Best MICHELIN Guide Restaurants to Make Your Friends Jealous in New York City

Brendan Sodikoff's destination makes the case that NY should be home to more Chicago influencers. Some dishes may break with tradition, but offer nothing short of tasty results. Additionally, the menu showcases a sense of depth by going beyond the eponymous dish, which is coincidentally served in three different ways.

Inspector notes: "Bookend your meal with cocktails and a wedge of Valrhona dark chocolate pie in an Oreo-cookie crust."

Married couple, Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, are the brains behind this venture, where the team takes risks that result in highly creative and enriching cuisine. While the menu feels like an American story as told through an Italian lens, Asian elements also make guest appearances as in the spicy pepperoni fried rice gussied-up with tender grilled calamari.

Inspector notes: "Pastas are similarly prolific, like the paprika-tinted sopressin with smoked mussels or sourdough pasta in a 'Nduja sauce with mezcal-braised chicken."

Settle in to your perch at one of the tables, or (preferably) at the engaging counter where you can watch each dish come together. If that doesn't have your taste buds tingling, the kitchen's concise number of unique items at a steal of a price will hit the spot.

Inspector notes: "Persian cucumber kimchi with a spicy plum dressing, shiso and sesame seeds is a delight, while the aroma of pork bone broth that precedes the arrival of gochu ramyun brimming with curly noodles, bean sprouts and pickled cabbage is a veritable thesis on ace ingredients."

Manhattan has classic Italian and new Italian, but not many thoughtful Italian restaurants. Tuscany native Rita Sodi is out to change that with this ristorante, where it's not an easy feat to score a reservation.

Inspector notes: "The coniglio in porchetta combines bacon-wrapped loin with a sweet wine- rosemary- and garlic-sauce. The herbal quality of such savoriness brings out the almost austere nature of the lean rabbit, showing how truly intuitive and innovative Italian cooking can be."

An experience at Thomas Keller’s Per Se is one to be savored, recounted and remembered. Despite stellar views and a clever design allowing each table a view, your attention won’t stray from the plate. Such is the appeal of the place.

Inspector notes: "There are two menus, one of which is vegetarian and may highlight a playful twist on borscht, with red beet agnolotti and crème fraîche. Both menus end in a grand dessert finale, like seasonal confections as well as such classics as a cappuccino semifreddo served with brioche donuts."

Saga is the crown of 70 Pine Street, a landmark tower that rises over 60 stories. The space is unique and features an open-air balcony where an aperitif can be enjoyed alongside the stunning views. Chef James Kent never allows his cuisine to be overshadowed by the setting, however. Along with his talented team, he presents diners with compositions that embrace luxury and urbane inspiration.

Inspector notes: "Caviar and foie gras are on tap, as is seafood with laksa sauce or a dry-aged duck influenced by the chef's Moroccan background that comes complete with griddled flatbread, whipped yogurt flavored with preserved lemon, carrot hummus and harissa."

There is a certain energy that courses through this sacred space, where every detail recreates an intimate Japanese refuge. Some of the tools alone are marvels, and Chef Nozomu Abe is a meticulous and engaging craftsman.

Inspector notes: "Commence with cooked dishes like pearly sea perch with fresh ponzu dipping sauce and slender pieces of meltingly tender ice fish."

There is perfection in the details at Torrisi, where waiters are crisply dressed in dinner jackets and tables are draped in pressed linens, but the buzzy warmth is as charming as the good looks. Nestled inside the landmark Puck Building, this highly imaginative restaurant expertly balances the creative and the familiar.

Inspector notes: "The team caters to excited diners who feast on items like the escarole and endive salad and chicken stracciatella soup with textbook chicken broth, fluffy egg and savory meatballs."