Restaurants – Indagare

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The Butterfly

New York is a city packed with restaurants–and people obsessed with them. Weekends are planned around dining reservations, brunch is considered an art form and chefs are some of the town’s hottest celebrities. With hundreds of “must-visit” institutions ranging from time-honored classics to uber-cool hot spots, New York’s dining scene is enough to make even the most seasoned gourmands swoon. For an abbreviated list of restaurants, read Top Tables New York.

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15 East
When diners walk through the doors of 15 East, it becomes clear that they are about to have a unique, cultural experience. The restaurant is adorned with dark and minimalist décor that reflects a mysterious ambience. The staff, however, exudes...
Courtesy Stan Ptitsin
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4 Charles Prime Rib
Tucked away in the West Village, 4 Charles conjures up images of the classic haunts of New York with walls of rich mahogany, leather booths, maritime drawings and crystal chandeliers that are reminiscent of historic supper clubs. Begin with seafood...
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ABC Cocina
When this Latin-fusion sister restaurant to the famed farm-to-table ABC Kitchen opened in 2013, gourmands agreed that Michelin-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten had done it again. Like at ABC Kitchen, should you fall in love with the eclectic décor – glass...
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ABC Kitchen
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s farm-to-table restaurant in ABC Carpet & Home offers a fun, laid-back ambience, seasonal menus focused on local ingredients and a design-conscious dining room—after all, you are in one of New York’s most fashionable home décor stores. The menus...
courtesy abcV
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abcV
Jean-Georges Vongerichten introduced his third eatery, a vegetarian-focused restaurant, abcV, also inside the ABC Home Store. Staying true to the chef's culinary finesse, the menu at abcV is sophisticated, yet thoughtfully health-conscious and organic-based. The modern, airy eatery serves an array of breakfast,...
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Adoro Lei
Despite a trendy atmosphere, Adoro Lei is serious about its pizza. The pies feature intriguing combinations of toppings, including favorites like the Tullia (mozzarella, sausage, mussels, sambuca) and Pietro (cherry tomatoes, basil, arugula, prosciutto, truffle oil). Another highlight is the...
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Amaranth
Popular with ladies and art dealers who lunch, this is a chic Upper East bistro located just off Madison Avenue. The Mediterranean cuisine has Italian and French influences.
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AOC East
This UES outpost, of the beloved West Village bistro serves classic French fare — including petits plats like cassolette de ratatouille and entrées like coq au vin — in an atmospheric setting of exposed brick walls and antique maps.
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Arturo’s
Since its opening in 1982, Arturo’s has been one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the city. The coal oven pizza has garnered a cult following, and Neapolitan pizza lovers should look elsewhere. Thick, crusty and bold, the pizza...
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Atla
Opened in spring 2017, this casual sister to Cosme serves inspired Mexican cuisine with a focus on local ingredients, organic vegetables and simple preparations. Open from early in the morning until late at night, Alta serves up guacamole and goat cheese molettes and flax...
Courtesy Michael Grimm
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Augustine
Inside the downtown Beekman Hotel, Augustine channels a chic French brasserie with old-world touches like lavish chandeliers, antiques and mahogany furnishings. The atmosphere is buzzy and decadently celebrates the quintessential French joie de vivre. Rooted in traditional French cooking, the...
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Babbo
Serving inventive and elegant Italian, Babbo is the Batali/Bastianich restaurant. Northern Italian fare is traditional in technique but not necessarily in ingredients, which tend to come from Union Square Farmer’s Market as much as Italy. Simply, you cannot go wrong...
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Balthazar
Some mornings, there is no more restorative act than having breakfast at Balthazar. Just walking into the bustle and flow of that big Soho eating room is a mood-changer. The power of owner Keith McNally’s theatrical vision—great gilt-framed mirrors tilted...
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Bar Boulud
Located directly across Broadway from Lincoln Center’s main entrance, Boulud’s casual eatery offers a full bistro menu featuring classics such as coq au vin, escargots and steak frites. But the real star of the menu is the wonderful selection of...
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Bar Primi
The critical darling from Andrew Carmellini (the restaurateur behind such classics as Locanda Verde, The Dutch and Lafayette) is a more casual take on a Roman trattoria, where the emphasis is clearly on the pasta. The menu wowed from the...
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Bar Sardine
West Villagers were sad to see beloved Chez Sardine go, but trusted that the owners would reinvent the space with a similar concept. Following two weeks of renovation, Bar Sardine opened its doors, and while their signature pork and unagi...
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Barbetta
Open since 1906 and a favorite location for Woody Allen movies, this old-world restaurant is decorated with 18th-century Piemontese furniture and antiques. The staff is well accustomed to the theater crowd and will get you out the door in time...
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Barbuto
After shutting its iconic garage doors in 2019, Barbuto reopened in a new, larger space in the West Village. What has changed: the new Barbuto is more spread out, with an open-kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace. What...
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Benoit
The legendary bistro, Benoit, has been open in Paris since 1912, but its New York branch is far younger. As soon as patrons step through the front door, however, they feel transported to an authentic Paris bistro. The classic bar...
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BG Restaurant
On the 7th floor of New York’s most stylish department store, this restaurant draws ladies who lunch and midtown shoppers. The enfilade of rooms face Central Park and has been glammed up by LA designer Kelly Wearstler to create the...
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Blue Ribbon Brasserie
Blue Ribbon restaurants are always three things, warm, sophisticated and rich in chef spotting. Open until 4 AM, this New York institution is especially known for its late-night dining scene, home to after-service diners. Regulars include chefs such as Bobby...
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Bocaditos Bistro
This magnificent bistro, near the Cloisters, is the perfect stop after a tour of the medieval museum. From the crystal chandeliers to the classic tea sets, the restaurant’s old-world décor juxtaposes the menu’s avant-garde spins on classic French cuisine. Highlights...
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Boulud Sud
Chef Daniel Boulud’s outpost next door to the lively Bar Boulud offers a quieter venue. The menu focuses on fresh, grilled ingredients with a Mediterranean flavor. The décor includes contemporary works by Brazilian artist Vik Muniz.
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Buvette
This tiny French restaurant in the West Village is undeniably cute, perfectly Parisian and impossibly good. The small menu is complemented by a lengthy wine list and a short selection of delightful cocktails. The food is always on point (especially...
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Café 2
The Modern’s designers, Bentel & Bentel, are responsible for MoMA’s great surprise, Café 2: Meyer’s reimagining of a Roman trattoria. While the Modern’s entrance is on 53rd Street, you reach the informal Café 2 by going to the second floor...
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Café Altro Paradiso
The duo behind Soho’s renowned Estela opened their second restaurant, Café Altro Paradiso, in 2016. With a traditional Italian menu, the eatery features high ceilings, wood furnishings, a marble bar and a quasi-open kitchen. While the portions tend to be...
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Café Bilboquet
Located just a few doors down on 60th Street, Upper East Side mainstay Le Bilboquet’s sister café offers a delectable array of pastries and savory tarts in a space outfitted with toile wallpaper and velvet upholstery.
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Café Gitane
This Nolita mainstay is a great choice for breakfast or brunch (don't miss the baked eggs and avocado toast). On nice days you can sit outside on the street and observe the crowds strolling Mott Street. There’s a second branch...
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Café Habana
Passersby can expect to see a line out the door of Café Habana on almost any day of the week. This old-school Dominican diner is extremely popular for both its delicious Cuban food and its history. Owner and founder Sean...
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Café Sabarsky
Much more than a museum café, this cozy wood-paneled spot on the corner of Fifth Avenue serves delicious Austrian fare throughout the day. Coffee and a slice of cake lures many tourists and locals alike into the authentic café set...
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Carbone
Thompson Street isn’t Little Italy proper but it boasts some of the city’s best old-school Italian restaurants, including coal fired pizza at Arturo’s and hand-made pastas from Lupa (an original Batali/Bastianich venture). The brainchild of Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi...
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Casa Lever
The Midtown power-lunch set adore this modernist dining room decorated with Warhol silkscreens. A seafood-heavy menu is overseen by longtime Sant Ambroeus chef Mario Danieli.
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Casa Mono
This restaurant on a cozy corner on 17th and Irving Place has only a few tables and offers a tapas style menu. Ordering the right dishes is key here. My recommended menu would begin with the pan con tomate and...
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Charlie Bird
Charlie Bird demonstrates farm-to-table in an even simpler way, with a small but focused menu. A happening scene is punctuated by the neighborhood celebrities.
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Chinese Tuxedo
A departure from the casual, hole-in-the-wall Chinese spots in Chinatown, Chinese Tuxedo is housed in a former opera house. Chic and buzzy, the spot is decorated with massive potted palms, candles at every table and minimalist furnishings. Traditional favorites like...
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Claudette
New York’s French food revival continues apace with this Provençal eatery located down the street from Washington Square Park, the newest venture from restaurateur Carlos Suarez (Rosemary’s, Bobo). Named after the 91-year-old woman whose restaurant in Vaucluse inspired the cuisine,...
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Contra
Contra doesn’t look like much at first, hidden behind an unmarked storefront and with sparse interior décor. But since opening in 2014, the restaurant has been receiving high praise. The simplistic spot focuses on the cuisine, serving one five-course tasting...
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Cookshop
Located near the Meatpacking High Line entrance, Cookshop is ideal for those looking to grab brunch or lunch while strolling and shopping. Featuring farm-to-table simplicity, there are no frills or haute cuisine here, just simple American cuisine and a plethora...
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Cosme
Blending traditional Mexican flavor with local ingredients, Cosme serves such contemporary cuisine as duck carnitas, sliced raw Hamachi and sweet potato flan in sleek, minimalist interiors. The dining room features natural wood tables, potted plants and dim lighting, which reflect...
Cote, Courtesy Gary He
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Cote
This upscale Korean steakhouse in Flatiron occupies a navy-walled dining room where patrons cook their own steaks at tabletop grills. A critical darling, Cote offers high-quality cuts as well as more traditional steakhouse appetizers like a wedge salad, shrimp cocktail...
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Daniel
One of New York’s most celebrated culinary temples, headed by star chef Daniel Boulud, this restaurant was designed by Adam Tihany (of Per Se and Le Cirque fame). The dining room and bar area look fresh and inspired, while still...
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DB Bistro Moderne
A contemporary and chic take on a Parisian bistro, this restaurant in the heart of the theater district makes a burger with stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras and black truffles. If you’d prefer to eat after the show,...
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Dirt Candy
At Amanda Cohen’s vegetarian restaurant, any dish can be made vegan, but don’t be deceived – the menu is not only for juice-cleansing health nuts. With appetizers like southern hush puppies, comfort food is abundant, and everything is beautifully plated....
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Dirty French
Opened in 2014 by the team behind Carbone and Parm, Dirty French delivers modern French cuisine in a vibrant dining room at the Ludlow Hotel. The see-and-be-seen bistro on the Lower East Side is packed on any given evening, with...
Courtesy Ashley Sears
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Don Angie
Occupying a beautiful corner space in the West Village, this stylish eatery delivers upscale takes on comforting Italian classics. Owned by the same team responsible for Quality Italian, Don Angie has a retro design with a marble bar, a black-and-white...

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