The most critically acclaimed restaurants in New York
Le Bernardin, Cosme and Carbone are the most critically recognised restaurants in New York, based on how often professional critics write about them. This ranking covers 100 restaurants carrying 267 critics between them. Crowd star-ratings play no part in the order.
Updated September 2026
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Where do critics actually eat in New York?
Ranked by how many independent critics, guides and shows recommend each restaurant.
What's the best affordable restaurant critics rate in New York?
Katz's Delicatessen is the most critically recognised restaurant in New York at the lower end of the price range, with 6 critics.
Where do critics recommend for a special occasion in New York?
Le Bernardin is the highest-ranked fine-dining option, with 8 critics.
How this ranking works
Restaurants are ordered by how many professional critic publications have written about them — not by user reviews, star averages or popularity. This page is built from 267 critics across 100 restaurants in New York.
A restaurant with no critic coverage does not appear here at all, and cities with fewer than 10 critically recognised restaurants get no page — a ranking built from a handful of entries would imply more authority than the data supports.