The 29 best Chinese restaurants in NYC

New York's first dim sum house opened in 1920 and developed a devoted following for its almond cookies and moon cakes. In 2010, the stalwart went through a remodel. The most important tweaks, though, were behind the scenes. Now, the charming old-school institution prepares each plate to order, unlike some of the busy banquet halls that dominate Chinatown's dim sum scene.

A spectacular, glittering dining room with Art Deco style for days and peripheral design elements like a long glass hallway with rows of wine bottles illuminated like heist-worthy works of art make Hutong an impressive address. Thankfully, the menu lives up to the aesthetic. Rosé Champagne shrimp dumplings sparkle, too, the mapo tofu has a welcome heat and roasted Peking duck skin crackles like it should. Hutong also serves special flaming Peking duck that’s only available to pre-order, and only on a limited basis. 

First opened in 2022 by the team behind Milk & Cream Cereal Bar, this Chrystie Street spot was on our list of that year's best new restaurants. See what all the fuss is about over pork and chive potstickers, braised short ribs and spicy eggplant. 

Chinese hot pot, customarily stewed with thinly sliced meats, vegetables and stock, gets a brothless showcase at this East Village restaurant from owner Ning Amelie Kang and chef Qilong Zhao. Named literally for “numbing" and "spicy" qualities, the restaurant’s starring dish is a variation on Chongqing-hailing dry pot, a stir-fry-like spread built with a choice of myriad add-ins. Meat options include beef tenderloin, pig ear, fish fillets, squid balls and frog. Beyond the pot, diners can pull up to a 15-seat communal table or a marble-topped counter for snacks like steamed egg custard.

This slightly upscale restaurant serves its dishes, like the Tibetan-style pork rib and congee, in a theatrical and playful fashion with bright colors and attention to plating. 

This Hong Kong–style institution is a favorite for its consistently good eats. Choose from dozens of noodle variations—available pan-fried or in broth with add-ons like seafood, beef, pork and duck. And don’t overlook the rest of the menu: One signature stir-fry features Chinese flowering chives sautéed with your choice of duck, scallops, fish or squid.

This 1963-vintage Chinatown eatery reopened in 2011 with the original owner's grandson at the helm. Most of the menu's Shanghai classics remain the same—like soup dumplings, crispy whole fish and cold sesame noodles. There is also an extensive array of dim sum and lunch specials.

A newer addition to midtown's roster of superior Szechuan eats holds its own next to stalwarts Szechuan Gourmet and Wu Liang Ye. Lan Sheng delivers on spice and complex seasoning in dishes known to include toothsome dan dan noodles topped with wilted spinach and a savory crumbling of pork and Szechuan peppercorns. 

This 450-seat Sunset Park palace is one of our favorite spots in the city for dim sum. Everything is made to order in the open kitchen, including previous hits like pork and shrimp shumai, crab soup dumplings, crispy suckling pig and soy-sauced duck tongues.

Chinatown local Louis Wong's Uncle Lou is large, lively, and feels very familial. Gather around a large table or cozy up to the bar for dishes like the lamb or oxtail stew, half chenpi duck and Buddha’s delight, all abundandly plated. 

New to Brooklyn's Smith Street since 2022, Shan can truly bring the spice to items like Chongqing chicken, though you can also order that particular item a lot milder. The mapo tofu and cumin lamb are among our other faves in the comfortable, inviting spot. 

This Chinese chainlet highlights the mouth-tingling cuisine of Xi'an, an ancient capital along China's Silk Road. This location offers the same short menu of spicy noodles and cumin-spiced burgers in roomier digs. Unlike its sparely appointed siblings, a mix of antique touches and modern effects decorate the 40-seat restaurant.

Ye's serves "classic Szechuan tapas" in a romantic environment that also skews speakeasy-adjacent. We've previously enjoyed the beef and pork potstickers, the chili filet-o-fish and the beautiful, petite bar's fun cocktails. 

This mom-and-pop takeout spot was first started by a couple hailing from Kunming, the capital city of the southeast Yunnan province. The local cuisine borrows from the citrus and herb focus of nearby Southeast Asia. Best-sellers have included hot-and-sour soup with pork dumplings and skinny house-made rice noodles served cold with ground pork, roasted peanuts, and a bracing, sweet mix of chili oil, vinegar and soy sauce. More noodles might appear in a light bone broth, topped with goodies like crispy pig skin or braised chicken.

Known for his fiery Szechuan food, Taiwan native Han Chiang has earned a cult following in the City of Brotherly Love and since expanded to NYC. Han Dynasty's cheery yellow walls and oil paintings surround spiced chicken wings and delicate pork wontons. The much-discussed dan dan noodles are springier than most and with a deft balance between hot chili oil and cool sesame paste.

The best dishes at this noodle-based operation pack the heat and deep, complex flavors of Henan. In a spicy beef brisket dish, a tangy sauce bathes a pile of noodles all topped with chopped cilantro. In the aptly titled big tray chicken, a bright-orange, chili-spiked pool of broth is rich with star anise and cumin. 

This is Szechuan Mountain House's first expansion outside of Queens, and its ambiance is above-and-beyond. On previous visits, the chili, garlic, fermented vegetables and pork on the string beans were a hat trick of flavor—freshness, spice and umami. The jellyfish salad had a dazzling, refreshing crunch. And overall, if Manhattan won’t go to the Mountain, we’re lucky the Mountain has come to Manhattan.

Your waiter parades the roasted duck past your party before placing it on the center show table. A chef brandishes his knives, then slices the aromatic, crisp-skinned, succulent meat with flair. Folks at other tables drool with envy. (Don’t they know that this establishment doesn’t require you to order the specialty in advance? Pity.) Select the “three-way,” and your duck will yield the main course (complete with pancakes and plum sauce for rolling up the goods), a vegetable stir-fry with leftover bits of meat and a cabbage soup made with the remaining bone.

Spartan furnishings focus all attention on Little Pepper’s stunning, spicy Szechuan fare. The braised sliced fish comes simmered in a radiating scarlet broth reminiscent of a Thai curry. Dan dan noodles take on new life here, buoyed with fiery minced pork. Come prepared for the Szechuan pepper: Even simple appetizers like the sliced beef blister with firecracker heat.

Artist and Hunan native Chao Wang opened this slurp shop to bring a taste of his home to NYC. Upon arrival, you'll hear the symphony of slurping noises in the dining room. Join in the chorus with a bowl of braised beef lu fen, with braised beef shank, cucumber, crushed peanut and minced garlic. 

Dozens of congee varieties aren’t even the tip of the iceberg at this sprawling, delightful LES spot. Order a couple of colorful cocktails and choose from page after page of menu items like sea cucumber preparations, several soup varieties, all manner of seafood, and plentiful beef, pork, poultry and vegetable entrées. 

Yes, the noodles are hand-pulled at this tiny Chinese eatery, and yes, they're mighty tasty. Strands are served in the broth of your choice, with a laundry list of options like fish balls, Fujianese wontons and fried tofu. 

This East Village spot serves vegan fare like mapo tofu, General Tso's mushroom and dan dan noodles made with a meat substitute. The cozy 6th Street spot has other locations on Bowery and West Third Street. 

This famed soup dumpling restaurant is in Flushing’s Fulton Square. Six dumplings come in each order in varieties like pork, beef and shrimp. Enjoy them in Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s new (since 2019) location’s spacious, elegant dining room.

This tiny storefront is known for its pork-and-chive dumplings that’ll only cost you a few bucks. Its menu also includes hot-and-sour soup, plus frozen dumplings to take home. 

The best Chinese restaurants in America, from local joints for top noodles and dumplings to a dim sum legend