While New York City’s dining landscape will always have its culinary classics, ambitious new restaurants are poised to steal the spotlight in 2024. Among the seasonally inspired fare and reimagined favorites, you’ll find acclaimed soup dumplings, viral Vietnamese pastries, South American standouts and fancy steakhouse cuisine. That’s just the start. Read on for what we’re looking forward to in 2024; you may just find the next trend (and your next reservation).
Fresh Flavors for a Fresh Start
Fidel Caballero. Courtesy, Corima
The new year kicks off with “progressive Mexican” cuisine thanks to the highly anticipated opening of Corima (3 Allen St.), a Lower East Side restaurant led by husband-and-wife team Fidel Caballero and Sofia Ostos. Corima, which means “circle of sharing” in Tarahumara (an Indigenous people and language concentrated in Chihuahua), has held court with pop-ups all over the City featuring showstoppers like porcini-and-huitlacoche-stuffed tamales and squid ink tonnato with puffed amaranth. Chef Caballero, who is an alum of Michelin-starred Contra and Spain’s Martín Berasategui, will offer tantalizing tasting menus and a la carte dishes inspired by his upbringing in Northern Mexico, harmonizing seasonal ingredients with pours from Mexico’s wine region, Valle de Guadalupe.
An upscale take on French brasserie seafood comes courtesy of Seahorse (201 Park Ave. South), in the newly remodeled W Union Square Hotel, just off Union Square Park. It’s the latest revelation from the Lure Fishbar team, offering a luxurious raw bar along with produce picked from neighboring Union Square Greenmarket. In warmer weather, cocktails and oysters can be enjoyed on their rooftop bar.
Tomer Blechman. Courtesy, Theodora
In Brooklyn, Mediterranean is going modern with Theodora (7 Greene Ave., Fort Greene). It’s a new restaurant rolling out from Tomer Blechman, chef-owner of instant classic Miss Ada; he also worked at Lupa and Gramercy Tavern. The open kitchen will focus on seasonal ingredients, dry-aged fish and wood-fired fare, along with a bountiful selection of natural wines.
New Wave New York Delis and Diners
TJ Provenzano. Courtesy, TJ’s Sushi Deli
As the birthplace of America’s first delicatessen, New York City knows how to deli. The duo behind sustainable sushi spot Rosella is expanding the genre with TJ’s Sushi Deli (620-622 E. 6th St.), in the East Village. Fresh slices of fish will be offered, along with takeout sushi rolls and rice bowls. They’ll also offer a variety of Rosella’s “cult-favorite” sauces and spice mixes for those who want a little sprinkle of flavor to take home.
Jackie Carnesi. Courtesy, Kellogg's Diner
An L train ride away, a part of local dining history will be revived with a Tex-Mex twist. Brooklyn-based Kellogg’s Diner (518 Metropolitan Ave.) first opened its doors in Williamsburg in 1928 and went up for sale in 2023. The revamped 24/7 resto will open early in the new year. Its signature neon lights remain intact, but its menu will get a glow-up from chef Jackie Carnesi, who comes from Empellón Cocina, Roberta’s and Nura.
Putting the Empire in Empire State
As spring rolls around, two culinary empires will be expanding. Jean-Georges Vongerichten will open his first Brooklyn outpost, ABC Kitchens (53-83 Water St.), set in Dumbo’s Empire Stores. The waterfront space will double as a vintage flower shop and lunch spot during the day and transform into a fanciful dining destination at night amidst the foliage. ABC Kitchens will follow Vongerichten’s seasonally driven sensibilities while drawing inspiration from his other hot spots, including ABC Cocina and plant-forward ABCv.
Hwaro. Courtesy, Youngmi at Studio Rolling
Chef Sungchul Shim opened mouthwatering Korean barbecue haven Don Don and popular handroll counter Mari.ne in 2023. Come spring 2024, he will add two more restaurants to his growing kingdom. Gui (776 Eighth Ave.) will be a spin on the classic steakhouse, featuring dry-aged steaks and globally inspired sides. The more intimate, upscale Hwaro will open in the same Theatre District location with an omakase-style meal carnivores will love.
Courtesy, Din Tai Fung
The Foods that Broke the Internet Come to NYC
One prediction for 2024: you’ll have to wait in long lines for international sensation Din Tai Fung(1633 Broadway). The Taiwanese brand is finally coming to NYC, bringing its popular soup dumplings, or xiao long bao, to Midtown West. Din Tai Fung’s addictive cucumber salad and spicy wontons will also make their city debut.
Bánh by Lauren. Photo: Charlotte Pollinger
NYC’s hottest dessert pop-up will open its first storefront in late spring, thanks to their loyal supporters who powered a Kickstarter to raise funds. Bánh by Lauren (42 Market St.) will bake their signature bánh bò nướng (Vietnamese honeycomb cake) and pandan coconut chiffon cake, along with savory café fare and specialty coffee drinks, in their Two Bridges location close to the Manhattan Bridge.
No Passport Necessary
Take your taste buds on a trip to Peru in fall 2024 with Papa San (501 W. 34th St.), a new restaurant from the duo behind Llama Inn, home to the City’s most inventive ceviches. Papa San will open on the ground floor of The Spiral, a new 66-story Hudson Yards architectural project with cascading terraces, and will unveil a cocktail program from the team behind Tres Monos of Buenos Aires.
This article was published on our Savor NYC content hub, sponsored by Mastercard.