Table of Contents
⚡ KEY TAKEAWAYS: Best Restaurants in NYC
- The best restaurants in NYC in this guide range from US$20 pho at Hanoi House to Daniel’s US$295 tasting menu (7 November 2026).
- Under a city rule in force from 19 April 2026, New York restaurants may not add surcharges to listed prices.
- New York City sales tax is 8.875%, and NYC Tourism gives 20% of the pre-tax bill as the standard tip.
- Daniel and Sushi Nakazawa each hold one star in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide.
- Indian passport holders need a US visitor visa, applied for with the DS-160 form.
| Key term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Omakase | A chef-chosen sequence of sushi courses. |
| Prix fixe | A set menu at one fixed price. |
| Tasting menu | A fixed sequence of small courses chosen by the kitchen. |
| MICHELIN star | A MICHELIN Guide rating for cooking; one to three stars. |
| Bib Gourmand | A MICHELIN Guide award for good food at moderate prices. |
| Resy | An online restaurant booking platform. |
| OpenTable | An online restaurant booking platform. |
| Cash price | A menu price for cash payment; card payment costs more. |
| Gratuity | A tip, sometimes added automatically for large groups. |
| Contactless fare | Paying for the subway or bus by tapping a bank card or phone. |
Keens Steakhouse has served at 72 West 36th Street since 1885, and in November 2024 its brand and building were sold for US$30 million to Tilman Fertitta, chief executive of Landry’s, who said the restaurant would continue (The Real Deal, 22 November 2024). It is open every day except Christmas Day, and its mutton chop costs US$73.
Information checked on 7 November 2026.
The best restaurants in NYC on this list run from a US$20 bowl of pho in the East Village to a US$295 tasting menu on the Upper East Side, and each was re-checked on 7 November 2026 against its own website for trading status, prices, and booking rules. The ten are TravelPep’s original picks, in no ranked order; the dishes named are those that both the restaurant’s menu and independent reviewers single out.
| Restaurant | Neighbourhood | Indicative price (per dish or per set menu) | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi House | East Village | Pho from US$20 | Booking form on its site; waitlist for walk-ins |
| Roberta’s | Bushwick, Brooklyn | Pizzas from US$18 (cash price; card adds 3%) | OpenTable |
| Momofuku Noodle Bar | East Village | Ramen from US$23 | OpenTable; limited walk-ins at the counters |
| Wildair | Lower East Side | Small plates from US$6 | OpenTable; walk-ins welcome |
| Balthazar | SoHo | Dinner mains from US$31 | Resy or phone |
| Keens Steakhouse | Midtown | Dinner mains from US$38 | Phone or email |
| Indian Accent | Midtown | Three-course dinner US$88 | OpenTable for four or fewer; walk-ins welcome |
| Sushi Nakazawa | West Village | Lunch omakase US$150 | Online, 14 days ahead at noon Eastern |
| Daniel | Upper East Side | Seven-course tasting US$295 | Resy |
| Jing Fong | Chinatown | Prices not published online | Contact the restaurant |
Prices are from each restaurant’s own menu on 7 November 2026 and exclude sales tax and tip.
Downtown Manhattan
1. Hanoi House
Hanoi House cooks Vietnamese food at 119 St Marks Place in the East Village. Its beef pho comes with a choice of two or three meats, and its weekend brunch runs until 3 pm.
Book and hours: Book through the form on its website; NYC Tourism notes that walk-in diners join a waitlist that can get long. Happy hour runs from 5:30 pm to 7 pm on weekdays (Hanoi House; NYC Tourism).
Cost: Pho Bac US$20 or US$23; Bun Cha Ha Noi US$26; mains US$18 to US$36 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Known for: Pho Bac and Bun Cha Ha Noi (Hanoi House menu; The Infatuation; Time Out New York).
2. Momofuku Noodle Bar
David Chang’s original Momofuku Noodle Bar is still at 171 First Avenue, between 10th and 11th Streets, and holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. It opens for dinner nightly and for lunch from Friday to Sunday.
Book and hours: Book through OpenTable; the restaurant says tables open 30 days ahead, while its OpenTable listing says 14 days, so availability may vary by channel; check the restaurant’s own page first. A few seats at the bar and kitchen counters are kept for walk-ins (Momofuku).
Cost: Steamed buns US$17 for two; ramen US$23 to US$24; dinner mains US$31 to US$58 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Known for: The steamed pork buns and the smoked pork ramen (Momofuku menu; Time Out New York, October 2026).
3. Wildair
Wildair is a wine bar with a kitchen at 142 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side, open since 2015 (The Infatuation, January 2025). Its menu changes with the seasons and runs from sourdough to a 20 oz Wagyu striploin.
Book and hours: Book through OpenTable; walk-ins are welcome. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 pm to 10 pm (Wildair).
Cost: Dishes from US$6 to US$50; Wagyu striploin US$165 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Known for: Beef tartare (US$23), fried stuffed olives, and mille-feuille (Wildair menu; The Infatuation).
4. Jing Fong
Jing Fong moved from its 800-seat hall on Elizabeth Street, closed in May 2021, to a 125-seat room at 202 Centre Street in December 2021 (Jing Fong). Its Upper West Side branch closed for good on 8 March 2026, so Chinatown is now its only restaurant (West Side Rag, 9 March 2026).
Book and hours: Open daily from 10:30 am to 9 pm; call (212) 964-5256 about reservations, as the website gives no booking system (Jing Fong).
Cost: The online menu shows images only, without text prices; check prices on arrival.
5. Balthazar
Keith McNally’s Balthazar, at 80 Spring Street in SoHo, is a French brasserie serving breakfast on weekdays, brunch at weekends, and dinner until midnight every night. The MICHELIN Guide named its seafood towers and steak frites in a May 2025 article on McNally’s restaurants.
Book and hours: Book on Resy, or by phone on (212) 965-1414 when nothing shows online; it does not take bookings by email. Weekday breakfast from 8 am; weekend brunch from 9 am to 4 pm; dinner daily from 5 pm to midnight (Balthazar).
Cost: Dinner mains US$31 for the burger to US$63 for the New York strip; steak frites US$49 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Known for: Steak frites (Balthazar menu; Time Out New York, March 2026; MICHELIN Guide, May 2025).
6. Sushi Nakazawa
Sushi Nakazawa serves omakase at 23 Commerce Street in the West Village and holds one star in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. The counter and the dining room are priced differently, and lunch is served at the counters only.
Book and hours: Tables are released online 14 days ahead, daily at noon Eastern time. Lunch from 11:30 am to 2 pm; dinner from 5 pm (Sushi Nakazawa).
Cost: Dinner Chef’s Menu US$250 at the counter or US$220 in the dining room; Classic dinner US$190 or US$160, about 20 pieces of nigiri; lunch omakase US$150 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Midtown and the Upper East Side
7. Indian Accent
Indian Accent serves Indian food at 123 West 56th Street, in the Le Parker Méridien building. Its dinner menus are prix fixe, and children under ten are not admitted.
Book and hours: Parties of four or fewer book on OpenTable; larger groups call 212-842-8070. Walk-ins are welcome. Cancel 24 hours ahead or pay a US$50 a person no-show fee. Dinner nightly from 5 pm; lunch Tuesday to Friday; brunch at weekends (Indian Accent).
Cost: Dinner US$88 for three courses or US$102 for four; a chef’s tasting menu for the whole table (see the restaurant’s website for the current price); parties of six or more pay a 20% gratuity (Indian Accent, checked 7 November 2026).
Known for: Ghee roast lamb with roomali roti (thin handkerchief bread), and kulchas (Indian Accent menu; MICHELIN Guide; The Infatuation).
8. Keens Steakhouse
Keens claims the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world, and says its Pipe Club roster held more than 90,000 names, among them Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, and Albert Einstein (Keens). It is open daily except Christmas Day.
Book and hours: Book by phone on 212-947-3636 or by email at info@keens.com; it is not on OpenTable. Monday to Friday from 11:45 am to 10:30 pm; Saturday from 5 pm; Sunday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm (Keens).
Cost: Mutton chop US$73; prime porterhouse US$143 for two; mains US$38 to US$177 (as listed on 7 November 2026).
Known for: The mutton chop (Keens menu; Time Out New York).
9. Daniel
Daniel Boulud’s restaurant at 60 East 65th Street serves a seven-course tasting menu and holds one star in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. A vegetarian tasting menu costs the same as the standard one.
Book and hours: Book on Resy. Dinner Tuesday to Sunday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm; phone (212) 288-0033 to confirm (Daniel).
Cost: Seven-course tasting menu US$295; vegetarian tasting US$295; optional wine pairing US$225 (as listed on 7 November 2026). The menu page lists no service charge; drinks, sales tax, and tip are extra.
On recent menus: Yellowfin tuna and Maine sea scallops; the menu is seasonal (Daniel; The Infatuation).
Brooklyn
10. Roberta’s
Roberta’s makes wood-fired pizza at 261 Moore Street in Bushwick and holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. It now has branches at Domino Park and Madison Square Garden as well.
Book and hours: Book through OpenTable. Monday to Friday from noon to 10 pm; Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm; Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm (Roberta’s).
Cost: Pizzas US$18 to US$28 at the cash price; paying by card adds 3%. Parties of six or more pay a 20% gratuity (dinner menu dated 26 October 2026).
Known for: The Bee Sting pizza, US$26 cash (Roberta’s menu; Time Out New York).
Paying the bill and getting around
Tax and tip: New York City sales tax is 8.875%. NYC Tourism + Conventions calls a 20% tip on the pre-tax bill “the standard for table service”, and some restaurants add a gratuity for larger groups (NYC Tourism).
Surcharges: Under a city rule in force from 19 April 2026, restaurants may not add surcharges to listed prices, and any genuine service charge, such as a group gratuity, must be shown clearly before you order (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection). A cash discount, as at Roberta’s, means the card price is the listed price plus 3%.
Subway and bus: A ride costs US$3, and you can tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate; the MTA caps subway and local bus fares at US$35 a week when you tap with the same card or device (MTA).
Budget: Before tax and tip, single dishes such as pho, pizza, or ramen cost US$18 to US$28 at Hanoi House, Roberta’s, or Momofuku. Set menus cost US$88 to US$102 at Indian Accent, US$150 to US$250 for the omakase menus at Sushi Nakazawa, and US$295 at Daniel (menu prices, 7 November 2026).
Emergency: Call 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies, and 311 for city services (NYC311).
Visas: Indian passport holders need a US visitor visa, applied for with the DS-160 form (US Embassy in India); appointment waits can be long, so apply well before booking tables.
If you are flying from India, our guide to finding cheap flights covers fares and booking windows, and our guide to the best restaurants in Melbourne CBD covers another city’s dining.
Quick Insights: Best Restaurants in NYC at a Glance
- Sushi Nakazawa releases tables online 14 days ahead, at noon Eastern time.
- Keens takes bookings only by phone or email, not through OpenTable.
- Jing Fong’s Upper West Side branch closed on 8 March 2026; the Chinatown restaurant on Centre Street is open.
- Momofuku Noodle Bar and Roberta’s each hold a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide.
- A subway or bus ride costs US$3 with a contactless bank card.
- Indian Accent does not admit children under ten.
FAQ
What are the best restaurants in NYC for first-time visitors?
Try Balthazar, a SoHo brasserie; Keens, a Midtown steakhouse open since 1885; and Momofuku Noodle Bar, the East Village ramen bar where Momofuku began. All three serve dinner daily, apart from stated holiday closures such as Keens on Christmas Day.
Do I need reservations at the best restaurants in New York?
For Daniel, Sushi Nakazawa, and Keens, yes. Wildair, Indian Accent, and Momofuku Noodle Bar keep some space for walk-ins, but a seat is never guaranteed.
How much should I tip in New York restaurants?
NYC Tourism + Conventions gives 20% of the pre-tax bill as the standard tip for table service. Check the bill first, because some restaurants add a gratuity for groups of six or more.
How much does dinner cost at the best restaurants in NYC?
Individual dishes start at US$6 at Wildair, and pho, ramen, or pizza cost US$18 to US$28. Set menus run from US$88 at Indian Accent to US$295 at Daniel, before 8.875% tax and tip.
Where can I find the best pizza in New York?
Roberta’s in Bushwick, Brooklyn, holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. Its Bee Sting pizza costs US$26 at the cash price.
Is Jing Fong still open?
Yes, in Chinatown. Jing Fong serves daily at 202 Centre Street, but its Upper West Side branch closed on 8 March 2026.
Can restaurants in New York add a surcharge to the bill?
Not to listed prices, under a city rule in force since 19 April 2026. Genuine service charges, such as group gratuities, are allowed if shown before you order.
