The 32 best restaurants in Queens

This new spot in a modern office tower serves up Sichuan and Hunan food—the spicier, the better. It’s an upscale-ish spot to bring a date, especially since it doubles as a cocktail lounge. Their specialty is baijiu (a spirit often made from, you guessed it, sorghum), and you can try it in their take on a Negroni, a sling or in a flight of four. Pair your baijiu with some dim sum to share—we like the crispy taro puffs and the spicy wings with garlic.

No, Jamaica, Queens, is not named for Jamaica (it is, in fact, a name of Lenape origin), but you can still find some of the best Jamaican patties right here. Grab a few stuffed with beef, jerk chicken, curry chicken and callaloo for $3.50 a pop, or spend an extra fifty cents to try their ackee version. Pair them with an order of slightly sweet, fresh-baked coco bread for an affordable, satisfying meal or snack as you explore the borough.

Though it’s been eclipsed in buzz by sibling spots Dhamaka, the best new restaurant of 2021, and Masalawala & Sons, one of 2022's top openings, Adda Indian Canteen also makes frequent appearances on NYC best of lists. It’s often easier to get into than the others, so you can check out its aloo chana chaat, bheja fry, lamb chops and Lucknow dum biryani.

This corner charmer makes up for in charisma what it lacks in menus. “No menus, just fish,” its website reads, and we’re pretty sure we heard the same thing in person the first couple times we were there, too. Sit in its bustling dining room or out on the breezy deck and, through some combination of guessing and suggestions, you’ll end up with some of the best, simply prepared seafood in NYC. 

This Thai restaurant opened in April of 2022 and went on to earn a spot among the year’s best new openings. It serves “true flavors of Thailand’s Northeastern Isaan region” in a cozy, colorful dining room inside and an outdoor space up front. The Larb ped Udon, gaeng om with beef shank and moo tod pla ra are among our favorites. 

A standout Greek restaurant in a neighborhood full of ‘em, Taverna Kyclades is the king of the hill near the top of the N line. People flock to Ditmars Boulevard for the chance to wait for a table and sample its excellent dips, kebabs and fried sardines with lovely lemon potatoes. 

Astoria Seafood, which is actually located nearby in Long Island City, is a choose your own adventure of scallops, shark, octopus, shrimp, salmon, snapper and whatever else happens to be the catch of the day. You scope it, scoop it and hand it over to the staff to prepare to your specifications.

Locally famed and beloved for its noodle soups, it’s hard to diverge from the comforting bowls once you get a taste. But Pata Paplean has even more to order, including dry noodle mains with ground pork or mock duck, plus some fun, punchy cocktails. 

One of NYC’s oldest taverns is still an anchor on its Woodhaven corner. Founded in 1829, the handsome space has served as a set for film and TV productions, and its bar is an excellent backdrop for beers and burgers. Cocktails and bar food bites are also on the menu.  

This counter service spot has been a vegetarian Indian food staple for more than 20 years. Its enticing variety, generous portions and casual, seat yourself style still attract an ever growing following. Samosas, alu tikki burgers, paneer tikka sandwiches, several chat varieties and dosas are all on Usha Foods’ lengthy menu. 

Ridgewood’s latest red sauce spot terrifically splits the difference between restaurant and bar, literally and figuratively. It looks more like the latter around the entrance, and the back dining room has a Sunday dinner aesthetic with the menu items to match. It’s the perfect place to pair your pasta with a frigid martini. 

Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao is a modestly appointed Chinese eatery serving top-notch Shanghai-style dishes including dim sum and soup dumplings. Start with scallion pancakes, try the chicken dumplings and, of course, order the Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao, with just the right amount of soup inside. 

An offshoot of the late Queens Comfort, Comfortland carries on the original outpost’s cozy conceit. The pastel-splashed space also lets you taste the rainbow with its cannoli rainbow cake and sprinkle-covered milkshakes. Grand breakfast sandwiches, burgers and sides like loaded tots are among the savory options.

Both the original strip mall location of Cannelle Patisserie and its Long Island City shop are popular for their house-made baked goods and seasonal specialties. There are a few seats at each, so you can pull up a chair for all manner of tarts, croissants, eclairs, cookies and macarons. It also prepares sandwiches and make whole cakes to take away.

This warm, handsome restaurant is a popular local hangout and a great date spot. Its midsized menu includes whole lobster, steak and burgers. Its cocktail list includes takes on classics and novel creations like the oyster mignonette martini.

This wine bar near the beach has a rustic-chic, wood-lined interior, a charming back garden, community events and plenty of vino varieties to sip by the glass and bottle. Pair them with ​​duck rillettes and baguettes, burrata and cheese and charcuterie platters

Lhasa’s brick-lined walls, hardwood floors and intimate bar track more as a cafe than a fast food spot, and there’s a nice amount of seating in this second iteration. The momos, available in five steamed-or-fried varieties, are an essential order. Tibetan noodles come in lamb, beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian varieties, as do many signature entrées and stir frys.

Go with the flow and order the Number 6; everybody else is doing it for a reason. The White Bear specialty includes a dozen pork wontons doused in roasted chili oil and topped with a smattering of diced pickled vegetables for $10. Plan to take it to enjoy elsewhere. 

This is the kind of great neighborhood bar you see on TV shows about a group of good friends who get into low-stakes capers. Sweet Afton has a lot of outdoor seating on its sidewalk and around the back, with plenty of room inside—and a menu that’s good enough for Ross and Rachel. 

Rolo’s is a bakery and cafe by day and an evening dinner destination by night—baked goods, charcuterie, fried chicken and waffles, burgers, pasta and steaks all appear at various times of day.  

This small Brazilian restaurant offers breakfast all day alongside terrific sandwiches and burgers. Oodles of fresh fruit juices and smoothies, plus the popular Brazilian soda, Guarana, do the heavy bevvy lifting.

Vesta sources ingredients for its Italian menus from local greenmarkets. Brunch includes eggs several ways, omelets and carbonara mac and cheese, while lunch and dinner bring even more pasta dishes. Pizza is available any time. 

What began as a food cart is now a brick-and-mortar restaurant specializing in arepas stuffed with sausage, pork belly, shredded beef, pollo asado and cheese, alongside other Colombian bites. 

This 40-seat Mexican eatery specializes in the regional cuisine of Cintalapa, Chiapas. Brothers Cosme and Luis Aguilar pay homage to their late mother with traditional plates, including some based on her recipes. The chicken mole and cochinito chiapaneco are among those family blueprints. The bright white spot also has a homey little back garden. 

Home to one of our favorite burgers, Donovan’s Pub has been on the block since 1966. Besides the fan-favorite patties, the wood-paneled space has plenty on its menu to please large groups.

One of NYC’s best bagel spots, Bagel Oasis has been in operation since 1961. Today, it’s open an uncommon 24-hours a day, seven days a week, so you can time it just right for peak preparations of its dozen-plus bagel varieties. 

Jackson Diner has been serving a wide variety of Indian dishes since 1980, earning plenty of accolades along the way. Dozens of menu items include paneer, curry and biryani varieties, tandoori chicken, lamb and seafood and starters like achari mushrooms and samosas. 

Derick López’s The Freakin Rican has gained much critical acclaim since it went from street fair staple to standalone shop. The pasteles, broiled plantains with pork, are worth many trips.

Veggie Castle II in South Richmond Hill is one of many excellent vegetarian and vegan restaurants in NYC. Its active Instagram following can help you spy the fresh menus and whet your appetite for fantastic plant-based salt-baked fish, jerk chicken and wings and fresh juice varieties. 

A refresh gave Taqueria Coatzingo a new look, but its food is still familiar. Pair guacamole, chilaquiles and a long list of tacos with a couple of cold margaritas. 

The large dining room, quaint back patio and crowd-pleasing Italian plates of varied antipasti, handmade pasta and entrées built around duck breast, pork, cod and salmon make Maiella a great place for groups. It also has an up-close, though partial, view of Queens’ famed Pepsi-Cola sign to gaze upon while you sip wine and cocktails.

Weave through the throngs of pedestrians outside the 7 train to find this basement-level food court. You can feast on items like hand-pulled noodles at Lanzhou and bubble tea at Kung Fu Tea. Pro tip: Go with a group so you can sample more food.