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New York gained another burger joint in the spring of 2025, but this one came with some serious cred. The name was Deux Luxe, a sister restaurant to Café Deux in Harrison, NY (also run by the sister act Carrie and Charlotte Denoyer). The littlest sibling builds on what gave the original Westchester restaurant its fame: a double Wagyu burger that won Westchester Magazine's title of Best Wagyu Burger in Westchester. And we are here to say the credentials check out. The famed burger is a simple operation: two Wagyu patties, glued together by melty cheddar and a garlic aioli that spills out when you bite. Gourmet burgers continue, as the Au Poivre burger, oozing with blue cheese and jammy caramelized onions, comes with a peppercorn dip. Meanwhile, the Big Deux reads like a Big Mac, but way better, spilling out with pickles, cheddar, and a secret swirl of Deux special sauce. But variety is the spice of life here, as swapping out beef for hearty portobello mushrooms can be found in the Shroom burger and there are gluten-free and vegan options. It all goes down in a compact but cutesy counter-like space with affirmations posted on the wall and an old-school sticker ATM out front that should be utilized before you take your spoils to the streets.

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 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.

Crane Club definitely seems like it is for the see-and-be-seen type of crowd. For starters, Tao Group Hospitality owns it—the same flashy hospitality group dominating the "clubstaurant" category. Additionally, the restaurant has already garnered significant celebrity sightings—it hosted Pharrell's Met Gala after-party this year. But once you step inside the grand dining room and take just one bite of chef Melissa Rodriguez's cooking, you'll immediately experience the draw for yourself. The vibe: Draped in white curtains, Crane Club is a bird that likes to hide its beauty. But once you walk inside, this elegant fowl will graciously open its wings to you, inviting you to gaze upon its handsome interiors and clientele. Framed by burgundy curtains, the Art Deco hall is a grand affair with arched ceilings and red velvet accents of all kinds—booths, chairs, you name it—giving the room equal parts drama and sex appeal. Even the bar, with its intentionally lowered ceilings to let the dining room shine, makes us blush all the same with its crimson booths and scalloped light fixtures that give a soft glow. The crowd buzzes with all types, young, pretty twenty-somethings that flit about to the older sixty-somethings that deal in cognac and cigars. All of it spells money, which you kind of need to afford a meal here.   The food: This restaurant marks the first time that chef Melissa Rodriguez has strayed from her traditional French and Italian cooking. So it may be hard to define what...

A modern take on the retro diner, MeMe’s offers playful diner-style bites that feel so nostalgic, you might just find yourself calling up your granny afterwards to tell her you love her. The queer-run restaurant has created a space that’s open and inviting to everyone and that feeling of community is more important than ever in these uncertain times.

Located inside the last gas station found under 14th Street, Smacking Burger produces a burger that, well, smacks. The corner operation specializes in an oh-so-special burger with onions smashed right into the patty. The menu features “The Classic” with American cheese, sweet pickles, ketchup, and mustard, and “The Truff” with griddle mushrooms and truffle sauce. The best part? Prices start at just $7.49. Fries are just $5 bucks more and in the warmer months, the restaurant has a few picnic tables to eat your spoils outside. But if you'd rather not eat up while other customers fill up their gas tanks, you can always take your burgers to the small park across the street.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out New York (@timeoutnewyork)

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.

If you’re looking for authentic Thai food in SoHo head to Lan Larb for homestyle cooking from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Find classic dishes from Northern Thailand like khao soi and kanom jean nham ngiaw alongside favorites like crying tiger steak and panang curry. Their beverage menu features sake, soju based cocktails and natural wines to accompany their expansive menu! 

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.