The Resy Hit List: Where In New York You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Falansai is the very definition of a low-key gem. Chef-owner Eric Tran’s Bushwick restaurant is one-of-a-kind, doling out innovative blends of Vietnamese and Mexican cooking with the precision and care you’d come to expect from a chef who worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and West Village classics like Joseph Leonard and Jeffrey’s Grocery. There are many standout dishes not to be missed, chief among them being 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 to spring for the dac biet, a family-style tasting menu where 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.

It’s only been a month 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.

It’s been more than a decade since this downtown neobistro from Ignacio Mattos (Altro Paradiso, Lodi) opened, and it’s still going strong — and still well worth a visit. The narrow upstairs dining room is as spare as ever but always hums, and the food is just as memorable as you remember. Whether you’re in the mood for a leisurely weekend brunch or an intimate dinner for two, or a late-night visit to the bar, Estela has you covered with its delicious spread of shared plates and highly esteemed wine list. Pro tip: The endive salad with walnuts, anchovy, and Ubriaco rosso cheese remains a non-negotiable.

For many New Yorkers, Scarr Pimentel offers the gold standard of pizza in New York, and once you go, you’ll understand why. And now that Scarr’s has moved across the street to a larger space, and takes reservations, you can plan out your date with one of the city’s most beloved and highly esteemed pizzerias. Do order a few slices for yourself, as well as a side or two (we’re partial to the eggplant Parm). And if you’re feeling particularly inspired and ambitious, maybe take home some of their pizza dough or housemade, stone-milled flour, too?

If there is such a thing as a near-perfect bistro in New York, Bar Bête might just be it. The Carroll Gardens spot is just cozy enough, and its kitchen consistently delivers some of the best French Canadian fare you can find south of the U.S.-Canada border. It’s a perennial favorite for excellent food and drink (especially the wine), but especially so when you want nothing more than an order of their chicken liver parfait, leek vinaigrette, French omelette, and ricotta gnudi. Oh, and definitely don’t forego an order of the yellow cake, where the ratio of cake to salted dark chocolate frosting is nearly equal.

Whether you drop by for an à la carte spread or for a tasting menu at this sleek Chinatown spot, you won’t want to leave without an order of fresh, housemade flour tortillas. They’re the perfect vehicle for savoring many of Contra alum Fidel Caballero’s creations, but you also wouldn’t be at fault for devouring them unadorned with anything but the accompanying richly spiced recado negro butter, either. Corima’s strengths lie in Caballero’s ability to draw from so many different influences and sources, and meld them beautifully with the cuisine of Northern Mexico. Pro tip: If you don’t mind trying something unexpected when it comes to cocktails, you’ll be richly rewarded with an order of the uni gin sour.

Semma’s been one of the toughest restaurants to land a Resy almost since it opened, but we promise (1) that it is possible to get in and, (2) once you do, you’ll understand why. Our theory is that it’s because chef Vijay Kumar’s cooking manages to be effortlessly elegant, incredibly creative, and so satisfyingly delicious all at the same time. Take, for example, the refreshing mulaikattiya thaniyam made with sprouted mung beans, the unforgettable gunpowder dosa, or the showstopping valiya chemmeen moilee lobster dish. Every plate leaves a lasting impression.

While it’s highly probable that Foxface Natural isn’t for everyone, it manages to do something fewer and fewer restaurants in New York have managed to do in recent years: surprise us. David Santos’ cooking is fearless, unafraid to pair pickled scallop skirts with hibachi-grilled Berkshire pork ears atop a bright swath of salsa verde and Basque pil pil; it’s a must-order if it’s on the menu, as are any of the wood-oven roasted fish entrees. Nor is he timid when it comes to serving game meat, from roasted antelope chops to kangaroo tartare. Foxface Natural challenges us to rethink what a restaurant in New York can be, and for that, it deserves your rapt attention. 

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, Chao Thai, and Playground, as well as newer spots like Soothr, UnTable, and Chalong. And then there’s Bangkok Supper Club: a worthy addition from the same folks behind Fish Cheeks, where Bangkok street food gets refashioned in an elegant setting that subverts established narratives of what we often think Thai restaurants in America should be. Scallop ceviche gets topped with a watermelon granita. Fish sauce finds its way into your cocktails. A simple egg salad becomes a thing of beauty. And pork jowl fried rice becomes truly sublime.

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.

P.S. As if you needed yet another reason to go to Tatiana: It’s also a restaurant that nurtures up-and-coming chefs, too.

Post-pandemic, the number of late-night spots in the city has dwindled, but this new cocktail bar 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 from Rolo’s’ Tony Milici: It’s open every day of the week and serving food until 2 a.m. The drinks menu has a little something for everyone, from spicy pineapple margaritas and a smoky carajillo to an ice-cold gin martini, and everything in between. Herrerra’s menu is diminutive but certainly mighty; there’s a reason why nearly everyone orders the choriqueso combo, and you definitely don’t want to sleep on the fried cheese sticks with tomatillo salsa, or the mushroom machete.

Walk-ins only.

It’s not often that you’ll come across a restaurant devoted to the cuisine of Réunion, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at this charmer from Samuel Lebreton and Tara Gruszkiewicz in Bushwick. Dishes are homey and comforting, with bite-size samoussas and a rich, creamy tartiflette Creole, baked with potatoes, bacon, Camembert, and crème fraîche. Main entrees are both hearty — like the cabri massalé, with braised lamb leg and tamarind — and delicate, like the camarons à la vanille, with shrimp and vanilla. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on the many rum selections, and do save room for dessert, which might include an almond rum cake with ginger ice cream or a decadent tarte choco-chevre made with a chocolate and goat cheese mousse and a hazelnut crust.

The next time you find yourself in Manhattan Chinatown, consider paying a visit to this OG spot that’s barely changed since it first opened in 1986. Time capsule trappings aside, this is one of the absolute best spots in the city for noodle soups and other Teochew specialties. Our personal favorites include the fish dumplings — made by wrapping fish meat around a pork and vegetable filling — and the off-menu beef curry noodle soup with flat noodles. The lemongrass beef over rice and sauteed mustard greens are also excellent. Pro tip: Bring some cash, and your appetite.

Walk-ins only. Cash only. More info here.

Much like the aforementioned Falansai, Thomas Chen’s nearly 10-year-old East Village restaurant tends to fly a bit under the radar, but know that it’s one of the city’s pioneers of what today we now call casual fine dining, and you owe it to yourself to book a (re)visit. The cooking, which combines New American cuisine with Asian influences, is always pitch perfect, the warm glow in the dining room can’t be beat, and the service is always top notch. No meal here is complete without an order of the snow crab noodles with dashi butter or the crispy deviled, chile-topped eggs.

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.

Achilles Heel is that quintessential Brooklyn restaurant — warm and inviting, with a handsome wooden bar and cozy two-tops, and that ubiquitous vintage tin ceiling. But it’s unexpected, too, at least in terms of its menu. Since last summer, it’s been home to Sunny Lee’s heartfelt, soulful cooking and an ever-evolving lineup of Korean dishes that blend the best of traditional ingredients and recipes with contemporary influences. At the moment, that means a Sunny Salad with radicchio, medjool dates, and pine nut gang, coffee-braised pork belly with braised kimchi and garlic croutons, and a must-order sesame mochi cake. Whether you’re headed there for a group hang, a date, or just to pop in, it’s the quintessence of a perennial Hit List spot.

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, makeyou 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.

P.S. Café Carmellini is now open for lunch, too. Weekend lunch service (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is already in full swing, and on April 8, weekday lunch service from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. begins.

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, the one and only Atoboy. Always approachable but risk-taking in its own ways, 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. Do know you’d be remiss not to add on the fried chicken, or to plumb the depths of their excellent wine list.

Head to this specialist in Uzbek Jewish cuisine for a memorable, full-out feast. The menu is vast, with everything from fluffy green pilaf and juicy manti to piping hot cheburek (savory deep-fried turnovers) and flaky goshtgizhda stuffed with meat or pumpkin. Where they really excel, however, is in their mastery of the grill, as evidenced by their many excellent kebabs; the lamb ribs with fat and the veal sweetbreads are especially good. Don’t forget to order some of the noni toki (flatbread) and some pickled vegetables, best enjoyed with vodka served in the tiniest of silver teapots.

Call (718) 897-9080 to make a reservation.