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Located at the top of Museum Mile, the Museum of the City of New York is the place to explore the city’s past, celebrate its present, and imagine its future. The institution’s entire first floor is devoted to New York at Its Core, a sprawling exhibition including two galleries taking visitors on a tour of all 400 years of New York City history and a flagship space known as the Future City Lab where visitors use interactive technology to design the NYC of the future. Rotating exhibitions throughout the rest of the Museum focus on issues ranging from the city’s history of social activism to New York’s built environment, and include objects from the Museum’s extensive Collections of vintage photographs, costumes and textiles, theater memorabilia, furniture and decorative arts, and more. Don’t miss the amazing Stettheimer Dollhouse, created during the 1920s by Carrie Stettheimer, whose artist friends re-created their masterpieces in miniature to hang on the walls. Look closely and you’ll even spy a tiny version of Marcel Duchamp’s famous Nude Descending a Staircase.

This bar and grill combines traditional German food and beer with a healthy serving of kitsch, notably with its annual Christmas decorations. Year-round, you can enjoy a wide range of German dishes, especially meats and sausages, while an array of faux medieval paintings peaks out behind obsessively entwined oak branches. The portions are extremely generous; more sauerbraten, really than anyone could (or perhaps should) eat. There are five different schnitzel offerings, but you can’t go wrong in ordering the simple Wiener schnitzel. In the end, the zeitgeist is more Epcot Center than Bavaria and like the theme park it’s a fun ride.

I was drawn to the Upper West Side solely for a slice of pizza that had a whole mess of corn on it. But when I made my way past the threshold of the door, I was soon tempted by the full lineup just beyond the glass partition: squares showered with pecorino and Parmigiano, crumbles of fried chicken on another and slices of poached pear on the next. This is the decision you make when visiting Mama's Too. All pies are courtesy of owner Frank Tuttolomondo. Made the way he likes to eat pizza, the pizzas here toe the line at NYC- and Detroit-style. But regardless of how you want to label them, New Yorkers enjoy them all the same.   The vibe: The original shop in the UWS seems like a standard slice shop, one with few chairs, wooden counters for eating over and gold ceilings. Beyond the glass, you can also observe the kitchen operations, where staff roll out dough and adorn pies with a variety of creations. There is always a chance for a bit of line, but more often than not, you can be on your way in 20 minutes or less.   The food: The first decision you'll have to make is triangle or square. The triangle slices share commonalities with the New York style—it has a good charred bottom, crispy crust and folds the way it should. The square slice isn't quite Detroit either, though it does share the same shape and wonderfully caramelized exterior. No matter what configuration you choose, just know it is going to be a good one. One of their most famous slices (and for good reason) is...

This Madison Avenue institution began as the private library of financier J. Pierpont Morgan and is his artistic gift to the city. Building on the collection Morgan amassed in his lifetime, the museum houses first-rate works on paper, including drawings by Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Picasso; three Gutenberg Bibles; a copy of Frankenstein annotated by Mary Shelley; manuscripts by Dickens, Poe, Twain, Steinbeck and Wilde; sheet music handwritten by Beethoven and Mozart; and an original edition of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol that’s displayed every yuletide. Also keep an eye out for rotating special exhibitions.  In 2006, a massive renovation and expansion orchestrated by Renzo Piano brought more natural light into the building and doubled the available exhibition space. A theater, Gilder Lehrman Hall, regularly hosts recitals and concerts.

Even way back when we met a young Kwame Onwuachi on Top Chef, his narrative was clear from the get-go: translate his Bronx upbringing and Afro-Caribbean heritage on the plate. And while his first chapters were laid in Washington, D.C., his New York homecoming is certainly one of the best reads. Since opening in 2022, Tatiana has been propelled into the conversation of New York's best restaurant, period. And as much as reviews and influencers can inflate such a thing, Onwuachi's effortless flow between modernizing time-honored Nigerian and Caribbean dishes and playful riffs on bodega bites give backing to all of the hype. The vibe: With a Lincoln Center address, Tatiana takes a page from its theatrical neighbors with a curtain of its own, as the dining room is shrouded in golden chains that cascade from the ceiling. Perfectly placed hooks on the metal give visual interest, appearing as if it is raining diamonds inside. But there are little else dramatics here, as the delicate, minimal even, interior features a few of plumes of flowers in places, handsome marble tables and leather-backed dining chairs that are actually comfortable. The most eye-catching goes to the cloud-like structures that hang up above that glow blue-ish purple or purplish-blue, depending on your gauge of color.  In contrast to such simplicity, it is the music that truly sets the vibe. The playlist here sounds like what came out of the speakers of my older sister's Toyota Corolla in the '90s and early...

When Studio Museum opened in 1968, it was the first Black fine arts museum in the country, and it remains the place to go for historical insight into African American art and the art of the African diaspora. The museum reopened in 2025 after a seven-year closure for construction. The new space, located on the same footprint along 125th Street, doubled space for the groundbreaking exhibitions the museum is known for.  The abstract, towering building is centered around a sleek stone staircase, which stretches throughout the building like a spine. At the bottom, there's a community hangout area called the stoop. At the top, a lush garden with skyline views will no doubt become a popular space in warmer weather. Throughout, exhibitions fill each floor, drawing pieces from the museum's collection of 9,000 pieces and highlighting works by artists-in-residence over the years.  

Back in the '70s and '80s, Hoexters Market was a beacon of the Upper East Side, frequented by the likes of Salvador Dali, Princess Grace and Elizabeth Taylor, before closing. Revived in 2020, Hoexters is back, ready to welcome the new class of stars with Americana classics. 

Bright, playful, and just the right amount of indulgent, Bear Donut is where New Yorkers go when they want to satisfy their sweet tooth. Their signature mochi donuts are chewy, airy and glazed to perfection. Expect seasonal flavors that taste as good alongside soft, cream-filled brioche donuts that deliver melt-in-your-mouth joy with every bite. But it’s not just about the pastries. Bear Donut also serves up an impressive nine-drink matcha menu (plus coffee and seasonal specials) that ranges from dirty to birthday cake to a latte that all feel like little rituals in a cup. Plus, keep your phone handy, because each item is crafted to be just as photo-worthy as it is delicious. The space is bright and minimal, which lends itself to being the kind of spot where you linger longer than planned, donut box in hand, sipping something perfect. It’s a love letter to simple pleasures, with just enough specials and surprises popping up to keep things exciting. Come for one donut. Leave with a dozen and drinks for your whole crew!

We really like eating around the city, and we're guessing you do, too. So lucky for all of us, we've packed all our favorite restaurants under one roof at the Time Out Market New York. The DUMBO location in Empire Stores has fried chicken from Jacob’s Pickles, pizza from Fornino, delicious bagels from Ess-a-bagel and more amazing eateries—all cherry-picked by us. Chow down over two floors with views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline.  RECOMMENDED: The best things do in NYC

If you thought getting a table at Per Se was tough, try getting into Rao’s. On second thought, don’t. Rao’s (pronounced “RAY-ohs”) is really a private club without the dues. To eat here, you’ll need a personal invite from one of the heavy hitters who “owns” a table. These CEOs, actors, politicians, news personalities and neighborhood old-timers established a long-standing arrangement with the late, legendary owner Frankie “No” Pellegrino, and that's what ensures a seat at one of the ten tables at the Italian-American icon. In fact, reading this review is probably the closest you’ll get to Rao’s.