The Best Restaurant Openings in New York – August 2026

Monkey Thief first opened in 2024 but closed the following year because of a licensing issue tied to its original address. Now founders Avi Singh, Rishi Rajpal, and David Muhs have revived the pan-Asian cocktail bar in a larger Hell’s Kitchen home. Its three rooms offer different moods: The Court evokes the streets and courtyards of Southeast Asia, the Train Car takes inspiration from railway travel, and the more intimate Den has its own cocktail menu. Pair drinks made with ingredients such as lemongrass, curry leaf, and yuzu kosho with chicken satay, grilled coconut salad, or beef tartare in Thai chile sauce.

Operating inside omakase restaurant Sushi Aozora near Union Square, Te No Te makes a quick handroll meal relatively affordable. Three-piece temaki sets start at $23, while individual open-faced rolls range from $6 to $22. Fillings move from salmon, yellowtail, and miso black cod to Hokkaido scallops and A5 Wagyu, with a vegetarian roll built around shishito peppers. Pair them with sake from Bushwick brewery Kato Sake Works.

For seven years, Ugly Baby drew heat lovers to Carroll Gardens with its intensely spicy regional Thai cooking before closing in 2024. Former employees went on to open Hungry Thirsty and Hungry Spicy, but chef Sirichai Sreparplarn has now revived the original restaurant in Williamsburg. The new, two-story space seats around 70 people and has a full bar, with enough room to accommodate large groups, private dinners, and parties. Sreparplarn has also expanded the menu beyond the dishes served at the original. Don’t worry: The searing heat that made Ugly Baby famous hasn’t gone anywhere.

Kirbee’s brings together Jonny White of Goldee’s Barbecue and Chuck Charnichart of Barbs B Q, two acclaimed Texas pitmasters with distinct approaches to smoked meat. At the counter-service restaurant in Greenpoint, White contributes brisket, turkey, and traditional sides, while Charnichart brings Mexican and South Texas influences to dishes such as lime-seasoned pork ribs. Her signature green spaghetti, made with a creamy poblano sauce, has also followed her from Texas to Brooklyn.

James Beard Award finalist Sujan Sarkar draws on his Indian upbringing and experience cooking in London at Elder, his new British-Indian chophouse in Hudson Yards. Steaks and chops are paired with South Asian flavors, from a Berkshire pork rib chop with vindaloo masala to filet mignon crusted with Tellicherry peppercorns. Beyond the grill, look for tandoori chicken roulade with tikka masala, Dover sole with curry beurre blanc, and a beet Wellington with goat cheese cream. Sauces such as bone marrow nihari gravy and red pepper makhani can be added to the cuts.

In a city full of great pizza, Frenzie has still managed to make a splash. Chefs Daniel Grossman and Brendan Kelley, the team behind next-door restaurant Confidant, first worked together at Roberta’s, while Grossman began his kitchen career at L’Industrie. Their 14-inch, New York-style pies are made with sourdough and a custom flour blend, then topped with combinations such as Sungold tomatoes and stracciatella or spicy vodka sauce and ’nduja. The tightly curated wine list focuses on natural, biodynamic, and organic producers, with cocktails and beer also available.