One of the trends in NY right now is Italian-style-Italian (as opposed to Italian-American), but I’d be inclined to skip it coming from Europe.

• Italian-American sandwiches. Grab a sandwich at Faicco’s or Parm
• If you like sushi, do an omakase somewhere. I’ve enjoyed Yokox, Shinzo, and Fuku, but there are a million others.
• Mexican food. The Birria-Landia truck (several locations) is awesome. On the fancier end, I’ve enjoyed Casa Enrique
• Probably would also get some Chinese, but someone else here can give much better recs than me.

This is one of the most expensive cities to operate a restaurant in. Every place relies on turning tables.

> We like sit-down dinners where they don't rush you out

When you finish your meal, move to the bar. The waitstaff needs to make a living.

I think you should check out some cuisines where you might not be able to find easily in Europe! There’s a great variety of types of Chinese cuisine that you wouldn’t be able to find in Belgium.

Chinese:

• Da Long Yi for mala hot pot (if you like spicy food)
• Mala Project for dry pot (if you like spicy food)
• Dolar Shop for hot pot (if you don’t like spicy food, their silver pork soup is great)
• Yin Ji Chang Fen for rice rolls
• Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao for soup dumplings
• House of Joy for dim sum (I personally like this as a Chinese American but it might be slightly chaotic so I would do research beforehand on what you want to order)
• Xing Fu for brown sugar boba

Korean:

• Nubiani KBBQ

If you’re visiting from Europe you should try things you can’t get there (more ethnic style foods) like Taqueria Ramirez/Carnitas Ramirez for great tacos (or Birria Landia too) and L‘Industrie for New York style pizza.

Granted a lot of these places are more take out/eat in the area type of places but definitely worth your time.

Hell's Kitchen - Best thing about HK is Thai food. Lum Lum, Pure Thai Cookhouse, Chalong in particular. get a proper NYC slice from Sacco

Little Italy - Mostly tourist traps, but great dining nearby. Wayan, Thai Diner, 19 Cleveland, Pinch Chinese, Pig and Khao, Au Cheval

Chinatown, Uncle Lou, Shu Jiao Fu Zhou, Spicy Village (two locations now)

Staten Island - Why? ;). But if you must, Sri Lankan food. Lakruwana!

These are my usual reccos for visitors (some already mentioned).

Manhattan
Pure Thai Cookhouse
Tia Pol
Rezdora
Milu
Anton’s
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Song’ e Napule
Jeju Noodle Bar
Balaboosta
Leitao
Via Carota
Foxface Natural
Hearth
Claude
Fiaschetteria “Pistoia”
Pig and Khao
Pinch Chinese
Raoul’s
Thai Diner
Wayan
19 Cleveland
Nish Nush

Brooklyn
Kashkar Cafe
Indian Table
Werkstatt
Claro
Cotra
Hometown BBQ
Chuan Tian Xia
Lilia

Absolutely unable to choose one

• Shukette

• Eyval (I dream about the green tahini salad and the lamb ribs)

• Pommes Frites

• Traif

• Rolo's

• Astoria Seafood

• Jean-Georges - I've had some great experiences and memories there

Manhatta

Bamonte’s

The Olive Garden in Times Square. Take the escalator up to all you can eat breadsticks and "When you're here, you're family".

Rubirosa

I've been to many three stars around the world. Per Se is one of my favorites. It's not the most interesting, but if you want really really good food and to feel like a billionaire for a couple hours, it's your spot.

Atera - I don't know why it's not the top of every list and you can get a reservation fairly easily. It was absolutely superb.

I also find Jean Georges fantastic as a backup.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is worth going to, on the premise that the whole journey comes together as a memory. It does however, take some time to get to and back.

Chef Yoshida of Yoshino was a big deal in Japan. I guess so is Nakazawa at Sho.

I've tried most of the top sushi restaurants in NYC. Yoshino and Sho are the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to in the US; of places I've tried worldwide I'd rank them only behind a couple Tabelog gold/silver rated places in Japan.

They are close, I narrowly prefer Yoshino for the better otsumami and because Chef Yoshida really leans into the showmanship and theatricality, which is always fun for a special-occasion meal. On the other hand, the okonomi menu at Sho (which you will definitely spend an extra $200-300+ on, partly because the standard omakase there is shorter and not as filling) includes a lot of rare pieces you will not find anywhere else in NYC or the US.

Beyond sushi, I thought Atomix lived up to sky-high hype

Olive Garden in Times Square.

I’m not a baller yet to take friends out to Olive Garden Times Square, so I just take them to Olive Garden on the other boroughs.

Olive Garden

Tanoreen in Bay Ridge, Sri Pra Phai in Woodside!

Depends on the cuisine:

• Italian: The Olive Garden
• French: Le jardin des oliviers
• Spanish: El jardin de los olivos
• Brasilian: O Jardim das Oliveiras
• Irish: An Gairdín Olóige
• Indian: ਜੈਤੂਨ ਦਾ ਬਾਗ
• CZetch: Olivová zahrada
• Estonian: Oliiviaed
• Chinese: 橄榄园
• Finnish: Oliivipuutarha
• Japanese: オリーブガーデン
• Albanian: Kopshti i Ullinjve
• Danish: Olivenhaven
• Greek: Ο κήπος της ελιάς
• Ukranian: Оливковий сад
• Turkish: Zeytin Bahçesi
• Filipino: Ang Olive Garden
• Mongolian: Оливын цэцэрлэг
• German: Der Olivengarten
• Haitian: Jaden oliv la
• Bulgarian: Маслиновата градина
• Sudanese: Kebon Olive
• Polish: Ogród Oliwny
• Vietnamese: Vườn ô liu
• Hawaiian: ʻO ka Māla ʻOliva
• Romanian: Grădina de măslini
• Korean: 올리브 가든
• Icelandinc: Ólífugarðurinn
• Corsican: U Giardinu di l'Olivu

Chongqing Lao Zao for spicy hot pot

Mala Project for spicy dry pot

Somtum Der for Thai, also spicy haha

St. Anselm for steak frites

Giuseppina's for pizza.

Fish Cheeks

L'Artusi

Cho Dang Gol

Miss Ada

Barney Greengrass (best whitefish salad in the world!)

• Atomix
• Aquavit
• Raku
• Chalong
• Szechuan Garden

Honorable mention: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, would be in the list but technically not within NYC.

If you ask me next month the list might change.

MacDougal b/w Houston and Prince.

Prince Street Pizza for the Soho Squares!

Winonas

Thai Diner

Gage & Tollner

Parkside

Katz Deli

Dine-in: Oiji Mi, Koloman, il buco, Lucali, Gage & Tollner

Take-out: L'Industrie, taqueria Ramirez, nene’s, taqueria al pastor, los tacos no.1

They also have one in EV

Lumpu salad, sator goong (warning: Thai spicy)

Nowon

Lords

One white street

Houseman

Rolos

Raouls

Virginias

Great choices, also include Nowon, Fairfax, Monkey Bar, and Au Cheval on your list.

Peter Luger gets a lot of hate on here, but their burger is very good

Gramercy Tavern

Eater NYC’s guide is a good starting point- they refresh it regularly, so places once great who haven’t been good in a while fall off. Pricing all over the board though https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-new-york-restaurants-38-map

Definitely get a good bagel and a good pizza while you’re here- multiple threads on both are in this sub

Emellios Ballato, Scarrs pizza, Wildair, Estela, fiaschetteria pistoia, red hook tavern, don angie, cote, I sodi

Little Frankies , good food, chill ambiance. Italian, Pizza.

There are so many….

Midtown is in fact one of the best places for food.

What research did you do?

What price levels?

Plenty of non-tourist trap restaurants in Midtown, just off the top of my head I can think of:

Lamb's Club

La Grand Boucherie

Jupiter

Le Rock

Naro

PJ Clarke's

The OG Benihana (though that may be too touristy for you)

On the more expensive side you have:

Aquavit

Le Bernardin

The Grill

Marea

Times Square Olive Garden

Cafe China. Michelin starred authentic Chinese cuisine with takeout.

I wouldn’t consider PJ Clarkes to be in midtown tho

Sakagura, Izakaya Mew, los tacos no1, Hill stone, upland, ktown

Le Coucou

Nougatine

The Grill

CheLi

L’Artusi

Libertine, Claud and pinch Chinese

I’m curious what the bad reccs were?

If you enjoy sushi you must try Sushi Goda on the upper east side. Incredible.