NYC Restaurant Guide

I’ve eaten my share of good food in this city. You could say I’m a little obsessed. Here is a list of some of my faves. Asterisks (*) indicate ones I’m particularly obsessed with.

Top Ten

  1. Juliana’s: it’s in Brooklyn but we think it’s the best in the city; get the No 1 Special pizza, Patsy’s favorite

  2. Jacob’s Pickles: amazing Southern food

  3. Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien: weekend brunch is a big deal in NYC and this is THE best; get the WazZa or the crispy french toast (kind of spendy)

  4. Joe’s Shanghai: hole in the wall place in Chinatown, best soup dumplings in the city

  5. Panna II: wonderful Indian food, eat under chili pepper lights and Christmas lights

  6. Wafels and Dinges: great waffle truck by Lincoln Center and base of Brooklyn Bridge, get anything with Spekulos

  7. Chelsea Market: lots of great restaurants and shops, we love Budhakan, Rana, Sarabeth’s

  8. Shalel Lounge: delicious homemade Mediterranean food, really fun vibe

  9. Eataly: restaurants and market with imported foods from Europe

  10. Bare Burger or Shake Shack: NYC burger chains: Bare Burger is really fresh and has really unique meats like bison or ostrich; Shake Shack is iconic, we love going to Madison Square Park location

American

  1. Digg Inn

  2. Gramercy Tavern*

  3. Gray’s Papaya

  4. Katz’s Deli

  5. Landmarc at Columbus Circle

  6. The Smith

Asian

  1. Buddakan*

  2. Haru Shushi*

  3. Joe’s Shanghai

  4. Ninja New York

  5. Num Pang

  6. Pig & Khao

  7. Sushi of Gari

  8. Xi’an Famous Foods

Bagels

  1. Absolute Bagel

  2. Murray’s*

  3. H&H

  4. Pick-a-bagel

Bakery

  1. Alice Tea Cup

  2. Amy’s Bread

  3. Beard Pappa’s

  4. Billy’s Bakery*

  5. Birdbath

  6. Bread’s Bakery

  7. Butter Lane

  8. Carlo’s

  9. Chicalicious

  10. City Bakery

  11. Crepe’s on Columbus

  12. Empire Cake*

  13. Dominique Ansel

  14. Four & Twenty Blackbirds

  15. Georgetown Bakery*

  16. Glaser’s

  17. Insomnia Cookie

  18. Junior’s

  19. Laduree*

  20. Lady M Cake

  21. Le Pain

  22. Levain Cookies

  23. Magnolia Bakery

  24. Milk & Cookies

  25. Molly’s Cupcakes

  26. Momofuku Milk Bar*

  27. Orwasher’s

  28. Pasticceria Bruno’s

  29. Sugarsweet Sunshine*

BBQ

  1. Blue Smoke

  2. Dinosaur BBQ

  3. Hill Country

  4. Mighty Quinn’s*

Brunch

  1. Bubby’s

  2. Buttermilk Channel

  3. Clinton St Bakery

  4. Community Food & Juice

  5. Friend of a Farmer

  6. Good Enough to Eat

  7. Jack’s Wife Frieda

  8. Jacob’s Pickles*

  9. Norma’s*

  10. Pies N’ Thighs

Burgers

  1. Big Daddy’s

  2. Bill’s

  3. Black Tap

  4. Burger Joint

  5. Emily*

  6. Five Napkin Burger

  7. Lucky Burger

  8. Shake Shack

  9. Spotted Pig

  10. Stanton Social

  11. Quality Meats

Chocolate

  1. Godiva

  2. Jacques Torres

  3. Lindt

  4. Mast Brothers

  5. Max Brenner’s

  6. Fine & Raw

  7. Neuhaus*

Donuts

  1. Donut Pub

  2. Dough

  3. Doughnuttery

  4. Doughnut Plant*

  5. Peter Pan

French

  1. Balthazar

  2. Eleven Madison Park

  3. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare*

  4. Nougotine

Ice Cream

  1. 16 Handles

  2. Ample Hills*

  3. Big Gay Ice Cream

  4. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

  5. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

  6. Emack & Bolio’s

  7. GROM

  8. Rice to Riches (rice pudding)

Indian

  1. Angaan*

  2. Awadh

  3. Baluchi’s

  4. Junoon

  5. Panna II

Italian

  1. Bar Pitti*

  2. Carmine’s

  3. Eataly

Latin

  1. Cafe Frida

  2. Calle Ocho

  3. Dos Camino’s

  4. Dos Torros

  5. Pio Pio*

  6. Taco Mix

  7. Flor De Mayo

  8. Rosa Mexicana

Pizza

  1. Emily*

  2. Grimaldi’s

  3. Juliana’s*

  4. Little Italy Pizza

  5. Lombardi’s

  6. Lucali

  7. Patsy’s

  8. Roberta’s

  9. Speedy Romeo’s

Ramen

  1. Jin Ramen*

  2. Nauruto Ramen

Thai

  1. Land Thai

  2. Pure Thai

  3. Thai Market*