Where we're snacking in NYC - Q1 in Review

Here’s what’s new, what’s buzzy, and what we actually think is worth your time (and money). These are the spots that everyone is talking about. We’ve been, and we have some thoughts. Scroll down to read our honest reviews of all of them and where we have our eyes on for Q2!

Here are our top new restaurants we tried in Q1 of 2026!

10. Double Knot (Midtown)

The Philly native restaurant just opened in Midtown. It’s very similar energy to the one in Philly and we liked our sushi bites. The crispy rice is solid and it’s a great pre-Broadway show meal!

9. Jax Pizza (Long Island City)

A new pizza joint in Queens from the same owners as Utopia Bagels. We had some really great bites. They are doing vodka sauce on pizza (one of our favorite slices) and they’re doing dupes of some familiar favorites. Their white lemon pie (similar to Fini’s) and fig jam bacon pie (similar to Lindustrie). If you’re in the area, check it out! Watch our review here.

8. Tuckshop (West Village)

The Austrailian shop is doing grilled cheese toasties and we’re here for it. They’re doing Aussie-style sandwiches, plus a few coffee drinks, but beyond that, that’s about all they do! We love seeing restaurants that specialize and perfect one singular item.

7. Croft Alley (SoHo)

Croft Alley is an LA import that just opened this year in SoHo, serving up polished breakfast and lunch. We got wraps, bowls, and other easy daytime staples in a very West Coast-coded space. Their tuna melt was surprisingly our favorite bite and they make some really great pancakes.

6. Birdie’s (West Village)

We are here for the era of froyo that has arrived in New York City. Birdie’s is hands down one of the vibey-est new froyo shops we’ve been to and we’re loving the candy selection as well.

5. Justin’s Salt Bread (East Village)

We’re not afraid to admit we’ve been at least 3 times since they opened in January. We’re in love with these butter salt bread rolls that are taking over new york. They are doing Japanese salt bread rolls and a few drinks, but that’s all! We could eat these daily.

4. Border Town (Greenpoint)

They started as a pop up all around Brooklyn selling their insanely delicious tacos and burritos on homemade flour tortillas. Finally, they have a brick and mortar in Greenpoint and the neighborhood is so happy about it. You have to get the frijoles con veneno with flour tortillas. The menu is small so you literally can’t go wrong with anything, but you genuinely just have to get their flour tortillas with all tacos. Watch our full review…

3. Ambassadors Clubhouse (Nomad)

One of the most anticipated openings of the year - the iconic London Indian restaurant finally made its way to NYC. The space is insane and the menu is huge. It all matches the giant flavors being packed into every dish coming out of the kitchen. We are obsessed and have already been twice! Watch our full review…

2. Umeko (West Village)

Umeko is serving the best deal for high quality fish in NYC right now. It’s $48 for so much incredible fish in a chirashi set. You have to go to Umeko if you’re a sushi lover. Highly recommend adding the uni and caviar on top, but regardless you’re going to love the sets. Watch our review here.

1. Or’esh (SoHo)

Taking our top spot of the quarter is the highly anticipated new restaurant from the team behind The Corner Store and The Eighty Six…. we loved Or’esh so much. It’s Mediterranean fare in a super elevated sleek setting. They have michelin starred chef Nadav Greenburg (from Shmone) leading the charge in the kitchen. He has a specially installed coal fire grill that almost all dishes on the menu touch. We’re in love with every bite we had here. Watch our review here.

Oriana (Nolita) – An American live‑fire restaurant from The Noortwyck team featuring seafood, grilled meats, seasonal veggies, and a massive wine list.

Good Time Country Buffet (East Village) – From the team behind Kisa, this Southern buffet concept will serve fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, and more. We are soooo excited about this one.

Oyatte (Murray Hill) – Experimental seasonal tasting‑menu restaurant from a vet of The French Laundry and Atomix in partnership with Crown Daisy Farm.

Ugly Baby (Williamsburg) – The cult favorite Thai restaurant is officially coming back after closing in 2024; the team is opening a brand new location in Williamsburg!

Dishoom (NYC) – London’s famous Indian café restaurant is widely reported to be opening in Manhattan in 2026, though details and exact location are still emerging (confirmed rumors).

Cleo Downtown (West Village) – A Paris/Montreal‑inspired rotisserie and all‑day spot from the Margot/Montague Diner team.

Dean’s (SoHo) – British seafood and coastal spot from the team behind Dame featuring fish pie, Scottish langoustines, and potted shrimp on buttered crumpets.

Bar Ferdinando (Carroll Gardens) – Revival of the century‑old Ferdinando’s Focacceria as an all‑day Italian café with Sicilian dishes, cocktails, and pastries.

Allegretto al Forno (Williamsburg) – From the Francie team, this Southern‑Italian spot is bringing Neapolitan pizzas (with unique toppings like duck sausage and pistachio pesto)

Trudie’s Tavern (Park Slope) – New neighborhood bar and grill from the Gertrude’s / Gertie team with burgers, martinis, and raw bar items

Bodega Nights (Bushwick) – Brazilian‑influenced restaurant with a concise wine list from the Babysips team; opening with a full kitchen

Bark Barbecue (Bushwick) – Dominican‑influenced barbecue project with custom smokers and an expanded menu

Kjun (Murray Hill) – Korean‑Cajun fusion expanding into a new multi‑level space with seafood jajangmyun and kimchi jambalaya

Bread and Spread (Williamsburg) – Artisan bakery/café concept generating early chatter; opening in Williamsburg

Bagatelle (NYC) – An NYC icon is reopening… French brasserie concept with seasonal coastal dishes and lively service; details still emerging as an anticipated arrival.

Tatte Bakery (NYC) – The beloved café brand continues to grow; potential new chef‑driven or flagship concept expected to open in Manhattan this year.

Here are a few of the openings that are dominating the convo right now, plus our honest thoughts if we’ve already made the trip.

Go Dunk Thai (Lower East Side)
A new fast-casual Thai spot that caught us by surprise. We stopped by and were genuinely impressed. The food is punchy, flavorful, and super satisfying. Think: Thai street food classics with a modern, craveable twist. They also have a movie theme in the restaurant that was cute and a really great lunch special.

Slik Candy Shop (East Village)
Candy shops are somehow everywhere right now and this one feels very geared toward East Village kids, NYU students and the after school crowd. The selection was pretty good and they’re also doing froyo, but the machine was broken when we went, which kind of took the wind out of the experience. We haven’t felt a huge pull to go back since, but nothing wrong with it if you’re in the area and craving candy.

CandyKing (West Village)
“Another one!” (in DJ Khaled voice), yes the Swedish candy wave is very, very real and CandyKing is one of the legit Swedish ones that just opened its first U.S. store in the West Village. They’ve got a massive pick-and-mix setup and the whole appeal here is the wall of gummies, foams, and sour candies.

Bufon (Lower East Side)
From the team behind Demo wine bar, we loved our dinner at Bufon. It was delicious, vibey and definitely a cool spot to have dinner. It didn’t stand out as a place we need to rush back to, but we did really enjoy it!

Buddy Buddy (NoHo)
Three words: nut butter coffee. Originally from Brussels, the nut-butter-focused cafe opened its first U.S. location in NYC with a menu built around organic peanut, almond, hazelnut, and pecan butters that are imported from Belgium. The drinks are insanely delivious here… lattes, mochas, matchas, and smoothies made with nut-butter bases, plus in-house peanut milk and specialty coffee.

Salt Bread Ko (Koreatown)
This shop just opened this month and is focussed on Korean-style rolls. This one feels less like a classic bakery stop and more like a trend-driven snack destination because they’re doing different dips and spreads for the rolls. They also randomly drop caviar stuffed salt bread sandwiches.

Bistrot Ha (Lower East Side)
Technically opened in December last year, but we got in early January and we were a little underwhelmed. If you remember, we absolutely loved their original sister restaurant Ha’s Snack Bar and actually named it #1 of new restaurants in 2025. We sadly felt like their newer, bigger concept missed the mark on a few dishes. The service wasn’t amazing either so maybe we felt that the hospitality was missing. But the food didn’t blow us away either!

Stars (East Village)
Another one that opened up right before the holidays in 2025, but we really loved this tiny 12-seat wine bar. It’s from the same team as Penny and Claud so we had high expectations. They’ve got a huge wine list and some amazingly craveable bites like cutie deviled eggs with stars on top and cheesy potatoes.