Best Restaurants in New York

New York has more Michelin stars than any other American city, and in 2026 its restaurants again dominated North America's 50 Best list. That depth is also the problem for visitors: the best-known tables book out months ahead, prices run from about $30 for a pasta to $450 for a sushi counter, and the list of serious contenders is long.

This guide covers eight restaurants that show the range, from three-star institutions to one-star restaurants that diners treat as everyday destinations. For each one we explain what the meal is like, what it costs and how hard it is to book.

How We Chose These Restaurants

This is an editorial selection, not a scientific or absolute ranking. We started with three sources of recognition: the 2025 MICHELIN Guide to New York City, announced on November 19, 2025, the 2026 North America's 50 Best Restaurants list, announced on May 28, 2026, and The New York Times' annual list of the city's best restaurants. We then chose restaurants with different styles, so the list is not eight tasting menus.

The guide is compiled from published reporting, not from personal visits. Menus, prices and booking rules change often, so check current details before you plan a trip.

New York's Best Restaurants at a Glance

Atomix, César, Per Se, Jungsik and Sushi Sho sell fixed menus, so their prices are per person before drinks, tax and service. The Michelin Guide lists Semma at $$$, and Le Bernardin is a $$$$ restaurant with several menu options.

Korean and Seafood Tasting Menus

Three of New York's most talked-about restaurants build their menus around the sea or around Korean cooking. All three book out far in advance, so plan before you travel.

Atomix

Atomix is at 104 East 30th Street in NoMad and holds two Michelin stars. It was named the best restaurant in North America in the inaugural 2025 list and ranks No. 7 in 2026. Chef Junghyun "JP" Park and his wife, Ellia Park, run it, and the meal is served at a 14-seat counter in the basement.

The tasting menu is built on Korean tradition and technique, and each course arrives with a printed card that explains the story behind the dish. The Infatuation, which rates it 8.9, singles out courses such as ganjang gejang, a Korean raw marinated crab, and a zucchini and king crab dish tied to the chef's first cooking class. The chef's counter costs $385 per person, prepaid, according to Tock, and a shorter bar tasting costs $285. Reservations are released monthly and tend to sell out quickly.

César

César is at 333 Hudson Street in Hudson Square, in a former printing house. Chef César Ramirez opened it in July 2024, after running Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, and it earned two Michelin stars within about five months. In 2026 it ranks No. 10 in North America's 50 Best, up 28 places from the previous year.

The 13-course tasting menu, priced from $365, is seafood-focused and shows Japanese and French influences. The World's 50 Best highlights a fish rillette piped into a pastry cigar, fish and chips woven into a single potato crisp and a frozen soufflé, and Ramirez is also known for his uni brioche toast. Guests sit at tables or at the counter, and both have a view of the kitchen.

Le Bernardin

Le Bernardin is at 155 West 51st Street in Midtown. It opened in 1986 and holds three Michelin stars, which it has had since the first New York guide in 2005. Chef Eric Ripert and co-owner Maguy Le Coze run it, and the restaurant ranks No. 13 in North America's 50 Best 2026.

The menu is French seafood, divided into three sections called Almost Raw, Barely Touched and Lightly Cooked. Dinner is available as a four-course prix fixe, which recent listings put above $200, or as a chef's tasting menu with more courses. Lunch is the lower-cost way in, at around $135 to $140 for three courses in recent listings. The dining room has about 32 tables and is closed on Sundays.

Jungsik

Jungsik is at 2 Harrison Street in Tribeca, in the former Chanterelle space. Chef Jungsik Yim, who is credited with pioneering "new Korean" cooking, opened the New York restaurant in 2011, and in 2024 it became the first Korean restaurant in the United States to earn three Michelin stars. It ranks No. 18 in North America's 50 Best 2026.

The menu is a nine-course tasting menu with a focus on seafood and seasonality. Signature dishes include octopus with gochujang aioli, a yellowtail kimbap with truffle rice and seaweed, and a dessert called Dolhareubang. The signature menu cost $295 in 2024 and has since risen, so expect about $300 or more per person, plus a choice of wine, signature or non-alcoholic pairings.

Sushi and a Classic Tasting Menu

Sushi Sho

Sushi Sho is at 3 East 41st Street in Midtown, near the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. Chef Keiji Nakazawa opened the New York restaurant in 2024, and in November 2025 it earned three Michelin stars, a rare jump for such a young restaurant. Michelin describes an eight-seat hinoki counter.

The meal is Edomae-style omakase, and Nakazawa's cooking relies on fermentation and aged fish. The omakase costs $450 per person, according to Time Out and Tasting Table, before tax, gratuity, drinks and a 10 percent administrative fee, and one reviewer counted 24 courses. Tickets are prepaid through Tock and released monthly, so it is among the hardest bookings on this list.

Per Se

Per Se is on the fourth floor of the Deutsche Bank Center, formerly the Time Warner Center, at 10 Columbus Circle. Thomas Keller opened it in 2004 as the New York counterpart to The French Laundry, and it has held three Michelin stars. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out on Columbus Circle and Central Park.

The main dining room serves two nine-course tasting menus, the Chef's Tasting and the Tasting of Vegetables, at $425 per person. The Salon, a lounge, offers a four-course menu listed at $185. The signature opening dish, oysters and pearls, is still a fixture, and a meal here is a slow, formal evening rather than a quick dinner.

Italian-American and South Indian Restaurants

These two one-star restaurants are better choices for diners who want a la carte cooking rather than a long tasting menu.

Torrisi

Torrisi is at 275 Mulberry Street in Nolita, inside the landmark Puck Building. Major Food Group opened it in December 2022 as chef Rich Torrisi's return to the street where he started, and it has held a Michelin star since 2023. It ranks No. 38 in North America's 50 Best 2026, and Torrisi is also in The New York Times' 2026 top ten.

The menu is Italian-American but draws on the city's other cuisines, with Jewish delis, Chinese restaurants and Caribbean patty shops all inspiring dishes. The World's 50 Best points to Don's scungilli toast and cucumbers "New Yorkese," and Michelin mentions a Dover sole Francese and penne with baby chanterelles. Pastas start in the $30s and specials reach about $75. Tables are released 30 days ahead, and a limited number of bar seats are kept for walk-ins each evening.

Semma

Semma is at 60 Greenwich Avenue in the West Village. Chef Vijay Kumar, from Tamil Nadu, opened it in October 2021 and it has held a Michelin star since 2022. In 2025 it took the top spot on The New York Times' list of the city's best restaurants, and Kumar won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State. It ranks No. 41 in North America's 50 Best 2026.

The cooking is South Indian and does not soften its flavors for American diners. Michelin recommends the mulaikattiya thaniyam, a sprouted mung bean snack, the gunpowder dosa filled with potato masala and the Dindigul biryani, plus parotta and a lamb dish called attu kari sukka. Michelin lists Semma at $$$, and it is open for dinner Monday to Saturday.

How to Choose Where to Eat in New York

• For a classic three-star dinner: Le Bernardin for seafood or Per Se for a view of Central Park.
• For Korean cooking: Atomix for a 14-seat counter and Jungsik for a nine-course menu.
• For sushi: Sushi Sho, if you can get a seat.
• For a newer, seafood-focused tasting menu: César.
• For a la carte dinner without a tasting menu: Torrisi or Semma.

Booking Tips for New York's Top Restaurants

• Learn the release dates. Atomix and Sushi Sho release tables monthly on Tock, and Torrisi opens tables 30 days ahead.
• Use lunch and bar seats. Le Bernardin's lunch prix fixe is cheaper than dinner, and Torrisi holds bar seats for walk-ins.
• Budget beyond the menu price. Wine pairings, supplements, tax, service and fees can add a lot, and Sushi Sho adds a 10 percent administrative fee.
• Check the details. Menus and prices change, so confirm them on the restaurant's booking page.

Other New York Restaurants to Know

This is not a complete list. Eleven Madison Park also holds three Michelin stars, and the 2026 North America's 50 Best includes New York restaurants such as Le Veau d'Or, Kabawa, Penny, Aska, Corima and Gramercy Tavern. We plan to cover more of them in separate guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New York restaurants have three Michelin stars?

In the 2025 MICHELIN Guide, the three-star restaurants are Eleven Madison Park, Jungsik, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Sushi Sho.

Which New York restaurants are in North America's 50 Best top ten for 2026?

Atomix ranks No. 7 and César ranks No. 10. Le Veau d'Or (No. 12), Le Bernardin (No. 13) and Kabawa (No. 14) follow just below.

How much does a Michelin-starred dinner cost in New York?

Fixed menus in this guide cost from $365 at César to $450 at Sushi Sho, plus drinks and fees. The a la carte restaurants, Torrisi and Semma, cost less, with pastas at Torrisi starting around $30.

Which of these restaurants is best for someone who does not want a tasting menu?

Torrisi and Semma both serve a la carte menus, and Le Bernardin offers a four-course prix fixe and a three-course lunch.