NYC Hidden Gems

Brooklyn Heights · Italian

Cash-only, one of the most charming old-school Italian spots in the city. Handwritten menu, zero pretense.

Brooklyn Heights · American

Resy staff called it "best burger in New York." Unassuming, always lively.

Brooklyn Heights · Palestinian

Palestinian with a huge menu worth multiple visits. Atlantic Ave's best-kept secret.

Brooklyn Heights · Indian

The crab curry is the standout — not the Indian food you find on every block.

Brooklyn Heights · Alpine/European

Alpine schnitzel and high-elevation wines. Mountain lodge in a brownstone neighborhood.

DUMBO · Omakase

Sub-$100 omakase in DUMBO. Absurd value for NYC sushi.

DUMBO · BBQ

Brisket that's some of the best in the city, tucked into DUMBO.

DUMBO · Goan/Coffee

Goan coffee shop — how many exist in NYC? Great chai, good work vibe.

DUMBO · Japanese Denim

Japanese denim and curated menswear. For people who care how things are made.

DUMBO · Flea Market

Under the Manhattan Bridge. Weekends. Vintage, food, local makers.

Cobble Hill · Bookstore

Emma Straub's indie bookstore. Staff picks, events, community.

Cobble Hill · Vintage

2,000 sq ft treasure hunt. Most diverse vintage in the area.

Cobble Hill · Speakeasy

Cellar speakeasy below a French bistro. Marie Antoinette decor, red velvet, gilded frames.

Bed-Stuy · Trinidadian

Life-changing doubles, roti, aloo pie. Multiple sources call this essential.

Bed-Stuy · Senegalese

Brooklyn staple since 1995. Thieboudienne, mafe, yassa. One of the few Senegalese spots.

Bed-Stuy · Nigerian

$85 four-course Nigerian prix fixe. One of the best nights out in Bed-Stuy.

Bed-Stuy · Oaxacan Mexican

Nixtamalizes their own corn. Best tortillas in Brooklyn — memelas, tetelas with hibiscus.

Bed-Stuy · German-Turkish

German-Austrian-Turkish fusion. Schnitzel, labneh, good wine. Weird and perfect.

Bed-Stuy · Pizza

Oxtail pizza. Chicken & waffle pizza. Sounds wrong, tastes right.

Bed-Stuy · Vintage/Culture

Black- & queer-owned. Clothing plus records, magazines, memorabilia. Cultural archive as store.

Bed-Stuy · Vintage

Curated vintage tees, denim, workwear. Owners source from US and Japan.

NoHo · Japanese

Secret phone number to reserve. Enter through a butcher shop. NYC's most genuinely hidden restaurant.

SoHo · Japanese

SoHo fixture since 1981. Dimly lit, Kyoto vibes, fresh fish. Amex or cash only.

SoHo · Oaxacan

Most off-the-radar spot in SoHo. Oaxacan mole, chipotle prawns.

SoHo · Japanese (Udon)

Best udon in the city. On MacDougal between the tourist traps, doing one thing perfectly.

SoHo · American/Bar

One of NYC's oldest bars — 1847. Classic SoHo experiencing a sceney renaissance.

Nolita · Thai

Uncle Boons team. "Practically flawless." Thai tea babka french toast.

Nolita · Cuban/Mexican

Best value in Nolita. Iconic grilled corn. Been there forever because it works.

Nolita · Thai

Reasonably priced Thai where everything else costs $$$. Regular-rotation spot.

Nolita · Italian

Under-the-radar Italian with a skylight in back. Never hyped, always delivers.

SoHo · Turkish/Aegean

Turkish-Aegean in a gorgeous garage-sale space. Live jazz some nights.

Nolita · Jewelry/Ceramics/Art

Contemporary jewelers, ceramicists, fine artists. Gallery-meets-shop.

Nolita · Jewelry/Vintage

One-of-a-kind artisan jewelry, vintage decor, apothecary. Expert curation.

Nolita · Bookstore

NYC's best independent bookstore. Curated picks, events.

Nolita · Shoes

Loafers handmade from vintage Turkish kilim rugs. Each pair one-of-a-kind.

Nolita · Ceramics

Handmade porcelain in beautiful muted colors. Objects you use daily and love looking at.

SoHo · Books/Thrift

Nonprofit bookstore/cafe/thrift. Rare books, vintage, readings. Beautiful space for a cause.

East Village · Ukrainian

Friday morning pierogis by Ukrainian church ladies. Community kitchen, most authentic thing in Manhattan.

East Village · Consignment

Legendary since 1996. Avant-garde designer consignment. Restocked daily.

East Village · Vintage Eyewear

Thousands of vintage eyewear frames from every decade. Most specific shop in the EV.

East Village · Record Store

Village institution since 1992. Punk and hardcore shop. Basement is a scene archive.

LES · Design/Homeware

Design store meets funky gift shop. Indie furniture, weird beautiful objects.

LES · Jewelry/Handbags

Handmade beaded handbags and jewelry. Colorful, maximalist, joyful.

Elmhurst · Malaysian

Since the 1990s. Roti canai, Singapore kari laksa. One of the best things you can eat in the city.

Elmhurst · Thai (Hainanese Chicken)

One item: Thai Hainanese chicken rice. That's the whole restaurant. Perfect.

Elmhurst · Tibetan

Tibetan momos and thenthuk. How many Tibetan restaurants can you name?

Elmhurst · Indonesian

Favorite Indonesian food in New York. Coconut soup, noodles. Tiny and unassuming.

Elmhurst · Thai

Some of the best Thai food in NYC. Point at the curry you want.

Jackson Heights · Nepali

Multiyear Momo Crawl winner. Jhol momo — dumplings in tomato-chutney broth.

Jackson Heights · Colombian

Started as a street cart on Roosevelt Ave. The OG arepa. Arepa de choclo is the move.

Jackson Heights · Thai (Southern)

Southern Thai. Intense spice, real chili heat. Not the Thai food from Manhattan.

Richmond Hill · Trinidadian

30 years of buss up shut roti. Approved by Trini families.

Rego Park · Georgian

Georgian. Khachapuri, khinkali, natural wines. One of the only places doing this.

Astoria · Bosnian

Bosnian cevapi. Nearly impossible to find in the US.

Flushing · Chinese Food Court

Basement food court = night market. 30+ stalls of regional Chinese. Best $8 meal in NYC.

Fordham · Ghanaian

Giant reputation in Bronx's Ghanaian community. Soccer, palaver sauce. Serious Eats covered it.

Belmont · Ghanaian

Tuo zaafi — pounded maize with mutton stew. Food most Americans have never heard of.

Greenpoint · Record Store

Greenpoint's most idiosyncratic vinyl room. Avant rock, minimalism, private press.

Williamsburg · Record Store

Started in Tokyo 1994. Rare jazz, punk, experimental. Japanese pressings.

Fort Greene · Japanese Izakaya

Hidden izakaya through an unmarked door in Walter's. Small menu, excellent sake, duck confit on soba.

Gravesend · Russian

Russian cafeteria comfort food for nothing. Point at things, they fill your plate.

Bay Ridge · Palestinian

Roasted cauliflower that changed how people think about cauliflower. Knafeh for dessert.

Park Slope · Cambodian

Cambodian — one of very few in the city. Bone-in pork chop with fish sauce.

Canarsie · Caribbean/Lucian

Lucian green fig salad with green banana, codfish. Tradition most NYers have never encountered.

Central Harlem · Senegalese

Peppery chicken yassa since 1994. The lamb mafe falls off the bone. Harlem Senegalese row anchor.

East Harlem · Puerto Rican

Operating since the 1960s under La Marqueta. Fried everything, zero frills. A living NYC treasure.

East Harlem · Mexican (DF-style)

Mexico City-inspired. Brain flautas and baby shark tostadas. The fearless menu most restaurants avoid.

East Harlem · West African/Coffee

West African coffee shop. Ginger drinks, bissap, fonio bowls. A culture hub more than a cafe.

Hamilton Heights · Ethiopian-Israeli

Ethiopian-Israeli fusion that shouldn't exist but thrives. Injera meets shakshuka.

Central Harlem · Hats

Every piece tailored to the wearer. Harlem haberdashery culture made physical.

Central Harlem · Latin-South Asian

Family-run gem fusing Latin and South Asian flavors. Glazed lamb ribs and shrimp curry. Shouldn't work, absolutely does.

Bushwick · Mexican

Operating out of a literal garage. Some of the city's best tacos. The most Bushwick thing that exists.

Bushwick · Reunion Island Creole

One of the only restaurants in the country serving Reunion Island cuisine. Serious rhum agricole list.

Bushwick · Ethiopian (Vegan)

All-vegan Ethiopian since 2014. Communal injera platters that turn strangers into dinner companions.

Bushwick · Pizza (Sourdough)

Pull their own mozzarella in-house. Sourdough pizza for people who moved past Neapolitan.

Bushwick · Bookstore/Wine Bar

Used bookstore that's also a wine bar. Trade old books for credit or a glass of natural wine.

Bushwick · Chocolate Factory

Chocolate factory where art and cacao coexist. Watch them make it. Willy Wonka meets white cube.

Ridgewood · Japanese

Tiny Japanese cafe. Onigiri, handrolls, and a cartoonishly large fried chicken sandwich.

Ridgewood · American

The dinner spot everybody in Ridgewood actually goes to and won't shut up about.

Ridgewood · Music Venue

Experimental music venue. Noise, drone, improvised sets. Booking that doesn't exist elsewhere.

Sunset Park · Vietnamese

Best banh mi in Brooklyn. Silky pate, crunchy daikon. Plus pandan sponge cake from the counter.

Sunset Park · Chinese Bakery

Best egg tarts in NYC. Jiggly custard, charred tops. Sells out by afternoon.

Sunset Park · Mexican

The truck transcends. The campechano — salty beef, pork sausage, crispy skin — is the order.

Sunset Park · Chinese Street Food

Unnamed cart at 5521 8th Ave. Douhua — silken tofu in ginger syrup. One of the last great sidewalk desserts.

Sunset Park · Sake Brewery

NYC's first sake brewery. Taproom exclusives you can't get anywhere else.

Astoria · Egyptian

Chef Moustafa cooks and serves every dish personally. The sausage the restaurant is named for is unlike anything in the city.

Astoria · Egyptian

Since 1989. Chef Ali cooks while talking to you. No fixed menu — whatever he feels like making.

Astoria · Bosnian

Stuffed cabbage rolls, tender lamb, burek pitas. Orchids and greenery. Generous Bosnian portions.

Astoria · Bookstore

LGBTQ-owned indie bookstore. Time Out ranked it #2 in NYC. Major author events.