New York City’s 8 Most Exciting Restaurant Openings for August
Late-summer pop-ups, fancy chicken fingers, classic French bistros and more.
Read More
While June and July are New York’s more razzle-dazzle summer months—long weekends! fireworks!—August’s relative calm doesn’t mean the city’s culinary scene is similarly sleepy. Rather, unlike September’s historically blockbuster openings, the last month of summer generally sees more approachable concepts hanging their shingles. We’re talking pop-ups that take advantage of the last few weeks of al fresco dining, or neighborhood spots that you should start frequenting now before reservations become impossible in the fall. And August, with a decent chunk of New Yorkers away on vacation, is also an excellent time to snag those harder-to-get reservations for the handful of buzzy spots that did open pre-Labor Day.
And where might all of these places be? That’s why we’re here, of course. We’ve been crisscrossing the boroughs to sample the best new restaurants that have opened this month and have included our favorite eight in the list below. We’ve got ultra-hot concepts from the teams behind buzzy Ernesto’s and Thai Diner, two pop-ups that are worth scheduling in your calendar before they close and—we promise—the best damn chicken fingers in all of New York City. Read on to discover the eight best new restaurants to try in NYC this August.
New Restaurants To Try This August in New York
Bartolo
- 310-312 W. 4th St., New York, NY 10014
- West Village
The Lower East Side’s beloved Ernesto’s gains a sibling this month with the opening of Bartolo, a new Spanish spot influenced by Madrid’s robust culinary scene. Chef and owner Ryan Bartlow is behind the menu, which features both traditional tapas as well as seasonal dishes: we recommend the creamy, cooling salmorejo soup or anchovies with butter for these humid summer nights. You can also find relief from this month’s heat with the cocktail, wine and spirits list, which is similarly Spanish with a twist. Don’t miss the large selection of sherry and vino de pasto; the restaurant has one of the more comprehensive lists in the city.
The Backyard at Greywind
- 451 10th Ave., New York, NY 10018
- Hudson Yards
Summer pop-up season isn’t over yet, as evidenced by this late-season addition in Hudson Yards. Chef Dan Kluger’s innovative American spot has turned its patio into an adult playground of sorts, thanks to a partnership with Belvedere vodka dubbed The Backyard at Greywind. Tipples include large-format cocktails like Hugo’s Sangria, made with vodka, plus elderflower, seasonal fruit, Riesling and Prosecco; and cheffed-up takes on cookout snacks, like pigs in a blanket stuffed with cheddar and jalapeno. You have a little time to check it out, but don’t dawdle too long: it closes in October.
Chateau Royale
- 205 Thompson St., New York, NY 10012
- Greenwich Village
Late summer isn’t typically high season for buzzy openings, which made the recent news of Chateau Royale that much more exciting. The latest venture from the team behind the West Village’s perennially popular Libertine, this Thompson Street stunner is a two-story love letter to classic French cuisine. Inside the restored carriage house, diners can opt for the more formal dining room experience (think escargots bourguignon, duck à l’orange and cocktails served tableside) or the bar room, which has a tight list of drinks (we love the classic Kir Royale made with a blend of crèmes de cassis, raspberry eau-de-vie, mistelle and champagne) and elegant bar bites, like a wagyu burger.
Hudson Local
- 653 11th Ave., New York, NY 10036
- Hell’s Kitchen
For as densely packed as Hell’s Kitchen is with restaurants, not many qualify as date-night spots. That changed this month with the opening of Hudson Local, a modern American restaurant from chef Samuel-Drake Jones. Jones, who grew up between Paris, London and the U.S., has synthesized all these flavors into dishes as wide-ranging as Tumbleweed Cheddar skillet cornbread served with jalapeño and maple butter, and a unique fettuccine enlivened with nutritional and traditional yeasts. Order the cherry lemonade Eton mess for dessert: a lively take on the British classic, which features pink lemonade granita and vanilla-tonka bean meringue.
Le Café Lacoste Afternoon Tea at The Plaza
- 768 5th Ave., New York, NY 10019
- Central Park South
Few things are more classic New York than tea at the storied Plaza Hotel, and just in time for U.S. Open season, there’s a sporty new option. Inside the hotel’s famed Palm Court—from now until September 10—is Le Café Lacoste, a pop-up collaboration with the classic French clothing line. The tea service includes favorites like scones with clotted cream, but also French takes on the traditional pastries, including the adorable Le Crocodile, an entremets stuffed with pistachio caramel, kadayif croquant and sponge, and pistachio mousse. Make sure to snag a pic with the artful display of vintage rackets in the lobby on your way out.
Mommy Pai’s
- 203 Mott St., New York, NY 10012
- Nolita
You probably didn't think destination-worthy chicken fingers were a thing, but Mommy Pai’s has proven us all wrong. Then again, these are no ordinary specimens: The restaurant is the newest concept from the team behind the wildly popular Thai Diner. The move here is to grab a set: you choose grilled or fried fingers in flavors like lemongrass or coconut, plus sides like the salty-sweet (and addictive) mommy cakes, a type of coconut-scallion pancake. Wash it all down with one of the tropical fruit drinks, like the pineapple-basil, and definitely add on a swirl of the Thai tea and condensed milk soft serve.
Mixteca
- 1 Cornelia St., New York, NY 10014
- West Village
We’ve been patiently awaiting the buildout of the multi-concept One Cornelia space. And good news: two out of the three will be open by the end of this month. The first new venture in nearly 20 years from the team behind the venerated Please Don’t Tell, One Cornelia encompasses three distinct spaces: Tacos 1986, Mixteca and Kees. The first, a West Coast taco spot serving a carefully edited menu of quesadillas and tacos, is now live. Soon to join the party will be Mixteca, a street-level agave bar. Cocktails here showcase the full power of spirits like tequila, mezcal and raicilla; we especially love the on-trend Machata, made with horchata, reposado tequila, Pedro Ximénez, cinnamon and matcha. Look out for Kees, a swanky cocktail lounge, to follow this fall.
Piccola Cucina Osteria
- 196 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
- Soho
One of Soho’s favorite Italian spots received a glow-up this year, with the reopening of chef Philip Guardione’s Piccola Cucina Osteria. The menu now focuses on the food of Guardione’s childhood: Catanese, the region of Sicily near Mount Etna. Come here to try rarer imports, like pane cunzato, a toasted bread topped with anchovies, cherry tomato puree and primo sale cheese. This is also one of the only restaurants to try granita di mandorla, a shaved ice made with almonds from the island’s Noto region. Later this year will also bring the opening of Piccola Cucina Enoteca Tapas, a dedicated wine bar located at the osteria’s original location.
