Must-Try New Restaurants in New York City This Season

Finding the best new restaurants in New York City can be a challenge, with a steady stream of openings across Manhattan and beyond. These spots span a range of cuisines, offering something for every palate. What sets the best apart isn’t just the hype - they’re worth choosing for a memorable dinner, even if you're tempted by the city’s iconic, long-established favorites.

Kon’ya is a Korean-Japanese izakaya that opened at the end of April 2026 on the Williamsburg waterfront. It’s the more casual sibling to Konban, with a focus on shareable plates in a relaxed setting that currently operates BYOB while awaiting its liquor license. The menu mixes fried items, fresh seafood, and noodles in a space that feels intimate rather than flashy. A backyard patio is expected to open soon, adding another low-key option for the neighborhood.

Menu Highlights
Karaage with spicy yuzu mayo: Crispy fried chicken bites with a bright citrus kick - the standard-bearer by which all karaage in this city should be judged.
Galbi mandu: Short rib dumplings with clean, deep flavor, more satisfying than they have any right to be at this price point.
Giant pork katsu: Flaky cutlet served in a substantial portion - the dish that made Konban's name online.
Menchi katsu with caviar sauce: Ground beef croquette with an odd-couple finish that works surprisingly well.
Seasonal small plates: The menu rotates with enough frequency that return visits don't feel repetitive.

Zoli opened in early May 2026 inside the Amant arts campus in East Williamsburg. From the Houseman team, it leans heavily into seafood with fish often sourced directly by the chef. The dining room features a striking art installation of three fish tanks incorporating debris from Newtown Creek. It functions well as a museum-adjacent spot after gallery visits.

Menu Highlights
Butterflied black sea bass pil pil: Basque technique reinterpreted with reduced flatfish stock and smoked sunflower oil - the skin shatters, one of the more interesting dishes open right now.
Crudo: Clean, simply dressed raw fish, as good as you'd expect given who's cooking it.
Whitebait: The best small-fry in the neighborhood, bar none.
Smoked poblano mussels: Part of the snack section that opens the meal, keeps you busy while you figure out what else to order.
Roasted strawberry margarita: One of those cocktails that earns its garnish.

Notable feature: Direct access to the Amant arts exhibitions from the restaurant; the fish tanks loaded with Newtown Creek detritus are genuinely worth a pause.

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Marcel opened in April 2026 inside the Breuer Building, now home to Sotheby's on the Upper East Side. The French-leaning restaurant occupies a dramatic sunken dining room filled with significant artwork, creating a setting that draws attention away from the plate. The menu sticks to continental classics, with options for simpler preparations of fish or steak. Breakfast and lunch service are being added.

Menu Highlights
Escargots: Plump, properly buttery - the classics-doing-classics version.
Frog legs: Snacky, light, good for sharing while you work through the wine list.
Steak haché: The ground beef refinement that French restaurants do better than anyone else.
Fish or steak "comme vous voulez": A simpler option for those who want protein and a view without the full production.

Desserts: Two full pages of frou-frou desserts.

Notable feature: High-end tableware from Roman and Williams Guild (freezer-cold martinis in $300 glassware) and a notable art collection from Sotheby's in the space.

Cote 550 opened in spring 2026 as the second Manhattan location of the Korean barbecue spot, this one in a subterranean space at 550 Madison Avenue. It amps up the original's clubby energy with a central shallow pool, a DJ at the front bar, and tableside elements. The Butcher's Feast remains central but at a higher price point.

Menu Highlights
Butcher's Feast: The flagship set menu - four cuts of beef, banchan, egg soufflé, and a stew to close; $118 per person.
Otoro: The 550-exclusive addition to the Butcher's Feast - perfect cube of bluefin, done simply.
Tableside japchae: Glass noodles with beef and vegetables, finished at the table - the theatrical version of a dish that's usually an afterthought.
Chicken nuggets with caviar: A signature from the Kim group that sounds ridiculous and works anyway.
Bar Chimera foie gras "Home Run": Upstairs Korean nostalgia snack filled with foie gras.

Notable feature: Subterranean party atmosphere with a pool in the dining room, late-night DJ until 11pm, and a 1,400-bottle wine cellar.

Cleo opened in spring 2026 in the West Village at 621 Hudson Street. From the team behind Margot and Montague Diner, it centers on rotisserie chicken with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences in a casually elegant corner space. A takeout window helps with quick neighborhood service.

Menu Highlights
24-hour rotisserie chicken: The kitchen's central project - marinated long enough that flavor goes all the way through, served with choice of three sauces (zhug, labneh ranch, spicy red sauce).
Cornbread with harissa honey butter: The kind of starter that disappears before you've decided on anything else.
Chicken liver mousse: Quietly excellent, doesn't make a production of itself.
Charred green beans: One of the vegetable sides that earns its spot on the table.
Branzino: For the table that can't agree on chicken - clean preparation, well-sourced fish.

Notable feature: Strong focus on sauces to pair with the chicken; 34 seats in a landmark building where regulars sit next to social media discoverers.