Top 16 New York City Iconic Restaurants You Must Visit At Least Once

New York is home to some of the most famous and iconic restaurants in the world. New York City's top restaurants represent a variety of cuisines and destinations, with new restaurants popping up regularly and generating a lot of interest. New Yorkers always have something new and interesting to try.

But it is the old restaurants that have stood the test of time and served more than one generation of their customers that have become the most famous in the city. Time-out prepared a list of the most famous restaurants in New York.

These restaurants are classics, places that everyone - both local and visitor - should visit at least once. These are steakhouses, and deli, and pizzerias - they are all New York classics.

1.Katz's Delicatessen

This huge cafeteria is a repository of New York history, with glossy photographs of past century celebrities adorning the walls, and classic Jewish delicacies of unsurpassed quality. Start with a whole beef crispy hot dog that costs less than five cents. Then call the meat cutter and order one of the legendary sandwiches. Brisket goes well with horseradish, and thick pastrami, laid between slices of rye bun, is just a dream.

A table marked "When Harry Met Sally" is in the center of the restaurant.

Address: 205 E Houston Street

2. Peter Luger

While there have been plenty of Luger imitators over the past few years, none of them capture the elusive charm of this beer garden, with stucco walls, wooden floors and tables, and waiters in vests and bow ties. There's an air of overkill here, whether it's the healthy tomato salad (thick slices of tomatoes and onions with a weird addition of steak sauce), the famous porterhouse for two, 1200g of diced beef, or the crunchy apple strudel that comes with a full bowl of cream. Make no mistake, this is a unique New York restaurant that is well worth a visit.

Address: Broadway 178

3. Sylvia's

For over 60 years, this treasured Harlem establishment has been serving the best soulful cuisine in town. Guts and stewed chicken in sauce with waffles are truly unforgettable. Each side dish (and there are about a dozen here) is worth a try, but caramelized sweet potatoes and hickory cabbage are especially delicious.

Address: 328 Malcolm X Blvd between 126th and 127th Streets

4. Nathan's Famous

Opened in 1916, Surf-and-Stillwell's flagship restaurant serves sizzling hot dogs every day and hosts the iconic best-dish competition on July 4th. The original subway tile and iconic sign remain, as do menu staples such as crispy fries and thick-crusted corn dogs, but there is one shiny “new” addition: the curbside clam bar, a revival of a 50s restaurant bar. years. Oysters and clams from the East Coast are laid out to order on a mountain of ice and served with crackers, lemon wedges, horseradish and cocktail sauce.

Address: 1310 Surf Avenue

5. Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant

The oyster bar, located in the famous Grand Central Terminal, has been serving passengers, tourists and visitors since 1913. After bankruptcy and decline in the 1970s, it reopened with a focus on seafood and an updated interior. The restaurant has had a short hiatus in the last few months, but will be up and running again on September 7th.

This establishment has a very solid reputation. It offers about 12-15 varieties of oysters and fresh seafood supplied by local suppliers from all over the Northeast. Of course, there is a raw bar and plenty of other snacks, such as rockefeller oysters, grilled Spanish cuttlefish, and baked scallops from Peconic Bay with casino butter.
Try the specialties of the day, including tempura fried catfish with spicy teriyaki sauce or grilled jumbo shrimp with puttanesca sauce. Order something from the extensive wine list or one of the legendary martinis.

Address: Grand Central Terminal, Lower Concourse, 42nd Street

6. Name Wah Tea Parlor

New York's first dim sum store opened in 1920 on a dangerous section of Doyers Street, known for its crime. But the bakery and tea shop at least had a sweet reputation: their macaroons and mooncakes were legendary. For almost a century of the restaurant's existence, the restaurateur's family remained its owners, which preserved traditions. In 2010, the restaurant updated the interior (vintage lamps, framed archival photos) and redesigned the menu, which features cooked-to-order dishes, not dim sum in large quantities.

Nom Wah is nothing like the chaotic banquet halls that dominate Chinatown. In contrast, the dining room is much more charming and welcoming, from the art deco checkered tablecloths to old posters of Chinese movie stars. The food is different too, with dim sums being fresher and more affordable than the competition. Try the incredibly fluffy fried pork bun, crispy egg roll and tender eggplant filling with spicy shrimp and squid. Plus, small portions are served here much longer than in other establishments that have already closed their doors.

Address: 13 Doyers Street

7. Keens Steakhouse

The ceiling and walls are hung with tobacco pipes, some of which belong to longtime Keens regulars Babe Ruth, J.P. Morgan and Teddy Roosevelt. Even in our non-smoking days, you can smell the restaurant's more than 120 years of history. Beveled glass doors, two working fireplaces and a forest of dark woods are reminiscent of a time when “Diamond Jim” Brady littered his table with baskets full of oysters, roast beef and troughs of ale. The menu still has the legendary 7 cm thick lamb chop and a porterhouse (for two or three) that is second to none in the city.

Address: 72 36th West Street

8. Tavern on the Green

For 75 years, the dining room in Central Park has been New York's hallmark, a magnet for tourists, brides and mega-important visitors (Grace Kelly, John Lennon). When this glitzy restaurant went bankrupt and closed in 2010, celebrities from Danny Meyer to Donald Trump showed interest in reviving the historic space. Imagine the surprise when the bid was won by a pair of Philadelphia fasteners, Jim Cayola and David Salama, who turned the building into an urban farmhouse with wooden ceilings, leather-covered tables and plenty of fireplaces. Former Mesa Grill chef Kathy Sparks has moved away from Eisenhower-era dishes in favor of modern fire-cooked dishes: wood-fired Japanese eggplant with pomegranate and sheep's milk yogurt, farro stew with bell peppers, and lamb shank with chard and mint gremolata. .
1 sq. meters enclosed in a glass cube overlooking the park, it has a courtyard with 000 seats and an outdoor bar.

Address: Central Park West at 67th Street

9. Bamonte's

In a trendy red sauce restaurant like Bamonte's, people come not for creativity, but for old traditions: There are spectacular chandeliers here, and waiters are professionals in their field. Start with excellent casino clams - the smoky bacon goes well with juicy clams. Among the main dishes is Fra Diavolo seafood, which is a mixture of shrimp, mussels, shellfish and tender squid with a spicy sauce. Grilled lamb and veal chops and shell steak are crispy on the outside, aromatic and juicy on the inside. Sit down with a cup of coffee, chat with cognac or grappa.

Address: 32 Withers Street

10. Junior's Restaurant

If your kids are too tired to wait for a table at the cinema, the Manhattan branch of the classic Brooklyn diner also offers baked goods to go. Average cost of a children's lunch: $8.

Address: Broadway 1515

11. PJ Clarke's

This famous saloon is 120 years old, but recent upgrades (extended menu, evening specials) have revived it. The bar attracts people in striped jackets after work, and a little older people gather in the dining room. The burger is still honest and juicy; you can order it with cheese, bacon, chili or béarnaise sauce.

Address: 915 Third Avenue

12. Minetta Tavern

Minetta Tavern, which began its history as an underground establishment in the 1920s, has become a museum piece, notable only for its interior, made in the form of a time capsule. McNally did not change the setting much. Black and white photographs and caricatures of departed celebrities still hang above the new, expertly worn red leather banquettes.

The biggest problem is getting inside. Without an appointment, you are unlikely to pass by the bouncer (the best option is to arrive right at the opening). In the meantime, it's full of fashion editors and big-screen stars who probably have a direct connection to the impresario himself, or think of themselves a little as Hemingway, who used to be a regular at the Minetta Tavern.

Grilled bone marrow, a trio of tartars, stuffed calamari, veal chop, Black Label burger, Grand Marnier soufflé - this is definitely worthy of your attention.

Address: 113 MacDougal Street

13. Rao's

Rao's (pronounced "RAY-ohs") is a private club with no dues. To dine here, you need to get a personal invitation from one of the "owners" of the table. These executives, actors, politicians, news personalities and old-timers of the area have formed a long-standing deal with the late legendary owner Frankie "No" Pellegrino, and that's what secures a seat at one of ten tables at the Italian-American iconic diner.

Address: 455 and 114th Street

14. Lombardi's

Gennario Lombardi opened his pizzeria in Soho in 1905 and it was the first pizzeria in the US. It's hard to vouch for the taste of pizza from a century ago, but now, after the renovation, there is more space, although it may lack the charm of the old place. However, Lombardi's continues to bake one of the most delicious pizzas in town.

Address: 32 Spring Street

15. John's Pizzeria

A reliable brick oven that has been coal-fired since 1929 cooks the standard Margherita pie with a thin crust and a light sauce topped with sticky shredded mozzarella. Available only pies, no cuts.

Address: 278 Bleecker Street

16. The odeon