack on a raspberry pistachio muffin or Norwegian skolebrød. Soups and sandwiches on freshly baked bread are served at lunch.

Blue Bottle Coffee

$ Fodor's choice

Self-described coffee aficionados line up for the espresso and pour-overs at Blue Bottle, which originated in Oakland but feels very much at home in Williamsburg. The former factory building has light streaming in through large windows so the La Marzocco espresso machine seems to shine, and a Kyoto-style iced-coffee dripper, which looks like it belongs in a science lab, is displayed opposite the coffee counter. There's not much seating, so it's best to get your coffee and snack (mmmm, s'mores) to go. Beans are roasted in a vintage Probat roaster in back.

Brancaccio's Food Shop

$ Fodor's choice

In need of picnic supplies, lunch, or a take-home meal? Owner Joe Brancaccio has been feeding the neighborhood with his daily-changing menu of sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and prepared pastas and vegetables since 2010, and the shop just keeps getting busier. There are also house-baked croissants (plain, chocolate, or cheese), imported Italian sodas, and hard-to-find Mexican Coca-Cola (made with cane sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup).

Brooklyn Roasting Company

$ | DUMBO Fodor's choice

Artfully disheveled staffers brew coffee from fair-trade and rain-forest alliance–certified beans, while local gallerists and start-up techies flirt over perfectly poured cortados and other beverages at this East River--adjacent café. The loft-style industrial space is filled with antique roasting equipment and ample seating, and also serves pastries and sandwiches.

Búdin

$ | Greenpoint Fodor's choice

Coffee aficionados head to Greenpoint for Búdin’s $10 latte—it's pricey because it's made with Danish licorice syrup, topped with licorice powder, and served on a silver tray. Come during the day for coffee by the Oslo-based roaster Tim Wendelboe, whose beans are favored by top European chefs, or after hours for wine and Nordic craft beer. The back of the shop is stocked with a rotating selection of Scandinavian-design goods .

Bunna Cafe

$$ | Bushwick Fodor's choice

The best way to sample the diverse flavors of Ethiopian cuisine is by dining at this stellar restaurant that transports you to Addis Ababa through its decor, music, and above all, it's selection of traditional dishes. All dishes are plant-based and full of flavor, which aligns with most authentic fare, including chickpea-based shiro, lentil wot, and a mushroom version of tibs (a stir-fry with meat and vegetables). It's all served with injera, a sourdough flatbread used to scoop up the various stews, with your hands. The drink menu includes traditional t'ej (honey wine), cocktails, and wine and beer from Ethiopia. The namesake bunna—Ethiopian coffee brewed with cardamom and cloves—is worth a try, too.

Cafe Regular

$ | Park Slope Fodor's choice

A charming European atmosphere and a focus on top-quality products like La Colombe coffee, Jacques Torres hot chocolate, and Dona chai (hand-brewed in Brooklyn) make the two tiny locations in Park Slope feel like a special-occasion getaway. Snacks are few but the relatively new red banquettes make it comfy to linger longer. The petite spot at 318a 11th Street is best visited solo.

Colonie

$$$ | Brooklyn Heights Fodor's choice

The key to this restaurant's success lies in its use of ultrafresh ingredients, sourced from local purveyors and presented with style in an upscale, yet casual space that honors its neighborhood's historical roots. A selection of small plates and crostini complement popular main dishes like bison steaks, bone-in pork chops, and homemade pastas. Weekend's offer popular brunch fare including shrimp and grits and "eggs in purgatory" (spicy tomato pomodoro).

Convivium Osteria

$$$ | Park Slope Fodor's choice

The rustic Italian farmhouse decor, Mediterranean wines, and candlelight at this renowned neighborhood restaurant will transport you to another land even before you try the food. The menu is inspired by Italy, with hints of Spain and Portugal, and organic ingredients and naturally raised, free-range meats are used in dishes like braised rabbit or pine nut–crusted rack of lamb. Pastas and baked desserts are made in-house.

Devoción

$ Fodor's choice

At this coffee shop with roots in Bogotá, the beauty of the space is matched by the quality of the coffee, which comes exclusively from small farms in Colombia. Fresh beans are brought directly to Brooklyn, where they're roasted on-site within a few days of arrival. Take a seat on one of the leather sofas under the skylight or at a table in front of the living wall, and enjoy a cappuccino with one of the homemade medialunas or croissants. The stylish space has books, magazines, and even dominoes—perfect for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Di Fara Pizza

$$ Fodor's choice

Brooklyn legend Domenico De Marco has been handcrafting pizzas with top-quality ingredients in this Midwood storefront since 1965, and even the locals wait upward of an hour (and sometimes two) for pizza that's a contender for best in the greater New York area. You can order a slice ($5), but you're better off with a whole pie, because the pizza maker waits until there are enough slice orders to complete a pie. The "classic" is topped with sausage, peppers, mushrooms, and onions ($33), but the "regular" ($29) lets you appreciate the pure goodness. The small, worn space has a handful of tables (no table service), so don't expect anything fancy. For a shorter wait, arrive well before they open at noon.

Dillinger's

$ Fodor's choice

The Soviet-era childhoods of its two owners inspired the food and decor of this casual coffeehouse that has impressed the neighborhood with its Russian-inflected lunch and brunch fare. Popular dishes include the buckwheat-and-kale salad and the avocado toast, both topped with a fried egg if desired. Cheburashka sweetened coffee, named after a character from Russian children's literature, is the signature drink. It's tempting to linger here, either in the sunny front room or, in warm weather, on the large back patio.

Diner

$$ | Williamsburg Fodor's choice

The word "diner" might evoke a greasy spoon, but this trendsetting restaurant under the Williamsburg Bridge is nothing of the sort. Andrew Tarlow—the godfather of Brooklyn's farm-to-table culinary renaissance—opened it in 1999 and launched an entire movement. The restaurant occupies a 1927 dining car, and foodies cram into the booths to partake in eclectic dishes from the regularly changing menu, based on seasonal ingredients from farms in the Greater New York area. They're also known for their grass-fed burger, available year-round.

Fornino

$$ Fodor's choice

The chefs here consider pizza-making both art and science, and their wood-fired creations prove just how deftly they balance the equation. The funghi misti—a white pie with mozzarella, wild mushrooms, and truffle oil—is downright irresistible. It’s no wonder locations in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Greenpoint have joined the original, which is casual in style but gourmet in quality. Check for seasonal specials, like the fig, Gorgonzola, and arugula pizza offered in summer.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds

$ Fodor's choice

Pie, ordered whole or by the slice, is why you come to this rustic flagship of the Elsen sisters' enterprise. The bakers are experts on the topic, having written a definitive book and appeared in basically every food magazine around. The café usually has five or six pies, plus a variety of baked goods.

Glasserie

$$ | Greenpoint Fodor's choice

Its past as a glass factory inspired Glasserie's warm, romantic atmosphere, and details like rare light fixtures and prints of original electric bulbs abound. Owner Sara Conklin spent her childhood in the Middle East, and her experiences there influence the farm-to-table cuisine. Pair the Persian Gold cocktail (a gin and tonic with saffron) with the phyllo pastries, then order a few more small plates to share.

Gorilla Coffee

$ | Park Slope Fodor's choice

This popular Brooklyn-based brand has fueled Park Slope since 2002 with its specially blended roasts and beans from direct-trade and family farms. There's a pour-over menu with the concise descriptions you'd expect on a fine-wine menu. Business is just as brisk as at the now closed original location, but the sleek interior is a 180-degree upgrade. Muffins from nearby Blue Sky Bakery and baked goods from Colson's Patisserie are in good supply. The window seats are prime spots to watch the steady stream of foot traffic. There's free Wi-Fi, but no outlet use.

Hometown Bar-B-Que

$$ | Red Hook Fodor's choice

The smell of barbecue will have your mouth watering even before you get in the door of this cavernous hall, which many say serves the best BBQ around. Head for the counter to order meats by the pound, chicken, sandwiches, tacos, and sides. It's all outrageously good, but the brisket is a must.

Kai Feng Fu Dumpling House

$ Fodor's choice

For unbeatable cheap eats, take a slight detour off 8th Avenue to this small and unassuming restaurant. Its sparse dining room doesn’t offer much in the way of atmosphere, but the four-for-a-dollar pork-and-leek dumplings are a real deal (and delicious). Other deliciously affordable fare includes scallion pancakes, steamed buns, and beef noodle soup. You'd be hard-pressed to spend more than $10 for a filling meal here.

Karczma

$$ | Greenpoint Fodor's choice

Of all the Polish restaurants in this Polish neighborhood, family-run Karczma is the best, so dig in and order the pierogis—fried, not boiled—and one of the Polish, Czech, or German beers served in giant glasses. The farmhouse-style tavern is easygoing and fun, with oversized picnic tables, camping lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and waitresses wearing traditional folk dresses from the mountain region in southern Poland. This restaurant is a great value for the price, so come hungry and prepare to feast.

Krupa Grocery

$$ Fodor's choice

The eponymous small grocery that used to occupy this space has been completely transformed into an intimate restaurant serving inventive fare for brunch (during the week as well as weekends), lunch, and dinner. The daily-changing menu might include anything from breakfast gnocchi to a shrimp po'boy to steak with chimichurri, and snacks like simply prepared seasonal vegetables, homemade charcuterie, or chicken liver pâté. The marble bar in the front room is a convivial spot for drinking or dining, and there are a few tables inside and out.

L&B Spumoni Gardens

$$ Fodor's choice

Brooklynites make summertime pilgrimages to L&B's outdoor garden for squares of Sicilian-style pizza—the crunchy crust has a thin layer of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and just a drizzle of olive oil on top. L&B Spumoni's is three restaurants in one: a pizzeria, an informal Italian restaurant, and an ice-cream shop. The restaurant serves classics like fried calamari, Caesar salad, and marinara, Bolognese, carbonara, and Alfredo pastas. Whatever you come for, don't leave L&B without a scoop of spumoni ice cream.

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