Summer has always been the season for trying something new—especially in New York. Longer days and warmer nights have a way of encouraging us to stray from our routines. This can mean wandering a little farther, eating a little later, or taking a chance on somewhere you’ve never heard of before.
For those looking to try a new restaurant or visit a new neighborhood this season, we asked 18 chefs, restauranteurs, food writers, and other culinary insiders to share the places they’re seeking out this summer—and exactly what they order.
Here, we share their picks, from handmade soba served in a ceramicist’s studio to clams after a bike ride from Fort Tilden, an off-menu chicken parm on the Upper East Side, and a sandwich built expressly for a day at the beach. Consider this your guide to eating through the rest of the season.
Bong (Crown Heights), recommended by Helen Rosner (food writer, The New Yorker)
“It’s tiny, loud, crowded, colorful, and sexy, so a sweltering hot day (or night) just makes the vibe vibier. The dream is to sit outside, at one of the sidewalk tables, or inside just against the open window, order a super-crisp pilsner, and go wild on seafood.”
The Order: “The fried head-on shrimp, anything with squid, and the glorious pile of treasure that is Mama Kim’s lobster, a giant cut-up crustacean dripping in garlicky, gingery sauce.”
Randazzo’s Clam Bar (Brighton Beach), recommended by Sunny Lee (chef-owner, Sunn’s)
“I usually eat there after biking back from Fort Tilden, which makes everything taste even better. I grew up in Massachusetts and spent a lot of my childhood summers eating lobster rolls in Maine and fried clam strips in Rhode Island. Randazzo’s feels like New York’s version of that childhood summer seafood fix.”
The Order: “Raw littleneck clams, baked clams, steamer clams (my absolute favorite summer food), the Randazzo’s special salad, fried calamari with the spicy sauce, and the Fra Diavolo if we’re really hungry.”
La Vara (Cobble Hill), recommended by Ruth Reichl (food critic)
“I love the food, relaxed atmosphere, and sitting outside watching the light fade as all of Brooklyn goes strolling by. Chef Alex Raij is wildly imaginative and she always comes up with combinations I could not have imagined.”
The Order: “I can’t get enough of the fried chickpeas or the bomba rice with uni and wild shrimp, and I always order the specials.”
Antonucci Cafe (Upper East Side), recommended by Annie Shi (restauranteur; King, Jupiter, Lei, and Dean’s)
“This has somehow been a new discovery for us even though we live one block away. It’s been around since the mid-2000s and has so much personality and spirit, which isn’t something I can say about many restaurants in our neighborhood. More often than not, the owner is also having dinner in the room with us. The martinis are cold and fast, there are hidden gems on the wine list, and they make the perfect anchovy toast. What more do you need?”
The Order: “We always start with extra-dry gin martinis with a twist while we munch on the complimentary bread basket with a delicious al forno tomato sauce and goat cheese. Then we typically order a bottle of wine—most recently, a 2016 Soldera and a 2021 Le Ragnaie Bianco. Finally, we almost always order the same food: the aforementioned anchovy toast, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, and either spaghetti with meatballs or the off-menu chicken parm.”
El Pingüino (Greenpoint), recommended by Miki Nomura (co-founder, Cabi Foods)
“El Pingüino is a neighborhood gem with incredible fresh seafood, making it the perfect summer spot. Whenever I’m walking around Greenpoint on a warm day, I can’t help but stop in for a few seafood bites. The quality is always outstanding, and they make a fantastic martini, too.”
The Order: “Oysters, of course, but the aguachile is a must. It’s the perfect refreshing summer dish.”
Bánh Mì Cô Út 2 (Chinatown), recommended by Anthony Ha (chef-owner, Ha’s Snack Bar and Bistrot Ha)
“It’s literally a stone’s throw from the restaurant. They bake their own bread, have a great selection of takeaway items, and serve a very strong cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee).”
The Order: “The summer rolls, always. They’re light but filling, and the peanut sauce has the perfect balance of hoisin and peanut and is lightly spicy. I eat them for breakfast or lunch two or three times a week.”
Roman’s (Fort Greene), recommended by Lauren Schofield (pastry chef)
“Chef Hannah Shizgal-Paris is masterful at seasonal cooking. The menu changes frequently, so you’re always getting peak summer produce prepared in her rustic Italian style. It’s exactly the kind of restaurant you want as your neighborhood spot.”
The Order: “Whatever seasonal pasta is on the menu. In hot weather, I like to sit at the bar with a Daily Sour or Daily Bitter cocktail (or a perfectly made Negroni), plus whatever salad they’re serving, two pastas, and a scoop of chocolate sorbet. Perfect date night.”
Uzuki (Greenpoint), recommended by Forrest Florsheim (chef de cuisine, Penny)
“Uzuki in Greenpoint is one of my favorite neighborhood spots, especially in the summer, since many of their soba preparations are offered both hot and cold. I love restaurants that make you feel like you’ve been let in on a secret. Uzuki doubles as Chef Shuichi Kotani’s ceramics studio, where the soba is served in his handmade bowls, so it has a quality that feels truly special.”
The Order: “Towari soba (cold), honkuzu soba neri tofu, grilled soba miso, and the soba crackers.”
Borgo (Gramercy), recommended by Dennis Spina (chef-owner, Cafe Kestrel)
“It’s spacious, and they seem to be using real vegetables, a rarity, which is nuts in 2026. I overly appreciate that they overly appreciate and care for the desserts. It’s like a fully functioning restaurant, in the classic sense. It can be quite lovely most of the time.”
The Order: “Whatever has the absolute most vegetables, obviously. Last time, it was a giant salad with green beans. It was nice, and easy, and alive.”
Noury (SoHo), recommended by Christine Muhlke (food writer and culinary consultant)
“Just opened by the couple behind Kiko, this SoHo izakaya and wine bar translates green market produce into the kind of light, fresh food I crave in summer. The white nectarines with grilled Jimmy Nardellos in a ginger ponzu are a must, as is the sugar snap pea and cherry shira-ae.”
The Order: “The daily sashimi, chicken tsukune and a melon parfait to finish are best accompanied by a highball and/or a yuzu Arnold Palmer. The surprise star? The freakebana [flower] arrangement in the bathroom.”
Bread and Salt (Jersey City), recommended by Paris Starn (pastry artist)
“Everything Rick Easton makes is fantastic, and because the menu changes weekly with the seasons, we go often to try it all. We especially love it during the warmer months, when the garage doors roll open and diners spill onto the street, standing shoulder to shoulder at wooden high top tables shaded by umbrellas. If the tables are full, you can carry your food to the park a block away and eat overlooking the Manhattan skyline.”
The Order: “Two sandwiches, a vegetable or bean side, a bombolone, a caffè Leccese, and half a tomato pie to take home for dinner that night.”
Landi’s Pork Store (Mill Basin), recommended by Rob Martinez (writer and content creator)
“My favorite place to eat in the summer is on a beach in the Rockaways. I like to bring my own sandwich from Landi’s Pork Store, in Mill Basin. It’s been in New York for almost 100 years: part butcher shop, part sandwich shop, and part specialty grocer full of local products.”
The Order: “They have a sandwich menu, but my current order always includes their house-made turkey, their house-made mozzarella, some imported Italian salumi, and their fried eggplant on a hero. It keeps me sated at the beach all day, and provides a good base for a post-beach session at Connolly’s Bar.”
I Sodi (West Village), recommended by Chloe Walsh (chef and recipe developer)
“I can go to I Sodi at any time of day and be perfectly happy. A solo bar seat late at night, an early dinner with a girlfriend, or a late lunch before the kitchen closes, it never disappoints. First of all, the vibes are immaculate: white tablecloths, a small but buzzy bar, a gorgeous cozy dining room for date night, and the cutest walled garden patio for the perfect summer lunch. The staff are always incredibly accommodating, no matter how long the wait. And then there’s the food. The pasta is better than any I’ve had in Italy.”
The Order: “I always start with a crisp glass of Etna Bianco and one of the salads, followed by a glass of Nebbiolo and the hand-cut pasta with lamb and mushroom ragù. Everyone loves the lasagna, apparently, but I can never tear myself away from that pasta.”
Old John’s Luncheonette (Upper West Side), recommended by Eri Miyagi (co-founder, Cabi Foods)
“Old John’s captures New York better than almost anywhere else. You’ll see everyone here, young and old, just living their lives. It has that classic neighborhood feel that’s becoming harder and harder to find. The diner menu is excellent, and there are always specials that go well beyond the classics.”
The Order: “The BLT. The best one yet.”
Le Crocodile (Williamsburg), recommended by Sammy Koolik (chef-founder, Burrow)
“I’m a huge fan of hotel restaurants because diners get the luxuries that come with a larger operation. Even in summer, I’d rather eat indoors in a big, beautifully air-conditioned dining room. The food at Le Crocodile is always thoughtful and precise, and I’m never not in the mood for perfect French bistro cooking.”
The Order: “Either the steak tartare or what I think is one of the best burgers in the city, both with fries, obviously. If I’m feeling healthy, I’ll add the Bibb salad. To drink: some combination of a Topo Chico with lemon, a double espresso over ice, and a Ketel One martini with a twist, on the rocks because it’s summer.”
Sherdor Restaurant (Sheepshead Bay), recommended by Loren Abramovitch and Daniel Soskolne (founders, Lev)
“The best Uzbek restaurant, and the best grill, in the city.”
The Order: “Napoleon shishlik, lamb chops, and a simple veg salad.”
Ops (East Village), recommended by Sadie Mae Burns (chef-owner, Ha’s Snack Bar and Bistrot Ha)
“The pizza and hospitality are incredible, and they have the best natural wine list in the city. The food is from the heart, using the best ingredients and zero pretension. It’s the best.”
The Order: “The cianfotta, potatoes, Ops salad, supplì (it’s gluten free!), the Hawaiian Tavernetta pizza, and the Cicero.”
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