A Running List of New Restaurants That Opened in New York City, November 2020

More than eight months into the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants across the city continue to reopen for business, some by stretching the limits of outdoor dining regulations and others by making early — and expensive — forays into indoor dining.

For many others, though, the arrival of fall has meant finally being able to move forward with spring and summer openings that had been stalled by the pandemic. Since mid-March, when the state temporarily closed indoor dining, hundreds of new restaurants still opened their doors, sometimes because their concepts could be adapted for delivery and outdoor dining service, but more often because owners saw no other choice but to move forward. The newcomers include subterranean Asian food markets, taquerias serving stew-filled tacos guisados, and a new destination for chewy rice rolls.

Here’s a round-up of the restaurants and bars that opened in November. This list will be updated weekly. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at tips@eater.com.

November 24

Bushwick: Kub klaem, or Thai drinking snacks, are having a moment in New York City right now. Their latest source is Mao Mao, a newly-opened restaurant whose name translates to “drunk drunk” in Thai. Choices here include crunchy fried red chiles, chicken wings with housemade sour laab chile powder, and Thai-Chinese chive dumplings, among other larger options. Chef Arada Moonroj, one of the owners behind the well-liked Thai spot Lamoon in Elmhurst, opened the new restaurant with her husband Jugkrwut Borin. The two-floor space is outfitted with market lights, red high-top diner stools, and other vintage decor that nods to Thai cinema, while Thai films are regularly projected onto the restaurant’s walls. 1000 Broadway, at Willoughby Avenue

Chinatown: A new source for bánh mì sandwiches, tapioca cakes, and other Vietnamese fare has opened on Elizabeth Street. In addition to a menu of 15 noodle and soup dishes, none of which cost more than $10, Bánh Mì Cô Út also offers a short list of sweet drinks and desserts for takeout, including Vietnamese iced coffee and flan. 83 Elizabeth Street, between Grand and Hester Streets

East Village: The team behind acclaimed East Village Sichuan restaurant Szechuan Mountain House has opened a new, old-school spot located right next door. At Cheli, chef Qiling Wang is putting the spotlight on Shanghai’s Hu style of cooking, which often involves braising pork and seafood dishes in vinegar or rice wine. His wife, Fang Fang, is heading the restaurant’s pastry program with desserts like sticky rice balls and fried pancakes with peanuts and brown sugar. Cheli is the latest from the Dashan Restaurant Group, the parent company behind Szechuan Mountain House in Flushing and the East Village, as well as several other restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles. 19 Saint Marks Place, between Second and Third Avenues

Flatiron District: Mark Strausman, the chef best known for heading the kitchen at Barneys restaurant Freds, has finally debuted his newest venture, a new American restaurant called Mark’s Off Madison. 41 Madison Avenue, across from Madison Square Park

Hudson Yards: Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani opened a third location of his popular, fast-casual pita restaurant Miznon in the Hudson Yards this month. 20 Hudson Yards, on Tenth Avenue, between West 33rd and West 31 Streets

Midtown: The team behind Manhattan restaurants Boucherie and Petite Boucherie opened a new, big-ticket French restaurant this week in Midtown. La Grande Boucherie spans half the length of 6 1/2 Avenue and can seat close to 600 people at full capacity indoors and outdoors, making it one of the biggest restaurant openings in the city since the start of the pandemic. Executive chef Bill Brasile, formerly of Minetta Tavern, is behind the restaurant’s menu, which focuses on cuts of steak and housemade charcuterie. Brunch is on the way, too. 145 West 53rd Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

Upper East Side: Gray Hawk Grill has opened its doors on Second Avenue, serving straightforward American fare and a list of affordable wines. Owner Steve Millan was formerly employed as a general manager with New York-based hospitality group BR Guest for six years before becoming director of operations for the international chain of BLT restaurants. Chef Anthony DiCocco last served as executive sous chef at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. 1556 Second Avenue, near East 81st Street

Upper West Side: Anar, a new Indian restaurant specializing in tandoori meats and curries, opened on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 106th Street earlier this month. The new restaurant’s name translates to pomegranate in several languages, and the bright fruit seeds appear as an ingredient in several of the menu’s more than 80 dishes. The restaurant is located in the former space of NY Brat Factory, a Kosher grill and bar that closed its doors in January after the city posted a notice of eviction to its front door. Open for indoor dining, takeout, and delivery. 933 Amsterdam Avenue, at 106th Street

Upper West Side: An eighth location of cafe mini-chain Friedman’s has opened on the Upper West Side. 35 West End Avenue, near West 61st Street

Upper West Side: Renown Flushing rice roll shop Joe’s Steam Rice Roll opened a fourth location this month. Chef and owner Joe Rong is serving crepes, pancakes, and his recognizably chewy rice rolls at the new Upper West Side restaurant, where nothing costs more than $10. 422 Amsterdam Avenue, between 80th and 81st Streets

Upper West Side: Just in time for winter, a new Vietnamese restaurant is bringing fiery curries, noodle soups, and whole fish to the Upper West Side. Miss Saigon, a self-described “casual fine dining” restaurant, recently opened in the former space of Chinese restaurant Uncle Luoyang and is now serving its food for takeout, delivery, and limited indoor dining. 928 Amsterdam Avenue, near 106th Street

Washington Heights: The owners of Forever Coffee Bar, a neighborhood cafe that opened its doors last year, have rebranded as Forever Yours Falafel. The new takeout counter is serving housemade falafel and jackfruit shawarma, which can be stuffed into pita or served atop bowls of quinoa and Israeli salad. Most of the food is vegan or vegetarian, something that the neighborhood has been missing, owner Artem Arnopulo tells local blog the Curious Uptowner. There are a few tables in front of the restaurant for outdoor dining. 502 W 167th Street, between Amsterdam and Audubon Avenues

Beth Landman contributed reporting to this week’s list of restaurant openings.

November 19

Bryant Park: Storied Parisian tearoom Angelina has debuted its first U.S. outpost in NYC with a retail and bakery component, in addition to the restaurant. 1050 Sixth Avenue, between West 39th and West 40th Streets

Bushwick: Neighborhood Vietnamese mainstay Falansai has been reimagined by Blue Hill at Stone Barns alum Eric Tran with a whole new menu and new look, yet the name will remain the same. 112 Harrison Place, at Porter Avenue

Downtown Brooklyn: Chelsea Market’s Jewish-style barbecue restaurant Pulkies has now debuted a new location inside Dekalb Market Hall. 445 Albee Square W., between Dekalb Avenue and Willoughby Street

East Village: There’s a new hand roll destination in town in the form of Temakase. Chef Joemar Castro, who previously worked at Nobu Miami for eight years, has created hand rolls like truffle blue crab, lobster blended with herbs and spices, and appetizers like spicy tuna on crispy rice. 157 Second Avenue, near East 10th Street

East Village: AO Bowl, a source for smoothies, açaí bowls, and vegetarian bites has opened in the neighborhood. 82 St. Mark’s Place, near First Avenue

Flatiron District: Italian and Mediterranean food are the focus at new Flatiron District entrant Isabelle’s Osteria. Pork ragu served with lumache pasta, bucatini with shrimp, and braised lamb neck are some of the menu highlights. 245 Park Avenue S., between East 19th and East 20th Streets

Flushing: The city’s budding Cajun seafood scene has a new entrant this week with Nola Seafood. The new restaurant comes from three business partners, two of whom run a seafood distribution company and a third who is a New Orleans-born Vietnamese-American chef. Buckets of boiled crawfish ($14.95), blue crab ($16.95), and shrimp ($18.95) are available, as are snow crab legs, lobster, and dungeness crab at market price. 38-18 Prince Street, at 39th Avenue

Little Italy: Bronx’s Little Italy has a new-ish Mediterranean restaurant, Avenue Gyro, which debuted in September. Gyros filled with different meats, kebab platters, and the Greek sausage Loukaniko dominate the menu here. 2356 Arthur Avenue, near East 186th Street

Long Island City: Cayenne, a new pick-up and delivery restaurant, opened its doors earlier this month serving Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches. 42-25 Vernon Boulevard, between Queens Plaza South and 43rd Avenue

Lower East Side: Essex Market stall Davidovich Bakery has graduated into a full-size store in the neighborhood. It’s the first standalone brick-and-mortar shop for the 22-year-old business known for its bagels and croissants. 79 Clinton Street, near Rivington Street

Lower East Side: Three years after launching Double Chicken Please as a traveling pop-up bar in a yellow Volkswagen minibus, Taiwanese cocktail vets GN Chan and Faye Chen are ready to settle down with the opening of their craft cocktail bar. 115 Allen Street, near Delancey Street

Murray Hill: Queens has a new Korean-American restaurant in the form of MO:DEN, where French, Spanish, and Chinese cooking styles intersect in an upscale setting. Here, spare ribs are served with a black bean and truffle sauce, while the Korean rice cake and sausage dish so-dduk comes with Chinese sausage and harissa. The restaurant has some benches set up outside for outdoor dining, along with limited indoor seating as well. 152-24 Northern Boulevard, near 153rd Street

Upper West Side: An expansion of the Amsterdam Ale House on West 76th Street, the Upside is a new beer destination further north along the avenue. There’s an extensive beer and liquor list, along with seating outside. The bar will eventually debut a backyard space as well. 588 Amsterdam Avenue, between 88th and 89th Streets

Williamsburg: Five different flavors of cappuccino — pistachio, white chocolate hazelnut, pistachio cinnamon, rose star anise, and vanilla — are the highlight at new cafe Borsalia. There’s also a selection of desserts and pastries including the Italian croissant, cornetto. 79 Grand Street, at Wythe Avenue

November 12

Bushwick: Classic American sandwiches are remade with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean flavors at the newly opened King Wang’s. The sandwich spot comes from co-founders Kevin Shin and chef Tom Wang, the latter of which previously worked at the Michelin-starred Danji and Daniel Boulud’s now-closed restaurant DBGB. Open Tuesday through Sunday. 191 Knickerbocker Avenue, at Jefferson Street

East Village: A new restaurant has moved into the former home of Jewel Bako, the beloved Michelin-starred Sushi Spot on East 5th Street. J-Spec, short for “Japanese specification,” is the first restaurant from Tomoe Food Services, a New-York based meat distributor that sells wagyu beef to hit restaurants like Cote, Atomix, and Hall by O.d.o. Here, the coveted Japanese meat appears in uni hand rolls, on katsu skewers, and atop bowls of udon noodles. Dinner only for now, with outdoor and indoor seating. 239 East 5th Street, near Second Avenue

East Village: After a busy year of pop-up dinners, the Texas-influenced Yellow Rose has found a permanent home on Third Avenue. The new restaurant comes from couple Dave and Krystiana Rizo, two San Antonians who previously worked at Superiority Burger and Emmy Squared, respectively. Soups and other seasonal specialties will rotate from week to week, but the duo’s bean and cheese tacos served on homemade tortillas are a constant. 102 Third Avenue, between East 12th and East 13th Streets

Financial District: Manhattan-based Italian spot Saint Ambroeus has opened a new cafe in the Brookfield Place shopping center, according to a spokesperson for the company. The company’s fourth coffee shop in the city offers housemade pastries and more for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. Brookfield Place, 200 Vesey Street, at West Street

Flushing: A restaurant with arcade games and Taiwanese night market fare has opened for business in a storefront formerly occupied by international bubble tea chain Mi Tea. Though the arcade portion of Playdate is temporarily on-hold due to the pandemic, the restaurant is serving braised meat and vegetable skewers, along with chicken wings and crispy chicken sandwiches. 135-29 Roosevelt Avenue, near Main Street

Greenpoint: Louie Catizone, the Louie behind Louie’s Luncheonette, is now selling vegan sandwiches and deli meats from a window on Eagle Street. In addition to Italian and turkey club-style sandwiches, Catizone is also selling vegan deli meats by the half- and full-pound, including ham, turkey, pepperoni, and barbecue chicken. Open Wednesday to Saturday. 233 Eagle Street, between Provost Street and McGuinness Boulevard

Long Island City: Hit Taiwanese food truck Yumpling served its first dumplings at the Long Island City flea market in 2015. Five years later, co-founders Howie Yeon, Chris Yu, and Jeff Fann have returned to the neighborhood to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. At the new spot, the trio is serving an expanded menu that includes pork and vegetarian dumplings, beef noodle soup, fried chicken sandwiches, and milk tea. 49-11 Vernon Boulevard, between 49th and 50th Avenues

Noho: Hot pot veteran Hui Fang opened a new restaurant on Lafayette Street this week, called One Hotpot. Still in its soft opening, the new restaurant will focus on takeout and delivery for now, with plans to eventually add outdoor and indoor seaing, as well. One Hotpot is the latest from Fang, who also runs Xiang Hotpot in Flushing and Borough Park, along with Dumpling D’or in Long Island City. 417 Layette Street, between East 4th and East 8th Streets

Prospect Heights: Honey Moon, the Brooklyn-based antiques collector behind neighborhood shops 1 of a Find, just opened a new tea salon bedecked in vintage tchotchkes and furniture. Brooklyn High Low offers indoor and outdoor tea sittings ranging in price from $48 to $68, with salads, spreads, scones, and finger sandwiches coming from chef Carlos Jimenez. The new tea shop was opened in partnership with James Sato, the owner of beloved neighborhood ramen house Chuko, located a few doors down. 611 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Saint Marks Avenue and Bergen Street

Upper East Side: Beloved Jewish deli Sable’s Smoked Fish has reopened at its new home on East 76th Street. The deli was forced to leave its original, longtime home on Second Avenue in July when the building it was housed in was sold to make way for a residential development. 1330 Third Avenue, near East 76th Street

Upper West Side: Jay and Norisa Espinal, the restaurateurs behind Don Pedro’s on the Upper East Side, are back with a second restaurant crosstown, called Tasca. At the new spot, the duo is focusing on dishes from the Iberian Peninsula, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, with food coming from chefs Rufino Peralta and Giovanni Castilla. The sprawling multi-level space can seat 30 outdoors and 65 indoors at 25 percent capacity, with tables spread across four dining areas.

Williamsburg: Brooklyn gets both a new cafe and a wine bar this week at Winona’s. The newly opened European restaurant comes from chef Cressida Greening and Emir Dupeyron, the latter of whom previously owned Café Condesa in the West Village. The new spot serves European breakfast and lunch fare by day and transforms into a bar with natural wines, cocktails, and small plates in the evening. 676 Flushing Avenue, near Whipple Street

Williamsburg: A playful new Asian-American restaurant opened its doors on North Fifth Street earlier in the pandemic. The new restaurant is named Jook Sing, or bamboo pole, a nod to its Asian-American roots, but also to a Cantonese term that refers to overseas-born Chinese people, according to its website. Its menu includes taro tater tots, a “duccboi” burger made from Peking duck carnitas, and these picturesque egg sandos. Open for indoor and outdoor dining, Wednesday through Sunday. 135B North 5th Street, near Bedford Avenue

November 5

Bayside: Customers are already lining up outside new taco joint Moho Mexican Grill, according to early reviews, to get their hands on what appears to be NYC’s first halal birria taco. The counter-service spot also sells build-your-own burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and more with fillings including chicken, brisket, steak, and tofu. Each option is priced below $10. 38-05 Bell Boulevard, at the corner of 38th Avenue

Carroll Gardens: Baker Tyler Lee Steinbrenner, formerly the research and fermentation chef at two-Michelin-starred Nordic spot Aska, opened Anti-Conquest Bakery in Brooklyn over the summer. The bakery features a couple of rotating loaves per day, including a sourdough made from a starter that Steinbrenner nurtured “from young pine-cones from outside of Tokyo,” according to the shop’s site, and a milk bread with a custardy interior texture. Customers are encouraged to pre-order bread when possible, and Steinbrenner also runs a bread CSA option for weekly pickups. 543 Clinton Street, at the corner of Nelson street

Chelsea: Irish pub The Hawthorn opened its doors under the High Line in September. The laid-back menu features reliable bar fare like twice-cooked chicken wings, fish and chips, and a smattering of burgers, while the beer list includes a number of options from local breweries like Sixpoint and Five Boroughs. 505 West 23rd Street, near 10th Avenue

Chelsea: Pearl River Mart, the nearly 50-year-old New York City institution, recently expanded its presence at Chelsea Market with Pearl River Mart Foods, a new store located on the market’s basement level. The new store features goods from some of the city’s top Asian restaurants — including MáLà Project and 886 — along with food from three up-and-coming vendors. Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue, between West 15th and West 16th Streets

Chelsea: Chelsea Market retail shop Neighborhood Goods has added a new French-leaning cafe, Tiny Feast, to its property. The casual all-day spot bills itself as a snack bar, offering a small list of sandwiches, salads, housemade pastries, beignets, and coffee from local purveyor Parlor. Cocktails, wine, and beer are available, as well. Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue, between West 15th and West 16th Streets

Dumbo: GupShup owner Jimmy Rizvi has opened a more casual Indian spot Chote Miya inside Time Out Market’s Brooklyn food hall. The restaurant, which takes its cues from famed Bombay food stall Bade Miya, is stocked with relaxed Indian fare including vegetarian bun samosas, creamy dal makhni, plus curries and kababs. 55 Water Street, between Dock Street and Main Street

East Village: The team behind East Village cafe 787 Coffee has branched out with a new taqueria on the same block in October, called Los Tacos NYC. Not to be confused with Manhattan’s heavy-hitting taco mini-chain, Los Tacos No. 1, the new spot focuses on homey, stew- and rice-filled tacos guisados, which Eater critic Robert Sietsema found to be “stand out” in an early visit to the restaurant. 117 East 7th Street, between Avenue A and First Avenue

Flatiron: Bi-level seafood spot Sagaponack — which shut down at the end of May after 11 years — has reopened with a more casual menu under new leadership. Head chef Joseph Yi, who previously worked as a sous chef at fine dining spots Gabriel Kreuther and Boulud Sud, is serving up seafood dishes including grilled octopus and a yuzu lobster roll alongside sides built to share, like charred shishito peppers and parmesan and cracked pepper fries. Peter Joung, formerly a head sommelier at Jean-Georges, is designing the restaurant’s wine program. 4 West 22nd Street, near Fifth Avenue

Flushing: A new destination for rice rolls recently opened its doors in Queens. The aptly named Rolls Rice comes from Taiwanese co-owners Samuel Lai and chef Richard Chan, who serve the beloved dim sum dish in several variations from a small to-go counter beside Qing Dao restaurant. 40-46 Main Street, at 41st Avenue

Greenpoint: The neighborhood’s newest pizzeria comes from longtime Greenpoint resident Mario Kulesza. At the newly opened Mario’s Pizza, the chef and restaurateur is focusing on brick oven pizzas, with more than a dozen varieties on the menu. Pies can be ordered for pick-up directly from Mario’s, while the restaurant is available for delivery through several third party apps. 940 Manhattan Avenue, near Java Street

Hamilton Heights: Three years after opening the first location of Sugar Hill Creamery on Lenox Avenue in Harlem, owners Petrushka Bazin Larsen and Nick Larsen have opened a second storefront a few dozen blocks uptown. The ice cream case at the new scoop shop has room for more flavors than the original, according to an early visit from local blog the Curious Uptowner, while the building’s lease allows for the sale of boozy drinks and shakes. 3629 Broadway, between 149th and 150th Streets

Morningside Heights: Popular California-based coffee roaster Blue Bottle has finally opened the Columbia University cafe it’s had in the works for more than a year. The new coffee shop is the company’s 20th location in the city and 100th nationwide. 2901 Broadway, between West 113th and West 114th Streets

Ridgewood: Bar Freda, a new neighborhood bar and venue, celebrated its soft opening on October 31. Over the next month, co-owners TJ Olsen, Chester White, and manager Nick Bodor will be hosting a series of pop-ups as they rolls out the bar’s craft beer and cocktail menus, as well as what they call an “incidental music program,” an apparent nod to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s current restrictions on live music events. Seating is available outdoors, as well as in the bar’s upstairs and downstairs at 25 percent capacity. 801 Seneca Avenue, at Putnam Avenue

Soho: Less than a month after Brooklyn got its first boozy axe throwing range, restaurateurs Amit Fridman and Aviel Segal have brought a Viking-themed version of the same concept to Manhattan. Live Axe is the borough’s first bar where customers can aim handheld axes at a bullseye and then sip a cocktail, served here in skull mugs and steins. A spot at one of the venue’s ten axe-throwing cages costs $45 per person, and an axe-throwing league is apparently in the works. 96 Lafayette Street, between Walker and White Streets

Upper West Side: Le Botaniste — the chain of vegan and gluten-free restaurants from the founder of Le Pain Quotidien — has opened a fourth location on the Upper West Side. 156 Columbus Avenue, between 66th and 67th Streets