The team behind 886 in the East Village opened this second restaurant earlier this year, a neighborhood hangout that’s billed as “more grown up” — even if it still sells baijiu shots. Eric Sze, a 2021 Eater New Guard, turned to his native Taiwan for this menu of “numbing” celtuce salad, pork belly with cuttlefish, and a limited number of whole fried chicken that can sell out for the night within minutes of opening. The chef has left the drinking challenges of his first restaurant behind, but he’s keeping things light with “shot roulettes” and a Long Island Iced tea for four that comes topped with a flaming piece of youtiao.

One of the founders of Fish Cheeks is behind this Williamsburg newcomer, which claims to reinterpret ancient recipes from Thai royals. Small plates range from $15 to $30 each, and wine nerds will find lots to love on the thoughtful drinks list, which also lists beer made with Sichuan peppercorns. Be sure to order at least one of the curries — the stuffed pepper with pork belly is rich and filling, while a brown bowl of beef tongue comes with lots of warnings about spice levels from staff, even if it’s perfectly manageable for those with a tolerance.

Expect to “sweat and eat meat” at the Brooklyn location of this famed Philadelphia restaurant, says Michael Solomonov, the chef and owner behind Laser Wolf. Solomonov, who used to run a hummus counter out of Chelsea Market that’s since closed, is giving it another go in New York City with this Israeli grill house atop the Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg. Dessert comes with every meal, and the thick-cut french fries shouldn't be missed.

Mariscos are finally getting their due in New York City, with help from Mexican seafood counter Mariscos El Submarino in Queens. There, generous portions of raw and cooked seafood come served in volcanic stone bowls of lime and Maggi spicy enough to make your face twitch. At Ensenada, those same dishes get the Williamsburg treatment: The prices are higher, the portions are smaller, and the vibes are vibier — this is a restaurant above the Black Flamingo night club, after all — but rest assured, some of the city’s best ceviches and aguachiles await.

Iranian small plates and wood-fired cooking are the focus at this Persian restaurant from Ali Saboor, who previously ran the kitchen at Prospect Heights’s acclaimed Sofreh. Now in Bushwick, the chef is serving barbari bread with borani (a mix of potatoes, saffron yogurt, and pickled red peppers) and an impressive lineup of kebabs — octopus, chicken thigh, trumpet mushroom, and more — that are “delicious in a fussier way,” says Eater critic Ryan Sutton. The lively but casual vibe here also makes Eyval one of the best places for a solo meal.

This restaurant in Bed-Stuy is serving what’s likely the city’s only tasting menu to highlight regional Nigerian cooking, where three courses and a dessert might include dishes like fiery fish pepper soup and suya octopus ($90 per person). Tasting menus often come with rules — dress requirements, white tablecloths — but here dinner is served at a 12-seat communal table, usually with a heavy-handed pour of wine and a story from owner Ayo Balogun.

It’s not every month that Fort Greene winds up on this map — not for lack of love, just mostly for a lack of new exciting restaurant openings. Oma Grassa brings something genuinely exciting to the neighborhood, serving charred sourdough pies that might remind you of Ops in Bushwick. The eight or so pizzas on the menu rotate out from time to time but count on pies loaded with generous handfuls of pepperoni cups and farmers market vegetables. Walk-in only.

The front counter of this Lebanese restaurant is crowded with baking trays and cast-iron pans of prepared foods, making it feel something like a cross between a Sweetgreen and mom's kitchen. There’s a laminated menu listing the restaurant's pastries, mezze, and larger entrees, but honestly, a meal here is probably better assembled by getting in line and talking with owner Mike Farah about what's available — or about to be. Look out for the garlicky stuffed cabbage and the shish barak, baked beef dumplings served in a yogurt sauce.

Gus’s straddles the line between cool neighborhood hangout and family-friendly restaurant: There’s a full-length bathroom mirror for documenting your youth, but also a changing table for mourning it; a $28 Flatiron steak for the masses, and a chicken served with its head and feet still on for those with taste. This chophouse contains multitudes, and quality cuts of meat are the glue that holds it all together. Get there early and ask for the off-menu burger — a thick patty made from a blend of pork and beef that the restaurant only makes a limited number of each night.

Pecking House, a fried chicken pop-up that once had a waitlist just shy of 10,000 people, found a permanent home in Prospect Heights this summer. The greatest hits from the pop-up’s two years on the road — chile fried chicken sandwiches, mapo tofu sloppy joes — are all represented here, plus some new additions like chicken salt french fries, canned beer, and cocktails. Don’t be deterred by the small crowd of customers you’ll probably find out front on weekends; the line moves quick at this fine-tuned, fast-casual operation.

The Good Fork Pub, while technically a bar, more than holds its own on this list of new restaurants. This revamped Red Hook hangout comes from a team that knows food, for one — its owners are also behind Insa, a Korean restaurant in Gowanus, and the revamped Gage & Tollner in Downtown Brooklyn — but this bar also wins points for its creative menu of bar snacks, with enough bigger options to have a full meal. Look out for the “Korean, by way of Philly” cheesesteak — gochujang short rib, American cheese, and kimchi mayo on a hero — and the veggie smash burger, whose patties are made in-house.