11 Of The Most Iconic NYC Restaurants Worth Visiting, According To Reviews

When we think of the Big Apple, we often think of its many diverse neighborhoods like Chinatown and "the real Little Italy" of New York that's a thriving cultural gem, its love of the arts, and its ability to have always pushed the limit of what's "normal" to what's bigger and better. It's these qualities that have long made the city one of the best food destinations in the world, too. In New York City, people can enjoy everything from a classic Italian American chicken parmesan to an authentic biryani to a fine dining meal that costs more than your rent. But that's the beauty of this city that never sleeps — it knows how to eat — and live — well. That's also why some of its restaurants are the best restaurants for world-class dining in 2026, according to reviews.

Some of New York City's most storied restaurants have been doing that for decades, making them the most iconic restaurants throughout the five boroughs. Whether you're a lifelong New Yorker or a tourist in for the weekend, these legendary spots are worth checking off your foodie bucket list, as are these top 12 places to check out for first-time visitors. To decide which made the cut, we evaluated which eateries are the most well-known far outside city limits, have the best reviews, have been around the longest, and have the most unique offerings.

Despite his London roots, restaurateur Keith McNally has been a New York City bigwig since he opened his first eatery, The Odeon, in 1980. However, Balthazar, a classic French brasserie on Spring Street in Soho, has been his flagship restaurant since McNally opened it in 1997. With an authentic Parisian "je ne sais quoi," it serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch, with all breads and desserts, too, made by the Balthazar team. Just a few of the staple dishes here include onion soup gratine, escargot, steak frites with peppercorn sauce, and profiteroles.

It's all served among high ceilings, red leather booths, mahogany millwork, and top-notch service. "Food was very delicious!!" wrote one visitor on Tripadvisor. "Sevice was great... waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. I had the French onion soup and it was the best I had ever had!!" However, the best part of the ambiance isn't the standout décor — it's the crowd, ranging from regulars to celebrities, who are all treated with care no matter their status. Plus, since all the tables are good ones, every customer has the best seat in the house.

This wide range of clientele recognizes that Balthazar doesn't forget the details. Every element of the décor is handmade and is thoughtful, including, for example, the French day-to-day calendar hung on the wall. Customers can even pay to keep a page of the calendar for a unique memento.

These days, Italian American restaurant Carbone — founded by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick — can be found everywhere from Miami to London. But being that the Greenwich Village location was the first, it's still the most iconic, even more than a decade after it hit Thompson Street. Unlike some Italian eateries in the United States that seek to forget their American influence, Carbone celebrates it. It does that by offering a step back in time to old-school '50s and '60s New York with burgundy leather banquettes, black and white tiled floors, and art deco-inspired lighting, all behind the sign that once indicated the space as the home of throwback Italian restaurant Rocco.

Some of the dishes that customers can expect to enjoy at Carbone — if they can score a reservation — are gigantic plates of veal Parmesan, chicken scarpariello, lobster fra diavolo, and linguine vongole. Salads here are uniquely finished tableside, and desserts are presented in-person before ordering.

Don't be surprised if, when you turn from your spicy rigatoni vodka, you see Rihanna or a Kardashian, as Carbone is just as beloved by celebrities as it is by us common folk. "The food was amazing, from the baked clams, eggplant and zucchini scapece, meatballs, Branzino and veal parm, each ... equally delicious and uniquely prepared," wrote one visitor on Tripadvisor. "We are Italian foodies and this meal was among our best ever."

Since it opened at its iconic triangle-shaped building in what's now the Financial District in 1837, Delmonico's has been the first fine dining restaurant in the country, making for a unique dining paradise in what was a sea of oyster cellars and coffeehouses that also had the biggest wine cellar in New York City. Among pillars thought to be imported from Pompeii, characters like Charles Dickens and Mark Twain — as well as women, since Delmonico's was the first restaurant where women could eat without a male chaperone — dined in luxury.

Although nearly two centuries have gone by since then, the restaurant still serves some of the same dishes, a rarity in today's dining scene full of ever-changing menus. Some of the dishes on the menu include a caviar service, the seafood plateau, smoked steak tartare, Oscar's wedge salad, the Delmonico ribeye sourced from Brandt Family Farms, and the filet mignon sourced from Allen Brothers Angus. "We are history buffs and fans of the Guilded Age," wrote a satisfied diner on Tripadvisor. "A wonderful dinner. I think truly the best filet I have ever had. ... Beautiful and glad we got to experience it."

However, it took Delmonico's some time to return to its elite status. It closed during Prohibition before being revived in 1926. During COVID-19, it shuttered again, until new ownership sought to make it a phoenix rising from the ashes two years later.

Three stars from The New York Times. Five James Beard awards. One Michelin star. The list of the Gramercy Tavern's accolades is long, as is its pedigree — it was founded by restaurateur Danny Meyer alongside celebrity chef Tom Colicchio in 1994 on E. 20^th Street in the Flatiron District. However, its accomplishments weren't guaranteed at the time, when a disastrous opening night made Meyer regret opening a new restaurant upon the success of his Union Square Café. He sure doesn't regret it now, though, that Gramercy Tavern is an acclaimed and beloved New York City staple.

The restaurant, one of the first with a farm-to-table philosophy, sources many of its ingredients from the next-door Union Square Greenmarket, as well as purveyors like Norwich Meadows Farm and Island Creek Oysters. It serves iconic American dishes such as roasted oysters, brick-pressed chicken, and chocolate pudding cake, made in a wood-fired grill in the la carte tavern surrounded by an array of florals.

For the full experience, guests should reserve a spot in the dining room where a $175 seasonal prix fixe menu is served. "Would give 10 stars if I could. We were treated amazingly from start to finish and this was our favourite food stop of our whole trip," reads one rave review on Tripadvisor. Despite the Gramercy Tavern's many awards and rave reviews, it remains humble, warm, and welcoming, which was one of Meyer's original goals.

Since it opened in 1913, Grand Central Station has been as fundamental to New York City as the Empire State Building and Times Square, which is one of the USA's top-tier tourist attractions for first-time visitors. And just as instrumental is the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant, which opened in the underground terminal less than a month after the station did. It's even a registered New York City landmark and one of Tripadvisor's "Best of the Best" restaurants in the "One of a Kind" category.

Amid arched ceilings, terracotta tiles, and an upscale vibe in an unlikely subterranean respite, travelers and even former U.S. president William Howard Taft dined on oyster pan roasts, oyster stew, and at least a dozen types of raw oysters. It was fitting for the time, as oysters were New Yorkers' unofficial favorite food during the era. Thanks to a reinvention that the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant enjoyed after its fall from grace due to the decline of train travel, the beloved eatery still offers just that, all within a small-but-mighty 450 square foot space. Plus, there's always something different to try here, as the menu changes every day depending on the local catch.

"One of our favorite spots when we come to New York. It never disappoints," wrote a regular on Tripadvisor. "Oysters come out amazing fast. The options are great. Lobsters are amazing. Writing this review makes me want to go back."

The Chinese specialty of soup dumplings — more formally known as xiao long bao or less formally known as steamed buns — are widely cherished. But what many American fans of these dumplings filled with broth and meat don't realize is that they have Kiu Sang "Joe" Si, who founded Joe's Shanghai, to thank for their popularity in the U.S. More than a century after soup dumplings were popularized in Shanghai, his Pell Street restaurant in Chinatown brought the dumplings to the States. They became so popular — with millions of crab and pork dumplings sold over the years — that Joe's Shanghai relocated to Bowery in 2019 to be able to accommodate more customers.

"Excellent fish and meat dumplings, I think they were the best of my life, very generous portion with 8 big pieces that when you open contain a delicious broth," wrote an impressed customer on Tripadvisor. Even former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl agreed when she wrote in her 1996 review, "These are the best things in the whole world." However, besides the soup dumplings — which should be ordered as soon as you hit the table since they're made to order — don't sleep on the other Chinese specialties like Kung Pao chicken, lo mein, and whole Peking duck.

Ask anyone to name a single New York Jewish deli, and you'll hear one spot over and over again — Katz's Delicatessen, which has been a flagship in the Lower East Side since 1888. It's one of the oldest continuously operating Jewish-style delis in the country and also the oldest deli in the city. Throughout its decades-long legacy, its fed thousands of people every week, including tons of celebrities — whose photos line its walls — as well as regulars. It's appeared in countless films and television productions, including "Donnie Brasco," "We Own the Night," and "When Harry Met Sally." A sign even hangs above the table that was featured in "When Harry Met Sally."

It's hard to say no to a sandwich with slow-cooked, slow-cured, and additive-free meats. The deli serves a whopping 70,000 pounds of meat every week to customers who clutch their old-school paper tickets upon checkout. But make sure your ticket includes the towering pastrami on rye with mustard, as this is the item that the deli is best known for. It can be ordered juicy, lean, or extra lean and comes with pickles. "We queued for 40 mins for this as my hunny really wanted to try here and I can honestly say it was worth it!!" raved someone on Tripadvisor. "The food was 10/10 and I'd more than happily queue again."

Dinner and a show has long been a New York City tradition, which is how Keens Steakhouse — the only remnant of the former Herald Square Theatre District — got its start. The steakhouse was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen, a local producer, and many of his thespians, writers, and composer colleagues, especially those working at the neighboring Garrick Theatre, soon became regulars. Those customers included celebrities like Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Liza Minnelli, and Theodore Roosevelt.

With such a storied history, it's no surprise that Keens Steakhouse has a wow-worthy collection of historic memorabilia. That includes the biggest collection of churchwarden pipes on the planet, as customers — like Babe Ruth, Albert Einstein, and "Buffalo Bill" Cody — once checked their delicate pipes into the Pipe Club. Other memorabilia includes the theater program that Abraham Lincoln was supposedly holding when he was shot; a menu signed by baseball star Joe DiMaggio; and a painting of a nude woman known as "Miss Keen."

Even its fare is a sort of memorabilia. Keens Steakhouse still serves a 26-ounce mutton chop, its flagship dish since it opened. A rare dish to find on any menu in this day and age, the chop is as iconic as Keens, having earned praise from James Beard and former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni. "The mutton chop was an indulgence as a side to a Porterhouse," a visitor on Tripadvisor. "Both were cooked to perfection."

It takes more than a dedicated chef, impeccable service, and a delectable menu to win a coveted James Beard Award — let alone a 4-star review from The New York Times. However, Le Bernardin has managed to do both better than anyone else. The seafood restaurant run by Eric Ripert is the only restaurant to still have 4 stars from The New York Times even after a half-dozen reviews and 40 years, and it also has more James Beard awards than any other Big Apple restaurant.

Here, customers can choose from the à la carte lounge menu, the four-course, $218 dinner menu, or go for the big forks at the $350 chef's tasting. Dishes include seafood carpaccio, which Le Bernardin was the first to offer in the area, as well as eats with international flair, such as baked red snapper with coconut green curry sauce.

It's all worth it despite the high price tag, according to Tripadvisor users. "This is the absolute best restaurant I've eaten at from East to west," said one person on Tripadvisor. "I've been back seven times and it has never disappointed. It's always first class service first class food preparation and presentation. Eric is the master."

With basic dishes like hot dogs, burgers, chili, and ham and cheese sandwiches, McSorley's Old Ale House lacks the finesse that most of the other spots on this list possess. However, that doesn't make it any less regaled. It's the city's oldest continuously running saloon as well as its oldest Irish pub. Dating back to 1854 when it was founded by Irish immigrant John McSorley, the hangout has been visited by famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and John Lennon. It still has all the charm of yesteryear, too, with sawdust on the floor, no-reservation and cash-only policies, no delivery, and just two types of alcoholic drinks on the menu — light ale or dark ale. Although the pub briefly offered hard liquor during the early 20^th century, the change-up was short-lived. It even secretly served the ales during Prohibition.

Apparently, those ales — and a welcoming ambiance — are all McSorley's Old Ale House needs to keep customers coming. "The ale was nice, the atmosphere was [exciting] but calm, people talking and saying hi to each other, even though they did not know you they would still speak to you, this is what a pub/bar should be like," wrote one fan on Tripadvisor.

Appetizing stores, which sell smoked and cured salmon, salads, and cream cheeses designed to be eaten with bagels, used to be as common as a slice of cheap pizza in New York City. Those days have since ended, but New York City has a fewdelicious remnants, one of which is Russ & Daughters. Since its early start as an appetizing shop that opened in 1914 under Polish Jewish immigrant Joel Russ, the shop is now also a café that has been lauded by the likes of former New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells as well as the Michelin guide.

It opened in 2014 on the 100^th anniversary of the storied shop with a menu of specialties like chopped liver, potato latkes, tuna melts, bagels and lox, and matzo ball soup. Today, it's still owned by the fourth-generation descendants of Russ. In homage to its long past, the café is full of boxes of matzo, white backlit fish signs, and historic photos. However, in a modern twist, it also offers cocktails and drinks from an old-fashioned soda fountain, with offerings including egg creams, Bloody Marys, and cucumber soda. "Loved the feel at this classic bagel stop," wrote a satisfied customer on Tripadvisor. "Great atmosphere and a great bagel! Got the fully loaded with sturgeon was fantastic!"

New York City is an undebated and unwavering culinary capital, with nearly 18,000 eateries spanning every nationality, style, and quirk you can think of. It remains that way throughout the year, as New York City is also one of USA's 10 best December tourist destinations for a winter getaway. But just a few of them qualify as icons, earning the hard-to-gain respect from both New Yorkers and travelers alike due to their age-old pasts and ability to offer something that's worth waiting in a line around the block for. Planetware rounded up the most iconic restaurants in the Big Apple, ranging from the first fine dining restaurant in America to a high-end red sauce joint that has been replicated around the globe.

To decide which restaurants made the cut, we first considered which are best-known all over, whether you're in Timbuktu or Times Square, which is one of USA's most iconic attractions worth visiting at least once. Then, we looked to their reviews to see which were the most well-regarded by both average customers and critics alike. We also considered which had one-of-a-kind offerings or long histories that helped mold New York City into the epicurean wonderland it is today.