The compact restaurant from partners chef Ignacio Mattos and beverage director Thomas Carter has gained plenty of accolades since it opened in 2013 in a living room-like space with a bar perfect for second dates up front. The small plates-centric Mediterranean menu includes lots of innovative, umami-packed creations; highlights include a superlative beef tartare with sunchoke and delicate ricotta dumplings.

This thoroughly old-school Italian joint has been a celebrity fixture for years, feeding the likes of Rihanna and David Bowie — and more recently, it garnered buzz for hosting Barack and Malia Obama. The vibe and owner-chef Emilio Vitolo’s personality are big draws, though the menu includes solid versions of classic, hearty pastas like tagliatelle Bolognese. 

A constant rotation of buzzy chefs from all over the country do residencies at the cavernous, slickly appointed space that can last a couple weeks or a few months. Most recently, Chef’s Club hosted J.J. Johnson, formerly the executive chef at Minton’s. The next chef-in-residence is Jeremiah Langhorne, from The Dabney in Washington, D.C. Note that the pop-up restaurant space is closed on Sundays.

This casual counter-serve spot dishes up some of the area’s best pizza, made with higher quality ingredients than the average slice joint. Don’t miss the glorious grease bomb of a pepperoni slice: a crispy, square pie laden with thick-cut, curled-up pepperoni disks. The grandma slice is also beloved. Lines can get long on weekends and around dinnertime, so try to go at an off hour, or opt for delivery or takeout.

This Major Food Group (Carbone, The Grill) OG still delights with great renditions of red-sauce Italian staples. Family-style apps like mozz sticks and fried calamari are followed by stellar classics susch as meatball parm and chicken cutlet. Those sandwiches are on a roll or hero, or sans bread and flanked by salad or spicy pink sauce rotini that’s quite similar to the spicy rigatoni with vodka sauce at Carbone — for a fraction of the price.

It’s the sort of fast-casual dining that puts most Chipotle-riffing outfits to shame: Chef Einat Admony’s addictive Israeli menu has fresh, intensely flavorful falafels and bright, punchy salads. There’s counter seating, which is cramped but makes for prime people watching, and the spot does brisk takeout business, too. Find excellent and slightly pricier Middle Eastern food in cute confines at nearby Balaboosta, Admony’s first full-on restaurant after Taïm.

Count on well-executed tacos with fillings like sliced rib eye, grilled mahi mahi, and seared cauliflower, plus dishes like quesadillas, tortilla soup, and grilled corn, from these compact corner taqueria digs. In the downstairs brasserie space, there’s an expanded menu — queso fundido, a shrimp BLT, various ceviches and tostadas, and more — along with a full bar in the brick-walled space, accented with colorful mismatched chairs, lots of candles, and antiques.

Per Se alums Matt Danzig and Ann Redding have been whipping up exceptional Thai fare in an intimate, always buzzy Nolita space for the past four years. An essential order is the rotisserie chicken with green mango salad (a dish typically served at Muay Thai boxing arenas, as the menu notes). Other standouts among the mix of Northern and Southern Thai dishes include green snail curry, stuffed betel leaves, frog legs, and a number of charcoal grilled sausage, satay, and seafood options. When waits get into the over-hour range — as they often do — simply walk around the corner to counter-service spot Uncle Boons Sister.

This is the answer to date night, casual group dinners, and other low-key drinks situations that aren’t full-fledged meals but could benefit from a small plate or two. The Italian menu at this quaint, romantic wine bar runs the gamut from shareable plates like seared squid with mushrooms and zucchini or ricotta croquettes, to heartier choices like cacio e pepe and wine-braised short ribs with polenta. Drinks-wise, there’s a range of cocktails in addition to a primarily Italian wine list and numerous aperol spritz iterations. 

Ultra-polished pizza is the M.O. at this second act from the team behind Charlie Bird. The excellent clam pizza is a highlight, and in addition to charred pies, there’s heartier carnivorous fare like braised pork shank and duck Bolognese-filled lasagna. The extensive wine options are a hit, too, and they’re also very accessible, thanks to half-bottles offered at half the list price. 

This Flushing-founded chainlet is compact, sometimes a little chaotic, and quickly serves up addictive, affordable Western Chinese fare. Don’t miss the liang pi cold-skin noodles, packed with julienned cucumber and delicious, spongy wheat gluten slabs in a vinegar and chili-spiked sauce. Other standouts on the brief menu include the cumin lamb burger and a few permutations of hand-ripped noodles (stir-fried as well as in soup form); the stewed pork is particularly great. 

The bright corner space from Meatball Shop restaurateur Michael Chernow serves up a light menu of sustainably sourced seafood dishes. “The Reel Deal” lets diners choose from a daily selection of fresh catches and a range of sauces, served with grains and veggies. There’s also a slew of pasta, taco, salad, and sandwich offerings, like a blackened fish burger or shrimp amatriciana rigatoni, plus apps like clam fritters and poke. Perpetually packed and relatively affordably priced, Seamore’s has spawned a second location in Chelsea with the same breezy, low-key seaside vacation-worthy ambiance.

The second outpost of the Taiwanese-inflected dumpling spot started by sisters Hannah and Marian Cheng features a more expanded menu than the East Village original. Choose from a handful of dumpling options, like the namesake style, filled with chicken and zucchini, as well as a veggie version and a pork and bok choy option. Special fillings created with buzzy restaurants and chefs also crop up from time to time. Past collaborators include Emily and By Chloe for burger-inspired dumplings.