The Resy Guide to the Best Restaurants in New York for Celebrating

With a brightly colored mural by artist Sean Maze and a playlist of Indian pop music, Dhamaka always feels like a party. Chef Chintan Pandya’s team focuses on regional specialties you won’t find elsewhere, like a Rajasthani dish of whole rabbit with yogurt and cloves (do note, however, that this rabbit dish must be ordered in advance). Pro tip: Do not miss the goat neck dum biryani, which is laced with green chiles and black pepper, or the house-made paneer.

Read on for a deep dive into the menu at Dhamaka, as told through the members of its team.

One small silver lining of the pandemic is that Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ perpetually packed Italian spot Via Carota started taking reservations. The offerings here change regularly and always reflect the season. Start with several vegetable dishes like piselli salad with fresh peas, prosciutto, and robiola, charred leeks, or summer tomatoes before moving on to pastas like tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and mains like cuttle fish with chickpeas, olives, and lemon. Order a round of spritzes for the table — the bar makes one of the best versions of the drink in the city.

The expansive and charming backyard at Popina is just one of the reasons to host a party at this Columbia Waterfront restaurant. Another is chef Chris McDade’s southern-inflected Italian menu, which changes seasonally. In the spring, the housemade garganelli are dressed up with ramps, country ham, and chilis. When it’s colder, you might find agnolotti with pork belly, whiskey jus, and pickled mustard seeds. Pro tip: No matter the season, make sure to order the hot chicken Milanese, which is served with ranch-dressed radicchio, and slices of chocolate chess pie for dessert.

If you’re looking for a dinner party atmosphere without having to set a table or wash dishes, head to this Fort Greene spot. The space, which is decorated with eclectic art, mismatched tables and chairs, looks like the living room of an eccentric New Yorker who has lived in a rent-controlled apartment since the 1960s — and that’s part of the charm. The menu here changes every Tuesday; one week you might be served a dinner inspired by ancient Rome, another time, plant-based Mexican recipes. You won’t have a say in what you order, but the team is exceptionally accommodating when it comes to dietary restrictions. Pro tip: Most of the seating is communal, so if you want to eat with just your party, make a reservation for a larger group.

New Yorkers thankfully no longer need to book an Amtrak ticket to Philadelphia for a table at one of James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov’s restaurants. An outpost of his shipudiya — an Israeli skewer-house — Laser Wolf just debuted on the roof of The Hoxton in Williamsburg, complete with swank views of the Manhattan skyline. Along with those skewers, work your way through a selection of salatim or small salads like broccolini with preserved lemons, Lebanese potato salad, and Solomonov’s rightfully famous hummus. All of this food is meant to be shared, and the team can seat parties of up to eight.

Read on for chef Michael Solmonov’s personal picks for where to eat in Williamsburg.

The large circular tables — complete with lazy susans — at Wu’s Wonton King are meant to be shared by groups at this food-world favorite. The same is true for many of the house specialties including the iconic New York No. 1 wonton soup, famous garlic aromatic crispy chicken, and suckling pig (which you can also pre-order whole, if your group is particularly hungry). The restaurant sells beer but is fine with diners bringing wine or hard alcohol, so pick up a few bottles beforehand.

Call (212) 477-1112 to make a reservation for a large party.

For more than 100 years, Gage & Tollner was one of the most important restaurants in Brooklyn. But, in 2004, its doors closed. With the help of restaurateurs Ben Schneider and St. John Frizell, and chef Sohui Kim, it reopened in 2021 and reclaimed its rightful place in the borough’s dining pantheon. The menu leans into steakhouse tradition, but there are updates like Kim’s clams kimsino with bacon-kimchi butter and breadcrumbs. The dessert offerings, prepared by pastry chef Caroline Schiff, are just as important as the savory menu. Baked Alaska with mint, chocolate and Amarena cherry ice cream layers is topped with toasted Swiss meringue and demands to be shared. Pro tip: If you can’t get a table here on a particular date, try Kim and Schneider’s Korean-barbecue and karaoke spot Insa, located in Gowanus.

Quality Bistro is that rare breed of glossy Midtown restaurant that won’t disappoint. Designed by AvroKO, the space sports a number of larger tables for groups and is divided into several rooms including La Conservatoire, which is decorated with a rubber tree and more than a few plants. Culinarily, the team finds a happy middle ground between New York steakhouse and Parisian brasserie with dishes like spicy Caesar salad with chili breadcrumbs, tiger prawn cocktail with passion fruit hot sauce, and several steak options including filet mignon au poivre and a double tomahawk.

Call (212) 433-3330 to make a reservation.

More than 20 years in, Rawia Bishara’s restaurant Tanoreen continues to draw large groups of family and friends to Bay Ridge for Palestinian classics. For the table, order shareable dishes like fetti, rice and vermicelli layered with lamb or chicken and tahini-yogurt sauce; a whole fish, which can be fried or baked; and knafeh made with fresh cheese and rosewater for dessert.

You’ll quickly forget you’re in a mall at this Flushing restaurant that’s decorated with warmly lit lanterns and pagoda-like finishes. Focusing on Sichuan-style hot pot, spice is taken seriously here (and also at their location in Brooklyn). Order a split pot with options like mushroom and spicy broths so you and your party can take a break from the heat if needed. Pro tip: If you’re looking for a bit of privacy for your group, ask to be seated in one of the restaurant’s alcoves.

Call (718) 521-9999 to make a reservation.

Two decades in, the crown jewel of Danny Meyer’s restaurant empire continues to offer generous, thoughtful service that is particularly welcome when you’re celebrating with multiple generations — or dealing with complicated family members. For a more formal meal, opt for the tasting menu-only dining room and for something a bit more relaxed, reserve a meal in the tavern; both menus will reflect whatever’s in season at the nearby Union Square farmers market. And, no matter where you sit, dessert like beignets with rhubarb compote and purple sweet potato pie from pastry chef Miro Uskokovic should never be missed.

This Harlem restaurant is inspired by the seaside spots, or lolos, of the British West Indies where owners Raymond Mohan and Leticia Skai Young used to live. Like those in the Caribbean, LoLo’s is casual, colorful, and affordable. Place your order for jerk ribs, coconut shrimp rolls, and baskets of crab cakes or fried fish at the counter, grab a mango slushie or punch, and find your seat on the backyard patio.

Call (646) 649-3356 to make a reservation.

Few historic New York restaurants have weathered time as well as Keens Steakhouse, which has served locals and tourists since 1885. Pipes belonging to famous former patrons like Theodore Roosevelt and Babe Ruth still line the space, but it stops short of feeling like a museum. When it comes to ordering, stick with the classics including the house’s famed mutton chop, wedge salad, and a martini.

Read on to learn more about the magic of the dining room at Keens.

Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr’s Tribeca bistro feels about as close to modern Parisian dining as one can find in New York City. Open during the week from noon through the evening, it’s an ideal spot for a mid-day celebration with colleagues — or friends, when you’re playing hooky. While the lunch menu is slightly shorter than the one for dinner, it still includes the kitchen’s lauded poulet roti with pommes purée.

Everyone is welcome at this East Harlem restaurant. The tables are higher than most and the bar seating lower, both designed to comfortably accommodate people who get around in wheelchairs, including two of the owners, beverage director Yannick Benjamin and George Gallego. There’s also a QR code on the menu that allows diners with visual impairments to have the offerings read aloud to them. Chef Oscar Lorenzzi’s menu reflects his Peruvian roots with dishes like ceviche prepared with corn, sweet potato, and leche de tigre, and locro de zapallo, a pumpkin stew made here with edamame and smoked mozzarella. Meanwhile, Benjamin’s wine list sports many offerings around $50, pricier special-occasion bottles, and a section entitled “Wines of Impact,” which highlights Black- and Indigenous-owned wineries and those with a social mission.

Read on for how Contento offers a blueprint for true accessibility in hospitality.