
Max
I stumbled upon Max when my mom and I got hungry walking around in Tribeca. I went back two days later and then once more after that. Their Pizza Tartufata is the best pizza I've had in New York, and their spaghettis are equally delicious. It is definitely a must-try + it's on my favorite block in Manhattan (Duane Street). A few items I'd recommend off their menu are, obviously, the pizza Tartufata, spaghetti del marinaio, and the spaghetti alla chitarra.

Acme
This is a Scandinavian restaurant with an interesting menu. The reason I dined here is because my friend used to be a chef here, and I tried some items on the menu that I would not have normally ordered myself and am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The ambiance is pretty hip and happening and always busy, even on weekdays. I'd recommend the chicken & eggs (I used to eat meat back in the day), lamb tartare, and the mushroom mousse & cherry sorbet.

Locanda Verde
I'm not going to say much about this gem of restaurant in Tribeca that's owned by Robert De Niro. Please go here. Just go and do yourself a favor. Make sure you try the sheep's milk ricotta when you do because it tastes delightful. Other delicious items on the menu are the roasted beets, squid ink linguini, and pretty much anything else you'll pick.

Jack's Wife Freda
This is a young and casual Mediterranean restaurant that's always fully packed. It's good for brunch, lunch, AND dinner. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to put down your name and walk around while you wait. A few items off the menu that I'd recommend trying are the Mediterranean breakfast, halloumi, yogurt & grapefruit, vegetable curry bowl, spiced beet dip, salt & pepper eggplant, and the tuna salad.

Egg Shop
This is a cute little place that sort of, kind of, recently opened up in Nolita, close to China Town. Their dishes are pretty small, but everything is delicious. If you want to taste a few items off the menu, sharing may be a good idea (I recommend the Spandex, and the buttermilk biscuit with honey butter). They don't take reservations so you can expect a line outside the door, especially on weekends.

Empellon
This is a somewhat large restaurant on the cusp of Greenwich Village and SoHo. The space is nice too but nothing too memorable. Everything I've tasted here is pretty delicious; their chips and guac + margaritas are must-tries (the mushroom & brussel sprout tacos are very yummy too).

Antica Pesa
This is a great Italian restaurant and this specific branch is in Brooklyn. They have a huge bar with tasty cocktails and all of their dishes are delicious; the tagliolini cacio e pepe, and lo zuccotto in particular.

Balaboosta
This is the best Middle Eastern restaurant I've been to in New York. Everything on your plate has been put there for a purpose, and I can still taste the flavors of all the dishes when I close my eyes. The atmosphere's very warm and cozy, with dim lights and a brick oven in the main dining area during dinner. I don't think you can go wrong with anything, but the hummus, branzino, lamb chop, and banana bread pudding were absolutely incredible.

Butcher's Daughter
This is a small spot in Nolita that's always packed, but with a short waiting time. It's actually a juice bar so the menu has an extensive list of juices that all sound amazing, but I've only tried the green, which is why it's the only one I'm able to recommend. Seating is not the most comfortable, but if you're on the prowl for a healthy meal, this is a great spot to hit. The watermelon salad, black bean burger, and avocado toast are all solid choices.

Pies n Thighs
This is a chill, cute, and most important of all, tasty little place in Brooklyn. Don't be fooled by this photo, as the menu is made up of fried chicken, biscuits, beans, AND pies. I've tried 6 pies in one sitting and they were all amazing. The biscuit comes with a side of honey butter for which I would crawl my way back there.

Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina
This is a yummy Italian restaurant in Meatpacking. It's a huge location with tall ceilings, very tastefully decorated interiors, and friendly staff. At the back of the restaurant, there's a section where they make their own pasta, and then they put it on display for your drooling needs.
Some dishes I'd recommend are the scallops, crispy cauliflower, truffle mushroom ravioli, the beef tartare, as well as the charcuterie plate.
Side note: Their bread may be better than any of their dishes so make sure to try it.

Tartine
This is a cute little BYO with yummy food, so feel free to bring your own wine if you're planning on drinking (there's a bodega nearby too, so if you want to go for a last-minute purchase, you can also do that). Also, I'd recommend going when it's warm outside so that you can sit outdoors because the inside is a little tightly packed. The salmon, artichoke gratin, and onion tart are pretty good options.

Charlie Bird
This is an upscale restaurant with a small but tasteful menu. I don't have much to say about it, besides the fun side-note that I bumped into Gwyneth Paltrow here once.

Fig & Olive
Fig & Olive has a few locations in Manhattan, and this one in Midtown is pretty spacious and nicely decorated. It's quite busy on the weekends (I waited for 30 minutes after putting my name down), but definitely worth the wait. The fig tart and South of France eggs & salmon come highly recommended.

Epistrophy
This is one of the many small restaurants on Mott Street. It's tightly packed, but with interesting looking people. The staff is not that friendly, but the food is tasty. They have live music on some nights. I'd recommend trying any pasta they have, as well as the fried eggs with Proscuitto.
Hop Kee
If you're looking for a fancy Chinese restaurant, this is NOT the place to go. If you're looking for a TRUE Chinese dining experience, then look no further. This is an under-the radar restaurant that's also under-the-ground, but has been around for a very long time. My friend's parents brought us here because they've been going for the past 36 years and have enjoyed it every single time. The staff is all-Chinese, and they value creating a rapid turnover, which affects the way they treat you. They tend to come off as a little rude, but remember to not take it personally.
A few items to try are the crab, vegetable fried rice, snails, and flounder. The more you share, the merrier the experience.

Ellary's Greens
This is an extremely healthy restaurant with all organic ingredients. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, as everything is hearty, woody, and cozy (weird, but accurate word choice). They also make their own fresh juices there, which are definitely worth trying. Of all the things I've tried on my multiple visits to this restaurant, I'd recommend the Brussel sprouts with walnuts and sweet potatoes, salmon, zucchini soup, and roasted cauliflower.

David Burke Kitchen
I would normally not put this restaurant on my list because it's among the list of the mainstream touristy expensive ones, so obviously delicious restaurants that I don't want to make a part of my list, but it ended up here for two reasons: 1. their bison tartare 2. their terrace, which is open for service in the summer.

Gemma
This is the restaurant on the entrance floor of the Bowery Hotel. The tables are placed very close to each other so you end up hearing your neighbors' conversations, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Their burrata, shakshuka, truffle fries, beet salad, and branzino are all delicious, which probably means that anything you order from the menu will be just as yummy. The couple on the table next to me were sharing a pizza and it looked really good.

L'Artusi
This is an AMAZING restaurant. As you've probably realised from my list so far, I have a huge weakness for Mediterranean food. I came here with a huge group so had the chance of trying a lot of the items on their menu. I can say with confidence that I would go back to eat everything I didn't have a chance to eat during my first visit.
The first floor has an open kitchen with a large dining area. Upstairs, there are more tables for smaller groups and couples, plus a huge room for group dinners with access to their wine cellar.
They make their own butter and bread here. Definitely worth trying. A few other things worth trying are the beef tartare, cheese plate, salmon, and pasta with mushroom ragu & ricotta salsa (they also have gluten-free dough).
Finally, the chocolate sea salt cookies are like little pieces of heaven in your mouth. So save some room for them in your belly during the meal.

12 Chairs Cafe
This is, hands down, the best Israeli restaurant I've tried. There are only a handful of tables, which means that you end up waiting for a long time in line in order to sit down, but I would advise strongly against not waiting. Eat anything and everything you want to, you can't go wrong, but if I had to recommend a few dishes, I'd suggest the shakshuka, hummus, vegetarian couscous, and roasted beets.

Maison Kayser
Maison Kayser has a huge bakery with rows of eclairs and macarons lined up on the entrance. If you can get past this section without making a purchase, hats off to you. The items on the menu are very basic, yet taste beautiful. If you're around Union Square and feeling hungry for a fancyish meal, give this place a try. The salade d'endives and spinach ravioli are pretty good.

Souvlaki GR
This is a typical Greek/Turkish restaurant with an extremely strong Aegean vibe. As someone who spends her time by the Aegean sea every summer, I felt like I was back home in Turkey, eating at one of the local restaurants. The food is amazing and they also have Raki (Uzo) if you want to enjoy a drink or two with your dinner. Sometimes, they also have live music, which adds to the overall ambiance of the space. The tzatziki, hummus, Greek fries, and lamb chops are v delicious.

Spice Market
This is a gigantic restaurant in Meatpacking with two floors that almost make you feel like you can get lost if you do not follow the hostess. The item looks very rich, but you might struggle finding something that sparks your interest if you do not like heavily-spiced foods. It's also a little cold inside, which is unexpected because the venue is decorated using warm colors and has a welcoming vibe overall.
A few items that are worth trying are the salmon, vegetables in green curry, and coconut sticky rice.

Acqua
Another great Italian restaurant on my list. Acqua's right next to the Brooklyn Bridge (great view of it for touristic purposes), and everything I've tried was amazing-tasting. Even the stuff I personally didn't eat, but watched the people sitting next to me eat looked mouth-watering. I'd recommend trying the Linguine alle vongole e gamberi, conchiglie al pomodorini secchi e caprino, pizze Diavola, and pizze Bianca al Prosciutto.
If you go in the fall, it's quite pleasant to sit outside as well.

Bottega del Vino
This is another mainstream upscale restaurant on the Upper East Side. It's on the list because I have great memories here and the food tastes great in each of those memories, but there's nothing too special in terms of ambiance and menu composition. Some dishes I tried and enjoyed were the Carpaccio di Manzo, Prosciutto e Carciofi, Chitarucci ai Profumo di Limone con Gamberi, Linguine alle Vongole, and the Soufflé di Cioccolato if you feel like ending on a sweet note.

La Esquina
This is a very casual venue, a diner set-up to be precise, (this specific one is in Brooklyn's Williamsburg), and one that you can just walk into when you are hungry or craving chips, guac and margarita. Eat all you want, no one is going to judge you. :)

All'Onda
I went here for Restaurant Week, so didn't get the chance to try the entire menu like I usually do. However, everything me and my friends had was simply delicious. The plating was extremely purposeful as well. It's a pretty small restaurant with not much decoration, but it's simple and on-point if you're looking for some good Italian food.
I'd recommend trying the carrot appetizer, mussels, garganelli, and the olive oil cake to satisfy your sweet tooth, if you happen to have it.

Gottino
This is a hidden gem in the West Village. Portions are quite small, so sharing may be a good option as everything on their menu is tasty (I'm lucky to have been with a great group of friends who love to eat, when I stumbled upon Gottino). If you don't like sharing, then I'd suggest ordering an appetizer along with your entree. The decoration and ambiance inside isn't anything fancy, but the food is well worth the visit.
A few must-tries are the fig, ricotta & roasted almonds bruschetta, pesto & goat cheese bruschetta, Brussel sprout salad, scrambled eggs with Proscuitto, and of course, Nutella crepes.

Hu Kitchen
Hu Kitchen is a health-conscious venue that has several different stations where you can choose from a wide variety of food options (they have a hot bar, a bowl bar, a cold bar, smoothie/juice/coffee bar, and dessert bar). In addition, they have pre-prepared snacks and items, which you can purchase for your home. Portions are very reasonable and you can taste the health in each bite:) You can either get it to-go or eat on the upper floor.
My go-to choices are the quinoa bowl, Hu Chocolates (for later, when I crave sweets at home-- the fig & puffed quinoa & almond butter are my favorites).




























