Discover New York City’s Most Exciting July Restaurant Openings
Coal-fired pizza, Korean seafood and unapologetic maximalism—because your reservation list deserves an upgrade.
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Happily, we’ve reached the stage of summer where new restaurants are popping up like fireworks—with a bang and to the delight of all New Yorkers. It seems every week this month brings dozens of new options to the boroughs, from prix-fixe white tablecloth stunners to paper plate-casual joints. And while it’s great fun to add all of these eateries to your Google Maps, it does make it hard to choose a worthy spot for dinner. Luckily, you won’t have to tackle the influx of new tables without some expert help. We’ve already done the fastidious vetting for you, by tracking where you’ll find the buzziest chefs, most intriguing menus and tastiest cocktails in all of the Big Apple. We promise, these are the 10 restaurants worth setting a reservation alert for.
So what’s on tap for this month? July’s select offerings run the gamut from the opening of gigantic spaces like the indoor-outdoor Yacht Club in Chelsea to charming neighborhood all-day cafes, such as Cafe O’te inside the hip 50 Norman complex in Greenpoint. We’ve also got casual spots like Dolores, a Mexico City-inspired cantina in Bed-Stuy, as well as the maximalist wonder of Sirrah in—where else?—Meatpacking, with decor including a light-up catwalk. And, if none of these quite scratch the itch, there’s always good ol’ reliable pizza: we’ve got the details on a second location of beloved sourdough-crusted Ops, plus a new joint, Lucky Charlie’s, from a protégé of Dom DeMarco (of Di Fara fame) himself.
Read on for the 10 best new restaurants to check out in New York City this July.
The Best New Restaurants to Try in NYC Right Now
Cafe O’te
- 38 Norman Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
- Greenpoint
All-day cafes are particularly delightful during the summer, when large stretches of sunlight elongate all your mealtimes. And, one of the best new entries to the category opened this month inside the uber-cool 50 Norman complex. Cafe O’te is a departure from your typical avo toast menu: the restaurant specializes in hamabagu, or Japanese Hamburg steak. Made with a blend of Japanese Wagyu and American Wagyu brisket, the dish is served with yuzu-kosho, your choice of sauce (try the oroshi ponzu), and classic sides like potato salad or pickles. Grab a homemade ginger ale to wash it all down.
Dolores
- 397 Tompkins Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11216
- Bed-Stuy
Midsummer is an excellent time to brush up on your Mexican cocktail knowledge; there are few things more satisfying on a steamy day than an ice-cold margarita or Paloma. For hands-on research, head to Dolores, a new Mexico City-inspired watering hole and cantina from the team behind Winona’s. Along with classic tipples, beverage director Leanne Favre (Clover Club, Leyenda) has also created twists on current trends, like a Mexican Espresso Martini made with coffee rum and amaro. And the food, inspired by co-founder Emir Dupeyron’s childhood in Mexico, is worth exploring as well: grab botanas (shared snacks) like the papadilla, a potato-stuffed quesadilla, or the chicharones fritos—fried pork belly served with guacamole.
Markette
- 326 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001
- Chelsea
It’s not often that an English restaurant is one of the buzzier openings of the season, but then again, Markette isn’t exactly serving Sunday roast. Helmed by India Doris (former executive sous chef at Michelin-starred Saga), the menu is inspired both by Doris’ childhood in London, and how classic English dishes were reimagined through a Caribbean lens in her home. The fried items are the must-orders, including duck fat frites topped with Royal Sturgeon caviar, sour cream and chives; and the salt cod fritters served with a creamy habanero aioli. However, save room for the mango, coconut and lime pudding, which might be a frontrunner for dessert of the summer.
Hello Hello
- 151 W. 26th St. New York, NY 10001
- Chelsea
Chelsea gains a lively neighborhood bar and cafe this month with the opening of Hello Hello, a new spot from Bathtub Gin and Seamstress alums. Though the space is inspired by the retro-cool design of 1970s bars, the drinks here are quite modern (and pretty cheeky, too). Grab a vodka-Red Bull on draft if you’re feeling frisky, or a Pornstar Daiquiri made with Palo Santo rum and soursop if you’re feeling even friskier. During the day, the space focuses on coffee (try the unique guava and olive oil latte), served alongside plenty of pastries from favorite Colson Patisserie. But if it’s one of those days, note that Hello Hello’s house-made coffee liqueur is available all day, including in their superb espresso martini.
Lucky Charlie
- 254 Irving Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237
- Bushwick
New Yorkers celebrate the opening of any new pizza spot, but when the chef apprenticed with the legendary Dom DeMarco of Di Fara, it’s an especially great day. Lucky Charlie is run by Nino Coniglio, and aside from training under Dom, he’s also won Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Expo. The Bushwick spot is his first foray into using a coal oven, and the pizzas here reflect an homage to the old-school technique. Try the Classic made with fiori di latte, DOP San Marzano tomatoes and drizzled with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil; or for something cheesier, the White: stracciatella, caciocavallo, whipped sheep’s milk ricotta and imported pecorino sardo.
Massara on Park
- 48 E. 26th St., New York, NY 10010
- NoMad
Massara, sister restaurant to chef Stefano Secchi’s Rezdôra, was sidelined by a fire earlier this summer. It was a blow to pasta lovers across the city—happily, however, the team is in new digs while they rebuild, thanks to their friends at Kent Hospitality Group. Massara on Park is the new long-term pop-up, with a menu focusing on the coastal Campania region of Italy. As such, new dishes will be seafood-centric, like Tonno Tonnato (a play on vitello tonnato) and striped bass brought in fresh from Montauk. Desserts are similarly light, like the vanilla sponge cake served with fresh strawberries and basil cream.
Musaek
- 6 E. 32nd St., Lower Level, New York, NY 10016
- Koreatown
It’s no secret that many of us gravitate toward seafood dishes amid July's oppressive heat, but if you’re looking to expand your repertoire beyond lobster rolls and crudo, swing by Musaek, a new K-town spot specializing in South Korean coastal cuisine. The playful menu includes a Korean take on fish and chips—with fried shishamo (smelt) and white kimchi slaw—and mussels steamed in dashi with a bright yuzu-seaweed sauce. Also of note is the cocktail menu, which is one of the only programs in the city serving all clarified cocktails, and highlights sometimes hard-to-find Korean flavors. We love the Banana and Perilla made with whiskey, corn cordial, black cardamom, lemon and soda.
Ops
- 176 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003
- East Village
Manhattanites, rejoice: Ops has opened this side of the East River. The Bushwick (and Beard-nommed) favorite, known for its naturally fermented sourdough pies, widens its menu in this new location. Look out for Midwestern-style tavern pies (including the always-divisive Hawaiian) from St. Louis native chef Michael Fadem, plus red-sauce-style baked pastas, like a classic lasagna. The wine list here is also noteworthy: it’s enormous and focuses on natural producers. Finally, make sure to save room for the soft-serve sundae, a classic and delicious end to the meal.
Sirrah
- 1 Little W. 12th St., New York, NY 10014
- Meatpacking District
If you’ve missed the joyous excess of 2010s restaurants (or maybe, just the joyous excess of the 2010s), let us introduce you to Sirrah, a new spot that bills itself as maximalist both in food and design. The debut project from September Hospitality, the restaurant is French by way of New York: the $75 four-course prix-fixe menu features playful dishes like a French onion soup shot, pomme frites wheeled out on a special cart, and finishes with desserts like berries and cream. The interior design, done by Fettle, matches the intensity of the food: there’s even a light-up catwalk.
The Yacht Club
- 212 12th Ave., New York, NY 10001
- Chelsea
Perhaps no restaurant group has cracked the code for outdoor dining the way that the Crew Hospitality Group has. Famed for spots like Grand Banks and Island Oyster, the team opens their tenth spot mid-month, a 20,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space in the Starrett-Lehigh building. The Yacht Club will serve as the group’s flagship property and encompass a patio with bi-level bars, rentable cabanas and a 125-seat indoor dining room. The menu, similar to its sister concepts, will focus on seafood; we’re especially excited for the oyster sommelier, who can suggest a wide variety of raw and prepared bivalves. And don’t leave without sampling a cocktail from the frozen section of the menu: Permanent Vacation, made with three types of rum, Curaçao, coconut, pineapple and cherry, might be worth a work-from-home day.
