40 upscale rooms in New York City, editor-picked. occasion rooms in New York City: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All New York City food.
Una Pizza Napoletana ★ 4.8
lower-east-side · 175 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Anthony Mangieri's Orchard Street pizzeria is the editor's neapolitan pie in New York City: 60-second wood-fired bake, twelve-pizza menu, no slices.
Tip: Six covers at the counter, ten tables, reservations open 30 days out and vanish fast. Wednesday is the longest wait.
The Four Horsemen ★ 4.8
williamsburg · 295 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
James Murphy's natural-wine room on Grand Street has set the bar for Williamsburg wine bars in New York City since 2015. At 295 Grand Street.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks ahead on Resy. Counter walk-ins from 17:00; the snack menu runs the whole night.
Rezdôra ★ 4.7
flatiron · 27 East 20th Street, NYC, NY 10003
Chef Stefano Secchi's Flatiron pasta room runs Emilian hand-rolled pastas in New York City: tortellini in brodo, anolini, gramigna. Michelin star since 2022.
Tip: Reservations open 28 days out on Resy. The bar runs walk-ins from 17:30 and serves the same pasta tour.
Attaboy ★ 4.7
lower-east-side · 134 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002
Attaboy on Eldridge has poured bartender-choice cocktails in the Lower East Side, New York City since 2013. No menu, no door bell, ring for entry.
Tip: Ring the unmarked grey door. Order by mood and base spirit; the bar does the rest. Cash, card, no reservations.
The Dead Rabbit ★ 4.7
financial-district · 30 Water Street, New York, NY 10004
Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry's three-floor Financial District bar in New York City sits high in the World's 50 Best list. Order the irish coffee.
Tip: The downstairs Taproom takes walk-ins; the Parlor upstairs needs a booking. Order Irish Coffee at the Taproom counter.
Double Chicken Please ★ 4.7
lower-east-side · 115 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002
Double Chicken Please on Allen Street has run the city's most ambitious flavour-led cocktail program in New York City since 2020. Located in Lower East Side.
Tip: Front Room walk-in; Coop in the back takes reservations on Resy. The Cold Pizza is the showpiece, the Pina Colada the runner-up.
Wildair ★ 4.7
lower-east-side · 142 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Wildair on Orchard Street has poured natural wine in the Lower East Side, New York City since 2015. Twenty pours by the glass, snacks-only menu.
Tip: The hamachi crudo is the cross-glass food order. Wednesday and Thursday are the easy walk-in nights.
Via Carota ★ 4.6
west-village · 51 Grove Street, New York, NY 10014
Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's Grove Street West Village room serves Tuscan-leaning food in New York City. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans italian.
Tip: Walk in at 17:00 sharp for the first seating, or join the list around 20:30 for the second wave.
Estela ★ 4.6
nolita · 47 E. Houston St., New York, NY 10012
Ignacio Mattos's Houston Street Nolita room in New York City runs Mediterranean-leaning small plates. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans new american.
Tip: The counter is first-come; bar tables take walk-ins. Wine list is unusually long for a 60-seat room.
Death & Co ★ 4.6
east-village · 433 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10009
Death & Co on East 6th Street has set the East Village cocktail benchmark in New York City since 2007. Order the oaxaca old fashioned. At 433 East 6th Street.
Tip: Walk-ins only; the door takes names from 18:00. Wait at Hi-Fi next door for the text; it usually runs 90 minutes.
Maison Premiere ★ 4.6
williamsburg · 298 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Maison Premiere on Bedford Avenue has poured absinthe and shucked oysters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City since 2011. James Beard winner 2016.
Tip: Oyster happy hour 16:00-19:00 weekdays is the way in; the garden opens April through November and books weeks ahead.
Ops ★ 4.6
bushwick · 346 Himrod Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237
Ops on Himrod Street pairs naturally leavened wood-fired pizza with Italian natural wines in Bushwick Brooklyn, New York City. Open tue-sun 17:30-23:00.
Tip: Six tables and a counter; reservations open three weeks ahead. The marinara pie with the COS Pithos is the order.
Casa Mono ★ 4.5
gramercy · 52 Irving Pl., New York, NY 10003
Andy Nusser and Mario Batali's Gramercy tapas counter in New York City has held a Michelin star since 2009. Andalusian small plates, deep Spanish wine list.
Tip: Counter seats are easier than the dining room. The next-door Bar Jamon takes walk-ins for the same kitchen.
Bonnie's ★ 4.5
williamsburg · 398 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Calvin Eng's Williamsburg Cantonese American room in New York City runs roast pig, cha siu sui mai and orange-shrimp toast. Open since 2022.
Tip: Walk-ins at the bar from 17:00. The roast pig sells out by 21:00 most nights; pre-order it when you book.
Amor y Amargo ★ 4.5
east-village · 443 E 6th Street, New York, NY 10009
Amor y Amargo on East 6th has poured bitters-forward cocktails in the East Village, New York City since 2011. Order the all-bitters cocktails.
Tip: Tell the bartender you want a base spirit; they build around the bitter. Two drinks is the right ration.
Bemelmans Bar ★ 4.5
upper-east-side · 35 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021
Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel has poured cocktails under Ludwig Bemelmans's Central Park murals in New York City since 1947. Located in Upper East Side.
Tip: Walk-ins after 18:00 carry a $35 minimum per person music charge. Earlier visits skip the charge but miss the piano.
Ten Bells ★ 4.5
lower-east-side · 247 Broome St., New York, NY 10002
Ten Bells on Broome Street has run a natural-wine room in the Lower East Side, New York City since 2008. Chalkboard list, oysters, dim candlelight.
Tip: Walk in at 18:00 to claim a counter seat. Tuesday is one-buck-an-oyster from 18:00-20:00.
Raoul's ★ 4.4
soho · 180 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012
Raoul's has poured Cotes du Rhone and seared steak au poivre on Prince Street in SoHo, New York City since 1975. The bar burger is the off-menu cult order.
Tip: Ten burgers a night, only at the bar, only after 19:30. Get there at 19:00 and put your name down with the bartender.
Grand Central Oyster Bar ★ 4.4
midtown · 89 E 42nd Street, Lower Level, New York, NY 10017
The Grand Central Oyster Bar has poured oysters and clam chowder beneath the Guastavino tiles of New York City's Grand Central Terminal since 1913.
Tip: Sit at the counter facing the open kitchen; the pan roast is theatre when made to order.
Yopparai ★ 4.4
lower-east-side · 49 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002
Yopparai on Clinton Street runs the Lower East Side's most serious sake bar in New York City. 70 by-the-cup sakes, izakaya snacks, 25 covers.
Tip: Sake flights run with three-paragraph notes per pour. Bring patience and a friend who reads.
Shukette ★ 4.4
chelsea · 230 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Ayesha Nurdjaja's Israeli-Mediterranean room on Ninth Avenue runs hearth-baked saluf in Chelsea, New York City. Order the saluf with house labneh and zhoug.
Tip: Weekend brunch runs the saluf with eggs. Walk-ins at the counter from 17:30 every weekday.
Employees Only ★ 4.4
west-village · 510 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
Employees Only on Hudson Street has poured classic cocktails in the West Village, New York City since 2004. White-jacketed bartenders, late kitchen.
Tip: The back dining room runs walk-ins; the front bar fills by 21:00. Order the Ginger Smash and the chicken liver mousse.
Dutch Kills ★ 4.4
long-island-city · 27-24 Jackson Avenue, Queens, NY 11101
Dutch Kills in Long Island City Queens runs Milk & Honey's tradition of bespoke cocktail-making in New York City. Order the dutch kills old fashioned.
Tip: Ring the bell; the door is unmarked. Tell the bartender what you have been drinking lately and let them choose.
Temple Bar ★ 4.4
noho · 332 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012
Temple Bar on Lafayette Street has reopened the 1989 NoHo cocktail room in New York City. The espresso martini revival in 2022 happened largely in this room.
Tip: The bar runs walk-ins from 17:00. Order the espresso martini at the bar, not the tables; the bartender pulls the shot.
Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels ★ 4.4
soho · 249 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013
Compagnie des Vins on Centre Street is the New York City arm of the Paris natural-wine bar. Located in Soho. Open mon-sat 17:30-24:00. At 249 Centre Street.
Tip: Bookings via Resy three weeks out for tables. The bar counter takes walk-ins from 17:30; the seats fill by 18:30.
Hwa Yuan Szechuan ★ 4.3
chinatown · 42 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
Hwa Yuan on East Broadway brought Sichuan cooking to New York City Chinatown in 1968, closed in 1992, and was rebuilt by the founder's family in 2017.
Tip: The cold sesame noodles claim to be the original American version; whether or not you buy that, order them.
El Quijote ★ 4.3
chelsea · 226 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011
El Quijote at the Hotel Chelsea has poured Spanish drinks since 1930 in New York City. Order the spanish gin and tonic. At 226 West 23rd Street.
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins; the dining room needs Resy. The Iberico ham and the gin and tonic on the bar is the pre-dinner combo.
June ★ 4.3
cobble-hill · 231 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
June on Court Street has poured natural wine in Cobble Hill, New York City since 2017. Forty bottles by the glass, snack-and-small-plate menu.
Tip: Industry night is Monday; the room fills with line cooks comparing notes. Tuesday is the calm seat.
Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse ★ 4.2
lower-east-side · 112 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002
Sammy's Roumanian reopened on Stanton Street in 2024 after the Chrystie basement closed in 2021. Romanian-Jewish steakhouse, schmaltz on every table.
Tip: Tables are mixed at long shared boards; book the early seating by phone (646-410-2427) if you want any chance of hearing your tablemate.
Red Rooster Harlem ★ 4.2
harlem · 310 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10027
Marcus Samuelsson's Lenox Avenue Harlem room runs an Afro-Swedish-Southern hybrid menu in New York City. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans soul food.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the room's big draw; bookings essential. Bar walk-ins for a quick supper around 18:00.
Kings County Imperial ★ 4.2
williamsburg · 20 Skillman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Kings County Imperial on Skillman Avenue in Williamsburg runs Chinese American food alongside tea-infused cocktails in New York City. At 20 Skillman Avenue.
Tip: The garden out back is open April to October. The egg roll and the Mai Tai pairing is the editor pick.
Rosella ★ 4.2
east-village · 137 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Rosella's sushi-and-wine room on First Avenue runs an Italian and Japanese list in the East Village, New York City. Open tue-sun 17:30-23:00.
Tip: Counter seats for omakase wine pairings book three weeks out. The sashimi-and-Sancerre walk-in deal is the easy go.
Ear Inn ★ 4.1
soho · 326 Spring St, New York, NY 10013
Ear Inn on Spring Street has poured pints to dockworkers in SoHo, New York City since 1817. The B in BAR fell off in the 1970s and stayed off.
Tip: Sunday afternoon jazz from 14:00. The room is small and loud; the oysters are surprisingly good.
Ardesia ★ 4.1
midtown · 510 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019
Ardesia on West 52nd Street has poured French wines in Hell's Kitchen, New York City since 2010. Twenty pours by the glass, charcuterie boards.
Tip: Post-theatre walk-ins after 22:30 are easy. The Vouvray Le Mont is the under-$20-by-the-glass standout.
Shun Lee Palace ★ 4.0
midtown · 155 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022
Shun Lee Palace has served Cantonese and Hunan food on East 55th Street in New York City since 1971. T.T. Order the beggar's chicken, ordered 24 hours ahead.
Tip: Order the General Tso's the first time as a history lesson; on return visits skip it for the Hunan beef.
Old Town Bar ★ 4.0
union-square · 45 East 18th Street, New York, NY 10003
Old Town Bar near Union Square has poured Bass Ale from a 55-foot mahogany bar in New York City since 1892. Order the bass ale draught. Booking recommended.
Tip: Sit in the upstairs dining room for the burger; the bar is for the draught and the bar food. Cash preferred.
Jimmy's Corner ★ 4.0
midtown · 140 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
Jimmy's Corner near Times Square has poured cheap beer and bourbon to off-Broadway crowds in New York City since 1971. Boxing photos on the walls, jukebox.
Tip: Cash only. The bar takes Bud, Bass and Bourbon orders. Sing along with the jukebox.
Kashkaval Garden ★ 4.0
midtown · 852 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Kashkaval Garden on Ninth Avenue pours Greek and Lebanese wines in Hell's Kitchen, New York City. Located in Midtown. Open daily 16:00-24:00.
Tip: The mixed mezze platter for four feeds five. Greek wine list runs deeper than the small bar suggests; ask the sommelier.
KGB Bar ★ 3.9
east-village · 85 E 4th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003
KGB on East 4th Street runs a Soviet-themed second-floor bar in the East Village, New York City. Free reading series Mondays and Tuesdays, red walls.
Tip: Reading series start at 19:00. Climb to the third-floor speakeasy The Red Room for the bar without the readings.
White Horse Tavern ★ 3.8
west-village · 567 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
White Horse Tavern on Hudson Street has poured Guinness in the West Village, New York City since 1880. Dylan Thomas drank 18 whiskeys here in 1953.
Tip: Sit in the front room; the back is reserved for diners. The burger is the second order after the first pint.