It’s up to you. No, really. In New York, New York, anyone can delight in the experience of navigating their way through the world’s best real-life approximation of Epcot. As the greater metro area of the world’s foremost diversity capital, New York City is the place to visit when you’re craving a small taste of literally everywhere else in the world. Perhaps a concrete jungle can’t replace the beaches of Brazil or the snow-capped Himalayas, but you can certainly eat your way around the globe without ever leaving the five boroughs. The team at Babbel’s NYC headquarters has helped put together this New York City restaurant guide for anyone jonesing for an authentic taste of the world’s varied cuisines.
Cantonese — Congee Village
Neighborhood: Lower East Side, Flushing
Come here for: Family-style eats around a large, accommodating table with a lazy susan, featuring an extensive menu of delicious Chinese food not entirely limited to Cantonese.
Dominican — La Nueva España
Neighborhood: Washington Heights
Come here for: The grilled chicken. And the rice, and the beans, and the tostones…
Ethiopian — Awash
Neighborhood: Cobble Hill
Come here for: The heavenly injera, or the spongy bread served with many typical Ethiopian dishes and stews.
Filipino — Tito Rad’s Grill
Neighborhood: Woodside
Come here for: “Authentic Filipino dishes just like grandma used to make it.”
French — Daniel
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Come here for: A jackets-required, Michelin-rated deep dive into exquisite multi-course menus and smatterings of caviar.
Georgian — Oda House
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: The khachapuri — just be prepared to leave with your pants slightly unbuttoned.
German — Heidelberg
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Come here for: A legitimately old-school, family-run vibe owing to a long, 83-year history in New York City.
Greek — Souvlaki GR
Neighborhood: Lower East Side, Midtown
Come here for: White-washed walls and authentic decor that’s convincing enough to come from Mykonos itself (not to mention a menu so delicious, there are quite honestly no wrong choices).
Indian — Ganesh Temple Canteen
Neighborhood: Flushing
Come here for: Delicious, South Indian food served straight out of a Hindu temple in residential Queens.
Italian — I Sodi
Neighborhood: West Village
Come here for: Traditional, unfussy (but definitely not unrefined) Tuscan food and house-made pasta.
Jamaican — Miss Lily’s
Neighborhood: East Village, SoHo
Come here for: Jerk seasoning, colorful decor and, unquestionably, the jerk corn, which is basically like the Jamaican answer to Mexican elote.
Japanese — Yakitori Totto
Neighborhood: Midtown
Come here for: Grilled meat skewers that have been bestowed with the stamp of Anthony Bourdain’s approval.
Jewish — Russ & Daughters Cafe
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Come here for: The complete table menu response to the original Russ & Daughters store, which has been serving legendary schmaltz herring to New Yorkers for over a century.
Korean — Gopchang Story BBQ
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Come here for: The gopchang, a delicacy made from small intestines — or just about any other popular Korean staple.
Mexican — ATLA
Neighborhood: NoHo
Come here for: A contemporary spin on Mexican flavors that involves some seriously fresh herb guacamole.
Moroccan — Cafe Mogador
Neighborhood: East Village, Williamsburg
Come here for: The best Middle Eastern brunch you can possibly lay a finger on, vouched for by the lines that are constantly forming out the door and its impressively long tenure in the East Village, opening back in 1983.
Northeastern Thai — Somtum Der
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: Genuine Isan-style larb, green papaya salad, fried chicken, pork neck, spicy catfish salad, the list goes on.
Russian — Mari Vanna
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Come here for: Teleportation straight into the mythical Russian countryside apartment of your imagination, complete with Babushka‘s home cooking.
Senegalese — Ponty Bistro
Neighborhood: Harlem
Come here for: The Dakar chicken wings and the Moules Africana (mussels cooked in African spices).
Serbian — Kafana
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: Culinary memories from the former Yugoslavia and a bistro setting straight out of Belgrade.
Sichuan — Hot Kitchen
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: The answer to all your hot pot prayers and a wafting of street-food style barbecue with spices imported directly from Sichuan.
Spanish — Casa Mono
Neighborhood: Gramercy
Come here for: Top-rated tapas inspired by the executive chef’s childhood spent growing up in a fishing village on Spain’s Costa Brava.
Swedish — Aquavit
Neighborhood: Midtown
Come here for: A Michelin-decorated taste of Scandinavian flavors like dill, black currant, lingonberry and herring.
Ukrainian — Veselka
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: Pierogis that have been adored by New Yorkers since 1954, as well as weekend late-night menus for the hungry and the restless.
Uzbek — Taste Of Samarkand
Neighborhood: Rego Park
Come here for: The extensive kebab menu, plus typical Uzbeki concoctions like manti (which are similar to soup dumplings) and chebureki (fried meat pies).
Vietnamese — Madame Vo
Neighborhood: East Village
Come here for: A fragrant, modern spin on traditional Vietnamese dishes, passed down from the owners’ own family recipes.
Yunnan — Little Tong Noodle Shop
Neighborhood: East Village, Midtown
Come here for: A flavorful, satisfying bowl of Chinese rice noodles inspired by the cuisine of the Yunnan province.