6 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

Expect to find Greek cuisine that celebrates the sea as deliciously as a seaside taverna at Avra’s Midtown West location, across from Radio City Music Hall (there are two more Avra outposts on the east side). The starters menu features wonderfully fresh salads, housemate hummus, grilled or lightly fried calamari, halloumi, and an excellent raw bar and entrées include both “from the sea” and “from the land” items. All dishes showcase Avra’s fine ingredients, though its sashimi and ceviche menu sparkle most thanks to delicate additions like cucumber chimichurri, micro cilantro, and perfect amounts of Mediterranean olive oil and sea salt. The lofty dining room is a welcome respite along this busy commercial corridor, with patio seating in warmer months. Avra’s three-course lunchtime prix-fixe, served 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, may be Midtown’s best dining secret.

The restaurant's contemporary, upscale update on Greek dining presents Mediterranean flavors in an airy setting whose white tablecloths and walls evoke Greece. Greek hospitality dates back thousands of years, and is on display here with a knowledgeable and accommodating waitstaff and excellent service. Each dish is prepared with intention, from items on the raw bar to mains such as the lobster pasta and baby lamb chops; the gelato is a perfectly refreshing dessert. In warmer months, request a table in the expansive outdoor garden. 

The perfect setting for a relaxed dinner or an intimate special occasion, this tastefully refined, light-filled East Village restaurant emphasizes rustic cooking from all over Greece. There are delicious versions of hearty comfort-food dishes like pastitsio and moussaka on the menu, but the lighter dishes—especially the fish options—let the flavors shine through. The extensive selection of interesting hot and cold mezes is a great place to start exploring. Accompany your meal with some vino from the all-Greek list; the light white Atlantis wine from the island of Santorini is enjoyable and affordable.

The unassuming location and simple decor belie the elevated Greek classics served at this, the neighborhood's current powerhouse of Hellenic eats. Fried calamari, red snapper, and grilled octopus make appearances on the menu, as do more out-of-the-ordinary dishes like "caviar dip" and swordfish kebabs. Lamb chops drip with juice, and grilled sardines are so fresh, you'd swear they were just pulled from the sea. Be prepared to wait for a table at peak times, as this restaurant doesn't take reservations. There's also a Manhattan outpost on 1st Avenue and 13th Street in the East Village.