NYCGuide
The Best Restaurants On The Upper West Side
photo credit: David A. Lee
The Upper West Side doesn’t always get the restaurant credit it deserves. But there’s never been a better time to eat in the neighborhood. From classic Jewish delis and Dominican standbys to some of the best places to eat sushi or Vietnamese food in Manhattan—the options on the Upper West Side will satisfy nearly any mood you (or the people you need to please) are in. Don’t believe us? Read on.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: David A. Lee
Lincoln Center is the unlikely home to one of the best restaurants (and toughest reservations) in NYC. Located in David Geffen Hall, Tatiana serves food inspired by Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi’s upbringing in The Bronx. The menu features egusi dumplings, curried goat patties, and one of the most impressive mashup dishes in the city, an incredibly tender short rib pastrami suya. Have a fun night out here under some faux clouds illuminated by soft blue lighting, and listen to ‘90s hip hop while you eat one-of-a-kind food that fully delivers.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
If we had to pick one bagel to reign supreme, it would be the untoasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese from Absolute Bagels. Tiny and round like a softball, each springy dough globe you’ll find here has a blistered bottom. The dough itself tastes malty and sweet, like it had a daydream years ago about being a dessert. Absolute Bagels also makes fantastic Thai iced tea. (The place was founded by Sam Thongkrieng, who moved from Bangkok to NYC in the ’80s and worked at Ess-A-Bagel for years).
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
We once went to Mama’s Too when it was 15 degrees outside. The only seating here is outdoors, and we had to wear pants under our pants, but it was worth it. The cacio e pepe pizza with its four types of cheese and cracked black pepper, and the poached pear with hot honey, will enrich your life in ways you have yet to fathom. And those aren’t even the slices that make this place one of the best pizza places in NYC. The square pepperoni is worth a trip across the city, but the best way to experience Mama’s Too is to get an assortment of slices and pass them around with a couple of friends who don’t mind biting into your bites. They also have gelato and do occasional sandwich drops—keep an eye on their Instagram for more info.
Kaito on West 72nd Street serves a 13-course omakase for $98 that doesn't follow the same progression as most other high-end options in the neighborhood. Every two or three nigiri rounds will be broken up by a cooked dish like tempura fried hake in a mushroom broth and maybe a smoked goldeneye snapper collar if you’re lucky. The sushi tends to lean traditional here, but the slices of fish are notably thicker than what you may have seen elsewhere. When you’re eating hefty pieces of king salmon and Japanese mackerel, you’ll really feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. If the omakase here feels like a stretch, check out Sushi Yasaka across the street, where you’ll find a la carte and set options.
photo credit: David A. Lee
Bánh serves dishes like bún bò bơ with sizzling buttery beef, a pork belly bánh mì that’s a contender for the best in the city, and a crispy bánh chưng chiên appetizer that’s filled with pork and comes with a tangy soy dressing. Between an appetizer and an entree, you can easily walk away having spent $30 on an exciting dinner. The casual set-up makes this place perfect for a meetup with a friend or a low-key date near Amsterdam Avenue and 107th Street.
photo credit: Kate Previte
The Upper West Side is home to some of the best Chino Latino food in NYC, and you’ll find the best of the best at La Dinastia. The chicharrones de pollo are light and crispy, served with a lemon for squeezing, and best dipped in a secret tangy green sauce, which is one of those secrets that everybody knows about. La Dinastia got a recent boost on social media, but this casual spot has been open since 1986, serving fried pork chops and rum-based nutcrackers to Upper West Siders. If this isn’t already your first stop after a day spent lounging in Central Park, after one visit, it will be.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
There are technically better bagels in New York City, but in terms of all-around experience, Barney Greengrass is hard to beat. This deli and appetizing store—open for over 100 years now—has a small dining room with vinyl seating and historical murals on the walls. Bring your visitors here for bagels, sturgeon, latkes, and eggs with a side of lox before an afternoon at the Natural History Museum.
photo credit: Dane Isaac
The combination of fat, salt, and spice makes any fried chicken sandwich at least some degree of delicious. But rarely are they as memorable as the Nashville Hot Chickwich version at this casual Korean restaurant on the Upper West Side. Chick Chick’s play on Korean-Nashville Hot Chicken is crunchier than it is fiery, and we could write an epic poem about this twice-fried, chili-dusted poultry product, topped with pickles and creamy white sauce. This is a perfect place to pick up some takeout for your kids or to have a meal for around $25.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
The menu at this counter-service spot is huge, with everything from phở and spring rolls to laksa and steak over rice—but don’t leave without a massive bánh mì. Our favorite is the pork shoulder one, but they also do them with steak, chicken, and shrimp. Pick up a sandwich, then take it back home or walk two blocks east to the park.
photo credit: Luis Chaves
The original Miriam is in Park Slope, and if you walk by on a weekend afternoon, you’ll see a line of people out the door. The Upper West Side location of this Israeli restaurant is also a zoo at brunch, but you should still stop by for silky hummus, top-notch shakshuka, and dense, flaky burekas. Miriam is open for dinner, too. And it’s a great option for a casual night out that still feels relatively nice. The space has big windows and some leafy vines scattered throughout, and there’s a bar in the back in case you want to dine solo.
photo credit: Marconi Gonzalez
If you’re looking for a pre-Lincoln Center dinner that’s not especially fancy but still feels a little special and might involve lobster tacos, head to El Fish Marisqueria. It’s run by the chef behind Toloache, Coppelia, and a few other Mexican restaurants in the city, and it’s a smooth operation that’s a bit more upscale than their other spots. In addition to the lobster tacos, order things like tuna tostadas, grilled oysters, clam chowder tortilla soup, a whole fish, and a few rounds of margaritas.
From the people behind Laut and Singlish, Wau is one of the few options on the UWS with a full range of Southeast Asian dishes (not just Thai). Sure, you’ll find good Thai curries if you want them, but why go with the dish you can get elsewhere in the neighborhood when Wau also makes rendang with caramelized beef and Balinese-style ribs that smack you with tangy Indonesian soy sauce? Walk in easily with one or two other people tops, and get a seat inside if you like to stretch your legs—the covered sidewalk section is a tight squeeze.
Eléa is a big, attractive Greek restaurant, and it's a good option for an upscale meal in the neighborhood when someone in your group really likes hummus. There’s a bar area upstairs and a large dining room in the basement, and the whole space leans hard into the coastal Greek theme. Your options range from salads and vegetarian mousaka to lamb chops and a whole grilled fish, and you should always start with a few of the dips.
photo credit: David A. Lee
The original Charles Pan Fried Chicken is in Harlem, but there's also a reliably good UWS location. The fried chicken here is famously made in a cast iron skillet rather than a deep fryer, and the meat comes out tender beneath a well-seasoned crust. We also love the ribs, collards, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. When you stop by Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, an employee behind the counter might say something like, “I got that cornbread,” and the whole team will reply with “Ooh” in unison. It’ll make you smile.
Dagon is a Mediterranean spot that’s useful for when you need to impress your in-laws or a few friends you haven’t seen in a while. We technically prefer the hummus and shakshuka at nearby Miriam, but Miriam doesn’t have Dagon’s patterned tile floors, hanging foliage, and beachy pastel color scheme. Entrees start around $30 and include things like dry-aged kebabs, chicken schnitzel, and salmon with braised cabbage. Be sure to start your meal with the pull-apart kubaneh stuffed with feta. It works especially well at brunch.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
The Amsterdam Avenue location of this Dominican spot from Washington Heights serves dishes like emparedados, mofongo de chicharron de cerdo, and our personal favorite, rotisserie chicken. Stop by for a half-bird with skin that tastes like it’s coated in brown sugar, and add a side of boiled green bananas. If you’re looking for somewhere on the UWS to bring your whole family for a great dinner that’ll cost around $20 per person, this is the place.
photo credit: David A. Lee
El Mitote in the West 70s makes some of the neighborhood’s best Mexican food, including very good comida corrida, fast food platters that come with rice and brothy Guadalajara-style black beans. All of the food comes out on bright-colored trays, so we like to think of this place as a cafeteria for people who have fun and enjoy enchiladas. This spot works for just about any kind of casual meal, but show up on the early side if you don’t want to wait for a table since they don’t accept reservations.
POWERED BY
Will you remember the classic French bistro dishes at Cafe Luxembourg forever? Absolutely not. But you will remember the experience of seeing Fran Lebowitz taking a meeting in a corner booth with two extremely tall people. This classic UWS restaurant is more about dining in a dimly lit, red-leather-booth institution than it is about any single plate of food. Having said that, you could order the french onion soup and a martini and be perfectly satisfied by your meal here.
photo credit: Phil Yoon
This gourmet deli and grocer has been in the same location for over 85 years. They sell high-quality cheese, meats, and hundreds of packages of chocolate babka daily—but the real star of Zabar’s is their smoked fish. Eat a bagel with whitefish or nova from their takeout and cafe area on the corner of 80th and Broadway.
