5 restaurants reshaping the dining world in New York City

One of Bad Roman’s most jaw-dropping features could be the neon-necklaced wild boar statue that graces its entrance. Or the amaro shots served on toy race cars. Or its filet mignon topped with a cacio pepe raviolo that oozes cheese sauce, authenticity be damned. Together, these more-is-more components add up to a decadent Italian American lineup that enticed New Yorkers even before the restaurant officially opened. The Quality Branded hotspot is a flashy flag bearer for a new wave of restaurants ditching years of chic minimalism for louder and prouder dining. Pro tip: schedule an Availability Alert if you can’t find a reservation for the time you’re looking.

Until 2023, even in an exceptionally diverse city like New York, it was tough to score Peranakan food—a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian ingredients and cooking methods. But chef Salil Mehta filled that void when he opened Kebaya near Union Square. The seasoned chef has long been a passionate ambassador for underrepresented Southeast Asian cuisines, and his latest act continues to deliver on that mission, serving kaleidoscopic dishes including fried quail over caramelized soy mango salad and turmeric-seasoned, charred whole baby squid cooked in a sour tamarind paste. The patchwork feast is an ode to a cuisine shaped by waves of immigrants who landed in Southeast Asia—Chinese, South Indian, and more—and a welcome addition to a city well-known for transplants.

New York City is no stranger to world-class omakase places, but women-powered Trust Bae by Simplevenue (the group behind NYC favorites such as Sushi by Bou and Sushi Suite) soars above other chef-selected meal spots. The intricate dishes reflect Top Chef alum Frances Tariga’s culinary background, a blend of her Filipino heritage, a professional stint in Dubai, and stops at NYC clubstaurants such as Buddakan and Catch. Which explains the polyglot kaiseki menu, featuring everything from Mexican achiote tofu to Indian-inspired pani puri. Spotlighting Tariga’s journey is part of Simplevenue’s commitment to elevating women in the hospitality industry and cements Trust Bae’s status as one of the most exciting counter-style restaurants in New York City right now.

Sona turns heads for inventive east-meets-west dishes and ritzy Art Deco interiors (and Priyanka Chopra's involvement). The gilded columns and Thonet-style chairs make a glamorous backdrop to the restaurant’s bi-monthly drag brunch—the only one of its kind in New York City. The family-friendly Bollywood-themed afternoons are hosted by drag queen Malai and feature everything bagel-seasoned naan with cured gravlax, a South Indian-style fried chicken sandwich, and a dedicated kids menu. Sona’s drag brunch honors owner Maneesh Goyal’s own queer identity, along with childhood memories of his family’s Indian restaurant in Dallas, and is part of the restaurateur's larger quest to make the innovative Indian spot a haven for the LGBTQ community.

Journey is steered by major players in New York City’s dining, fashion, and multimedia worlds who joined forces to create an ultra-theatrical and transportive meal. Diners pick from four distinct experiences: Journey 360 is a whirlwind trip to destinations including an underwater shipwreck and a raging waterfall—all accomplished via cutting-edge tabletop projection mappings—while Journey Odyssey is a five-course meal featuring comic vignettes by Broadway performers. Add spectacular Korean American dishes by chef Edward Hong (whose resume includes the kitchens at MICHELIN-starred Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare and Aureole), and you’ve got one unusual riff on dinner and a show.