The gist: After opening its doors in Boerum Hill this past summer, the Ace Hotel Brooklyn debuted its all-day ground-floor restaurant just last month. Located at the nexus of several neighborhoods, at As You Are, chef Ryan Jordan (John Dory, The Breslin) uses the locale as inspiration to offer a new American menu saluting the culinary flair of its home borough. Pastry chef Daniel Alvarez (Dominique Ansel New York, Daily Provisions) oversees the desserts program at this stylish eatery and also offers his baked goods in the mornings at 7:30 am daily with a bakery counter that includes must-trys like a black & white donut and pastel de nata. A breakfast service with Old Fashioned pancakes and brown rice porridge is set to launch on November 1.
The food: New American cuisine with a Brooklyn twist within a stylish hotel restaurant. Starters include chicken liver and onion on sweet bay leaf and almond madeleines; crispy brussels sprouts with sauce gribiche; baked claims with a house hot sauce; and Maplebrook burrata with verjus poached pear. Mains include the signature octopus mezcal ragu with house made radiatore; pan roasted skate with blood orange; confit lamb ribs with chili crip; and a short rib burger made on a house made english muffin. Desserts include toasted oat ice cream with toffee hot sauce and a chocolate layer cake with raspberry hibiscus sorbet. Choose from signature cocktails like the Love, Brooklyn (basil vodka, sherry, almond) and No Sleep Tonight (tequila, spiced pear liqueur).
The cost: Starters are $8-19, mains are $16-36, sides are $9-12, and desserts are $9-12. Signature cocktails are $16-18, wines by the glass are $12-17, and beer is $8-12.

The gist: This all-day restaurant in Greenpoint is just shy of being over a month old and serves new American fare by executive chef Dennis Hong (Lincoln, Le Bernardin). While Sereneco is located in the historic Pencil Factory building that dates back a century, the space inside is modern, airy, and bright and boasts gorgeous 20-foot ceilings with skylights and a 25-foot white-oak bar that also has outlets to charge any gadgets. When it comes to the menu, it too features contemporary elements through hearty seasonal dishes that highlight vegetables and familiar classics in offerings like whipped ricotta, ratatouille, and braised short rib. In the mornings and throughout the day, go for pastries, sandwiches, and more that can be ordered via a special take-out window. A special happy hour runs Tuesday to Friday from 5:30 pm-7 pm, and their much anticipated brunch service launches this weekend.
The food: Hearty new American fare with contemporary elements highlighting vegetables and familiar classics. Smaller plates include whipped ricotta with honey and house-made focaccia; veal meatballs with romesco sauce; and grilled prawns with salsa verde. A dedicated vegetable section includes garnet yams with pistachio and mint; and ratatouille with squash, eggplant, and basil. Large plates include the braised short ribs with glazed baby carrot and pearl onions; roasted chicken crispy fingerling potatoes; and seared arctic char with English peas and chorizo. Signature cocktails from owner/beverage director Billy Van Dolsen include the Pencil Pusher, an homage to its locale made with mezcal, vermouth, and espelette pepper.
The cost: Smaller plates are $8-20, vegetable dishes are $9-14, and larger plates are $19-34. Signature cocktails

The gist: The rotating restaurant-in-residence program at Intersect By Lexus recently just welcomed their seventh participating talent: the James Beard Award-winning chef Nina Compton of the famed Compère Lapin in New Orleans. Here in the Meatpacking District, chef Compton’s menu delivers Big Easy flavors rooted in her Caribbean heritage with a menu featuring ingredients from the Gulf Coast. Inside the sleek second floor space with a drinking destination named The Lounge downstairs, opt for the Taste of Two Creole’s tasting menu or order dishes a la carte that include offerings like deviled eggs, crispy pig ears, and hot fire chicken before ending your meal with the must-try beignets for dessert.
The food: New Orleans-inspired dishes created by a distinguished NOLA chef. Snacks include buttermilk chive biscuits with honey bacon butter; deviled eggs; hush puppies with cilantro crema; and crispy pig ears with smoked aioli. Small plates include Louisiana barbecue shrimp with chervil; guava tamarind glazed pork belly with pickled mango; and the stuffed crab with uni butter. Large plates include spice roasted duck with foie butter and sour cherry jus; black bass escovitch with carrot beurre blanc; curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi; and hot fire chicken for two with red beans and rice. Choose from desserts like beignets with pecan buttercream and rhum caramel; and soursop semifreddo with coconut. Signature cocktails include the Chairman’s Nightcap (banana, Creole bitters) and the Macondo (tequila, aperol, mango).
The cost: Snacks are $8-13, small plates are $18-29, and large plates are $35-88. Desserts are $13-14, signature cocktails are $17-19, $15-25, and beer is $7-10.

The gist: Opened last summer, the Victorian vibes of Irving Place in Gramercy Park have an exciting dining destination from the team behind Korean gastropub Osamil. Highlighting new American cuisine with accents of Korean flavors, Café Salmagundi is a self-proclaimed love letter to its historic neighborhood—and especially for anyone who endured the pandemic while in town—and features seasonal ingredients from the nearby Union Square Farmers Market. Here, enjoy quality food along with a cocktail program designed by Gelo Honrade (Osamil, Jeepney) inside the dining room or at one of the covetable sidewalk tables that’s ideal for people-watching to anyone again braving the dating game.
The food: New American with accents of Korean flavors. Expect starters like crispy calamari with house made tartar sauce; the signature double-fried wings; an oyster pancake with chives; and gambas with piquillo pepper, bamboo shoots, and bird’s eye chili. Oh, and don’t sleep on the hand-cut Korean sweet potato fries with jalapeno mayo dip. Large plates and mains include a steak platter with kalbi gravy and truffle aioli; slow roasted pork belly with apricot and mustard sauce; calamari and clams with lemongrass; and an uni bowl with quinoa, kimchi, and perilla. Signature cocktails include The Irving (scotch, vermouth, and local honey), in addition to favorites like a penicillin, mezcal negroni, and Pimm’s Cup.
The cost: Small dishes, appetizers, and salads are $8-24, and shared dishes and bowls are $25-32. Cocktails are $17, draft beers are $9, and wines by the glass are $14-16.

The gist: On those days when you want to go big with a decadent meal—which we are all deserving of right now—head to Carne Mare. This two-story Italian steakhouse in Seaport opened this summer and is the latest restaurant from chef Andrew Carmellini and his NoHo Hospitality Group (Locanda Verde, Bar Primi, The Dutch). With a menu from chef de cuisine Brendan Scott (Lafayette), go for drinks or to eat solo at the ground floor dining room’s gorgeous horseshoe bar, or work your way up the grand spiral staircase to the second floor for banquettes and views of the East River. But no matter where you’re planted, prepare yourself for a full-throttle chophouse experience with an array of steaks and meat along with Italian specialties.
The food: A swanky Italian steakhouse with an abundance of steaks, chops, and luxury. Choose from chophouse snacks like grilled oysters, King crab lettuce cups, and a signature pairing of mozzarella sticks and caviar, in addition to tartare and carpaccio dishes like yellowfin tuna or Spanish octopus. Salads and pasta include the house wedgini and tableside farmer’s salad. Steaks and chops include prime boneless ribeye, pasture-raised rack of lamb, 30-day dry aged tomahawk, 45-day dry-aged porterhouse, wagyu, and a special porchetta-spiced roast prime rib. Additional mains include Italian specialities like salt-baked black sea bass wrapped in fig leaves; Milanese cowboy veal chop with charred lemon; spicy lobster spaghetti; and whole roast duck d’Ivan with mustard fruits and roasted potatoes. Pair it with signature cocktails like the Granita (Campari, grapefruit, limoncello, prosecco) or Alpino (vodka, blackberry, alpine amaro, limonata).
The cost: Raw bar and starters are $4-28, salads are $16-20, and sides are $13-17. Steaks for one are $36-68, selections for two are $180-215, wagyu cuts are $65-110, and Italian specialties are $39-95. Signature cocktails are $18, beer is $8-11, and wines by the glass are $16-38.

The gist: Casa Ora’s story is what NYC dreams are made of: Ivo Diaz, a hospitality industry veteran of over 18 years (The Nomad Hotel, Eleven Madison Park, One Hotel Brooklyn Bridge) opens his own restaurant. He bases the menu off childhood Venezulean dishes he loved and appoints his mother, Isbelis Diaz, as executive chef, and his partner, Rachel Diaz Pirard, as pastry chef. A portion of proceeds go to Venezulean families seeking asylum, and the restaurant remains a neighborhood stalwart. Recently, the space was also broken into and damaged with property destruction from three separate break-ins in a single month—a special Violence Relief fund is currently open for donations.
The food: Upscale Venezuelan American cuisine made with a mother’s love. Offerings include varieties of arepitas like shredded beef & cheddar; shredded pork; and curry mayo and tomato black beans. Table snacks and appetizers include bollitos pelones with ground beef & spicy tomato sauce; hallaca; and ceviche with grapefruit, orange, papaya, ginger, and pickled red onion. Entrees include scallops with bursting tomatoes; pabellon with sofrito, and refried rice & beans; and charcoal seared octopus with english peas and a chimichurri vinaigrette. A creative cocktail menu provides plenty of pairing options with signature drinks like the Cantinero (dark and white rum, passion fruit) and Purple Banana (tequila, blue pea tea, banana)
The cost: Snacks and appetizers are $12-$20, and entrees are $26-$38. Cocktails are $15-$17.