The 25 Best New NYC Restaurants of 2011

While we'd be willing to entertain arguments about which city has the best food in the world, one thing is indisputable: No one does restaurants quite like NYC. Eating out is an obsession for New Yorkers, and the choices—from fine-dining joints to cheap-eats spots, haute French to $1 hot dogs—are constantly evolving. To help you navigate the latest crop of eateries, we asked Time Out New York food writers Jordana Rothman and Chris Schonberger to pick the 25 best new NYC restaurants of 2011. Loosen your belts for this one.

By Jordana Rothman (@jordanarothman) and Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger)

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Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 136 Metropolitan Ave.
Website: nitehawkcinema.com

Texans will tell you that this place is rip-off of the Alamo Drafthouse, where you can drink beer and eat queso dip while watching a film. And it is—which is exactly why it's awesome. This is movie-going as it should be: You can catch first-run indie flicks while sucking down root-beer floats, local craft beers, and food from a Michelin-starred chef—Saul Bolton, of Saul and the Vanderbilt. Fortunately, he doesn't mess with that queso dip (Velveeta, Ro-Tel, sour cream—jackpot), but he does show his pedigree with smoky fish tacos, deviled eggs, and specials created to match each movie. Tip: Before or after the show, hit up one of the two bars for $5 Lone Star-and-bourbon combos.—CS

Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Manhattan
Address: 321 East 73rd St.
Website: hospodanyc.com

One of the best parts about eating in New York is that you can just sit on your fat ass and wait for great food from around the world to come to you. Take this new restaurant inside the Bohemian National Hall (the city's Czech consulate and cultural center), which is a spin-off of La Degustacion, one of Prague's best-known restaurants. Here, you can get a taste of how fine dining has evolved in the Czech capital. The walls are covered in work from Czech graffiti artist Masker, the bar features the country's most sophisticated system for serving Pilsner Urquell, and the kitchen turns out classic Bohemian dishes with impressive haute upgrades. Try smoked beef tongues stacked with pickled onions and gold-pea puree, flatiron steak dressed with frothed dill cream, and dessert dumplings filled with seasonal fruit.—CS

Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Address: 552 Vanderbilt Ave.
Website: n/a

If you want to eat the best ramen in the city, go to Totto Ramen in midtown. But for those on the other side of the river, Chuko holds it down pretty well. It kind of has a Momofuku feel to it—natural wood and brick aesthetic, hipster waistaff, '90s hip hop on the speakers—minus the sceneyness. Jamison Blankenship and David Koon, both vets of Morimoto, add interesting tweaks to their soups, like cooking some bacon into the smoky tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, and fattening up the soy version with schmaltz. But it's actually the snacks and sides that make the place worth going back to. The fried “eggplant buns” are as good as any sliders I've had, and there's a crazy-good Brussels sprouts dish kicked up with red chilies, fish sauce, and rice wine vinegar.—CS

Neighborhood: Astoria, Queens
Address: 40-17 Broadway
Website: thequeenskickshaw.com

Queens has a rep as the borough of ethnic eats, and it's well worth hunting down Chinese in Flushing, Indian in Jackson Heights, Greek in Astoria, and so on. But it was nice to see the borough expand its repertoire even further this year with everyday hangs like Queens Kickshaw, which is entirely devoted to two things: good coffee and grilled-cheese sandwiches. Even though they brew Coffee Labs Roasters with fancypants tools like Hario V60 drip cones and a La Marzocco Strada espresso machine, they dispense with the shitty attitude that has made baristas objects of scorn elsewhere. And you can't really go wrong with their sandwich combos, like a gooey cheddar-and-mozzarella number served with homemade tomato soup.—CS

Neighborhood: Chinatown, Manhattan
Address: 13 Doyers St.
Website: nomwah.com

When people talk about classic New York restaurants, the same names tend to come up: Keens. Peter Luger. Delmonico's. But if you like dim sum, this is the O.G. spot—it's been on Doyers Street in Chinatown since 1920, when the block was known as the “bloody triangle” because of the Tong gang wars that raged there. For the past few decades, there was really no reason to go there, but then Wilson Tang inherited the restaurant from his uncle and completely revamped the kitchen. The dining room still evokes another era, but the food—like huge roasted-pork buns and fried crêpe egg rolls—is now a serious draw. The key upgrade is that they now make all the dim sum dishes to order, so you don't have to worry about eating limp, greasy items that have been sitting on a trolley for hours.—CS

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, Manhattan
Address: 1900 Broadway
Website: danielnyc.com/epicerie

Daniel Boulud is a French-food god in NYC, and for good reason—his burgeoning restaurant empire has yet to deliver a dud, and Daniel remains one of the finest destinations for real-deal haute Gallic cuisine. But if you don't want to blow your rent money in one sitting, get a taste of the good life at this deli and market right across from Lincoln Center. The house-made charcuterie, freshly baked loaves and farmstead cheeses are all unimpeachable—if you need to take something nice to a dinner party, stop here and you'll be golden. I also like to pop in for a beer and the banh mi hot dog, which is just ridiculously good: a crusty mini baguette stuffed with a lemongrass-spiked sausage, house-cured ham, country p”té, radish-and-carrot slaw, and jalepeño-infused mayo.—CS

Neighborhood: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Address: 251 Smith St.
Website: shelskys.com

Left to my own devices I would eat like my grandfather, happily subsisting on a malodorous diet of raw turnips, garlicky pickles, strong cured fish, and gin. So it follows that I was delighted when this tidy little appetizing shop opened its doors in my neighborhood this year. Come for gravlax and sable, sturgeon and kippered herring, golden chubs, Kossar's bialys and a dizzying spread of shmears. Then swing by my place for breakfast.—JR

Neighborhood: Spanish Harlem, Manhattan
Address: 1259 Park Ave.
Website: earlsny.com

To be fair, this is more of a bar than a restaurant, and an absolutely tiny one way the hell uptown at that. But no one served better bar food this year than Corey Cova, who was tasked with creating his entire menu based entirely on cheese. The NY State Cheddar (braised pork belly, fried egg, house-made kimchi, and sharp cheddar) made the rest of the fancy grilled cheeses around town irrelevant. Other creations suggested the mind of a stoner but bore the mark of a trained hand (Cova previously worked at Momofuku Ssäm Bar). Indeed, no dish captured NYC's current obsession with high-low flavors more distinctly than the Earl's Eggo: an actual, out-of-the-package Eggo waffle drizzled with thickened maple syrup and stacked with aged Cabot cheddar, coffee-cured bacon, and slabs of grilled foie gras.—CS

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Address: 132 West Houston St.
Website: misslilysnyc.com

A sceney, Jamaica-inspired hot spot with models working the door, $19 jerk chicken and a How to Make It in America crowd sounds like NYC wanksterism at its worst. But I have to say, this place surprised me. While the hype draws legions of cool hunters, the spot isn't all scene and no substance. Those models turn out to be extremely friendly, and they won't make you feel like a schmohawk for walking in without a reservation. Chef Bradford Thompson, a James Beard Award winner, has done a respectable job of elevating island staples like curry goat and Middle Quarters pepper shrimp without losing their essential appeal. And, to be honest, drinking Red Stripes while listening to Grace Jones and looking at beautiful people is not that bad of a time. (Also worth noting: I had the best coconut cake I've ever had here.)—CS

Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Address: 111 1st Ave.
Website: maharlikanyc.com

Filipino food—itself a fascinating example of indigenous fusion with Asian, Hispanic, and American influences—has been sorely underrepresented in this town. So you have to admire Maharlika's plucky attempt to introduce New Yorkers to the nation's diverse cuisine. Over the past year, Maharlika blossomed from a brunch-only pop-up to a brick and mortar East Village eatery with an additional outpost inside Williamsburg's Kinfolk Studios. The young partners behind the place are endearing ambassadors for the food, guiding the uninitiated through outre fare like sizzling sisig, a mix of chopped pork belly with lesser loved pig parts like snout, ear, and cheek.—JR

Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Address: 42 Grove St.
Website: ilovebuvette.com

In an era of sell-out chefs who think success means opening a mook mill in Vegas and slapping their mug on a jar of pasta sauce, Jody Williams is a holdout for the old school. She's got serious food-world cred—Mario Batali has called her one of his favorite chefs in America—but she prefers to keep her talents in the NYC, serving classic European fare in ridiculously tiny neighborhood joints. This newcomer is no different, and it's the ideal spot to seal the deal with the Francophile you've been courting—retro Gallic grub like coq au vin and Tarte Tatin is spot on, and the everything is beautifully presented in rustic crocks and jars that ramp up the cozy vibe.—CS

Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Address: 162 Ave. A
Website: thebeaglenyc.com

On his IFC series Portlandia, comedian Fred Armisen successfully made a punch line out of that city's affected dining mores this year. (“Here is the chicken you'll be enjoying tonight. His name was Colin. Here are his papers.”) But Matt Piacentini, the Oregon-import behind this East Village newcomer, smartly edited those conceits, delivering a cozy canteen that feels distinctly New York. Chef Garrett Eagleton puts up new American standards, spit-shined with primo ingredients: Steamed mussels and roast chicken are both tarted up with foie gras; cocktails are thoughtful and precise, pierced with blue-and-white striped straws. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but the Beagle is a solid card I found myself playing all year.—JR

Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Address: 75 2nd Ave.
Website: zabbelee.com

You used to have to make the pilgrimage to spots like SriPraPhai in Woodside if you wanted anything resembling authentic Thai food in the city. Thanks to this Manhattan spinoff of Queens' Zabb Elee, though, you can now burn your face off without leaving the East Village. The menu reflects the spicy, funky cuisine of northern Thailand, so don't expect pad Thai. Instead, eat succulent fried chicken, fiery duck larb, and som tum thai (papaya salad) that, no joke, made me cry. Word to the wise: “Level five” is the code phrase for Thai-level spicy. Use it judiciously.—CS

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 355 Metropolitan Ave.
Website: n/a

The longer I work as a food writer, the less attached I've become to the rhythms of a traditional meal. Rather than an appetizer, entree and dessert for each diner, I favor the clatter and bustle of shared plates—wines sloshing from bottle to glass, forks casually reaching across a big wooden table. Indeed, I put a high premium on family-style bounty, and St. Anselm delivers. The kitchen's gas grill, so maligned by wood-and-coal partisans, is a boon here, subtly seasoning a whole trout, a butchers steak or shimmering little sardines with its flame. Chef Yvon de Tassigny smartly curbs any frippery at the garnish station, dressing his fire-licked foods simply: with some parsley and garlic, maybe, or lacy rounds of pickled lotus root. You'll want to bring a crowd.—JR

Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Address: 359 6th Ave.
Website: tertulianyc.com

Seamus Mullen proved his mettle years ago with the opening of celebrated Iberian tapas joint Boqueria. But the chef, who took a hiatus from cooking to deal with rheumatoid arthritis, summons still-greater finesse at Tertulia, this sceney West Village newcomer. In the orange light of a gorgeous wood-fired grill, buoyed by bargain glasses of wine and Basque cider (pulled, as is the trend these days, from dedicated tap lines), my friends and I cleaned plates of sardine-topped toasts; smoky and briny clams; and wisps of Iberico ham shaved from a whole haunch.—JR

Neighborhood: Murray Hill, Manhattan
Address: 113 East 29th St.
Website: thecannibalnyc.com

Beer, meat, and road bikes—the cornerstones of contemporary manliness, one might argue, and also the three things you'll find in abundance at this hybrid bar–restaurant–retail shop. The name refers to Belgian riding legend Eddy Merckx, but it's also an accurate reflection of the carnivore-friendly menu, which features house-butchered beasts in the form of lamb tartare, serious steaks and a showstopping half pig's head rubbed with hot chilies, fennel, and honey. The fridges in the front are packed with one of the more expertly curated craft brew selections I saw all year. Ryan Colcannon, who runs the beer program, opened my eyes to a phenomenal Leelanau golden ale from Michigan last time I was there, and I'll be back to work through the stash of Scandinavian bottles.—CS

Neighborhood: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Address: 1 Bedford Ave.
Website: nightsandweekendsny.com

Full disclosure: I have spent the latter half of my life hunting for the best nachos in the world with my brother, Complex editor Nick Schonberger. So this place had my number right off the bat with its ingenious, Cuban-inspired nacho riff, built with wavy fried plantains instead of tortilla chips. Turns out the rest of the bar's menu is just as interesting, reinventing classic bar food with flavors borrowed from the Caribbean and Latin America. Tempura-style rock shrimp with orange-chili aioli and Serrano peppers showed me the full potential of popcorn shrimp. And the remixed classic cocktails were just as good–there's a rich old-fashioned variation made with Ron Zacapa and Black Strap rums, and a delicious take on a piña colada that balances coconut puree with cachaça, lime juice, and spicy Fresno peppers.—CS

Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Address: 529 Hudson St.
Website: redfarmnyc.com

New Yorkers' taste for haute Chinese food has subsided since the cuisine's golden age in the '60s and '70s. But this year Ed Schoenfeld, RedFarm's animated frontman, gamely reminded me of what's been lost. “This is a very good restaurant,” he assured me, between peeks at the crowded host stand, upon my first visit. Indeed he was right, and it seems everyone got the memo. One night I sat huddled between Food & Wine staffers on my left; Michael Musto on my right; and the vice president of the James Beard Foundation a few tables away. All of us nibbled on playful dim sum: Pac-Man–shaped har gao, skewered shumai; absurd and delicious egg rolls stuffed with pastrami. That the place forgoes fire-breathing dragons and giggling Buddha kitsch in favor of a farmhouse aesthetic only adds to its appeal.—JR

Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Address: 239 West 4th St.
Website: fedoranyc.com

This West Village enterprise, along with the late M. Wells, sparked my interest in Quebecois cuisine this year. Fedora's chef Medhi Brunet-Benkritly cut his teeth at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, and although there are many American benchmarks here (oysters Rockefeller, beef tartare), there's something more imaginative percolating behind the scenes. A giant pork chop for two was served with Asian-style scallion pancakes; a strange and satisfying surf-and-turf spin swapped steak and lobster tails for sweetbreads and octopus. You can devour this stuff beneath iconic original photographs—look out for Michael Halsband's portrait of Warhol and Basquiat, and Richard Avedon's Marilyn Monroe.—JR

Neighborhood: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Address: 120 Smith St.
Website: biencuit.com

Not a restaurant as such, but New York's best new bakery deserves a place on this list. Zachary Golper learned the trade in the wilds of Oregon and went on to steward the bread program at Philly's Le Bec Fin. His slow-fermented loaves here are bonkers: Each tangy miche, baguette, or fougasse feels ancient and sexy. But it's the sweet stuff that really shines—a lemon tartlette with torched dots of meringue, or buttery danishes filled with yam and maple. Crazy.—JR

Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Address: 50 Carmine St.
Website: fattycrew.com

Before this Manhattan spin-off of Zak Pelaccio's Brooklyn smokehouse opened, the space spent a few glorious weeks as a bare-bones pop-up bar by the name Fatty Johnson's. Management asked me to guest bartend there one evening—a spectacularly dubious judgment call that spawned a whole lot of free shots for my friends, and a whole lot of brow-furrowing for my “boss,” barman Adam Schuman. Suffice it to say that all parties were more pleased with the arrangement when I returned as a diner to case the new place for Time Out New York. The Southeast Asian barbecue had cleaned up for its Gotham-proper debut, with grown-up food like sour-fermented sausages and palm sugar-rubbed arctic char supplementing the smoked meat. This was quirky and compelling—refreshing stuff in a neighborhood lousy with tiresome bistros.—JR

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Address: 334 Bowery
Website: forcellaeatery.com

When Kesté opened in the West Village in 2009, I swiftly swore my allegiance to the place and haven't thumped my chest for a Neapolitan-style pie since. And while newcomer Forcella hasn't disrupted my relationship with the standard bearer this year, it has certainly proved itself a worthy slide-off. Like a john who pays a concubine to do the kinky things his wife won't, I strayed with Forcella for one arousing reason: Montanara, a deep-fried pie, speckled with air bubbles and topped with molten pools of mozzarella.—JR

Neighborhood: Flatiron, Manhattan
Address: 200 5th Ave.
Website: eatalyny.com/eat/birreria

Brewpubs fuel the local beer scene in every great American beer city except New York, where insane real-estate prices don't jive with the space requirements of on-site production. Thankfully, money ain't a thang for Mario Batali and the crew behind Eataly, who decided to throw a working brewery on the roof of their Italian megastore like some bosses. It's groundbreaking, not only because it's 16 stories in the sky, but also because the recipes have been developed by a dream team of American and Italian brewers: Sam Calagione (Delaware's Dogfish Head), Teo Musso (Piedmont's Birra Baladin) and Leonardo Di Vincenzo (Rome's Birra del Borgo).

You can get the house beers on cask, alongside the best list of Italian craft beers you'll find in the city. And the food, like everything at Eataly, is top-notch—rustic, beer-friendly grub like fatty pork shoulder and whole quails seared a la planca. I ate a lot of sausages this year (pause), and I can say with confidence that the best were up at Birreria, looking out at the top of the Flatiron building.—CS

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 348 Wythe St.
Website: isa.gg/isa/

New York is famously unfriendly to avant-garde chefs, but Ignacio Mattos has earned his pass for successfully holding the line on challenging food in a restaurant climate that deifies fried chicken. All of it—the ambiguous name; the hand-written menu collages; the description of the cuisine as “primitive modernism”—begs an eye roll. But submit to the experience and you'll see there's something to these theatrics. The wood-fired kitchen is operating on the vanguard of fine dining, sending out plates that are cheeky, provocative and, more simply, rather delicious. Neutered New York could do with more of this kind of gutsy fare.—JR

Neighborhood: Soho, Manhattan
Address: 131 Sullivan St.
Website: thedutchnyc.com

Chef and owner Andrew Carmellini simply got it right. The year's best new restaurant doubles as a nota bene to food world aspirants: Here's how to build a place that captures the zeitgeist without being slavishly trendy; how to outfit a dining room so it feels classic without dressing it in preindustrial drag; how to shape a menu so it satisfies cravings without pandering to the comfort-food churls. Might as well bronze my barstool—I'll be returning here for years.—JR