Rachel Pelz

Looking for a new spot to watch the big game? Our list of NYC’s best sports bars includes rowdy beer halls, low-key hangs with craft brews, some of NYC’s best dive bars and even a bar dedicated to all things Canadian. Whether you need a weekly place to root for your footie team or just want to drink a few great brews with friends, we’ve rounded up our favorite places to shout at a really big TV. RECOMMENDED: See all of the best bars in NYC February 2026: To prepare for the coming Super Bowl this weekend (or, for some, the Bad Bunny halftime show), we decided to refresh our sports bars list. We added Athena Keke's and The Hairy Lemon. We removed Twist & Smash'd Sports as it closed. We also removed Jack Demsey’s, The Irish Rover and The Black Horse Pub. 

Chinese food has been one of the most influential and beloved dining scenes in New York City for more than a century. Shaped by generations of chefs, families and communities across the five boroughs, today’s Chinese restaurants reflect deep regional traditions and the ever-evolving ways New Yorkers eat, from Shanghainese comfort food to Chinese-American dishes that have become NYC staples in their own right. Whether you’re heading to one of NYC’s Chinatowns for a sumptuous weekend brunch or a bakery crawl, tucking into a traditional dim sum spread or chasing the city’s best dumplings, there’s always a new way to experience Chinese food in New York City.  Some of these restaurants are longtime institutions that still make some of us say, “Remember when?” The newer arrivals, whether they’re serving up Italian-Chinese fusion fettuccine or sweet Fujianese ice rice, are all building on that shared history.  January 2026 update: Winter is prime time for finding your new favorite Chinese food in NYC. Cold weather makes warming soups and slurpable noodles especially craveable, and the Lunar New Year will bring renewed energy and celebratory menus across the city.

The most romantic restaurants in New York City fall into two categories: the old-school classics that have been setting the mood for generations, and the new-kid-on-the-block spots where just scoring a reservation is part of the seduction. While some of the restaurants on this list lean pretty pricey, you don’t necessarily need to propose over a 20-course tasting menu. (Although if that’s your thing, we’ve got you, too.) If you know where to look, the city’s full of romantic spots at all price points for first dates, special occasions and even popping the question. Whether you’re looking for a table at one of the best restaurants in NYC, a bowl of pasta at a romantic red-sauce Italian restaurant or just to toast to the night with bar snacks and a pair of the city’s best cocktails, every one of these spots takes date night to the next level. Make sure to save room for dessert: you’re going to want to linger together just a little longer.   Updated January 2025: Valentine’s Day always comes up faster than you think. If you want a table for two on the 14th (and not half of a barstool at 9:47pm), now’s the time to book a romantic reservation. 

Diners have a special place in New Yorkers’ hearts. Many of them have stood in their spots for years as regulars come and go with their cups of coffee and bags of donuts; others are brand-new, opened with the idea of reinventing diner food or recreating the vintage vibes of the diner’s heyday. Whether you’re looking for an updated take on the genre to cheap eats at a classic greasy spoon, NYC diners do it all. Check out some of the city’s most iconic burgers and sandwiches, taste an egg cream or ice box cake that’ll knock your socks off and join the long tradition of New Yorkers who have created community in the timeless draw of a diner. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC December 2025: New York is truly home to all manner of tried-and-true classics and fresh takes on the humble diner. For our update, we tried to strike a balance between both, adding in updated information for the West Village's beloved La Bonbonniere and Mike's Diner located in Clinton Hill. We also added Thai Diner and Kellogg's Diner to the list. We removed Cozy Soup 'n' Burger, Gena's Grill, Tom's and Waverly Restaurant. 

Is there a better meal than a burger between two buns? Whether it’s fast food, chuck that's smashed flat and griddled hot or a high-end take that costs nearly as much as a steak, New York has some of the best cheeseburgers and hamburgers on the planet. In a city known for its sandwiches—like the chopped cheese, bacon egg and cheese, bagels piled high with cream cheese and lox and even (controversially) hot dogs—the hamburger sandwich remains one of the greatest. Order yours smothered with special sauce, gooey with cheddar or American cheese, piled with crispy lettuce or smashed with quick-fried onions. Add a pile of crispy, salty french fries, pair it with an ice-cold martini or a bubbly bottle of champagne and enjoy one of the very best meals in NYC. RECOMMENDED: The best veggie burgers in NYC  Updated October, 27 2025: After months spent eating various combinations of beef and buns, we have a newly updated list on hand (and likely, a higher cholesterol number). The newly minted Deux Luxe easily gained a spot on our list for its simple presentation of Wagyu burgers, as did Sip & Guzzel's tavern burger, also made with A5 Wagyu. Crane Club’s exclusive, bar-only dry-aged burger was also added to the list. The smashing good time inside a Manhattan gas station, Smacking Burger was also added to a list, as was the tried and true, cash-only burger found at J.G. Melon. We removed Brooklyn Ice House, Emily, Fairfax, Gus's Chop House, Two8Two Bar and Burger and Union Square Cafe. 

No place eats quite like Queens. The most diverse county in America packs an entire world of flavor into its 109 square miles, with restaurants that represent the food of all the people who call it home. One night you might be slurping noodles in Flushing, the next eating some of the best seafood in NYC in Long Island City or sipping baijiu alongside a plate of spicy dumplings. Between the beach at Rockaway, the food courts of Flushing and the neighborhood taverns where time seems to have slowed down, Queens is proof that great dining isn’t only about Manhattan’s price tags or hype cycles—it’s happening right here, every night. Updated October 28, 2005: Queens’ dining scene is heating up this fall, with a new wave of openings that stretch from Astoria to Flushing and everywhere in between. The latest arrivals span street food to fine dining, highlighting flavors from all over the world—proof that no other borough captures the city’s diversity quite like this one. Cozy dining rooms are buzzing, grills are firing and new menus are giving even longtime locals fresh reasons to eat their way through the borough. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in NYC

Williamsburg has long been one of New York’s best dining destinations, home to everything from award-winning pizzerias and iconic steakhouses to new restaurants that draw food lovers from all over the world. You’ll find some of the most well-known chefs at work here, plus plenty of low-key spots designed to hit the spot for cheap eats, date-night cocktails and stunning waterfront views. The neighborhood’s mix of cutting-edge creativity and old-school comfort makes it easy to find the right vibe for any mood, whether that’s a quick stop at a late-night diner or dessert at one of the city’s best bakeries. Wherever you find yourself, you’ll find something amazing—this is the neighborhood that sets the pace for what New Yorkers want to eat right now. Updated October 27, 2025: Fall brings a wave of new energy to Williamsburg’s dining scene, with several high-profile openings joining the mix. The latest arrivals lean cozy and convivial, trading summer’s outdoor spritzes for candlelight, cocktails and comforting plates. Whether you’re waiting in line for the nearly impossible to get into I Cavallini or toasting to the start of winter with a frozen drink (brrr!), Williamsburg’s restaurants are ready with ever-changing menus that reflect the season's flavors.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Williamsburg, Brooklyn

A milkshake is one of life’s simple pleasures. Many shops serve the treat as traditional as it comes, but the very best spots prove just how much magic can be spun from the classic, crowd-pleasing combo of ice cream and milk. All across the city, you’ll find versions at old-school diners, over-the-top creations blended with slices of cake from the city’s best bakeries and ice cream shops that know their way around swirls of soft serve and other cream, dreamy desserts.  At counters all over the city, expect playful milkshakes that highlight house-made flavors, showcase small-batch production and tell the stories of the families who first created them. Whether you’re team chocolate, vanilla, licorice or durian, there’s a shake somewhere in New York City that will hit the spot. September 29, 2025: Colder weather has never kept New Yorkers from chasing down a good milkshake. This fall, lean into local scoop shops’ autumnal flavors like Ample Hills’ Falling for Pumpkin, made with Libby’s pumpkin puree, marshmallow swirl and cinnamon cone pieces. It’s a cozy seasonal shake made for those of us still clinging to the dog days of summer. Whether you’re warming up inside a diner booth or strolling brisk city blocks with a shake in hand, the humble milkshake is a treat worth sipping all year long.

The West Village is one of the busiest, buzziest dining neighborhoods in New York City. Along with the latest wave of impossible-to-get-into openings, it’s home to some of the city’s most storied restaurants. Cafés with decades of Manhattan history, Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants and some of the best bakeries in NYC are joined by a constant stream of exciting newcomers, each trying to impress the seen-it-all neighborhood with inventive menus and in-demand tables.  This fall, stop by for a casual brunch on a sunny sidewalk, a big bowl of pasta at one of the best Italian restaurants in NYC, or late-night cocktails while you watch the sun rise. It’s a neighborhood where some of the city’s best cheap eats and high-end tasting menus happily coexist. While we might have to wait until reservations drop at midnight to taste the newest West Village restaurants, the ever-changing nature of the neighborhood will always keep us coming back.  RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in NYC right now September 25, 2025: Is there a better place for Leather Weather than the West Village? Slip on your sweater, sip a spritz and eat your way through the seasonal menus that are shaking up the scene. We’re highlighting a few new spots, including a romantic Spanish restaurant and a Georgian restaurant serving ​​up khachapuri and khinkalis, alongside the neighborhood legends that still define dinner in the Village.   

Find your new favorite spot for a morning iced coffee or an afternoon matcha at these coffee shops, cafes and bakeries. They don’t just serve classic lattes and cappuccinos (although they do make some of the best in the city), they also serve incredible cocktails, breakfast sandwiches that rival the best bodega BEC, and coffee drinks made with inventive ingredients like sweet durian and boba. Carve a few minutes out on your morning commute or make a special trip to try the latest colorful drink that’s blowing up on the ‘gram—these are the 16 best coffee shops in NYC right now. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in NYC to book right now September 2025: For us, coffee shops are so much more than just a place to get bean water in a cup. Coffee spells community, especially in our concrete jungle, where third spaces are far and few between. In that vein, we added a new number one spot to the list that effortlessly blends lifestyle, coffee and community into one: Harlem's The Oma Shop II Coffee+ Lifestyle. Following suit with the motto "We don’t serve coffee, we serve community," Flatbush's Lips Cafe also made the list. The Danish coffee import with those cardamom buns, La Cabra, also made the list, as did the newly christened coffee shop located inside the Chrysler Building, WatchHouse. And, for fine coffee that still stays within our budget, we found one of the cheapest cups in the city at Casasalvo. We removed East One Coffee Roasters as it closed. We also removed Alita Cafe, Bl

In Chinatown, you’ll find beloved institutions serving up dim sum as they’ve always made it. On the next block, you might find a new café serving Ovaltine French toast with a teddy bear bobbing in your milk tea. That’s the beauty of the neighborhood: it’s equal parts tradition and reinvention. Along Pell and Mott Streets, you’ll find some of the best new restaurants in NYC alongside the dumpling houses and dim sum palaces that have been around for generations. Check out a brand-new spot serving the traditional noodles traditions of northwestern China; a cafe where you can order supersized wontons; and a wine bar that nods to the city’s best French food as well as your favorite Chinese restaurant.  Whether you’re looking for a quick steamed snack, a multi-hour dim sum session full of bustling carts or a late-night noodle fix, our 10 favorite restaurants in New York’s Chinatown have got you covered.  September 2025: As cooler weather starts to set in, we’re heading back to our favorite hot pot shops and noodle spots again. (Of course, it’s still warm enough for shaved ice and a cold glass of white wine at a Chinatown wine bar…)  Learn more about how we curate and review at Time Out.

Soho might be one of the most photographed neighborhoods in NYC, but don’t let the vibes fool you—it’s so much more than just cobblestone streets and celeb sightings. These blocks are home to some of the best restaurants in NYC, where beloved French brasseries and cafes that existed before electricity can still manage to surprise you. Find your new favorite cocktail bar serving up artsy drinks, stand in line at one of the most iconic, innovative bakeries in NYC or just put on your cutest microskort and have brunch on the patio with your fellow TikTokers. Start your morning in Soho with a hot bagel, grab some destination pasta for lunch and then take your pick from the freshest seafood for dinner. If you know where to look, Soho isn’t just a playground for nepo babies—it rewards the hungry and the curious, too.  August 2025: As summer starts to wind down, Soho’s dining scene is still spilling onto the streets with post-gallery Aperol spritzes, late-night (or early morning) meals and a few fresh openings that already feel like they might have legs. Our latest picks range from a gallery-slash-restaurant to a seafood spot offering what’s shaping up to be one of the best new happy hours in the city.  Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For mo

Named for qinghua, the delicate, floral-patterned blue-and-white porcelain dishes, Blue Blossom honors traditional craft with its confident, crowd-pleasing cooking. Inside the huge space in the middle of Midtown, the shareable dishes land somewhere between classic and camera-ready, like steamers of vibrant rainbow dumplings in red, green, purple and black. The vibe: Lively, glossy and unmistakably buzzy, the blue-and-white porcelain throughout the space manages to avoid tipping into “theme” territory. During peak hours, the dining room’s lively, but you most likely won’t find yourself walking into an hour-long wait.  The food: Go for the half-salted baked chicken, simply cooked with scallions and ginger, and the Peking duck, which arrives tableside with crispy skin and all the fixings. Don’t skip the shredded, sauteed potatoes, either, which are a rare find on the city’s Chinese menus.  The drinks: The cocktails are as colorful (and photographable) as the dumplings: if you don’t feel like drinking a bright blue cocktail with curacao and clarified milk, you can go for a Pale Violet with aged rice wine and Cabernet Sauvignon, a Jade Green with rum and kiwi or a Rose Red with gin and strawberry. Time Out tip: Come with a big group and order family-style. You’ll be happy for the extra hands when you’re tearing into the duck and passing all those plates around.

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. 

Named for the hwaro, a traditional Korean charcoal brazier that anchors Hwaro’s 13-course tasting menu, this intimate marble chef’s table is tucked inside chef Sungchul Shim’s Midtown steakhouse, Gui. The rounded counter seats just 22 guests, guaranteeing an up-close-and-personal view of the chefs at work on your meal. The price of the tasting menu, at $295 per person, puts this spot firmly in “special occasion” territory, and Shim does his part to make every occasion feel legitimately special.  The vibe: Intimate, secretive and exuding “quiet luxury,” the round marble counter lets you keep your focus on just two things: your date and the food. If you’re looking for something to keep the conversation going, just take a look around the room. Custom dishes accompany every course, and the walls are full of ceramics and sparkling mother-of-pearl inlays that will reward your attention to detail.  The food: A seasonal, market-driven tasting menu features luxurious ingredients like black truffles shaved over scallops, foie gras served with milkbread and rich jajang bordelaise spooned lovingly over bowls of comforting jook. Expect the menu to change frequently, although the hwaro will always remain at its heart.  The drinks: A list of wines by the glass makes it easy to pair with each course. Or ask your server to guide you towards one of their excellent bottles, which range in price from $100 to well into the thousands.  Time Out tip: Because it’s a tasting counter, expect the menu

This new Malaysian spot in Greenpoint from the team behind Hainan Chicken House in Sunset Park is worth a ride on the G train for the poached half chicken alone. Cooked in ginger, scallion and deep, dark soy, then served up with house-fermented chili and fragrant chicken rice, it might be one of your favorite dishes this year.  The vibe: Intimate and cinematically lit, you can clearly see the influence of co-owner Chris Low, who is also a filmmaker. Kelang retains the low-key coziness of the original Hainan Chicken House while upping the drama to make it a date-night destination.  The food: Comforting Malaysian dishes, like the pork trotter with dark soy and root tea, bring depth, while udon noodles with scallops, pork shoulder and prawns are extremely easy to love. (And of course, you can’t leave without tasting the aforementioned chicken.) Try to save room for their singular dessert, a malty Milo sundae with candied peanut brittle and toasted coconut.  The drinks: Kelang offers a full bar as well as nonalcoholic options, including Sarsi, a spicy Southeast Asian sarsaparilla soda, and calamansi limeade with ginger, honey and mint.  Time Out tip: If you’re feeling snacky, stop by for brunch: a plate of crispy curry puffs with mint chutney, flaky paratha with straciatella and sambal oil and a bowl of coconut curry will keep you going until dinnertime. 

Traze has turned its pop-up into a restaurant in Long Island City, and its following shows no sign of slowing down. The shop specializes in Grandma pies, 10-inch squares with crisp edges and a soft, slow-fermented crumb. Baked in small batches throughout the day, they come out caramelized, tender and way too easy to demolish. The vibe: Part café and part neighborhood hangout, the space keeps a steady flow of neighborhood folks and those on pizza crawls. There are fewer than seats in the whole place, so plan to take your pie to go if you come during the lunch or dinner rush.  The food: The falafel pie is Traze’s signature: sesame-crusted dough layered with cheddar, gouda, crumbled Egyptian falafel and a drizzle of transcendent Halal-cart white sauce. Traze flexes their technique on the more classic pies, too, although they can’t help but add brown butter basil pesto and Queen Majesty’s Sicilian Scorpion Hot Sauce to their inventive lineup. The drinks: Grab an espresso, a cold brew or a dirty chai—they’re an unexpected but totally natural fit with Traze’s surprisingly delicious breakfast pies.  Time Out tip: Each Grandma pie is reasonably sized, so bring a few friends and order across the menu. That way, you can try a new-to-you pie, plus get a taste of the classics. 

The star of Levant in Astoria’s Little Egypt is feteer, the flaky, layered and laminated Egyptian pastry made from thin, ghee-brushed dough that’s baked until puffed and golden-brown, then served like slices of pie. The menu features savory versions filled with ground beef, sausage, or shawarma, plus sweet feteer layered with Nutella, nuts or creamy lotus spread. Each one is baked in a brick oven and arrives hot, crisp and almost too buttery—luckily, there’s no such thing.  The vibe: This casual counter-service setup on Steinway Street lets you see the dough being stretched, folded and baked. It’s bright, fast-paced and focused on the food, as it should be.  The food: The feteer lineup anchors the menu, where it’s joined by filling shawarma wraps, kebab platters, and open-faced pies topped with za’atar and cheese, spinach or minced meat. Desserts include kanafa, made with layers of sweet cheese and spun pastry dough, plus pabasbosa, a little semolina cake soaked with syrup.  The drinks: Try a refreshingly salty yogurt ayran drink or a bottle of Laziza, a non-alcoholic malt soda that’s made in Lebanon.  Time Out tip: Make your way to a seat where you can watch the dough being stretched and tossed before it hits the oven—it’s as much a performance as it is prep. Plus, you might get a little tete-a-tete with the chef, who runs restaurants and lounges all over the neighborhood. 

Rose Marie, from the team behind the beloved neighborhood taco spot Yellow Rose, is a laidback joint on Lorimer Street that trades tacos and margs for sandwiches, frozen drinks and generous slices of cake. Pickled green tomatoes and Carolina rice make an appearance, but overall, the menu leans more “comfort” than “Southern.” The vibe: Cozy and casual, with a never-fussy menu featuring hit after hit, this might be one of the best date-night spots in Williamsburg. Come for the bar snacks and a couple of rounds of cocktails, then linger over a patty melt and a pork chop.  The food: A crispy, buttery patty melt, a pork chop almost as big as your head and a chicken cutlet, its richness cut with a cool cabbage-and-cucumber slaw—the menu could easily go over-the-top if it wasn’t handled with such elegant restraint.  The drinks: Frozen cocktails headline the list: they’re playful without being too sweet. A rotating lineup keeps things interesting, and the drinks are designed to pair just as well with bar snacks, like olives and crispy Idaho potatoes, as they do with a full meal. Time Out tip: Order the patty melt. It’s the thing everyone ends up talking about (in fact, you’ve probably already caught its cheese pull on your feed), and once you’ve had it, you’ll be talking about it, too. 

Johnny’s brings Chinese-Peruvian comfort food, known as chifa, to Williamsburg, where they’re serving up rotisserie chicken—or pollo a la brasa—Peruvian fried rice and frozen drinks in their laidback yet elevated space. The spot is a family affair: the titular Johnny, their late patriarch,  started serving chicken in New York in the ‘70s, and the new generation carries the torch with the same precision and care.  The vibe: Casual enough for sweatpants but cool enough for a date, the space reflects the family's culinary traditions while bringing some of the neighborhood’s good-hang energy.  The food: The rotisserie chicken is what you came for. Golden and tender, you can watch it turn in the window while you wait for your platter of a half bird, served with aji verde, a spicy, creamy Peruvian sauce made green with jalapeño and cilantro, plus veggie fried rice. Add a few chifa staples, including arroz chaufa (fried rice) and lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry with veggies and soy-vinegar sauce.  The drinks: The full bar turns out frozen lychee pisco sours and chicha morada made with rum, lime and spiced purple corn juice, a Peruvian specialty. If it’s too chilly outside for a frozen drink, house cocktails include a cilantro-laced grapefruit spritz and the Oo-La-La with oolong tea.  Time Out tip: Ask upront for extra aji verde: you’ll end up pouring it over everything (including your purse, probably, in an understandable attempt to take some home). 

This new scoop shop, which opened on Clinton Street in the summer of 2025, uses milk and cream from upstate New York and makes every one of its flavors in small batches in Manhattan. The menu skews mostly classic, with favorites like Rocky Road and Cookies and Cream, but you can also expect over-the-top treats made for modern mouths (and eyes), like the Otis, stacked on a big chocolate chip cookie base, drenched with salted caramel sauce and then topped off with whipped cream and a cherry.  The vibe: The slim, unfussy shop is hung with family photos, and the cozy counter has just enough room to sit elbow-to-elbow with your neighbors.  The food: All of the flavors are made with cream and milk from upstate New York, and every small batch is made right here in Manhattan. The drinks: You can sip on a milkshake spun from any flavor of ice cream and syrup, or go for the MB, which blends orange sherbet and creamy vanilla into a Creamsicle-like treat.  Time Out tip: The scoop shop is named for the owner’s mother, and many of her faves have made it onto the menu—go for the classic banana split in her honor.

Spudz Slope comes from the team behind SYKO, the Syrian-Korean mashup spot known for its Fatboy bulgogi sandwiches and falafel pizza, a scallion pancake loaded with labneh, falafel, cucumber kimchi and herbs. This hole-in-the-wall just off Prospect Park West is entirely dedicated to two things you never knew belonged together: loaded baked potatoes and milkshakes. It’s a mini restaurant with big energy, pulling influences from across the globe and putting them squarely in sleepy Park Slope. The vibe: Just like SYKO, the space is teeny and made for takeout. Think grab-and-go lunches, park picnics and snack runs.  The food: A chopped cheese potato loaded with beef and onions nods to Spudz’s New York heritage, while the bulgogi spud topped with thinly sliced beef, kimchi and bibimbap carries the flavors of Korea.  The drinks: Why wouldn’t you pair a baked potato with a milkshake? Classic chocolate and strawberry banana are on the menu, but the standout is the baklava shake, a riff on the Middle Eastern dessert made with honey and pistachios. Time Out tip: Not many neighborhood spots stay open late, so if you’ve spent a couple of hours at the bar around the corner, go ahead and grab yourself a spud—they’re open until two o’clock in the morning on Friday and Saturday.

The menu at Aokō Matcha knows that matcha is way more than just a latte. The café, from first-time owner Isabella Pang, is an ode to Japanese specialty shops, serving up five levels of matcha gelato, from lightly sweet to a verdant ceremonial-grade treat, plus soft serve, parfaits and frappes. The vibe: Bright, sleek, and designed for discovery, Aokō is part tasting room and part café. The West Village storefront has a clean aesthetic that puts the focus on the striking shades of green inside. It’s a spot built for both casual walk-ins and TikTok-fueled destination seekers. The food: The star is the “five-shade” gelato tasting, which lets you work your way through all levels of matcha intensity. Beyond that, there are soft serves, hojicha, warabimochi-topped parfaits and other treats made to highlight the nuances of matcha.  The drinks: Start with a straightforward matcha latte to see what they can do with your favorite morning pick-me-up, or sweeten it up with mixed-in strawberries or drizzled-on chocolate.  Time Out tip: Tasting all five levels of matcha with a “flight” is the fastest way to figure out your perfect matcha. (Plus, now you’ll know exactly what “ceremonial grade” should taste like.) 

The team behind Ernesto’s has gone underground with Bartolo, a subterranean Madrid-style taverna built for long nights lingering over tapas and Spanish wine. Chef Ryan Bartlow leans on his years spent cooking in Spain, turning out a menu with hits including anchovies on pan de cristal, oxtail braised in red wine and whole roasted suckling lamb. The room is richly layered with dark wood and marble, making it feel like you’ve stepped back into the old world. It’s a family project, run alongside his wife and sister-in-law, and the warmth shows. If the Lower East Side Ernesto’s is Bartlow’s Basque love letter, Bartolo is his ode to Madrid: soulful and built for sharing. The vibe: Low ceilings, stone and wood give the place a lived-in feel. The snug six-seat bar is the most romantic spot, but the two distinct dining rooms also offer an intimate place to share small plates.  The food: Start with tapas—anchovies, fried shrimp and Iberico ham are hits here—then share salads, a chilled salmorejo soup and bacalao with peppers and tomato.  The drinks: The wine list is nearly entirely Spanish, including some rare finds you won’t see elsewhere in New York. Look for the Vino de Pasto, unfortified “pasture wines” from the traditional land of sherry.  Time Out tip: If you really want to do Bartolo right, preorder the suckling pig or lamb. They’ll need two weeks’ notice, but nothing else captures the tavern spirit better than an entire pig delivered to your table.