It seems that each day a new restaurant opens in NYC, adding to the city’s already bustling food scene. In fact, it would take 22.7 years to eat your way through all of the restaurants the city has to offer–and more and more just keep on coming.
So, naturally, it could be pretty overwhelming to decide where to make your next reservation.
The good news is Yelpers are constantly sniffing out the hottest newcomers on the American dining scene, and with their “Year on Yelp” they rated and reviewed 25 must-try newbies—and two are in NYC!
Laser Wolf, Williamsburg – #9
First up, coming in at number nine on Yelp’s Best New Restaurants 2023 list, is Brooklyn’s Israeli restaurant Laser Wolf.
Situated on the roof of The Hoxton Hotel–and one of our favorite rooftop restaurants–Laser Wolf was named after “Lazar Wolf,” the butcher in the iconic musical Fiddler on the Roof.
This restaurant classifies itself as a “Shipudiya” (also known as a “Skewer House”), and allows New Yorkers to indulge on charcoal-grilled meat and vegetable skewers while taking in stunning Manhattan views.
Chef de Cuisine Mike Mayo stated:
We foster a communal dining experience, almost like a family barbecue. You eat with your hands and all of the food is made to share, encouraging conversation and lively debates over salatim.
According to Yelp, the most popular/most photographed dishes include: Steak Shishlik, Chicken Shishlik, Brisket Kebab, and Lamb & Beef Koobideh (juicy pieces of spiced ground meat), while the top veggie items include hummus, Moroccan Carrots, Kale Babaganoush, and Tunisian Potatoes.
Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, Upper West Side – #25
Afro Caribbean-inspired restaurant Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi came in at number 25 on Yelp’s Best New Restaurants 2023 list.
Tatiana invites diners to relish in the “cultural vibrancy” of NYC’s rich music and art scene. The menu offers reimagined childhood favorites of Onwuachi like Truffled Chopped Cheese Buns, Egusi Soup Dumplings, and Braised Oxtails.
Yelp reviewer Hajir S states:
This restaurant truly is an ode to New York…it deserves every bit of the hype. The okra is just so good. The goat curry patties could be lunch every day for me. My favorite dish was the chicken. It brought the white sauce and hot sauce of New York food carts to the table in a way that was really fun and tasty. The chicken was so moist and perfectly seasoned, and the sauces were exactly what we wanted. Cocktails are good and the ambiance is fun.
Though fair warning–scoring a reservation here can be pretty tough!
And if you fancy a bit of a getaway, visit our friends over in Miami, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Los Angeles, whose restaurants also made the cut!
The full list can be found here.