The Resy Hit List: Where In New York You’ll Want to Eat in June 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in New York City: a monthly updated (and now expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Six Things In NYC Not to Miss This Month
- Celebrate Pride: This Pride month, show your support for Queer-owned and -led bars and restaurants. Attend a Pride-themed piano party over at Pebble Bar or a Body Beautiful brunch at Fandi Mata on June 9, a Pride-themed bingo soiree at The Standard Grill on June 23, and a drag brunch cabaret over at Piggyback by Pig & Khao on June 29. Find more Pride-themed dining events here.
- Commemorate Juneteenth: Two of our favorite chefs — Ramen by Ra’s Rasheeda Purdie and The Musket Room and Raf’s’ Camari Mick — are teaming up for a very special Juneteenth meal over at Ramen by Ra that draws inspiration from the symbolism of watermelon, representing freedom and resilience. Get your tickets here. And do support your local Black-owned restaurants not only on June 19, but every day.
- Head Out East … and Up North: Thinking of escaping the city for a bit? Check out our ultimate guide to the Hamptons. Or consider a field day up to Rigor Hill Farm in the Hudson Valley on June 22, where One White Street chef-owner Austin Johnson will be cooking alongside chef Gregory Marchand of Frenchie in Paris for the first time since Johnson left Frenchie to open One White Street. P.S. Here are five more upstate restaurants worth the trip.
- Don’t Miss These Brooklyn Pop-ups: At Farm to People Kitchen & Bar in Bushwick, Essi’s, the London-based Australian-Greek pop-up is popping up with saganaki toasties, octopus bolognese, and whole-smoked aubergine from June 5 to 7, and doing a special outdoor barbecue on June 8 and 9. On June 12, catch Tres Monos (ranked No. 11 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list) at Llama Inn, where they’re giving you a sneak preview of the drinks they’ve got in store for upcoming izakaya, Papa San. And if you love surprises, check out the latest Gelinaz! installment, in collaboration with Fulgurances Laundromat on June 17. The location is to be determined, and the menu is only revealed day of, but reputation precedes it. Find more pop-ups on our Events page.
- Learn Something New: Leland Eating & Drinking House is is hosting a duck butchery class followed by a tasting dinner on June 5. And on June 12, they’re holding a special class over at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn, benefiting City Harvest, where you’ll learn all about pickling, fermentation, and preservation.
- Make Those Resys: Consider making a reservation at Café Mado, the new all-day café from the folks behind Oxalis and Place des Fêtes, and find more new openings here.
New to the Hit List (June 2024)
Bungalow, Agi’s Counter, Ursula Brooklyn, Taiwanese Gourmet, Lola’s, and Dhamaka.
1. Bungalow East Village
Photo courtesy of Bungalow
This newcomer from acclaimed chef Vikas Khanna is proof positive that the city’s reverence for Indian cuisine, and the multitude of regional cooking styles, only continues to grow. Draped in greenery and reminiscent of the aristocratic, members-only clubhouses found throughout India during the British Raj, Bungalow invites you in with all your senses. Khanna’s cooking thoughtfully and elegantly represents lesser-known regions of India. You can’t go wrong with whatever you order, but do take note of these non-negotiables: yogurt kebabs, crisp on the outside and filled with creamy hung yogurt on the inside, paired with a fermented purple cabbage puree; and a stunning spice-roasted pineapple with a dreamy coconut sauce. Drinks aren’t an afterthought, either, and you’d be remiss not to try the Chai Pani, a cocktail that took more than two months to perfect.
P.S. Here are some tips for how to get a table.
Photo courtesy of Bungalow
2. Penny East Village
Just as they did with the wine bar Claud, Chase Sinzer and Joshua Pinsky took a simple dining concept — in this case, the raw bar and seafood counter — and updated it into a new classic all its own. While they say they were inspired by the dual restaurant concepts that you’ll find in Paris (as with Bistrot Paul Bert and L’Ecailler du Bistrot) Penny is uniquely New York, and the better for it. Stuffed squid, a creamy potato salad with octopus, and confit oysters served with cream cheese and crackers have become new standards all their own. Of course, the wine list is impeccable, but don’t overlook the Suntory, and whatever you do, don’t skip the ice cream sandwich for dessert.
3. Agi’s Counter Crown Heights
If there is such a thing as a near-perfect all-day café, Agi’s Counter might just be it. And that’s thanks to chef and owner Jeremy Salamon’s thoughtful, measured cooking that blends culinary traditions from Hungary, Austria, and the Jewish diaspora, passed down from his grandmothers. That means palacsinta (crepes) with salted butter, poached pineapple, and soft cream for breakfast; chilled borscht for lunch; spanakopita babka for brunch; and semolina dumplings and morels in a flavorful chicken broth for dinner. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on the cheesecake, topped with berries and sitting in a pool of olive oil.
4. Foul Witch East Village
Wine bars and Italian restaurants remain all-time favorites with New Yorkers these days (see Claud, noted above), and this “spooky Italian” wine bar from the Roberta’s team hits the mark on all the important fronts: the food, the wine, and the vibe, of course. There’s no pizza here, and you won’t miss it because the small plates pack a punch. All of it is delicious, and all of it pairs so well with the wine list, much of it handpicked from the Blanca cellar. And then there’s that vibe: cozy, thanks to the wood-burning oven, and nostalgic, thanks to a drum-and-bass playlist that hearkens back to the East Village of the late ‘90s.
5. Ursula Brooklyn Bedford-Stuyvesant
Photo courtesy of Ursula Brooklyn
In just a few years, Ursula has become one of the city’s standards for New Mexican-inspired cuisine. Now in a bigger space in Bed-Stuy, there’s even more to try, like a green chile fried mushroom “sangwich,” a duck carnitas tostada with mole negro, a green chile cheeseburger made with a blend of lamb and beef, and a vegan eggplant tamal with blue corn masa. And then, of course, there are the breakfast burritos, served in the daytime Wednesdays through Fridays and for brunch on the weekends. We highly recommend all of them, but do be on the lookout for any special burrito collabs in the works, too; previous versions include a Southern Italian-inspired version with ‘nduja scrambled eggs and Parm-roasted potatoes from LaRina Pastificio’s Silvia Barban, and a Persian-New Mexican mashup with lamb koobideh and labneh from chef Farideh Sadeghin.
Photo courtesy of Ursula Brooklyn
6. Taiwanese Gourmet Elmhurst
A longtime stalwart for Taiwanese food in New York is this standalone corner spot in Elmhurst that’s always bustling — for good reason. Everyone’s favorite staples here include the crispy pork chop, fly heads (a garlic chive stir fry with pork and fermented black beans), three cup chicken, and the stinky tofu, but might we also suggest the blood rice cake and oyster pancake? Oh, and the clams with black beans, the drunken chicken soup made with rice wine, and the intestines stuffed with sticky rice (trust us). Whatever you order, you’re sure to be more than satisfied. Just note it’s cash only — and BYOB. And it’s truly excellent.
Walk-ins mostly, but reservations are accepted for larger parties. Call (718) 429-4818 for reservations.
7. Sofreh Prospect Heights
Six years in, Sofreh remains perpetually packed, and for good reason: It’s one of the city’s best restaurants, period, but also one of the best restaurants for its distinctly thoughtful, modern interpretations of Iranian cooking. Everything, from the seemingly simple yet complex dips and the fragrant tahdig to the showstopping dried lime and beef stew, will leave a lasting impression. That’s why it’s so rewarding to see the restaurant and chef-owner Nasim Alikhani receiving their kudos — and expanding, too: Sofreh Cafe, selling tahini date banana bread, sabzi, and rose doughnuts (weekends only) opened not long ago near the Barclays Center.
8. ATOBOY NoMad
Jungsik technically might have arrived first, but arguably no other contemporary Korean restaurant in the city has had more lasting impact than JP and Ellia Park’s first restaurant. Always approachable but also risk-taking, it has led the way in refashioning traditional Korean techniques and ingredients in novel and delicious ways since it opened in 2016. Its banchan-focused prix-fixe menu may have gone up in price over the years — from $36 for three courses to $75 for four courses, service included — but it’s still one of the best in the city, period. And you’d be remiss not to add on the fried chicken, or to plumb the depths of their excellent wine list.
9. Bangkok Supper Club Meatpacking District
This might be a bit of an overstatement, but we think there’s never been a better time for Thai cuisine in New York City. You’ve got your OGs out in Queens, like Ayada and Chao Thai, as well as newer spots like Soothr, UnTable, and Chalong. Then there’s Bangkok Supper Club, from the folks behind Fish Cheeks. Here, Bangkok street food gets refashioned in a way that subverts narratives of what we expect of Thai restaurants in America. Scallop ceviche gets topped with a watermelon granita. Fish sauce lands in your cocktails. A simple egg salad becomes a thing of beauty. And pork jowl fried rice becomes truly sublime.
10. Lola’s NoMad
Photo by Liz Clayman, courtesy of Lola’s
Lola’s is the kind of restaurant that seems to defy categories, and honestly, that’s a good thing. Chef and owner Suzanne Cupps draws from a variety of influences, ranging from South Carolina to the Philippines, for this menu with plenty of little surprises, from the fluffiest of naan with a savory carrot-accented yogurt to butter leaved bundles of crispy tilefish and melt-in-your-mouth short ribs. Whatever the occasion, Lola’s is sure to be a fit for it, whether you get a perch at the chef’s counter to catch all the action in the kitchen or a lovely spot at the long bar in the front.
Photo by Liz Clayman, courtesy of Lola’s
11. Falansai Bushwick
Falansai is the very definition of a low-key gem. Chef-owner Eric Tran’s Bushwick restaurant doles out innovative blends of Vietnamese and Mexican cooking with the precision you’d come to expect from a chef who worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and West Village classics like Joseph Leonard. There are many standout dishes, chief among them the confit duck necks, dad’s fried rice, and five-spice lamb neck served with tortillas from their neighbor, Sobre Masa. But, arguably, one of the best ways to dine here is the dac biet, a family-style tasting menu. Tran and his chefs take you on a guided culinary tour through Vietnam, Mexico, Chicago, and New York. At $88 per person, it’s a steal.
12. Huda Williamsburg
Lovely and lively, this Levantine bistro from the owner of storied Midtown French bistro La Bonne Soupe offers an array of dishes that draw their influences from Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, and all to delicious effect. You’ll want to start your meal with the Arak Baladi or a glass of Lebanese wine, and from there, it’ll be a tough call as to what you should order. Our suggestion? Don’t forgo the charred eggplant with a luscious black garlic toum, the batata harra (pure deep-fried potato bliss), or the tortellini-like shish barak, swathed in a bright and tangy yogurt sauce. Better yet, stop by for family-style weekend brunch on their outdoor patio where, for $30 per person, you can indulge in a veritable feast of dishes.
13. Mama’s Too West Village
With the arrivals of second locations of Williamsburg’s L’Industrie and the Upper West Side’s Mama’s Too, the West Village has become an epicenter of excellent pizza. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll want to head there immediately to grab a slice (or two or three) from one or both establishments. It’s worth calling out Mama’s Too, however, because this slice shop never fails to surprise with its variety of square slices — poached pear with aged mozzarella and sweet gorgonzola, or cacio e pepe with whipped mascarpone to name a few — and they’ve got daily sandwich specials, too. And do throw in a house slice, an ode to legendary Brooklyn pizzeria Di Fara, for good measure while you’re at it.
Walk-ins only.
14. Chama Mama Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights
The warmth of Georgian food and hospitality is on full display at each and every one of Chama Mama’s three locations, and if you haven’t been yet, you owe it to yourself to go to one as soon as you can. Chef Nino Chiokadze’s menu offers an impressive survey of all the classics, like the much-adored Adjaruli khachapuri bread crowned with an egg and cheese, or juicy khinkali dumplings filled with lamb, as well as pkhali, cooked seasonal vegetables prepared with walnuts, garlic, and spices, some of them imported directly from Georgia. Don’t leave without ordering Chiokadze’s take on pelamushi (grape pudding).
P.S. Don’t miss a very special six-course Georgian wine pairing feast that they’re hosting on June 4.
15. Hellbender Ridgewood
Post-pandemic, the number of late-night spots in the city has dwindled, but this appropriately named nighttime café from the same team behind Rolo’s puts that trend in reverse with a bold menu from chef Yara Herrera and a list of killer drinks. It’s open every day, with food served until midnight most nights, with the exception of Sundays, when the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. The drinks menu has a little something for everyone, from spicy pineapple margaritas and a smoky carajillo to an ice-cold gin martini. Herrerra’s menu will keep you coming back for more, with everything from oyster mushroom birria tacos and squash blossom quesadillas to sizzlin’ chicken fajitas, shrimp and corn fried rice, and a refreshing aguachile amarillo.
16. Dhamaka Essex Market
Dhamaka was a standout hit when it first opened in 2021 for its unapologetic way of looking at Indian cuisine: drawing a spotlight on lesser-known regions and dishes, and preserving traditions and ingredients that have, in some ways, been forgotten. Instead of sticking to its tried-and-true list of standards, the restaurant continues to push Indian cuisine forward with an ever-evolving menu. Right now, that means an Amritsari fish fry with cod and chickpea flour; a dahi waali bhindi with okra and Rajasthani red chile; and a can’t-miss roasted cauliflower with smoked yogurt and garlic. Under the helm of executive chef Chintan Pandya and chef de cuisine Neel Kajale, Dhamaka continues to thrill, and it’s well worth a (re)visit.
P.S. Be sure to check out The Unapologetic Experience tour in L.A. and Chicago.
17. TATIANA, By Kwame Onwuachi Lincoln Center
There are many explanations for why Tatiana topped so many of last year’s best of lists but these may be the two biggest reasons: It’s a restaurant with a clear, distinct point of view — a biography, if you will, of chef-and-partner Kwame Onwuachi — and one that’s a joy to dine at. That winning combination of powerful narrative and good vibes gets further amplified by the creatively crafted dishes on the menu, from a bright honeynut piri piri salad and egusi soup dumplings to braised oxtails and a pastrami suya.
18. Café Carmellini NoMad
For all the claims that fine dining is dead, Café Carmellini is Andrew Carmellini’s bold real-time assertion that it is most definitely not. Even amid the grandeur of its luxurious trappings — the elegant Fifth Avenue Hotel — the warm service here and Carmellini’s pitch-perfect food, make you feel welcome and at ease. It’s exactly how you’d want to feel when you’re feasting on crab millefeuille, veal tongue Castelluccio, and cannelloni filled with lobster and caviar, while tipping back glasses of Champagne and a rose-accented gin martini. Pro tip: Café Carmellini is now open for lunch, too.
19. CheLi – Flushing One Fluton Mall
There’s never a bad time to head to one of the city’s most exemplary Chinese restaurants for a veritable feast. Specializing in cuisine from China’s Jiangnan province, home to Shanghai, CheLi delivers familiar classics like xiaolongbao and crispy duck as well as dishes you likely haven’t seen elsewhere, like one composed of steam eggs with tangerine and crab meat, or salted yolk fried pumpkin. No matter what you order for the table, you won’t be disappointed, but here’s our advice: Don’t sleep on the Longjing shrimp — poached shrimp in a sweet, savory tea sauce that’s presented with dramatic effect, thanks to some dry ice.
20. San Sabino West Village
Photo by Evan Sung, courtesy of San Sabino
It’s only been three months since San Sabino opened in the West Village, and already this sequel to Don Angie follows in the footsteps of its next-door sibling. Yes, reservations are tough to come by (pro tip: they’re released a week in advance, including the day of the reservation you’re looking for, at 9 a.m. sharp) but if you are lucky enough to get one, you won’t be disappointed — especially if you love seafood. As you’ve come to expect from chefs Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, the menu is a celebration of Italian American classics, all with some unexpected twists: Think capocollo blended with octopus for a new take on carpaccio; anchovy-crusted and chile-crisp-topped steak that resembles a Japanese katsu; and a much-discussed shrimp Parm.
Photo by Evan Sung, courtesy of San Sabino
