NYCGuide

The Best Restaurants In Tribeca

Tasting menus, breakfast sandwiches, and everything in between.
The Best Restaurants In Tribeca image

photo credit: David A. Lee

Is Tribeca as pricey as everyone says? Yes, of course. In addition to many thoroughbred dogs and multimillion-dollar condos that are only occupied a few months out of the year, the neighborhood is home to countless high-end omakases and tasting menus. But, if you know where to look, you can also get a casual bowl of rigatoni, or a breakfast sandwich with an inch-thick slab of scrambled eggs.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Kate Previte

French

Tribeca

$$$$Perfect For:Special OccasionsDate NightCorporate CardsPeople WatchingImpressing Out of Towners
Earn 3x points with your sapphire card

Frenchette seems to have one goal, and it's to make your eyes roll back into your head because you haven’t had anything so rich and decadent in a very long time. The menu here changes daily, but if the brouillade with escargots, cod cheeks à la diable, and duck frites are available, order all three, along with a bottle from their all-natural wine list. This brasserie is at its best during peak dining hours when the room is frenetic and loud, and it's a great place to pop in for some fries and a martini at the bar.

Tasting menus can be polarizing. Sometimes, you sit for a few hours, drop a bunch of cash, and eat a parade of uninspired plates that make you feel like you’re in an exhausting meeting that you kind of wish would end. But you won't feel that way at L’Abeille. Their $225 six-course tasting menu consists of French dishes with Japanese influence, like foie gras crème brûlée and caramelized black cod with daikon radish cream. The next time you want to surrender yourself to a two-hour dinner that involves very little decision-making, L'Abeille should be at the top of your list.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

$$$$Perfect For:Date NightBirthdaysSpecial Occasions

One White Street is filled with marble, suede, fancy wood, and glossy ceramic tile. But this seasonal American restaurant in a Tribeca townhouse is more than its good looks. The food is impressive as well. On the upper floors, they serve a reservations-only, nine-course tasting menu for $188, but the ground floor and outside area are à la carte—and that's what we prefer. Expect things like with foie gras with husk cherries, and fennel salad with yuzu and anchovy. The chef used to work at the Paris restaurant Frenchie, and the master sommelier is a co-founder of Verve Wine. In other words, this place is run by pros, and it shows.

Rigor Hill Market is a tiny cafe from the people behind One White Street, which is right next door. It looks like something you’d find on an especially quaint block of the Hudson Valley, and that makes sense, considering they source their produce from an upstate farm (also called Rigor Hill). The breakfast sandwich with a fluffy block of frittata on toasted pain de mie is the main to come here, but you can also grab some pastries, a loaf of bread, or a roasted turkey sandwich with kohlrabi and pickled shallots.

At $480 a pop, Shion 69 Leonard Street is one of the most expensive omakases in the city. But the restaurant delivers, with skillfully prepared fish, impeccable service, and enough food to not have to get a secret second dinner at McDonald’s. What makes the two-hour meal truly outstanding is the otsumami course, with signature items like butterfish, horsehair crab salad, and tilefish. Come to this little omakase counter for a special occasion, but know that singing "Happy Birthday" here would be akin to doing TikTok dances in a museum. This meal demands your presence like it’s the cult leader of a silent meditation retreat.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when you come to Au Cheval, a transplant from Chicago. First off, you’re going to wait a long time for a table. Once you do get seated, you’ll probably eat a burger and fries—and maybe a fried bologna sandwich. No matter what you order, you’ll leave wanting to immediately take a nap. But as long as you know what you’re in for, this is one of the best places to eat too much meat and drink too much whiskey, without spending too much money.

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

RESERVE A TABLE

POWERED BY

SevenRooms logo

Locanda Verde is no longer the newest, hottest restaurant in the neighborhood, but it’s still one of the best—and you still have roughly a 25% chance of seeing a celebrity here. Come for a dinner and get some pasta and steak tartare with black truffle, or stop at brunch for a stack of lemon ricotta pancakes. They’re also open for breakfast, in case you need to have a morning meeting with your agent.

Unlike many of its neighbors, Tara Kitchen isn’t a super high-end spot that only caters to finance types who spend money in order to forget about how many hours they work. This Moroccan restaurant, which has a few locations in New Jersey and upstate New York, is a relatively casual spot with tufted banquettes and fake flowers stuck to the walls. Start with the marinated olives, then focus on the tagines. We’re fans of the one with honey and harissa-glazed lamb shank served over mashed potatoes.

For a laid-back snacks-and-wine experience, try Terroir. Terroir used to be a chain of wine bars, but this is the only one left. That’s a shame, because more neighborhoods could use a Terroir. The food is better than it needs to be—especially the meatballs—and the service is incredibly friendly and unpretentious. They also project sports games on a big screen in the back, in case you want to watch sports in a non-sports bar environment.

Located in a former carriage house right across from Locanda Verde, Smith & Mills is a cool little bar/restaurant that looks like the inspiration for a Restoration Hardware catalog. Come on a first date, have a cocktail or two, then order a burger or a dozen oysters if it doesn't seem like you're going to run out of things to talk about. There's some outdoor seating, so this is also a good spot for when you want to sit outside and drink a glass of wine.

Tiny’s is really cute. If you claim that isn’t the main reason why you come here, you’re lying. This Tribeca restaurant is located in its very own three-story, pastel pink townhouse, and the inside is filled with candles, exposed brick, and black-and-white photos. There's a little bar upstairs where you can eat some oysters and drink a martini, and there are also plenty of tables for when you want to eat a kale salad and catch up with a friend.

Edward’s is not the MVP of anything, but it’s one of Tribeca’s utility spots: a bistro that’s useful for a weeknight dinner or a brunch where you likely won’t have to wait. The big room is as casual as a diner, and the menu is all over the place—which usually isn't a great sign— but you won't be disappointed with the burger, the fish tacos, and the grilled salmon with mashed potatoes.

Just like Edward's, Walker's is a Tribeca staple that's been around for decades. This old-school tavern has a big bar and a bunch of tables covered with white tablecloths, and it's where you should go to eat a drink a beer, watch sports on TV, and eat some better-than-average bar food. In addition to things like chicken tenders and chili, they have meatloaf, bolognese, and shrimp scampi.

In a neighborhood full of high-end restaurants, Takahachi stands out as a place where you can show up in sweats and have relatively affordable and good quality sushi. Start your meal with the beer-battered shrimp and broccoli tempura, then get the $29 sushi deluxe, which comes with eight pieces of nigiri and a tuna roll. The regular menu has a limited selection of raw fish (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and not much else), but they always offer a rotating choice of special pieces like trout from Iceland or buri from Japan.

If you’re familiar with Cotenna in the West Village, then you already know what the deal is with Terra. This Tribeca wine bar is from the people, and it has a near-identical menu. You can choose from a wide variety of sub-$20 pastas, and that's why most people come here. It's not especially hard to snag a table, so keep this place in mind for a reasonably-priced dinner with a friend or Saturday afternoon glass of wine.

This is the best place to drink while staring out at New Jersey. The food is good enough, with options like oysters, a solid crab roll, and a totally decent burger—but wine is why you come here. The 30-page wine list at City Vineyard would be worth a trip even without the outdoor seating and the sunsets over the water. In the summer, the roof is a great spot to hang out and drink rosé with a group.

It's easy to forget about Pepolino. But if you need to plan a last-minute dinner in Tribeca, and the folks you're eating with are set on eating Italian, you'll be grateful this place exists. The menu is extensive, with lots of antipasti, a bunch of interesting pastas like maltagliati with veal ragu, and a variety of mains, including roasted lamb shank and a 24-ounce porterhouse. Make use of their sidewalk seating when it’s nice out.

Chase Sapphire Card Ad

Suggested Reading

Frenchette image
9.1

Frenchette

Frenchette is a French brasserie in Tribeca with an energetic room and a constantly-changing menu of rich dishes.

Au Cheval image
8.0

The original Au Cheval in Chicago makes one of our all-time favorite burgers, and the location in Tribeca serves a damn good one as well.

Two Hands Restaurant & Bar image

The Tribeca outpost of Two Hands is a full-blown restaurant that’s open through dinner, and serves alcohol. It’s a useful all-day neighborhood spot.

The Best Bars In Tribeca image

Where to grab drinks in that triangular neighborhood below Canal Street.

Infatuation Logo

Company

2024 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FIND PLACES ON OUR APP

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store