The 11 Best New Restaurants Opening in New York This October

While you might not have known it from the unusually warm early October weather, we’re in the first full month of fall. And though we haven’t reached hearty soup territory just yet, maybe you’re not craving that gazpacho as much as you were a couple months ago. So what is the ideal cuisine for October, you may ask? Well, that’s the beauty of this month: nearly everything can be appealing in this liminal time between sweltering and freezing.

Luckily, the new restaurants opening up right now understood the assignment, which means you’ve got a little bit of everything to choose from. We’ve got the lowdown on all of them, of course, from a laidback, all-day cafe in perennially hip Nolita to an 18-course (yes, 18) Japanese tasting menu from the first New York location of a famed sushi counter. This month also appears to be one for reinvention, judging from the long-anticipated reopening of Babbo to a brand-new menu concept at Yoshoku inside the also recently reopened Waldorf Astoria New York.

As always, we’ve already done the hard work of researching and eating at as many of the hottest openings as we can. And now, we pass the knowledge onto you. Below, find the 11 best new restaurants opening in New York this October.

Babbo

• 110 Waverly Pl., New York, NY 10011
• Greenwich Village

Formerly one of New York’s most revered temples to pasta, Babbo fell into some (pun intended) hot water due to the activities of its former owner, who shall remain nameless. But the Greenwich Village institution makes a delicious comeback this month, now with acclaimed pasta whisperer Mark Ladner behind the burners. Look out for a menu featuring reinvented classics from the former iteration, like goat cheese tortelloni or beef cheek ravioli, as well as a minestrone that bubbles on the stove for weeks before being served.

Cove

• ​285 W. Houston St., New York, NY 10014
• Hudson Square

While chef Flynn McGarry may not count as a total wunderkind any longer—he opened his first restaurant, Gem, at only 19—at 26, his career is still wildly impressive. The latest project for the young chef is Cove, a California-inflected fine dining spot on West Houston. The seasonal menu will have deep roots in sustainability: McGarry even constructed a garden on Long Island to service the restaurant with vegetables, herbs and flowers. On the inaugural fall iteration, look out for entrees like lobster served with chanterelles, new potatoes and chamomile, or grilled eggplant topped with truffle, wild rice and dashi.

Cuna

• 25 Cooper Sq., New York, NY 10003
• East Village

The Standard, East Village gets a restaurant glow-up this month with the opening of Cuna, a Mérida and Mexico City-inspired spot from chef Maycoll Calderón (Acre in Cabo, Huset in Mexico City). And while the cuisine here is rooted in traditional Mexican recipes, New York—and its green markets—certainly play a supporting role. The grilled catch of the day, for instance, pairs local seafood with ginger-coconut rice, mango, serrano chili and a seasonally-shifting herb oil. And for something a little more casual, swing by Cuna Bar next door, which boasts its own late-night snack menu with nibbles like short rib nachos and mini elote skewers.

Danny’s

• 46 W 22nd St., New York, NY 10010
• Flatiron

Old-school is cool again with the opening of Danny’s, an American bistro from notable TV host and author Dan Abrams. Inspired by the late 19th and early 20th century restaurants of New York, the menu here leans towards refined classics, but as imagined by chef Ed Tinoco (formerly of The Alinea Group). We recommend starting with the ham and cheese hot pockets, which are cheffed-up with 16-month aged ham and a four cheese blend, followed by the poultry one-two punch of dry-aged Peking duck and the rosemary-buttermilk fried chicken served alongside maple butter biscuits. The wine list here is also of note, featuring an entirely all-American lineup with over 110 standard selections and 50 reserve bottles.

Fasano Bar

• 60 E. 49th St., New York, NY 10017
• Midtown East

It’s a common text message refrain: “Anywhere actually good to grab a drink in Midtown?” Well, friends, now we have an answer for you: Fasano Bar has just debuted on East 49th Street. Perfect for both after-work drinks or pre-theater cocktails, the menu here also offers plenty of snacking options, from late-afternoon stuzzichini plates like mozzarella in carrozza, to larger Milanese dishes like risotto with lobster and saffron. As for what to drink: we’re big fans of both of the bar’s signature Negronis, or for a splurge, one of their reserve cocktails, like the Vesper Fasano made with Belvedere 10 vodka, rye, Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret and Lillet Rosé.

Hwaro

• 776 8th Ave., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10036
• Theater District

Korean food has been experiencing an incredible amount of growth in New York over the last few years, and luckily, shows no sign of stopping. One of the most anticipated openings this month is Hwaro, which is set to start serving meals mid-month inside the Theater District’s modern American steakhouse, Gui. The 13-course tasting menu from chef Sungchul Shim (Kochi, Mari) highlights many traditional Korean cooking styles, like charcoal grilling and fermentation, but the flavors range from countries all over East Asia. Standout entrees on the fall menu include foie gras and duck pastrami, served with fermented black rice and a mushroom tart drizzled with a rich porcini mornay sauce.

Shifka

• 116 W. Houston St., New York, NY 10012
• Noho

An unspoken rule of New York City eating: we can never have enough handheld food options. And so we are delighted that the team behind Sami & Susu is opening Shifka, which specializes in fluffy pita sandwiches (along with a deep bench of dips, bowls and soft serve). All the classic combos will be on offer here, from a lamb kebab to a sabich served with eggplant and a soft-cooked egg, as well as more innovative takes like a cauliflower shawarma. Leave room for the soft serve, of course, which comes in the intriguing flavors of tahini-vanilla and amba-white chocolate.

Sushi Aozora

• 15 E. 15th St., New York, NY 10003
• Union Square

Sushi snobs, take note: Union Square’s newest omakase comes with one hell of a pedigree. Sushi Aozora is the latest project from the team behind lauded Fifteen East, and is led by chef Ben Chan, formerly of other sushi temples Sushi Ishikawa and Sushi Seki. The seasonally changing menu will feature ingredients sourced from all over the globe—from Japan’s Toyosu Market to the Greenmarket a stone’s throw away—and include dishes like Hokkaido hairy crab topped with uni and shiso blossoms or grilled Spanish mackerel with green soy sauce. The beverage program is also worth exploring for its curated selection of rare and small-batch labels of sake, Japanese beer and wine.

Sushidokoro Mekumi

• 70 Charlton St., New York, NY 10014
• Hudson Square

One of the most intimate restaurants to open all season is surely Sushidokoro Mekumi: an eight-seat downtown omakase counter from chef Hajime Kumabe. The space is an offshoot of Mekumi’s original location in Japan, which specializes in the fish of the Ishikawa region and is led by Takayoshi Yamaguchi. In New York, this menu will take the form of a whopping 18-course meal which includes appetizers, nigiri and plenty of seasonal surprises. And play close attention to the utensils and tableware: they’re handmade by Ishikawa artisans and chosen specifically for their harmony with each course.

Txula Steak

• 515 W. 30th St., New York, NY 10001
• Hudson Yards

If we say there’s a new José Andrés restaurant opening up, we can probably leave it at that and you’ll make a reservation, regardless. But Txula Steak, a Basque-style steakhouse that replaces Leña inside Mercado Little Spain, would be worth checking out even without the famed chef’s name attached. Inspired by traditional northern Spanish asadores, the menu here celebrates protein in all its forms, from Ibérico pork to Spanish lamb (the first time the meat will be available in the U.S.), as well as the hearty Txuleburger made with dry-aged ribeye. But please save room for the cheesecake cart, where, naturally, the Basque version is available, as well as plenty of cheeses and Spanish honey.

Yoshoku

• 301 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022
• Midtown East

The reopening of the Waldorf Astoria New York was probably the biggest hotel news the city has had in the last decade. But the unveilings didn’t end once it flung open its doors: officially opening at the end of this month after a soft launch is Yoshoku. Executive chef Ry Nitzkowski’s new kaiseki-inspired menu is all about seasonality and precision: think uni toast with caviar and yuzu on shokupan bread or grilled madai served with corn, ginger and charred scallion relish.