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 Mediterranean menu includes lots of innovative, umami-packed creations, like 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, as well as 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. 

Torrisi first opened in 2010 as a sandwich shop by day and a prix-fixe restaurant at night before closing in 2015. In its comeback, now in the Puck Building, the menu has an Italian throughline, referencing the first restaurant from Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, but also has nods to Vietnamese, Chinese, Jewish, and Jamaican dishes.

The Michelin-starred restaurant from chef Mary Attea offers a la carte fare and a tasting menu that starts at $125 (regular or vegetarian). Don’t miss the order-ahead cakes and sweets from pastry chef Camari Mick.

This pint-sized French- and Moroccan-influenced bistro lures in crowds at brunch, but it’s a solid bet — and pretty affordable for the area — for dinner as well. In addition to its beloved avocado toast, Café Gitane’s menu includes a merguez sausage and baked egg sandwich, smoked trout salad, and Moroccan couscous.

The cash or Amex-only restaurant offers reasonably priced Thai dishes like chicken satay, coconut curry noodles, pineapple fried rice, and pad Thai, each for under $20. (There’s an ATM in the restaurant, should you need it.) There’s also a handful of non-Thai dishes on the menu like flank steak and a big salad.

The space owned by Marc Forgione is absolutely stunning with the back kitchen built by hand in what had long ago been a garage. In particular, the hearth stands out, and shapes a menu for which everything is cooked over fire: chicken, bread, and even oysters. One of the dishes on the menu is an entire suckling pig entree that must be ordered 24 hours before the reservation.

The Vongerichtens, Ochi, a Jakarta native involved in everything from menu development to tableware, and her chef husband Cédric run a top-notch addition to the contemporary Southeast Asian scene at their Indonesian restaurant, balancing flavors with aplomb. The name means first-born, with the smaller sibling, Ma-Dé, now open two doors down.

A cozy, unpretentious cocktail bar that’s a reliable choice for drinks and light snacking. In the warmer months, the frequently rotating frozen spiked slushy creations are a hit, along with well-made cocktails. Food options include shareable dishes like pimento cheese dip, spicy fried chickpeas, and Thai pork sliders. Bigger dishes are also available, like a cheese-spackled French onion soup grilled cheese and Frito pie.

Matt Danzer and Ann Redding, the owners of the now-closed restaurant Uncle Boons, opened this all-day spot with a collection of Thai American dishes that still manage to fall under the rubric of comfort fare, like a Southeast Asian take on Ukrainian stuffed cabbage and an eggy breakfast sandwich made with Isan sausage.

Kimika has been a prominent champion of itameshi cuisine, a Japanese spin on Italian cooking, since it opened on Kenmare Street in 2020. The menu ranges from crispy panko-crusted eggplant katsu to bomboloncini, a playful mash-up of fried Italian doughnuts and mochi that’s served with hazelnut spread and toasted sesame.