Last updated June 2026
If these lists were not so effective at pulling in the right crowd I would not be writing them. Someone always complains. Why this place? Why not that one? Too bad. This is my list, my money, my meals. I eat here regularly, I pay my own bills, and I have zero obligation to include anywhere I do not genuinely love.
The criteria is always the same three things. Drinks. Staff. Food. All three have to be dialed in. If one of them slips consistently the spot does not make the cut. Simple as that.
This list gets updated as I eat my way through the city. Check back.
How I Judge a Restaurant
It is not just the food. Any decent kitchen can put out a good plate. What separates a great restaurant from a good one is whether all three pillars are working at the same time, every time. The drinks have to be right. The staff has to actually care. And the food has to deliver on whatever the restaurant is promising. If all three are consistently firing the place earns a spot. If one of them keeps slipping it does not.
10. Bar Chimera — Midtown
Why it made the list:
Brand new and already earning its place. Three separate bars, a living evergreen tree in the middle of the dining room, a martini program that converted my BFFL from a non-martini person in one drink, and a 550 Burger that is one of the best in the city right now. The whole operation runs the way you expect from this hospitality group which means it runs perfectly. Getting a reservation is a nightmare. Start planning now.
What to order:
The Potocki martini first. The 550 Burger. The green peppercorn sauce on the fries, not the Steak.
Best for:
Martini lovers, burger fans, anyone who wants to see what a brand new Midtown restaurant looks like when it is done correctly from day one.
Read the full review: Bar Chimera NYC
9. Chadwick’s — Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Why it made the list:
My home base for years. The routine never changes and that is exactly the point. Filet mignon, blue cheese, martini, Yankees blowing another lead. Comfort food, comfort chaos, and a bar staff that has seen me through enough bad weeks to qualify as therapy. Old-school Brooklyn steakhouse energy that no amount of Midtown polish can replicate.
What to order:
Filet mignon with blue cheese. Espresso martini. Whatever homemade dessert they have that night.
Best for:
Neighborhood regulars, solo bar nights, anyone who needs a reliable Brooklyn spot that never disappoints.
Read the full review: Chadwick’s NYC
8. Delmonico’s — FiDi
Why it made the list:
A New York City classic for a reason. Recently reopened and still carrying the weight of being one of the most historically significant restaurants in American dining. The steaks are dialed in but the Caesar is the real surprise. A deconstructed take that genuinely made me stop and pay attention, which does not happen often. Old school vibes, consistent plates, and a room that reminds you why this city has been doing restaurants right for longer than most places have existed.
What to order:
The Caesar first. Do not skip it. Then whatever the featured steak is.
Best for:
History buffs, FiDi power lunches, date nights, anyone who wants to eat somewhere that actually matters in NYC dining history.
7. Cote — Flatiron
Why it made the list:
One of my all-time favorites and the best Korean steakhouse experience in New York City. A5 wagyu cooked tableside, ingredient quality that puts most restaurants on this list to shame, and hospitality that makes the whole meal feel like an event rather than just dinner. The catch is you need at least four people and you need to plan ahead. This is not a spontaneous Tuesday night. This is a reservation you make three weeks out and look forward to every day until it arrives.
What to order:
The Butcher’s Feast. All of it. Trust the process completely.
Best for:
Special occasions, groups of four or more, serious food people who want the best tableside cooking experience in the city.
Read the full review: Cote NYC Butcher’s Feast
6. Smith & Wollensky — Midtown
Why it made the list:
Go ahead and call it basic. I will wait. The wine night deal at $95.99 for three courses and bottomless wine is one of the best group dining values in Midtown. Consistent food, consistent service, and a staff that takes care of you without making it feel transactional. Sometimes reliable is exactly what you need and Smith & Wollensky delivers it every single time.
What to order:
The wine night deal for groups. Classic ribeye if you are going solo. Bottomless wine either way.
Best for:
Groups, birthdays, wine lovers, anyone who needs a reliable Midtown night that does not require a second mortgage or three weeks of planning.
5. Una Pizza Napoletana — Manhattan
Why it made the list:
Some of the best pizza I have ever had anywhere. Chef Anthony keeps it small, tight, and completely dialed in. Every ingredient is either local perfection or straight from Italy. Minimalism done correctly is one of the hardest things to pull off in a restaurant and Una Pizza Napoletana does it better than almost anyone else in the city.
What to order:
Whatever is on the menu that day. Trust the chef. Do not overthink it.
Best for:
Serious pizza people, anyone who thinks NYC pizza peaked decades ago and needs to be corrected, minimalism lovers who appreciate when a restaurant does less and delivers more.
4. Maison Close — NYC
Why it made the list:
Brunch here is a full event and I mean that literally. The food is incredible but the experience is what puts it on this list. When you are sitting there sipping champagne while a half-naked dancer performs on a table during a bachelorette party nearby you are not just eating brunch. You are having a story you will tell for years. The food has to back it up for that to work and it does.
What to order:
Whatever looks best on the brunch menu. The champagne. Commit to the experience fully or do not go.
Best for:
Bachelorette parties, groups who want an experience not just a meal, anyone who needs a brunch story worth telling.
3. Au Cheval — NYC
Why it made the list:
The burger lives rent-free in my head and has for years. But do not sleep on the rest of the menu. The roast chicken is next level. The whole operation has that legendary diner and bar energy that is almost impossible to manufacture and Au Cheval has had it from day one. Drinks, staff, food. All three firing every single time.
What to order:
The double-stacked single burger. Runny egg. Bacon. Then the roast chicken if you have room. You will not have room. Order it anyway.
Best for:
Anyone who takes food seriously, burger obsessives, people who want to understand what legendary diner energy actually feels like.
2. Crown Shy — Financial District
Why it made the list:
Never had a bad experience here. Not once. The menu rotates, the execution never slips, and the hospitality is among the best in the city at any price point. During COVID they were serving food outside on a freezing street and somehow kept everything flawless. That is the kind of consistency that earns a permanent spot on any serious list. Crown Shy is what every restaurant in this city should aspire to be.
What to order:
Whatever is on the rotational menu. Trust the kitchen completely. They have never let me down.
Best for:
Special occasions, serious food people, anyone who wants to experience what genuinely great New York City hospitality feels like from start to finish.
Read the full review: Crown Shy NYC
1. Golden Steer — Midtown
Why it made the list:
Golden Steer is everything a great New York City restaurant should be. Old Vegas energy done correctly. Polished, intentional, and cool without trying too hard. The hospitality is old school in the best possible way. The food delivers every single time. The bar program is serious. The atmosphere hits the moment you walk in and does not let go until you are back outside wondering when you can come back. I walked in on one of the coldest days of the year and left warm. That is what number one feels like.
What to order:
Petite filet mignon, filet mignon tartare, espresso martini at the bar. In that order. Do not deviate.
Best for:
Anyone who wants to understand what a great New York City restaurant experience actually feels like. First timers and regulars alike. If you can only go to one place on this list make it this one.
Read the full review: Golden Steer NYC Review
Honorable Mentions
Frank — Lower East Side
Basically your grandma’s kitchen if your grandma were a downtown legend. Simple, honest, soulful food. Nothing fancy, just executed correctly every time. Did not make the top 10 this update but worth every visit.
Double Knot NYC
One of the most unique dining experiences in Midtown right now. Consistently one of your highest traffic posts for a reason. Worth its own conversation.
Final Thoughts
This list changes. New spots open, old favorites get revisited, and the rankings shift as I eat my way through the city. Check back because when something earns its way onto this list you will know about it.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.