It is a poorly kept secret that September is actually the best time to visit New York City. Sure, everyone fawns over the holiday season or summer festivals, but locals know the most vibrant month of the calendar is really the first one of the fall. Not only is the weather about as perfect as it gets, but visitors and New Yorkers alike are treated to the biggest glut of restaurant openings all year. Trying to decide where to eat and what your favorite new spot should be feels like March Madness … but with more french fries.
As always, we’ve already done the difficult work of tracking openings, scouring menus and researching which places are the absolute best new restaurants to try this month. And from a field that was truly staggering, below we have chosen our top 10. They range from the first restaurant from a New York hospitality legend’s son to the reopening of another famed chef’s landmark Lincoln Square complex, plus plenty of burgers, beef patties and fried chicken in between.
And for even more advanced planning, don’t forget to read our fall preview story, which has details on some of October and November’s most anticipated openings as well.
The New York City Restaurant Openings to Know This Month
Amphora
43 E 20th St., New York, NY 10003
Flatiron
Taking over the former Veritas space at the top of this month was Amphora, a seasonally focused fine-dining restaurant from chef Jack Logue, who has worked at Michelin-starred kitchens including Betony and The Clocktower. What sets this Flatiron spot apart from other date-night-worthy options is its wine list: with 2,500 bottles at opening (chosen by wine director Chris Miller in conjunction with Logue), it’s already one of the largest collections in all of New York. As such, the tasting menu with wine pairings will be Amphora’s signature offering, but guests can also choose from three- and four-course prix fixes, as well as order à la carte at the bar.
Amphora.
Alex Staniloff
The Astor
425 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10003
Noho
NoHo Hospitality continues its decades-long partnership with The Public Theater with the mid-month opening of The Astor, a tavern-style spot inside the theater’s famed building on Lafayette Street. Chef Andrew Carmellini will serve riffs on classic American dishes, like “Devilish Eggs” and a cheffed-up take on a popular bar bite rechristened “Pigs in Wellington.” Cocktails will draw on similar traditional inspiration, with martinis and Manhattans on the menu, created by Darryl Chan, plus a tightly edited wine list from Josh Nadel.
The Astor.
Michael Condran
Brasserie Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Lincoln Square
Pre-theater diners have been counting down the days until chef Daniel Boulud reopens his Lincoln Square flagship and—finally!—the time draws near. The new concept combines his three former restaurants into one destination, now called Brasserie Boulud. Clocking in at over 10,000 square feet across two floors, the Rockwell Group-designed restaurant will feature a main dining room with a classic French menu, as well as a speakeasy and private dining rooms. Notably, the restaurant will also be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which means you can swing by in the morning for a proper croissant and pop over for a cocktail after your show wraps up at Lincoln Center.
Brasserie Boulud.
Jason Varney for Rockwell Group
Cafe Charmant
340 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014
West Village
Few restaurant groups have captured lightning in a bottle in recent years in the way that Catch Hospitality Group has (have you tried to get into The Corner Store? We rest our case). The newest addition to the New York portfolio is Cafe Charmant, a brasserie focused on the food of coastal France. Executive chef Jake Brodsky (Eleven Madison Park) will serve elevated takes on standards like steak frites and salade niçoise, while beverage director Lucas Robinson will play around with twists on classic cocktails, like a cucumber sour or the Provençal dirty martini.
Cafe Charmant.
Nick Johnson
Creola
1261 Park Ave., New York, NY 10029
Upper East Side
One of the smallest restaurants opening this month packs one of the biggest punches. Earlier in September, chef Lana Lagomarsini (Top Chef: Destination Canada) unveiled Creola, a 12-seat, five-course tasting menu that draws inspiration from the food of the African diaspora, the American South and her own childhood in New York. Named for her grandmother, who also taught her to cook, Lagomarsini will launch with courses such as an oxtail pâté en croûte flavored to taste like a Jamaican beef patty, and a collard green potlikker consommé served with trout and a trout-fat roasted cornbread.
Creola.
Clay Williams
Dante Elizabeth Street
210 Elizabeth St., New York, NY 10012
Nolita
One of the most anticipated openings of the fall season, Dante Elizabeth Street, has landed in Nolita. Owners Linden Pride and Nathalie Hudson worked with AvroKO on the design of the 205-seat space. The powerhouse bar concept’s latest addition to its New York portfolio will feature a seasonal Italian food menu with many dishes making use of a wood-fired grill and pizza oven. And, of course, Dante’s signature drink, the Negroni, will be on offer here, along with spritzes, martinis and other classics.
Dante Elizabeth Street.
Giada Paoloni
Faux
277 Church St., New York, NY 10013
Tribeca
Legendary restaurateur Keith McNally (Balthazar, Pastis) isn’t the only one in the family business any longer: his son George has now gotten into the hospitality game with Faux, a new coastal French bistro on Church Street with chef Kristina Ramos (Eleven Madison Park) at the burners. The double-level space, designed by Ian McPheely (who also designed Pastis and Balthazar), actually encompasses two concepts: the restaurant serving dry-aged beef burgers and steak frites while slinging martinis on one floor, and underground lounge Prevz operating on the other.
Good Time Country Buffet
166 1st Ave., New York, NY 10009
East Village
Good Time Country Buffet opened on Sept. 12; it’s the third concept from Good Time Hospitality, the team behind Bib Gourmand restaurant C as in Charlie and James Beard Award semifinalist Kisa. In their new East Village spot, classic Southern buffets serve as the inspiration, with dishes like fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread available as part of the all-you-can-eat experience.
Good Time Country Buffet.
Good Time Country Buffet
Hommali
28 7th Ave. S., New York, NY 10014
West Village
The wide-ranging flavors of Bangkok are on offer at Hommali, a new contemporary Thai spot opening this month from chef Chattchakorn “Benz” Khajornchaisan. But chef Benz interprets them through her own lens—think a seafood cocktail with razor clams, scallop and shrimp with a sauce inspired by tom yum—and with her own housemade seasonings, like fermented chili and curry paste. Hom mali means fragrant jasmine rice in Thai, so it’s no surprise that the grain is featured in the food, but it’s also found in the drinks as well: don’t miss the Banana made with jasmine rice-infused whiskey, or the Tomato, a michelada-spritz with a base of Singaporean rice wine.
Hommali.
Hommali
Mythily
129 Havemeyer St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
Williamsburg
After two years of pop-ups around New York, chef Rasika Venkatesa has finally found a home for her contemporary South Indian restaurant. Named after her grandmother, Mythily is inspired by the Tamil food of Venkatesa’s childhood but reimagined using the classical skills the chef picked up working in kitchens like The French Laundry, as well as New York’s bounty of local produce and products. Menu highlights include dishes like tilefish with romanesco, black currant kosho and Nagapattinam manga curry, while a cocktail list focuses on low-ABV drinks. Try the Marina Beach, with housemade pineapple tepache, green cardamom shochu and ginger beer.