4 New Restaurants In New York City To Try This Summer

New York City is buzzing with things to do during the summer and in between outdoor events and alfresco soirées, there’s always time to get a great meal here. If you’re looking for an excellent place to dine, there are some great new spots from an intimate Japanese dining experience to a new lively Italian spot. Here are four new New York City restaurants to try:

1. Alba Accanto

The Amalfi Coast is bursting at the seams with tourists right now, so instead of subjecting yourself to that, why not just go on a dinner escape that will transport you to the Italian seaside? Alba Accanto is a colorful cocktail and crudi bar in Chelsea serving cocktails named after Italian towns like Portofino, as well as delicious bites including spicy toro with bomba sauce and fluffy focaccia. The eclecticly decorated space has a playful ambiance and is a great place for a more informal and social dinner, especially if you’re sitting at the bar. There’s also a large private space if you’re looking to plan a group outing or small event.

2. Ueki

With just 12 seats, Ueki is a new West Village dining experience celebrating Japanese cuisine and traditions with world-class ingredients. Allow for about 2.5 hours to enjoy their omakase dinner where you will try some of the finest fish creations including Iwashi (sardine), Nodoguro (blackthroat sea perch) and Kazugodai (young sea bream) flown in directly from Japan. The menu, which changes daily, isn’t the only thing that’s exciting, watching the chefs in action with razor-sharp knives, blow torches and the occasional fish head presentation makes this an immersive experience. If you’re lucky your meal might end with tasting the esteemed (and expensive) Shizuoka Crown Melon which is famous for its juicy flesh and intense scent. Ueki is part of the Blue Ribbon Restaurant group and a tribute to the late Blue Ribbon Sushi’s co-founder and master sushi chef Toshi Ueki. The restaurant honors his legacy with this outstanding culinary journey.

3. Sake No Hana

As much as Ueki is an intimate dining boîte, Sake No Hana is a large and lively space, reminiscent of the clubby, larger than life restaurants of the early aughts. The Japanese-inspired menu is broken into sections from small snacks to large imperial cuts of meat. The right way to order is to get something from all sections, especially in a group setting, and highlights include the black truffle steak tartare which is served on mess-free bite-size pieces, karaage chicken, king crab roll, and fragrant Maine lobster which is dripping in delicious chili butter. Interestingly, like Ueki, Sake No Hana also serves a luxurious melon clocking in at $250. Flown in straight from Shizuoka Prefecture, only ten are available each week and you’ll get a stamped card with the number and origin story alongside your meal.

4. The Golden Swan

Located in the space that was once The Spotted Pig, Golden Swan is a new two-story restaurant you need to try — on both levels. Each floor is a separate experience, with the lower level, the Wallace Room, feeling more bar-centric and perfect to sip one of their Iceman cocktails, their take on a Manhattan, garnished with a cherry and an olive. You also have to try their baby gem salad, which is so delicious it’s hard to believe it’s just a salad. The upper level, the Dining Room, is flooded with golden light during sunset and where you should settle into a leisurely meal, eating their outstanding market asparagus with bacon lyonnaise and truffle dressing, or their foie gras served with black cherry, a tart and luxurious bite. Their booths are perfect for a date or friend dinner, catching up over great food and drinks as the sun sets.