KEY2 Pick
Best restaurants in New York
Counters, dining rooms and neighbourhood favourites, chosen for the way they actually eat — not for how loudly they market.
KEY2 Pick
Korean Steakhouse • $$$$
COTE Korean Steakhouse
A Michelin-starred Flatiron room serving USDA prime cuts grilled tableside Korean barbecue style.
Best for: Group Dinner
KEY2 Pick
Fine Dining, Plant-Based • $$$$
Eleven Madison Park
Daniel Humm's plant-based tasting menu overlooking Madison Square Park still carries three Michelin stars.
Best for: Special Occasion / Business Dinner
KEY2 Pick
Deli • $$
Katz's Delicatessen
Take a ticket at the door and don't lose it — the pastrami on rye has been the city's benchmark since 1888.
Best for: Casual / Late Night
KEY2 Pick
Seafood, Fine Dining • $$$$
Le Bernardin
Eric Ripert's three-Michelin-star seafood room remains the city's most disciplined tasting menu.
Best for: Special Occasion / Business Dinner
KEY2 Pick
KEY2 Pick
Steakhouse • $$$$
Peter Luger Steak House
The 1887 Williamsburg institution still serves porterhouse for two off a dry-aged program nobody's matched.
Best for: Special Occasion / Steak Lovers
KEY2 Pick
Appetizing Shop • $$
Russ & Daughters
A fourth-generation Lower East Side appetizing shop where the smoked salmon and bagels are non-negotiable.
Best for: Brunch / Casual
Steakhouse • $$$$
4 Charles Prime Rib
An unmarked, reservation-only West Village prime rib room, one of the toughest tables in the city to book.
Best for: Special Occasion
New American • $$$$
Gramercy Tavern
Danny Meyer's flagship pairs a walk-in tavern room with a formal dining room built on hyper-seasonal produce.
Best for: Business Dinner / Special Occasion
Korean • $$$
Jeju Noodle Bar
A West Village Michelin-starred noodle bar built around a rich beef bone broth ramen.
Best for: Casual Dinner
Pizza • $
Joe's Pizza
A fold-and-go slice off Bleecker Street that's been the city's default answer to 'best pizza' for decades.
Best for: Quick Bite / Casual
French Brasserie • $$$
La Grande Boucherie
A Theater District brasserie with a market-hall interior serving steak frites and towering shellfish platters.
Best for: Group Dinner
Mexican, Tacos • $
Los Tacos No. 1
Chelsea Market's line-out-the-door taco counter, adobada and nopal cooked fresh on the griddle.
Best for: Quick Bite / Casual
Vegetarian • $
Superiority Burger
A tiny East Village counter turning out a vegetarian burger good enough to convert dedicated carnivores.
Best for: Quick Bite / Vegetarian
Italian • $$$
Via Carota
A no-reservations West Village trattoria whose insalata verde and cacio e pepe draw a queue every night.
Best for: Casual Dinner
Chinese, Noodles • $
Xi'an Famous Foods
Hand-ripped biang biang noodles and cumin lamb burgers that started as a Flushing food-court stall.
Best for: Quick Bite / Casual
Questions, answered
What are the best restaurants in New York?+
The KEY2 editors' top picks for restaurants in New York are Carbone, COTE Korean Steakhouse, Eleven Madison Park, Katz's Delicatessen, Le Bernardin. Every listing in this guide is individually vetted, with hours, prices and booking links.
Where can I find good-value restaurants in New York?+
For $$-level restaurants in New York, consider Katz's Delicatessen, Russ & Daughters, Joe's Pizza, Los Tacos No. 1.
What are the best restaurants in New York for a special occasion?+
For a splurge, the KEY2 guide recommends Carbone, COTE Korean Steakhouse, Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin. Reserve ahead — the booking link is on each listing.
Do I need to book restaurants in New York in advance?+
The most popular restaurants in New York fill up days or weeks ahead. Every KEY2 listing includes a direct reservation or booking link where one is available.
More New York guides