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• Readers' Choice

• Best Picnic Lunch Supplier

  Bierkraft

  While Bierkraft is best known for its more than 1,000 bottled, canned, and draft beer selections, it's also stocked with artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and house-made spreads like chutney, sauerkraut, and olive tapenade. Pick up a few and then head to the sandwich counter, where the staff will generously pile cured meats and vegetables onto enormous baguettes. The finishing touch for… More >>

• Best Georgian

  Oda House

  Most of New York City's Georgians reside in Brooklyn, so it follows that most of this city's Georgian restaurants are in that borough as well. But when Oda House opened in the East Village, it offered a taste of the Eurasian country's dumplings, khatchapuri (cheese breads), and other rich dishes to Manhattan. Knowledgeable servers will walk you through the menu… More >>

• Best Burger

  Fritzl's Lunch Box

  Very much representative of Bushwick's ongoing gentrification, Fritzl's Lunch Box manages to offer highbrow versions of lowbrow food at more affordable prices, an ethos that translates to a burger that both celebrates and elevates the classic through its bold mixture of beef cheek and fatty chuck, and a sweet relish of pickles and onions. The patty gets a blanket of… More >>

• Best Hot Dog

  San Antonio Bakery II

  The weather-worn royal blue awning clinging to San Antonio Bakery II, a humble little bakery overlooking Astoria Boulevard, flaps in the wind over I-278 like a faint beacon signaling visitors from all over the city. Fans make regular trips, but not just for the Chilean pastries, homemade breads, and the shiny dessert counter. Most come for Il Completo, a juicy… More >>

• Best Place to Play Menu Roulette

  Shopsins

  The Shopsin family has a 40-year legacy of providing a compelling dining experience steeped in eccentricity and eclecticism, and Shopsins is famous for its massive menu. The current list is fairly trim at over 500 menu items, which range from brunch staples like French toast and burgers to the Shopsins' take on huevos rancheros, "Blisters on My Sisters." In addition… More >>

• Best Place to Go for Drinks and End Up With Clothes

  The Dressing Room

  Situated on the Lower East Side among a throng of unique restaurants and niche boutiques is The Dressing Room, the inevitable lovechild of the two concepts: A cocktail bar boutique that deals in cheap drinks, vintage clothes, and wares from independent designers. In a cozy, bi-level space, shoppers can browse a revolving selection of offerings or kick back and enjoy… More >>

• Best Scotch Egg

  The Flatiron Room

  Patrons may be drawn to The Flatiron Room for the library of nearly 700 varieties of whiskey, but the supplementary small plates are far more than just secondary pairings. From mac and cheese laced with Brussels sprouts and Calabrian chile to berry-braised short ribs, the food can be a genuine scene-stealer—particularly when it comes to the fantastic rendition of a… More >>

• Best Outer Borough Tasting Menu

  Bear

  Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky came to the United States as a political refugee following the collapse of the USSR, and determination is in her blood. So is art, thanks to her father, renowned Ukrainian painter Alexander Pogrebinsky. With the plate as her canvas at Bear, the chef employs the flavors, colors, and textures of her childhood home as the palette for… More >>

• Best Underground Supper Club

  Sunday Night Dinner

  Tamara Reynolds, a fiery redhead known for her frequently bleeped commentary as a host of Cooking Channel's Unique Eats, answers the buzzer with a gigantic hug and then whisks you up a flight of stairs and down a spiral staircase leading into a backyard garden strewn with multicolored light bulbs and anchored by a picnic table adorned with mismatched tablecloths.… More >>

• Best Food Court

  New World Shopping Center

  Flushing is home to one of the world's most vibrant and rapidly growing Chinatowns, and you need not look beyond the sidewalk to find Peking duck in spongy mantou, hand-stretched noodles, dumplings, and steamed pork buns. But at the New World Shopping Center, New York's largest indoor Asian mall, you'll find a mind-boggling food court where live lobster is plucked… More >>

• Best Popcorn

  Alobar

  Pork is the headliner at Alobar, and it even adorns the popcorn served as a bar snack. Diced pieces of maple-glazed bacon twinkle like porcine stars in a sky of fluffy popped corn, all lightly kissed with a dousing of truffle oil. Each bowl is sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, warm, and gooey in balanced ratios, a marriage of a favorite… More >>

• Best Museum Restaurant

  M. Wells Dinette

  When the already beloved M. Wells dining car closed in Hunters Point after just a year of business, prospects seemed bleak for the little eatery that had achieved almost overnight celebrity status. But then Chef Hugue Dufour and his wife Sarah Obraitis announced a new incarnation, M. Wells Dinette, in a classroom at MOMA P.S. 1, which seemed appropriate—their food… More >>

• Best Ice Cream

  OddFellows Ice Cream Company

  OddFellows Ice Cream Company pays homage to the ice cream parlors of yesterday, and it's something of a homecoming for chef Sam Mason, whose post–wd~50 career saw the former pastry chef delving into savory territory at Tailor before decamping to Brooklyn to own a bar, start a badass mayonnaise company, and, now, dole out uninhibited ice cream flavors to the… More >>

• Best Use of Pigs' Feet

  Salt & Fat

  Nearly all of Chef Daniel Yi's small plates at Salt & Fat in Sunnyside are irresistible, but if you don't have the luxury of sharing the entire menu with a group of friends, the Crispy Berkshire Pork Trotter is a must-order. Yi uses Berkshire pork hind shanks and trotters, braising them in an umami-rich pork-stock broth with dried shiitake mushrooms,… More >>

• Best Ice Cream Sandwich

  Melt Bakery

  The first time we stopped by the Lower East Side outpost of Melt Bakery, we asked the guy behind the counter to name his favorite ice cream sandwich. "I don't pick favorites," he said slowly. "But if I could only send one of my kids to college, well . . ." and then he nodded toward the Morticia. After countless… More >>

• Best Indian

  Bhojan

  In the sea of Curry Hill Indian joints, Bhojan, which specializes in Gujarati and Punjabi fare, floats to the top. The restaurant turns out heady curries and hearty stews, all of which are meat-free (and many of which are vegan). One solid way to experience the offerings here is to opt for one of three thalis, which nets you a… More >>

• Best Ethiopian

  Ghenet

  There aren't many cuisines more conducive to sharing a multitude of dishes than Ethiopian, and Brooklyn's Ghenet makes it particularly easy to order a family-style feast for the whole table: Order the Ghenet combination for four people, and you'll taste half of the meat-based stews and all of the vegetarian options on the menu for about $15 per person. The… More >>

• Best Korean

  Cho Dang Gol

  This K-Town Korean joint built its decade-long reputation on tofu, and it serves a particularly silken version cut into slices or mixed into stews, where it sops up flavor from pork, vegetables, and spicy orange broth. That tofu is worth your attention, but so are Cho Dang Gol's more carnivorous offerings, including dishes like the spicy galbi jjim. Hunks of… More >>

• Best Dim Sum

  Nan Xiang Dumpling House

  There are about a zillion reasons to take the 7 train out to Flushing and feast yourself into oblivion, and one particularly good one is the dim sum at Nan Xiang Dumpling House. You won't find carts clogging the aisle at this joint, so bring along a pal who knows what to order from a menu. Or just make a… More >>

• Best Austrian

  Edi & the Wolf

  That it's set deep in Alphabet City is no deterrent to the crowds that love Edi & the Wolf, Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban's beautiful East Village lair that pays homage to the fare of their homeland. Far from the train though it might be, you're still going to want a reservation. Nab one and know that you are not… More >>

• Best Restaurant Neighborhood

  Bushwick

  What started more or less with wacky Roberta's has blossomed into a full-blown restaurant movement, and these days it seems we're spending an inordinate amount of time in Bushwick checking out really interesting places—in the last few months, we've trekked out for Falansai, King Noodle, and Fritzl's Lunch Box, not to mention staples like the Narrows, Mama Joy's, Northeast Kingdom,… More >>

• Best Egg on a Roll

  Stage Restaurant

  We know, we know: Egg and cheese on a roll is a corner deli item, the mediocre breakfast that you buy from a spot you've chosen more based on proximity to your apartment or on the general agreeableness of the owner than on how well the place actually makes the sandwich. But Stage Restaurant offers good reason to go out… More >>

• Best Italian Restaurant

  Rubirosa

  In the battle for red sauce supremacy, AJ Pappalardo and Al Di Meglio's Nolita pizzeria brings a taste of Staten Island to Mulberry Street with addictive thin crust pies—carbon copies of the crisp rounds that have been coming out of AJ's dad's ovens at Joe & Pat's for over 50 years. Pastas are appropriately al dente, but it's the sausage-heavy… More >>

• Best British

  Jones Wood Foundry

  Despite our relative proximity to the U.K. (close enough by plane to make a long weekend trip), there are few places in this city doing British food properly, which makes Jones Wood Foundry, an Upper East Side pub, a real gem. Chef Jason Hicks re-works his home country classics to make them better, and so in addition to worthwhile (and… More >>

• Best Laotian

  Khe-Yo

  We've spent considerable time searching for a Laotian restaurant in the five boroughs only to come up short, so it's hard to overstate our glee when it comes to Soulayphet "Phet" Schwader's determination to bring this cuisine to Tribeca in a big way. Khe-Yo's dishes run the gamut from fairly traditional (see the green papaya salad and sticky rice plus… More >>

• Best Neighborhood Restaurant

  Katja

  Watch closely, and you'll note that the Katja staff knows just about everyone seated in its twice-expanded but still perpetually packed restaurant, and that's because a strong contingent of neighborhood denizens has adopted the spot as a go-to, the place you head when you've got nowhere to be at all. The Austrian eatery trades on its laid-back vibe, which is… More >>

• Best Vietnamese

  Bunker

  Ridgewood's been a neighborhood buzzword this year, bandied about by real estate hobbyists as The Next Place to Blow Up even as they casually ignore the fact that this has been an established family retreat for a long time. We'd like to think that Bunker played some part in drawing eyes to this Queens enclave; the restaurant certainly drew crowds,… More >>

• Best Spot for Homesick Californians

  Taqueria Lower East Side

  Movie posters, Lakers paraphernalia, and Mexican kitsch dominate every square inch of wall space at Taqueria Lower East Side, a hallway-size Los Angeles-style taqueria on Orchard Street where the noise from the crowd can escalate into a brain-thumping din. But for those eaters missing the taco shacks of the West Coast, this spot will take the edge off, especially after… More >>

• Best Wings

  Distilled

  We're usually purists when it comes to our hot wings, and we often scoff at chefs who think they can best Frank's Red Hot plus butter. But the poultry at Distilled wiped the smirks right off of our faces. These wings are served hot and juicy, the bird encased in a crackly shell and glazed with an addictive sauce that's… More >>

• Best Craft Beer Shop

  Top Hops

  Owner Ted Kenny worked for Anheuser-Busch for years, but he dreamed of owning his own craft beer shop. His chance came in 2011, when he first opened Top Hops' doors, and he's been steadily amassing a community of drinkers that range from neighborhood residents stopping by for their usual six-packs to traveling beer geeks in to discuss the wares. The… More >>

• Best Reason to Go to the Bronx

  Bronx Alehouse

  If you're looking for a solid reason to do a little exploring in a far-off region of this city, you might consider riding the 1 train up to the Bronx Alehouse, a beer bar that rises above many across the boroughs because it keeps a formidable list of frequently changing local, national, and international craft brews on draft and in… More >>

• Best Cheap Steak

  El Chivito d'Oro

  El Chivito d'Oro is an Uruguayan spot in the heart of Jackson Heights that deals in traditional meat-centric parrillada fare, and on its sizable menu, you'll find chorizo, veal steaks, and sweetbreads—which come piled by the half-dozen—in every imaginable combination. (Unless you're looking for a combination that comes with sides—salad and fries are afterthoughts and cost extra.) And while all… More >>

• Best Healthy Meal

  The Harrison

  The Harrison was an early adopter of the seasonal farm-to-table mantra, and the kitchen here, under the command of Ari Bokovza since January, is adept at keeping dishes simple to let produce shine. You'll find a number of good examples of that on the menu, but our favorite is the toasted couscous and farro salad, a wholesome treat that combines… More >>

• Best Soup

  Hanjan

  In the years since he opened Danji, Hooni Kim has come to be something of an ambassador for modern Korean food in New York. Hanjan is the chef's sophomore effort, a smartly dressed izakaya-style restaurant serving fresh-killed chicken skewers and a ramen soup that is only served after 9 p.m. because the broth takes 12 hours to cook, as good… More >>

• Best All-You-Can-Drink Wine Special

  Ardesia

  Every Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m., roll out of bed and hit this off-the-beaten-path Hell's Kitchen wine bar for a ridiculously high-value wine social. This isn't your average "all you can drink" booze brunch of diluted mimosas and watery bloody marys. Rather, for $25, you can toss back unlimited drinks—but they'll be good ones. Sample one, two, or all… More >>

• Best Sports Bar

  Brother Jimmy's

  There's something to be said for a chain of bars that's consistently packed week in and week out. With drinks the size of punch bowls, heaping portions of barbecue, and enough television sets to put P.C. Richard on notice, these frat-friendly stomping grounds bring out the sports fanatic in all of us. Brother Jimmy's friendly staff break out jerseys on… More >>

• Best Soccer Bar

  Banter

  Now that NBC's rights deal with the English Premier League has gone through, you could watch every game from bed if you wanted (especially nice for those 7:45 a.m. kick-offs). But with a bar like Banter in Williamsburg, why would you want to? A place for neutrals, in spite of its owners' support of Liverpool FC, Banter welcomes football fans… More >>

• Best Caribbean

  Gloria's Caribbean Cuisine

  With its vibrant West Indian population, Crown Heights has no shortage of Caribbean cuisine; on Nostrand Avenue alone there are three restaurants called Gloria's dishing out this type of fare. And Gloria's Caribbean Cuisine (that's the one between Sterling Place and St. John's Place, in case you get confused) is like fine wheat flour that makes the other places look… More >>

• Best Ramen

  Tabata

  How many ramen restaurants can New York City sustain? Because we thought the scene was saturated a while back, and still the noodle shops keep coming, all turning out serviceable bowls of soup that we often opt for based more on convenience than taste. There are notable exceptions, of course, and our current favorite is Tabata, a noodle shop nestled… More >>

• Best Chinese

  Land of Plenty

  When we're intent on burning our faces off with the food of southwestern China, midtown east is not usually the first neighborhood we contemplate. But after our minds have wandered through the East Village, the vicinity of Times Square, and Flushing—the neighborhoods where many of NYC's best Sichuan restaurants live—we frequently end up at Land of Plenty, a subterranean spot… More >>

• Best Outdoor Bar

  Berry Park

  Outdoor space comes at a premium in New York City, which explains the number of restaurants calling 3-by-3-foot patches of cement "patios." Some restaurateurs, though, were lucky enough to secure spacious roof decks or backyards with their leases, and they built out luxurious gardens worth lingering in for hours. Best of all is the rooftop bar at Williamsburg's Berry Park,… More >>

• Best Neighborhood Bar

  Red Hook Bait & Tackle

  Is there such thing as a destination neighborhood bar? Red Hook Bait & Tackle makes a compelling argument for the affirmative. This decade-old joint—with its taxidermy-bedecked walls, Christmas ornament-adorned ceiling, and a soundsystem that spews old country tunes—certainly nets a local crowd for its lineup of local brews and bloody marys with house-made maple-pickled ramps. But even if you're not… More >>

• Best Dive Bar

  169 Bar

  Scratch the surface of this city's shiny new restaurant façade, and you'll find iconic old dives that have seen decades of change in the demographics of their neighborhoods while still remaining gathering places for drinkers. Some of those spots are simple old drinking dens with rickety bars and a couple of stools; others offer games, jukeboxes, and entertainment alongside the… More >>

• Best Noodles

  Lam Zhou

  Step through the door of Lam Zhou on the border of the LES and Chinatown, and the fwap-fwap-fwap of a cook slapping dough into noodly submission on a back table will come to a momentary halt so that you can place an order. You want the dumplings, probably, and the beef soup noodle, definitely. The latter nets you those thin,… More >>

• Best Soba

  Cocoron

  No matter how you like your soba—cold, warm, vegetarian, or dipped (a nice compromise of temperatures)—Cocoron has you covered. This small shop is generally packed to the gills with buckwheat-noodle-slurping patrons, heads bowed toward their bowls or expectantly watching the soba gurus behind the main counter ladle and swirl the Japanese comfort food into stacked bowls. Though it's a small… More >>

• Best Mazeman

  Yuji Ramen

  Mazeman is "ramen without the broth," one might explain to the uninitiated, and these delicious noodles mixed with ingredients like fresh tuna, bacon, and sea urchin have helped turn Yuji Haraguchi's Yuji Ramen into a bona fide superstar; each bowl offers a lovable combination of textures and flavors. After running a stand at Smorgasburg for two consecutive years, the chef… More >>

• Best Off-the-Wall Meal

  Flock Dinner

  What started as one gathering of friends in Corey Cova's apartment has turned into the city's most innovative and eclectic dining experience. Diners are invited to purchase tickets to a meal prepared by ABV's executive chef. The rub? Courses aren't announced till the day of the event via Twitter, leaving BYOB pairings and your expectations an epic cliffhanger. Featured dishes… More >>

• Best Pizza

  Di Fara Pizza

  Every New Yorker has an opinion about the best pizza in New York, but no matter how many pies we try, we continue to return to the legendary Di Fara Pizza on Avenue J in Brooklyn. Each pie is handcrafted by pizzaiolo Domenico DeMarco, who bakes each pizza personally before he tops it with fresh basil and drizzles it with… More >>

• Best Salad

  Coppelia

  We've heaped praise on Coppelia before: Julian Medina—who's also behind Yerba Buena and Toloache—opened this eclectic pan-Latin diner two years back, and we were initially drawn to the late-night eats and fish tacos. But since the most tempting order here is a cut of meat plus rice and beans or something doughy and fried, it took us a while to… More >>

• Best Cheap Meal

  Punjabi Deli & Grocery

  It'd be easy not to expect much from Punjabi Deli & Grocery, a basement-level establishment. Rows of CDs featuring Indian pop singers line one wall while packaged candies and gum decorate the other, with no more than three feet to stand in between. And then you're required to step up to the counter, where orders are taken for pre-made dishes… More >>

• Best Sandwich

  Num Pang

  College buddies Ratha Chaupoly and Ben Daitz opened Num Pang restaurant back in 2009 in Union Square, and the Cambodian sandwich shop has since grown into four locations across the city. Inspired by Chaupoly's Cambodian heritage, the duo created fish-sauce–heavy, locally sourced sandwiches on fresh-baked breads, and irresistible, in-season sides, such as Greenmarket gazpacho and raw kale and daikon salad.… More >>

• Best Small Plates

  Estela

  After garnering attention, acclaim, and the occasional raised eyebrow at the original incarnation of Isa, Ignacio Mattos and his entire crew were unceremoniously let go, and one of the best chefs in the city was suddenly a free agent. At the recently opened Estela, Mattos has finally found the audience he deserves while cooking food that's as uncompromising as we've… More >>

• Best Spicy Food

  Tacos Morelos

  The bistec in salsa mora served at the brick-and-mortar outpost of Tacos Morelos (and not any of the roaming carts) may be the spiciest dish in the canon of NYC's Mexican restaurants. Dried chiles moras—small, spicy jalapeños slow-smoked over hardwood—are reconstituted in broth with cooked onions, guajillo chiles, and garlic, and then puréed into a thick rust-red paste that coats… More >>

• Best Sushi

  Tanoshi

  Tanoshi was poised for sushi stardom from the onset. The bar seats 10 comfortably, 11 if a solo diner is willing to squeeze into a corner spot—a wise choice, as the stool sits directly in front of chef Toshio Oguma—and before Tanoshi switched to phone reservations, hopeful eaters had to trek to the restaurant at 1 p.m. to scribble their… More >>

• Best Taco

  Taqueria Izucar

  In this diminutive taco shack on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick, Taqueria Izucar excels in the simplicity of a proper taco: tiny corn tortillas, hot meat, finely chopped onion and cilantro, and salsas that bloom with heat. Suadero, the most popular filling here, is brisket braised with vinegar, oregano, and garlic, and it radiates with the clean, iron-inflected taste of aptly… More >>

• Best Unhealthy Meal

  Mission Chinese Food

  What's better than bacon? Bacon that's been cooked, and cooked again, and then cooked again. At Mission Chinese Food, Danny Bowien's hip subterranean LES lair, the kitchen grabs a hold of classic Sichuan dish twice-cooked pork and thrusts it to new heights. Bacon is braised in ham stock, steamed, and then fried in a skillet before it's loaded with Sichuan… More >>

• Best Wrap

  Hampton Chutney Co.

  The humble dosa is ubiquitous in southern India, a simple treat of spiced potato enfolded in a crepe made from lightly fermented rice and lentil batter. But Hampton Chutney Co. upends that entire notion of simplicity via a menu of filling combinations that seem more at home at a deli than an Indian snack shop. Alongside the classic dosa, find… More >>

• Best Beer Garden

  Lavender Lake

  At Lavender Lake, the garden gets as much weight as the beer, where marble-topped tables and Adirondacks litter an ethereal space illuminated by twinkling lights. An elegant bar offers kölsch and cans of Tecate from the small but well-chosen beer list. (We like their brews so much, in fact, we'll forgive them for charging $4 for a 'Gansett.) While the… More >>

• Best Beer List

  Tørst

  Evil Twin owner and brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø consults on the beer list at Greenpoint's Tørst, which is why you'll note a number of his beers—including some rare one-offs—pour from wood-handled taps into goblets served across a marble bar. But this classy shrine to ales and lagers is far from a vanity project for one brand of brew, and Jarnit-Bjergsø spreads… More >>

• Best Craft Draft List

  Alewife

  With an ever-revolving tap list of more than 25 beers, Alewife is a beer geek's best bet for drinking straight from the keg. The Long Island City spot showcases a number of local breweries—such as Sixpoint and Singlecut—alongside hard-to-find brews from around the world and national all-stars. And that doesn't even include the nano keg offerings. If you can't decide… More >>

• Best Cupcake

  Sweet Generation

  With sexy, creative flavors like lavender lemon, strawberry malted milkshake (topped with a purple malt ball and a little paper straw), and rose gold (red icing in a rose pattern), Astoria-based Sweet Generation takes the cake for the best sweets in town. Founder Amy Chasan started the business on a new model of social entrepreneurship that supports arts programs with… More >>

• Best House Beer

  Ippudo

  Not only is the Brooklyn Kaedama Ale only found at Ippudo—the ramen hot spot known for its silky pork buns and luxuriant bowls of soup—but it was crafted by the creative minds of Brooklyn Brewery's beer masters and Ippudo's own ramen master, Chef Kanegae. The result is a dry beer with flavors of vanilla and dried fruit that balances out… More >>

• Best Bloody Mary

  Pine Box Rock Shop

  You could very well drink a bloody mary as a substitute for breakfast at Pine Box Rock Shop, a vegan bar housed in an old coffin factory in Bushwick. The killer classic version mixes soul-purifying salty tomato juice with vodka and spikes it with plenty of horseradish, pepper, and a vegan version of Worcestershire sauce, then loads it with a… More >>

• Best Happy Hour

  Jeremy's Ale House

  The essence of what makes a great happy hour spot is constant fodder for debate, but when you set foot inside Jeremy's Ale House, a 32-ounce Styrofoam cup of Budweiser in your hands should end the argument. This place epitomizes the idea of good drinks, good food, and good times, and buckets of cheap beer keep crowds happy from 4… More >>

• Best Hookah Bar

  Cloister Café

  Though the East Village is home to a variety of hookah hangouts, those who enjoy the aroma of scented tobacco should unwind in the outdoor garden of Cloister Café, where patrons have their pick of more than 40 flavors under a lush canopy of foliage. The intimate space helps smokers escape the downtown scene, and medieval décor makes them feel… More >>

• Best Margarita

  Gran Electrica

  All of the drinks at Gran Electrica are based on fresh-squeezed juices, liquefied vegetables like beets and cucumber, and syrups made with agave, and the perfectly calibrated margaritas are bracingly cold and bright with lime. Served in a sturdy rocks glass, these drinks are never cloying, so it's easy to have three. And we say go for it—if it weren't… More >>

• Best Martini

  Henry Public

  When you're working with a drink that's crafted by formula, how many different variations can you really find? When it comes to the martini, the answer is plenty, since over the years the rules were bent enough to allow for just about anything in a coupe glass to be listed as a martini on a menu. By our count, though,… More >>

• Best Cocktails

  Death & Co.

  When a bar offers a mixology reading list for patrons, you know that it takes its craft seriously. Step into dimly lit Death & Co., behind a tall wooden door with a gatekeeper host, and you'll find a bar with craft cocktail gurus, an expansive menu, and hushed tone of exclusivity. Suede, granite, and crystal decorate the speakeasy spot, and… More >>

• Best Local Distiller

  Tuthilltown Spirits

  Tuthilltown Spirits released its first batch of vodka in 2003 when it was operating out of a 220-year-old gristmill in Gardiner. Several years later, the distillery has numerous awards under its belt and a vastly expanded repertoire. Cassis liqueur, bitters, several types of whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin are all made on the premises, and the whiskeys are nationally recognized… More >>

• Best Local Brewery

  Barrier Brewing Company

  Barrier Brewing Company keeps turning out creative, wildly imaginative and super tasty brews. Its expansive, inventive list of credits includes petite saison Cycle, German rauchbier Frau Blücher, Belgian smoked wheat ale Le Pete, and Saazsquash, a butternut squash ale. Proprietors Evan Klein and Craig Frymark launched this venture in 2010 and brewed just two kegs at a time; the partners… More >>

• Best New Bar

  The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog

  In a city saturated with cocktail lairs, the Dead Rabbit stands out, and not just because it draws inspiration from the 1890s, an era that preceded the speakeasies modern bar owners like to channel. Upstairs in the parlor of this bi-level space, you'll find a massive list of thoughtfully crafted drinks created by internationally acclaimed bartenders Sean Muldoon and Jack… More >>

• Best Dumplings

  White Bear

  White Bear is little more than a glorified counter service joint that has just a few small tables crammed into its teeny-tiny entryway, which is often blocked by at least a couple of people waiting for a takeaway order. Get in line and order the wontons: The steamed dough-wrapped pork pockets come in a few different forms—bobbing in soup, for… More >>

• Best Wine List

  Pearl & Ash

  Don't be fooled by the downtown vibe and low markups at Pearl & Ash—the wine list is large, and it's serious. But every patron has purchasing power, regardless of income, and curious drinkers are rewarded as much as rich ones. Patrick Cappiello (of Gilt fame) helms the wine program at this sliver of a restaurant on the Bowery, and he'll… More >>

• Best Uyghur Dish

  Spicy Village

  To find Uyghur food in NYC, a trip to the outer perimeters of Queens or Brooklyn is usually in order. But in the center of Chinatown, you can find a fiery staple of Uyghur fare in an unlikely and un-Uyghur location: Henan noodle shop Spicy Village, which serves Dapanji—more descriptively known as Big Plate Chicken—in all its mouth-numbing magnificence. Delivered… More >>

• Best Take on a Classic Snack

  Lassen & Hennig

  Re-encountering a fond childhood foodstuff does not always turn out as we hope: When Mom bought us a Kid Cuisine to stick in the microwave when she wasn't going to be home to make dinner, it was a treat. In adulthood, the preservative-laden frozen brick is downright revolting. Lassen & Hennig have taken a childhood treat and outdone nostalgia by… More >>

• Best Jerky

  Waterfront Ale House

  Waterfront Ale House owner Sam Barbieri once told us that the West was won with two things: a Winchester rifle and beef jerky. And his jerky, at least, has the bang of a gun—it s seasoned with a special homemade blend of dried chile peppers Barbieri calls "gunpowder" that, even when incorporated with the jerky's sweet barbecue and savory umami… More >>

• Best Japanese

  Sakagura

  The Japanese take their food so seriously that even snacks at convenience stores are carefully wrapped and presented. So it's no surprise that cooks have a keen eye for every detail at a fine restaurant like Sakagura. The artful presentation of inspired fare, the vast selection of sake brought to the tables in botanical vessels, the subterranean location's secret garden… More >>

• Best Cure for a Hangover

  Chip Shop

  Those in the business of serving proper pints of ale and potent spirits until the wee hours of the morning know the antidote for a booze-fueled bender must involve as many fried things as can possibly fit on a plate. Bacon and sausage help, too, especially when surrounded by fried eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, greasy potatoes, and a mountain of baked… More >>

• Best Fries

  Mile End Delicatessen

  At Mile End Delicatessen, Jewish deli meets Montreal, and the results are spectacular, particularly when it comes to poutine, which starts with a bed of fries. But these fries aren't just fries. They are fries that are laden with melty cheese curds and thick, savory chicken gravy you'll soon be licking off your fingers, and if you're really taking things… More >>

• Best Senegalese

  Joloff

  Papa Diagne wasn't cooking like this when he lived in Senegal. There, men don't cook. But for 17 years in Brooklyn, he's been doing his mother country proud. In its colorful new location in Bed-Stuy, Joloff provides the same comforting, carefully prepared dishes that made it a Clinton Hill staple for years. The rice for which the restaurant is named… More >>

• Best Eggs

  Prune

  One of the problems with brunch: Anyone can make eggs. So why drop hard-earned cash on them? A compelling argument is the eggs en cocotte at Prune, Gabrielle Hamilton's tiny French-inspired bistro in the East Village. The egg, coddled and cooked softly, is a security blanket of fluffy whites and bits of white chicken. It's served with plenty of buttered… More >>

• Best Baguette

  Maison Kayser

  There's something in the water, they say, that makes the baguettes in Paris distinct. Better. Inimitable. Well, merci, Eric Kayser, for bringing the secret, water or otherwise, Stateside. At Maison Kayser, the globetrotting master baker gifts New York with his baguette Monge, named for the street in the fifth arrondissement where he opened the first of his many bakeries so… More >>

• Best Soup Dumpling

  Shanghai Café

  On a gluttonous tasting tour, the soup dumpling from Shanghai Café rose above its pork-packed counterparts thanks to its sturdy dough, pungently seasoned pig, and velvety broth. Xiao long bao emerge hot and steaming from a stacked basket, and they call for a particular eating method: sauce, nibble, pour, slurp, and finish. But if you screw it up, no worries—at… More >>

• Best French

  Buvette

  Uninterrupted service and a favorable cost-benefit ratio are the unsung heroes of Parisian eating, and they find an adoring, all-day audience in the West Village at Buvette. Small-plate menus tend toward high prices with small rewards, but at Jody Williams's tiny wine-bar-cum-country-café, the tartinettes are fully loaded. Here, the frugal Francophile will find comfortably executed classics like coq au vin,… More >>

• Best Conch

  La Caye

  At its worst, conch can be tough and chewy, with a pungent seawater taste. Not so at La Caye, a small Haitian restaurant in Fort Greene where three friends cook up authentic and subtly spiced island cuisine. There, the lambi, as the sea snail is known in Haiti, is served grilled, accompanied by a cool, slightly spicy mango sauce. Like… More >>

• Best Bar for Bartenders

  Amor y Amargo

  This tiny East Village bar is an intimate shrine to the art of the cocktail with a special focus on bitters—Amor y Amargo, of course, means "love and bitters." Drink creations are attributed like works of art, masterpieces that are treated simply and without pretension. But even if you're not up on cocktail terminology, don't stay away from this charming… More >>

• Best "Take That, Sandy" Comeback

  Fort Defiance

  "Fort Defiance was small, but an exceedingly strong defensive position." George Washington's words ring true still today, though it is a Red Hook café, not the military fort for which it is named, that deserves his praise. Sandy was undiscerning in her surge, and the little restaurant that could was no exception to the storm's destruction. But owner St. John… More >>

• Best Spot for Homesick New Englanders

  Littleneck

  It's cool right now to claim a New England affinity; it seems everyone's drinking Naragansett and slurping oysters in artistically weather-beaten bars somewhere in Brooklyn. Hate to break it to you: New York is a mid-Atlantic state. For the true Yanks who know that Down East is up north and quahog is something you eat, not pronounce, there's a little… More >>

• Best Vegetarian

  The Queens Kickshaw

  When it debuted, The Queens Kickshaw rapidly garnered praise for its grownup grilled cheese sandwiches, made with offbeat ingredients like gouda on brioche with tangy pickled jalapeños, creamy black bean hummus, and a sweet, tart spoonful of guava jam. Next, it was the pour-over coffees and rare java that percolated hype, followed by a suavely edited selection of craft beer,… More >>

• Best Vegetables for Omnivores

  Dirt Candy

  What Dirt Candy omits in animal protein, brilliant chef Amanda Cohen more than covers in liberal use of the deep fryer and a wild imagination. Seriously addictive jalapeño hush puppies, a silky cube of portobello mousse, and eggplant tiramisu with rosemary cotton candy are just a few of the things to keep a meat-eater's mind off animals at this tiny… More >>

• Best Case for Trying Sherry

  Terroir

  Sherry is stepping out of the drawing room, dusting itself off, and making its case to the masses. And it's helped along by Paul Grieco and his slew of Terroir wine bars, who offers it for $2.50 a glass during its daily happy hour till 7 p.m. That means you can easily sip sherry all the way to an appreciation… More >>

• Best Bakery

  Sullivan Street Bakery

  It smells of heaven in Hell's Kitchen because at Sullivan Street Bakery, Jim Lahey is baking bread. All kinds of bread: pane di commune and strecci coated in olive oil, bitter filone, and thin, long stirato baguettes. Medium-size ciabattas make for killer sandwich rolls, and the pane Pugliese is a study in extremes; the thick, crunchy crust a beautiful counterpart… More >>

• Best Use of Lotus Root

  Biang!

  Most eaters would not expect lotus root to be the culinary epiphany of an evening (we certainly didn't), but if you visit Biang! in Flushing, it just might be. Lightly drizzled with ginger, chiles, and sesame oil, the blanched and thinly sliced lotus root shines through, crunchy, clean and thoroughly satisfying.… More >>

• Best Falafel

  Zizi Limona

  Among only a handful of progressive Middle Eastern restaurants, Zizi Limona consistently impresses. The falafel are a triumph: Greaseless and sporting a shatter-crisp exterior, the charmingly misshapen brown pucks break open to reveal soft crumbs of mashed chickpeas, cilantro, lemon, coriander, and cumin. Even with such fine specimens, it's the deeply flavored condiments that push this plate to the top… More >>

• Best Russian

  Sorry Babushka

  Brighton Beach, eat your heart out: Our favorite Russian food comes from a Staten Island strip mall. The hearty, soulful cooking coming out of Sorry Babushka's kitchens is as spirit-lifting as the bright orange walls that cover the dining room are disorienting. Still, it's hard not to fall for a place that cooks lamb and pork with such proficiency and… More >>

• Best Desserts

  Butter & Scotch

  What do you get when you mix two bakers with beloved Brooklyn businesses and an affinity for the hard stuff? Marty Markowitz and the rest of his borough will soon find out with the opening of Butter & Scotch, a forthcoming bakery and cocktail bar from Kumquat Cupcakery's Keavy Landreth and Allison Kave, formerly of First Prize Pies. For now,… More >>

• Best Fujian

  Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine

  On a stretch of Eldridge Street peppered with hole-in-the-wall Fujianese restaurants, this barebones corner canteen serves one of the cheapest, most addictive renditions of peanut noodles in the entire neighborhood. At Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine, $2 gets you a heaping tangle of bouncy flat wheat noodles or chewy rice noodles sporting velvet-rich peanut sauce lent depth from a noticeable… More >>

• Best Muslim Chinese

  Yi Lan Halal

  Yi Lan Halal is yet another symbol of Flushing's love affair with Northern Chinese food and a welcome addition to the neighborhood's already abundant variety of represented cuisines. True to its roots, lamb is the favored meat here, best served as part of a "hand teared lamb" hot pot or as tender chunks stuffed into a hubcap-sized omelet; the whole… More >>

• Best Thai

  Ngam

  Miles away from the kitchens in Woodside, Queens, Hong Thaimee's East Village Thai restaurant has successfully done for Thai food what the Maharlika team has done for Filipino cuisine and Jason Wang for Northern Chinese, by juxtaposing traditional Thai flavors with the Western trappings (seasonality, sustainability) of a New York restaurant. Ngam serves some of the best pad Thai on… More >>

• Best Mac and Cheese

  Milk Truck

  In what seems like a natural next step from the grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes that made Brooklyn Flea shoppers and Smorgasburg tourists flock to Keith Klein's modest market stand and food truck, Klein's Milk Truck recently added a serious made-to-order mac and cheese, oozing with aged gruyère, cheddar, asiago, and mozzarella cheeses, coated in bechamel and topped with golden… More >>

• Best German

  Zum Stammtisch

  In the heart of a small German community in Glendale, this restaurant and beer hall is something of a Teutonic Cheers for area residents, who've ordered massive plates of wursts and schnitzels to go with their steins of frothy pilsners for over 40 years. They fill most tables, huddling over bowls of Zum Stammtisch's dense goulash, ordering from a competent… More >>

• Best Bar Bites

  The Wayland

  Meticulously curated with lamps and woods salvaged from a defunct 19th-century schoolhouse, if The Wayland were in less capable hands than the sandwich-crafting mitts of chef-owner Robert Ceraso, the airy bar would simply be known for its boundary-pushing cocktails and a tap that pours Fernet and house-made cola. Recently, though, the chef and his partners annexed a small foyer space… More >>

• Best Free Bar Bites

  Tip-Top

  Anyone with $5 in their pocket will feel welcome at Tip-Top, where the drinks are cheap ($4 draughts and $5 wells, poured strong). But it's also the kind of place where you can imbibe on an empty stomach and not hit the floor after two drinks: This dive hands out hot dogs with all the fixings, mama's meatballs, and sometimes,… More >>

• Best BYO Food

  Project Parlor

  We named Project Parlor Best New Bar in 2011, and it's still going strong two years later. Always an eclectic mix of hipsters and longtime locals, the bar has grills in the back but no kitchen: During the warm months, bring your own burgers and dogs, buy a $3 PBR tall boy, and invite friends. It's like throwing a party,… More >>

• Best Fast Food

  SCRATCHbread

  SCRATCHbread says it purveys fast food with slow-food thoughts, and the food that emerges from this little takeout window in Bed-Stuy is miles beyond anything from a drive-through. The bread is, indeed, made from scratch, and it's the cornerstone of SCRATCHbread's success, the bedrock of its sandwiches and breakfast treats, which runneth over with gooey cheese, yolk, pesto, and anything… More >>

• Best Barbecue

  Mighty Quinn's

  Hugh Mangum's beefy brick-and-mortar aspirations have become the stuff of barbecue dreams at Mighty Quinn's. Don't believe us? Proof comes sliced and piled into brioche buns in the form of brisket with a squirt of sweet-sour "Texalina" sauce. A hulking beef rib vies for the top spot with exemplary pulled pork. Both meats sport aggressive bark, with an interior that's… More >>

• Best Reason to Go to Staten Island

  Egger's Ice Cream Parlor

  Ice cream experiences this authentic are increasingly rare in a time when crooners stab at mounds of frozen dessert with paddles. Frozen in time like the numerous tubs that fill its freezer, not much has changed since the doors to Egger's Ice Cream Parlor opened nearly 75 years ago, including most of its ice cream recipes. We're particularly into the… More >>

• Best Malaysian

  Mamak Street Cart

  Training under Chef Jonathan Benno at Per Se gave Mamak Street Cart chef-owner Erik Cheah the techniques he needed to elevate his cuisine above the standard street fare craved by late night revelers and the lunchtime crowds. This mobile kitchen offers southeastern Asian staples like beef rendang curry, a mixture of spicy short rib coated in a variety of sauces… More >>

• Best Pop-Up

  Tchoup Shop

  Mardi Gras may only come once a year, but those who want a NOLA–style party in the Big Apple any day of the week should head over to long-running Brooklyn pop-up Tchoup Shop. Specializing in chicken biscuits, brisket-duck liver boudin balls, and po' boys, Chef Simon Glenn provides Louisiana ex-pats a place to call home, even if the setup moves… More >>

• Best Lobster Roll

  Luke's Lobster

  It's lucky for us Luke Holden decided to switch gears from his original career in finance—we love the no-frills, straight-off-the-ship taste he introduced to New Yorkers by way of his lobster rolls, which pile fresh Maine lobster coated with a layer of butter on toasted buns. And pairing yours with a bag of Kettle Chips and Maine Root Soda while… More >>

• Best Carnitas

  El Atoradera

  At first glance you wouldn't think that El Atoradera, a standard-format bodega in the Bronx, would dole out anything special, let alone the best carnitas in the city—there's not even a kitchen in there. But on Saturday and Sunday, owner Lina Chavez drags a deep cauldron into the center of the room to simmer chunks of pork in its own… More >>

• Best Margarita Pint

  Mexican Radio

  Those who work or live in proximity to Petrosino Square likely know all about the Mexican Radio happy hour, where $7 buys one of the strongest margarita pints you'll ever drink. But even if you're not looking to start your night with a bang, the drink is worth seeking; this tequila tipple is also the perfect blend of sour-lime and… More >>

• Best Grits

  Peaches

  An early outpost in a growing empire that includes The Smoke Joint and nearby Hothouse, Peaches offers buttery grits during brunch, lunch, and dinner with shrimp, catfish, or broccoli for a updated take on the southern classic. If you're not into grits as a main event, add them as a side to your meatloaf or eggs, and don't bother topping… More >>

• Best Delivery Restaurant

  Mangia

  "There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location." When combined with high-quality execution and consistent operations, this same axiom applies to delivery. Mangia is a well-oiled machine with three locations that provide coverage to a substantial swath of Manhattan. The menu features offerings that range from the lighter side (soup, sandwich, salad) to the heartier (pizza, pasta),… More >>

• Best 24-Hour Delivery Restaurant

  Remedy Diner

  If you're a night owl residing downtown, and you're looking to scratch an itch that a trip to the bodega can't reach, Remedy Diner is your panacea. The five-year-old diner offers round-the-clock delivery that can satisfy a vast range of cravings, ranging from the standard fare of omelets, French toast, and burgers to more exotic offerings such as wiener schnitzel,… More >>

• Best Fish

  Maison Premiere

  In the months since Lisa Giffen took over the kitchen at Maison Premiere, the Adour vet has further expanded the menu to the point where this crowded Williamsburg spot is no longer just a top-notch oyster bar with solid share plates and an excellent cocktail program headed by Maxwell Britten—it's now a destination restaurant for devourers of marine life the… More >>

• Best Australian

  The Thirsty Koala

  With boomerangs and a didgeridoo displayed among vibrantly lit blond onyx and pinewood-planked walls, The Thirsty Koala is the collaboration of three neighborhood mates: Katherine Fuchs (former FDNY chief turned executive chef), Alex Styponias (Astoria-born mixologist, raised in Greece), and Christine Chellos (Aussie transplant and financial advisor). The menu is polka-dotted with dishes, cocktails, and desserts either native to Australia… More >>

• Best Way to Go to a Four-Star Restaurant for Cheap and Charity

  Le Bernardin

  Le Bernardin is one of those monuments to fine dining that seems impervious to trends and recessions. For the rest of us who are influenced by ebbs and flows and economics, there's still a way to get in the four-star doors without spending the better part of a paycheck. On weekdays, the restaurant generously offers a $45 three-course lunch in… More >>

• Best Jewelry-Grade Knife Store

  Korin

  This temple to the culinary knife is one of those retail stores so specific that it's astounding it can afford Manhattan real estate. The elegant wares at Korin range from preposterously high-end collectible sashimi knives to slightly more practical—but still objet d'art—cutlery for the serious, fiscally flush chef. The place is Japanese in merchandise and presentation; it's quiet and softly… More >>

• Best No-Frills Fromagers

  East Village Cheese

  From the street, it's hard to tell what sort of magic is happening inside East Village Cheese. Windows are entirely papered over with felt-tipped announcements of the latest steals: Taleggio at $3.99 per pound! Manchego at $13.99 per pound! Step inside, though, and you'll find many of your favorite cheeses from the fancy cheese counter for way less than any… More >>

• Best Destination Food Market

  Despaña Brand Foods

  Despaña Brand Foods recalls the northern Basque shores of Spain. Clean, bright, and manicured, the shop is part market, part tapas café, and with Spanish hams, cheeses, and an endless array of specialty items—like vinegar-cured boquerones and guindilla peppers—it's easy to get lost in the splendor. Select a few ready-made bocadillos (try the tortilla and El Quixote) and pintxos (perhaps… More >>

• Best Hot Pot

  Hakata Tonton

  The Hakata Tonton hot pot has devotees from all over the city, and it's no wonder: A mound of pork belly, pig feet, soft tofu, plump dumplings, fresh cabbage, and green onions come simmering in a broth, which continues to develop as the hot pot cooks, becoming potent, rich, and spicy soup. The best part? The restaurant offers freshly boiled… More >>

• Best Octopus

  Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

  Amid towering entrées and delectable desserts at Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, a tentacled sea creature beckons us back. The pulpo a la plancha is octopus at its finest. Cooked in a dashi broth until tender and then roasted on a hot plancha until the spindly legs are crispy around the edges, the mollusk's accompaniments change with the season. But… More >>

• Best Pig's Head

  Peasant

  Plan ahead if you want to partake in Peasant's unusual pig's head special: Only two or three are available each evening, taken from the roasted suckling pigs offered on the restaurant's regular dinner menu after they've spent three hours on a spit. The kitchen splits the heads in half before stuffing onion and shallots sauteed in olive oil and white… More >>

• Best Brooklyn Cocktails

  James

  James owners Deborah Williamson and Bryan Calvert live above their Prospect Heights restaurant, and the fresh herbs they grow in their rooftop garden often show up on their menus. They also make their own bitters, an endeavor that launched a peripheral company, Cecil & Merl. The ever-evolving cocktail menu incorporates these advantages in simple, elegant, and balanced offerings. Try, for… More >>

• Best Fried Chicken

  Charles' Country

  Charles Gabriel is fried chicken royalty, and the North Carolina-inspired pan-fried chicken he makes at Charles' Country is undoubtedly the best of its kind. In addition to constantly tending to the meat as it cooks, Gabriel seasons his chicken three separate times before it gets to the warming tray at this renowned Harlem buffet. Without a sludgy batter to weigh… More >>

• Best Gallery-Bar Combo

  Culturefix

  Culturefix is part bar, gallery, poetry forum, theater stage, catering business, and event space—which makes it a true original. The venue hosts a number of parties including comedy nights, tastings, and tech entrepreneur meetups, but its real draw is an ever-rotating array of art and an eclectic mix of beers. Owner Ari Stern captures it best: "We want people to… More >>

• Best Group Board Games Bar

  West 3rd Common

  Guess Who?, Sorry!, and Scattergories line the shelves at this sizable Greenwich Village lounge, making West 3rd Common ideal for those who love to play drinking games other than "chug the beer." Tables are large enough to gather a group of friends making poor (Game of) life choices; a menu focused on easy-to-share plates like pretzel-coated chicken fingers ensures you… More >>

• Best Place to Relive 1969

  Eddie's Sweet Shop

  Homemade ice cream, egg creams, and a decor that practically shouts "Greased lightning!" keep fans coming back to this Forest Hills soda fountain decade after decade. Lovers and friends grab Eddie's Sweet Shop's wooden booths and old-school bar stools to enjoy well-executed ice cream flavors like chocolate, butter pecan, and rum raisin. The hot fudge sundae topped with walnuts and… More >>

• Best Reopening

  Fatty 'Cue

  When the crew took its time renovating the Brooklyn barbecue outpost, anxious anticipation grew as people began to wonder when—if ever—this iconic joint would reopen. Eventually, the plywood came off Fatty 'Cue, though, revealing a new, sleeker pig palace. The menus got an upgrade, too: Old favorites like nasi ulam and dragon pullman toast sit alongside new items like the… More >>

• Best Outdoor Market

  Smorgasburg

  Brooklyn's traveling road show of artisan pickles, beef jerky, and cold brew coffee gets better each year, even as the crowds approach circus levels. Smorgasburg moved a block away from its original Williamsburg lot this summer, but the spectacular view overlooking the Manhattan waterfront, and its proximity to the East River Ferry, remain unchanged. And the shift meant moving to… More >>

• Best Schnitzel

  The Marrow

  The Marrow is Harold Dieterle's third New York City affair, and it combines the original Top Chef winner's German and Italian ancestry, producing a menu rich in familial traditions. It's the hearty portion of duck schnitzel that stands out, though, and it remains a staple on the ever-changing seasonal menu. Crunchy, moist, and taking up most of the plate, the… More >>

• Best Stadium Dining Experience

  Barclays Center

  The best part of the Nets moving to Brooklyn is that the team's new arena showcases some killer food. Barclays Center rolls deep in local Brooklyn vendors like Fatty 'Cue, Calexico, Habana Outpost, and L&B; Spumoni Gardens, which deal meatballs and Cuban sandwiches in addition to traditional stadium fare like hot dogs and Coke. There's also an outpost of Jay… More >>

• Best Rooftop Farm

  Rosemary's

  Inside an airy, rustic space, chef Wade Moises treats diners to fresh takes on Italian classics like spaghetti alla pomodoro, panzanella, and acqua pazza. On the roof, tomato vines and bushy herbs do the dirty work of keeping the kitchen stocked with fresh produce. Rosemary's boasts New York's most lavish restaurant rooftop garden, and while there's no way a 1,000-square-foot… More >>

• Best Bar for a Weeknight

  Bizarre

  For its frequent live performances that range from dance to folk singers to freaky and unclassifiable acts (like the Great Matthew Silver) as well as the old movies projected on the wall, Bizarre is a great destination any night of the week. The bar really shines on weeknights, when the crowd is quieter, there is no line for the bar… More >>

• Best Place for a Group Dinner

  Royal Bangladesh

  As you stroll down Curry Lane in the East Village, ignore the menu-wielding men on every brightly painted doorstep, ushering unwitting tourists and neighborhood noobs inside faster than they can say "Naan." Duck instead into Royal Bangladesh, where the low-ceilinged dining room glows red with chile lights. The food is classic Bengali, cheap and spicy; we particularly recommend the chicken… More >>