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Eater Awards 2019: Here Are NYC’s Finalists

We narrow down the playing field for best restaurant, design, and bakery of the year

A golden image that says “The 2019 Eater Awards” Eater

Today, the process of choosing this year’s Eater Award winners in New York City’s restaurant world continues with the selection of our finalists. After fielding many solid ideas from readers during the course of our month-long nomination period, it’s time to narrow the playing field.

There are five finalists in three categories: Restaurant of the Year, Design of the Year, and Best Bakery of the Year.

Ahead, here’s who made the cut.

Restaurant of the Year

Haenyeo, a homey Park Slope restaurant where chef Jenny Kwak excels at thrilling Korean and fusion fare, including a standout rice cake fundido

Llama San, the Greenwich Village Nikkei restaurant, where Japanese and Peruvian flavors take a life of their own under chef Erik Ramirez

Kawi, the Momofuku restaurant in Hudson Yards where chef Eunjo Park deftly executes upscale Korean fare

Rezdôra, a pasta newcomer that specializes in dishes from the Emilia-Romagna region, where chef Stefano Secchi used to cook

Wayan, chef Cedric Vongerichten’s first solo restaurant, a casual space that dishes out sometimes breathtaking French-inflected Indonesian dishes

Design of the Year

Gertie, a light and airy all-day restaurant that feels warm and inviting

Gertie’s dining room includes a blue table and a wooden bench Alex Staniloff/Eater

Le Jardinier, the elegant restaurant from a Joël Robuchon alum, designed by Parisian architect Joseph Dirand

Le Jardinier’s dining room has white banquettes with green pillows and green chairs Alex Staniloff/Eater

GupShup, the lively, bilevel Indian restaurant with a tiger mural by the artist Sonny

Gupshup’s dining room wall has a tiger mural. Louise Palmberg/Eater

Hutong, the upscale Chinese restaurant in an expansive Art Deco-inspired space

The octagonal bar sits empty at Hutong before service at night Tanya Blum/Hutong [Official Photo]

Llama San, the restaurant is filled with light wood and plants

A wood-accented restaurant interior with natural light coming through the front entrance Alex Staniloff/Eater

Best Bakery of the Year

Ole & Steen, the Union Square Danish import with stellar breads, sandwiches, and pasties

Win Son Bakery, the second restaurant from the Win Son team where pastry chef Danielle Spencer makes Taiwanese-American pastries, including a stand-out mochi doughnut

Fabrique Bakery, a Swedish import in Chelsea with stand-out sourdough bread and pastries, especially its famed cardamom bun

Farine Baking Company, a popular Jackson Heights newcomer with a slew of pies, cookies, cakes, danishes, and other pastries, such as a dulce de leche cream puff

Ciao, Gloria, an Italian-American Prospect Heights restaurant and bakery where there’s a morning bake with cinnamon rolls and morning buns and an afternoon bake with brownies and cookies

All of these finalists have either opened or come into their own in a new way since we declared the winners last year, and all of them were key contributors to making 2019 a great year of eating in New York. So please, take a moment to give these brave finalists a round of applause. Winners will be crowned, with much fanfare, on December 10, 2019.

Win Son Bakery

164 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (917) 909-1725 Visit Website

Rezdôra

27 East 20th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003 (646) 692-9090 Visit Website

Ciao, Gloria

550 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (716) 666-2426 Visit Website

GupShup

115 East 18th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003 (212) 518-7313 Visit Website

Kawi

20 Hudson Yards, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001 (646) 517-2699 Visit Website

Fabrique Bakery

348 West 14th Street, Manhattan, NY 10014 (917) 261-2476 Visit Website

Hutong

33 Saint Thomas Street, , England SE1 9RY 020 3011 1257 Visit Website

Llama San

359 6th Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10014 (646) 490-4422 Visit Website

Farine Baking Company

74-24 37th Avenue, Queens, NY 11372 (718) 433-9830 Visit Website

GERTIE

357 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 636-0902 Visit Website

Haenyeo

239 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 213-2290 Visit Website

Wayan

20 Spring Street, Manhattan, NY 10012 (917) 261-4388 Visit Website

Le Jardinier

610 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10022 (212) 451-9211 Visit Website

Ole & Steen

518 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10017 (929) 209-1544 Visit Website