roundups

Every Pick for the Absolute Best of New York

Photo: New York Magazine

Nearly 50 days ago marked the beginning of one of our most ambitious projects yet: Over the course of six weeks, editors at New York Magazine and Grub Street, along with a roster of highly knowledgeable contributors, would seek out — and rank — the most excellent things to eat, drink, or just do in all of New York City.

At the time, the idea was to track down winners in 101 different topics. In the end, there were many amazing things, and we ended up slightly over that tally, eventually landing on 112 different subjects, finding the best nachos, hookup bar, piña colada, movie theater, and even the absolute best slice of pizza in all of New York City. Honestly, it was a good gig, though it was also a ton of work, and an unfathomable number of calories. (You’ve got to eat a lot of bad slices of pizza to find the city’s five best.) Now the time has come to take a break. In the meantime, here are all of the topics we covered over the course of this extensive undertaking. Think of it as a kind of ultimate summer to-do list:

The Absolute Best 30th-Birthday Bar

The Absolute Best After-Hours Party

The Absolute Best Alcohol Delivery

The Absolute Best Arcade

The Absolute Best Babka

The Absolute Best Bagel

The Absolute Best Baguette

The Absolute Best Bánh 

The Absolute Best Bar Food

The Absolute Best Bar in the East Village

The Absolute Best Bar in the Theater District

The Absolute Best Bar in Williamsburg

The Absolute Best Barbecue

The Absolute Best Bars Featuring Live Music

The Absolute Best Beer Bar

The Absolute Best Beer Store

The Absolute Best Birthday Cake

The Absolute Best Birthday Party for DIY Kids

The Absolute Best Birthday Party for Hyperactive Kids

The Absolute Best Bistro

The Absolute Best Bloody Mary

The Absolute Best Bowling Alley

The Absolute Best Brunch in Brooklyn

The Absolute Best Brunch in Manhattan

The Absolute Best Budget-Friendly Seafood

The Absolute Best Burger

The Absolute Best Cacio e Pepe

The Absolute Best Cheesecake

The Absolute Best Chicken Soup

The Absolute Best Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown

The Absolute Best Chinese Restaurant in Sunset Park

The Absolute Best Chocolate-Chip Cookie

The Absolute Best Classic Bar

The Absolute Best Cocktail Bar

The Absolute Best Coffee

The Absolute Best Comedy Club

The Absolute Best Comedy Show

The Absolute Best Concert Venue

The Absolute Best Croissant

The Absolute Best Cuban Sandwich

The Absolute Best Dan Dan Noodles

The Absolute Best Dance Club

The Absolute Best Deli

The Absolute Best Dim Sum

The Absolute Best Dive Bars

The Absolute Best Doughnut

The Absolute Best Downtown Date Bar

The Absolute Best Downtown-Hotel Bar

The Absolute Best Falafel

The Absolute Best Food-Court Stall in Flushing

The Absolute Best French Fries

The Absolute Best Fried Chicken

The Absolute Best Fried-Chicken Sandwich

The Absolute Best Gay Bar in Brooklyn

The Absolute Best Gay Bar in Manhattan

The Absolute Best Gay Dance Party

The Absolute Best Grain Bowl

The Absolute Best Hookup Bar

The Absolute Best Ice-Cream Sundae

The Absolute Best Iced Coffee

The Absolute Best Indian Restaurant in Curry Hill

The Absolute Best Italian Hero

The Absolute Best Karaoke Bar

The Absolute Best Korean Barbecue

The Absolute Best Last-Minute Birthday Bar

The Absolute Best Late-Night Restaurant

The Absolute Best Latin Food in the Bronx

The Absolute Best Lobster Roll

The Absolute Best Manhattan

The Absolute Best Margarita

The Absolute Best Martini

The Absolute Best Midtown Bar for After-Work Drinks

The Absolute Best Movie Theater

The Absolute Best Nachos

The Absolute Best Neapolitan Pizza

The Absolute Best Old-Fashioned

The Absolute Best Pasta

The Absolute Best Peking Duck

The Absolute Best Pie

The Absolute Best Piña Colada

The Absolute Best Place to Drink Wine

The Absolute Best Polish Restaurant in Greenpoint

The Absolute Best Pop-up Party

The Absolute Best Pretzel

The Absolute Best Queer Night

The Absolute Best Ramen

The Absolute Best Raw Bar

The Absolute Best Red-Sauce Italian Restaurant

The Absolute Best Restaurant in New York

The Absolute Best Restaurant in Bushwick

The Absolute Best Restaurant in Carroll Gardens

The Absolute Best Restaurant in Park Slope

The Absolute Best Restaurant in Red Hook

The Absolute Best Restaurant in the West Village

The Absolute Best Restaurant in Williamsburg

The Absolute Best Restaurant on the Upper West Side

The Absolute Best Reuben Sandwich

The Absolute Best Roast Chicken

The Absolute Best Rooftop Bar

The Absolute Best Slice of Pizza

The Absolute Best Soup Dumplings

The Absolute Best Steak

The Absolute Best Sushi Omakase

The Absolute Best Tacos

The Absolute Best Tasting Menu

The Absolute Best Thai Food in Elmhurst

The Absolute Best Upscale Seafood Restaurant

The Absolute Best Uptown Date Bar

The Absolute Best Uptown-Hotel Bar

The Absolute Best Veggie Burger

The Absolute Best Whiskey Bar

The Absolute Best Wine Shop

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Every Pick for the Absolute Best of New York