The 12 Best Places to Eat in New York City You Can’t Miss
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Last updated on July 2, 2025
As a foodie, New York City has been at the top of my travel bucket list for years. It is a hub for unbelievably good food with every imaginable cuisine at your fingertips. From street carts, international food, fine dining, pop-ups, diners and mom and pop shops—there is no shortage of fantastic places to eat in New York City.
After 7 years of waiting, my foodie dreams came true! My husband and I spent a week eating in New York City, getting a taste (pun intended) of New York’s incredible dining scene.
If you’re wondering where to eat in New York City for an upcoming trip, check out my list of the 12 best places to eat in New York City.
It includes some of the trendy NYC restaurants, long-standing institutions, a few fine dining restaurants and general top spots to visit for New York classics like bagels and pizza.
There are endless dining options in New York City. So much so that it can feel overwhelming to plan your trip. But this list for the 12 best places to eat in New York City should help you have a delicious, flavor-filled vacation to the Big Apple.
Table of Contents
Things to know about the best places to eat in New York City
Here are a few important things to know about New York City restaurants.
Do you need reservations?
Yes, making reservations for NYC restaurants in advance is a good idea. Mom-and-pop shops (think bagels, pizza, delis, etc) don’t require reservations and typically operate on a first-come-first-serve basis.
However, most top NYC restaurants require reservations, especially for finer dining, Michelin, and trendy NYC restaurants. If you don’t have a reservation, there’s a chance you can get in at the bar. Most restaurants hold one or two tables for walk-ins, but those spots are in high demand and you often have to wait 3 to 4 hours for a table.
🗓️ Every restaurant sets its own schedule for releasing reservations. You can typically make reservations seven to 15 days in advance. Although rare, some restaurants release tables 20 to 30 days in advance.
Almost all NYC restaurants that take reservations work on the Resy.com system. Create a list of the places you want to eat at most, then check their website for their reservation schedule and set an alarm! Reservations at the top NYC restaurants typically get booked within minutes after release. I logged on to my laptop at 8:00 am several mornings to secure a spot.
If you didn’t score a reservation in advance, you can always create a “Resy alert” where you get notified if a reservation opens up on your desired date and time. However, keep an eye on the alerts; they typically book within a minute or two of receiving the email.
How to find the best places to eat in New York City
I’m not a huge fan of “best lists” because they are subjective. Who am I, as a visitor who spent one week in New York to share “the best of” as if I have eaten everywhere?
There are over 48,000 restaurants in the city. Even locals will admit you could never eat everywhere. You’d need decades to try it all and definitively say a place is “the best”. Not to mention, New York City’s food scene is constantly changing. New restaurants are introduced and trendy spots and other institutions eventually close.
Rather than saying this is a definitive “best places to eat in New York City” guide, this is more “20 amazing places to eat in NYC as a first-time visitor” guide.
These aren’t just the touristic NYC restaurants or viral spots from TikTok or Instagram. It’s a list I spent days curating, combining locals’ recommendations, reading blogs, watching videos, and exploring the “best of lists” from renowned publications.
If you want to explore the dining scene further or find more amazing places to eat in New York City for your trip, below are some of the best resources for food in New York City.
As you build your list of where to eat in New York City, keep in mind that the best place for you will depend on your preferences, where you’re staying, and your budget.
NYC restaurants cost
Food and drinks are expensive in New York City. This isn’t a huge surprise considering NYC is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Thankfully, there are amazing NYC restaurants for every budget to visit during your trip.
You can easily spend several hundred dollars per person on a meal at a nice restaurant or $5 on a huge slice of pizza. We were surprised our week of dining out was less than anticipated. We spent more money eating out in San Juan, Puerto Rico, than our week in NYC!
You can make NYC work for any budget, but below are a few pricing expectations to help you plan your trip:
- a glass of wine $15 – $20
- a cocktail $17 – $25
- beer $8 – $12
- slice of pizza $4
- bagel $4 – $6
- mid-range meal out $20 – $35 per person
- upscale meal $100+ per person
Tipping is expected in New York City and is not included in the bill. 20% is customary, but we noticed many cash-out terminals suggested a tip of 25% and even had a button for a 35 to 40%! 😳 However, we tipped between 18% to 20% if we enjoyed the service.
I’ll share pricing expectations for each New York City restaurant on this list with the following icons:
$ – $5 – $20 USD per plate
$$ – $20 – $45 USD per plate
$$$ – $45 – $90 USD per plate
$$$$ – $100 USD + per plate/pre-fixe menu
A * indicates farm-to-table and the restaurant uses local or organic products.
Our list of the 12 best places to eat in NYC
Below you’ll find a map of our NYC restaurant recommendations to help you determine the best places to eat in New York City for your trip. Remember to consider travel time, where you’re staying, reservations and budget in your planning.
Below is more detail on my top 12 picks. Explore the map for additional NYC restaurants.
Tatiana
Google map | Website | Price $$$ | Reservations Required
Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi is arguably the hottest NYC restaurant right now and without a doubt one of the best places to eat in New York City. Voted the #1 restaurant by the New York Times in 2024 and on the top 10 list for virtually all New York restaurant sites, this Afro-Caribbean restaurant celebrates the diversity of New York City’s food scene.
Chef Kwame Onwuachi grew up in the Bronx, a melting pot of cultures. While the menu is deeply rooted in Carribean-afro flavors, it draws inspiration from the varied cuisine in the city he grew up eating.
Reservations are booked within minutes of being released and cancellations rarely happen. If you want to dine here, set a timer to book when the tables open or be prepared to wait several hours right when they open for the first-come seats they have available.
Semma
Google map | Website | Price $$$ | Reservations Required
Semma is a Southern Indian restaurant that recently earned its first Michelin star. Located in the hip West Village, Semma celebrates the diverse flavors, dishes, and cuisine not often showcased in Indian-American restaurants.
We tried several dishes, including the lamb with black cardamom, the kal dosa, spicy prawns, and biryani, before finishing with the most incredible mango dessert. Their cocktails were as flavorful and delicious as the meal. The dishes are intense with flavor without being overly spicy, making it an approachable restaurant for those who may not be familiar with Southern Indian cuisine.
It’s hard to get a spot here, but you can score a table with Resy if you time it right.
Laser Wolf
Google map | Website | Price $$$ | Reservations Required
Our favorite meal of the trip was Laser Wolf. This hip Brooklyn restaurant is one of Chef Michael Solomonov’s new restaurants. This Israeli chef is renowned in Philadelphia but has made his debut in Brooklyn with Laser Wolf and K’far, its more casual sister restaurant downstairs.
Laser Wolf is an outdoor restaurant on the top floor of a boutique hotel overlooking the Manhattan skyline. The views at sunset are incredible!
The menu is a prix fixe. You choose a protein that is served with an endless mezze platter. The mezze platter has the most beautiful selection of pickled veggies and dips, including the best hummus and baba ganoush we’ve ever had!
Brooklyn requires some effort to get to compared to other spots in Manhattan, but it’s well worth it for a meal here. Reservations are required, although it’s not as hard to get a table here as other places on this list.
Jeju Noodle Bar
Google map | Website | Price $$$ | Reservations Required
Jeju Noodle Bar is another West Village hot spot specializing in Ramyeon noodle bowls. Ramyeon is like Korean ramen, with rich broths, instant noodles (that aren’t so instant), and creative toppings. Their meals are warming, flavorful and unique.
Reservations are required to dine here, even their bar seating works on reservations.
Sappe
Google map | Website | Price $$ | Reservations Recommended
Sappe (pronounced Sep) is one of the West Village’s hottest new restaurants. This quaint and quirky Thai restaurant has traditional Thai dishes. This isn’t your typical American-Thai menu though. It has dishes like chicken liver, ox tongue, or pork Ping Yang (skewers) and warming dishes like river prawn curry.
Since this is a hot new spot in West Village, reservations are recommended. However, they do have a few first-come-first-serve seats if you are willing to wait in line or return several hours later for a spot.
Via Carota
Google map | Website | Price $$ | Reservations Required
Via Carota is the trendiest Italian restaurant in the West Village. You’ll find it on list after list as the go-to spot for no-frills Italian food from chefs Rita Sodi (of iSodi around the corner) and Jody Williams. A must-order item is the cacio e pepe, which is revered as the best in the city. Liz got this famous pecorino pepper dish and can vouch, it is as delicious as they say.
We personally enjoyed our meal here, but others enjoyed it more. We’d love to explore other Italian restaurants to compare in the future. You need a reservation to dine here unless you’re willing to wait. We got a table as a walk-in after waiting an hour around 9 pm.
Torrisi
Google map | Website | Price $$$ | Reservations Required
Torrisi is a new Italian restaurant from the chefs and owners of Carbone, one of the most popular Italian-American restaurants in New York City. Their menu has traditional Italian food but with a twist. They use local seasonal ingredients when possible and are able to experiment more with their pasta, seafood, and meat dishes than its sister restaurant Carbone.
This was my top pick for Italian food during our trip, but sadly, I wasn’t able to score a reservation and no Resy cancellations came up for lunch or dinner during our entire week trip. If you want to dine here, make sure you book when reservations open up.
4 Charles Prime Rib
Google map | Website | Price $$$-$$$$ | Reservations Required
4 Charles Prime Rib is an institution in New York City. This dimly lit wood plank wall restaurant gives you all the feels for a classic New York City steakhouse. It’s been one of the best places to eat in New York City for decades and its insanely rich burgers, steaks, potatoes and seafood continue to draw people in night after night.
4 Charles is not cheap, but it will leave you full and happy. Reservations are highly encouraged as this is one of the hardest restaurants in New York City to get into.
Taqueria Ramirez
Google map | Website | Price $ | Does not take reservations, walk-up only
After spending a year and a half traveling across Mexico, our standards for tacos are high. We rarely seek out taco spots because more often than not, we’re disappointed that we’re paying a lot for mediocre tacos. But Taqueria Ramirez in Brooklyn will not disappoint.
His tacos are fresh, authentic and affordable. The menu is small, but that’s to its benefit because each of its offerings is equally delicious. If you want an affordable, delicious meal out, this is the spot to do it.
John’s of Bleecker Street
Google map | Website | Price $$ | Does not take reservations, walk up only
Pizza is one of the dishes New York City is most known for. This classic thin-crust pie is loaded with cheese and baked to perfection. There are hundreds of places to get amazing pizza in New York City, but we went to John’s of Bleecker Street in the West Village and loved every.single.bite.
You cannot order a slice of pizza—whole pizzas only. Expect a line, no matter the day or time. We waited around 40 minutes to get a table, but it was worth it! John’s of Bleecker Street is definitely one of the best places to eat in New York City for great pizza.
Katz Deli
Google map | Website | Price $$ | Does not take reservations, walk up only
Katz Deli is probably the most iconic restaurant on our list of the best places to eat in New York City. Known for their massive pastrami sandwiches, there is always a line to get into Katz Deli. We got asked by every local and friend who has ever visited NYC if we went to Katz—it’s that iconic.
We decided to skip the pastrami sandwich this trip and instead went to another traditional Jewish deli around the block from here. However, we wanted to make sure it was on the list of best places to eat in New York City!
Russ & Daughters Cafe
Google map | Website | Price $$ | Does not take reservations, walk up only
Russ & Daughters is a classic Jewish Deli in the East Village that has been in operation since 1914. The deli, which is to-go only, recently opened a cafe to offer sit-down dining. If you’ve never been to a Jewish deli or classic diner like this, it’s a fun (and delicious) experience.
Russ & Daughters specializes in fish, think noshes, whitefish, smoked salmon, caviar, and loads of other Jewish goodies. We loved everything we got and it was one of our favorite dining experiences on our trip. One thing you shouldn’t miss is an egg cream. It’s a traditional Jewish drink made from milk, syrup and seltzer water.
This spot serves breakfast and lunch only and does not take reservations.
Best NYC Bagels
Once again, I want to emphasize the “best” is subjective. Most locals will tell you their favorite NYC bagels are in their neighborhood and not necessarily the trendy spot.
However, below are a few of the best NYC bagels:
- Zabar’s
- Russ and Daughters
- Popup Bagels
- Sadelle’s
- Best Bagel & Coffee
- Apollo Bagels
There is no way you could ever eat at all of the wonderful restaurants in New York City, especially as a visitor who is there for a few days or weeks. Hopefully, this list of the best places to eat in New York City as a first-time visitor has helped you narrow down where to eat on your trip. While there are dozens more amazing restaurants to enjoy, this certainly will help you have a delicious trip to the city.
