Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

These 10 NYC restaurants are worth splurging for

Ready to splurge on a memorable meal in the Big Apple? Here are your ten best bets for a fantastic dining experience

Mark Stock
By

Most New Yorkers have an opinion on the best restaurants in their city and no two ever seem to be exactly alike. Makes sense, given the countless number of great eateries in the Big Apple. From incredible ethnic food to high-end fusion, New York City has it all.

But if one really had to whittle it down to a list of must-visits while there, what would that list look like? We did the homework and came up with a top ten for the ages, full of restaurants that offer jaw-dropping culinary experiences. You’d be lucky to land at any one of these tables over a lifetime as these restaurants are home to some of the best chefs in the world.

Eleven Madison Park
Make It Nice

On par with the greatest culinary cities on earth—Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires—New York is teeming with exquisite meal after exquisite meal. It’s a landing spot for great talent, home to some of the most James Beard Award-winning chefs anywhere. Furthermore, it’s a place that draws all of the other talent that make a good meal and exceptional one, from top sommeliers to daring mixologists and hospitality pros.

Related

Here are the ten best restaurants in New York City. There are places not only where New Yorkers eat, but where people travel all over the world to dine at.

Recommended Videos

Eleven Madison Park

A bird view of the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Daniel Humm is one of the top chefs in New York, a Switzerland native who came to the NYC restaurant in 2006 after a successful stint in San Francisco. Eleven Madison Park has since become synonymous with New York dining, garnering tons of awards and critical acclaim, and for good reason. Not a restaurant to ever sit still, Eleven Madison Park switched to a fully vegan menu during the pandemic in 2021. It remains an enchanting restaurant, full of creativity and thoughtful dishes.

Gramercy Tavern

A scene from Gramercy Tavern in New York.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The brainchild of lauded restauranteur Danny Meyer, Gramercy Tavern is an Americana spot located in the Flatiron District. The menu is always changing, lining up with the very specifics of the season and whatever great produce is being harvested from local farmers and purveyors. The place is currently in the custody of a Michelin Star, offers three unique dining experiences, and is captained by the tasteful mind of chef Michael Anthony.

Per Se

A dish at Per Se in NYC.
Facebook/Per Se

Responsible for perhaps the best overall dining experience in all of NYC, if not the nation, Per Se is chef Thomas Keller’s east coast outpost. Known for his amazing restaurant in California wine country (a little old place called French Laundry), Keller is behind some of the most intricate and innovative dishes around. Per Se boasts three Michelin Stars, Central Park views, and easily the best one-two punch that is immersive dining and unrivaled service. Just look at the presentation points on display above.

Jean Georges

Interior of Jean Georges.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Jean Georges has become a household name in the dining realm. He has restaurants all over the country now but none quite like his eponymous NYC spot, which opened in 1997. It offers pure edible harmony by way of the cuisines of America, France, and Asia. Presently holding two Michelin Stars, Jean Georges offers a beautiful setting and dishes so full of flavor you’ll wonder how.

Aquavit

The dining room at Aquavit in NYC.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Named after the tasty nordic spirit, Aquavit is set in Manhattan and cooks up some delectable northern European fare. The menu is the work of Swedish chef Emma Bengtsson, the proud holder of two Michelin Stars. Her nordic dishes are absolute eye candy, presented so beautifully you won’t be able to resist photographing them. There are lunch and dinner menus, but we suggest the chef’s tasting menu, known to marry things like seafood and produce in unexpected, immensely artistic ways. The cocktail program is equally impressive, full of craft and seasonality.

Le Bernardin

The dining room at Le Bernadin in NYC.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another name that’s become part of the fabric of the NYC culinary landscape, Le Bernardin has stood the test of time. It launched in the 80s and continues to be the spot for unbelievable seafood. Chef Eric Ripert holds one of the strongest resumes imaginable, having cooked at some of the best French restaurants around before heading stateside. His upbringing, a mix of time spent in coastal France and Andorra, rubs off on his cooking, which blends tradition and modern techniques. If you like the many flavors of the sea, not to mention a restaurant with one of the best reputations around, book a resy at Le Bernardin.

Sushi Yasuda

how to make sushi
Image used with permission by copyright holder

New York has some of the best sushi restaurants in America. If you can’t get to China or Japan to experience its homeland, this is your next best bet. Sushi Yasuda is New York’s best, featuring all the best feature of the amazing cuisine. The rice is from heaven, the fish is fresh, vibrant, and cut expertly, and the environment is serene. It’s all about style points and robust flavors here, with no music to distract and bright enough lights to really see what you’re eating. We love you, dimly-lit restaurants, but you’re often hiding something. Belly up to the bar and watch these magicians do their magic.

Claro

A tostada from Claro in Brooklyn.
Facebook/Claro

A relative newcomer, Claro brings mind-blowing Oaxacan food to the borough of Brooklyn. All cheeses and sauces are made in house and the intimate setting is inviting and warm. It’s all about authenticity here, from hand-made masas and moles to the tostadas cooking on wood-fired comal. And the details can’t be beat, like the clay dinnerware made by hand in Oaxaca. The chef may reside in New York but wears the many extended trips to Mexico on his sleeves (and dishes).

Restaurant Daniel

The dining room at Restaurant Daniel in NYC.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since 1993, Restaurant Daniel has been treating diners to some truly elegant European-inspired fare. It’s the work of chef Daniel Boulud and while larger in scale, a seamless experience full of class and deftly-made dishes that bring joy to the table. It holds a pair of Michelin Stars and while in Manhattan, will whisk you away to some of the most lauded dining rooms of France.

Claud

Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottle Shop
Image used with permission by copyright holder

An East Village wine bar and restaurant, Claud only opened last year but has turned heads with its combination of satisfying cuisine, smart wines, and an atmosphere that feels like being well-serviced guest at a small dinner party. These aren’t finicky dishes that involve a lot of tweezers. Instead, it’s just good rustic food paired wonderfully with some great wine. But that’s not say it’s not sophisticated, as the menu is all kinds of refined, from the half chicken with foie gras drippings to the citrus and chicories with fiore sardo.

Dine at any one of the above restaurants and your NYC trip will go down in the history books. Knock out two or three, and you’ll be a living legend. Just know that if you love great food and the ultimate dining experience, all ten options above will more than deliver.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Berries going bad too fast? Try this amazing viral TikTok hack that actually works
This viral TikTok hack shows you how to keep your berries fresh for up to 10 days
Mixed berries

Berries are a fan favorite in the produce section. These juicy little delights are a vitamin-packed fruit that's great for baking, snacking, making fruity cocktails like sangria, and even brightening up your weekend charcuterie boards. If you're someone who loves berries, you know how frustrating it can be when they start going bad too quickly.
But worry not! A viral TikTok hack has been making waves online, promising to keep your berries in tip-top shape for longer. We'll walk you through how to keep berries fresh using this amazing hack that actually works.
Say goodbye to wasting money on spoiled fruit, and hello to spoiling yourself with fresh, juicy berries whenever you want!

How to keep berries fresh with water and vinegar
Berries tend to spoil quickly due to their high water content, delicate texture, and the growth of mold and bacteria between them in their store-bought produce cartons. Exposure to moisture, heat, and air can also accelerate the ripening (or spoiling) process.

Read more
10 smoky scotch whisky options to make those fall campfires magical
Our favorite smoky scotch whisky brands for late-summer drinking
Campfire whisky

The end of summer is barreling toward us like a pumpkin spice-fueled locomotive. Depending on where you live, you’re likely already seeing some signs of fall. The leaves are beginning to change color, the days are getting shorter, and Halloween candy is already on grocery store shelves. Fear not, even with the eventuality that is the end of summer, we still have until September 23 to enjoy all that the season has to offer. For us, it means as many backyard campfires as possible before the weather grows colder. It also means we only have weeks left to pair our fires with a glass of warming Scotch whisky.

Nobody will blame you for complimenting the smoky fire by drinking a complex, non-peated single malt Scotch whisky. For those confused about the spelling, most of the world omits the 'e' when referring to whisky. You also might be wondering the difference between Scotch and whiskey. Well, in the simplest terms, Scotch is a kind of whisky (Americans and the Irish still use the 'e'). So that should put an end to the Scotch vs. whiskey debate once and for all.

Read more
Feeling rushed in the mornings? This is the best way to get great coffee
Custom coffee at-home without any special equipment? Yes, please.
Cup of coffee with beans on table

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while we tend to agree, the spread is nothing without some quality caffeine. Yet, we don't always have the energy or time to produce a solid cup. So, for those who live frantic a.m. lifestyles that barely make room for a sip of java -- let alone a bite of toast -- we have a solution, and its name is Frazy.

So, instead of dropping by Starbucks or dusting off that espresso machine (assuming you have one to begin with), try this convenient service instead. Created by baristas, the vials of coffee are customizable and require only water to create. One can decide on the strength of flavor and level of sweetness, along with dairy choice, and the resulting drink can take the form of either cold or hot coffee, along with a straight-up espresso shot.

Read more