One of the highlights of going to New York City, without a doubt, is eating.
With hundreds of amazing restaurants and new eateries opening every day, tastings are a great way to savor the city.
This list highlights several of the Big Apple’s best and most atypical spaces that provide fun sampling experiences.
Unique NYC Tasting Experiences
1) Hearth
403 E 12th St, Manhattan
Hearth is a homey Tuscan-inspired restaurant in the East Village that has been delighting diners since 2003. The warmth, accessibility, and convivial atmosphere of this restaurant have won it a lot of loyal fans, in addition to its delicious food.
If you’re looking for an excellent food and wine tasting menu, Hearth has you covered. This restaurant offers a nine-dish, four-course tasting menu served family-style for the table to share for $95 per person. You can also add a wine pairing for $65 per person.
This restaurant places a special emphasis on farm-to-table cooking, and many of the menu items are seasonal and based on what’s fresh right now.
Highlights of the menu here include maccheroni pork ragù and grass-fed beef and ricotta meatballs. The wine selection is also top-notch.
2) Dirt Candy
86 Allen St, Manhattan
Dirt Candy is a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant on the Lower East Side with a stylish, airy atmosphere. This is a great place for dinner if you’re looking for inventive vegetarian cuisine served as a tasting menu.
For $110 per person, which includes the tip, you can enjoy a five-course tasting menu that changes seasonally. You can also experience a curated wine pairing with your dinner for an additional $55 per person.
Dirt Candy has been around since 2008, long before the plant-based craze took hold. Ever since its opening, this restaurant has been committed to high standards and ethics when it comes to the food it serves and its labor practices.
3) Corima
121 Baxter St # C, Manhattan
Located between Chinatown and the Lowest East Side, Corima is a restaurant that focuses on Northern Mexican cuisine—specifically from Sonora and Chihuahua. The name means “circle of sharing” in the language of the Indigenous Rarámuri people.
If you haven’t tried this type of Mexican food before, expect dishes like grilled mackerel and blue corn quesadillas.
The food at Corima also pays homage to Chinese and Japanese cuisine, giving it a unique flair unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. Corima has a seven-course food tasting experience for $98 per person, which also includes additional botanas, or snacks.
You also shouldn’t miss trying something from the drinks menu at this restaurant, which features Northern Mexican spirits and wine from the Guadalupe Valley. This is the perfect place for a birthday dinner or other special meal.
4) Ruffian
125 E 7th St, Manhattan
If you’re looking for a great food and wine tasting menu, look no further than Ruffian. Located in the East Village, this intimate wine bar with both indoor and outdoor seating is the perfect spot for a fun date night.
The restaurant serves primarily vegetarian dishes, with some gluten-free and vegan options as well. There’s a big focus on farm-to-table cooking and fresh local ingredients, with the menu items changing seasonally.
Ruffian offers a four-course dinner tasting menu for $60. You can also enjoy a wine pairing for an additional $55 per person.
The wine is a highlight here with a dynamic selection of more than 250 wines, focusing especially on wines from regions like Georgia, Macedonia, and Hungary.
5) DDOBAR
601 W. 26th St, Manhattan
A very unique food tasting in NYC can be found at DDOBAR in Olly Olly Market, a food hall located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Inspired by Korean pastry cuisine, this is by far one of the most Instagrammable tasting menus you can try in New York.
You’ll be delighted by the innovative dishes served on DDOBAR’s two tasting menus: the Yubu Tart Tasting for $75 per person and the Chef Studio Tasting for $135 per person. The yubu tarts consist of tofu, rice, and unique flavor combinations, while the pricier tasting menu offers heartier dishes like crabmeat yubu risotto and duck soba.
DDOBAR offers its tasting menus for lunch and dinner every day of the week except Monday when it’s only open for dinner.
6) Tokyo Record Bar
127 MacDougal St, Manhattan
Tokyo Record Bar is one of the more unique restaurants in NYC, offering a tasting menu combined with a curated musical experience. This restaurant in Greenwich Village is inspired by the vinyl “listening bars” of Japan.
While you eat, you’ll be able to enjoy a playlist of vinyl selections that you and the other diners choose, making for a memorable dinner experience. There are two or three seatings for the tasting menu each night, and the cost is $85 per person (not including tax or tip).
With the tasting menu, you’ll get seven courses of Japanese dishes served family-style. There’s a vegetarian and gluten-free menu available as well as a drinks menu with Japanese beer and sake by the glass.
The ambiance of this restaurant is cozy and intimate and it’s one of the best NYC tasting menus under $100, making it a great option for a special dinner or date night.
7) Il Fiorista
17 W 26th St, Manhattan
Il Fiorista is an Italian restaurant that offers possibly the best tasting menu in NYC on a budget. Located in NoMad, this restaurant has a bright and airy interior that transforms into a cozy and stylish vibe at night.
The focus of this restaurant is on incorporating botanicals like flowers and herbs into cuisine but on more than just an aesthetical level.
The restaurant offers a pre-fixe menu for $65 per person with three courses. You can also add a wine pairing for an additional $25 per person. The menu features Italian-inspired dishes with innovative botanical incorporations.
You also shouldn’t miss the cocktail menu here for some delicious and inventive drinks.
In addition to its tasting menu, Il Fiorista offers community classes on how to incorporate botanicals into your food, and the health benefits of various flowers and herbs.
8) Atoboy
43 E 28th St, Manhattan
Drawing from Korean cuisine and flavors, Atoboy is one of the best restaurants with an affordable tasting menu in NYC. The restaurant is based on the concept of banchan, or side dishes that are served with every meal in Korean cuisine.
For just $75 per person including tip, you can have a four-course tasting menu featuring dishes like sea urchin, mussel guksu, and pork belly. The tasting menu also includes sides of rice, kimchi, and banchan. This makes it a fairly cheap tasting menu that offers one of the best values in NYC.
The restaurant is sleek and minimalist, hidden behind a nondescript entrance in NoMad for a speakeasy vibe.
Also, Atoboy is located just a few blocks away from Koreatown—one of the best food enclaves in NYC where you’ll find many other Korean restaurants and bars.
9) Atera
77 Worth St, Manhattan
Located in Tribeca, Atera is a two-Michelin-starred restaurant offering a unique and immersive tasting menu experience under Chef Ronny Emborg. The intimate counter seating surrounds an open kitchen, allowing guests to watch each artfully crafted dish come to life.
Atera’s menu, priced at $298 per person, showcases globally inspired, seasonal ingredients with creations like shigoku oysters with kiwi and cucumber, or halibut in shrimp bisque.
The relaxed yet refined atmosphere is enhanced by a lively playlist, and guests can opt for wine pairings at $198 or non-alcoholic Temperance pairings at $138. Reservations open four weeks in advance.
10) Falansai
112 Harrison Pl, Brooklyn
Falansai is one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn with a tasting menu under $100 per person. Located in Bushwick, this restaurant combines Mexican and Vietnamese flavors in delicious and inventive ways.
The degustation menu here is $55 per person for a three-course menu or $88 per person for a five-course menu.
Falansai has a lively atmosphere and is located in a cool warehouse space, making it a great spot to go for dinner before enjoying the exciting nightlife that Bushwick has to offer.
11) Fulgurances
132 Franklin St, Brooklyn
Finally, one of the best tasting menus in New York City can be found at Fulgurances in Greenpoint. This restaurant is the Brooklyn outpost of the same concept that has been so successful in Paris.
Featuring chefs-in-residence that rotate seasonally, Fulgurances showcases some of the most innovative cuisine from top emerging chefs.
Housed in a former laundromat, Fulgurances provides a casual, cozy space for enjoying an elevated dining experience.
You can choose between a six-course tasting menu for $94 per person (with an optional wine pairing for $65) or an eight-course tasting menu for $120 per person (with an optional wine pairing for $75).
Delicious NYC Food Tasting Tours
Another great way to enjoy a unique NYC tasting experience is to book a food tour with multiple stops. A few top-rated options include:
- 🍲 Secret Food Tours of Chinatown & Little Italy
- 🍡 Chelsea Market & High Line Guided Food Tour
- 🍪 Greenwich Village Walking & Food Tasting Tour
- 🍕 The Story Of Lower East Side’s Food Culture
- 🥟 Flavors of Flushing: Exploring New York’s Biggest Chinatown
➡️ Click here for a full list of NYC food tours.
