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Tomer Blechman didn't set out to become a chef. Moving to San Francisco from Tel Aviv back in 2005, his intentions were of a holistic nature, looking for a career in acupuncture and massage. But once those didn't pan out, he decided to take his calling for healing in a different route, starting with what we eat. The aspiring chef sharpened his knives at Bar Bolonat and Gramercy Tavern before debuting with Miss Ada in 2017. Back in 2018, we praised the Fort Greene eatery for its "verdant platter of herb-dyed green falafel as crisp on the outside as it is tender on the inside." As for the hummus masabaha with a crown of lamb shawarma, we said it was "nothing short of a religious experience, especially when paired alongside their fluffy pita for scraping the plate clean." Years later, we still sing the same praises, with verses dedicated to the late-night skewers such as the Kofte Kebab that spills out with pine nuts, lashed with a zippy habanero relish. AM specials follow suite in their greatness, like the flaky Malawach and the challah French Toast drizzled with dollops of an airy labne mousse that begs to be licked clean.   The vibe: Miss Ada is a cozy find with pinewood banquettes and round bulbs that glow over the marble bar. The back of the space houses a community table, made to encourage conversation over plates of pillowy pita. The food: Blechman roots around the Middle East with all manner of mezze and dips and skewers, plus brunch specials that range from massive...

While Little Italy might be an unlikely neighborhood for a Thai diner, Thai Diner makes the case for swapping out your morning cannoli and cappuccino for congee, coconut pancakes, and Thai iced tea. From the folks who brought you the late, great Uncle Boons, the menu brings back that restaurant’s best hits—like their crab fried rice with spicy seafood nam prik and a gooey, gigantic coconut sundae—while introducing new dishes that loom just as large in our imaginations.  The space is cozy and welcoming, with hanging lanterns above and the plates at the next table close enough that you might be tempted to reach out and grab a steaming Thai disco fry from your neighbor’s plate while you wait for your order to come out of the kitchen. We wouldn’t blame you if you did: the dish, one of Thai Diner’s knockouts, comes hot and salty, dripping with massaman curry and coconut cream and piled with peanuts and pickled peppercorns.  Stop by for an early-bird breakfast from 8:30am to 11am, which features sweet-and-salty dishes like Thai tea, Babka French toast, and soy-anise eggs, or soak up a Saturday night on the town with tapioca dumplings in a spicy dipping sauce and a standout phat see ew served with vinegared chilies. Whenever you come, make sure to save room for dessert—the eminently photographable strawberry chrysanthemum “monster cake” comes with scary-cute eyes, a mouth and a surprising layer of bright green jelly, and the Uncle Boon’s coconut sundae is packed with coconut...

Since 1928, Kellogg’s Diner has occupied the corner of Union and Metropolitan Avenues. Now in new hands, the latest iteration brings Tex-Mex and diner classics in one perfect harmony. Chef Jackie Carnesi leans on her Texas roots for her 24/7 five days a week menu, we are talking Deviled Eggs with shaved chicharrones, fork tender Guajillo Braised Short Rib Hash and Texas Fried Toast, battered in cornmeal and deep fried. You must save room for dessert, the Passion Fruit Tajin Icebox Pie is a winner. 

On paper, Kochi seems to be a lot wrapped up into one thing. Its food draws inspiration from traditional royal Korean cuisine, with dashes of street-food influence. While decidedly Korean, it's executed with French and Japanese cooking techniques gleaned from chef Sunghul Shim's time at Per Se, Le Bernadin and Neta. Oh, and it's fine dining... skewers. Though once you're seated at the understated counter, there's no mistaking that some of the city's best food is served on a stick.   The vibe: A slip of a restaurant, Kochi leans casual, almost rustic, with heavy woods and minimal accents—except for the growing collection of Michelin plaques above the counter. There are dark, wooded two-top seats available, but the marble bar is the place to be if you'd prefer a show from blue-aproned chefs tweezing micro herbs and searing scallops. The food: With a Korean name that translates to skewers, much of what you'll find at Kochi is on a stick. And it is all excellent. The tasting menu cycles through skewered bites of octopus layered with delicate cuts of celtuce over a bright curry aioli that begs to be spooned up. Meanwhile, hunks of halibut with caps of caviar swim through a warming, finishing broth of jiri consommé. The dessert is in a league of its own: silky banana ice cream is coated in a firm white chocolate shell and drizzled with savory soy-caramel.   The drinks: The beverage list cycles through wines from the reaches of France and Portugal to New Zealand. A section is...

The newest hotspot from the team behind The Corner Store opened last month in NYC and has quickly become one of the hardest reservations in town. Or'esh (Or meaning light and Esh meaning fire in Hebrew) is an elevated Mediterranean restaurant in Soho that features live-fire cooking over coal and serves up some exceptional takes on seafood, meat and seasonal veggies. It’s hyped, but for a very good reason. The vibe: Simply put, this place is sexy. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s so hard to get in, or maybe it’s the beautifully backlit bar, the well-dressed crowd, the impeccably decorated dining room or just an unspoken energy—but Or'esh has that special something. It’s elevated but not stuffy, which is a tough balance to strike. Once settled in, you’re going to want to stay a while. The food: The menu has a little something for everyone—from the freshest raw fish to indulgent starters, perfectly grilled meats and creative takes on veggies. Personal favorites included the Jerusalem bagel with dips (babaganoush, matbucha, mint tzatziki, olive oil and za’atar), crispy potato pastel with golden Ossetra caviar and the Spanish octopus. For mains, don’t skip the 18-layer wagyu New York strip, and you can’t go wrong with any grilled fish on the menu. We were dying to try the snapper two ways, but someone snagged the last one, so sadly, we’ll have to save that for our next visit—but if you can get your hands on one, do it. The drinks: Similar to the rest of the menu, Or'esh...

The William Vale is effortlessly cool. Nestled on the border between the ultra-hip Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods of northwest Brooklyn, the five-star stay opened back in 2016, has 183 guestrooms over 23-floors and resembles something you’d see in an up-and-coming neighborhood in Tokyo or Seoul.  With a gym, pool, rooftop bar(s), and three dining spots that get many of their fresh herbs from the on-property Vale Garden, there’s enough here to enjoy The William Vale as an urban resort, all with the perk of being nestled in a lively, walkable part of New York area that’s not overcrowded like much of Manhattan. Why stay at The William Vale? First up, while in Manhattan hotels can feel pretty cramped, visitors to the William Vale will instead enjoy spacious, modern rooms (which each have their own balcony), plus access to the gym, pool, and three different drinking and dining options—you don’t need to leave the hotel if you don’t want to.  But, as it’s close to some of the museums, restaurants, bridges, and public spaces that make New York America’s top tourist destination, William Vale allows you to enjoy the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods as a proper, temporary local What are the rooms like at The William Vale? There are 15 different room types, from the Queen rooms to the Vale Garden Residence, which has a large deck with a hot tub. And in case you don’t have the energy to make it down to the gym, the Vale Garden Residence has its own Freemotion Coach...

Prior to 2023, a cursory Google search for the phrase “FiDi hotel” would bring up plentiful options, from luxury outfits (The Beekman, The Wall Street) to your standard hotel-chain fare (Radissons, Holiday Inns and the like). But it wasn’t until March of that year that a singular hotel took on that SEO search as its official name, with the 131-room FiDi Hotel aiming to be “a welcome harbor for business travelers and holidaymakers in New York City’s Financial District.”  And welcome it is: Though similarly priced, the FiDi Hotel is immediately substantially cooler than the DoubleTree by Hilton rooted right across the street, with friendly, recommendation-ready staffers at the concierge desk and some rogue disco balls pepping up the industrial rawness of the lobby space. (Though there’s little in the way of seating downstairs, but more on that in a bit.) Designed by the New York-based firm Kroesser + Strat Design, the Stone Street building itself features a multi-colored, Piet Mondrian-inspired glass façade, hinting at the modern sleekness highlighted within.  Ranging from 151-square-foot Superior Queen accommodations to 283-square-foot Executive King suites, each guest room is edgily dressed with wood-motif wallpaper, brass light fixtures and bold black-and-white artwork, along with thoughtfully luxe touches like SMEG mini-fridges, high-fashion art books and sumptuous white linens. Though clean and spacious, the bathrooms are slightly less than tranquil with their dizzying,...

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.

Beyond the iconic, show-stopping displays—the grizzly bear in the Hall of North American Mammals, the 94-feet long blue whale, the prehistoric Barosaurus skeleton rearing up as if to scare the adjacent Allosaurus skeleton—is an expertly curated, 150-year-old museum that fills visitors of all ages with a curiosity about the universe. Whether you’re interested in the world below our feet or the cultures of faraway lands or the stars light-years beyond our reach, your visit is bound to teach you a few things you never knew. With four floors filled to the brim with artifacts, you could spend a whole day just looking at the taxidermied animals that hail from North America, Asia, Africa, rain forests and the ocean. Or, conversely, spend a day like an anthropologist and study indigenous Americans, Asian cultures, African peoples, Pacific tribes, and, before these rich cultures existed, the evolutionary origins of humans and our near (now extinct) cousins, like neanderthals. Also don't miss the new wing called the Gilder Center, which houses a butterfly vivarium, an insectarium and a 360-degree immersive experience, in an architectural masterpiece.