29-05-2025
New York Restaurants June 2025: Where To Go
Locanda Verde
Edible enlightenment from our eatery experts and colleagues Monie Begley, Richard Nalley and Randall Lane, as well as brothers Bob, Kip and Tim.
Santi; Photo by evan sung
Chef Michael White, creator of Marea and Ai Fiori, has a new Midtown restaurant that's already a hit. The setting is multilevel and luxurious, but the pan-Italian fare is the draw. To start, try the delicious risotto—a creamy portion of acquarella rice and veal sausage mixed with chestnut and fontina; or the garganelli, tossed with parma prosciutto, English peas and truffle butter. Main courses are on par: The spigola—a delicately cooked black bass—is accompanied by squash blossom; the astice is a juicy Maine lobster served on a mound of white asparagus and morels; the vitello is a perfectly pink chop served with asparagus in a pancetta sauce. End your meal with the delizie al limone, a white chocolate ball filled with an airy sponge cake with limoncello.
Locanda Verde
It's a happy surprise to walk into a steel-and-glass skyscraper and find oneself in a richly paneled room with a gas fireplace. Steak tartare and lamb meatball sliders are a great opening act for a simply grilled Ligurian tuna antipasto salad or the tortelli di zucca, a squash-filled, slightly sweet ravioli. Three delectable desserts: the alpine honey cake, the olive oil panna cotta with wedges of grapefruit and kumquats and the grapefruit and Campari ice with shavings.
BEA
A good bet for a casual place for dinner before hitting a Broadway show. Highlights: manicotti stuffed with ground chicken, ricotta and mozzarella; miso salmon; and herb roasted chicken with toasted farro and mushroom crème sauce. As a vegetarian option, the eggplant and tofu is a great success. Skip the banana sundae and go for either the chocolate chip brownie à la mode or the panna cotta—both scrumptious. (Make a point of noting the start time of your show, as there can be long pauses between courses.)
César
Forgive the less than gracious welcome behind a locked entrance as well as the insistent waiter trying to upsell you on the already pricey prix fixe tasting menu, and a heavenly dinner will be your reward. Opt for the eight-course fish menu, as the succession of creatively conceived and exquisitely prepared dishes without a miss is astonishing. The bluefin tuna parfait and the foie gras flan with crab and wood ear mushroom are especially memorable.
The fine Italian dining here is as expensive as you'd expect on the Upper East Side. The melon that accompanies the perfect prosciutto isn't quite ripe enough, but the Caesar salad is better than Grandma used to make. The Dover sole with lemon sauce and the duck à l'orange are first rate. The ricotta cheesecake and the tiramisu are excellent. Cozy atmosphere, with friendly and professional service.
BG
This quiet oasis on the seventh floor at Bergdorf 's is a civilized place for a Midtown lunch, with a classically decorated setting with views over Central Park. The mushroom tart is just the right size to leave room for the perfectly seared sea scallops. The clam chowder is tasty but has more corn than clams. Save room for a delightful strawberry shortcake or, if it's on the menu, key lime pie.
METROPOLIS BY MARCUS SAMUELSSON; photo byLocated on the second floor inside the Perelman Performing Arts Center (a no-car zone), this is a sleek, modern place to have lunch or dinner if you're visiting the World Trade Center and environs. The limited menu is excellent: The salad with branzino is a particular success, and the French omelette is incomparable. The banana pudding is worth a visit all by itself.
ly ly vietnamese cook house
A joyful, jam-packed place serving authentic Vietnamese specialties. It employs a combination of fine Asian spices with an overlay of French finesse gained through nearly five decades of French rule. Visit with a group, as tasting all the colorful and delicious offerings is great fun. Begin with a round of salt-and-pepper squid, lightly fried with jalapeño, cherry tomatoes and crispy garlic. The bánh xèo is a crèpe with pork belly, shrimp, bean sprout, scallion and nuoc mam (traditional fish sauce and lime). The papaya salad is a must. The pho is a rich noodle soup of rice vermicelli cooked for 20 hours with cilantro, onions and scallions. It can be served with slow-cooked short ribs. There are a variety of spring rolls from which to choose. Other delectable dishes are the Saigon shaking beef, the lump crab noodles and the Saigon hawker rice—lemongrass pork chop, with a bit of steamed Vietnamese meatloaf and a fried egg.
