After spending much of last year dipping in and out of nearly 150 eateries (!), from longstanding institutions to popular taco trucks, I figured it was high time to crown a new number one for 2026. And after a few repeat visits and one delightful butter-based experience later, our number one restaurant in New York goes to the comeback kid, Adda.
I’ll be the first to say, I never got the chance to make it to the original and more casual Adda that stood in Long Island City for nearly a decade, the very one that put chef Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar’s style of unapologetic cookery on display. But I am thoroughly enjoying the second act that has been resurrected in the East Village, both for its balance of something old (re-introducing their bouncy, creamy paneer and the steamed, custardy goat brain) and something entirely brand-new: the Butter Chicken Experience.
What exactly is a Butter Chicken Experience, you ask? The restaurant took its beloved dish and turned it into a tableside treat for $42 per person. Before you write it off as a gimmick, I am here to confirm that it exceeds expectations. For only six tables each night, one of the restaurant’s chefs wheels up to the table armed with a smoker of charred heritage-breed chicken, still steaming hot. You’ll get to choose the woodchips and—best of all—the butter for the namesake specialty. Current options include an earthy and floral fenugreek, a smoked chili that definitely kicks back in the spice department and a pickled tomato.
Then the chef gets to work, layering in salt, sugar and honey and a whole mess of chilis, depending on your preference of spice. In my case, the velvety, smoked chili-laced sauce certainly brought the heat that rose in the throat, glistening with so much butter that I could see globules of it in the many (and I mean many) pictures that I snapped. The unlimited dal, paratha and rice to sop it all up were the cherry on top.
But even if you didn’t go all out for the fanfare, all of the small touches at Adda make an impact. The chutneys? Reiterated in my first visit, “you can dip them and drink them in the same dinner, as tart tamarind, smoky mango mezcal and earthy onion brine martinis come together as a trio.” The chaatwala who roam around the dining room festooned with a tray of chaats hanging around their neck hold some of the best bites of the bunch, balancing the zip of chutney, the crunch of lotus root, and the cooling sensation of yogurt, all in one bite. Vegetables stand proudly on their own, as charred and meaty mushrooms found in the Bhatti Kumbh don’t stay on the table for long, thanks to the yogurt spread kicked with a bit of Kashmiri chili. And the lamb parcha, which arrives at the table, piping hot with a dollop of lamb butter on top? It easily became one of our best dishes of 2025.
For our number two spot, we head on over to Brooklyn to one of our best restaurants of 2024, Theodora. Another successful restaurant from Tomer Blechman—who has undoubtedly created his own little corner in Fort Greene with kougin-amans and katafi croissants from Thea and some of the best brunch in the area (and dinner) with Miss Ada—Theodora keeps us continually excited with its extensive selection of fish, be it raw, smoked and grilled over the flame. And its bread, puffed and warm pitas and tangy sourdough bread that holds the weight of airy whipped ricottas? Its what ties it all together.
Meanwhile, Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi comes in as our number three spot on the list, as Onwuachi’s even balance of the food from his Afro Caribbean heritage and that of his New York upbringing still keep us delighted with Caribbean patties puffed with “shreddy goat gloriously cooked down with fiery chilies,” “burnished and charred strips” of okra and a dessert fashioned out his favorite childhood bodega treat, the Cosmic Brownie served with “tight rings of ice cream, fashioned to look like powdered doughnuts.”
Newcomers to 2025 also made their debut on the list, including Red Hook’s most charming restaurant, Pitt’s, and the fine Caribbean restaurant that just wants you to “Love Yuh Self,” Kabawa. As the year progresses and a new crop of talent emerges against the backdrop of our fabulous dining scene, we plan to add and subtract from the list, so keep your eyes peeled.
Hungry? Great, us too. Read on to find out who else made the list for our best restaurants in NYC right now.
