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[title]Darling Coffee Coffee geekery arrives in Inwood with this 35-seat café, serving Blue Bottle and Dallis Bros. java. Husband-and-wife team Nick Lidakis and Nichole Frocheur-Lidakis split the food-and-drink duties: Nick pulls the espresso shots, while Nichole whips up the pastries. Take your pourover with a scone, or tuck into a full lunch, like sandwiches on house-baked baguettes make up the bill of fare. Tall storefront windows let sunlight into the minimalist space, which is outfitted with white pendant lamps and red and blue chairs. 4961 Broadway between Isham and 207th Sts (212-304-0181)
Extra Fancy Manhattan cocktail vets Robert Krueger (Employees Only) and Mark Rancourt (Macao Trading Co.) have crossed the bridge to open this stylish clam shack and bar in Williamsburg. Perch at the steel-topped bar and order a beer (Porterhouse Oyster Stout, Ayinger Bräu-Weisse) or cocktail, such as the Go-To (gin, St.-Germain, lime, cucumber, mint, ginger beer) or the One More That’s It (bourbon, rum, Amaro Meletti, chocolate bitters). The pair brought on chef Ross Florance (Le Bernardin) for the seafood-focused menu, which includes dishes like pan-seared sea scallops with tapioca pearls, hen-of-the-woods, juniper and vermouth; Rhode Island mussels with saffron, white wine, garlic and chilies; and salt-cod-pickled pepper poppers. Grey leather banquettes, a distressed painted ceiling and hanging vintage light fixtures decorate the 65-seat joint. 302 Metropolitan Ave between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (347-422-0939)
Extra Place Chef Michael Han (Ciano) dishes out Mediterranean fare from an open kitchen at this East Village restaurant, owned by the team behind Heidi next door. Choose from farm-to-table plates, like artichoke ragout, grass-fed Angus döner or a roasted Bo Bo chicken for two. The 50-seat space features a 23-foot-long bar and antique Turkish wall hangings. 8 Extra Pl between Bowery and E 1st St. (no phone yet)
Five Lamps Tavern Bring a crowd to the spacious backyard at this Upper West Side gastropub. Eighteen taps dispense craft pours—like Green Flash IPA, Ommegang Rare Vos and Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold—at the 30-foot-long wood bar. To eat, find simple fare, including wings, cheese plates and sausages. 2756 Broadway at 106th St (212-663-0592)
Forgtmenot Abby and Paul Sierros—who split from Souvlaki GR, the popular food truck and restaurant they founded—return to the kitchen with this eclectic, sun-soaked eatery. The pair bolster their Mediterranean offerings (lamb on pita, feta fries) with American bites (a Chicago-style hot dog, cornflake cookies). Decorated like a prop stylist's living room, the tiny eatery features dark-blue-and-white painted walls filled with personal mementos: postcard ephemera, vintage mirrors and tchotchkes (miniature horses, steel mugs). 138 Division St between Ludlow and Orchard Sts (646-707-3195)
Heidi Choose from Swiss wines and hearty plates, like fondue for two or rabbit with polenta, at this chalet-inspired eatery. The 20-seat spot, which features a reclaimed-wood bar, shares a chef and owner with Mediterranean restaurant Extra Place next door. 6 Extra Pl between Bowery and E 1st St. (no phone yet)
Melt Bakery The Hester Street Fair star opens its first brick-and-mortar spot: a simple takeout shop featuring its popular artisanal ice-cream sandwiches. Choose from a rotating selection of creamy delights, such as the Classic (chocolate-chip walnut cookie with vanilla ice cream), the Cocoa Daddy (chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream) or the Belle (brown-butter-bourbon shortbread with peach ice cream). 132 Orchard St between Delancey and Rivington Sts (646-580-6358)
Raymi Prolific restaurateur Richard Sandoval—whose holdings include more than 30 spots including Maya and Pampano—churns out another venue: a 159-seat Peruvian canteen and pisco bar in Chelsea. Peru native Jaime Pesaque serves upmarket Latin American plates: grilled hanger steak anticucho (skewers) with an aji panca glaze and rocoto salsa; corvina ceviche made with leche de tigre, sweet potato, corn and chilies; and slow-braised veal cheek with Peruvian corn cake. 43 W 24th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-929-1200)
Rocket Pig Chef-owner Ralf Kuettel (Trestle on Tenth) dishes out porcine sandwiches at this counter-space-only shop. For the signature sammie, Kuettel—who grew up raising and butchering pigs on a farm in Switzerland—brines pork shoulder for three days, before rubbing the meat with a spice mix, smoking and slow roasting it. He tucks it into a toasted ciabatta roll with red-onion jam, mustard aioli and a dash of hot sauce. 463 W 24th St at Tenth Ave (212-645-5660)
Sel et Gras Chef Patrick Lacey, who honed his kitchen skills at Del Posto and Eataly, turns from Italy to France with this bright small-plates bistro. Tuck into Euro-accented dishes—many served in mini cast-iron skillets—such as crispy pieds de cochon (stuffed pig feet served with watercress and pickled mustard seeds) or moules au vadouvan (mussels with roasted tomato, fennel and curry), along with sides like pommes aligot (melted cheese and mashed potatoes). More than 50 French bottles make up the wine list, sorted by prices ranging from “bourgeoisie” to “royalty.” Graffiti adds shocks of electric color to the diminutive brick-walled spot, which is otherwise outfitted with genteel trappings: marble tables, a patterned tile floor and painted portraits of aristocrats. 131 Seventh Ave South at 10th St (646-558-5468)
Toy Jeffrey Chodorow's China Grill Management swaps this clubby Asian eatery into the former Tanuki Tavern space. True to Meatpacking form, the 7,000-square-feet venue sports outlandish design details: A glass-and-black-steel staircase, Chinese porcelain-like walls and a 1,500-pound fractal mirror hanging from the ceiling decorate the space. Diners can nibble on Far East–inspired plates, such as lobster dumplings with shiitake mushrooms, a long-bone short rib with Szechuan pepper sauce, and lacquered mahogany chicken, from chef Doron Wong (Shang). At 11:30pm each night, revelers can grab a glass of bubbly and listen to DJs cranking out party tunes. 18 Ninth Ave at 13th St (212-203-5422)