The best New York City restaurant for every type of cuisine
Michael Y/Yelp
The Brooklyn Star serves tasty Southern comfort food.
As part of its 2016 restaurant survey results, released last month, Zagat curated a list of the best restaurants in New York City for every type of cuisine.
From smoky barbecue to authentic Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches to handmade falafel, there's a top-rated spot to curb every craving.Food ratings are out of 30 on the Zagat scale.
AMERICAN: Gotham Bar & Grill
Food: 28
With a Michelin star and five three-star New York Times reviews under its belt, Gotham Bar & Grill has certainly earned its posh status.
The restaurant offers sophisticated takes on American classics, such as Maine lobster and short rib of beef with Brussels sprouts and a 28-day dry aged New York steak topped with Dijon mustard custard and vidalia onion rings.
ASIAN: Pig and Khao
Food: 26
Pig and Khao draws influences from Thai and Filipino cuisine to create dishes such as grilled pork jowl with Brussels sprouts, toasted rice, and lime-chili sauce or "crispy pata," a pork leg topped with pickled green mango.
To experience the restaurant's full range of flavors, try the chef's five-course tasting menu, available Monday through Thursday for $45.
AUSTRIAN/GERMAN/SWISS: Wallsé
Food: 25
The flagship restaurant of Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, Wallsé serves refined Austrian cuisine that combines classic techniques with modern simplicity. Branch out with an unusual protein, such as snail ravioli or braised rabbit.
And leave room for dessert — the hot Salzburger Nockerl and chocolate Mozart Kugel are customer favorites.
BARBECUE: Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn
Food: 26
Fette Sau's menu changes daily, but its signature dry rub, smoky flavor, and tender meat stays consistent no matter what you order.
Wash it all down with craft beer by the gallon or a selection from the extensive whiskey list.
BURGER: Burger Joint
Food: 25
Hidden inside Le Parker Meridien hotel, the aptly-named Burger Joint is a no-frills spot dedicated to simple, classic burgers. You won't find any fancy toppings here, but one bite and you won't even miss them.
It's cash-only and doesn't take reservations though, so come prepared.
CARIBBEAN: Cuba
Food: 24
Step out of NYC and into Old Havana at Cuba, where you'll find dishes like suckling pig with yucca, spiced pork topped with an onion marmalade, and pan-seared salmon with coconut rice.
Get into the full Cuban spirit with a cigar hand rolled on-site and one of the spot's signature mojitos.
CHICKEN: Flor de Mayo
Food: 23
Flor de Mayo marries Chinese and Peruvian cuisines for dishes that are equal parts unique and flavorful. Diners swear by the polla a la Brasa, Peruvian-style roasted whole (or half) chicken that melts in your mouth.
There's typically a line out the door, but it's well worth the wait.
CHINESE: Decoy
Food: 26
Come to Decoy for one thing and one thing only: the signature peking duck, often called the best in NYC. It's served alongside duck consomme shots, tissue-thin pancakes, and a selection of three sauces.
Or try the $65-a-head prix fixe menu, which includes the duck along with a selection of appetizers and other entrees.
DELI: Mill Basin Deli
Food: 25
Deep in Brooklyn, Mill Basin Deli serves up classic Jewish deli fare — think hot sliced brisket, hot pastrami, stuffed cabbage, and matzo ball soup — that's as good as Grandma's.
Don't worry if you can't make it all the way out there, the deli ships its Kosher delicacies nationwide.
DIM SUM: RedFarm
Food: 24
RedFarm's elegant take on dim sum includes soft light, wooden tables, and rustic decor. The food matches, with dishes that are both innovative and whimsical, such as a grilled vegetable salad that resembles a garden or dumplings shaped like ghosts from Pac-Man.
The small space fills up quickly, so get there early.
FRENCH (AND SEAFOOD): Le Bernardin
Food: 29
Expect a night of luxury at high-end French seafood restaurant Le Bernardin.
The chef's tasting menu goes for $205 and the Le Bernardin-branded tasting menu goes for $170; both feature delicacies such as scallops in a brown butter sauce, lacquered lobster tail, and pan roasted monkfish.
Le Bernardin took home gold in Zagat's French and seafood categories.
FRENCH BISTRO: Buvette
Food: 25
Casual yet chic, Buvette Gastrotheque is part restaurant, part bar, and part cafe — perfect for Saturday morning brunch or grabbing a drink after work.
Open from morning through 2 a.m., the bistro serves everything from Belgian waffles to octopus salad to roasted chicken topped with mustard vinaigrette.
GREEK: Milos
Food: 27
You can be sure everything's as fresh as possible at Milos — the menu changes daily based on what's available. The airy space features whitewashed walls and high ceilings, which serves as a clean backdrop for outstanding seafood.
Fish is priced by the pound, which can get expensive quickly, but the prices for lunch or for pre-theater hours are a lot more palatable.
INDIAN: Tamarind
Food: 26
High-end Tamarind serves up classic Indian flavors such as lamb kabobs, fish simmered in coconut curry, and paneer with spinach.
It's pricey, yes, but diners claim that it's the best Indian food you can get short of heading overseas.
ITALIAN: Marea
Food: 27
Marea — which means "tide" in Italian — puts a luxurious spin on Italian food, focusing on delicacies from the sea. The seafood-centric menu features everything from octopus with chili oil to gnochetti with shrimp to grilled swordfish with braised cabbage and green apple.
And with two Michelin stars and a James Beard award under its belt, Marea is sure to live up to the hype.
JAPANESE/SUSHI: Sushi Yasuda
Food: 27
The proprietors behind Sushi Yasuda aim to maintain the purity of their vision — to serve remarkable sushi with impeccable service — at all costs.
The restaurant focuses on traditional sushi techniques and flavors, and serves only the highest quality fish.
KOREAN: Jungsik
Food: 26
Jungsik's contemporary decor and innovative menu — not to mention its two Michelin stars — certainly live up to the spot's trendy TriBeCa location.
Jungsik puts a Korean spin on molecular gastronomy with dishes like crispy red snapper, corn creme brulee, and royal bibimbap with truffles. For the full experience, try the tasting menu, available for $180 a head.
LOBSTER ROLL (AND RAW BAR): Pearl Oyster Bar
Food: 27
From fried oysters to pan roasted sea scallops to whole grilled branzino, Pearl Oyster Bar keeps things simple and lets the seafood itself shine. You can't visit without trying the signature lobster roll served alongside a heaping pile of shoestring fries.
The West Village spot also took No. 1 in Zagat's raw bar category.
MEDITERRANEAN: Olea
171 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Food: 27
A local favorite in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Olea offers great service and top-notch food. The extensive menu samples the full spectrum of Mediterranean cuisine, from falafel-crusted artichoke hearts to seafood paella to sauteed Haloumi cheese.
Stop by for happy hour — Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. — for cheap beer and tapas.
MEXICAN: Casa Enrique
Food: 27
In a nondescript building in Long Island City, Queens, sits Casa Enrique, a low-key Mexican restaurant with Michelin-star-worthy food.
Start with an order of creamy guacamole before moving on to a selection of hearty tacos, flavorful enchiladas, and perfectly cooked beef, pork, and lamb. No meal is complete without dessert — try the Mexican chocolate pot de creme or a slice of tres leches cake.
MIDDLE EASTERN: Tanoreen
Food: 26
Stop by Tanoreen in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for heaping portions of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired food.
Chef Rawia Bishara's recipes are inspired by her heritage and her mother's legacy, and combine traditional flavors with modern flair.
PIZZA: Paulie Gee's
60 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn
Food: 27
A Brooklyn staple, Paulie Gee's finds endlessly creative ways to dress up pizza, from the "Greenpoint Benedict" topped with spinach, Canadian bacon, and Hollandaise to the "Cherry Jones" covered in mozzarella, gorgonzola, prosciutto, dried cherries, and honey.
The wait is typically an hour or longer, but veterans will tell you it's well worth the time investment.
RAMEN: Chuko
552 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn
Food: 26
Meaning "vintage" in Japanese, Chuko blends elements of traditional ramen with novel ingredients. Customers rave about the pork bone variety, as well as the steamed pork bun and kale salad topped with crispy sweet potato.
And at only $13 per bowl, the cash-only spot proves an affordable way to get your ramen fix.
SANDWICH: Alidoro
Food: 27
Alidoro does one thing and one thing only — Italian sandwiches. But with over 40 varieties to choose from, the extensive menu covers nearly every flavor possible, including plenty of mozzarella, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, sopressata, artichokes, eggplant, and prosciutto.
The shop started in SoHo, but now has a second location in Midtown.
SOUTH AMERICAN: Caracas Arepas Bar
Food: 26
Arepas — sandwiches made from traditional Venezuelan corn flour flatbread — are front and center at Caracas Arepa Bar.
The tiny East Village location is always packed with diners ordering them stuffed with everything from chorizo to roasted pork shoulder to grilled leeks. The price point doesn't hurt either, with each sandwich priced at $8 to $9 a pop.
SOUTHERN/SOUL: Brooklyn Star
Food: 25
Brooklyn Star's modern Southern food evokes all the comforts of home with dishes like macaroni and cheese with bacon, country fried steak, a hot meatloaf sandwich, and, of course, jalepeno cornbread.
The restaurant also adds modern interpretations of classic flavors through items such as the grilled broccoli salad, spicy fried duck wings, and sweet tea braised chicken.
SPANISH/TAPAS: La Vara
Food: 27
Try a variety of affordable — and offbeat — Moorish tapas at this Cobble Hill restaurant, where the menu includes everything from cumin roasted lamb breast to Valencian-style noodle paella to slow cooked crispy suckling pig.
If you're feeling adventurous, give the stuffed rabbit loin or grilled chicken hearts a try.
STEAKHOUSE: Peter Luger
Food: 28
No other steakhouse in the world compares to Peter Luger, which has topped Zagat's best NYC steakhouse list for 32 years running.
Get the aged steak — of course — which comes in a single serving size up to one shareable between four people, and add sides like fried potatoes, fresh broccoli, or creamed spinach.
Be sure to bring plenty of cash. Luger's is pricey and doesn't take plastic.
THAI: Ayada
Food: 26
Though it can be a bit of a schlep out to Ayada's deep Queens location, customers can't get enough of the spicy Thai food.
Must-trys include the papaya salad, panang curry with chicken, Thai fried rice, and drunken noodles. The only downside is deciding what to order from the large menu.
TURKISH: Taci's Beyti
1955 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn
Food: 26
For authentic Turkish cuisine served in a warm, welcoming atmosphere, head down to Coney Island for a meal at Taci's Beyti.
The family-owned restaurant relies on classic dishes and traditional flavors. Menu highlights include the shepherd's salad, hummus platter, and a selection of kebabs.
VEGETARIAN: Taim
Food: 26
Taim's menu is simple, but flavorful — and everything is strictly vegetarian. Here you can choose from three types of falafel in either an eggplant, hummus, or traditional falafel sandwich. Or you can try 'em all with the mixed falafel platter.
Taim's also has a food truck that often parks in FiDi, Flatiron, and SoHo.
VIETNAMESE: Bahn Mi Saigon
Food: 24
Tucked behind a jewelry store, Bahn Mi Saigon is a hidden gem that serves the best Vietnamese sandwiches in NYC. Customers rave about the barbecue pork and chicken varieties, stuffed in toasted baguettes and topped with hot peppers and pickled carrots.
And at $5 to $7 per sandwich, the price is right.
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