Best of the Week: Special Edition
A reflection on the New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
Last week was an exciting week for the restaurant obsessed of New York City. Pete Wells, a New York Times restaurant critic released his list of New York City’s 100 best restaurants for 2024. This proved to be a very valuable asset in maintaining quality small talk with colleagues as everyone loves to be a critic.
I’ve been to 17 of the restaurants on this list and so here is a brief (or not so brief) overview of my experience and whether or not I think they deserve to be in the top 100.
You can find a slightly more detailed opinion below but for those who like to skim and get to the point (guilty as charged) here is the low down:
Those that deserve their spot: Ci Siamo, The Four Horsemen, Casa Mono & Bar Jamon, Okdongsik, Raku, Yoon Haeundae Galbi, Oiji Mi
Those I’m conflicted on: Estela, Gramercy Tavern, Rezdora, Dirt Candy, Cka Ka Qellu
Those I would have left out: King, Atoboy, Great NY Noodletown, Mark’s Off Madison, Wildair,
Those that should have kept their spot from the 2023 top 100: Silver Apricot & Mokyo
Hopefully the length of this newsletter will satisfy for the next two weeks. I’ll be heading off to Peru for 10 days and will only get back for our next edition towards the end of April for another special edition of the Best Eats we had in Peru!
11. Estela
Estela made it as the 11th best restaurant in the city. It’s a modern american restaurant that was awarded one Michelin Star. I went in November with my father and a family friend on a bit of a whim. The space is small and intimate and good for a date but for us three who were sitting at the bar it was impossible to hear each other, which likely contributes to my feeling on the space. When we were there a waitress actually cut her hand open with a glass I believe and was rushed to the hospital. I had forgotten about that… I hope she’s ok now! The food for the most part was flavorful but not necessarily memorable. Additionally, the price point in relation to the portion is slightly absurd in my humble opinion.
13. Ci Siamo
Ok Ci Siamo however is another story. I’m shocked this restaurant is not more talked about than it is as it’s definitely one of my favorites in the city. I went on a total whim on a thursday night after having popped into a very exciting Champagne event a friend was organizing nearby. I had it saved it on my list but had no recollection as to why but it was the closest place I had saved and they had room. It was such a pleasant surprise for all of us. The hostess staff is not the friendliest but this is becoming standard practice in this city. It’s a large space so not very intimate but well designed. The caramelized onion torta is an absolute dream. I still salivate thinking about this today. The Rigatoni alla gricia might still be one of the best I’ve had. The stracci was also excellent despite not being a huge fan of rabbit and I believe we also had the agnolotti.
17. The Four Horsemen
When I first moved to New York, I was incredibly underwhelmed by the restaurants I’d been. This city being sold as THE gastronomic capital of the world, I had high expectations. Compared to Hong Kong, London, Paris and Singapore it really just didn’t live up to the hype at all. The Four Horsemen is the first restaurant I went to in New York City that really impressed me. It’s a nice no fuss wine bar with excellent and creative food. It’s not uptight like other Michelin places can be and its food is creative. I had tried dishes and flavors I have never had before and that to me is what makes a restaurant truly unique. They have a one Michelin star as well and truly deserve it.
21. Casa Mono & Bar Jamon
Casa Mono & Bar Jamon are two different places right next to each other and tucked in one of my favorite neighborhoods in town, Irving Place. Casa Mono is a spanish restaurant and Bar Jamon is their wine bar next door. Bar Jamon is small and intimate and while the wine is slightly on the expensive side, they give you a large glass served in a small pichet so it’s well worth it. The wines are good, and the tapas plates are small but delicious. Casa Mono has a more extensive food menu than its counterpart, but it all remains as good. The portions remain small, so the price does rack up quickly, but you won’t be disappointed by the flavor of the food. Pro tip, pre-dinner drink at Bar Jamon, dinner at Casa Mono and a nightcap at Martiny’s makes for a great date night. I did this with friends, and it seems to have become a popular date route amongst them.
27. King
I feel a little bad writing this about King as the friend I went with raved about this restaurant so much I feel like sharing my real opinion here is a betrayal. The space is intimate and charming so 10/10 for deco and ambiance. The tables are very close together so if you feel like eavesdropping on other people’s conversations, this might be the place for you. The wine list is good but expensive. I don’t remember seeing much for less than 80$ a bottle. The key focus is obviously the food and I must say it just did not impress. Frankly, it all lacked flavor and salt. That being said, it is my friend’s favorite restaurant in NYC so maybe try it out for yourself before you take my word for it and if you do let me know what you thought.
30. Atoboy
This is another surprise for me. I was beyond underwhelmed with this restaurant. It’s been spoken about so highly I was so excited, but it did not live up to the excitement for me. I went with a friend on a whim after we had had a drink nearby. We both wanted to go for so long and were lucky enough to have had two free spots at the bar as a walk-in. The place is buzzy and full of energy but this time the two of us were in agreement that the prix fixed menu completely lacked flavor overall. Maybe it was an off night? Who knows. But for me this isn’t one that merits a spot on this list.
33. Gramercy Tavern
I went here for lunch with a friend from Hong Kong a few months ago to take advantage of the restaurant week menu. I honestly have no strong feelings about this restaurant which is why I wouldn’t personally put it on the top 100. The food is good and pretty flavorful, but I wouldn’t say it was particularly memorable or innovative. It is somewhat of a New York institution however so maybe that justifies it? Or, potentially dinner is more exciting than lunch.
39. Rezdora
I’m conflicted on this one. I have been twice. The first time I remember everything being good however the food was cold which certainly doesn’t add to the experience. The second time, one pasta was to die for, and the other was disappointing, but the olive oil cake was very good. So, it’s not a bad spot but it’s also not the best spot in my opinion. Ci Siamo was far better I believe. Probably worth visiting at least once but I wouldn’t put this one in my top 100 either.
40. Okdongsik
This is a pretty special place. It’s a small space with just a counter and they only have two food items on the menu: Kimchi Mandoo & Dweji Gomtang which is essentially dumplings and a bowl of the clearest pork broth I have ever seen with cooked rice and pork in it. It’s obviously a very limited menu and probably not the best for vegetarian or vegans but they have really perfected their craft. If you’re looking for something warm and comforting in an intimate setting, this is the place to go. I had gone in a total downpour with a friend who had just arrived and I was never more grateful for what I was eating. They also have a speakeasy bar in the back if you want a nightcap after.
45. Raku
I actually laughed when I saw Raku made this list because I had had a conversation about how we rate this restaurant the last time I went with friends. I feel redeemed it made this list because half the table wasn’t impressed and the other half said it was excellent. I think this place is fantastic and probably one of the best Udons I’ve ever had (their dumplings are also excellent). That being said, if you’re expecting something incredibly new, innovative, something you’ve never had before, this won’t be a restaurant that will blow your mind but it does what it does incredibly well. I waited in line both times over 40mins in the snow and rain (it’s not usually that long but both times I had very late friends and they won’t seat you until the full party is there) and I can tell you I never regretted it.
52. Yoon Haeundae Galbi
This restaurant is excellent. It’s one of the best Korean Barbecues I’ve had in the city. The place is nicely designed and spacious, the meats are fantastic quality, the marinades are incredibly flavorful and all the sides dishes and banchan we had were also perfect. To top it off the service we had was also top notch. This one definitely deserves its spot on this list.
59. Great NY Noodletown
Shocked does not even do justice to how I reacted seeing this restaurant on the list. I went with a group of friends because they had heard from someone that this was one of the best Chinese restaurants in NYC. This might be the only restaurant I’ve been to that I would downright refuse to go back to. The food wasn’t particularly flavorful and incredibly greasy and half of us were so bloated we felt ill after. If this is the best Chinese food someone has had in NYC, send them my way we’ll go on a journey together.
PSA: I would feel bad writing this super publicly but we’re an intimate crowd so no hiding anything from you!
71. Shukette
I went to Shukette once after an alumni event with a friend. I must be frank and say I don’t remember much of what we had other than that this might be one of the best Labnehs I’ve ever had - mostly as they had a creative twist on it with apricot (?) I believe. It was delicious and I would have licked the whole plate if it was socially acceptable to do so. I have a colleague however who disagrees with this ranking. She rightfully shared that there are so many wonderful Middle Eastern restaurants in New York City, it’s difficult to say which one I would deem to be my favorite so far, but this is certainly a contender from the little I recall.
73. Mark’s Off Madison
I don’t think I can give Mark’s Off Madison a fair review to be honest. I went once during the last covid wave, so we sat outside in December. You can imagine how pleasant that must have been. We had brunch and frankly the food did not wow me. I don’t remember it as being particularly flavorful but given the high praise I’ll probably try it again sometime soon and will let you know if my initial thoughts were correct.
75. Dirt Candy
This one if a funny one for me I must say. We ended up here because a friend (F2 for short) and I were gifting a tasting menu with wine pairing to a friend (F1 for short) for her birthday. This friend (F1) in question doesn’t eat meat so F2 insisted we go to a vegan spot so she could have the full experience. I did my best to insist that almost any tasting menu restaurant will be able to accommodate the no meat option, but my pleas were ignored so, we ended up at Dirt Candy. It was surprisingly good given that it’s vegan (pardon my skepticism) and honestly pretty creative, I had flavors I have never experienced. The tip was included in the price which is always a plus in NYC and the wines were good. That being said, I believe there is far better in NYC especially in this price range but if you’re vegan or have a vegan friend and want something a little nicer and more exciting this would be a good place.
77. Oiji Mi
I haven’t had the food here so I can’t say much on whether or not it should be on the top 100 however, just from my experience going for a drink a few weeks ago, I would assume this restaurant would fully deserve to be here. You can read all about my impressions in last week’s newsletter!
85. Wildair
If you read last week’s newsletter, you’ll know I’m not a big fan of Wildair. I thought it was tremendously underwhelming. A few dishes were good such as the tartare but honestly this would rank pretty far from the 85th best restaurant in New York on my list.
92. Cka Ka Qellu
This is known as Dua Lipa’s favorite restaurant according to a viral video I once saw on Instagram. It boasts traditional Albanian dishes. I had never had Albanian dishes prior to coming here and I must say it does not disappoint. The food is hearty, comforting and incredibly tasty. Absolutely perfect for colder weather when you’re looking for comfort. I’m conflicted as to whether or not it should be on the top 100 as I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a must for annoying coming to New York. However, it does show the diversity of the city and was good enough for me to go twice thus far so I suppose it merits its spot as much as any other!
If you have been to any of these and have any thoughts, please do share! I would love to hear if we’re in agreement or not. If there’s also any place I haven’t yet been to that you think should be on the top 100, please do let me know!
And with that, I wish you all a wonderfully tasty week.