There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in New York: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
1. Cynthia – Greenwich Village
Cynthia, helmed by chef Sherry Cardoso, is not your typical tasting-menu restaurant, although it certainly possesses an elegance and, importantly, excellent cooking. It’s an intimate space where the former “Top Chef” finalist and Per Se alum fashions a memorable menu (six courses, $165; seven courses, $205) of dishes, each informed by the seasons and a commitment to low-waste cooking. The result is one of the city’s most thrilling tasting menu experiences. Cardoso will often “sweep” you with clusters of small dishes that make up a single course, and wow you with engaging, interactive courses like her clever take bread service, made from repurposed vegetable scraps and accompanied with an ever-changing assortment of pickles and preserved vegetables and zero-waste butter. Pro tip: If you’re not inclined to opt for the full tasting menu experience here, do try to walk-in for a seat at the bar and a chance to try the à la carte menu, which features everything from grilled oysters and fluke tostadas to brisket ravioli and a steak tartare sandwich.
2. Somssi – Greenwich Village
Somssi, the latest venture from the team behind Atoboy and Atomix, and led by their longtime director of operations Ahris Kim, possesses a winning combination of nostalgia, ingenuity, and warmth that makes for an unforgettable meal. While there’s a familiarity to many of the dishes — especially if you grew up in an Asian American household — there’s also enough that’s new and different to captivate your interests, whether it’s a tender grilled ox tongue paired expertly with romesco and wasabi, a standout bowl of curried rice with mushrooms, topped with a fried egg, or perfectly al dente linguine dressed in a ragù of mustard kimchi. Should you arrive early enough, do order the mutton chop; sold in limited quantities each night, it takes on the characteristics of Chinese cumin lamb with true aplomb. And maybe an order or two of the potato potato potato; trust us. And save room for all the desserts, especially the nutmeg tart with orange Chantilly and the white rabbit ice cream with five-spice peanuts. Whether you stop by for a quick drink (do check out their menu of “little beverages”) and a bite, or a proper feast, you’ll leave feeling full, indeed.
3. Ugly Baby – Williamsburg
No doubt there were some New Yorkers who shed tears of joy upon learning that the much-adored Ugly Baby was returning, after closing its original doors in Carroll Gardens in 2024. Now that day has finally come, this time in Williamsburg and with the same chef, Sirichai Sreparplarn. While it’s hard to capture the exact same essence of the original location, this new location does, more or less, feel a lot like the original: vibrant and buzzing and filled with all kinds of stimuli to attract your senses. And while Ugly Baby does indeed maintain its reputation for fiery dishes (see the whole section of the menu listed simply as “ugly”), it also offers dishes that are bit milder, too (see the “laughs” and “cries” portions of the menu). At Ugly Baby, though, as always, the spice isn’t just there to see how much pain one can endure in Scoville units; it adds depth and complexity to the dishes. The menu isn’t exactly as it once was, either, but it’s refreshing to see a slew of new and creative plates, from strawberries topped with dried shrimp, fish sauce, and chiles to a satisfying bowl of omelet soup with pork meatballs and an excellent whole fried fish redolent with herbs and spices.
4. Zoli – East Williamsburg
This sleek newcomer from chef Ned Baldwin carries forth the legacy for excellence that he and his team have built over a decade at Houseman: straightforward cooking, meticulous attention to sourcing (Baldwin catches his own fish from time to time), and satisfying flavors. Like Houseman, it’s also located a bit off the beaten path, in a stretch of East Williamsburg that’s also home to the Amant arts foundation, and the artistic influences leave quite the impression. If the triptych aquarium — an installation by artist Pierre Huyghe — is any indication, this is a restaurant that centers on seafood, and you’d do well to heed the signs by ordering the pil pil butterflied black seabass, grilled monkfish with ras el hanout and carrot amba, or grilled whole scallops with kasu butter plum. Whatever you do, do not forgo an order — or two — of the impeccable fries: Double-fried and served with a savory rouille, they’re some of the city’s best. P.S. Their greenery-filled rooftop patio, BarZoli, is now open, too.
5. El Camarón Peludo – Greenwich Village
Mariscos are indeed having a moment nationwide, including here in New York, and El Camarón Peludo is yet the latest delicious example of it. Born from the dynamic duo behind Taqueria Ramírez, Carnitas Ramírez, and Socceria, Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar, in partnership with chef Carlos Barrera, it’s a charming wine bar in the West Village right on Cornelia Street, complete with an ice-cold raw bar and wine list filled with low-intervention standouts. Dishes range from a sublime tuna tostada studded with tobiko and an ultra-crispy mackerel filet served simply with lime and Valentina hot sauce to a spectacular sardine taco (trust us) and grilled, butterflied shrimp with guajillo mayonnaise. Oysters assume the flavors of a michelada, bread gets baked to order, and caviar dots a red raw shrimp carpaccio dressed in extra-virgin olive oil.
6. Burmese Bites – Astoria
Burmese Bites has been a fixture of New York’s dining scene in one form or another since 2014, but it wasn’t until this year that Myo Lin Thway and his wife and business partner Rebecca Nant finally opened their first brick-and-mortar location to call their own. Located in Astoria, this much-loved purveyor of everything from keema palata (flatbread stuffed with ground chicken) and mohinga (catfish noodle soup) to ah meh tha hin (beef curry) and ngashint chaut sat (crispy eels tossed in a spicy chile mix) never disappoints with their signature flair for balancing spice, heat, sweetness, and textures with aplomb. So, grab a crew and order as much of the menu as you can, including the lahpet thoke (fermented tea-leaf salad), tohu kyaw (crispy chickpea tofu), and nga hin (fish curry), and do leave some room for a slice of shwe kyi (semolina and coconut cake), too.
7. Zig Zag Oyster Bar – Prospect Heights
There’s not much that can improve upon an early evening spent at Zig Zag Oyster Bar with the doors flung wide open, a Bloody Mary in hand, and a tower of oysters, littleneck clams, and Bang’s Island mussels by your side. Add some peel-and-eat shrimp, creamy crab dip paired with buttery Ritz crackers, and some boiled potatoes topped with slivers of horseradish and you’re all set. This oyster bar from the same team behind spots seafood-centric spots like Cervo’s and Eel Bar doesn’t disappoint, and their mastery of shellfish, bivalves, and fish is on full display here: You see it in the subtle pepper notes in the cooked clams, the flavor packed into those peel-and-eat shrimp, and the sublime seasonal salads that might pair summer-ripe golden tomatoes with meaty tuna. Don’t forget to end your meal with either the lemon torte, olive oil ice cream, or both.
8. Kirbee’s – Greenpoint
Following a barbecue renaissance in the early aughts, New York finds itself once again in the midst of a barbecue resurgence, only this time the barbecue has become that much more regional, creative, and specific — unafraid to riff on the standards and do its own thing. Two strong examples: Bark Barbecue out in Bushwick, where Ruben Santana puts his own spin on Dominican and Texan barbecue, and Kirbee’s, the result of two former Texas pitmasters finding themselves in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, armed with smoker ovens and serving up sides of spaghetti slicked in a green poblano sauce. Kirbee’s menu is compact—just four set plates —with no substitutions. Our advice? Opt for either the Jonny’s Plate (prime brisket, sweet and tangy pork ribs, succulent smoked turkey, creamy potato salad, crisp coleslaw) or the Chuck’s Plate (prime brisket, Molotov pork ribs, snappy housemade sausage, green spaghetti, charro beans with queso fresco), and finish it all off with one of their puddings (your choice of chocolate or banana).
9. Zimmi’s – Greenwich Village
There is no shortage of excellent French restaurants in New York, but there’s something truly special about Zimmi’s that makes it stand out among the crowd. Maybe it’s the warm service, or the careful attention to detail, down to the floral check presenters. Or maybe it’s the fact that this is French fare that’s not your usual: At Zimmi’s, chef Maxime Pradié cooks Gallic standards on his own terms. The result, with its focus on time-honored techniques, is a joy to experience. While the menu changes all the time with the seasons, autumn is an especially lovely time to visit. What could be more comforting than tucking into tripes à la Nicoise with panisse, black olives, and herbs de Provence? Or devouring a luscious plate of tagliatelle with chicken ragout and sage? Regardless of season, however, never miss a chance to try the kitchen’s exceptional housemade charcuterie. P.S. We can’t wait to stop by Bar à Part, their bar next door, for a pre- and/or post-dinner glass of wine, too.
10. Good Time Country Buffet – East Village
Nostalgia is on full blast at this East Village all-you-can-eat (yes, truly) Southern buffet from the same team behind C as in Charlie and Kisa, all for the price of just $26.99 per person. At Good Time Country Buffet, the floors are covered in forest green carpet, the buffet has everything from sawmill gravy and ketchup-slicked meatloaf to Georgia cracker salad and rosé pasta, and the playlist is a never-ending Millennial fever dream: It’s something you likely never thought could exist in New York, especially in Manhattan, but somehow it does and, as the name suggests, it’s a good time indeed. Not everything at the buffet is spectacular, but there are some standouts worth getting seconds and thirds of, namely the fried chicken, collard greens, braised cabbage, and Salisbury steak. And if you want the good times to continue at home, you’re also encouraged to purchase a takeout container ($9.99 for a small, $19.99 for a large) that you can fill to your heart’s content. The only catch? The lid has to close.
