Chef Richard Kuo, who earned raves as one half of Scandinavian pop-up Frej, recently opened this stylish new restaurant in the Bowery House. The menu includes many fish dishes as well as things like short rib with chanterelles, and quail with pomegranate and chicken skin. In an interesting twist, a lot of the menu items can be ordered in either appetizer or entree portions. Acclaimed sommelier Patrick Cappiello put together a sizable program that plays to regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy. So far, the early word is very strong.

Earlier this month, Momofuku alum Tien Ho and West Village restaurateur Gabe Stulman joined forces to open this hip Chelsea bistro. At Montmartre, Tien is returning to the classic French cuisine that he cooked in his early days as a chef. The menu is a mix of bistro favorites, plus dishes that stray from the French tradition a bit. Chicken liver comes garnished with miso and scallions, the beef tartare is served with mustard gaufrettes, and the chicken a la Reine includes royal trumpet mushrooms and foie gras. Like all of Stulman's restaurants, Montmartre has a cool, inviting vibe.

Yann de Rochefort (Boqueria, Suba) recently opened this sprawling "Spanish brasserie" with acclaimed Spanish chef Dani Garcia. The menu features tapas-style "snacks," plus appetizers like a foie gras terrine with caramelized goat cheese, and entrees like suckling pig and monkfish with mussels. The entree list also has two steaks and a daily grilled fish special, both served with fries. The large bar area makes this an especially great place to grab a drink and try a few small plates.

Clarkson is the retro American bar and restaurant from Cercle Rouge owner Georges Forgeois. He completely re-imagined the Varick Street corner space, which housed many failed restaurants over the last few years. Now it looks and feels like a bustling New York City bar room circa 1940. The menu from Thistle Hill Tavern veteran Rebecca Weitzman includes crowd-pleasers like pork belly, bone marrow, steak tartare, oysters, duck confit, and braised short ribs.

Le Philosophe is the new Bond Street French bistro from East Village restaurateur Amadeus Bogner and chef Matthew Aita, formerly of Jean Georges. The early responders love what Aita is doing in the kitchen. Most of the entrees are in the mid '20s, and the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe during lunch for $24. (Photo)

Mighty Quinn's is the new Texas and Carolinas-inspired barbecue restaurant from Hugh Mangum and restaurateur Micha Magid. Magnum smokes his meat in a pit the size of most people's living rooms, and the individual portions of the meat are all priced under $9. Pete Wells was very impressed by the 'cue at Mighty Quinn's — he recently gave the restaurant two stars.

Feast is the new East Village bakery/restaurant from Veritas alum Christopher Meenan and Savoy Bakery's Brian Ghaw. During the day, the restaurant offers coffee and pastries to go. At night, the menu includes greenmarket-driven American fare, and large-format meals. The vegetarian feast is $38 per person, and the meat meal is $48 per person. The space has a small bar up front, plus plenty of large tables in the back.

Chef Hooni Kim's follow-up to Danji is a casual bar and restaurant offering a mix of modern and traditional Korean food. The menu includes things like a spicy octopus stir-fry, braised pig trotters with shrimp sauce, and a salmon sashimi salad with chojang. One section of the menu is devoted to skewers and fried chicken. The cocktail list features many Soju-based drinks, and the bar is stocked with over 40 wines and several Korean rice beers. After 10 p.m., Hanjan also serves ramyun (Japanese Ramen's Korean counterpart) made with a 12 hour stock.

The team behind the Posada Margherita resort in Tulum, Mexico recently opened this airy Italian restaurant in the old Mercat space on Bond Street. The chef, Fabio Scovaventi, hails from Tuscany. Many of the items on his menu feature lightly prepared vegetables and proteins, and all the pastas and breads are made in the restaurant's kitchen.