October has officially arrived in New York City, bringing crisp mornings, peak fall vibes, and a very good excuse to make dinner plans.
Between Halloween season taking over the city and fall foliage beginning to transform NYC’s parks, there’s plenty happening outside—but the city’s restaurant scene is giving us just as many reasons to stay out late.
A fresh slew of bars, restaurants, and buzzy new openings are popping up across the five boroughs, giving New Yorkers even more spots to add to their rotation.
From new neighborhood gems to splashy openings already making waves, these are the places you’ll want to know about this month.
Here are the new NYC bars and restaurants defining October.
iara – Now Open
iara, a new Brazilian open-kitchen restaurant inspired by the Amazon Rainforest, is now open, marking chef-owner Vitor Mendes’ first solo restaurant project.
The menu spotlights ingredients native to the Brazilian Amazon, including açaí, cassava, jambu, and tucupi, with dishes like tapioca and tuna, Rainforest Soup, pão de queijo, and charcoal-grilled seasonal greens.
Larger plates include Brazilian moqueca with red snapper, coconut milk, and tucupi and a 10-ounce charcoal-grilled picanha served with cassava fries, açaí ketchup, and toasted cassava flour.
Caputo Bagels – Now Open
Caputo Bagels has officially opened in Park Slope, bringing a new generation of Caputo’s baking to the neighborhood in the form of hand-rolled sourdough bagels.
Made over roughly two days with a 45-year-old sourdough starter, the bagels are individually rolled, boiled, and baked in small batches throughout the day. The menu includes classics like Plain, Sesame, and Everything, plus cream cheeses, smoked salmon, whitefish, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and coffee.
Don’t miss the Lard Provolone Bagel, a $4 nod to Caputo’s famous lard bread made with lard, meat, provolone, salt, and pepper.
Good Company – Now Open
Good Company, a new restaurant and cocktail bar from the team behind Yesterday’s, is opening October 8 in SoHo, bringing seasonal American fare, creative cocktails, and a warm, design-forward setting to New Yorkers.
The bi-level spot will serve shareable bites and comfort-food favorites like Wagyu French Dip Sliders, Grilled Mortadella Skewers, a signature Good Burger, Chicken Schnitty, and crispy fish sandwiches, alongside cocktails ranging from classics to inventive creations like the Matchapeno and Purple Negroni.
With its cozy interiors, greenery, and late-night vibe, Good Company is designed for everything from after-work drinks and date nights to dinner with friends.
Calabash – Now Open
Calabash, a new Afro-Caribbean brasserie and bakery, is opening this October in the West Village, bringing together flavors and culinary traditions from West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Seaboard.
The 30-seat spot will serve everything from naturally fermented breads and laminated pastries in the morning to brasserie-style lunch and brunch dishes like suya steak & maduros and cornbread pancakes. Dinner will feature a five-course prix-fixe menu with dishes like Hoppin’ John dolma, red snapper with sweet corn and étouffée-style gravy, and crispy pork belly with tahdig jollof.
Calabash will also offer house-fermented mocktails, non-alcoholic wines, and adaptogenic drinks, plus a monthly Pay What You Can dinner.
Straker’s – Now Open
Straker’s, the celebrated west London restaurant from chef and restaurateur Thomas Straker, has officially opened its doors in SoHo.
Located inside the storied former home of Lucky Strike, the restaurant–marking the first location outside of London–brings the restaurant’s ingredient-led, wood-fired cooking, and signature energy to one of downtown Manhattan’s most recognized addresses.
The menu centers on produce cooked over wood fire and in a wood-fired oven–think: Lucky Lime Oysters with vinaigrette, flatbreads topped with girolles, taleggio, and basil or mussels and chili butter, a Red Shrimp and Foie Gras Tostada, and more.
At the center of the space is an expansive open kitchen clad in steel with green stone counters. At the front, the bar and low banquettes offer direct views of the kitchen, while the back dining room provides a more formal setting for dinners, events, and larger groups.
Sakasama – Now Open
An Atoboy alum has officially opened Sakasama in Midtown.
A Japanese handroll, temaki, and sake bar, the space is centered around a long, 20-seat sushi counter where guests can watch each handroll being made and have it passed directly from chef to diner, one at a time.
The menu goes beyond the standard handroll lineup with Kaviari caviar, uni, torched A5 Wagyu and eel, plus Japanese Milk Bread Toasts topped with uni and uni cream, ikura with yuzu crème fraîche, or Kaviari caviar with smoked crème fraîche.
Depending on where you sit, the experience changes–at the sushi counter, handrolls come out one at a time with warm rice and crisp nori, while at the tables, the same combinations are served as open-style temaki and arrive all at once.
Naked Tomato – Now Open
Internationally acclaimed chef Eyal Shani has officially opened Naked Tomato at Williamsburg Wharf in Brooklyn.
The Mediterranean restaurant celebrates seasonal ingredients and simple, expressive cooking, blending the nostalgic feel of a diner with the lively energy of Tel Aviv.
The menu features Shani favorites and new creations, including a “Real NAKED TOMATO,” lemon-garlic green beans, and fish served with spicy desert tomatoes, tahini, and schug, with playful dish names that reflect the chef’s signature style.
For a more intimate experience, guests can sit at the dedicated kitchen counter, which offers an exclusive menu featuring bites like the North Abraxas burger, beautiful mussels, and anchovy baguette bruschetta.
HUMM – Now Open
Chef Daniel Humm’s first namesake restaurant has officially opened in the West Village, offering a more casual and approachable expression of his cooking and hospitality philosophy, pairing a Modern American à la carte menu with an extraordinary gathering of art.
Guided by the seasons, the menu focuses on the best produce, fish, and poultry. Expect dishes such as charcoal-grilled Branzino, roasted chicken for two with brioche and butter, wood-fired focaccia, and a crispy feta dish alongside an acclaimed cocktail menu.
The approximately 7,000-square-foot restaurant is anchored by a wood-burning oven, with an open kitchen bringing an interactive energy of the cooking into the dining room. A martini cart also moves through the space, making the ritual part of the evening.
Bar Lento – Now Open
Hidden behind an ordinary 8th Avenue storefront in Chelsea lies Bar Lento, the first brick and mortar outside Italy from Verona owners. And if you’re interested in Italian wines, this place should be on your radar.
Visitors can expect a private garden–part covered and heated so it stays open all winter–along with plants, candles, and a long counter.
But our eyes are on the wine list, which is strictly Italian small producers, served by the glass and bottle. There’s also a handful of seasonal plates, a happy hour from 4 pm, and even live music some nights!
Crybaby – Now Open
Crybaby, a new Alpine-inspired wine and cocktail bar, has officially opened on the Lower East Side.
Inspired by the European Alps–covering wine regions like France’s Jura and Savoie–expext cozy mountain fare, alpine specialties, an extensive selection of Chartreuse, and creative drinks and eats like dessert-course cheeses and a French dip served with a teacup of au jus.
If you need us, find us there. We’ll be the ones in the corner crying, probably.
Sworl – Now Open
Happier Grocery alums have brought Sworl to Greenwich Village, where they’re serving protein soft serve in delicious flavors.
Fill your bowl with flavors like whipped vanilla, sea salt cacao, coconut ube, or peanut butter miso. Either way you won’t be disappointed.
Val’s – Now Open
A neighborhood diner and bar has moved into the former Pitt’s space–and it means you must plan a visit to Red Hook immediately.
If you want to pair pancakes with steak and a cocktail on the side, you can do it here. And almost every cocktail is under $15–with a beer and shot combo for just $7.
They even have a “Wait List Special,” which consists of fries and a teeny martini for $12. We’ll take five.
Bar à Part – Now Open
Bar à Part is a tiny, walk-in-only wine bar that recently opened next to Zimmi’s in the West Village.
Come here for French small plates and extensive wine list, stay for the vibes. They even offer savory and sweet pastries!
Jeju Noodle Bar – Now Open
Just in time for the drop in temperatures, Jeju Noodle Bar has officially opened its Nolita location.
The ramyun-centric spot celebrates the art of Korean comfort food with steaming bowls overflowing with ingredients like pork belly, raw A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, lobster, and more. Plus, they’re serving new dishes you won’t find at the original West Village location.
Buddy & Son – Opens October 22
Buddy & Son–a new brasserie from chef Jake Epstein and restaurateur Shelley Armistead–will officially open inside the PUBLIC Hotel on Monday, October 26th.
Inspired by the belief that a hotel restaurant should feel like a neighborhood restaurant first, the brasserie stretches beyond the usual French repertoire, folding in New American classics, a touch of Cajun-style cooking, and the best of the season.
The menu starts at the raw bar, follows with smaller plates, and then moves onto larger dishes, including mussels steamed with saffron and fennel, dover sole finished in beurre blanc with capers and lemon, and half chicken, deboned and sliced over red wine jus with whole shallots and mushrooms.
A café will sit alongside the restaurant, giving guests the option to move from morning coffee, juices, and other lunchtime offerings into Buddy & Son as the day unfolds.
Norte – Opens October 29
Norte, a neighborhood Mexican steakhouse from Alberto Martínez, founder of Cuerno New York, is opening this October in the heart of Flatiron.
The opening marks Alberto’s second U.S. restaurant and is an especially personal project, drawing on the traditions and recipes he grew up with in northern Mexico.
Inspired by the northern Mexican asador de barrio, Norte will center on sharing and open-fire cooking, with a menu of fresh coastal seafood, trompo tacos, grilled meats, and house-made tortillas and salsas.