NYC's 22 best restaurants for group dining

Sweeping, splendid Israeli restaurant K'Far on the lobby level of the Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg—related Laser Wolf is up on the 10th floor—takes reservations for up to 7 via its website. And if you have even more friends, you can rent out the glass-enclosed pario for up to 45 seated or up to 70 standing.

Try this: Suggest the savory baklava, Palestinian lamb tartare, whole dorade and chicken schnitzel to win the group

Invite up to six of your closest friends for dinner at Potluck Club, one of NYC's best new restaurants of 2022. Eight or more can arrange via email for a prix fixe that includes menu hits like the drunken chicken with shrimp chips and spicy eggplant with fried shallots.

Try this: The salt-and-pepper chicken with scallion biscuits and chili-plum jam is a crowd pleaser

A classic of the group dining genre, Congee Village has been delighting disparate tastes downtown for more than twenty years. It has several sprawling spaces, a tome of Cantonese dishes and fun cocktails in a jubilant environment. Call directly for one of the four distinctive private rooms—equipped with a full bar and a karaoke system—at the Lower East Side location so you and your pals can snack and sing to your heart's content. 

Try this: Soul-warming pots of the eponymous porridge, which come with fixings like salted chicken, blue crab, and pork and preserved egg

Lovely Leland Eating and Drinking House offers several group arrangements for various-sized parties, and takes regular reservations for up to seven as a matter of course. Excellent à la carte menu items include trout rillette, mushrooms on exceptional house made sourdough, grilled pork chop, and whole fried fish. Parties of eight or more receive a set menu. 

Try this: A salt-and-citrus aged and brined half chicken with salsa verde

Elias Corner “for FISH,” as it’s styled on the restaurant’s awning, is all emphasis all the time, including its famous “NO MENUS” practice. Instead of perusing the written word, your party will peep the seafood case up front and/or simply sit down and ask whether there’s shark or salmon or whatever until you land on a fresh availability. Somewhat simple preparations let impeccable products shine, the atmosphere is inviting in spite of all the caps and there’s a nice elevated patio outside.

Try this: The seafood line-up is ever-changing, but you'll never go wrong ordering your fish "the Greek way," a.k.a. with some olive oil and lemon

Reserve up to six people with just a few clicks for this large corner spot in Park Slope. It is, as you might expect, awash in blue hues and handsomely appointed inside with large seating areas outside. The super satisfying menu includes perfectly prepared guacamole with hand-cut tortilla chips, tacos and large plates carne asada and barbacoa adobada.

Try this: The tender house enchiladas, doused in your choice of mole negro or Abuelita sauce

Book for up to ten people at large tables throughout Cafe China’s attractive, new three-story space or in a private room. (Of the latter, there are numerous configurations available, ranging from an intimate 8-person meal to a full-fledged 80-person buyout.) Its convenient, midtown-adjacent location opened in fall 2022 after operating with a Michelin star at another address nearby for many years. Its lengthy menu has tons of new and returning favorites to pair with cocktails, wine and beer. 

Try this: A parade of pork dumplings with chili oil and oyster sauce, followed by the lip-tingling cumin lamb

One of NYC’s busiest business-meets-tourism districts had a paucity of easy-chic restaurant-bars with broad appeal before All & Sundry opened in 2022. It’s the Columbus Circle area’s best choice for no-fuss bookings for up to ten office gossipers, Central Parkers, and even locals seeking all manner of drinks and many plates with wide appeal. Private-dining options include accomodation for 20 to 200 people in a cocktail-style event, or up to 100 for a sit-down meal.   

Try this: A medium-rare New York strip with some parm-dusted pommes frites

There’s something about brunch spots that lend themselves to larger parties, and Tre has been at the top of its class for more than fifteen years. It also does a terrific dinner with space for plenty of friends at either hour. Book early on the weekends for wonderful pancakes, eggs any way, pasta plates and daytime tipples, or in the evening for even more noodles, plus mains like chicken Milanese, grilled skirt steak and a great wine list. Its online reservations go up to six, and Tre can also arrange private parties for up to 75. 

Try this: Lemon-spritzed fried artichoke and any of the fresh, housemade pastas

This Caribbean restaurant with a Time Out New York Best of the City award for its outdoor seating arrangement has plenty to recommend it, and its ability to accommodate up to nine guests via regular reservations is one reason it’s been a favorite since it opened in 2020. 

Try this: There are plenty of plates to mix and match, like oxtail flatbread, jackfruit tacos, jerk chicken, burgers and pasta. Groups of ten or more can arrange for a prix fixe.  

Conveniently located near Times Square, Grand Central and all the transit and attractions that surround, pretty Valerie is as suitable for tables of work friends as it is for your visiting family. It’s wide-ranging menu (steak, chicken, seafood, pasta, salads) will appeal to many, and its long list of gin, plus beer, wine and other spirits in or out of cocktails, makes it more lubricated than most, and online bookings are available for up to 12 people. 

Try this: A shareable spread full of snacks like beef-cheek bao, avocado hummus and soppressata flatbread with tomato harissa and creamy burrata

Two floors of views boast plenty to see at this Columbia Waterfront District staple. The downstairs dining room is actually one flight above street level, with a rooftop another staircase above, offering plenty of group-dining options. Chilaquiles, enchiladas and several types of tacos are available across each, in addition to some of the best frozen drinks in NYC. 

Try this: Red snapper with a poblano-snowpea sauce

The Sri Lankan cuisine at Lakruwana has been delighting diners for a quarter of a century. The restaurant got its start in a small Manhattan space in 1995 before eventually relocating to Staten Island. Visit for tasty lamprais and kottu inside or out at its fetching corner space. Reservations are only accepted for five and more. 

Try this: Any of the curries alongside the kothu roti, which gets stir-fried with a fragrant mix of green chili and garlic

Assemble your entire court at The Queensboro, which can easily accommodate each of your friends-in-waiting and satiate their varied tastes. The space is equal parts rustic and chic, with roomy booths, banquettes and a long line of bar seats should you need abscond for a private shot. The Queensboro’s menu is frequently updated, but expect items like oysters, burgers, steak, pizza and pasta. Parties of more than ten can arrange for special menus. 

Try this: Filipino pork adobo with your choice of sides (we're opting for potato salad and tahini-lime broccoli)

They’ll make room for up to seven without having to tap an email or pick up the phone at this restaurant below a real-deal distillery in Manhattan. Upstairs, the Wonka-like Great Jones Distilling Co, offers tickets to “the only whiskey distillery tour in Manhattan,” and some brunch, lunch and dinner items downstairs at The Grid feature flavors from those very spirits. 

Try this: A Third Street Sour, with Great Jones Straight Bourbon, pear puree, caradamom bitters, dry red wine and a poached maraschino cherry

One of our favorite restaurants of the year when it moved from a pop-up to a permanent location in 2020, Rangoon is still a go-to for Burmese cuisine in Crown Heights. Its wide variety of curries are served in dual outdoor areas, and in a back annex to its dining room that’s particularly well suited to larger parties. Rangoon also lets you book reservations for up to ten via its standard platform. 

Try this: Double orders of the terrific lemongrass pork meatballs and garlic noodles 

It's easy enough to share varied items between just one couple at this fantastic, photogenic Ethiopian restaurant, so imagine the flavor opportunities when you multiply that party by a few. It will only take a visit or two to sample all of Ras Plant Based’s delicious menu items, but you’ll keep coming back in any case. 

Try this: Mushroom tibs and tofu dishes with expertly prepared injera

Top NYC Mexican restaurant Casa Enrique has been collecting accolades since 2021. It's since added outdoor dining to its spacious interior, and your group (online reservations are available for up to six) can choose from highly ranked menu items like guacamole with housemade totopos, ceviche, several types of tacos, enchiladas and specialties like pozole and mole de piaxtla. The long cocktail list includes several fun frozen fruit margaritas. 

Try this: Chicken and rice enveloped in a mole of dry peppers, almonds,raisins, plaintain, sesame seeds, and chocolate 

This lofty space was previously made famous by Anthony Bourdain as Les Halles. Forever committed to literature in his Kitchen Confidential, it closed in 2016 before being reimagined as La Brasserie in 2022. The address once again serves French fare under the even more recent banner of Chez Francis in a roller-rink-sized space with plenty on the menu for large groups of out-of-town guests, after-work pals or birthday brunchers to choose from.  

Try this: A juicy, Comté-hugged bistro burger with caramelized shallots and hand-cut fries

One of NYC’s best pizza spots for close to 100 years, Denino’s is also especially adept at hosting families and friends for affairs where only a pizza party will do. In addition to its fan favorite pies, tons of fried apps like calamari and mozzarella, wings, salads and huge sandwiches are all on the menu.  

Try this: Denino’s “M.O.R.” Pie, dotted with meatballs, fresh onions and ricotta. (Get it?)

Some destinations can accommodate larger groups via their typical booking mechanisms, and some require a phone call or email to secure greater numbers of spots. At Johnny’s Reef, you’ll need agreeable weather and designated personnel to scope out the picnic tables on its large outdoor patio while the rest of the group orders oysters, clams, shrimp, lobster tails, crab and frog legs inside, where there are also plenty of seats. Bring that dedicated spotter an extra beer or frozen drink for the trouble and everyone will enjoy the soothing seaside view. 

Try this: A dozen ice-cold littlenecks and an equally crisp brew

Korean barbecue is always a sensational solution to group dining, given the myriad palate pleasing selections to toss on the grill. We love this Sunnyside spot for those oodles of all you eat options in a cavernous space that rings out with K-Pop tunes from an abundance of flatscreens. Gather your pals, jam your stuff in the hollow stools unless you covet that sweet meat perfume and institute a soju toast to your good taste and choices. 

Try this: The place is all-you-can eat, so try everything, from the thinly sliced brisket to the spicy pork bulgogi 

Step into the best fancy restaurants in New York for a little glitz, a little glamor and some great grub