The 8 New Restaurants to Try in New York This January
If social media is any indication, 2026’s New Year’s resolutions seem to have taken a turn away from abstention and towards indulgence. Quests, in particular (whether for cheese or chocolate), are a trend that we can certainly get behind. What do they entail? Well, basically just…eating a lot of whatever you pick for your quest. So, considering the stellar openings for the top of this year, may we suggest new restaurants as your theme? This month brings everything from wine bars to steakhouses, noodle shops to Aussie cafes, which means your palate is in no danger of getting bored.
But if you need further narrowing down, we can help. Just like our city that’s so nice they named it twice, how about hitting double-named spots? January brings not one, but two: the nut butter haven Buddy Buddy, as well as Thai dessert shop Chim Chim. Or are all-day cafes your favorite? We have all the details on a new location of Aussie-inspired Isla & Co., as well as Aperitivo by Carta, the sister spot to beloved Carta Wine Bar.
Of course, you can also just let your imagination run wild. Read on to discover your own personal quest and the eight best new restaurants opening in New York City this January.
NYC’s Most Exciting January Restaurant Openings
Aperitivo by Carta
- 101 W. 10th St, New York, NY 10011
- West Village
The team behind Carta Wine Bar opens a sister spot late this month, one whose concept expands beyond just snacks and tipples and into a proper all-day cafe. In the mornings, Aperitivo by Carta will sling fresh pastries, sandwiches and Paloma Bakery coffee, while after 4 p.m., the space will morph into a romantic, 24-seat wine bar that also serves craft beer, spritzes and a large selection of vermouths. Full-size entrees will be on the menu as well, including hearty winter dishes like a lobster Manchego mac and cheese or braised short ribs.
Buddy Buddy
- 340 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
- NoHo
Chances are, your smoothie and coffee-obsessed pals have already been posting pictures of this European import, which soft-opened on Bowery at the end of last month, and is now churning out nut-butter goods seven days a week. And yes, you can get a plain espresso here made with house-roasted beans, but what’s the fun in that? We recommend, instead, their famed Le Buddy (a peanut butter latte), or our personal favorite, the almond butter chai made with black tea and warming spices. And don’t miss the “cheeks”: pastries that fall somewhere in between cake and cookies and are served warm with your choice of nut butter.
Charlotte Patisserie
- 78 7th Ave., New York, NY 10011
- Chelsea
Greenpoint-favorite bakery Charlotte Patisserie makes the leap across the East River into Chelsea this month, with the opening of a 7th Avenue storefront. Its beloved pączki—jelly and cream-filled Polish-style doughnuts—will also be transferring, but keep an eye out for brand-new experiences like the café gourmand, a set menu of mignardises and espresso. This will also be an excellent shop to pick up celebration cakes; we expect the opera cake (almond sponge soaked in coffee syrup with chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream) to be on many a Chelsea table this winter.
Chim Chim
- 352 E. 20th St., New York, NY 10003
- Gramercy
Fans of Aing Sweet Treats have been anxiously awaiting the brick-and-mortar opening of the team’s first shop, and were finally rewarded this month with 20th Street’s Chim Chim. Specializing in desserts from Thailand and Southeast Asia, one neon-colored pie in particular has already gone viral: an orange and purple burnt cheesecake made with ube, salted egg yolk and pork floss. The shop also stocks a variety of cookies, cakes (we’re particularly interested in snagging a slice of the three-tiered chocolate) and a full selection of coffees made with imported Thai beans.
Golden Steer New York
- 1 5th Ave., New York, NY 10003
- Greenwich Village
Old-school steakhouses seem to be having a moment in New York right now, and that trend shows no sign of stopping with the opening of Vegas import Golden Steer. Taking over the former One Fifth space, this satellite location aims to channel the same energy that made stars like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley such huge fans of the original. So, what are you ordering? Leave your vegetarian friends at home for this dinner, and grab cuts like a 12-ounce filet mignon, double-cut lamb chops and a 50-ounce dry-aged porterhouse. But leave room for dessert, which includes throwbacks like tableside-flambéed bananas foster and cherries jubilee.
Gusi
- 432 6th Ave., New York, NY 10011
- Greenwich Village
Eastern Europe meets the Mediterranean deliciously this month with the opening of Gusi, a new concept from restaurateurs Boris Artemyev and Elena Melnikova. Named for the Slavic word for geese, the menu is inspired by a similar migratory concept: the melding of different cultures to create new (and tasty) dishes. There may be no better example of this on the menu than the borscht, which is served not only in its classic beet preparation, but also in duck, beef and bean varieties. Cocktails are similarly rooted in a sense of place and feature everything from pine cone and tomato infusions to Cornelian cherry liqueur.
Isla & Co.
- 139 Orchard St., New York, NY 10002
- Lower East Side
Does anyone do all-day cafes better than the Australians? Judging from the crowds at all of them around the city, we don’t think so. Happily, the Lower East Side receives a new entry this month with the opening of Isla & Co. inside the Merchant Hotel. Grab some classic, rib-sticking sausage rolls for lunch, or swing by for dinner to try lamb ragout with rigatoni pasta and miso jus. While we do recommend ordering the tequila-based Margot Robbie cocktail (because how could we not?), the espresso martini flight, featuring three takes on the drink, is also a delight.
Rulin
- 15 E. 13th St., New York, NY 10003
- Greenwich Village
Park Slope’s Noodle Lane gains a sibling just across the river in Union Square this month, with the late-January opening of Rulin. Run by husband-and-wife duo Lane Li and Chris Wang, the menu combines the flavors of Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine, as seen through an elevated and creative lens. Think a duck canapé made with crispy rice, pickled turnip and a soy garlic vinaigrette, or Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup enriched with braised beef shank and chili oil. And while Rulin is dinner-only for now, look out for lunch to be added to the schedule in the following months.