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

From the moment your first dish is served — a complimentary amuse-bouche of podi idly, with warming coconut chutney — you know instantly your meal at Kidilum is going to be fantastic. Indeed, what chef and partner Vinu Raveendran has created at Kidilum lives up to its name (Malayalam for “beyond awesome”), with every dish in ideal balance when it comes to the rich textures and flavors delivered. Take, for example, the showstopping iracchi pathiri, which is presented to you using a sculpture of tree branches; the fried rice cakes complement the satisfying beef pepper fry while a thin layer of glittering aspic adds yet another layer of depth. Or there’s the kaljani, a seemingly simple preparation of expertly cooked barramundi with an alleppey fish curry and raw mango that’ll have you wanting to lick the bowl clean. Cocktails are equally impressive, whether you opt for the Kaapi, a hybrid of an espresso martini and an Irish coffee with a touch of banana, or the spice of the zero-proof Chakotra, made with grapefruit, jalapeño brine, and chile. And don’t forget an order of the ilaneer payasam, which combines light-as-air coconut meringue with toasted coconut ice cream.

With the exception of the excellent Dame and Lord’s, British fare isn’t relatively easy to come by in New York, and Dean’s, the newest collaboration between King and Jupiter’s Jess Shadbolt and Annie Shi, aims to change that — and that they do. The food hews toward tradition but it’s not a carbon copy of what you’d find from your local pub in the U.K. Crisp pork scratchings dusted with five spice and cumin crackle and shatter. A curried coronation salad omits the requisite chicken, but maintains the dish’ essence. An off-menu stargazy pie comes with a pair of fish eyes and a fish tail popping up above the buttery pastry that gives way to a cozy, creamy blend of mackerel, cod, hake, and potatoes underneath. Do not sleep on the cold roast beef, a take on a proper ploughman’s lunch, paired with horseradish cream, pickled walnuts, and an earthy Montgomery cheddar. Nor should you overlook crab with housemade crumpets. There’s plenty of Guinness to go around, but of course the wine list, overseen by Shi (who also owns Lei) is an ideal move, too.

This sleek newcomer from chef Ned Baldwin carries forth the legacy for excellence that he and his team have built over a decade at Houseman: straightforward cooking, meticulous attention to sourcing (Baldwin is known for catching his own fish from time to time), and satisfying flavors. Like Houseman, it’s also located a bit off the beaten path, in a stretch of East Williamsburg that’s also home to the Amant arts foundation, and the artistic influences leave quite the impression. If the triptych aquarium — an installation by artist Pierre Huyghe — were any indication, this is a restaurant that centers on seafood, and you’d do well to heed the signs by ordering yourself the pil pil butterflied black seabass, grilled monkfish with ras el hanout and carrot amba, or grilled whole scallops with kasu butter plum. Whatever you do, however, do not forgo an order — or two — of the impeccable fries: Double-fried and served with a savory rouille sauce, they’re some of the city’s best.

The old Minca Ramen space in Alphabet City is now home to chef Hiroki Odo’s latest endeavor, bringing the best of kaiseki cuisine — precision and creativity — together with the best of izakayas — bold flavors and a lack of pretense. All said and done, it’s a delight. You can tell the level of craft and care that Odo and his team put into every small dish on the menu, which is categorized by the various cooking styles and preparations that define kaiseki. Simmered tofu in a katsuo broth is topped with generous portions of creamy uni from Hokkaido. Tender pieces of fried chicken crackle with a crust made from rice crackers, paired with a refreshing dill-infused mayonnaise. An unassuming starter of, of all things, cream cheese, takes on another dimension thanks to white miso and wasabi. Fusing these Japanese dining styles together so seamlessly is no easy feat, but Odo manages to do it, and does it so well, we can’t wait to go back to try more.

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 pitch-perfect food and drink (especially the wine), but especially so when you want nothing more than an order of their chicken liver parfait, leek vinaigrette, tuna toast, and duck fat potatoes with a golden aioli. Oh, and definitely don’t forego a generous slice of the yellow cake, where the ratio of cake to salted dark chocolate frosting is nearly equal.

Given New Yorkers’ enduring obsession with baked goods and hype bakeries, we’d be remiss not to remind you about one of the city’s loveliest patisseries — from pastry chef Eunji Lee. French technique melds beautifully with Korean ingredients and New York tastes and, best of all, you can make a reservation, whether for weekend brunch, a weekly Thursday-night tasting menu, or more. Greatest hits include the trompe l’oeil corn dessert and the exquisitely layered kouign amann. You can’t go wrong with whatever you order, but the shortbread cookies, signature lysée mousse cake, and the V.I.C. (that’s very important chocolate cake, to you) are particularly special, and important. Pro tip: Purchase a box (or two) of the K.A. Rusk to take home with you — you won’t regret it.

Should you find yourself in Chinatown near Two Bridges and in search of some ice-cold cocktails and satisfying fare, Bar Chucho, from nearby Michelin-starred Corima, fits the bill. It’s far more casual than its older sibling, but still fires on all cylinders when it comes to the creativity involved. Think gin sours accented with uni (yes, sea urchin), whisky highballs with avocado leaf soda, and micheladas with fermented tomatillos, jalapeño, and kombu, served with a tart and sweet chile chamoy straw. The relatively short food menu also boasts plenty of hits, including a standout chilindrina — a wheat cracker that’s topped with potato salad and slices of bluefin tuna — a savory mushroom gringa, and a rich burger made with dry-aged beef and Chihuahua cheese.

No reservations. More info here.

Here’s a willful departure from most of the city’s other Malaysian restaurants: a deeply personal effort from the same family behind Sunset Park’s critically acclaimed Hainan Chicken House. While you will find a stellar Hainanese poached chicken on the menu, the rest of the bill of fare isn’t afraid to play fast and loose with Malaysian standards. Rendang made with oxtails displays Caribbean influences. Flaky roti paratha sits atop a bed of red lentil dahl. Ravioli gets stuffed with lime leaf ricotta, nestled in a plate of brodo. You get the picture. All of it is the result of chef and owner Chris Low, who dreamt up these dishes while slowly assuming more of a prominent role in his father’s chicken restaurant. Kelang itself is a true family affair, with the entire Low family pitching in to make it a reality, and it’s a difference you can taste.

Rejoice! Although the name suggests otherwise, S&P Lunch is now open for (early) dinner — at least until 8 p.m. — on the daily. And while you can (and probably should) get an order of their famed tuna melt or chopped olives and cream cheese sandwiches, you should know that they’ve got dinner specials that are not to be missed, too. We’re talking a towering shrimp cocktail sandwich; latke-crusted mozzarella sticks (aka “latkarella sticks”); and an aptly named “big burger,” just to name a few. As always, S&P delivers when it comes to serving deeply satisfying comfort fare, and we can think of nothing sweeter than pulling up to the counter and grabbing a seat, whether it’s 8 a.m. or 6 p.m.

Walk-ins only.

Haenyeo chef-owner Jenny Kwak’s brilliance is still perfectly captured in one signature dish: the cheesy, melty, ddukboki fundido, a mainstay on the menu since the restaurant first opened in 2018. It’s a beautiful and utterly delicious mashup of Mexican and Korean flavors and culinary traditions: crisp chorizo and melty Oaxacan cheese, chewy Korean rice cakes, and sweet, spicy gochujang and gochugaru. The rest of the menu at Haenyeo is equally stellar, with a variety of both traditional and not-so-traditional Korean dishes that celebrate Korean homestyle cooking. It’s the kind of place that invites you to come back again and again, whether you’re there to celebrate something special or simply just grabbing dinner in the neighborhood. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the sugar-dusted beignets if you know what’s good for you.

Now that Confidant has made the move north from Industry City to Brooklyn Heights, it’s a bit easier to enjoy the charms of this ideal neighborhood restaurant — the kind of spot that lends itself to every and any occasion with ease and aplomb. The menu is chock full of crowd pleasers and showstoppers, including that delectable, towering prawn pot pie, and comforting pastas like spicy mezze rigatoni or buttery spaghetti al funghi. Our favorite dish on the menu? That would be the whipped trout mousse, artfully placed atop triangles of sourdough, dotted with pearls of smoked trout roe. The wine list is worth perusing, too, but you should know they also have a great variety of zero-proof cocktails, including an exceptional Casal Highball. Pro tip: If you can grab a seat at the chef’s counter, go for it; it’s the perfect perch to take in the sight of all those steamy pot pies.

Like many restaurants around town, Balera’s cuisine is “coastal Italian” but here it’s executed with both precision and well, fun, that somehow — magically — gives more of a homestyle feel. Take, for example, the fritto misto, with its exceptionally light, airy batter, from requisite shrimp and calamari to thin slices of red onion and sage leaves, as well as juicy chunks of pineapple. The montanarina, a fried disc of pizza dough, is a perfect canvas for bright tomato sauce, basil, and cheese. The cappelletti alle 3P is expertly crafted, with a creamy Parmigiano Reggiano sauce that complements the rich meat filling inside. Then, of course, there’s the pizza. Balera’s Roman-style pizzas, rolled out by using a mattarello as opposed to being stretched out by hand, are a standout, thanks to their thin, almost croissant-like texture — making it that much easier to indulge in more than a few slices.

There’s so much to love about this Brooklyn charmer — now celebrating its ninth year in business — that it’s difficult to know where to start. There’s the signature hot chicken Milanese, served simply with gem lettuce and ranch dressing, and fried to crisp perfection. There’s the silky pappardelle, accented with shishito peppers and ham hocks, that’s filling and comforting, but singular, too. There’s the lovely backyard that, in warmer months, is one of the most idyllic in the city. There’s the Monday through Thursday happy hour with $15 pastas ($10 for kiddos), and $10 Negronis and glasses of house wine. And then of course, there’s the wine list, arguably one of the city’s best, both in terms of its depth and value, thanks to owner James O’Brien. Where else will you find deep cuts of Burgundy priced for under $100? In short, there’s so much to love about Popina, and you owe it to yourself to pay a visit. Pro tip: There are no corkage fees on Wednesdays, too.

Stars is assuredly a wine bar, and it punctuates that in a number of ways, from the diminutive size — just 12 seats — to a walk-ins-only policy, a compact list of snacks, and an outsize list of excellent wines. But Stars also isn’t just any wine bar; it’s a wine bar from the team behind Claud and Penny, and like its predecessors, Stars knows how to deliver exactly what you want. On any given night that might mean creamy deviled eggs topped with delicate star-shaped pommes souffles, complemented by a crisp Loire chenin blanc. Or a rustic-presenting mix of marinated vegetables and chorizo, to accompany a bit of Beaujolais. Whether you opt for a quick drink or a longer interlude, you’ll never leave disappointed.

Walk-ins only.

The city’s first food truck specializing in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine now has a permanent home, after serving their delicious injera, tibs, shiro, misir, and gomen across the boroughs, from a commissary in Long Island City to an outpost on Governors Island for nearly a decade. Now, in a cozy, elegant space on Skillman Avenue, you’ll find all your favorite dishes, plus even more: creative cocktails made with hibiscus, cardamom, and cucumber; smoky berbere spiced prawns; and a standout version of doro wot, Ethiopia’s beloved chicken stew that gets slow braised for hours on end. Whatever you do, come hungry, and do order yourself plenty of injera — deeply fermented and bouncy — to pair with nearly everything on the menu.

The cuisine of Hangzhou shines at this first U.S. outpost of a popular contemporary chain of restaurants from China: Think hearty hong shao rou (braised pork belly), comforting green tea claypot chicken, savory ju ju bao (sizzling golden snapper cooked in a claypot), and silky scallion noodles. Everything is executed exceptionally well, and there’s so much variety on the menu that there’s truly something for everyone. While dinner with a crew is always a good idea here, it’s also a great spot for a solo weekday lunch, with set menus and rice bowls ranging in price from $17 to $23, and a weekday happy hour that includes orders of freshly steamed xiaolong bao.

P.S. From June 15 to 21, Grandma’s Home will have savory sticky rice dumplings (zòng zi) filled with pork belly, salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and more in commemoration of the annual Dragon Boat Festival.