MICHELIN Guide Inspectors spend all year on the road uncovering the best restaurants to recommend—and what they've found is too good to keep a secret. Whet your appetite with a sneak peek of the upcoming MICHELIN Guide New York City & Westchester; Bib Gourmands and Stars will be announced next year. Bon appétit!
63 Clinton (Lower East Side)
Cuisine: ContemporaryDiners can expect a wonderful and surprising meal with an eye towards finesse and this kitchen team treats its top-quality ingredients with refined techniques. Inspired by his time in Arizona as well and at Bar Uchu, Chef Samuel Clonts' cooking includes a taco with soft ajitama, fried potato, and trout roe; as well as a handroll full of caviar and rice.
Yellow Rose (East Village)
Cuisine: Tex-MexAmidst this setting of weathered wood and stained glass chandeliers, diners can be found devouring Tex-Mex food with a focus on tacos and inspired cocktails. Flour tortillas are made in house daily and feature in a myriad of deliciously dressed-down creations—from the Migas tacos with simmered tortilla chips to the more hearty carne guisada.
Torien (Nolita)
Cuisine: JapaneseThis sibling to Torishiki in Tokyo arrives to New York by way of NoHo. Chef/owner Yoshiteru Ikegawa may be found working his skills like a master pianist—turning, fanning, saucing, and brushing. It's a pristine workspace and the menu is a tribute to the yakitori tradition. Binchotan charcoal plays as vital a role as the fowl itself, with the aroma becoming one with the space and skewer.
Les Trois Chevaux (West Village)
Cuisine: FrenchThe decadent cooking at The Beatrice Inn, which catapulted Chef Angie Mar to fame, is perfectly translated at her latest venture, which fittingly brings to life fine French cuisine in the form of fish and fowl. What follows are a series of top-shelf plates, including cuisses de grenouille (frog’s legs with crispy artichoke hearts, all set in a wonderful Champagne-beurre blanc).
Takeda (Upper West Side)
Cuisine: JapaneseChef Yukihiro Takeda is the intellect behind this charming and focused sushi lair. The slim and rustic space welcomes clients with an L-shaped counter. Your meal may open with translucent slices of branzino augmented with vinegared jelly, shiso, and daikon. Then comes the nigiri - sublime fatty tuna with a delicate brushing of soy or addictively chewy red snapper dressed with fresh citrus.
Le Fanfare (Greenpoint)
Cuisine: ItalianThis find tucked away at the end of Greenpoint is the passion project of jazz musician Luca Fadda and Giorgia Zedda and their longtime friend Nicola Paganelli. The communal tables encourage lingering, perhaps over the likes of on-site baked breads and fresh pastas. Speaking of, the spaghetti alla carbonara with guanciale, parmesan, and cracked black pepper is a feast.
Hero image: Torien. Photo by Liz Clayman, courtesy of Torien