Classic New York restaurants for delicious food and inspired design

New York City is an ever-evolving metropolis. Sometimes it feels like people are constantly pursuing the shiny, new thing. When it comes to dining, the hottest restaurant du jour changes with the wind (and when photos of A-listers walking out satisfied and all smiles come out), but the tried-and-true classics – the places that make the Big Apple one of the most exciting places to eat out in the world – are forever etched into the culinary landscape.

‘Authentic mom-and-pop spots of every conceivable cuisine throughout the boroughs aside, the New York City dining scene is often a mix of theatrical and aspirational,’ says David Prior, founder of Prior, an immersive luxury travel company. ‘There’s a romanticism and nostalgia and yearning for big city lights, transporting diners to another era, whether real or imagined. This defines the aesthetic choices of the spaces and, in turn, the food.’

Beyond just whipping up delicious dishes, the most beloved, enduring establishments have managed to create a legacy and carve out a unique niche through rich character and warm hospitality. It's therefore to a small but mighty gaggle of long-standing spots that dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers go to celebrate a special occasion, impress guests visiting from and out of town, and enjoy a midweek catch-up with pals. Whether you’re drawn to the gastronomy, the ambience or the design (perhaps all of the above), these iconic New York restaurants are required dining. Just be sure to make a reservation in advance.

Atomix

Innovative Korean cuisine that never loses its soul or forsakes tradition in the pursuit of exactitude, Atomix has repeatedly affirmed its spot in the iconic restaurant conversation. Located in Manhattan’s NoMad neighbourhood, the spartan restaurant centred around a 14-seat U-shaped counter, the sophomore venture from the team behind Atoboy, delights diners with a ten-course tasting menu where no detail or chance to showcase technique is overlooked.

Atomix is located at 104 East 30th St, New York, NY 10016, United States.

Le Bernardin

To earn (and retain) three Michelin stars is rare; to maintain relevance in a city like New York might be an even more improbable feat. Le Bernardin, as you might have guessed, has done both with unmatched finesse. At this fine dining juggernaut where fish is the star, there’s no wrong order. Bluefin tuna tartare with osetra caviar and poached lobster with truffled gnocchi? Mais oui! For the full experience, go for chef Eric Ripert’s tasting menu with wine pairing.

Le Bernardin is located at 155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, United States.

Diner

Two decades ago, Andrew Tarlow (the owner of Marlow & Sons, which recently closed after a solid 21-year run) had the idea to start slinging local, seasonal, and sustainable dishes out of a 90-year-old Kullman dining car in some forgotten corner under the Williamsburg Bridge. Since then, the wood and aged enamel-crowned aesthetic has been exported worldwide. But Diner remains the only place to experience the original in all its glory. The menu is far less humble than one might assume of a ‘diner’ (think: grilled razor clams and brick chicken), but that’s always been part of the magic.

Diner is located at 85 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States.

Estela

Quintessentially New York and emulated everywhere, Estela was (and still is) one of the steady, power players in the wine bar/small plates canon of the 2010s. It’s a narrow, well-lit, sleek yet cosy haunt on Houston Street. The warm, stripped-back design allows the food to shine. Chef Ignacio Mattos plays the hits, keeping the beloved signature classics on the menu. So it’s become an old faithful for locals to come and share a bottle of Chenin Blanc, ricotta dumplings, and bay scallops with brown butter and golden potato.

Estela is located at 47 E Houston St, New York, NY 10012, United States.

Frenchette

What the chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson have created in Frenchette is a place to savour nouveau French bistro fare (crispy-skinned duck replaces steak alongside frites), sip natural wine, and soak in the sophisticated yet never stuffy environs that you could – and many people do – happily return to with regularity. The combination of sapele wood tables, chairs designed by Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann, mirrors, and the pewter bar is made even more inviting without the formatting of table cloths, plus the convivial atmosphere and genial service.

Frenchette is located at 241 West Broadway New York, NY, New York, NY 10013, United States.

Gramercy Tavern

Often imitated (copying is the sincerest form of flattery, right?) but never duplicated, Gramercy Tavern has been a fixture of Flatiron for three decades. It’s a testament to Danny Meyers, the visionary restaurateur credited with catapulting new American farm-to-table cooking. The nine-time James Beard Award-winning restaurant is split into two distinct spaces: the more casual bar area and a dining room for seasonal course menus.

Gramercy Tavern is located at 42 East 20th Street, New York, NY 10003, United States.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Set inside one of the most beautiful, emblematic buildings and transit centres in a city once hailed as the ‘oyster capital of the world’, Grand Central Oyster Bar is a gem from an era that’s hard to emulate and a genuinely New York City establishment that’s been around for over a century. Underneath the spectacularly curved Guastavino tile ceiling, bright-eyed visitors and weary commuters belly up to the stainless steel and formica counters for some of the best bivalves and dirty martinis around.

Grand Central Oyster Bar is located at Grand Central Terminal, lower level, 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, United States.

Keens Steakhouse

A vestige of the Herald Square Theatre District that no longer exists, and the proud owner of the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world, Keens Steakhouse, which opened in 1885, used to be the place for actors to go to ‘fortify themselves between acts’ and rendezvous after the applause. Over the years, the playwrights, producers, and famous faces have been replaced by a blend of meat-loving tourists and dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers. But the raw bar, dry-aged steaks, and mutton chops still do the trick for a classic Big Apple night.

Keens Steakhouse is located at 72 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018, United States.

Lilia

When Lilia opened in a converted auto-body shop with white-washed brick walls, concrete floors, and spartan industrial lighting on Union Avenue, it elevated the profile of Williamsburg as a dining destination. It was impossible to snag a reservation, and the queue of hopeful patrons wrapped around the block. Almost a decade later, the hype-heaving Brooklyn bolide proves it’s around for the long haul. It’s well worth setting a Resy reminder a month out or waiting in line to savour signature roasted leek focaccia and sheep’s milk cheese agnolotti.

Lilia is located at 567 Union Avenue Corner of North 10th + Union, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States.

Masa

Well before every new sushi spot was exclusively doing omakase, master chef Masayoshi ‘Masa’ Takayama was not-so-quietly running his spendy, namesake raw fish epic in the Time Warner Center. For 20 years, critics and repeat customers have heaped praise upon three-Michelin-starred Masa. The design is intentionally sparse – a sleek hinoki-wood counter and an Oya stone flower pot with blooms changed daily – eliminating distraction (strong perfume isn’t permitted either for the same reason), allowing the precise technique and highest quality ingredients, most of which come from Japan, to shine.

Masa is located at 10 Columbus Circle, The Shops at Columbus Circle, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10019, United States.

Minetta Tavern

Leave it to Keith McNally, the force behind Balthazar, Pastis and Morandi, to create a pastiche of a French bistro that’s deeply and unapologetically New York. Minetta Tavern trades in burgers, sazeracs, and nostalgia. The perennially packed Greenwich Village dining room skews vintage with well-preserved original black and white chequerboard floors, red leather booths, tin ceilings, and photo-covered walls. On any given night, you might see Taylor Swift slurping oysters or the next breakout star dipping into roasted bone marrow.

Minetta Tavern is located at 113 Macdougal Street, New York, NY 10012, United States.

The Odeon

The Odeon is a full-circle downtown haunt. The American brasserie was cool in the 1980s and 1990s when Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and John Belushi were regular fixtures, and it’s even more en vogue now (Lena Dunham famously had the neon sign tattooed on her behind). The timeless Tribeca setting and classic menu of hits strike a chord with diners regardless of the epoch. There’s something so comforting about tucking into a burgundy banquette and devouring a comforting plate of moules frites under the warm glow of hanging globe lamps.

The Odeon is located at 145 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013, United States.

Raoul’s

Restaurants in New York typically have the shelf life of a rosé rather than a cabernet sauvignon. Raoul’s, an old-school French bistro dating back to 1975, is an exception. Over the last 50 years, the Soho staple has amassed a loyal following of neighbourhood regulars, foodies and night owls (ahem, countless Saturday Night Live casts) who flock to the Prince Street institution for crab beignets, steak au poivre and profiteroles drizzled with chocolate. Between the dark wood, white tablecloths, pressed tin ceilings, and walls covered in provocative art, it could be a classic dining room in Paris. But its attitude and antics are nothing if not the stuff of New York legend.

Raoul’s is located at 180 Prince St, New York, NY 10012, United States.

Via Carota

Clad in wood and exposed white-washed brick, Via Carota is the sort of homey neighbourhood Italian eatery everyone in the five boroughs would be overjoyed to have around the corner. It’s an unpretentious magnet for foodies who fill up on fried green olives stuffed with pork and cacio e pepe risotto. The only caveat? Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ restaurant doesn’t take reservations. As you’d imagine of such a popular spot, the wait during the dinner rush is measured in hours, not minutes. At least the duo helms Bar Pisellino, one of the best bars in New York City, across the street.

Via Carota is located at 51 Grove St, New York, NY 10014, United States.