The Hottest New Restaurants in Manhattan (2024)

Alex Lau/Kisa

The revival of a longtime Roumanian steakhouse and a Korean taxi driver restaurant join the list this month

by Eater Staff Updated May 1, 2024, 10:24am EDT

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| Alex Lau/Kisa

Those who can afford to dine out at the Mark and Nougatine may enjoy Four Twenty Five from Jean-Georges Vongerichten. At this two-story restaurant with both a tasting menu and a la carte, Midtown power dining is in full force, here led by chef Jonathan Benno in a menu of Italian and American cooking. It’s been likened to Major Food Group’s the Grill.

• Open in Google Maps

Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

Leave it to the team behind the Michelin-starred steakhouse Cote to open New York City’s most lavish temple to fried chicken. (In fact, the space itself resembles a clubby worship house of sorts). You can definitely ball out here (there are 800 tins of caviar and a list of 400 Champagnes rumored to bethe largest in the country), but the menu is also plenty flexible to those looking for affordability. The Bucket List is a $38 set with the star fried chicken that comes with many dipping sauce options and banchan.

• Open in Google Maps

Coqodaq

In 2020, Soothr opened in the East Village with some of the more thrilling Thai food the city had seen in years. Now, the trio of owners have debuted Sappe, a restaurant that focuses on skewers. There are 12 options — pork belly, intestine, squid, and more — cooked over Japanese charcoal grills. The lively, neon-coated feel of the interiors makes the spot a good pre-game option. Beware: co*cktails can add up with one option on the list priced at an eye-popping $27. There’s also a door that leads to its speakeasy.

• Open in Google Maps

Luke Fortney/Eater NY

The team behind Don Angie has opened a seafood-filled follow-up offering whimsical Italian dishes like pepperoni carbonara and head-on shrimp Parm. Eater critic’s visited the restaurant during opening week and called its menu a flavorful “rollercoaster ride.”

• Open in Google Maps

Evan Sung/San Sabino

Figure Eight opened at the end of 2023 from the team behind neighboring Silver Apricot. Here, American Southern and Chinese flavors meld for a menu that feels distinctly its own. There are turnip cake tots with shrimp ketchup, starfruit salad with tofu, collard greens with pork belly, and fried skate with buttermilk ranch and chile crisp. Much of the menu includes seafood, a nod to the storefront’s former tenant, Pearl Oyster Bar.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Stephanie Wu/Eater NY

When Claud opened in the East Village it was a hit — needless to say, the restaurant became hard to get a reservation. To help remedy that, the team has expanded upstairs with Penny, a seafood bar geared towards walk-ins and the after-work crowd (it’s only open on weekdays). The restaurant is entirely counter seating, the kind of place to drop in for something spendy or a little luxury snack like its shrimp co*cktail. Eater critic Robert Sietsema stopped by for a first look.

• Open in Google Maps

Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet/Penny

Following the success of the Lower East Side Okiboru centered on tsukemen, the team has opened an udon spot. The specialty here is Himokawa udon, a wide, flat noodle, popular in Japan, that has finally arrived in New York. This style of udon is served with a dipping sauce or in a soup, in sets with tempura. Beware: Right now, lines are fierce and the restaurant is quite tiny, with only counter seating. We suggest going early as a solo diner.

• Open in Google Maps

Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Hamburger expert George Motz serves one of the most talked-about-burgers in town. He recently teamed up with the team behind Schnipper’s to open this sunny yellow luncheonette with a burger “America deserves.” Beyond the smash burger and Motz Burger (with fried onions) available, there’s the off-menu Chester, as well as wedges of pie, coffee, and chocolate chip cookies.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Jimmy Rizvi, owner of the Gramercy restaurant,GupShup, and Vikas Khanna, formerly executive chef of Junoon, and host and judge ofMasterChef India,have teamed up to open something new. Bungalow, an ambitious East Village spot, features dishes like Malai chicken with pomegranate garlic reduction and a purple sweet potato chaat, as well as larger plates like the goat Nihari or chicken biryani.

• Open in Google Maps

Alex Staniloff/Bungalow

Kisa, short for kisa sikdang (also spelled gisa sikdang), or “driver’s restaurant,” is an homage to Korean diners that emerged in the ‘80s, catering to taxi drivers.The 36-seat spot echoes kisas in Korea, with vintage TVs, wall-mounted fans, Korean calendars, and a coin-slot coffee machine that dispenses coffee. Thebaekbanhomestyle menu comes on a tray with banchan and different main dishes, including jeyuk (spicy pork); bulgogi;bori bibimbapwith barley rice; and jingeo bokkeum (spicy squid). Walk-in only.

• Open in Google Maps

Kisa/Alex Lau

A New York institution for 50 years, Jewish Romanian steakhouse, Sammy’s, which closed in its original location in 2021, recently reopened nearby. The 70-seat restaurant will feature the same staff and sometimes controversial performances of the original. It’s only open on weekends until June, when weekday service resumes. Like the old Sammy’s, there will be iced bottles of vodka on tables, and it will serve items like veal chops and tenderloins.

• Open in Google Maps

Sammy’s Roumanian

Chef Fidel Caballero is an alum ofContra and elements of that job emanate in the design of Corima, a minimalist dining room with tiling and exposed brick. Caballero’s menu nods to Northern Mexico, with some Japanese and Chinese influence split between two distinct menus. In the back, there’s a $98 per person tasting menu with dishes like udon made with cornhusk dashi. In the front, there’s a more casual a la carte serving a duck taquiza with a banchan set-up and chocolate flan for dessert. Don’t skip the flour tortilla.

• Open in Google Maps

Jovani Demetrie/Corima

Those who can afford to dine out at the Mark and Nougatine may enjoy Four Twenty Five from Jean-Georges Vongerichten. At this two-story restaurant with both a tasting menu and a la carte, Midtown power dining is in full force, here led by chef Jonathan Benno in a menu of Italian and American cooking. It’s been likened to Major Food Group’s the Grill.

• Open in Google Maps

Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

Leave it to the team behind the Michelin-starred steakhouse Cote to open New York City’s most lavish temple to fried chicken. (In fact, the space itself resembles a clubby worship house of sorts). You can definitely ball out here (there are 800 tins of caviar and a list of 400 Champagnes rumored to bethe largest in the country), but the menu is also plenty flexible to those looking for affordability. The Bucket List is a $38 set with the star fried chicken that comes with many dipping sauce options and banchan.

• Open in Google Maps

Coqodaq

In 2020, Soothr opened in the East Village with some of the more thrilling Thai food the city had seen in years. Now, the trio of owners have debuted Sappe, a restaurant that focuses on skewers. There are 12 options — pork belly, intestine, squid, and more — cooked over Japanese charcoal grills. The lively, neon-coated feel of the interiors makes the spot a good pre-game option. Beware: co*cktails can add up with one option on the list priced at an eye-popping $27. There’s also a door that leads to its speakeasy.

• Open in Google Maps

Luke Fortney/Eater NY

The team behind Don Angie has opened a seafood-filled follow-up offering whimsical Italian dishes like pepperoni carbonara and head-on shrimp Parm. Eater critic’s visited the restaurant during opening week and called its menu a flavorful “rollercoaster ride.”

• Open in Google Maps

Evan Sung/San Sabino

Figure Eight opened at the end of 2023 from the team behind neighboring Silver Apricot. Here, American Southern and Chinese flavors meld for a menu that feels distinctly its own. There are turnip cake tots with shrimp ketchup, starfruit salad with tofu, collard greens with pork belly, and fried skate with buttermilk ranch and chile crisp. Much of the menu includes seafood, a nod to the storefront’s former tenant, Pearl Oyster Bar.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Stephanie Wu/Eater NY

When Claud opened in the East Village it was a hit — needless to say, the restaurant became hard to get a reservation. To help remedy that, the team has expanded upstairs with Penny, a seafood bar geared towards walk-ins and the after-work crowd (it’s only open on weekdays). The restaurant is entirely counter seating, the kind of place to drop in for something spendy or a little luxury snack like its shrimp co*cktail. Eater critic Robert Sietsema stopped by for a first look.

• Open in Google Maps

Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet/Penny

Following the success of the Lower East Side Okiboru centered on tsukemen, the team has opened an udon spot. The specialty here is Himokawa udon, a wide, flat noodle, popular in Japan, that has finally arrived in New York. This style of udon is served with a dipping sauce or in a soup, in sets with tempura. Beware: Right now, lines are fierce and the restaurant is quite tiny, with only counter seating. We suggest going early as a solo diner.

• Open in Google Maps

Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Hamburger expert George Motz serves one of the most talked-about-burgers in town. He recently teamed up with the team behind Schnipper’s to open this sunny yellow luncheonette with a burger “America deserves.” Beyond the smash burger and Motz Burger (with fried onions) available, there’s the off-menu Chester, as well as wedges of pie, coffee, and chocolate chip cookies.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Jimmy Rizvi, owner of the Gramercy restaurant,GupShup, and Vikas Khanna, formerly executive chef of Junoon, and host and judge ofMasterChef India,have teamed up to open something new. Bungalow, an ambitious East Village spot, features dishes like Malai chicken with pomegranate garlic reduction and a purple sweet potato chaat, as well as larger plates like the goat Nihari or chicken biryani.

• Open in Google Maps

Alex Staniloff/Bungalow

Kisa, short for kisa sikdang (also spelled gisa sikdang), or “driver’s restaurant,” is an homage to Korean diners that emerged in the ‘80s, catering to taxi drivers.The 36-seat spot echoes kisas in Korea, with vintage TVs, wall-mounted fans, Korean calendars, and a coin-slot coffee machine that dispenses coffee. Thebaekbanhomestyle menu comes on a tray with banchan and different main dishes, including jeyuk (spicy pork); bulgogi;bori bibimbapwith barley rice; and jingeo bokkeum (spicy squid). Walk-in only.

• Open in Google Maps

Kisa/Alex Lau

A New York institution for 50 years, Jewish Romanian steakhouse, Sammy’s, which closed in its original location in 2021, recently reopened nearby. The 70-seat restaurant will feature the same staff and sometimes controversial performances of the original. It’s only open on weekends until June, when weekday service resumes. Like the old Sammy’s, there will be iced bottles of vodka on tables, and it will serve items like veal chops and tenderloins.

• Open in Google Maps

Sammy’s Roumanian

Chef Fidel Caballero is an alum ofContra and elements of that job emanate in the design of Corima, a minimalist dining room with tiling and exposed brick. Caballero’s menu nods to Northern Mexico, with some Japanese and Chinese influence split between two distinct menus. In the back, there’s a $98 per person tasting menu with dishes like udon made with cornhusk dashi. In the front, there’s a more casual a la carte serving a duck taquiza with a banchan set-up and chocolate flan for dessert. Don’t skip the flour tortilla.

• Open in Google Maps

Jovani Demetrie/Corima

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