Sal Tang’s

From the teams behind Café Spaghetti and Swoony’s and the beloved NYC institution Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Sal Tang’s celebrates Cantonese-American cooking (with a few brief nods to Italian food). You’ll find familiar dishes New Yorkers grew up on, like wonton soup and sweet-and-sour chicken, alongside fettuccine tossed with spicy pork ragù and crispy garlic. It’s playful without being too precious, and the kind of space that already feels like a longstanding neighborhood fave. 

The vibe: Like Swoony’s, Sal Tang’s leans a little scene-y but mostly relaxed, with an energy that works just as well for an early family dinner as it does for a date-night drink at the bar. 

The food: Classics like wonton soup and the nostalgic-but-upgraded crab rangoon mozzarella sticks are a hit for starters, and the sesame chicken cutlet is pure throwback pleasure. Always get a big domed dish of fried rice for the table, even if the only other thing you’ll be ordering is a handful of Tsingtaos. 

The drinks: The tropical-leaning cocktail lineup includes lychee martinis, mai tais, and a salted plum daiquiri made with small-batch Sweet Crude rum. House iced teas and lemonades can be spiked, making it easy to turn an early dinner into a night out on the town. 

Time Out tip: Start at the bar with a couple of cocktails and an order of egg rolls, but don’t be surprised to find yourself moving to a table once the dishes you order start taking up all your elbow room.