It’s been a year, readers! As we near the end of 2024, it’s time to reflect on the meals we savored because the only thing we want to remember about the last 12 months is the best things we ate. (Isn’t it always about the food?)
Time Out editors and contributors across the country spent countless hours eating their way through their respective cities, reviewing restaurants, and dissecting trends to bring you this year’s Best of the City Award for Best New Restaurant. It’s a coveted title bestowed to the special spots that won our hearts and swept up accolades, not only from us but also from Michelin and other eagle-eyed diners.
If you find yourself in any of these cities, now or in the future, add these fantastic new restaurants to your list.
Miami: Sunny’s
It’s hard to do many things well, but Sunny’s somehow manages to excel at all its endeavors: a fun happy hour spot, a glamorous Art Deco steakhouse, a chill outdoor restaurant (and dare I say, kid-friendly?) and a lively cocktail bar where you can order a drink and bowl of pasta without any side glances from your neighbor. We also love the tableside martini service and the down-to-earth staff, and, of course, those perfectly seared cuts of meat.
Chicago: Cariño
This Latin American restaurant opened at the tail end of 2023 but quickly became an essential player in Chicago’s dining scene. Recently, Cariño was awarded a Michelin star, a nod our restaurant critic, Maggie Hennessy, indeed anticipated. She wrote, “Cariño might be the best dining experience in Chicago right now, and a redemption of the tasting menu, which too often feels like it’s reaching for Michelin stars to the point of wanton tedium.”
Boston: Baleia
“Baleia is a love note to the fresh, often rustic simplicity of Portuguese cuisine,” writes Time Out Boston Editor Jacqueline Cain. Helmed by chef Andrew Hebert, the modern restaurant in off-the-beaten-path South End offers those new to Portuguese food the opportunity to dip their proverbial toe slowly—start with light, sweet Portuguese rolls and work your way toward savory saffron-duck rice and seared cod.
Los Angeles: Camélia
With so many high-priced restaurants coming on the scene, finding an upscale dining experience worth its triple-digit price tag is increasingly difficult. Camélia, “a polished Japanese-inflected bistro in the Arts District,” is a rarity, churning out a “seasonal, globally inspired menu rooted in the fundamentals of French cooking.” According to Patricia Kelly Yeo, Time Out L.A.’s Food & Drink Editor, it’s not just the best restaurant to open in L.A. this year; it’s one of the most exciting places to dine in the country right now.
New York: Tadhanà
With a menu that belies its size, this small but powerful restaurant in the Lower East Side weaves storytelling into the dining experience. You’ll learn plenty about the Philippines eating your way through chef Frances Targia’s tasty offerings—from crispy pork belly with fermented sauce to chicken wings stuffed with embutido.
