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Golden sumac chicken over falafel waffles sits in the center of the photograph in an overhead shot; a variety of other dishes flank the chicken, including maduro mahshi, plantain nachos, and Mexican corn
A spread of dishes from the Migrant Kitchen.
Gary He/Eater NY

16 Good Restaurants on the Upper East Side

From luxe omakase to Filipino food, here’s where to go on the Upper East Side

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A spread of dishes from the Migrant Kitchen.
| Gary He/Eater NY

Upper East Side restaurants are often thought of as obscenely expensive, stuffy spots — the kind of places where regulars include a parent on Gossip Girl or bankers with expense accounts. Either way, the neighborhood’s restaurant scene doesn’t exactly scream destination dining. But it’s always offered diverse cuisine, from excellent Filipino food to satisfying Persian fare. Here are some standouts for eating and drinking on the UES, whether it’s for handmade pasta, extravagant omakase, or some old-school pastrami sandwiches.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it also poses a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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El Tepeyac Taqueria (97 St)

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As businesses like Reyes Deli in Park Slope and Zaragoza in the East Village go to show, some of the city’s best Mexican food is found behind the counters of bodega-taquerias. El Tepeyac, on the border of East Harlem and the Upper East Side, is no exception. The burritos, which come with carne asada, al pastor, cecina, and a few other meats, are first rate. Order one to share, plus one of the restaurant’s lesser-seen Mexican dishes, like guaxmole verde (pork ribs in a sauce made from gauje seeds and jalapeno) or entomatado, a beef stew with tomatillo and chipotle chiles.

A hand with a crusted cuticle clutches a burrito overflowing with rice, beans, peppers, and mixed meat.
A first rate burrito.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Kaia Wine Bar

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Kaia is a rare place in the city to find South African fare. Find dishes like duck with mango chutney, chilled asparagus soup, barramundi with roasted red peppers, and a lamb burger with sour-cherry compote. It also boasts an extensive South African wine list — making it a solid pick for a glass of wine and snack or a full-fledged meal.

A dining room full of people with wine lining the wall.
Find a lively wine bar at Kaia.
Kaia Wine Bar

Café Sabarsky

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Known more as a konditorei in the Neue Galerie rather than a sit-down restaurant, Cafe Sabarsky does nevertheless offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner with dishes like goulash, schnitzel and spatzle, salads, herring or liverwurst sandwiches, and sausages. Grab a bite and allow yourself to linger in a room with wood, marble, and neighborhood views adjacent to Central Park.

Pastries at Cafe Sabarsky.
Pastries from Cafe Sabarsky.
Daniela Galarza/Eater NY

Pastrami Queen

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Some of the city’s finest pastrami on rye can be found at this Lexington Avenue spot, which was originally in Forest Hills and dubbed Pastrami King. The sandwiches are dressed simply with grainy mustard or Russian dressing. The corned beef is tasty, too, so order a sandwich with both pastrami and corned beef and enjoy it alongside some crunchy half-sour pickles. Another location on the Upper West Side opened during the pandemic.

Half of a pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard.
Pastrami on rye at Pastrami Queen.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sushi Noz

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Sushi Noz landed on the Upper East Side to near-immediate acclaim, including a Michelin star. The tranquil room is full of delicate cedar woodwork with an intimate sushi counter carved from a single 200-year-old hinoki tree. Centuries-old ceramics and an ice chest to keep the edomae-style sushi cold are very traditional. It’s an expensive omakase at $495 per person, service-included.

Chef Nozomu Abe holds a small box filled with binchotan charcoal above slices of tuna to grill them.
Chef Nozomu Abe of Sushi Noz.
Matt-Taylor Gross/Eater NY

Quality Eats

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Utilize this meat-centric restaurant for affordable cuts of steak and inventive sides, like cacio e pepe orzo, corn creme brulee, and curly fries served in a brown paper bag. Dessert is also a standout, like the highly photogenic birthday cake sundae. There’s an additional location in the West Village.

A dining room with windows up front.
The dining room at Quality Eats.
Jean Schwarzwalder/Eater NY

J.G. Melon

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This well-worn barroom was founded in 1972 and keeps its nostalgic feel with melon-themed decor and its signature green gingham tablecloths. J.G. Melon serves other items like sandwiches and chili, but stick to the program and go for the burger (which, much to the dismay of some fans, is no longer served with the original cottage fries). Despite what some critics say, J.G. Melon is, without a doubt, one of the most charming restaurants on the Upper East Side.

A juicy cheeseburger in a basket with pickles and purple onions.
J.G. Melon’s cheeseburger is unsurpassed in the neighborhood.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Three nurses opened this restaurant during the pandemic to cater to the frontline workers at nearby hospitals. From breakfast to dinner, classic dishes from the Philippines shine here, as Eater critic Robert Sietsema noted: a breakfast version of sisig (a pork dish with an egg on top), curry-like kare kare, and desserts with vanilla-scented pandan leaves.

A black metal platter with minced pork parts and skin, plus a raw egg cracked on top.
Sisig at Bilao.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

2nd Ave Deli

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This Kosher institution is one of the top places to find reliable Jewish deli fare on the Upper East Side. The classics are all there — pastrami and corned beef sandwiches and matzo ball soup — as well as more traditional dishes that are harder to find, like ptcha (jellied calves feet) and kasha varnishkes (bow tie pasta with barley). The original Murray Hill restaurant expanded to this location in 2011, and in 2017 added an upstairs cocktail bar to entice a younger crowd.

A brick building in New York City with 2nd Ave Deli on the ground floor.
2nd Ave Deli on the Upper East Side.
Ben Fractenberg/Eater NY

The Migrant Kitchen Upper East Side

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Nasser Jaber debuted an Upper East Side outpost of his philanthropically-minded Middle Eastern and Latin American takeout spot during the pandemic. Drop by for assorted empanadas (stuffed with chicken tinga, lamb, or bacon, egg, and cheese), sumac-spiced lamb tortas, cauliflower shawarma wraps, halloumi and chorizo bowls, and whole roast chickens.

Dark brown sumac fried chicken sits over falafel waffles with pickled carrots; the plate sits above a green table.
Middle Eastern and Latin American flavors combine at the Migrant Kitchen.
Gary He/Eater NY

Cafe Evergreen

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With a dim sum menu available day and night, Cafe Evergreen, open since 1994, features a bright, tailored dining room and Cantonese favorite dishes.

This two-Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-decorated fine French institution from chef Daniel Boulud is a proper special-occasion restaurant. It’s extremely refined, fancy, and expensive. Dinner is $188 for four courses (before supplements), or $275 for eight courses.

Chef Daniel Boulud stands with his arms crossed in chef’s whites.
Chef Daniel Boulud’s Daniel is a special-occasion pick.
Daniel Krieger/Eater

Donohue's Steak House

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Dining at this family-owned steakhouse is like revisiting old New York. Regulars, from locals to literary types, hold court at the black leather booths or sit at the long bar sipping cocktails. The menu includes the usual cuts of steaks but other old-time items include chopped steak and chicken pot pie.

A plate with chopped steak topped with onions and served with a side of fries.
Chopped steak at Donohue’s.
Bao Ong/Eater NY

JoJo by Jean-Georges

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Open since 1991, JoJo from Jean-Georges Vongerichten offers casual French dining in a bright, serene townhouse, with a menu of over-the-years classics from its classics menu (example is the salmon sushi with chipotle mayonnaise, or the roasted chicken with olives and saffron and a side of chickpea fries) and its updated menu of meat, fish, and vegetables. Yes, there is a $28 cheeseburger with Russian dressing, onions, and yuzu pickles.

The white exterior of JoJo by Jean-Georges.
The exterior of JoJo.
Alex Staniloff

Sushi Seki

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Sushi Seki offers a la carte and omakase menus with all the classic rolls, sushi, and sashimi represented. It’s considered one of the area’s better and more affordable sushi spots in a city swimming with $400 omakase experiences. The restaurant has two other locations, Chelsea and Times Square, but this is the original outpost.

Head to Ravagh when a craving strikes for satisfying skewers of meat: The barg kababs, featuring chunks of beef tenderloin, and jujeh kebabs, comprised of cornish hen marinated in lemon and saffron, come highly recommended. Charred tomato and onion accompany meat entrees; choose from an array of soups, dips, stews, and desserts, too. The Iranian-run Persian chain has three other locations in the New York metropolitan area, including one in Midtown.

El Tepeyac Taqueria (97 St)

As businesses like Reyes Deli in Park Slope and Zaragoza in the East Village go to show, some of the city’s best Mexican food is found behind the counters of bodega-taquerias. El Tepeyac, on the border of East Harlem and the Upper East Side, is no exception. The burritos, which come with carne asada, al pastor, cecina, and a few other meats, are first rate. Order one to share, plus one of the restaurant’s lesser-seen Mexican dishes, like guaxmole verde (pork ribs in a sauce made from gauje seeds and jalapeno) or entomatado, a beef stew with tomatillo and chipotle chiles.

A hand with a crusted cuticle clutches a burrito overflowing with rice, beans, peppers, and mixed meat.
A first rate burrito.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Kaia Wine Bar

Kaia is a rare place in the city to find South African fare. Find dishes like duck with mango chutney, chilled asparagus soup, barramundi with roasted red peppers, and a lamb burger with sour-cherry compote. It also boasts an extensive South African wine list — making it a solid pick for a glass of wine and snack or a full-fledged meal.

A dining room full of people with wine lining the wall.
Find a lively wine bar at Kaia.
Kaia Wine Bar

Café Sabarsky

Known more as a konditorei in the Neue Galerie rather than a sit-down restaurant, Cafe Sabarsky does nevertheless offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner with dishes like goulash, schnitzel and spatzle, salads, herring or liverwurst sandwiches, and sausages. Grab a bite and allow yourself to linger in a room with wood, marble, and neighborhood views adjacent to Central Park.

Pastries at Cafe Sabarsky.
Pastries from Cafe Sabarsky.
Daniela Galarza/Eater NY

Pastrami Queen

Some of the city’s finest pastrami on rye can be found at this Lexington Avenue spot, which was originally in Forest Hills and dubbed Pastrami King. The sandwiches are dressed simply with grainy mustard or Russian dressing. The corned beef is tasty, too, so order a sandwich with both pastrami and corned beef and enjoy it alongside some crunchy half-sour pickles. Another location on the Upper West Side opened during the pandemic.

Half of a pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard.
Pastrami on rye at Pastrami Queen.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sushi Noz

Sushi Noz landed on the Upper East Side to near-immediate acclaim, including a Michelin star. The tranquil room is full of delicate cedar woodwork with an intimate sushi counter carved from a single 200-year-old hinoki tree. Centuries-old ceramics and an ice chest to keep the edomae-style sushi cold are very traditional. It’s an expensive omakase at $495 per person, service-included.

Chef Nozomu Abe holds a small box filled with binchotan charcoal above slices of tuna to grill them.
Chef Nozomu Abe of Sushi Noz.
Matt-Taylor Gross/Eater NY

Quality Eats

Utilize this meat-centric restaurant for affordable cuts of steak and inventive sides, like cacio e pepe orzo, corn creme brulee, and curly fries served in a brown paper bag. Dessert is also a standout, like the highly photogenic birthday cake sundae. There’s an additional location in the West Village.

A dining room with windows up front.
The dining room at Quality Eats.
Jean Schwarzwalder/Eater NY

J.G. Melon

This well-worn barroom was founded in 1972 and keeps its nostalgic feel with melon-themed decor and its signature green gingham tablecloths. J.G. Melon serves other items like sandwiches and chili, but stick to the program and go for the burger (which, much to the dismay of some fans, is no longer served with the original cottage fries). Despite what some critics say, J.G. Melon is, without a doubt, one of the most charming restaurants on the Upper East Side.

A juicy cheeseburger in a basket with pickles and purple onions.
J.G. Melon’s cheeseburger is unsurpassed in the neighborhood.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Bilao

Three nurses opened this restaurant during the pandemic to cater to the frontline workers at nearby hospitals. From breakfast to dinner, classic dishes from the Philippines shine here, as Eater critic Robert Sietsema noted: a breakfast version of sisig (a pork dish with an egg on top), curry-like kare kare, and desserts with vanilla-scented pandan leaves.

A black metal platter with minced pork parts and skin, plus a raw egg cracked on top.
Sisig at Bilao.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

2nd Ave Deli

This Kosher institution is one of the top places to find reliable Jewish deli fare on the Upper East Side. The classics are all there — pastrami and corned beef sandwiches and matzo ball soup — as well as more traditional dishes that are harder to find, like ptcha (jellied calves feet) and kasha varnishkes (bow tie pasta with barley). The original Murray Hill restaurant expanded to this location in 2011, and in 2017 added an upstairs cocktail bar to entice a younger crowd.

A brick building in New York City with 2nd Ave Deli on the ground floor.
2nd Ave Deli on the Upper East Side.
Ben Fractenberg/Eater NY

The Migrant Kitchen Upper East Side

Nasser Jaber debuted an Upper East Side outpost of his philanthropically-minded Middle Eastern and Latin American takeout spot during the pandemic. Drop by for assorted empanadas (stuffed with chicken tinga, lamb, or bacon, egg, and cheese), sumac-spiced lamb tortas, cauliflower shawarma wraps, halloumi and chorizo bowls, and whole roast chickens.

Dark brown sumac fried chicken sits over falafel waffles with pickled carrots; the plate sits above a green table.
Middle Eastern and Latin American flavors combine at the Migrant Kitchen.
Gary He/Eater NY

Cafe Evergreen

With a dim sum menu available day and night, Cafe Evergreen, open since 1994, features a bright, tailored dining room and Cantonese favorite dishes.

Daniel

This two-Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-decorated fine French institution from chef Daniel Boulud is a proper special-occasion restaurant. It’s extremely refined, fancy, and expensive. Dinner is $188 for four courses (before supplements), or $275 for eight courses.

Chef Daniel Boulud stands with his arms crossed in chef’s whites.
Chef Daniel Boulud’s Daniel is a special-occasion pick.
Daniel Krieger/Eater

Donohue's Steak House

Dining at this family-owned steakhouse is like revisiting old New York. Regulars, from locals to literary types, hold court at the black leather booths or sit at the long bar sipping cocktails. The menu includes the usual cuts of steaks but other old-time items include chopped steak and chicken pot pie.

A plate with chopped steak topped with onions and served with a side of fries.
Chopped steak at Donohue’s.
Bao Ong/Eater NY

JoJo by Jean-Georges

Open since 1991, JoJo from Jean-Georges Vongerichten offers casual French dining in a bright, serene townhouse, with a menu of over-the-years classics from its classics menu (example is the salmon sushi with chipotle mayonnaise, or the roasted chicken with olives and saffron and a side of chickpea fries) and its updated menu of meat, fish, and vegetables. Yes, there is a $28 cheeseburger with Russian dressing, onions, and yuzu pickles.

The white exterior of JoJo by Jean-Georges.
The exterior of JoJo.
Alex Staniloff

Sushi Seki

Sushi Seki offers a la carte and omakase menus with all the classic rolls, sushi, and sashimi represented. It’s considered one of the area’s better and more affordable sushi spots in a city swimming with $400 omakase experiences. The restaurant has two other locations, Chelsea and Times Square, but this is the original outpost.

Related Maps

Ravagh

Head to Ravagh when a craving strikes for satisfying skewers of meat: The barg kababs, featuring chunks of beef tenderloin, and jujeh kebabs, comprised of cornish hen marinated in lemon and saffron, come highly recommended. Charred tomato and onion accompany meat entrees; choose from an array of soups, dips, stews, and desserts, too. The Iranian-run Persian chain has three other locations in the New York metropolitan area, including one in Midtown.

Related Maps