18 Food Insiders Share Their Favorite NYC Summer Dining Spots

Cultured magazine asked 18 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, and culinary insiders to recommend their go-to New York restaurants for summer 2026. The guide spans neighborhoods from Crown Heights to Sheepshead Bay, with picks including Bong (Crown Heights) recommended by Helen Rosner for seafood and pilsner; Randazzo’s Clam Bar (Brighton Beach) by Sunny Lee for post-bike ride clams; La Vara (Cobble Hill) by Ruth Reichl for inventive Spanish fare; Antonucci Cafe (Upper East Side) by Annie Shi for off-menu chicken parm; El Pingüino (Greenpoint) by Miki Nomura for fresh seafood; Bánh Mì Cô Út 2 (Chinatown) by Anthony Ha for summer rolls; Roman’s (Fort Greene) by Lauren Schofield for seasonal pasta; Uzuki (Greenpoint) by Forrest Florsheim for handmade soba in ceramic bowls; Borgo (Gramercy) by Dennis Spina for vegetable-forward dishes; Noury (SoHo) by Christine Muhlke for izakaya-style small plates; Bread and Salt (Jersey City) by Paris Starn for tomato pie; Landi’s Pork Store (Mill Basin) by Rob Martinez for beach sandwiches; I Sodi (West Village) by Chloe Walsh for pasta; Old John’s Luncheonette (Upper West Side) by Eri Miyagi for BLT; Le Crocodile (Williamsburg) by Sammy Koolik for French bistro classics; Sherdor Restaurant (Sheepshead Bay) by Loren Abramovitch and Daniel Soskolne for Uzbek grill; and Ops (East Village) by Sadie Mae Burns for natural wine and pizza.