The New York Restaurants We Loved in June

If you find yourself near Prospect Park…

… or the Brooklyn Museum, or Brooklyn Botanical Garden this summer, I can’t stress enough how lovely a pit stop to Cafe Mado can be. It’s a pitch-perfect embodiment of everything you want in an all-day café: strong coffee, great pastries from Laurel Bakery, refreshing cocktails, and best of all, some really incredible food.

Stopping by for an early evening meal was a great way to wind up my day, starting with their take on a pissaladière (so good) before making my way through most of the menu. Everything we ordered was great but if you happen to see sungold tomatoes on the menu, well, you know what to do. And definitely try the Grand Fir, a zero-proof cocktail that tastes exactly like how beverage director Piper Kristensen describes it: a Nordic Sprite. Just what we all need on those hot summer days.

— Deanna Ting, New York & Philadelphia Editor, Resy Editorial

Like many East coast kids…

… I am a diner aficionado. Diners bring me the utmost joy, and Montague Diner brought out all the best feels. This diner is perfect — they have the hits and also the range. My friend got her go-to tuna melt and I had my usual ham and cheese omelet. I will be back for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. See ya soon!

— Tess Gostfrand, Senior Travel Lifestyle Services Manager

My life has immensely improved…

… since Little Honey has opened in the neighborhood. The baked goods they offer in the mornings are some of the bests in the city. I love to pick up a fluffy biscuit and coffee on my way to work. At night, you can’t go wrong with any of their pizzas and a glass of wine. They use Farmer Ground stoneground flour for the pizza dough, so the crust is 10/10.

Pro tip: Get yourself one (or a few) of their delicious rye chocolate chip cookies.

— Sarah Slaton, Product Designer

As one of my favorite restaurants in New York…

… it was a huge bummer when both the Chinatown and Bushwick locations of Mission Chinese Food closed during COVID. Thankfully, the Mission Chinese Food pop-up at Cha Kee delivered a nostalgia meal, and it was exactly as I remembered it!

Highlights included the smashed cucumbers, Jacky’s spicy Sprite noodles, the Chongqing chicken wings, kung pao pastrami, and the thrice-cooked bacon and rice cakes.

— Seamus Ralph, Senior Revenue Operations Manager

For a no-frills sushi spot…

… focused on sustainable ingredients, head to Rosella. The menu was interesting, unique, and incredibly delicious. We started off with the punchy ceviche, followed by the prawn laksa and a few sushi rolls. My favorite dish of the night was the fatty tuna and kimchi roll — the combination between the rich tuna and the zesty acidic kimchi was very special.

Pro tip: Walk in and sit at the bar, or go to their more premium omakase restaurant, Bar Miller, for a more elevated experience.

— Natalie Weil, Experiential Marketing

My Resy colleagues and I snagged a table…

… at Razza in Jersey City and my God, it was an incredible meal. We got the kale Caesar and what seemed like every pizza on the menu. Highlights were: the burrata pizza with crushed tomato and fresh garlic and basil; yellow margherita, which had the feel of a white pizza with yellow tomatoes; and the funghi pizza.

All of the food was so fresh and the staff told us a lot of it was locally sourced. And while the pizza was amazing, I have to give a special shoutout to the butter tasting — different types of butter locally sourced from farms around the Hudson Valley and Pennsylvania. I’ve never had butter like this before — one was blue cheese-infused and one was basically brie, but better? I don’t even know how to explain it. Just take my word for it, and go.

— Liora Fishman, Senior Email Marketing Manager

On a perfect summer day…

… a few of us at Resy indulged ourselves in a very pizza-heavy meal at Razza after work. Out of the five pies total we had, the yellow margherita, burrata, and funghi were to die for! For non-pizza dishes, the kale Caesar and meatballs with ricotta were delicious.

— Felicity Lin, Senior B2B Marketing Analyst

I adored my meal…

… at Penny! The service is wonderful, the room is sexy, and the shrimp cocktail is unreasonably good. Walk-in early with a friend or date for a perfect summer bite! But not ready for the night to end, we enjoyed dinner at another spot nearby …

Cue Bar Birba, a perfect little neighborhood wine bar. It sits across the street from another favorite spot by the same owners, For All Things Good. Just before the kitchen closed, we managed to sneak in a delicious primavera pizza topped with potato and zucchini, and a couple glasses of natural wine. I look forward to coming back to try more of the menu!

— Isabelle Andrews, Director of Technical Product

I hopped on the B44…

… and was transported to a magical vegan place with the most delicious chicken sandwich ever. It wasn’t a dream, it was Aunts et Uncles, and I can’t wait to go back. The vibe in there is it. Everyone’s food looked amazing — I coveted a hearts of palm lobster roll and the wildflower salad, but I did not share a single bite of the “so simple chicken samich.”

— Tess Gostfrand, Senior Travel Lifestyle Services Manager

I immediately nabbed a Resy when…

… I heard that Frenchette and Suerte were collaborating on a special menu for Cinco de Mayo. We opted for the lunch seating, which ended up being quite the feast. It kicked off with a delightful pastry basket of conchas and savory croissants, followed by Frenchette’s signature oysters and sausage, a zucchini blossom quesadilla, and a dreamy French toast that I’m still thinking about. Onto entrées (yes, that was just the beginning), where we shared the barbacoa omelet and merguez chilaquiles. The collab’ was such a fun, creative way to see the two restaurants come together.

— Alex Johnson, Senior Marketing Manager

Here’s to a true gem…

Swoony’s is the type of restaurant that everyone wants in their neighborhood. The space is cozy and inviting, and the servers were so kind and attentive. Most importantly, the food was delicious! I loved everything we ordered, but the standouts were definitely the Swoony’s burger and short rib au poivre. The cocktail list was also so special — the Melon Bliss cocktail is exactly what I want to be drinking all summer long. Make sure to save room for dessert because the French toast with walnuts and Ken’s maple syrup is an absolute must-try!

— Melissa Linder, Strategic Partnerships Analyst

Had an absolutely incredible meal…

… at Wenwen. What we ate: the BDSM chicken, pork terrine, pea shoots with tofu skins, lo ba beng, and the fried tangyuan with ice cream for dessert. Every dish was so special with different flavor profiles.

Pro tip: Get an early reservation! The BDSM chicken is a must have, but they only make five per night, and they generally sell out within the first hour. (We sat at 5:30 p.m. and we got the last one!) .

— Jessica DeGeorge, Restaurant Success Manager

Bookmark this one for outdoor dining…

Anton’s was so approachable and lovely. We tried a few dishes — the starter special, which was a dilly crab salad stuffed into a pepper, shrimp spaghetti à la Camille, and the halibut. Everything was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The standout for me was the Liliko’i margarita — so balanced and not overly sweet from the passionfruit. I highly suggest sitting outside on a summer day and can’t wait to go back and enjoy the cozy bar in the winter.

— Alissa Vitiello, Senior Account Associate

For a great vibe on a Saturday night…

… head to Anton’s, especially for outdoor dining, which I highly recommend during this time of year. It’s a great location (West Village) with great food: Between the four of us, we ordered the roasted clams and arugula salad to start, before getting into some pastas (highly recommend some) — we ordered the angel hair francese and the shrimp spaghetti. We finished off with the warm apple crisp, which was delicious.

Pro tip: Head over to Dante for a nightcap, right down the street.

— Erika Greengarten, Restaurant Success Manager

Go for a fun date night…

… or try everything on the menu with friends at Reyna, a roomy tapas restaurant with high ceilings and comfortable seating. My favorites were the lamb baklava (a heavenly combination of three of my favorites: lamb shank, kataifi, and pistachio, though, heads up, it is neither baklava nor dessert!) and the Manchego and cauliflower croquettes, which were subtlety crunchy on the outside and warm, soft, and cheesy on the inside.

Both dishes were showstoppers, but the real rock stars of the restaurant were the staff. They were very attentive, helpful, and kind while making sure service was timed perfectly. Their cocktails selection is also impressive but if you are lucky, you might get to try restaurant manager Amy’s favorite: espresso martini with mezcal!

— Ferhat Ozduran, Director of Mobile Engineering

TBH, every dish was great…

… at Forsythia. It was hard to choose a fave. The agnolotti (this time with short rib) is a staple and always so delicious. We also loved the tonnarelli alla gricia. The vignarlo (fava beans, English peas, guanciale, ricotta salata) was so fresh in the hot weather, and I really appreciated the guanciale in the dish. The fluke crudo was great, too!

— Liz Vakil, Chief Product Officer

For as long as I can remember…

… I’ve loved The Boil on Waverly in New York. But when I moved to New Jersey, it was too far for frequent visits. But we recently found out they have a location in Jersey City and were truly overjoyed. It’s one of my absolute favorite meals — a big bag of garlicky, buttery shrimp and crawfish with corn and potatoes strewn about.

Then, the Pro tip of all Pro tips: Get the sausage on the side and dump it right into the bag and mix it all up. While they give you gloves and bibs, you should plan to get messy, but that’s half the fun.

— Jamie Goldstein, Resy Strategic Partnerships

It felt like a cross between Japan and Tulum…

I loved the ambiance and vibe of Corima. The service was really great — we had a few dietary restrictions in my group and they were really helpful about accommodating, despite their small menu. All of the food was delicious, with the highlight being a rice cracker with guacamole and beef carpaccio. I also tried sotol for the first time, a bright and grassy alternative to tequila and mezcal!

— Richa Mehra, Consumer Product Manager

I often go to…

… Colonia Verde for their cocktails, and the Un Verano Sin Ti (sotol, lime-strength pineapple juice, mandarin orange liqueur, and passionfruit) blew me away, but be careful, it’s quite strong! They also have one of the best selections of wines and tequilas, and the staff go above and beyond to make sure your dining experience is memorable. On the food front, the crispy pork belly in salsa verde was the standout for me (Pro tip: get a side of fresh tortillas for it).

— Lysandra Whitlow, Technical Project Manager

It was my birthday, so…

… you know we were at Atoboy! I am familiar enough with Atoboy at this point that I get equally pumped for every course. First of all, can we get some commotion for the kimchi? Those veggies could steal the show! I typically start with beef tartare — this time they had sweet shrimp (love) — and then double meat: fried chicken and a bonus item. Don’t skip dessert or wait too long to go back!

— Tess Gostfrand, Senior Travel Lifestyle Services Manager

10/10 would recommend for your next group dinner…

We had a team dinner at Thai Diner this past month and had the opportunity to try their large format family meal prix-fixe. Every single thing we had was so good (the snapper is a MUST), the portions were generous, and the hospitality was gracious and welcoming.

— Gina Chun, Senior Technical Product Manager

Sitting outside at…

… L’Americana (a semi new restaurant on Irving in Gramercy that replaced Café Salmugundi) was perfect for a warm, late spring night and excellent people-watching. The drink menu is extensive and the food menu much smaller, but every bite was great! From the pastas to the cheeses, you can’t go wrong (we loved the gnocchi and lasagna, alongside the spumoni cocktail).

— Lindsey Block, Product Designer

This one brings a bit of Brooklyn’s finest…

… to the town of Sag Harbor. Sag Harbor Tavern (from the Red Hook Tavern team) has a lovely ambiance and outdoor area right across from the docks. The menu has all of the classics with a couple of fun additions you can only get at this location. If you’re a first-timer, these are the musts: the croquettes, wedge, mussels, and the burger, of course.

— Will Stern, Senior Product Partnerships & Business Development Manager

Korean food has been having its moment…

… in New York for quite some time, but the combination of flavor and spice at Hojokban make it a must-visit for anyone in town. While every dish we tried was exceptional, the sous vide short rib was a standout. Both fatty and flavorful, the sweetness of the glaze combined with the heat of the pepper garnish and the crispness of the fresh scallion slivers make it a perfectly balanced dish.

— Patrick Schepis, Acting Head of Strategy & Operations Director

I hadn’t been to…

… Bangkok Supper Club since last fall when they first opened, but I’m so glad I made a return visit. I didn’t think I could like the restaurant more than I already did, but this second meal was even better than the first.

Chef Max Wittawat’s cooking and mastery of Thai flavors and techniques is sublime — so sneakily good. I couldn’t get enough of the beef tongue, pork jowl, or branzino once again, and the beef tartare and fish curry were really outstanding. The showstopper, though, was the pandan coconut dessert, an inventive play on Thai steamed coconut pudding. Served inside a coconut, it tastes exactly like khanom tuay, but with the addition of the lightest pandan chiffon cake and tiny chunks of fresh coconut flesh that go together perfectly with the salted coconut cream. I’d gladly go back again just for that dessert.

— Deanna Ting, New York & Philadelphia Editor, Resy Editorial

For a very reasonably priced omakase…

… near Washington Square Park, Kazumi is your spot. They’ve got friendly staff, a good selection of sake, and very fresh cuts of fish. Make sure to ask about any of the chef specials. I got the nodoguro, which wasn’t part of the omakase menu, and am very glad I did.

— Paul Collins, VP of Core Engineering

I made my way back to the one and only…

… Atomix a year and a half after my last visit, but this time, for the bar tasting with cocktail pairing. If you know me, I’m all about hot takes (and I’ll catch the heat), and this time, I’m here to say that the bar tasting is better than the main dining experience. Personal preference, absolutely, but hear me out: It’s a much more intimate dining experience with only six seats and is by no means quiet or stuffy. It’s actually far from that.

Chef Kevin and the whole team were warm and conversational throughout, landing jokes throughout the course presentations. Every drink was crafted in front of you, each one more creative and colorful than the previous. My favorites playfully combined various Korean teas with spirits, including a toasted rice tea with sherry and Korean soju.

Each of the nine courses felt like a work of art, both in presentation and in taste. I’m still thinking of everything that was served to us: red shrimp with Korean pear, walnut egg jjim with morel mushrooms and guanciale, Maine lobster with foie gras, A5 Wagyu in a mushroom dashi with abalone, and mushroom rice with lamb and Korean curry, just to name a few. Every restaurant in the NA:EUN Hospitality group is unique on its own, but the comfort in the service they provide and the excitement in the food they serve are always the same. I can’t wait to go back.

— Charles Zhao, Director of Restaurant Product