2025 NYC Restaurant Roundup
In 2025, I have gone to over 250 establishments that included restaurants, bars, and cafes. Here is a list in no particular order for a few of my favorite bites around the city.
Din Tai Fung, Midtown Manhattan
The pork soup dumplings, dan dan noodles, and the wontons in chili oil are decent entrees here, but the chocolate dumplings and lychee martini makes waiting for your seats worth it!
2. Okiboru House of Tsukemen, Lower East Side
Get the tonkatsu ramen or the famous tsukemen ramen. While I haven’t tried the tsukemen, I have heard that the flavors of the broth are fantastic. As for the tonkatsu ramen, the chicken broth makes the ramen umami and rich while not feeling too heavy. Add a side of the furikake fries as well.
3. SUKH, Downtown Brooklyn
The restaurant is designed as a Thai train station located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown Brooklyn. With the unique interior, a dish really stood out to me - the Hor Mok. Hor Mok is part of the appetizers, and it’s a branzino curry custard- the flavors melt beautifully. Be sure to try the tipsy thai iced tea as well, served in a teapot!
4. C as in Charlie, East Village
This is perfect for a date night or a girl’s night! The menu contains a fusion of Southern and Korean bites. A few of our favorites included the shrimp toast, mushroom bibimbap, potato nuggets, and the Korean fried chicken. Be sure to try the 99 cent sweet tea!
5. Eyval, Bushwick BK
Eyval was one of my favorite spots for Persian food. Anything you order here is going to be amazing. A few of my favorites are the kashke bademjan, kabob chengeh, kabob koobideh, gormeh sabzi. Be sure to look out for open reservations or be ready to wait for a while for a walk-in, but the wait is worth it!
6. West New Malaysia, Chinatown
A no frills storefront in Chinatown with some of the best Malaysian restaurant I’ve ever had. The stand out dishes were the Hainanese Chicken, the short-rib rendang, and the taro crown chicken. The quantities are huge so be prepared to take some leftovers home!
7. Tera Mera, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
A cute cafe/ cocktail bar in Cobble hill filled with some fun Indian street foods. My favorites were the Mango Lassi Matcha and the Chilli cheese toast. This was an ultimate comfort food for me! In warmer weather, the back patio is perfect for anyone working remote or to enjoy the outdoor!
8. Miss Nellie’s, Theater District
This is the perfect brunch spot before any Broadway shows. The best pancakes were here - the honey butter pancakes were melt-in-the-mouth dreamy.
9. 1915 Lanzhou Handpulled Noodles, Chinatown
For the last 7.5 years I’ve been in the city, Lanzhou Noodles have been a staple. The beef noodle soup and the pan-fried pork dumplings are all you need to keep going for the day.
10. Bedouin Tent, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
The falafel in this unassuming spot is AMAZING.
11. Nishaan, East Village
The Chapli kabob chopped cheese sandwich is everything that a dream is made of! Don’t sleep on it, it’s the perfect drunchies or even a perfect cravings meal.
12. El Nico, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This is a lowkey rooftop bar with a beautiful view. The drinks are a 10/10, the tacos are a 10/10, and the vibes are 10/10.
13. Abuqir, Astoria, Queens
A no frills storefront on Steinway (aka foodie heaven), you go to the seafood counter and pick which seafoods you would like, and then they get grilled with authentic Egyptian spices after. The hummus was so fresh, the scallops, and the octopus was our favorite.
14. La Dong, Union Square
A beautiful restaurant with a solid pho and other Vietnamese classic dishes. Another interesting dish to try here was the Sugarcane Shrimp.
15. Djerdan Burek, Astoria, Queens
If you’re a fan of Balkan food, this is the spot. The Cevapi is flavorful and the bureks are absolutely delicious. It’s worth the trek to Astoria if I haven’t convinced you otherwise!
16. El Chato Taqueria, Washington Sq. Park, Manhattan
For a quick and cheap meal that’s equally delicious, El Chato is the spot. There’s another location in Williamsburg that I haven’t ventured out to yet. The Tacos are authentic and perfect.
17. Kanyakumari, Union Square
Everything on the menu was delicious! A few of our favorites were the Hira Anna Fried Chicken, the Toddy duck roast, crab sukka, and the star dish was the black gold beef.
18. San Sabino, West Village
Be prepared to try to get a reservation here a few weeks in advance or line up at opening to be on the waitlist. San Sabino is famous for the “Scotties Martini” which is a garlic bread martini - which is delicious by the way! The food is just as amazing. The cheesy frittele, octopus carpaccio, stuffed farfalle with chili crab, and shrimp parm was fantastic and so different from other Italian restaurants.
19. Masalawala and Sons Park Slope, Brooklyn
Being Bengali, I have always been on the lookout for a place that cuts the cravings of the food my mom makes at home. This is the spot! The brunch thali includes cholar daal, kosha mangsho (goat curry), fish fry, beguni (fried eggplant), ghee rice, and aloo bhaji (fried potatoes). The brunch is only available on the weekends and there is a vegetarian thali available as well with equally delicious goodies.
20. Indn, Midtown Manhattan
We always hear of Indian restaurants, but a Indian cocktail experience is so different. With a few of the specialty cocktails being different like a palak paneer inspired cocktail or butter chicken inspired cocktail is so cool and is a dream come true! After trying a few drinks, my favorites were the Parle G cocktail and the butterface cocktail (butter chicken inspired). Indn carries a lot of small plates that are perfect for sharing.
