This East Village restaurant channels the spirit of a retro Indian clubhouse, with sprawling rugs, rattan chairs, and an excess of chandeliers. Its menu, on the other hand, goes the modern route. Try the tart, architecturally interesting purple sweet potato chaat, then spend some quality time with the Rajathani pulled lamb in a thick, chocolate-brown curry. Reservations are scarce, but you can always put your name in for a table, then find somewhere to hang for an hour or so.

There’s an attention-grabbing “ice cream hot pot” at Tha Phraya, but that’s not what makes this Thai spot on the Upper East Side sizzle. From the neon yellow sign at the entrance, to the illuminated cityscape in the back “Temple Room,” everything here is stylishly lit—and that includes the food, which tingles with freshly ground and pounded spices. They have dishes from all over Thailand, but start with the chef’s specialities on the menu’s first page.

There’s supermarket hummus, regular restaurant hummus, and then there’s the hummus at Frena. It has the texture of half-melted ice cream, and we would eat it with a spoon, but their hot and crusty, oven-fresh flatbread is more than up to the task. They make good use of that wood-fired oven, with dishes like a butterflied branzino with lemon potatoes getting a final kiss of the flame. Get the signature Lamb Terracotta—meatballs in a tomato and tahini sauce, and at least a few dips to share.

Just when we thought we were sick of raw seafood and wine, here comes Penny, a new seafood bar in the East Village. The 31-seat counter is situated above its sister restaurant Claud, and you might think snacking here before a full dinner downstairs is the move. But Penny is worth your full attention. Start with the icebox, a luxurious raw bar selection on a personal tray of ice, and then stick around for stuffed squid, whole lobster, and a creamy oyster roast with puff pastry on top.

Mama’s Too is the rare Upper West Side establishment that regularly draws lines, and we’ve been waiting for the West Village debut of this hit pizza spot for months. It’s finally here, and just as good as the original, with incredible, crisp-bottomed square slices that are topped with things like poached pear and gorgonzola, cacio e pepe, or a generous layer of pepperoni. They have regular slices too, and their rotating Wednesday and Saturday sandwich specials are also available.

It's not so surprising that this new udon shop in the East Village is fantastic, and already accumulating 50+ person lines on 2nd Avenue. It's from the people behind another one of our favorite places to eat Japanese noodles, Okiboru House of Tsukemen. Here, they specialize in double-wide Himokawa udon that warrants a 45-minute wait. Not to mention the expertly fried vegetables, shrimp, and bacon tempura that complement the chewy, slurpable noodles.

Unlike so many 21st-century Italian restaurants designed to feel old, this Noho spot from the owners of Delmonico’s is charming not cheesy. Black-and-white photos, brick walls, and that quintessential formal service are conducive to romance over a little shrimp scampi. And 1800s-era stone arches make up for any lackluster pastas, like bland casarecce and agnolotti. Stick to the dishes that share chophouse DNA with Delmonico’s, and sit in the downstairs dining room.

Between the surf guitar and an affection for citrus, San Sabino feels like the nicest seaside cafe in 1970s Malibu—only they do fancy Italian American seafood and there's a view of a uBreakiFix cell phone repair shop. You might have to know a guy to get a reservation at this limoncello-colored West Village restaurant from the Don Angie team, but dishes like farfalle stuffed with bright chili crab are worth the fuss of getting in.

We've had taco momos, and momos wrapped in parathas, but we’ve never encountered a momo quite like Ramro's delicate, cappelletti-like dumpling stuffed with duck confit. It's just one of the dishes at this tiny Astoria restaurant that blends Nepali and Filipino influences without feeling gimmicky. Ramro began its life as FoodStruck, serving messy-delicious late-night food. Now it's somewhere to start your night with a glass of wine and juicy wagyu longganisa, then end it with calamansi ice cream.

If you’re drawn to the scent of fresh bagels and “everything” seasoning, welcome to the club—now please make your way to Apollo in the East Village as fast as possible. The bagels at this former pop-up share sourdough DNA with the pizza at Leo: they’re slightly tangy, with springy crags and holes inside, and the seeded varieties are thickly encrusted. We loved them so much, we added Apollo to our Best Bagels guide.