We New Yorkers are certainly spoiled when it comes to dining out–from the tried and true spots New Yorkers say they’d eat at for the rest of their lives to the most beautiful restaurants perfect for a date night, it’s as if we have the entire world at our fingertips.
Though considering NYC is home to ~23,000 restaurants and it would take 22.7 years to eat our way through all of them, we’re not against allowing others to help us narrow down the best of the best. Thankfully, last year the New York Times–more specifically restaurant critic Pete Wells–put together a list of New York City’s top 100 restaurants for 2024, and this year the NYT built on that.
NYT interim restaurant critics Priya Krishna and Melissa Clark added about 100 additional spots to Wells’ list they they felt were worthy of consideration, and then over the past few months they “clocked dozens of hours on the subway and bought several new (larger) pairs of pants” to whittle the list back down to 100 restaurants that represent “the city’s culinary greatness, across boroughs, cuisines, price points and styles.”
As for the number one best restaurant in all of NYC, that title went to Semma in NYC’s Greenwich Village! The guide writes:
Before Semma…the city’s diners had never seen Indian food like this. Punctuated with chiles, coconut and earthy curry leaves, Semma’s flavors are lingering and loud, yet restrained. Its dosa is the best in the city: a crisp specimen that’s heady with fermentation and slicked with ghee and fiery gunpowder spice. Semma altered the course of Indian dining here, and four years on, Mr. Kumar’s food continues to feel fresh.
Below you’ll find Krishna, Clark, and Wells’ top 10 restaurants ranked, and then their remaining 90 picks unranked and listed in alphabetical order because, as you’d probably guess, they stated that it was “impossible to rank the entire list” as Pete did in years past with three of them choosing the restaurants.
New York City’s top 100 restaurants for 2025, according to the New York Times:
1. Semma (Indian – Greenwich Village)
2. Atomix (Korean, Tasting – NoMad)
3. Le Bernardin (French, Seafood, Tasting – Midtown)
4. Kabawa (Caribbean, Tasting Menu – East Village)
5. Ha’s Snack Bar (French, Vietnamese, Wine Bar – LES)
6. King (Mediterranean – South Village)
7. Penny (Seafood, French – East Village)
8. Sushi Sho (Sushi Omakase – Midtown)
9. Szechuan Mountain House (Chinese – East Village)
10. Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi (American, Caribbean, Creole – UWS)
(Note: the remaining 90 restaurants are unranked and listed alphabetically)
11. 188 Bakery Cuchifritos (Puerto Rican, Dominican – Fordham Heights)
12. A&A Bake and Doubles (Trinidadian and Tobagonian – BedStuy)
13. AbuQir Seafood (Egyptian, Seafood – Astoria)
14. Aska (Scandinavian, Tasting – Williamsburg)
15. Atoboy (Korean – NoMad)
16. Barbuto (New American, Italian – Meatpacking District)
17. Barney Greengrass (Deli, Appetizing, Breakfast – UWS)
18. Birria-Landia (Mexican – Jackson Heights)
19. Borgo (Italian – Midtown)
20. Bridges (New American, French – Chinatown)
21. Bungalow (Indian – East Village)
22. Cafe Kestrel (European, New American – Red Hook)
23. Cafe Mado (New American, French – Prospect Heights)
24. Carnitas Ramirez (Mexican – East Village)
25. Casa Mono and Bar Jamón (Spanish – Union Square)
26. Cervo’s (Portuguese, Spanish – LES)
27. Chambers (American – TriBeCa)
28. Chez Ma Tante (American, European – Greenpoint)
29. Cho Dang Gol (Korean – Midtown)
30. Chongqing Lao Zao (Chinese – Flushing)
31. Çka Ka Qëllu (Albanian – Belmont)
32. Claud (New American, French – East Village)
33. Cocina Consuelo (Mexican – Harlem)
34. Court Street Grocers (Sandwiches – Carroll Gardens)
35. Crown Shy (American – FiDi)
36. Daniel (French, Tasting – UES)
37. Dera (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali – Jackson Heights)
38. Dhamaka (Indian – LES)
39. Don Peppe (Italian American – South Ozone Park)
40. Ewe’s Delicious Treats (Nigerian, West African – New Lots)
41. Eyval (Iranian – Bushwick)
42. The Four Horsemen (New American – Williamsburg)
43. Four Twenty Five (New American – Midtown)
44. Frenchette (French – TriBeCa)
45. Gage & Tollner (Seafood, American – Downtown Brooklyn)
46. Golden Diner (Asian-American, Diner – Chinatown)
47. Gramercy Tavern (New American – Gramercy)
48. Great N.Y. Noodletown (Chinese – Chinatown)
49. The Grill (American – Midtown East)
50. Hainan Chicken House (Malaysian – Sunset Park)
51. Hamburger America (Diner, Sandwich – SoHo)
52. Hellbender (Mexican – Ridgewood)
53. Ho Foods (Taiwanese – East Village)
54. Houseman (New American – Hudson Square)
55. Jean-Georges (French, Tasting – UWS)
56. Jeju Noodle Bar (Korean – West Village)
57. Jungsik ( Korean – TriBeCa)
58. Keens (Steakhouse – Midtown)
59. Kisa (Korean – LES)
60. Koloman (French, Viennese – NoMad)
61. Kono (Japanese, Tasting – Chinatown)
62. Kopitiam (Malaysian – Chinatown)
63. Laghman Express (Uyghur – Bensonhurst)
64. Lakruwana (Sri Lankan – Stapleton Heights)
65. Le Coucou (French – SoHo)
66. Le Veau d’Or (French – UES)
67. Levant (Middle Eastern – Astoria)
68. Lilia (Italian – Williamsburg)
69. Little Myanmar (Burmese – East Village)
70. Lola’s (Asian, Southern – NoMad)
71. Lucia Pizza of Avenue X (Pizza – Sheepshead Bay)
72. Mắm (Vietnamese – LES)
73. Okdongsik (Korean – Koreatown)
74. Okiboru House of Tsukemen (Japanese – LES)
75. Old Sport (Chinese, Halal – Forest Hills)
76. Raf’s (French, Italian – NoHo)
77. Raku (Japanese – East Village)
78. Randazzo’s Clam Bar (Italian American, Seafood – Sheepshead Bay)
79. S & P Lunch (Diner, Deli, Sandwich – Flatiron)
80. Sailor (American, English, Mediterranean – Fort Greene)
81. Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette (Sandwiches – Ridgewood)
82. Shaw-naé’s House (American, Soul Food – Stapleton Heights)
83. Shukette (Middle Eastern – Chelsea)
84. Sofreh (Middle Eastern – Prospect Heights)
85. Superiority Burger (Diner, Vegetarian – East Village)
86. Sushi Noz (Sushi Omakase – UES)
87. Sushi Ouji (Sushi Omakase – SoHo)
88. Taiwanese Gourmet (Taiwanese – Elmhurst)
89. Temple Canteen (Indian – Flushing)
90. Thai Diner (Thai – NoLita)
91. Third Falcon (French, American – Fort Greene)
92. Torrisi (Italian – NoLita)
93. Trinciti Roti Shop (Trinidadian and Tobagonian – South Ozone Park)
94. Txikito (Spanish – Chelsea)
95. Una Pizza Napoletana (Pizza – LES)
96. Via Carota (Italian – West Village)
97. Village Café (Azerbaijani – Gravesend)
98. White Bear (Chinese – Flushing)
99. Yoon Haeundae Galbi (Korean – Koreatown)
100. Zaab Zaab (Thai – Elmhurst)
See the full 2025 list here, and see how it compares to last year’s list here.