It's delicate, it's ever-changing, it's my top five restaurants in NYC
We're talking sit-down restaurants in Manhattan (and one spot in Brooklyn) that I absolutely adore, and my passionate reasons why.
Writing this post feels like a dangerous game. Choosing my top five Manhattan-based (plus one Brooklyn-based) restaurants feels like a ton of pressure, being that I have eaten millions and trillions and gazillions of meals in Manhattan in my life. But then I thought—there is no pressure. This list could change tomorrow, and all I’d have to do is tell you guys. Plus, if you guys go to a place on this list and don’t like it, that’s not my fault. Your bad taste is your issue to sort through.
So, here I am. About to list my top five sit-down restaurants. These are the restaurants that I would give my left lung to go to again for the first time, the restaurants that I will frequent many more times in my life, the restaurants that serve some of my favorite entrees, desserts, drinks, and ambiances in the city. I’ll expand this list to other boroughs one day, but for now, here is my ardent list for your unforgiving eye.
BIG NOTE: This is in no particular order, because it was hard enough to pick five, and I will not go through the excruciating pain of ranking them best to worst. They’re all incredible restaurants and you should try them all.
Ainslie Bowery ($30-$50 pp)
I first discovered Ainslie on my twenty-second birthday (and I just turned twenty-four!), when I was looking for a last-minute dinner reservation. At that point, only the Williamsburg location was open (which is just as good), but now they have a location on Bowery that makes finding an affordable, delicious meal in Lower Manhattan even easier.
This place is a family favorite in my house—my parents have even become regulars at the Bowery location, with their favorite waitress ordering their drinks and apps before they even have a chance to take a seat. It’s a simple Italian restaurant with a simple menu that isn’t extensive; this is probably Ainslie’s only downfall. I wish it had more fluctuating menu items, possibly some seasonal specials. But this place works because the chefs have perfected the dishes they do have on their menu and nail them every time.
My go-to order: calamari and burrata for apps (my mom would add arancini into this mix, too, although I just don’t love arancini in general); cacio e pepe and house-made lasagna for a pasta dish (the lasagna is pictured here—it’s on the saltier side but that’s perfect for my palate, and it comes out piping hot, and its top two on my list of the best lasagnas, second only to my mother’s); the Ainslie burger (because if a restaurant has a dish named after itself, it better be good, and this one is); and the dark chocolate cake for dessert, or a fragole e crema for you non-chocolate lovers.
The Lions - First Avenue and St. Marks Place ($30-$50 pp)
Ah, The Lions. Big shout-out to my dear friend Marisol who brought me and a few friends here on one drunken night and changed my life for the better, giving me one of the best fried cheese experiences I’ve ever had. In fact, as we were walking out, I saw one mozzarella ball lingering on a plate and reached for it—because no cheese gets left behind.
The Lions makes this list because it’s an all-around great restaurant and bar. The bartenders can nail an espresso martini and a margarita, and the cheeseburger is one of the best I’ve had in the city, which is saying a lot, considering there are a ton of places to get a good burger in NYC.
Plus, the vibes are just always immaculate. If you go during the day, you get a chill happy hour vibe with lots of natural light coming into the restaurant; if you go in the evening, you might have to fight for your life to get a table, because it is always packed like sardines with people pouring in from other local bars or clubs and looking for a bite. But on a night where you’re drinking and need sustenance, this restaurant is going to provide that for you—and same for if you’re not drinking, too. The photo above was taken days after I first went to The Lions, when I decided I had to try it once more sober to see if it was really that good, or if I was just drunk. It was really that good.
My go-to order: an espresso martini, fried cheese up the wazoo, the cheeseburger, and the chocolate pot de creme for dessert. (Fun fact: a waitress recommended I order this the first time I tried The Lions sober, and she did not disappoint. I owe her big time.)
Phebe’s - Bowery and Fourth Street ($20-$30 pp)
Now, full transparency, I didn’t eat a lot when I went to Phebe’s. The first time, it was date night and I really wanted to eat, but I wasn’t as hungry as I needed to be to eat at this restaurant. In my defense, I had no idea how big the portions would be. I mean, the plate of nachos was enough for a table of six, and there were only two of us. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.
Still, the little that I did eat proved to be incredibly delicious. The place makes a good espresso martini (although they don’t put the espresso tinis on the happy hour cocktail list, which knocks them a point or two). The aforementioned nachos were some of the best I’ve had in my life, and I love a plate of nachos, so I know what I’m talking about. They’re loaded with mounds of pico and sour cream and guac, rounds of jalapeños, and the cheese is crisped up nicely for less of a cheese pull, more of a toasted cheese vibe. I <3 Phebe’s nachos.
I plan to go back and try the burger, which I’m almost sure will become a go-to for me, but for now, my go-tos: the fish and chips (crispy fish with shoestring fries and a really nice tartar sauce) and Phebe’s pasta (because what did I say about a namesake dish?). Really, though, this place makes my top five because of the nachos and espresso martinis.
Sailor - Dekalb Avenue in Brooklyn ($50-$100 pp)
Here’s the one Brooklyn-based restaurant on this list, which makes the list simply because I loved the food so much, there’s no way it’s not making my top five restaurants. I will do a top five Brooklyn restaurants one day, but for now, Sailor deserves a spot on this list.
You might remember I reviewed this elegant bistro earlier on my blog, and I said TikTok slightly overhyped it but it was worth returning to. Since then, I returned to Sailor for brunch—after seeing Matt James post a food TikTok about it—and I have to say… the brunch is not overhyped. The burger (cooked medium, always) was possibly the best I have ever had in my life, and I would go back just for that. The espresso martini loses points for not having three espresso beans on top, but my partner had a Michelada that tasted somewhat like what I imagine a bloody mary tastes like, which I found delicious. (To be fair, she thought it tasted like the broth inside of a Chef Boyardee can, and I would agree with that. The difference is, that wasn’t a bad thing in my eyes. Only one of us would order it again.)
The french toast was as decadent as it is advertised to be—crunchy on the top, creamy and fluffy on the inside, and absolutely slathered in syrup. And remember, I liked the dinner and dessert plates, too. The profiteroles were as delicious as they looked (the picture of those is probably the best food pic I’ve ever taken), the parmesan roasted potatoes were perfectly balanced, and I would have the skordalia pumped into my bloodstream if I could.
My ordering suggestions: I can’t recommend dinner entrees for you, because the dinner menu changes monthly, but do order the profiteroles for dessert, and try the caesar salad, because you always have to try a caesar salad at a new restaurant. For brunch, get the burger obviously, try the french toast, and try the avocado toast, too, because my partner ordered it and enjoyed it very much. Next time I head there, I’m looking forward to trying the everything bagel with smoked salmon and the grain bowl, and the omelette, and probably one of everything else on the menu.
Bryant Park Grill - West Fortieth Street ($50-$100 pp)
This is another place I’ve only been to once, but it made an impact on me. We were celebrating my mom the day we went, and eating meals with my parents is always amazing because they and I have the same palate—a bougie, elevated one.
The rule is: you always start with burrata if they have it on the menu. I also had a filet mignon for the first time ever this day, and it fulfilled all my Gordon Ramsay-loving dreams. It was served with potato gratin, which is smooth, decadent, and cheesy, and the spinach was salty and delicious. Every part of the plate was well executed, and it tasted just as fancy as it felt to be sitting there.
The place is definitely more of an upscale, don’t-go-in-your-jeans restaurant, and it earns its prestige with its food. The crème brûlée was served with a piece of crunchy biscotti on top and was creamy and the perfect level of sugary. This is a place I’d go back to for special occasions, because it’s a special place, and you don’t want to overdo it by going back too regularly.
There you have it, folks. My top five restaurants right now. You can roast me if you want, but you won’t regret trying these places, and you may just have the best experience of your life, like I did.
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