St. Julivert Fisherie
Husband and wife team Alex Raij and Eder Montero are the owner-chefs behind this gem of a restaurant. The pair run a few lauded Basque-themed restaurants in New York (La Vara, Txikito and El Quinto Pino) and so it’s no surprise that St. Julivert doesn’t stray much from Iberia. The focus here, as the name suggests, is the coastal swaths of Spain, zigzagging between tradition and creative, with a few detours to Italy and other parts of the Spanish speaking world. Squid carbonara and the turmeric-laced crispy tuna bake will bring you back for more.
Website: saintjulivertbk.com
Area: Cobble Hill
Nearest metro: Bergen Street
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential
Laser Wolf
Food-loving New Yorkers used to regularly schlep the 99 miles to Philadelphia just to feast on chef Michael Solomonov’s Israeli fare. But now they can save some money on petrol or train fare by pointing themselves to Brooklyn. Set atop the Hoxton hotel, Laser Wolf fires up excellent charcoal-grilled skewers and an excellent char-grilled aubergine, but the main event is at the beginning when the server places the various salatim at your table: an array of ultra-creamy hummus, Turkish celery root, harissa-spiked beans, babaganoush and other snacks – all of which come with every meal and are free to order seconds.
Website: laserwolfbrooklyn.com
Area: Williamsburg
Nearest metro: Bedford St
Price: ££
Reservations: Essential
Shōta Omakase
Head to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and settle into this 16-seat Michelin-starred temple to raw fish and let chef Cheng Lin feed and entertain you. He loves to talk to diners, telling them where the fish is from and any other minutiae related to what you’re eating. The 18-course omakase will be the best thing you eat in a while.
Website: shotaomakase.com
Area: Williamsburg
Nearest metro: Bedford St
Price: £££
Reservations: Essential
Il Gigante
Located in increasingly hip Ridgewood, Queens, Il Gigante is one of the better Italian eateries in a city with an Italian restaurant on nearly every block. The high-ceilinged space feels like a lovely neighbourhood spot that you’re lucky enough to have stumbled upon or been whispered to by a friend with good culinary taste. The kitchen is channelling central Italy, but not so vigilantly to be constrained by culinary geography. The pasta-heavy menu includes some flavour-popping hits like the classic Roman dishes bucatini al’Amatriciana and spaghetti cacio e pepe.
Website: ilgigantenyc.com
Area: Ridgewood
Nearest metro: Forest Ave
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Lilia
Chef Miss Robbins went from Spiaggia in Chicago, where two of her loyal followers were Barack and Michelle Obama, and Michelin-starred acclaim at Manhattan’s A Voce, to this Williamsburg restaurant. In the exposed-brick setting, tuck into cacio e pepe fritelle (fried balls filled with gooey cheese and pepper), bowls of gnocchi slathered in broccoli pesto and fettuccine intertwined with spicy lamb sausage ragú. The wine list, which leans heavily towards Italy, is a good one, but so are the cocktail offerings, including potent varieties of the Negroni and the boulevardier.
Website: lilianewyork.com
Area: Williamsburg
Nearest metro: Bedford Ave
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential
Mario’s Restaurant
Few visitors know that the real Little Italy is in the Bronx. After strolling Arthur Avenue, lined with scores of Italian bakeries, restaurants, coffee bars and fine-food delis, grab a table at 100-year-old Mario’s – a true red-sauce joint if there ever was one. The style is over the top: white columns, paintings of the Old Country and waiters in tuxedos humming Dean Martin tunes. The kitchen is famous for its Neapolitan fare, including stuffed clams and more varieties of veal than should be legal. Try the veal scaloppine alla pizzaiola with a glass of Barolo.
Website: mariosrestarthurave.com
Area: Belmont
Nearest metro: Fordham Rd
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended
Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller’s taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations.
About our expertDavid Farley
David has called New York’s West Village home for the last 25 years, where he makes a habit of helping lost, Google Maps-wielding tourists to navigate the neighbourhood’s tangle of confusing streets, trying to steer them away from tourist trap restaurants and bars.
