Finding a place that appeals to everyone in a party, whether it’s a table of six or 10, can be tricky. There’s the non-drinker, the non-meat-eater, the spice averse, the sort of lactose intolerant, the maybe-faking-it gluten-free, and the person who insists it’s still warm enough to dine outdoors. The hunt for the perfect restaurant isn’t always easy when checking off these boxes and more, but it helps when good food is a given. The restaurants below can suit various tastes, restrictions, and budgets. Also check out our fun restaurants and suggestions for a group walk-in on a Friday.
Read MoreCrowd-Pleasing Restaurants for a Group Dinner in NYC
Whether it’s a tray of fatty brisket or a spicy Sichuan feast, there are plenty of options for a group dinner
P.J. Clarke's
A old-school NYC spot for its raw bar, classic cocktails and burgers, once dubbed the “Cadillac of burgers” by Nat King Cole circa the 1950s. If need be, there’s Sidecar, the private dining area next door.
Greywind
This 60-seat restaurant features a bakery that turns into a chef’s counter at night, as well as a lower-level cocktail bar. Reserve round tables where diners can share Parker House rolls with ramp pesto and butter, a half-chicken with chiles and broccolini, or a pork chop with rye spaetzle and Brussels sprouts. And yes, there’s a burger with rosemary potato chips.
Café China
There are three levels of dining at this revamped crowd-pleaser, with upper levels especially conducive for big groups. The restaurant seats over 300, done up in a 1930s-style: tasseled lampshades hanging over tables, black embroidered screens showing swooping birds, airbrushed black-and-white portraits of identified grandparents, and a general speakeasy atmosphere. The menu has expanded to include other regional cuisines besides Sichuan and Cantonese, along with the inevitable wines and cocktails.
Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak
For when you’re near Penn Station, there’s Blue Ribbon’s greatest hits in one place: In addition to a sushi counter, the menu features prime steaks, oxtail fried rice, as well as its fried chicken, the style of which Blue Ribbon has been serving for 30 years.
Jackson Diner
More than four decades after opening, this Jackson Heights staple is still serving up dishes like gobi Manchurian, samosas, and tandoori chicken in a casual dining room that looks like a diner. There are plenty of tables that will fit groups, particularly a helpful option when looking for spots that you won’t need reservations for. Also, Jackson Diner is conveniently just a block from the 7 train, as well as is on the same block as supermarket Patel Brothers.
Baekjeong
If your idea of a good time involves cheese corn pulls and sweating over a tabletop grill, Baekjeong might be your place. Bottles of soju and pitchers of beer are par for the course at this restaurant that stays open until 1 a.m. on weekends, and the vibe only gets rowdier upstairs.
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Superiority Burger
Hit this super popular reopened vegan/vegetarian/dessert spot right and there’s the back room that’s great for a group. Have to wait to sit down? The line moves quickly. Have a drink at the bar or visit Horseshoe Bar nearby in the meantime.
MáLà Project
Though Greenpoint is quickly becoming one of the hottest areas to get a table in town, there’s plenty of room for groups at MáLà Project’s new outpost. The front area of the dry pot-style Chinese restaurant is styled like a modern diner, with checkerboard flooring in the haze of its neon sign that looks onto the busy Manhattan Avenue. But if you’re after something more private, the jade green back area is one of the cooler spots to celebrate a birthday or a more casual night out with friends.
Kokomo
When Kokomo opened during the pandemic, the New York Times exalted it as the party restaurant to meet the moment. Some three years later, this spot is still serving up vibrant Caribbean cooking and keeping things just as lively. Reservations for groups of up to nine people are available to book on Resy. Parties of 10 and up can inquire on the Kokomo website for private dining pricing.
Bamonte's
For a celebratory group outing, there’s comfort in red sauce. And no one spot in Brooklyn is more iconic for it than Bamonte’s, open for more than a century. Eater critic Robert Sietsema recommends family-style portions of eggplant rollatini, but there’s also penne with vodka sauce and chicken Parm. Call the restaurant to make a reservation for groups.
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Uncle Lou
Menus like the one at Uncle Lou in Chinatown are made for big group dining. There are over 200 dishes listed here, appearing in portions that will probably frustrate you if you come with any fewer than four people. The Cantonese restaurant specializes in an older-school style of countryside Chinese cooking, with dishes like pork belly with pickled mustard greens and chenpi duck. Larger tables here had a wait long before Bon Appétit named Uncle Lou one of its 50 best new restaurants, thanks to a loyal following of regulars, but these days it helps to call ahead.
Smyth Tavern
Here’s a something-for-everyone restaurant in dim-lit, art-centric Tribeca restaurant with a menu that includes a raw bar, a few salads, homemade pastas, and steak. Part of the Smyth hotel, there’s an adjacent Galerie Bar with multiple fireplaces.
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Dim Sum Palace
Dim Sum Palace (with multiple locations) offers a 200-seat dining room with big tables near a window overlooking Division Street, and a screen with an aquatic scene in the back as well as enormous fish tanks. The menu runs the gamut, from fried rice with crab, Beijing duck, steamed whole fish, sausage with lotus root, and so on. Open late.
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Wu's Wonton King
Wu’s Wonton King is peak group dining, a BYOB palace of glistening roast ducks and family-sized portions that’s perfect for a gathering with friends. Everything is reasonably priced — even the legendary $600 king crab, a massive animal that’s priced by the pound, brought out to squirm on the table and then divided into three dishes capable of feeding a dozen or so people. The Cantonese favorite is a popular spot for celebrations, so expect to find at least one other group flashing disposable cameras.
Mesiba
Mesiba, or “party,” in Hebrew, is an 85-seat restaurant with a hybrid menu of dishes from Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, and the Eastern Mediterranean from chef is Eli Buliskeria (who goes by Eli Buli). It’s the first restaurant in New York from Broken Shaker, who have a namesake bar in Manhattan as well as locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
Le Gratin
Daniel Boulud’s excellent Lyon-inspired brasserie features regional French classics in a beautiful restaurant with a handsome bar; it’s a fun place to people watch as well as spend an evening with a group, sharing dishes like escargot, beef tartare, mussels, or a pike quenelle with mushroom bechamel.
Hometown Bar-B-Que
Sometimes there’s no planning ahead with large groups, and when that’s the case, Hometown is usually the move. This massive barbecue restaurant from the same team behind Red Hook Tavern, up the street, has ample seating to enjoy fatty brisket and Korean barbecue ribs, along with less conventional items, like a Frito pie with Texas chili and jerk rib tips, one of the best value items on the menu. Tables aren’t hard to find at peak dining times, but expect to find a line snaking up to the cash register; more time for mulling over a group order.
Lakruwana Restaurant
Lakruwana actually opened in Manhattan in 1995, but it moved to Staten Island in 2004 to the Stapleton Heights neighborhood, where it has been ever since. It’s especially popular on Saturdays and Sundays, when patrons take advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet. Full of Sri Lankan staples like kale mallung with coconut, onion sambol and black pork curry, it offers a wide variety of tasting options. The weekend buffet is cash-only and is available from 12 to 10 p.m. Call for reservations.
Nargis Cafe
Though its Park Slope sibling has since closed, Nargis Cafe is still going strong in Sheepshead Bay after all these years. Eater critic Robert Sietsema recommends the Uzbeki spot as a rare group-friendly option that’s actually affordable. Even if you don’t live in South Brooklyn, Sietsema says “it’s well worth the trek out there” for a menu of “fist-size steamed dumplings filled with lamb or pumpkin called manti, soups flavored with dill and cilantro filled with just-made noodles, and salads of shredded carrots or sliced tomatoes and onions.”