The best new restaurants in NYC that opened in April

He’s fried mayonnaise, made noodles out of squid and transformed a bagel and schmear into ice cream. So it’s no surprise that even the humble doughnut would get a brainy boost from molecular gastronomy icon Wylie Dufresne, who follows up the now-shuttered wd~50 and Alder with this doughnut shop at the base of Williamsburg’s William Vale hotel. Collaborating with head baker Colin Kull (San Francisco’s Tartine), the Michelin-starred chef opts for classic cake for the doughnuts’ base, but the offbeat flavor combinations are where that signature Dufresne daffiness comes out: peanut butter with yuzu, pistachio with pink lemonade, pomegranate with tahini. 

Hell’s Kitchen gets some much-welcomed kitchen clout: Chef Diego Garcia and partner Phil Johnson—alumni of high-minded spots like Contra and Le Bernardin—are behind this neighborhood seafood spot on midtown’s western stretch. Garcia’s menu leans pescatarian, with options like black bass tartare dressed with watermelon radish and barley, squid with peas, lemon and yuzu, and tilefish sauced with a red-wine béarnaise. Johnson oversees the beverage menu, which he stocks with all-natural wine sourced exclusively from France and California’s Napa Valley, plus New York craft beers pouring on six drafts. 

The vegan movement is expanding beyond just restaurants, as grocers, butchers and deli counters are starting to go meatless. Joya Carlton (the Butcher’s Daughter, Buvette) teams with Sara and Erica Kubersky (MooShoes, Modern Love Brooklyn) for this Lower East Side grocery store and delicatessen that’s exclusively stocked with vegan products. Along with prepackaged and pantry items, the deli counter offers house-made meat-free sandwiches, salads and pastries: The Bowery sandwich consists of turmeric-tofu egg, tempeh bacon and Chao cheese on a potato roll, while the Marlowe is a veg-focused Reuben stuffed with beet-brined seitan, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on marble rye. End the meal on a sweet note with soft-serve sundaes featuring your choice of dairy-free ice cream (vanilla, chocolate) and toppings like a coconut-chocolate Magic Shell and puffed chickpeas.