My guide to eating & drinking in New York City (2022)
A surprise holiday gift!
I’ve had a few people ask me recently where I like to eat and drink in New York City, and I draw a blank every time. There are dozens of places I love, and a million more places I want to try out, and it’s easy to forget what they are when I’m put on the spot. So I made a list — for myself as much as anyone else — of my favorite places to eat and drink in New York City. I intend on updating this list as I find new favorites, hopefully expanding past Brooklyn and Manhattan as I’m able to explore more of the city. (I went to college in Manhattan and currently live in Brooklyn, so those two boroughs are my specialties.)
New York City is a culinary playground, and there’s no reason not to eat and drink well here! This is my holiday gift to you.
Brooklyn
Restaurants
Hart’s: A perfect, tiny restaurant in Bed-Stuy, inspired by the Mediterranean coast. Lots of seafood, olive oil, herbs, and natural wine. Fantastic staff. (Completely unbiased, of course). The clam toast is a must.
The Fly: Sister restaurant/bar of Hart’s. Serves rotisserie chicken and natural wine, and that’s pretty much it. My go-to spot for a last-minute, affordable group dinner.
Roman’s: Chic, understated, reliable Italian food in Fort Greene, ideal for a special occasion. Eat by yourself at the bar, or save it for a special occasion. Get a cocktail (like a perfect negroni), and at least one pasta.
Miss Ada: Contemporary Mediterranean and Israeli food in a warm, fun, casual setting. Good spot for a group dinner. Get the beet hummus and the whipped ricotta, with lots of warm pita.
Fausto: Elegant, unfussy Italian food on the expensive side. Get the house-made focaccia if you like to feel joy.
Ugly Baby: Prepare to sweat, cry, and surprise yourself by continuing to eat (and enjoy!!) incomprehensibly spicy dishes.Wash it all down with a cold beer. Only come here on a first date if you’re down to dissolve into puddles together.
Win Son: Taiwanese-American food in Williamsburg with a young, fun, creative vibe.
Ops: Natural wine and sourdough pizza in Bushwick. Beloved by the restaurant industry. Get the Cicero, and chat with the passionate servers to find your perfect bottle of wine.
Banh Mi Place: Affordable Vietnamese spot on Washington Avenue with little to no seating. Get a banh mi and a Vietnamese iced coffee on the way to Prospect Park for a picnic.
Haenyeo: Buzzy Korean restaurant in Park Slope. The grilled oysters with seaweed butter are transcendent!
Otway: Charming New American restaurant in Clinton Hill with kind, attentive service and thoughtfully sourced food. Go for brunch or dinner.
Ozakaya: Fresh, modern Japanese food on Vanderbilt Avenue in a warm, welcoming environment. You can’t go wrong.
Lilia: Gorgeous Italian food by Missy Robbins in a cool, Brooklyn-y, warehouse-like space in Williamsburg. Spendy special occasion spot.
Bakeries / Coffee shops
Otway Bakery: Phenomenal bread and pastries. The baguette is the best I’ve had in the city, and I daydream about the flaky, mustardy ham & cheese croissant.
Ciao Gloria: My most-frequented café of 2022. A clean, modern space in Prospect Heights with excellent pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee. Best place to hole up and get work done.
Winner / Winner in the Park: Acclaimed Park Slope establishment with a branch in Prospect Park. Get a coffee, a sandwich or pastry, and a loaf of bread for the road.
Bars
Lalou: Sister of Fausto! Wine bar with small plates to share and an impressive list of bottles. Minimalist, warmly lit space with a great back patio for warmer months.
Gold Star Beer Counter: Rotating list of interesting beers, most from the northeastern United States. The staff is passionate and super knowledgeable about beer and will let you try different ones before deciding what to order.
Long Island Bar: A classic New York establishment. Snag a cozy booth, and order a martini and a burger with fries.
Doris: My go-to for a post-shift drink. Fun, noisy Bed-Stuy bar, made for hanging with a group of friends and meeting new people.
Manhattan
Restaurants
Cervo’s: Manhattan sister of Hart’s. Small restaurant with food inspired by the Iberian peninsula. The cooking style is easy, breezy, and confident. Lots of seafood. Get the mussels escabeche, the clams, and the fried skate. Or literally anything. I love this restaurant. You’ll want to order some bread (which they get from Mel, the bakery next door) to soak up all the briny, savory juices left on your plates.
Soothr: Thai joint in the East Village with speedy service and top-notch noodle soups. Everything is good! Teo and I can’t stay away.
Via Carota: Called “New York’s most perfect restaurant” by New Yorker restaurant critic Hannah Goldfield (whose writing I adore). It’s gotten a little too touristy over the years, but the press is warranted; Via Carota remains terrific in every way. Go for a long, lazy lunch for the best experience. Order arancini, cacio e pepe, grilled artichokes, towering green salads, and cold Italian white wine.
Saravanaa Bhavan: Casual restaurant in Little India with fantastic dosas. Perfect lunch spot before a shopping spree at Kalustyan’s next door.
Wu’s Wonton King: Restaurant industry folks love to hang out here with a big group and order lots of cheap, delicious food. Big, round dim sum tables. Casual, loud, and super fun. Get the famous chicken, and BYOB!
King: The most elegant restaurant in NYC, in my humble opinion. Expensive, and very good. White tablecloths. A small menu that changes daily and reflects the season.
Buvette: My favorite breakfast in NYC. Old-school French bistro vibes.
Txikito: Basque restaurant/wine bar from Alex Raij. Thoughtful menu designed to transport you to Basque Country.
Bakeries / Coffee Shops
Mel: A tiny, delightful bakery, only open for counter service on the weekends. They have a loaf with shmaltz in it (!!!) that makes my heart sing.
La Cabra: East Village bakery with a Scandinavian feel. Perfect cardamom bun, perfect sesame loaf, and perfect everything else.
Abraço: My favorite coffee in New York City. A family-run business that roasts their own beans and only offers whole milk (sorry, alt milk fans). Get a slice of their dreamy olive oil loaf. Sit with a book. Revel in A+ people-watching. Abraço translates to “hug” in Portuguese, and I can’t imagine a cuter name or a cuter place.
Bagel Bobs: Teo calls this the best bagel shop in NYC (where there are hundreds and hundreds of bagel shops), and I always doubted him because I figured he only said that because it was his local spot growing up. I’ve since changed my mind! Bagel Bobs in the West Village is my favorite bagel shop in the city. Golden, burnished, New York-style bagels that hit every time.
Absolute Bagels: An Upper West Side classic with a cult following, and my college go-to. My other favorite bagel shop in NYC!
Té Company: One of my all-time favorite businesses. A quaint Taiwanese tea shop in the West Village with a limey, salty pineapple linzer that I crave on the regular. Eliza and I love getting gingery iced hibiscus teas in the summer.
Bars
Bar Pisellino: An old-fashioned Italian bar from the Via Carota team with chic cocktails and bar snacks. Sit here while you wait for your table at Via Carota, and pretend you’re in Milan!
Le Dive: French wine bar with small plates to share. Crunchy radishes with French butter, a whole steamed artichoke with aioli, and so on. Cool, creative crowd, and a great spot for a date.
I’m sure I’m going to send this out and remember a million other places I should’ve mentioned, but luckily, I have the power to edit whenever I please!
Lots of love to you and yours,
Phoebs
Fabulous! Merci ❤️
Yum, yum, yum, yum! We’re going to see Ethan next week and hopefully we’ll be able to report back about our culinary experience!