The 2020 Michelin Guide to New York

Le Bernardin has consistently topped New York’s Michelin Guide for the past fourteen years, and it’s in no small part due to chef Eric Ripert. Ripert has stayed wildly ingenious throughout his twenty-five-year tenure as executive chef, and nowhere else will you find sea creatures prepared with such thought and care. Add to that the restaurant’s outstanding service and a wine list curated by master sommelier Aldo Sohm, and toast to Le Bernardin’s three, very well-deserved stars.

Nestled in the back of a Bushwick pizza shop, a two-Michelin-star dining experience awaits. Blanca’s inconspicuous 12-seat tasting counter (pro-tip: hidden behind Roberta’s take-out counter) hasn’t deterred Michelin’s inspectors from falling for chef Carlo Mirarchi’s meticulously prepared 16-course tasting. The chef looks to the seasons for his always-inventive, ever-changing menu, and the result is utterly impressive, with artful plating to boot.

A sleek wooden counter bordered by ten seats is the only setup Eiji Ichimura needs. The yukata-clad master chef serves only 20 patrons at two seatings a night, and that’s because his sushi omakase is one of technique and rigor, with each course building upon the previous, for an all-encompassing look into the flavors of Japan. Layered and seasonal, no two tastings are ever the same, though you can expect Osetra caviar and Hokkaido uni (known Uchū favorites) to grace the menu.

Jean-Georges is no less than chef Vongerichten’s eponymous crown jewel, and a New York icon 20 years in the making. A sumptuous dining room boasting outsized windows and overflowing floral arrangements sets the tone for an unforgettable meal, where Vongerichten flawlessly marries French technique with Asian flavor profiles. And with the addition of a brand-new vegetarian tasting menu, Vongerichten jolts up the expectations of his temple to fine dining.

When the MoMA needed a restaurant to match its masterpieces on display, Danny Meyer answered the call and delivered. The Modern overlooks the sculpture garden, but what arrives on the plate might just steal the show: foie gras tart is glazed with slow-roasted peaches, hand-cut taglioni is topped with Parmesan and shaved white truffles, and beef is crusted in aged Comté. For an even more sensorial experience, book the Kitchen Table at The Modern, and score a front-row seat to it all.

Markus Glocker’s cuisine takes center stage at this elegant Tribeca establishment. The Austrian chef isn’t short on technical prowess, transforming even ordinary bread and butter into something sublime. Precise and beautiful, his plates are best enjoyed with something from the Euro-leaning wine list, where superb Burgundies abound. Pro-tip: bring your own bottle on Monday nights for no corkage fee.

At this NoMad newcomer, jacket-clad waiters weave in and out of the buzzing dining room, presenting exquisite, yet deceptively simple, dishes to a well-heeled crowd. And the wizard behind these French-Italian plates is Per Se alum Jonathan Benno, who hones in on his razor-sharp French technique to extol the flavors of Liguria and Provence: lamb loin reveals a perfect rosy blush, plump agnolotti burst in a mouthful of rabbit confit, and beef tartare finds its long-lost soulmate in jamón Ibérico.

At this bustling Greenwich restaurant, the paragons of red-sauce cuisine shine. Carbone isn’t afraid of celebrating nostalgia: the menu evokes gussied-up nonna fare at its best, waiters perform tableside theatrics (read: Caesar is tossed and turned in front of you), and an alluring dessert tray whizzes high above the room. The whole experience will engulf you: buttery baked clams, shiny-slick rigatoni vodka, and an imposing veal Parmesan are luxurious, iconic delights.

Oaxaca by way of Brooklyn is one way of describing this stellar kitchen. Claro is a Gowanus sensation that combines the complex flavors of Oaxacan cuisine with the mind of a New York chef—in this case, Union Square vet, T.J. Steele—and the kitchen doesn’t cut corners: heirloom Mexican corn is nixtamalized in-house for savory tortillas, a wood oven burns year round for extra smokiness, and memelas and moles are riveting, and best paired with slow sips from the excellent mezcal list.

Leave it to Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske to make the tasting menu of your dreams. This Lower East Side cool-kids destination is a steal, where six courses priced at $89 have a Parisian néo-bistro sheen. The menu is ever-seasonal, with recent highlights running the gamut from a crisp radicchio salad to a tender piece of Ibérico pork resting in mornay. All you need to do is choose between the regular and vegetarian menu, and whether or not you’ll have wine (the answer is yes).

Ignacio Mattos has been tantalizing the Nolita crowds since his flagship’s opening in 2013. Mediterranean-influenced and brilliant, the newly-crowned Estela is a gleaming example of a small plates restaurant, where Mattos’ inventive dishes like the endive salad (dotted with anchovies and walnuts) and ricotta dumplings (topped with paper-thin mushrooms and pecorino sardo) have earned cult followings.

There’s brilliant cooking behind the doors of what appears to be a homey Clinton Hill haunt. Patrons in-the-know flock to The Finch for chef Gabe McMackin’s masterful take on bistro staples, from chicken liver mousse to roasted chicken. But delve further into the menu (with a glass of something from the French-leaning wine list) and you’ll be rewarded with dishes that, unexpectedly, pack a punch: Swiss chard lasagna, little gem lettuce, and crab-laced pappardelle shouldn’t be missed.

The Four Horsemen is the cherished neighborhood restaurant that everyone wished they had, but only Williamsburg does. And though LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy is behind this mainstay—explaining the über-cool patronage and excellent soundtrack—it’s what’s on the menu that has diners returning again and again. Funky glasses of natural wine dot every table (the all-natural list is dizzying), and the locavore plates are worth fighting over. Pro-tip: drop in for lunch for the $32 set menu.

This Manhattan standby has stood the test of time, and kept its Michelin star after its game-changing revamp. And you can thank critically-acclaimed chef Victoria Blamey, whose new and insightful menu leaves behind the classic American dishes of lore for plates that are bold, multicultural, and fresh. Nevertheless, the new Gotham Bar and Grill still retains all of its old-school glamour and charm, making eating here an absolute pleasure time and again.

Considered the city’s quintessential American restaurant, Gramercy Tavern has been satisfying gourmets of all stripes for 25 years. And that’s because this institution pairs Danny Meyer’s unparallelled sense of hospitality with Michael Anthony’s outstanding seasonal cuisine, for a result that is simply phenomenal. Sit in the Tavern for a more casual affair, or book a table at the Dining Room for the all-encompassing experience; either way, you’re in very good hands.

There are simple pleasures in life, and one of them is slurping through a steaming bowl of Jeju Noodle Bar’s ramyun. The Korean slurp shop with a Michelin star (for its second consecutive year) is helmed by chef-owner Douglas Kim (Bouley, Per Se), who makes use of his fine-dining chops to elevate South Korean comfort food to its purest and tastiest form. Expect flavor-rich broths and bouncy noodles, with a bevy of elegant pre-noodle bites.

Walking into L’Appart is like walking into a cool chef’s very stylish digs, where you’re about to attend one of the best dinner parties of the year. This hidden gem, which is tucked within Le District, sure delivers, with chef Nico Abello gathering the best of its surrounding French market goods to create a tasting that’ll have you pining for the Left Bank. You’re in for peppered pommes dauphine, lightly cured scallops, and daurade dressed up in a skin of potato scales.

Get ready to dive into New Zealand’s culinary history: The Musket Room explores the land of kiwis from its Old World traditions mixed with Asian influences, to its modern-day locavore trends. And in a sparse but chic dining room, chef Matt Lambert embarks you on this journey, with a tasting that takes on the shape of a powerful narrative, with courses divvied up between kaimona (seafood), papatùànuku (land), and ranginui (sky).

Whether you’re here for Leo Robitschek’s expertly shaken cocktails, the superb signature roasted chicken (studded with foie gras and black truffles) for two, the glitzy Jacques Garcia-designed space, or the mood, The NoMad remains a New York classic in every way. Unsurprising when you consider the team—the Make It Nice group behind Eleven Madison Park—known for their unrelenting attention to detail.

Prospect Heights now boasts a starry establishment, with the addition of Michelin newcomer Oxalis. The welcoming neighborhood bistro started as one of the best kept secrets in town, where a Daniel and Mirazur vet delivered a delectable carte blanche menu for just $70. Now with a Michelin star in tow, Oxalis is sure to get booked up, but rest assured that chef Nico Russell will be here to delight and dazzle with his exacting French plates.

There’s magic brewing in Greenpoint, and you can find a lot of it at Oxomoco. The Mexican stunner is a taco-slinging joint that’s as lively as it is delicious, where barbacoa steals the spotlight. Slow-cooked over a wooden grill, the lamb is tenderly wrapped in a bona fide corn tortilla, and melts in the mouth. Try any of the other tacos (pork cheek carnitas) aperitivos (charred carrot tamal), platos (grilled branzino in yellow mole), and you’ll understand why this establishment is Michelin-approved.

Some say the purest expression of Tokyo-style sushi can be found at this minimalist wooden counter, hidden in the basement of Mifune, and it’s all thanks to Shion Uino. The young sushi chef trained at Tokyo’s esteemed Sushi Saito (an institution with three Michelin stars to its name), and his experience is evident here. Uino expertly prepares simmered abalone, impossibly creamy uni, and the richest o-toro, all flown straight out of Japan, and his work can be compared to that of a master jeweler.

Opening an omakase restaurant in the heart of Harlem is no small feat, and Sushi Inoue delivers beautifully. Shinichi Inoue helms this stupendous temple to sushi, where no detail is left unattended: soy sauce is made in-house, two different kinds of rice are tailored and matched to the fish, and pickled ginger and grated wasabi get as much attention as the shimmering sashimi. So, book the omakase counter, and let this bona fide expert take it from here.

Training under Jiro Ono is as close to sushi consecration as you can get, and Daisuke Nakazawa checks that box. The chef trained for a decade under the man who stunned the world in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and the apprentice-turned-frontman at his very own New York counter will similarly leave you breathless. Get ready for a twenty-piece omakase done with the utmost care, featuring mature yellowtail, big fin reef squid, and a trio of tuna, upping in both fattiness and creaminess.

With time comes grace, and this old sushi-ya still stands as one of the city’s preeminent sushi destinations. Sushi Yasuda entered the dining scene in 1999, and its reputation has only soared since. Amid a serene space clad in honeyed bamboo, the chefs at Sushi Yasuda prepare a classic omakase for the books, favoring tradition instead of trends, and shaping a crescendo in texture, flavor, and taste that’ll leave your taste buds singing. In one word: iconic, and for good reason.

Nestled deep in the East Village is a restaurant that lays on the umami. Tuome was dreamt up by Thomas Chen, who, fresh out of Eleven Madison Park, invoked his fine-dining training with the flavors of his Asian upbringing. Chinese elements tinge the plates, and the result is quietly thrilling: quail arrives splattered in soy sauce, luscious noodles come slicked with snow crab and dashi butter, and the “pig out for two” is a sight to behold.

This corner fixture has been doling out Austrian cuisine of the highest caliber for nearly 20 years, with lauded chef Kurt Gutenbrunner running the show. “Doorbells, and sleigh bells, and schnitzel with noodles…” Maria Von Trapp sang in The Sound of Music, and if you’re looking for veal cutlets with as much joy-inducing power, look no further than Wallsé. Nostalgic and elegant, the food is a welcome balm to the soul, and be sure to dive into the wine list, with bottles as Viennese as the plates.

Inside this jewel box of a space, magnificent cocktails and seafood go hand-in-hand. ZZ’s Clam Bar is as swanky as they come, ushering no more than twelve lucky diners into its marble-topped tables. From there, the dream team behind Carbone takes it away, concocting some of the best cocktails in town, and plating ethereal yet exuberant seafaring items—we’re talking arctic char crudo paired with trout roe, seared scallops with Sicilian pistachios, and a tuna carpaccio topped with the glitzy three: foie gras, sea urchin, and caviar.