New York Restaurants August 2025: Where To Go

Forbes

30-07-2025

mezze on the river
Edible enlightenment from our eatery experts and colleagues Monie Begley, Richard Nalley and Randall Lane , as well as brothers Bob, Kip and Tim.
le petit village ‎
If you're yearning for that perfect small country restaurant in the South of France where you can linger for hours, salvation has arrived in the center of the West Village. This place is devoted to the classics. Begin with bubbling escargot or a rich, creamy foie gras, but the showstopper is the seafood tower filled with tuna tartare, East Coast oysters, shrimp and lobster with mignonette sauce. Move on to the done-to-perfection steak au poivre, with the mandatory frites. For traditionalists there's a cheeseboard with three or five cheeses and a tempting charcuterie board. Or choose the authentic bouillabaisse filled with market fish and served with a rouille sauce and a baguette for 'sopping.' The sides of wild mushroom fricassée and haricots verts are a must. For dessert try the perfect profiteroles, the creamiest crème brûlée or the applause-stealing crêpes Suzette. ‎
This is the perfect place for dinner before catching a Broadway show. The décor is rustic and comfortable and the Italian fare straightforward and well-prepared. Pollo al limone and the prosciutto di San Daniele pizza are home runs and are closely followed by the penne al pomodoro with mozzarella. While the tiramisu and the panna cotta are very good, the torta di mele is a standout. Service is friendly, and they'll get you out in plenty of time to make your show.
UNTABLE ‎
The moment you step into this casually elegant storefront Thai restaurant in Carroll Gardens, you are whisked into its lively, mood-shifting vibe. Chef Aun Kampimarn (known as Un, hence 'Untable') produces gorgeously plated, boldly flavored dishes based on his childhood memories of northeastern Thailand—but with his own spin. The What the Hell fried rice, with its 12 spicy chili symbols, grabs most reviewers' attention, but it's not at all representative of a menu full of sensationally orchestrated dishes with spiciness as a component, not an end in itself. Every dish is composed to let its ingredients shine, from the deeply meaty fermented pork sausage appetizer, to the minced-duck larb ped udon surrounded by roasted rice and add-yourself Thai spices, to the Kao-Soi—an instant favorite based on a turmeric-inflected, Chiang Mai-style dry curry featuring savory grass-fed beef tossed with egg noodles. Armani/Ristorante ‎ 760 Madison Ave., at 65th St. (Tel.: [phone])
If you've got the money to shop on Madison Avenue, prices at the gorgeous new restaurant in Armani's flagship store won't come as a shock. The décor is handsome, comfortably restrained and acoustically satisfying. Executive chef Daniele Castellano's creations are as artistic as they are tasty. You'll leave feeling you've gotten your money's worth. White asparagus is splayed open and served with fava beans and ricotta—it's amazing. Even something as banal-sounding as a salad of orange and fennel with its inclusion of a variety of citrus tickles the tatste buds. The beef short ribs with a barbecue balsamic vinegar sauce and daikon radish slaw leaves you wanting to come back for more. In for a penny, in for a pound: Go for the coffee, mascarpone and sponge cake or the meringue with berries and whipped cream.
mezze on the river Mezze on the River ‎ 375 South End Ave., Battery Park City (Tel.: [phone])
Waterfront dining is on two outside terraces or inside, all with views across the Hudson of the Garden State. The cuisine is Mediterranean-inspired. Among the starters are a tasty watermelon and kale salad and a Greek salad. The main menu ranges from a roasted chicken that would be at home in any bistro to a spicy grilled lamb kebab that would do any restaurant in the Subcontinent proud, as well as steaks and burgers. There are also fish and seafood dishes as well as various pastas. There are four desserts, including baklava, but the warm chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce is the winner.
Café Commerce Cafe Commerce ‎ 964 Lexington Ave., at 70th St. (Tel.: [phone])
Talented chef/owner Harold Moore has taken up the Upper East Side's 'swells' mantle, with his restaurant instantly popular. His focus is on comfort food. Begin with circles of carpaccio served with capers, horseradish and hash browns, or the comforting chicken noodle soup with 'Grandma's' vegetables, or the 20-herb salad. More comfort offerings: rigatoni carbonara, the house cheeseburger or the perfectly crisp chicken schnitzel with salad on top. The most popular dish is the stuffed cabbage with beef, pork, veal, rice and mushrooms. Every night there's a featured special, one night Dover sole, another lamb chops—there are seven in all. Don't dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.