The 11 Best New Restaurants to Check Out This February in New York City
With the snowpocalypse safely in our rearview mirror, it now seems that any temperatures hovering above freezing feel positively balmy. And just as more of us are venturing outside without fear of cheek frostbite, so it seems New York’s restaurant scene is emerging from hibernation as well. While the first month of the year welcomed only a few new additions to the city’s dining scene, in February, we had quite the challenge of narrowing down contenders for the buzziest openings.
Some, like Ambassadors Clubhouse, we’ve been tracking for the better part of a year (and we expect the frenzy for reservations to reflect that we weren’t alone in the sentiment). Others, like Confidant, are proven concepts that are simply moving to better digs, albeit with intriguing and tasty additions to the menu. And finally, there are more casual concepts, like Piadi La Piadineria, a behemoth in its native Italy, which opens its first U.S. location this month.
As to which one is right for your next meal out? Well, that’s one decision we can’t make for you, but we can assure you all of the options are delicious. Read on for the 11 best new restaurants to check out this February in New York City.
NYC’s February Restaurant Openings to Watch
Ambassadors Clubhouse
- 1245 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
- NoMad
High-end Indian is having a moment in New York (as we mentioned in our 2026 food prediction story), and the trend shows no signs of letting up. Case in point: opening this month is one of the most hotly anticipated restaurants of the season, the London import Ambassadors Clubhouse. With chef Karan Mittal behind the burners, the menu pulls inspiration from all echelons of Indian society, from the royal kitchens to Punjab street stalls. While many of the London must-orders will still be on offer, keep an eye out for Manhattan exclusive dishes like Warqi lamb seekh kebabs and sky-high seafood towers. And save room for the Gur Malai toast for dessert, made with Pink Lady apples, pecans, fennel, jaggery caramel, panjiri crumble and burnt ghee ice cream.
Anbā
- 92 Ludlow St., New York, NY 10002
- Lower East Side
New York City is not lacking in sushi omakase counters, but female-fronted ones are startlingly rare. That’s why we’re particularly interested in the opening of Anbā, a 10-seat restaurant hidden behind a cocktail lounge in the Concord building on the Lower East Side. Run by chef Ambrely Ouimette and an all-female team in the kitchen, the 16-course menu is centered on classic preparations, using techniques like fermentation and aging in dishes such as crudo, nigiri and small plates like chawanmushi. Drinks-wise, Ouimette has curated the beverage program herself; it includes tightly edited selections of sake, Japanese whisky and mocktails.
Confidant
- 127 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11201
- Cobble Hill
After wowing diners at its first location in Industry City last year, Confidant is moving to more accessible digs on Atlantic Avenue, right on the border of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill. But while its neighborhood is changing, you can still expect the same commitment to seasonal cuisine from chefs Brendan Kelley and Daniel Grossman, now with an expanded focus. Popular seafood dishes like the trout mousse and the prawn pot pie are making a reappearance, but look out for new sections of the menu like house-made pastas and share plates like a grilled, braised fennel served with burnt scallion oil.
Dahla
- 202 W. 14th St., New York, NY 10011
- West Village
The West Village gains an intriguing new Thai spot this month with the opening of Dahla, helmed by chef Pitipong Bowornneeranart. With a special focus on Thailand’s tropical garden culture, the menu here eschews classic Thai-American dishes in favor of a more modern interpretation of the cuisine. Think a Hokkaido scallop crudo served with a green chili-lime vinaigrette or a pork belly enlivened by a house-made, five-spice soy sauce. The drinks are similarly thoughtful and bring a sense of place: we are particularly excited by the Dahla martini, made with gin, crème de pêche, lychee, manzanilla sherry, hibiscus, jasmine pearls and yellow Chartreuse.
The Eighth
- 132 7th Ave., New York, NY 10011
- Chelsea
If you like your cocktails with a side of zen, may we introduce you to The Eighth? Meant to serve as an antidote to New York’s constant frenetic pace, this new restaurant from Richie Romero and interior designers Julien Legeard and Valmira Gashi aims to bring calm, ritual and intention back to your daily meals and drinks—the name The Eighth refers to a hypothetical eighth day of the week that lives outside of normal time. But what does this mean in terms of the experience? You can look forward to three nightly cocktail-and-bite “ceremonies,” which are theatrical experiences led by the bartenders, each with a rotating selection of ingredients. Look out for showy cocktails like the Ascension into Rumination, their take on a spiced old-fashioned.
Giulietta
- 200 Park Ave., New York, NY 10166
- Midtown East
Midtown and the iconic MetLife building gain a destination-worthy spot in Giulietta, which opens this month from the team behind La Pecora Bianca. With both mid-century modern and Italian coastal influences, the restaurant aims to channel a bit of old-school riviera to the Big Apple, by way of dishes like seasonal fruits served with a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, salmon with tomato butter gremolata and chocolate mousse prepared tableside. Cocktails are similarly sun-soaked, with spritzes and frozen drinks in heavy rotation; try the spicy limoncello margarita and imagine yourself in Portofino.
Kees
- 1 Cornelia St., New York, NY 10014
- West Village
Taylor Swift isn’t the only one who has a soft spot for Cornelia Street. Cocktail aficionados have been waiting for months for the final concept of 1 Cornelia to finally open, and happily, that day is now here. Kees, developed by the legendary Jeff Bell of the equally legendary PDT, is a subterranean space designed to evoke the excess and glamour of post-Prohibition New York. Think classics like martinis, Negronis and old-fashioneds, but served both in traditional and seasonal variations. And while you can snack upstairs at Tacos 1986 before coming down, there will also be a selection of elevated bites like oysters Rockefeller or chips and dip served with trout roe.
Odo East Village
- 536 E. 5th St., New York, NY 10009
- East Village
Michelin two-star Odo gains a little sister with Odo East Village, which opened at the top of this month. But unlike the former, which is a traditional kaiseki meal, the East Village location is a little more unique in its presentation. The concept here is the marriage of kaiseki with an izakaya, which means you can order à la carte instead of sitting for a multi-course meal. Standout dishes include the grilled wagyu marinated in rice koji and white miso, or Champon-style rice noodles topped with stir-fried seafood, meats and veggies. Fun fact: every dish here is naturally gluten-free, making this an excellent spot to dine out with your wheat-abstaining friends (don’t miss the craft rice beer!).
Piadi La Piadineria
- 18 E. 23rd St., New York, NY 10010
- Gramercy
Move over, panini, there’s a hot new Italian blazing into town. Now open on 23rd Street is Piadi La Piadineria, a popular Italian sandwich chain with over 500 locations across the country, and now with its very first U.S. location in Gramercy. The shop sells piadina, a flatbread from the Emilia-Romagna region, stuffed with all manner of sweet and savory ingredients, from prosciutto to Nutella. Our personal favorite is the Laura—burrata, pistachio pesto, mortadella and lettuce—but you can also mix and match your own to make it as cheesy or meat-filled as you desire.
Salt Bread Ko.
- 4 E. 32nd St., New York, NY 10016
- Koreatown
If you’re food-trend obsessed, you’ve probably seen a lot about salt bread the past few months—Dominique Ansel just did a wildly popular pop-up bagel version. But now, we’ve been gifted with a proper shop called Salt Bread Ko., which plans to serve a classic rendition of the fluffy carb, baked fresh during multiple “drops” daily. Slather the warm bread with a variety of spreads like a savory garlic confit or kimchi bacon, or sweet options such as matcha or jasmine chocolate. Peanut butter and jelly, we hardly knew ye.
Sushi by Bou
- 320 E. 11th St, New York, NY 10003
- East Village
Another unique omakase opening up this month brings a rock-and-roll sensibility to the sushi meal. Sushi by Bou’s newest location on East 11th includes a karaoke room and a Wayne’s World-inspired lounge because…why not? But you can still expect the same high-quality fish and inventive preparations found at the other locations: look out for plenty of wagyu, caviar and foie gras-topped pieces, especially if you opt for the 17-course “Bou Reserve” menu. Pro-tip: there’s also an intimate, five-seat cocktail bar that will be sneaky-good for an unexpected date night.