5 places
The Best Restaurant Openings in New York – July 2026
Summer is in full swing, which typically means that, along with everything else, restaurant openings slow down a bit. But that’s not the case in New York City, which churns out great restaurants all year round. This month brought a slate of openings ranging from casual pizza joints to fine-dining restaurants from both global and local talent.
Even though NYC doesn’t pump the brakes like other cities, crowds still thin out as locals head Out East and upstate. Take advantage and make a reservation at these restaurants worth adding to your list right now.
Graciela
Restaurateur Pablo Rivero is known for Don Julio, his celebrated parrilla in Buenos Aires. Now New Yorkers can try his empanadas and grilled meats at Graciela, which opened in the West Village in mid-July. The restaurant has a traditional Argentine parrilla and a Josper oven fueled by imported quebracho blanco charcoal, creating a live-fire setup believed to be among the city’s largest. Meats a la parrilla are the menu’s centerpiece, but ossobuco empanadas, the Argentine chickpea flatbread fainá, and a selection of dips round out the offerings.
Oberon
The New Museum’s reopening earlier this year turned heads, and the debut of its first full-service restaurant has given visitors another reason to linger. The OMA-designed restaurant is as architecturally striking as the rest of the museum, with sculpted cork surfaces and custom furnishings by designer Minjae Kim. The zero-waste menu comes from the team behind Rucola, Rhodora, and June Wine Bar, pairing a strong wine program with seasonal plates such as skirt steak with blistered Jimmy Nardello peppers and a watercress and stone fruit salad.
Mūje
Chef Jungsik Yim and the team behind his three-Michelin-starred namesake restaurant are moving beyond Korean cuisine with their latest venture. Mūje, which means “untitled” or “without definition” in Korean, takes inspiration from across Asia rather than adhering to any one country’s culinary traditions. The eight-course tasting menu costs $150 per person and includes a pork-stuffed chicken wing dusted with Korean “Prinkle” seasoning and a sculptural coconut-and-coffee dessert modeled after Singapore’s iconic Merlion.
Masani Pizza
If you’ve sought out NYC restaurant recommendations on Instagram in the past decade, chances are you’ve encountered Mike and Alexandra Chau, who run the popular @foodbabyny account. Now, in addition to showcasing restaurants around the city, they have their own spot in Forest Hills serving classic New York-style pizza alongside grandma-style and Sicilian pies. Masani Pizza also offers starters and salads, fresh pasta from Brooklyn Pasta Lab, and seasonal desserts, including Italian ice from the Lemon Ice King of Corona, making it a true Queens affair.
Hungry Spicy
If you’re still mourning the original Ugly Baby in Carroll Gardens, check out Hungry Spicy, the latest venture from several of its former employees. The Chelsea restaurant goes even hotter than the team’s first follow-up, Hungry Thirsty, with a menu drawing from regions across Thailand rather than focusing solely on the country’s south. The intensity is written directly into dish names, from “brutally spicy” kua kling to “super spicy, super colossal” crab curry with betel leaves, and spice levels cannot be adjusted.
