United States · The city that never stops eating
New York
New York holds the most three-star restaurants outside Paris and Tokyo, the best steakhouses in the world and a dining culture that treats a Tuesday dinner like an opening night.
Eleven Madison Park went fully plant-based and kept its three stars; Le Bernardin has served the world’s most precise fish for four decades; Per Se looks over Central Park from the Time Warner Center; Masa charges the highest fixed price in America for omakase; Daniel Boulud’s Daniel keeps French grandeur alive on the Upper East Side; Atomix turned a Korean tasting menu into one of the most sought-after tables on earth.
Then the city itself: Peter Luger in Brooklyn, a steakhouse since 1887 that still does not take credit cards from strangers; Carbone, where the veal parm is the most photographed dish in Manhattan; Balthazar, Keith McNally’s SoHo brasserie that never went out of style; Manhatta on the 60th floor of a Financial District tower with the whole harbour below.
New York is the most expensive dining city in this guide once tax and tip are added: 20 percent is standard, and the total can be 30 percent above the menu price. Reservations open at midnight on Resy and disappear in seconds, but the walk-in culture, the bar seats and lunch keep the doors open.
The dining profile
- Tasting menu
- €330
- Main course
- €55
- Glass of wine
- €17
- Tip
- 20 %
Smart casual to elegant; New York dresses for the room.
September to November and April to June; December is festive and fully booked.
Guide prices 2026, per person, in euros
A day in New York
From breakfast to the nightcap.
April to June and September to November
- 08:00Breakfast
Bagel and lox from a Jewish deli, or eggs at Balthazar with the SoHo crowd.
- 12:00Lunch
A power lunch in Midtown or a prix fixe at Le Bernardin for a fraction of dinner.
- 16:00Afternoon
Coffee in the West Village, a walk on the High Line, an oyster happy hour.
- 18:00Aperitif
Martinis at a hotel bar; New York starts early.
- 19:00Dinner
Tasting menus seat from five-thirty; the 7:30 slot is the prize.
- 23:00Nightcap
Manhatta’s bar sixty floors up, or a Brooklyn cocktail bar until four.
The districts
Midtown and Columbus Circle
Le Bernardin, Per Se, Masa: the concentration of stars.
Flatiron and NoMad
Eleven Madison Park and Atomix: the new guard.
Greenwich Village and SoHo
Carbone, Balthazar and the neighbourhood’s late tables.
Brooklyn and Downtown
Peter Luger under the Williamsburg Bridge, Manhatta above the harbour.
The restaurants
10 restaurants in New York.
Fine diningStarredNew York · Flatiron
Eleven Madison Park
Three stars, entirely plant-based
Seafood restaurantStarredNew York · Midtown
Le Bernardin
The world’s most precise fish
Fine diningStarredNew York · Columbus Circle
Per Se
Thomas Keller above Central Park
Asian restaurantStarredNew York · NoMad
Atomix
Korean tasting menu, two stars, one counter
Asian restaurantStarredNew York · Columbus Circle
Masa
The most expensive omakase in America
Fine diningStarredNew York · Upper East Side
Daniel
French grandeur on the Upper East Side
Italian restaurantHotspotNew York · Greenwich Village
Carbone
The veal parm that runs the city
SteakhouseIconNew York · Williamsburg
Peter Luger Steak House
The porterhouse since 1887
BrasserieIconNew York · SoHo
Balthazar
The SoHo brasserie that never dated
View restaurantViewNew York · Financial District
Manhatta
The 60th floor over the harbour
Good to know
Tips for New York.
- Add 8.875 percent tax and 20 percent tip to every menu price; a 300-dollar menu costs nearly 400.
- Reservations open on Resy or Tock at midnight, 30 days ahead; set an alarm for Carbone and Atomix.
- Le Bernardin’s lunch is one of the best deals in fine dining anywhere.
- Peter Luger takes cash, debit and its own card; order the porterhouse for two and the bacon.
- Bar seats at the top restaurants are often first come, first served; arrive at opening.
Frequently asked questions
Which New York restaurant should I book first?
Eleven Madison Park or Le Bernardin for three-star cooking, Carbone for the scene, Peter Luger for the steak of your life.
How much do I tip in New York?
Twenty percent on the pre-tax total is standard in restaurants; eighteen is the floor.
Are reservations hard to get?
For the famous tables, yes. Lunch, bar seats and 5:30 pm slots are the practical doors.
